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100 of the Best Non-Alcoholic Beers

January 11, 2023 Red Hunt 1 Comment

The best options from Canada, the US, UK and beyond!

Before I knew about Sober October, Dry January, Dry February and all the other no-alcohol challenges out there, I embarked on my own taste test of curiosity to find the best non-alcoholic beers.

I figured I would be lucky to get my hands on 50 different options. I’ve tried more than 200 now.

For your convenience, here is a ranking of 100 of the best near-beers.

Athletic Brewing Non-Alcoholic Beers are often great! Their options are expanding, but still a bit limited in Canada

Between grocery stores, The Beer Store, bottle shops, our trusty LCBO, cocktail shops, local bars, and online specialty shops, and breweries selling direct, it has become quite easy now to find some decent , NA beers, or AF beers.

So, now after spending a lot of time (and money) on these beers (and receiving a handful of complimentary brews from kind breweries and online shops) I will soon reach 300 different beers all brewed with 0.5% of less alcohol.

It’s been a lot of fun so far, and not nearly as taxing as doing some of my other crazy beer challenges, like a 12-year vertical of Fuller’s Vintage Ale!

Kayaking with Non-Alcoholic Beer — Enjoying a Non-Alcoholic Beer while Kayaking

Here are the current rankings of the 100 best non-alcoholic beers.

Pretty much anything listed from #1 to #60 is worth a try, but depending on your preferences, you may enjoy some other lower-ranked beers too.

There has been a great increase in options recently, with a number of local Ontario breweries stepping into the NA beer game. Great to see Bellwoods, Collective Arts and Blood Brothers (among others) finally joining the party. I’m sure more will be joining soon. I even saw a post not long ago about a brewery planning 20 new non-alcoholic beers!

Am I missing your favourite? Let me know in the comments if you have any questions.

A Selection of NA Beers — Some of the NA Beers from this Taste Test

Note: I have realized a lot of the non-alcoholic beers differ in quality from batch to batch. Ones that may be terrible the first time, are great the second time. Whether it is recipe tweaks, quality control issues, stale product, or a mix of all of those reasons, even some of the lower-ranked options may deserve a second chance.

The best example I have of this is Bazaar Alyss. The first time I had it, it was off, and terrible. The second time I had it, is was extremely delicious, and exactly as expected. I’ve had it enough to put it near the top, but just be warned – sometimes beers from Bazaar turn bad, and they’re also make the only NA beer that I had explode on me, so drink at your own risk! No risk, no reward, right?

The 100 Best Non-Alcoholic Beers available in Canada

Here are my current rankings. This list will evolve and change as I try and rate new non-alcoholic beers. There are a lot of new non-alcoholic beers out there, so come back soon!

If you have a favourite brew not listed here, let me know in the comments and I’ll try to find it.

Tip: Skip over beers #61-100. The decent stuff doesn’t really start until you get to #50.

#61-100 – The Bad Non-Alcoholic Beers

#100 – Selection Blonde Lager by Metro Brands
#99 – Blonde Ale by Brasserie Vrooden
#98 – O’Douls Amber by Labatt Brewing Company
#97 – Sagres 0.0% Puro Malte by SCC Portugal
#96 – Grolsch Lemon Radler by Grolsch
#95 – Exel by Molson Coors Canada
#94 – Hoegaarden 0.0 by Inbev Belgium SPRL
#93 – So-Beer Light Lager by The Naked Collective
#92 – La Vie de Chateau Amber Rum by Microbrasserie le Grimoire
#91 – Coors Edge by Molson Coors Canada
#90 – Sagres 0.0% Radler Limão by SCC Portugal
#89 – Lemonade Radler by President’s Choice / Loblaws Inc.
#88 – Red Racer Street Legal Pilsner by Central City Brewers + Distillers
#87 – Brown Ale Non-Alcoholic Organic by Svaneke Bryghus
#86 – Paulaner Weissbier 0.0 by Paulaner Brauerei
#85 – 1664 Blanc Sans Alcool by Kronenbourg Brewery
#84 – O’Douls Premium by Labatt Brewing Company
#83 – Gerstel Alkoholfrei Klassisch Mild by Privatbrauerei Eichbaum
#82 – Heineken 0.0 by Heineken
#81 – Pale Ale Non-Alcoholic Organic by Svaneke Bryghus
#80 – Wow DDH Amarillo NEIPA by Le Bazaar
#79 – DDH IPA by C.O.A.S.T. (Now “Lust For Life DDH IPA” by BRULO)
#78 – Blue 0.5% by Labatt Brewing Company
#77 – Verne by Bazaar
#76 – Ace of Tart Sharp Blueberry Full House AF by Brewdog
#75 – IPA Zero by Drink Zero
#74 – Erdinger Weissbrau Alkoholfrei by Erdinger
#73 – Neal Bros Grapefruit Lager by Neal Brothers
#72 – Krombacher Weizen Alkoholfrei by Krombacher Gruppe
#71 – Going Places by Wellbeing Brewing
#70 – Bitburger Drive 0.0% by Bitburger Brauerei
#69 – Découverte (IPA) by Le BockAle
#68 – Equilibrium by Katalyst Brewing Company
#67 – Stout by Partake
#66 – Ghost Ship 0.5 by Adnams
#65 – Hazy AF by Brewdog
#64 – Lunchbox Lagered Ale by Harmon’s Craft Brewing
#63 – Red Racer Street Legal IPA by Central City Brewers + Distillers
#62 – Peroni Libera 0.0 by Birra Peroni
#61 – Punk IPA Alcohol Free by Brewdog

Pouring Beer down the Drain — Pouring some NA Beers down the Drain. Sometimes I could only buy a beer in a 6-pack or 12-pack. Sometimes that was 5 or 11 too many.

I was very disappointed in the non-alcoholic Hoegaarden offering, as I truly enjoy their regular wit. But there are a lot of better wheat/wit beers out there when it comes to AF (alcohol-free) beers.

The La Vie de Chateau was a weird one, a beer with rum flavouring. It was basically a non-alcoholic rum drink.

Red Racer I had high hopes for, but their non-alcoholic Pilsner just didn’t hit the mark. Wellbeing Brewing similarly didn’t live up to expectations.

Le Bazaar Brasserie Artisanale does some really interesting stuff. If you can try their NA beers, don’t be shy. Verne may not be my favourite, but their creativity with odd flavours is impressive.

#46-60 – The Average Non-Alcoholic Beers

#60 – Milkshake IPA Sans Alcool by Brasserie Les 2 Frères
#59 – Irresistibles Non Alcoholic IPA by Metro Brands
#58 – Hefeweissbier Alkoholfrei by Weihenstephan
#57 – Nirvana Traditional Pale Ale by Nirvana Brewery
#56 – Emerald Stout (Non-Alcoholic) by Collective Arts Brewing
#55 – Sure Tropicale / Tropical Sour by Bière Sans Alcool (BSA)
#54 – Adventure India Pale Ale by Free Spirit Brewing Co
#53 – Matinée Extra Light by Ras L’Bock
#52 – New England IPA Sans Alcool by Brasserie Les 2 Frères
#51 – Lady Cori-Ange by Brasserie Vrooden Brewery
#50 – Nord Star Douceur Tropicale IPA by Microbrasserie Grande Allée
#49 – Blanche Non-Alcoholic by Oshlag Brasserie & Distillerie
#48 – Hazy IPA by Rival House
#47 – White by Sober Carpenter
#46 – Dry Hopped Cascade by Clausthaler

SO.BEER, some of the worst Alcohol-Free beers I’ve tried

If you like Weihenstephan, you may just like the non-alcoholic version too. It’s better than pretty much all other German weissbier options I’ve tried. Adventure IPA from Free Spirit / Rorschach is actually one of my regular NA beer choices, a great option after softball games in summer.

#31-45 – The Good Non-Alcoholic Beers

#45 – Upside Dawn by Athletic Brewing Co
#44 – Grainwave by Ceria Brewing Co
#43 – Libra Stout by Upstreet Craft Brewing
#42 – Classic IPA by Nirvana Brewery
#41 – Nord Star Juicy by Microbrasserie Grande Allée
#40 – Sagesse by Microbrasserie Le Trèfle Noir
#39 – A Non-Alc IPA V3 w/ Citra, Mosaic & Simcoe by Bellwoods
#38 – Stripped Craft Lime Infused Ale by Nøgne Ø
$37 – Bonfire Stout by Drop Bear Beer Co.
#36 – Nord Star Black IPA Sans Alcool by Microbrasserie Grande Allée
#35 – Bavarian Helles Lager by Nirvana Brewery
#34 – New World Lager by Drop Bear Beer Co.
#33 – Pale Ale by Nonny Beer
#32 – Hoppy Pale Ale by Nirvana Brewery
#31 – Red by Partake Brewing

Quite a mix of styles on this part of the list. For IPAs that are ranking lower like these, it is partly because many non-alcoholic IPAs have a noticeably similar lemon-y taste or generic recipe. Producing one with a unique aroma, hop profile, and taste seems to be a challenge to some breweries.

#16-30 – The Very Good Non-Alcoholic Beers

#30 – Fun House Non Alcoholic NEIPA by Vandestreek Bier BV
#29 – Saskaberry Blonde Ale by One for the Road Brewing Co.
#28 – Sleight of Hand by Tempest Brewing Co
#27 – Pine Trail Pale by Big Drop Brewing Co
#26 – Nanny State by Brewdog
#25 – Fahr Alkoholfrei by Fahr Brewery
#24 – Limbo Riesling by Mikkeller
#23 – iota Hazy IPA by Phillips Brewing and Malting Co.
#22 – Amber Lager by Rival House
#21 – Libra Pilsner by Upstreet Craft Brewing
#20 – Lamb of God Ghost Walker by Brewdog
#19 – Sure Lime Citron / Lime Lemon Sour by Bière Sans Alcool (BSA)
#18 – Personal Best by Mikkeller
#17 – Organic Session IPA by Sober Carpenter
#16 – Svart/Hvit by Nøgne Ø

That Saskaberry beer was nicely different, while the pilsner from Upstreet was really solid. I was actually surprised to enjoy quite a few non-alcoholic pilsners so much during this taste test, as some of the first ones I had were very bad. I thought the offerings from Mikkeller would be better overall, only Personal Best lived up to expectations.

Some good Non-Alcoholic Beers from Alberta

#1-15 – The Best Non-Alcoholic Beers

#15 – Indiewave by CERIA Brewing Co

This was a very pleasing IPA, big aromatics, solidly citrusy, and made me thing of west coast IPAs.

#14 – Stay Classy by Bellwoods Brewery

Melon and tropical vibes, soft pleasing aroma with a nicely bright, hoppy taste. Finishes with a good bitterness.

#13 – Yuzu Pale Ale by Drop Bear Beer Co.

This was floral and fruity. The Yuzu added a nice “woohoo!” to this alcohol-free pale ale!

#12 – Grüvi Golden Lager by Grüvi

Quite a nice surprise here. The Grüvi beers were a bit hit and miss for me, but this one over delivered big time. Great hop/malt balance, bold aromas, and plenty of body. Hard to say if I like this or PLAY Lager from Perth more.

#11 – Funambule NEIPA by La Brasserie Grande Allée

Light colour to this one, but it drank very smooth. Almost velvety and quite tropical.

#10 – Himla Humla by Nøgne Ø

Unique flavour to this one made me really appreciate it. Its an IPA but drinks like a flavourful pale ale.

#9 – PLAY Lager by Perth Brewery

Crisp, clean, believable. A non-alcoholic lager that puts many regular lagers to shame. Perhaps my favourite NA lager.

#8 – Libra Hazy IPA by Upstreet Craft Brewing

Bit of a hop bite on the finish, but an overall very smooth and creamy body overall. Not as “watery” as you may think. May have enjoyed this even more, since I was camping at the time?

Hazy IPAs that Don't make you Feel Hazy — Hazy IPAs that Don’t make you Feel Hazy, this NA option from Libra one is good

#7 – Playground by Vandestreek Bier BV

All around enjoyable IPA, with some grapefruit hints. This one really hit the spot, and made me forget I wasn’t drinking a real IPA!

#6 – Sure Framboise / Raspberry Sour by Bière Sans Alcool (BSA)

Nicely tart, this packed a full wallop of raspberries and tons of flavour. A nicer balance between tart/sweet than some other alcohol-free raspberry sours I’ve tried.

#5 – Jack Pine Pale Ale by Harmon’s Craft Brewing

Rough and piney, old school IPA vibes to this Pale Pale. This was big aromas and big flavours, a real winner for a non-alcoholic brew.

#4 – Alyss by La Bazaar

A Berliner Weisse with passionfruit that delivers a crazy, delicious, tangy, and aromatic flavour wallop. If you get this fresh, it’s an absolute winner.

#3 – Trou Noir by Le BockAle

Dry, roasty, some coffee aromas and flavours happening with this stout. I have found that a lot of non-alcoholic stouts have trouble finding enough body to contain the potentially big flavours. This one was was nicely bold all around.

#2 – Tropical IPA by Drop Bear Beer Co

Piney, grapefruit, bitterness. This is not a light, fluffy hazy ipa, its a bold tropical ipa that delivers on aroma and flavour. Stands out from the crowd nicely!

#1 – All the Fruit Fruited Sour by Athletic Brewing Co

Extremely delicious. Checks all the right boxes. Beautiful light red colour, with strong berry aromas, and it drinks tart! Tons of raspberry and blueberry, great from start to finish. better than many full strength sours and fruited beers.

Nirvana Brewery NA Beer Bottles — NA Beer Bottles from Nirvana Brewery. Good stuff. Also the only beer shipment I’ve had a broken bottle on. Need to locate their NA stout!

That’s the list…for now. I have a lot of great non-alcoholic beers left to sample still, so who knows what the final “best” brews will be. I can give you one hint though: give Guinness 0.0 a try if you can find it!

For those wondering, I am still enjoying plenty of full strength beers as well, I’m just reaching for a good NA beer more often these days, now that I’ve discovered some good ones.

Beer

Craft Beer Day in the Falkland Islands

February 6, 2022 Red Hunt Leave a comment

Walking around town in Stanley, the capital of the Falkland Islands it doesn’t take long to understand how the people who live here often take pride in being “more British than Britain”.

It only takes about 30 minutes to walk the town in this proud British outpost, and if you have a keen eye you may spot one house with a Falkland Beerworks sign emblazoned on the front of it.

Chances are nobody will be home, as the vast majority of visitors to the Falklands come here on expeditions ships bound for Antarctica. The stop in Stanley occurs during the day, and lasts for 3-6 hours. But, Falkland Beerworks is really just a hobby brewery, as the founder Jeff Halliday has a full-time job during the day.

As such, you’ll have to do some digging around town to come up with your beer swag and find bottles of the mostly English-inspired (and mostly 1982 Falkalnds War inspired names) beers.

At any one time you may be able to find up to six different beers around town from Falkland Beerworks. The local supermarket (The West Store) has a decent selection of craft beer, but nothing from Falkland Beerworks, so the beers are not as easy to track down as you might think.

To help you optimize your beer travel time in the Falkland Islands, here is a good plan of attack to find as many local beers as possible. Sadly, I was not able to sample the Cape Pembroke Pale Ale yet, so perhaps I’ll have to return to the Falklands?

Stop 1: Falkland Beerworks. Walk up Philomel from the waterfront, turn right on John.

A home that is set back from the road slightly. They don’t really post hours or anything, but if you catch Jeff home or working in the brewery then consider yourself lucky, and take advantage of getting beer straight from the source. Consider sending him a message ahead of time via Facebook or his website to let him know you’re planning to stop by.

Black tarn Beer — Black Tarn Beer, Falkland Islands

Stop 2: Studio 52. On Ross Road along the Waterfront.

Since the actual brewery will likely be closed, this is one place to start your beer hunting adventure. From the outside it may appear similar to many other souvenir shops around town in Stanley, but this one sometimes has a beer advantage. They (usually) have a stock of Falkland Beerworks pint glasses, coasters and possible other Falkland Beerworks souvenirs for sale.

I was told that it is Jeff’s wife who runs this shop, which helps to explain why they seem to be the only shop in town with these specific souvenirs.

Make this one of your first stops, and be sure to ask the shop owner about any current information on best spots to grab a bottle or pint of the actual Beerworks brews, as they may have the most up to date information.

Other fine Falkland Islands souvenirs can be found here as well, so the shop really is worth checking out. Plus, they accept most major credit cards too, if you don’t happen to have any US dollars, British pounds, Falkland pounds or Euros handy.

The Falkland Islands does not accept any Argentine currency, as both the UK and Argentina lay claim to the islands. The Falklands war between these two nations in 1982 didn’t really resolve anything and there remains a large British military presence in the Falkland Islands, because if they leave it is expected Argentina will invade again.

Continuing your beer day in Stanley, the next best spots to visit for a pint or bottle of local brew are below.

Stop 3: Bittersweet Café. At the corner of Philomel and John.

This café is just a minute away from the brewery. It is a small café, which can fill up quite fast if there are some cruise or expedition ships in town, so try to get here ahead of the lunch-seeking crowd.

While the food is good, they also have a wide selection of beer, including a solid lineup of bottles of Falkland Beerworks brews. On my visit they had five options in stock at a price of £ 3.90 (Falkland pounds). Yes, they will sell them for you to take away and bring home.

However, this shop does not accept debit or credit. So if you do not have cash you’ll need to hit the bank on Ross Road, or make a purchase at the West Store supermarket and get cash back. Unless you need a large sum of money, it is cheaper to get cash through the supermarket as their service charge may be lower.

Stop 4: Victory Pub. Located at Philomel and Fitzroy.

Just up the street from Bittersweet is the Victory Pub. This is the watering hole of choice for many visitors and locals alike. You’re bound to encounter some friendly people and have some fun conversation here. It is decked out wonderfully in kitschy memorabilia, Falkland history, pub games and flags.

Bullshit Corner, Victory Pub, Falkland Islands

If you didn’t grab food at Bittersweet Café and are hungry, the fish and chips is good here as well, but again – try and get in before the lunch rush as service can get slow as the place gets crowded.

If Bittersweet didn’t have all the bottles you wanted, you may find them here. There is always some selection of Falkland Beerworks beer here. One thing you will most certainly want to do is grab a pint of Falkland Beerworks here. Jeff is a real fan of real ale, and finding his beer on cask really showcases how he intended it to be enjoyed. On my visit they were serving the Rockhopper blonde ale on cask, in true British fashion.

It is quite possible you’ll have accomplished your Falkland Islands beer travels by the time you finish up here. After all, there really is only one decent town and one brewery! So sit back and enjoy another pint if you have time.

If you want to wander around town further and see what else is available, then the following pub may also be worth a stop as well.

Stop 5: The Globe Tavern. Located at Philomel and Crozier.

A minute walk from Victory Pub, this is another local watering hole worth visiting if you have the time. They also serve Falkland Beerworks on tap so it is possible you may score more than one local type of beer on tap in Stanley. I didn’t have enough time to stop in for a pint here, as I got busy chatting with people at Victory Pub and had to get going sooner than planned.

Bonus: Hotel stops, if you have more time in Stanley.

Stop 6: The Malvina House Hotel, located on Ross Road, across from the Falkland Islands Museum

The Malvina Hotel’s restaurant and lounge bar opening hours don’t always line up perfectly with the arrivals of ships, so it may be a hit or miss chance of stopping in for food or drink here, unless you’ve got a room booked and will be spending more than a few hours in town.

Stop 7: The Waterfront Boutique Hotel, located on Ross Road, at the base of Philomel

This is as close as you can get to the the start of town. Just a hop across the road from the Falkland islands Tourist Board, and where you’ll likely begin your journey of exploration in Stanley.

The Kitchen Cafe serves up delicious baked goods, steaks, seafood and much more, plus Falkland Beerworks brews. For £4.95, grab yourself a pint right on the waterfront!

After this, any beer stops are going to be a bonus. Falkland Beerworks is considered to be the world’s most remote commercial brewery. While their beers range from average to very good, it is the people who call the Falkland Islands home that will add a bit of extra flavour to the drinking experience on a craft beer day in Stanley.

How to get to Stanley, Falkland Islands

Most visitors arrive by expedition ship on tours continuing to Antarctica, such as those run by Polar Latitudes. It is also possible to fly to Stanley. There are flights from Oxfordshire, UK and from Punta Arenas, Chile.

Beer

Pumpkin Beers Must Die – A Biased Taste Test

September 25, 2018 Red Hunt Leave a comment

The pumpkin beer “season” seems to expand every year. This is a troubling trend.

Like a weed, or a virus, it seems otherwise normal beer drinkers are being infected at alarmingly larger and larger numbers, helping to expedite the availability of this most vile type of flavoured beer.

This is the time of year that I most love and most dread when it comes to craft beer. Weather is getting cooler and it is harvest time, so beers like harvest ales or fresh hop brews begin to pop up. They signal a change, where darker, maltier, heavier beers become more prominent. Soon it will be stouts and porters taking the main stage in the beer fridge. I really look forward to this change.

But then there is the pumpkin beer phase. To me, it is akin to having an asparagus beer season in May, or a broccoli beer season in July or August. Why don’t those exist? I actually enjoy those vegetables more than pumpkin. So why does pumpkin beer even exist?

I know I am not alone in my hatred towards pumpkin beers. It is the most divisive style of beer around, I believe. Sure, some beer nerds can stand behind the pumpkin beer wagon, citing how it has been a style of beer for nearly 250 years, but I’d argue it should have died off long ago.

Over the years I have tried many, many pumpkin beers in an effort to try to appreciate them. But no. It does not happen. Each year I am left wondering why I wasted money and taste buds on these horrendous concoctions.

For those who are also tricked into drinking these beers each year, I give you the following Pumpkin beer reviews, so you know just how bad they are. Read them as a reminder next time you feel tempted.

On a good note, the dreaded pumpkin beer season is also a time of year I tend to take a month off of drinking beer. Sometime between September and November I’ll take a health break and when the market is saturated by pumpkins, it makes it a lot easier to stop drinking!

Even if you sugar coat the pumpkin beer with a massive dose of cinnamon, nutmeg, chocolate, brown sugar, allspice, anise or pretty much any other flavour agent, it is still going to be gross. That whole lipstick on pigs thing, you know?

Because of my lack of desire in drinking pumpkin beers, I must say that I “accidentally” aged some for more than a year, simply because I didn’t want to drink them. These beers are not meant to be aged, but I will say they tasted less-gross over time as the pumpkin taste died off, making them more tolerable than some fresh pumpkin beers.

5 Terrible Pumpkin Beers to Avoid

Southern Tier Pumking

I hate the smell of this beer. It’s pure pumpkin. Pumpkin pie, pumpkin mash…spiced pumpkin. Ok, so ya I hate pumpkin, which makes drinking pumpkin beers kind of odd. Usually there is some brown sugar or malts or flavour mix on the aroma that masks the pumpkin enough for me to find it drinkable. Not so with this beer. Pumpkin overload!

For some people that is a good thing – a pumpkin beer that smells like pumpkin pie. It pours with little head and is a deep golden orange colour. After a few minutes it appears totally still, no head remaining at all.

Moving past the aroma, it’s a strong beer this one (8.6%) but the alcohol is mostly hidden by a strong spice profile. Nutmeg, butter, cinnamon and of course pumpkin mix together for a strong flavoured brew. Overall it’s strong on pumpkin, a bit too much for me.

Brooklyn Post Road Pumpkin Ale

Expectedly deep orange in colour, it gives off a waft of pumpkin aroma when pouring. Making me cringe before taking a sip.

With a clingy, one-finger head it is lightly spiced, allowing the pumpkin flavour to be prominent. Quite mild overall, and smooth. Tolerable.

Finishes dry and slightly tart, but not acidic. Not good, but this pumpkin beer could have been a lot worse, feel like I dodged a bullet on this one.

McAuslan Citrouelle Pumpkin Beer

I have to admit to drinking this beer on multiple occasions. It was years ago, during a beer phase where I felt ashamed if I didn’t like certain beers that other people said were great. If at first you don’t like it, try and try again! NO…not with pumpkin beers I finally learned.

Caramely and spicey. It screams pumpkin beer and will make you wish for something else, anything else.

Bandido Brewing La Gran Calabaza

I have no idea if the fine folks at Bandido Brewing are going to make this beer again for 2018, but I suspect they will.

When you spend months in the Galapagos Islands, where almost every beer is a watery lager, you begin to crave any kind of new beer taste you can find. So, I enjoyed this pumpkin beer more than I would under normal circumstances, as my beer palate had been suffering prior to this.

If you find yourself in Quito, Ecuador and see this beer, give it a go as it may be the only pumpkin beer in Ecuador, so even if you hate the taste, hooray for the novelty factor!

Great Lakes Saison Dupump

A saison! But with pumpkin. Damnit.

It is a strange combination that works for some beer drinkers. For me, it does not. It may be a step above the usual pumpkin-laced beverage, but even with some Belgian yeasty-spicey flavours to counteract the pumpkin and related spicey flavours, it sucks in the overall grand scheme of beers. Despite the marketing BS on the label, I was once told this beer was simply No Chance with Miranda with pumpkin and spices added. It sounds about right.

Points added for being different, but multiple points deducted for still being a pumpkin beer.

5 More Atrocious Pumpkin Ales Not Worth Drinking

Lake of Bays Pumpkin Ale

Pumpkin beer-loving freaks will enjoy this one, but it wasn’t for me. I only had a sample on my most recent tasting, and that is about the proper serving size for any pumpkin beer.

Some vanilla actually cut through a lot of the pumpkin junk, without making the beer sweet, so that is a good thing. I like Lake of Bays, but their dedication to pumpkin style beers over the years creates a conundrum. If I avoid them from August-October I guess I am safe from the pumpkin invasion?

Burnt Hickory Die Kreuzen

Likely the first, and only, time I will ever visit a brewery and try two pumpkin beers.

That is what I will remember most about Burnt Hickory. I enjoyed their special “Man in the Trees” version of this beer better, but this one kind of left me thinking pumpkin beers were not terrible, simply because all the flavours were so mild and muted.

Dubbed an imperial pumpkin porter, the beer somehow achieved a more sweet malty profile with a hint of liquorice. Unlike how I hate pumpkin flavours, even in beers, I do enjoy liquorice flavour in beer, despite hating black liquorice candy.

Mill St. Nightmare Pumpkin Ale

I had this some time ago, and didn’t take much in the way of notes except to clearly state it was “chewy”.

So, if you like thick pumpkin pie that requires chewing, I guess you’d like this abomination of a beer? Since pumpkin pie is beyond gross as well, saying this tastes like pumpkin pie should turn just about anyone off of it.

Overall I would call this more of a spiced beer than a pumpkin beer though. It clearly falls into the generic pumpkin ale flavour profile – nothing new to see here folks.

Rogue Ales Pumpkin Patch Ale

I do hope to find a pumpkin beer I really enjoy one day, although I fear it will never happen. This one was tolerable, partly because I sat on it for over a year and the flavours all just melded together into a slightly-spiced, minimal-pumpkin flavoured ale.

That’s the way I like my pumpkin beers, with minimal pumpkin flavour! This one was a tad sweet overall, and bit flat. I can’t imagine any pumpkin beer ever tasting better fresh, but hey…

Grand River Highballer Pumpkin Ale

Kind of doesn’t do anything fun.

I mean some pumpkin beers add odd spices, or have a different base beer instead of your typical ale. This is just an ale, with pumpkin and related spices added.

It has a pretty strong pumpkin aroma that wafts out at ya when you open it up, so that pretty much sets it up for disaster in my books. While sweet, its from the malts more than anything. Needs more spice, more body and less pumpkin!

5 Final Crappy Craft Beers Made with Pumpkin

Great Lakes Pumpkin Ale

Sweet and spicey or bland and boring? That is for you to decide, if you dare drink this pumpkin beer.

You can’t go wrong either way. The beer is inoffensive, but if you like nutmeg and cinnamon type spices, you’ll at least like that. Pumpkin flavour is mild in this one, which I obviously prefer. But if you’re craving a bold pumpkin beer, or bold beer at all, it is not this one. It’s kind of lame on flavour, like those cucumber and watermelon beers you see in summer…this is the pumpkin beer version of those.

But hey, lots of people don’t drink beer for the flavour, so go ahead and try this perennial contender for most-consumed pumpkin beer in Toronto.

Renaissance Great Punkin

Smells like pumpkin. Tastes like pumpkin. Seriously, pumpkin is a pretty strong flavour, so why do I torture myself trying so many pumpkin beers that I know I won’t want to ever drink again?

For this beer, I tried it because it was from New Zealand. You know – maybe their pumpkins taste different down there? Nope. They do not. The grossness of pumpkins seems to be global.

One saving grace for this beer was it had a dry, hoppy finish to it which cut out any potential lingering pumpkin flavour. Phew.

Black Creek Pioneer Harvest Pumpkin Ale

What the hell. Uh oh, no head. This beer pours flat and syrupy. Sugary liquid to follow? Yes, indeed.

This pumpkin beer has an overpoweringly sweet, sugary taste of molasses with very little evidence of alcohol or pumpkin flavour.

The finish of the beer does allow some spiced pumpkin taste to linger on the tongue, letting you realize that this is actually a pumpkin brew. Skip this one, unless you like pumpkin syrup.

Shipyard Brewing Smashed Pumpkin

As part of their Pugsley Signature Series, Shipyard releases this seasonal beer each year for any weird people that enjoy drinking liquid pumpkin guts.

It smells like pumpkin pie and nutmeg. It has a deep, dark orange colour to it and at 9% at least you only need to drink one or two to get a buzz, if that is what you’re after. I have no idea what a pumpkin-induced hangover would be like but I can only imagine it would be ugly.

I would say, of the limited beers I’ve had from Shipyard, this is my least favourite. They do make a root beer, which is average as well, so maybe I shouldn’t have had high expectations? (Yes, I often judge a brewery by their root beer).

CAUTION! CONTAINS REAL PUMPKIN!!!

I had this interesting pumpkin beer at a barleywine tasting recently and despite all the efforts, it still came out as a slightly sweet, kinda gross, pumpkin beer.

This one was aged in bourbon barrels with cinnamon and vanilla, and some other spices. If you try hard enough you can pick out the barrel influence and sweetness that rounds out the flavour profile.

Too much effort for lacklustre results in my opinion. Thanks for trying, but even a barrel-aged barleywine pumpkin beer still can’t convince me this style deserves to exist. Kill all pumpkins! Just don’t put them in my beers.

Now can we start talking about pecan pie beers instead of pumpkin pie beers? Because if more breweries released pecan pie beers I would be a happy drinker at this time of year! For those of you who actually do like pumpkin beers, I can say none of these beers would be deemed “bad” by your palate, except maybe the Black Creek beer, but I think I may have just had a bad / too old version of that one.

Beer

Sawdust City Brew Camp – I’m Brewing my First Beer!

January 10, 2018 Red Hunt 2 Comments

This coming Saturday is Brew Camp at Sawdust City Brewery and I’ll be there!

I’m sure our small group of beer campers will be a bunch of passionate beer lovers, so I am quite looking forward to brewing my first beer with them. As someone who has never done any home brewing, this is the perfect opportunity for me to get a bit more hands-on by seeing, and helping with, an actual brewing process. I realize home brewing and brewing on a large commercial scale are different beasts, but I’m kind of more interested in seeing how beer is brewed by one of my favourite Ontario breweries anyways!

Sawdust City Beer Flight — A flight of beers at the Sawdust City Saloon

It has been 3+ years since the current Sawdust City Brewery facility opened, and I fondly remember my first visit shortly after they opened. The first beer I tried in their Saloon was Gourd Downie Pumpkin Ale. I tend to hate pumpkin beers (my least favourite style), but I did enjoy that one. I visited a number of times on trips up north and liked that they always had a couple of odd, “fun-off” type of experimental brews on tap in the Brewery Saloon like Pink Pajamas and The Salty Brine. They may not always have experimental beers on tap now, as they are more likely to have a guest tap or two, plus they’ve created too many solid beers the past few years that are often on tap!

Nowadays I have a few Sawdust City beers that are in my regular rotation. Lone Pine IPA still stands up to any other Ontario IPAs out there, which I can enjoy any time of year (and Juicin’ appeals to the soft, fluffy IPA drinkers now). The Blood of Cthulhu is a treat on any cold, winter day, and one of my go-to simple summer softball beers is Little Norway, which I always bring with me when playing a game at Little Norway park in Toronto. The beer name itself is tied to some pretty cool Canadian history too, which is something Sawdust City does with some of their beer names.

It is going to be a fun day on Saturday. I’m not sure what type of beer we’ll be making, nor am I sure how hard they’ll work us! I’m sure I’ll gain a new level of respect for all the brewery workers who spend their days working hard to create delicious drink treats for us beer consumers! I’m looking at this day as an amped up Brewery Tour, with some nice perks that I’ll have to work for!

Sawdust City Brewery — Looking forward to some tasty Sawdust City beers at Brew Camp!

We’ll be learning all day long, and enjoying some food and brews along the way. Aside from lunch and a beer, we’ll get our very own Brew Camp shirts. Plus, of course we get to bottle and take home the beer we brew when it is ready in a few weeks! Will our beer turn out to be a winner? Will anyone fall into some tanks? Will I be the only one with zero brewing knowledge? I’ll find out in a few days – wish me luck!

As for Brew Camp, this isn’t the first time Sawdust City has put together the concept, and I’m sure it won’t be the last either. Check their website events list and social media channels for news on any future Brew Camps if it sounds like something you’d like to do!

Beer

12 Years of Beers – Fuller’s Vintage Ale

December 8, 2017 Red Hunt 7 Comments

One of my longest-standing beer traditions is picking up a Fuller’s Vintage Ale from the LCBO every December. I’ve done this for probably the past 15 years or so.

12 years ago I upped my game and began purchasing more than one bottle each year. I usually would buy three bottles: one to drink right away, one to enjoy after a couple of years, and one to store away until…now.

Fuller's Vintage Ale Vertical — A 12 Year Tasting of Fuller’s Vintage Ales

I thought after I had 10 vintages I’d crack them open, but I had a nice box I was storing them in, which had two empty slots still, so I continued on until this year, where I now have 12 years of beers to enjoy for the holidays.

Starting with Fuller’s Vintage Ale 2017 and ending with Fuller’s Vintage Ale 2006, myself and some other beer people will see how things stack up year over year. What vintage do you think will come out on top? Will the 2006 still be holding up? Should I have waited even longer to do this beer vertical?

As the strength of this beer stays the same every year at 8.5%, but the mix of hops used in the recipe change, it will be interesting to see just how much variance there is from year to year. Strangely, the bottles from 2006-2012 each have a best before date of three years after they were produced. Bottles from 2013-2017 have a best before date of 10 years after they were produced. Not sure what brought about that change!

I know from my personal preferences that drinking the Fuller’s Vintage Ales when they first come out is sometimes a bit too early. They are good, but get better with a few years on them. But is 10+ years too long? We shall find out soon! I’ll be taking notes at this tasting and reporting back here soon.

Click on the Title of any vintage blow to see the Untappd check-in.

Fuller’s Vintage Ale 2017 (Rated 4/5)

Notes: Malty and not too sweet. Little nutty. Quite smooth for so young.

Fuller’s Vintage Ale 2016 (Rated 3.75/5)

Notes: A bit bready. Quite dry. Less pleasing aroma than 2017.

Fuller’s Vintage Ale 2015 (Rated 3.75/5)

Notes: Quite reddish colour. Sweet malts. Slightly fruity finish. Bit too sweet, strong butterscotch as it warms. Most complex so far.

Fuller’s Vintage Ale 2014 (Rated 4/5)

Notes: Pretty floral and fruity aroma. Quite appealing. Malty sweet with caramel undertones. Best so far.

Fuller’s Vintage Ale 2013 (Rated 3.25/5)

Notes: Not as good as when fresh. A bit off perhaps? A bit metallic, sweet. Good in the middle. Rough overall. Weird finish. Sugary aroma. Meh.

Fuller’s Vintage Ale 2012 (Rated 3.5/5)

Notes: Caramel/toffee aroma. Similar on taste. Sweet but not too sweet. Gets better as it warms, but not a winner.

Fuller’s Vintage Ale 2011 (Rated 4/5)

Notes: Very smooth and well integrated. Starting to get ageing appreciation! Malty, yet complex. A winner, in the top 3 so far.

Fuller’s Vintage Ale 2010 (Rated 4.25/5)

Notes: Starting to feel the beers now. This is very well balanced. Malt, dark stone fruits & caramel flavours. Favourite so far!

Fuller’s Vintage Ale 2009 (Rated 4.75/5)

Notes: Whoa, massive gusher! 1.5ft high. Lost 4/5ths of the beer. Apple! Spice! So nice! Best yet. Cinnamon & more, beauty beer, but likely not what it was meant to be like.

Fuller’s Vintage Ale 2008 (Rated 4.25/5)

Notes: Smooth, complex…roasted oats and malts flavor. Semi-sweet, well integrated, very pleasing.

Fuller’s Vintage Ale 2007 (Rated 3.25/5)

Notes: Toffee and malt. Cohesive aromas and flavours but no depth. Odd. Dull. Past prime.

Fuller’s Vintage Ale 2006 (Rated 4.25/5)

Notes: Don’t mean to be biased because this is the oldest of the vertical, but this is fantastically blended. Super smooth, caramel, fruits, wood.

Final verdict is that Fuller’s Vintage Ales hold up for many years. Definitely beyond the “3 years” posted on bottles up to 2012. After having some time to let everything settle and go over my notes, there really wasn’t a ton of variance in these beers. The 2017 was the only one with nutty flavours, and the 2009 anomaly must have turned to become something different. The risk of ageing too long seems to be a potentially “flat” flavour profile that happened in the 2007, but the 2006 escaped this flaw.

It was fun night with good beers.

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Fuller’s Vintage Ale 2017 (Rated 4/5)

Fuller’s Vintage Ale 2016 (Rated 3.75/5)

Fuller’s Vintage Ale 2015 (Rated 3.75/5)

Fuller’s Vintage Ale 2014 (Rated 4/5)

Fuller’s Vintage Ale 2013 (Rated 3.25/5)

Fuller’s Vintage Ale 2012 (Rated 3.5/5)

Fuller’s Vintage Ale 2011 (Rated 4/5)

Fuller’s Vintage Ale 2010 (Rated 4.25/5)

Fuller’s Vintage Ale 2009 (Rated 4.75/5)

Fuller’s Vintage Ale 2008 (Rated 4.25/5)

Fuller’s Vintage Ale 2007 (Rated 3.25/5)

Fuller’s Vintage Ale 2006 (Rated 4.25/5)

travel writer. wildlife photographer. beer geek.