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Cheers To Ontario’s Great Brews
Amsterdam Brewery’s Katy Brown and Erin Mullally celebrate their win with writer Chris Schryer.
Last night, the winners of the Ontario Brewing Awards were announced to a packed house at Dominion on Queen in Corktown. The results—just in time for patio season—in 22 categories such as North American India Pale Ales, German Style Wheat Beer, and Bocks drew from over 135 entries by 24 breweries. Beer expert and OBA host Roger Mittag says the awards “are a small way to highlight the creativity of the brewers themselves and some of the beers they’re producing.”
Mittag notes that he has seen growth in Ontario’s brewing community in many ways. “We now have more brewers in Ontario than we’ve had since prior to prohibition and we’re making some fantastic beers.” He adds, “brewers are now starting to get a hold on what the community actually wants and lots of people are asking for local beers.”
Mittag wants people to think about geography with respect to beer the same way many take care to buy local food. “Beer, although it can travel, is always best closest to home,” he says. In fact, a beer from abroad can spend as long as three months on a boat: “It’s never as fresh as local beers,” concludes Mittag. Chris Schryer, who writes the Toronto Beer Blog, agrees: “No matter where I am in the world, my favourite beer is what’s freshest. The only way you get fresh beer is if it’s nearby.”
Yup, Labatt sampled its 50 at the OBAs.
Among Mittag’s suggestions: the Smashbomb Atomic IPA from Barrie-based brewery Flying Monkeys (which recently caused a controversy over its name), which is a “big flavoured North America pale ale,” and the King Brewery Vienna lager (“outstanding”). Having sampled both last night, we wholeheartedly agree—the Muskoka Brewery Summer Weiss and Mill Street Ginger were two other favourites of ours.
Ontario brewers deserve credit for moving beyond their comfort zones, a development that excites both Mittag and Schryer. “I’m still amazed at how creative brewers are starting to get. They’re really starting to open up their styles and not relying on what they’ve always done,” says Mittag. He lists Great Lakes Brewery and its Orange Peel Ale and Winter Spice Ale as examples. “People are starting to push the boundaries a bit,” adds Schryer. “The reality is we’re constantly playing catch-up with the States but we have a series of brewers—many who are being represented tonight—who legitimately are trying to push the boundaries. They are producing imperial stouts, massive IPAs, and huge sour beers that you wouldn’t have gotten in Ontario even two, three years ago.”
Attendees of the OBAs were invited to sample from over 20 beers.
In the end, while many award events can be self-congratulatory, Schryer sees a purpose to recognizing the risks that some brewers are taking. “It’s important to recognize when breweries do this because it doesn’t get a lot of market appeal,” he explains. “It’s important that they get at least industry recognition. That’s why we’re here.” Mittag believes it also is indicative of the sense of camaraderie in Ontario: “It’s a great community and they tend to band together moreso than in the past and be supportive of one another and I think it’s a good thing.”
Toronto has an exciting beer culture that continues to grow—an example, says Mittag, is the planned opening of a beer boutique in Liberty Village. The months ahead will be filled with great events for beer lovers, such as the Ontario Cask IPA Challenge this weekend, Ontario Craft Beer Week in June, Festival of Beer in August, and Toronto Beer Week in September. But for those who can’t wait, there’s always your personal beer o’clock as a time to celebrate.
All photos by Nick Kozak/Torontoist.