First Draught: Southern Tier IPA
By David Ort
Craft beer from down south (Image: David Ort)
We Canadians can get pretty smug about how our beer compares to what’s made in the US. The problem is that we only have the upper hand, really, when it comes to the mass-market end of the spectrum. Our Blue is a bit less sweet than their Bud, light beer is less forcefully marketed here and old-guy brands that retain a bit of flavour — like Labatt 50 — live on thanks to our marketplace, where the brewers own the retailer.
But when I’ve had the chance to talk to the men and women who have opened small, independent breweries in Ontario, almost all of them credit the craft movement in the US as their inspiration. And the one beer that they most often call out by name is the IPA from Southern Tier Brewing Company.
Southern Tier’s standard IPA has the true amber-gold colour and herbal and citrus aromas that characterize the style. More than with other IPAs, the bitterness from the hops is supported by a toasted cereal sweetness. It reminds me of caramelized grapefruit slices.
Pairing an IPA with Indian food is a bit of an obvious layup. Better to try for the hook shot and set it beside the aromatic, floral-spicy flavours of Thailand or Vietnam, or to use this IPA’s strong-sweet flavours to echo the same in southern barbecue. Be careful with spicy food though; the chemical in hot peppers that creates the hot sensation is alcohol-soluble, so stronger beers like this one (6.5 per cent alcohol) can just spread the burn around instead of cooling things off.
With regular offerings like Muskoka’s Mad Tom, Double Trouble’s Hops & Robbers and seasonals like the Beaver River IPA from Beau’s, Ontario is really starting to run with the competition from the States. This IPA is still worth checking out as one of the beers that set the style.
Southern Tier IPA, $12.75 for a six pack, LCBO #81737
When David isn't busy drinking beer for his articles here, he writes about food and drink for Toronto's online publications including his own site, Food With Legs. For more of his thoughts on beer and life in general follow him on Twitter.
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