Negative associations are hard to dispel: I cringe at the sight of brown envelopes from Revenue Canada; dark feelings of contempt well up when I spy parking-meter attendants; and I associate tequila with an unfortunate frosh week at the University of Manitoba in 1987.
Paradigm shifts are hard for us tipplers. We get fiercely attached to our favourite brands, switching only when something better comes along. Disagreeable experiences go on a blacklist and stay there, indefinitely.
So it was with Moon Under Water Pub and Brewery, at 350 Bay St., when it opened in October 2010. With hopes high, my wife and I sussed out our new neighbourhood brewpub over pints and lunch, but we left shaking our heads. Service was lacking, the food mediocre and the beer nothing special.
Even when Moon came under new family ownership last fall, I remained caught in my own psychological leg-hold trap. Never mind that the energetic new owners revamped the décor, kitchen and brewery, or that one of the new owners, Clay Potter, had studied at the feet of Lighthouse Brewing Company’s Paul Hoyne before obtaining an MSc in brewing and distilling from Heriot-Watt University in Edinburgh, Scotland.
In the quiet recesses of my mind, I knew a visit to the brew pub was overdue. My wife and I returned last Sunday and, to our great relief, we had a completely different experience. The service was attentive and friendly, the menu was impressive and the range of beers simply remarkable.
Without shame, her nibs stole my idea and ordered the fresh and flavourful Yellowfin tuna tacos with a delicious cream of roasted yam soup ($13) — a combination that is hard to beat.
That is, unless you order the Moroccan chicken club sandwich ($13) with fruit chutney, Swiss cheese, bacon and curried aioli, served between thick slabs of sourdough bread.
The folks at Moon can’t be getting rich serving high-quality food at reasonable prices, but the kitchen does an admirable job of keeping up with the outstanding beers coming out of the onsite brewery:
Potts Pils Unfiltered
650 mL, 5.2 per cent alcohol by volume (ABV), $5.5
Clay Potter has a penchant for making German-style beers and this pilsner reflects that. Crisp, light and refreshing, it exudes fragrant aromas and flavours of fresh hops and citrus, making it a perfect match for salads and lighter fare.
Creepy Uncle Dunkel
650 mL, 5.4 per cent ABV, $5.5
Dunkel is unfamiliar to most beer drinkers outside Germany. Dark mahogany in colour, Creepy Uncle looks and (almost) tastes like a porter or stout at first blush. It is creamy smooth and rich in flavours of nutty coffee, dark chocolate, vanilla and sweet roasted malt.
Thing is, Dunkel is a lager, so it is much lighter and less filling than a dark ale. It’s also a versatile beer that begs for barbecued pork and sausage.
Tranquility IPA
650 mL, 6.5 per cent ABV, $5.5
You can’t be a reputable brewery in the Pacific Northwest without a quality IPA. Unfortunately, too many IPAs on the market are hop grenades lacking balance and complexity. Not so with Moon’s Tranquility IPA. Amber in colour, with plenty of resinous hop character, this ale is restrained with pleasant notes of citrus and malt wafting in the background. More gentlemanly than manly.
The Victorious Weizenbock
650 mL, 8.2 per cent ABV, $6.5
Akin to Moon’s Dunkel, but heftier, this Weizenbock is a dark wheat ale imbued with sweet roasted wheat and malt character of coffee, caramel and vanilla. Full-bodied with refreshing acidity, it is a great match for lamb, grilled veggies or chocolate.
Year One Red Wheat Wine
750 mL, 11.5 per cent ABV, $10
This single batch release is something special. Developed to mark Moon Under Water’s first year under new ownership, this peculiar anniversary ale is made with four kinds of wheat and four kinds of malt, elevated with Belgian, Bavarian and Champagne yeasts, and Belgian candy sugar, among other things. Appropriately, it is sold in 750 mL champagne bottles.
Sound crazy? It is. Crazy good.
A comprehensive tasting note would run way too long, so let’s just say it is a unique, complex and spectacular beer you will want to try before it sells out.
Better still, try to get a seat at the brew pub this Sunday when this family-owned operation will be celebrating its first year in business. They’ll be releasing Year One Red Wheat Wine then, alongside a prime-rib dinner carved from a bull fattened on spent grains from the brewery.
Chances are it will make for a positive impression.
