I'll never forget my first beer. I was riding a chairlift at the Lake Louise ski resort and a seat companion offered me a can of Carling O'Keefe lager. (My ski mask must have concealed my tender 16 years.) I was filled with equal measures of thrill and dread: excitement at making a leap toward adulthood and abject fear my parents would find out. Instead of enjoying the beer on the chair, I slipped the can into my jacket and skied to a secluded trail where I hid in the bushes and enjoyed my illicit treat.
Safe from prying eyes, I removed my dental retainer and cracked open the can. I remember the distinctive hissing and froth of white bubbles pouring over my ski glove. (How would I explain the smell to mom and dad?) I took an apprehensive first sip and was amazed at the crisp, cold flavour.
Still, fear of being spotted made it hard to enjoy the beer. After a few more anxious sips I disposed of the evidence and skied off, wondering where I could find mouthwash at a ski hill. My parents never did smell beer on me, but I did catch hell for losing my retainer.
Beer became more enjoyable once it became legal for me to drink and, like many young men, I took to it with enthusiasm and an undiscriminating palate. Even so, I couldn't understand why every single beer made by Labatt's, Molson and other mega-brewers tasted more or less the same.
When I moved to Victoria, I was thrilled to discover several microbreweries producing high-quality beers in a range of styles.
Over the years, I've enjoyed how local brewers have experimented and tinkered, forever developing new and seasonal products tailored for our local market.
In keeping with this, a number of Victoria brewers have released a range of wheat beers in time for summer. The hot weather and sunshine may be lacking so far, but when the warm days do arrive, there are few things that will signal summer like the following:
White Bark Wheat Ale, Driftwood Brewing Co. 650 mL, 5.0 per cent alcohol by volume (ABV), $5
Driftwood's White Bark is a Belgian-style wheat ale that is hazy honey in colour with a thin white head. On the nose is an array of brioche and citrus, combined with coriander and clove that are all revealed on the mouth in a smooth, light finish. A bit too light, perhaps, but pleasant for inducing a hammock nap.
Belgian White, Lighthouse Brewing Co. 650 mL, 7.5 per cent ABV, $8
True to form, the gents at Lighthouse keep putting out impressive beers in crazy bottles. While I get the nexus between Lighthouse and nautical-themed labels, I miss what Pirates of the Caribbean has to do with traditional Belgian witbier.
No matter. Out of the bottle, Belgian White pours golden straw in colour with grassy and floral aromas. Lemon citrus and vivacious coriander predominate on the palate, combining fresh hops with that distinctive and pleasant (to some) funky Belgian yeast. Perfect for a day of burying pirate treasure at the beach.
Raspberry Wheat Ale, Phillips 650 mL, 5.0 per cent ABV, $5
Rosy red in colour, this wheat ale is big on tart fruit flavour, but light on complexity and balance. Indeed, sour fruit dominates at the expense of the wheat, and all else for that matter.
Points to Phillips for taking a stab. Better luck next time.
Beachcomber Summer Ale, Vancouver Island Brewery 341 mL, 5.3 per cent ABV, $12 (six pack)
This unfiltered ale, fashioned after a German wessbier, is radiant yellow in colour with wildflower, spice and lemon citrus aromas emanating from a foamy head. Lots of juicy tropical fruit flavour and a hint of dough make this a refreshing beer, ideal for washing down grass clippings after mowing the lawn.
Flying Tanker White IPA, Vancouver Island Brewery 650 mL, 5 per cent ABV, $6
Not content with one wheat beer this summer, Vancouver Island Brewery has released a White IPA along the lines of a Belgian witbier crossed with a Pacific Northwest IPA.
Pale yellow in colour, Flying Tanker has spicy and fruity aromas, but is rather flaccid in terms of flavour. For an IPA, there is precious little hoppy backbone. In truth, it is closer to a Belgian saison than a Pacific Northwest IPA, which is fine if that is what you were expecting.
As for the Martin Mars water bomber on the label, well, that's pretty gimmicky even by beer-marketing standards. Pair it with a summer afternoon spent watching floatplanes in Victoria Harbour.
