December 10, 2021

Alright - this week we’re here to save you a potential trip to some dilapidated, wood panelled travel agency that keeps asking if they can fax you an itinerary. Can we offer physical travel? No. Not technically. But this week’s lineup of fresh cans is so geographically diverse in style and influence that your tastebuds will be convinced that you’re globetrotting. 

Comfort Zone, Hazy Session IPA: You’re sat on a beach in Maine looking out at classic sailboats crash against the gently rolling waves. Scratch that. You’re on the sailboat. Sprawled out on the gleaming wooden deck, the cold glass you bring to your lips brims with fresh orange peel and lightly tropical aromas. The cloud level soft body is bursting with mango, wine gums, and mild pine and grapefruit pith on the finish. Living up to the name, the 4.4% ABV begs to be a companion in longer sessions of relaxation. 

Houndstooth, Irish Red Ale: This is the pub of your dreams. You already know the music, the clientele, and sense of familiarity that warms you to your bones. Dim lit and panelled in dark, lacquered wood, the window frames distant farmhouses and rolling hills. The mahogany pint in your hand runs rich with deep malt driven flavours of caramel and toasted brown bread. There’s a hint of warming spice and clean bitterness that follows yeast driven notes of fruit and red licorice. 

Stone Skipper, Dry Hopped Saison: Walking cobbled streets, snapping the collar of your jacket up to protect you from the wind whipping off the river. This is recognizably Belgium, but there’s a touch of edge added. Something closer to the world of In Bruges. Building on a traditional saison base, deep with old world flavours of pepper, clove and subtle fruit, the dry hop addition of Mosaic introduces some new world attitude. Mango, tangerine, and grass intertwine perfectly, finishing dry and endlessly refreshing. 

Rounding out our veritable atlas of styles is a fresh top up of tasti Kolsch, which of course hails from German lineage!