A Note from the Chris’
Fire!
Not a great start to my trip to British Columbia to launch Legion Lager (more on that next month).
I received a call that I hope to never receive again, “there has been a fire at the brewery”. At that point we did not know the extent of the fire, the Whitewater Region volunteer fire department were on site assisting and I was getting updates from some of our staff on site.
The good news is that the fire was small, nobody was hurt and there was no major damage. The fire took place in the attic and the extent of the damage was drywall, insulation, some wooden trusses and an ethernet cable. We were however very lucky on the time of day of the incident and that it was detected by our staff. If it had happened in the middle of the night, we would not have known about it until it was too late.
The cause is not yet 100% determined however it is looking like our steam boiler that heats the brewing system, malfunctioned and caused the duct in the attic to overheat.
While our insurance company and TSSA are going through their processes, we are not able to brew but hopefully we’ll be back up and running in a couple of weeks. It is likely to cause some inventory issues and we sincerely appreciate everyone’s patience if we are out of stock of some styles of beer.
I extend a sincere thank you to our amazing team of proactive staff that identified the fire and alerted the authorities, used fire extinguishers to prevent the spread of the fire and evacuated all patrons in a calm and efficient manner. We would also like to extend our thanks to the Whitewater Region Volunteer Fire Department for their speedy arrival on scene to put the fire out.
Ultimately it could have been a lot worse and we are all very thankful that it wasn’t.
Cheers,
Chris Thompson
Brewery News
Bun out of the Oven
Congratulations to our head chef Sarah on the birth of her second son. We wish her and her family best wishes. We can’t wait to see the little bundle of joy.
Summer Employment Opportunities
We’re hiring! There are lots of opportunities on the horizon to be a part of the WBC team. Servers, line cooks, dishwashers, and retail associates are just a few of the positions we will be hiring for. If interested please email your resume to jobs@whitewaterbeer.ca.
Now Available in British Columbia
On February 24th, Legion Lager officially launched in Vancouver, BC. Thanks to Legion branch #83 for hosting us as we celebrated this milestone and we are happy to announce our push to spread this delicious beer across the province. If you’re in BC keep your eyes peeled for Legion Lager to become available near you.
Beer 101
Beer from the West
By Head Brewer Sean
As some of you may know, I was out in British Columbia for our launch of Legion Lager.
It was a great experience! We had a terrific launch and we were happy to be well received by our neighbours out west. As I was traveling across the province I noticed that there was a vast selection of breweries that I had never tried. Some of these I had heard of, but most of them I hadn’t. This gave me the Idea to write my post this month about the beers I had tried out west. Overall, I sampled 34 different beers across the province. For more in depth reviews of the beers I sampled check out my Untappd account here.
I was able to try beers from 12 different breweries that spanned the province from Kelowna to Vancouver. Some of the stand out places were, Tree Brewing Co., Parallel 49 Brewing Co., Central City Brewers & Distillers, and Powell Brewery. I was able to visit all of these while I was out and the biggest thing I saw was how the brewing community is just like it is here. All these breweries welcomed me in with open arms and allowed me to see the facilities and really start a friendship with all of them. I love the brewing community, and this province didn’t disappoint. I’ve always loved how welcoming this industry is and how the open communication of what works and what doesn’t allow us all to improve on our products. It’s just amazing.
Powell
The stand out beer on the trip was from Powell Brewery. Their “Ode to Citra” was just amazing. Massive stone fruit notes including mango and tropical fruits. Passion fruit was on the finish as well. Light body but refreshing. I could’ve put this beer away all night. Juicy and light is the best combo. It is a must try if you are going out West.
Tree
Another stand out beer was “Backcountry Nut Brown” by Tree Brewing Co. Strong nutty nose with hints of molasses and nuts. Moderate nutty flavours with dark caramel and molasses. Very clean fermentation profile with a sweet finish. Another staple beer for a great brewery. Tree had much more to offer though. IPAs, Ambers, Blonde Ales and Lagers were all hits on the tasting menu. This brewery is a must visit with something for everyone when in Kelowna.
Parallel 49
The last brewery I want to talk about is Parallel 49. This place was just epic. They had great food and beer that everyone should try. With so many beers on tap it was hard to choose. But lucky for me it was Double IPA Fest so they had a recommended paddle I couldn’t turn down. Afterwards I got some malt forward beers to get the contrast. All were amazing. For a more in-depth review please check out my untapped profile. We were also lucky to get a great tour of their impressive facility from their head brewer Graham.
All in all, BC was amazing and there were so many beers to try and talk about. I hope that some of the people reading this are out there right now and can swing by and try some of these amazing beers.
Cooking with Beer
Cranberry Mango Crumble with Cranberry Caram-Ale
By Head Chef Ben
Best paired with Astrolable Session IPA
Ingredients
Base
1 lime, juice and zest
3 cups diced mango
1 cup fresh cranberries
2 tbsp. flour
1/2 cup brown sugar
Topping
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp nutmeg
4 tbsp. butter, cubed
2 tbsp. graham crumbs
1/2 cup walnuts, finely chopped
1/4 cup rolled oats
1/4 cup flour
Caram-Ale Sauce
1/2 cup fresh cranberries
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup Whistling Paddler English Style Ale
1/2 cup whipping cream
Method
Crumble
Preheat oven to 375F.
Combine all base ingredients in a large mixing bowl and spoon into 9″x9″ baking dish.
In separate large mixing bowl, combine all topping ingredients and mix until crumbly. Sprinkle mixture over base.
Cook for 45-55 minutes or until top is nicely browned.
Allow to sit for 20 minutes before serving.
Caram-Ale Sauce
Puree fresh cranberries and set aside.
In saucepan combine beer and sugar. Mix well and turn heat on medium low. Without stirring, cook mixture until it becomes honey brown in colour. Swirl pan for a more even heat distribution.
Add cream and cranberry puree to mixture and stir with non-stick whisk while simmering for 3-4 minutes or until smooth sauce is formed. Remove from heat and allow to cool.
Drizzle Caram-Ale over crumble and enjoy.
Events
St. Patrick’s Day
March 17
Join us at the Lakeside Brew Pub on St. Patrick’s Day for some Celtic music, food specials, and our very own Irish Stout. Call the Lakeside Brew Pub at 613 646 0101 to make your reservation or reserve online today.
Questions from Friends
Damien asked:
I’d getting married this Summer and would like to get some kegs for the reception. Is that possible?
We answered:
Hi Damien,
We do private keg sales all the time but our availability of sizes and styles varies depending on availability. To order/reserve your keg call 613 646 0101 and ask to talk to our retail department. We typically ask for about two weeks notice to guarantee availability but we will always try to accommodate last minute shoppers when we can.
We want to answer your questions about anything from the beer, the brewery, the boys or whatever else is on your mind. Due to the high volume of questions though, we won’t be able to post every one, but keep your eyes peeled in case yours makes it to the front page.
If your question does get picked you will become the proud owner of a swag bag full of WBC goodies. So ask away!
*Questions from Friends is for general questions in the areas listed above. For personal inquiries please use thebreweryboys@whitewaterbeer.ca