Beer 101
Frequently Asked Questions
Answered by Brewmaster Sean Goddard
What is the difference between a hoppy beer and a bitter beer? Is there one?
This is a great question! With a lot of hype coming out about new IPA styles, we must educate ourselves as to what hoppy means as well as what bitter means. Hoppy and bitter don’t always go hand in hand. Hoppy is a term that describes how much hop flavour and aroma there is in a beer, that is all. While bitter is a term to describe how bitter the flavour of the beer is. This can directly be related to the IBU content of the beer. IBU stands for “International Bitterness Unit”, the higher the number, the more bitterness a beer can have. While beers can be bitter, this doesn’t always mean they are hoppy. Take Whistling Paddler, our English Style Ale, with an IBU content of 36 it is a moderately bitter beer, but it isn’t hoppy. Paddler doesn’t have large notes of hops in the aroma and flavour, so it is not described as a “hoppy” beer. Now on the other had, KLR 93, is a very low IBU beer but is a bit hoppy. You can get some of the honeydew melon flavour from the hops we have in it. This beer is by no means bitter but can be described as lightly hoppy.
What is the difference between the Timber Tails Sour and the Blood Moon Sour?
This is another great question! The sour collaboration we did with Small Pony Barrel Works (Timber Tails) is a barrel aged sour. The first main difference is that Timber Tails is a live bacteria sour. This mean that there is a unique bacterial culture that is a special blend from SPBW. As we do not pasteurize this beer, the bacteria are still living. With there being such a great blend of bacteria, it gives the beer a very complex flavour and sourness. It is also a barrel aged beer, which means that we put it into large oak barrels for a couple months to condition prior to packaging the beer. Alternatively, Blood Moon is what we call a kettle sour. This beer is inoculated in the boil kettle and allowed to sour in there. This lends to a much cleaner sour than Timber Tails. Once the appropriate pH (sourness level) has been met, we then boil the beer to pasteurize and kill off the lactobacillus in the wort. Then we ferment as usual. Both beers are in the sour category but one is very complex and the other is very smooth and tart forward.
Why is Whitewater Beer not filtered?
Here at WBC, we believe in keeping things as fresh and flavourful as possible. For us, filtering can strip out some of that bright fresh flavour we get from our local hops and special yeast strain. Does this make work harder? Yes, but we think it is worth the trouble. It takes longer for the beer to clear up and makes the packaging process more difficult and time consuming/labour intensive since we have to constantly monitor the clarity of the product. There are times where some sediment can settle out and leave a dusting of yeast on the bottom of the can or there can be a small amount in the first pour of the keg. Again though, this is worth it for us to gain the freshest and brightness beer possible with what we think are some pretty fantastic flavours.
Cooking with Beer
Jerk Chicken Sliders with Apple & Roasted Garlic Slaw
By Chef Paddy
Ingredients
6 oz. Farmer’s Daughter Blonde Ale
8-10 chicken thighs, depending on size
15 sesame seed slider buns
Jerk Sauce
3 tomatoes, quartered and seeded
12 cloves of garlic
2 thumbs of ginger
1 bunch of cilantro
3 tbsps. of ground cumin
3 tbsps. of chili powder
1/4 cup of red wine vinegar
1/2 cup of soy sauce
1/2 cup of brown sugar
3 jalapeño peppers, seeded
1 bunch of green onion
Juice of 3 limes
Apple & Roasted Garlic Slaw
2 red onions
3 Granny Smith apples
1 large head of red cabbage
1 cup of mayonnaise
1 cup of apple cider vinegar
2 tbsps. of salt
1/2 tbsp. of ground pepper
12 cloves of garlic, roasted
Method
Combine all Jerk Sauce ingredients in a food processor and blend until smooth.
Shred cabbage, apple and onions into mixing bowl. Add roasted garlic, salt, pepper, mayonnaise and apple cider vinegar. Mix with hands.
Preheat oven to 350F. Season chicken thighs with salt and pepper. In a large cast iron skillet, sear thighs on high heat for 8-10 minutes. Deglaze with Farmer’s Daughter. Pour half of Jerk sauce into skillet, cover and braise for 1 hour.
Remove chicken and shred with a fork. In a mixing bowl, toss remaining sauce with chicken.
Cut slider buns in half and lightly toast if desired. Dress buns with chicken and slaw and enjoy with freshly cracked Farmer’s Daughter.
Events
Downtown Pembroke Hockey Spree After Party
February 2
Sponsored by WBC, this hockey themed event features free samples, feature cocktails made with KLR 93, and a raffle for some WBC swag. Hosted by Janna & Kerry’s Over Easy Bar and Grill.
Valentine’s Day
February 14
Join us for Valentine’s Day at the Lakeside Brew Pub. We will be serving special features including this delicious love themed cocktail. For reservations visit opentable or call us at 613-646-0101.
Winter Blues Brewers Dinner
February 28
Take a bite out of winter and banish the winter blues with our Brewer’s Dinner on February 28, 2019 at 7:00 pm.
Join us at Lakeside for a 5-course dinner made to warm you up from the inside out. $60 per person (includes gratuity). Get your tickets here.
Course 1: French onion soup paired with Whistling Paddler
Caramelized onions, plum tomatoes, rich beef broth, Rye crouton and baked Gruyere cheese.
Course 2: Toad in the Hole paired with Farmers Daughter
Yorkshire pudding, ginger & garlic sausage, winter green beef gravy.
Course 3: Roasted Root Vegetable Gnocchi paired with Class V
Roasted beets, carrots, onions, parsnips and turnips with house- made gnocchi and butternut squash puree.
Course 4: Collard Greens and Shrimp Grits paired with KLR 93
Southern-style shrimp grits served on a sautéed collard green bed.
Course 5: Peanut Coffee Cake paired with Peanut Butter Shake
Peanut Butter Shake coffee cake, Peanut Butter Shake ice cream, cocoa whipped cream, and peanut brittle.