Fermented grapes don’t hold a pairing monopoly with the cold, it turns out there are many suitable local, non-wine, toe-curling potables.
Reviews and recommendations are unbiased and products are independently selected. Postmedia may earn an affiliate commission from purchases made through links on this page.
Looks like winter wasn’t done with us. After all those days of sun, the wet front finally made its move, and well we know how it goes when wet meets cold. But there’s no such thing as bad weather, only bad potable choices. Or at least that’s the Wine Guy interpretation. But enough with the winter-warming red wines, what about some other options ready to pair with the cold? Fermented grapes don’t hold a pairing monopoly with frosty fronts, and well it turns out there are many suitable local, non-wine, toe-curling potables.
Recommended Videos
Slow Hand Beer Co. x Temporal Artisan Ales Doppelgänger Doppelbock, B.C.
($5.69 for 473mL, #294742)
Doppelbock, or Double Bock, is like the IPA of lagers. Actually, that’s not really the case, but hopefully it grabbed attention. Too often lagers are associated with light, simple, and quaffable — but that’s painting a pretty broad brush. In fact Bock is a darker, more malt heavy lager. Double means, well, more intensity and more alcohol — but not exactly double the amount. Doppelgänger is a local take on the style, and true to form it pours dark chocolate brown and wafts big time malts. Conditioned on American oak, it also adds vanilla and caramel on its rich body before a crisp lick to finish.
Bottom line: A-, Puffer jacket lager.
Meadow Vista Honey Wine Pictish Beast True Braggot, B.C.
(about $12.95 for 500mL, available direct and at private liquor stores)
Three cheers for B.C. diversity. As long as there is sugar there is motivation for fermentation, and honey is certainly sweet. Turning honey into alcohol is the basic recipe for mead, and of course our province is fortunate enough to produce quality honey. But we also grow great grains and hops, and when you ferment all these together you end up with braggot, a mead and beer combo that is reputably the oldest alcoholic beverage known to mankind. It’s not only a conversation starter, with this Pictish Beast it’s lip-smacking delectable. Smooth, fulsome, but with a snappy finish, it offers a fun winter diversion.
Bottom line: B, Awesome with fish and chips.
Esquimalt Vermouth & Apéritifs Sweet Rosso Vermouth, B.C.
($27.99 for 500mL, #250583)
Admittedly, during the winter months sweet vermouth is most likely ending up as one part of a cocktail. And make no mistake, the Esquimalt Rosso is a fantastic team player in a pre-dinner Negroni. But this enticingly aromatized wine is also great sipped over ice — or with soda water and a slice of lemon for a fun spritz. Interestingly, it’s also mead-based — made with 100 per cent B.C. honey from Fort St. John — but the addition of 32 different botanicals and a continuous aging solera system transforms this potable into one svelte, complex aperitif. It brings all the feels: semi-sweet, herbal, fruity, and all in a balanced, engaging package.
Bottom line: A, Classy vermouth.
The Swirl: Coquitlam Craft & Ales Festival