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It’s common wisdom.

The beer you want in a January deep freeze is something huge, like a powerful like a Russian Imperial Stout or a Belgian Strong Ale.

While those are excellent choices, they’re almost certainly not intended for everyday drinking. Their bombast is diminished by over familiarity. Similarly, it is difficult to want a pint of lager when the temperature hovers somewhere below frostbite.

What’s called for in this situation is a beer with which you can genially pass the time; a sipper rather than a gulper. You want something with warmth and character enough to make you feel snug in the face of the howling wind. You want a malt-forward ale that wouldn’t be out of place in a dimpled pint pot.



Pompous Ass English Pale Ale.

Red Ales have gotten short shrift in the current climate of hop-forward palate crushers. That’s a shame because the warming toffee and biscuit sweetness in the style plays well with comfort foods, and allows for gentle supping in a social setting. They have fared better in Quebec where a Red Ale is a staple of any lineup. Of course, in the rest of Canada the style has long been represented by Rickard’s Red.

In that French-Canadian vein, there’s Spark House from Lake of Bays in Baysville, Ontario. While Lake of Bays has recently drawn attention for their collaborations with the NHLPA and CFL Alumni Associations, their basic model is worthy of your attention. At 5%, it contains notes of caramel and toasted bread with a very gentle hit of roasty cocoa around the edges. I’m beginning to see this on draught with greater frequency and that’s a good thing.



Red Falcon Premium Red Ale.

If you prefer the Irish variety of Red Ale, there’s Stouffville Brewing Company’s Red Falcon Ale. The great attraction of Red Falcon (aside from the fact that the logo would look the part as a Premier League football sponsor) is the fullness of body and chewy depth of malt flavour to go with the lightly fruity aroma. There is a touch of buttery mouthfeel, but it’s central to the experience rather than being a flaw or distraction.

If you’re unwilling to make the leap into a malt dominant Red Ale, an English Pale Ale might suit you. From Great Lakes Brewery in Toronto, there’s Pompous Ass English Pale Ale. The Canadian Brewery of the Year (two years running) is at the top of their game at the moment and Pompous Ass represents a diversion from their hoppier offerings. At 4.2%, there is toasty malt character if not blanketing sweetness, which gives way to earthy, nearly orange pekoe notes from the hops before a dry finish somewhere near grapefruit. The American yeast strain absents the typical fruity aroma from the style, but that will only make it more popular with IPA fans.

Jordan St.John writes about beer at saintjohnswort.ca. He hibernates like a grizzly.