Feature: International Gruit Day: Ontario embraces the Gruit

International Gruit Day returns Sunday, February 1, 2015 celebrating the Gruit – a centuries-old beer style brewed with a wide assortment of aromatic and flavourful herbs such as bog myrtle, heather, juniper and yarrow.

“These beers were known as Gruit or Grut (German for herb), and a brewers’ spice blend was a proprietary and carefully guarded secret,” writes Beau’s All Natural Brewing. “However, after the Reinheitsgebot (Bavarian Purity Act of 1516) ordered that only hops were to be used to spice beer, and the Bavarian style of brewing took hold in most of Europe, the Gruit Ale gradually faded into obscurity.”

Ontario’s most widely recognized Gruit style ale has been Beau’s Bog Water, introduced in 2008, brewed with bog myrtle or sweet gale harvested from Northern Quebec. “We actually do add one single hop pellet in order to meet the definition of what is considered ‘beer.’ But that’s just a technicality; it’s definitely a non-hopped beer,” says Beau’s brewmaster Matt O’Hara.

Look for these new Ontario Gruit releases in time for International Gruit Day.

Beau’s OG: Original Gruit Ale – 6.3%

This new release from Beau’s in Vankleek Hill is brewed with wild-harvested Labrador tea, organic bog myrtle and yarrow with five types of malts and a German Ale yeast. It launches Thursday, January 29 at the brewery.

Cassel Brewery’s Hand Car Gruit Ale – 5%

From Cassel Brewery in Casselman, Hand Car Gruit Ale is brewed with saffron and orange peel. Look for it in 500ml bottles starting Thursday, January 29 at the brewery.

Church-Key’s Namastale Gruit Ale – 6.5%

Brewed with juniper, rosemary, and sprucetips, this Finnish Sahti-stylec reation from Church-Key in Campbellford boasts notes of pine and focaccia aromatics accenting the sweet two row malt. Grab it from the brewery in 650ml bottles.

Manantler’s Gruit of All Evil – 8.1%

Brewed with spruce tips, yarrow and heather, Manantler Craft Brewery in Bowmanville likens this Gruit to a Black IPA with spruce-like aromas. Availability TBA.

Refined Fool’s Anne of Gruit Gables – 8.5%

“Just like Anne, this gruit likes to stick out from the crowd. (Except in a much less boring, slightly less red-pigtailed sort of way.)” says Sarnia’s Refined Fool. The Finnish Sahti-style gruit is brewed with wild juniper. Availability TBA

International Gruit Day Tap Feature At The Only Café

The Only Café in Toronto is hosting a tap feature all day running February 1-2, 2015 featuring gruits from Beau’s, Church-Key and Cassel.