Canada Day was a more somber affair than usual this year. Rather than a day of Bob & Doug McKenzie jokes about hosers while swilling beer in the back yard, your humble narrator pitched in with thousands of other volunteers to help clean up the flood-ravaged neighborhoods in Calgary.
Yes, gentle reader, this past Canada Day was spent hauling wet garbage instead of belly-up to the local bar.
My prayers were answered mid-afternoon, when none other than Ravinder Minhas, known on his TV commercials as Dr. Bubbles, and in real life as the owner of the Minhas Craft Brewery, pulled up in front of the volunteer tent with a Humvee full of cold beer.
Hearing that the Sunnyside volunteer station was in desperate need of refreshment, the down-to-earth CEO sprang into action and personally delivered a seemingly endless supply of cold malty goodness to the tired and thirsty folks on the street.
It was a sweltering hot day, which was likely appreciated by the unfortunate homeowners trying to dry out their soggy basements, but the hordes of selfless volunteers on the street were definitely feeling the heat.
The hot weather made the spontaneous donation of a giant pile of cold beer a particularly welcome treat, with the boys in blue turning a blind eye to a little bit of public boozing in order to keep up the spirits of the volunteers.
For those not familiar with the comings and goings of Calgary’s local beer barons, our story begins with the opening of the Mountain Crest Brewing Company in 2002.
Started by a brother and sister duo while still in their teens, there have been a few mergers and acquisitions over the years, and the company soon rebranded as the Minhas Craft Brewery.
Growing from the humble beginnings of the solitary Mountain Crest Lager brand, the Minhas Craft Brewery now boasts dozens of different brews, and even a handful of old-timey sodas.
As a result of a few brewery acquisitions, Minhas Craft Brewery is now the 14th largest brewer in the USA, and recently opened the Minhas Micro Brewery in northeast Calgary, which also serves a wide variety of pizza and other beer-friendly grub.
Luring the brewmaster away from Calgary-based Wild Rose Brewery, the Minhas Micro Brewery now has a true master in the malt house, who is greatly respected by the beer geeks of Alberta.
While the brewery located south of the border primarily produces discount beer like Mountain Crest and Boxer Lager, the Minhas Micro Brewery in Calgary concentrates more on craft beers, the most popular of which may be the Lazy Mutt series of brews.
Particularly interesting to some may be the Lazy Mutt Gluten Free Lager, made with sorghum instead of barley. Any beer drinkers with Celiac disease or a gluten sensitivity will be glad to hear of a locally produced gluten-free brew to slake their thirst.
With styles in the Lazy Mutt line of brews ranging from a Farmhouse Ale, an Alberta Wheat Ale, IPA, Shandy, and even a Ginger Beer, there really is something for everyone.
Your intrepid liquor reporter likes a nice sharp IPA on a hot day, and after a day of hauling wet garbage, I must have downed the entire bottle in two gulps.
While not as hoppy as some other India Pale Ales, the Lazy Mutt IPA was crisp and refreshing, without being intimidating to the mainstream beer drinker.
In fact, pretty much all the craft brews in the Minhas portfolio have relatively mild flavour profiles, which are good for selling to the mass market, but may not be lauded by the beer snobs in your life.
Beer snobbery aside, one does not grow to become the 14th largest brewer in the USA without making good beer, and the recent addition of the much-respected local brewmaster Dave Neilly, the upcoming second decade of operation is sure to surpass the first.
You can find Minhas Craft Brewery products at your local booze merchant, or stop in at the brewery / pizzeria in Calgary at 1314 44 Ave NE for a meal and a few pints. If you arrive at the right time, you might even catch a brewery tour to learn about the beer while you drink it!
