The annual drunken bacchanalia of St. Patrick’s Day has come and gone for another year. I can only dimly recall how the days of my squandered youth were filled with gallons of green beer and leprechaun hats, with all manners of wanton debauchery occurring on the 17th of March every year.
In the fullness of time, as my hangovers extended from one day to two, the typical St. Paddy event has become more refined and befitting for a gentleman of a certain age.
The recently passed St. Patrick’s Day found me at none other than our local pride and joy, the Township 24 Brewery on Rainbow Road, for a collaborative beer and yoga event with the neighbouring Peak Fitness, already well-known in Chestermere for their spin, yoga, and barre classes.
In addition to being a favoured destination for local beer fans, Township 24 has quite a following from the local spin and yoga classes, thanks to the availability of Happy Belly Kombucha, which is another Chestermere-owned business.
Indeed, the late afternoon sees a steady stream of Lululemon-emblazoned customers coming in for a refreshing Kombucha after a workout.
This was how I was first introduced to the non-alcoholic offerings at Township 24. After picking up my special lady from a yoga class, we proceeded next door to the brewery for what I had assumed would be a midday pint of the new Stolen Canoe Pale Ale, but turned out to be a ginger-infused Kombucha.
After sampling a few options, my favourite was the mint Kombucha, which I must confess I took home and added a splash of rum for my very own Kombucha Mojito!
I now make a point of encouraging my special lady to visit Peak Fitness more often, and generously offer to wait for her at Township 24 Brewery, where I partake of both the Happy Belly Kombucha, and the freshest and most local beers Chestermere has ever seen.
I am confident that I am not the only one, as familiar faces keep appearing in the tap room, who are joined shortly thereafter by a sweaty companion in stretchy pants for a post-workout beverage.
While sitting at the bar in the taproom, I had a long chat with Matt Seib, the co-owner of Township 24. Matt has a long background in process automation and instrumentation, and worked on several contracts for the instrumentation and control processes for a number of fledgling breweries.
An Alberta farmboy at heart, Matt jumped at the opportunity to build his own brewery from scratch, much to the delight of the beer-drinking population of Chestermere.
With the taproom open in the afternoons Wednesdays through Sundays, Township 24 is quickly becoming the third space in Chestermere, where the locals pop in with their kids to see friends, discuss the issues of the day, and enjoy both boozy and booze-free libations.
While Township 24 has only been open for a few months, their wares can already be found on tap at the West Creek Pub and the new Pour Beer Market, as well as several growler fill stations at well-stocked liquor stores. Those preferring to enjoy some of that liquid goodness at home will not be disappointed, with growler fills and bottles available in the tap room, as well as a growing number of neighbouring booze merchants. If your local bottle shop does not carry Township 24, ask them to bring it in.
My favourite is the recently released Last Cabin Stout, made in the traditional Irish style, so went perfectly on St. Patrick’s Day. Faithful readers will remember that stouts are always in my top 3 beer styles, and sampling this one fresh from the brass teats at the bar was like manna from heaven.
My special lady preferred the Lost Canoe Pale Ale, with the hoppy freshness just what she needed after 60 minutes of spinning next door. Made with the particularly aromatic perle hop varietal, there were notes of spicy peppermint on the nose, followed by a citrus sparkle and a refreshing bitterness on the tongue from the cascade hops.
Whatever your preferred beer style, Township 24 with either have it on tap or in bottles for your next visit to the taproom on Rainbow Road, or perhaps brewing away in the tanks, waiting to be released for your imbibing pleasure. Pay them a visit today and see for yourself!
