The first Thursday in November marked the 8th annual International Stout Day, a tribute to the darkest of the dark beers. Apparently, the first Thursday of November also happens to be International Men Make Dinner Day, as well as Bittersweet Chocolate with Almonds Day. If you look hard enough, there is probably an International Day of something or other pretty much every day of the year, so there is always a reason to celebrate.
As a long-time fan of stout beers, I needed no encouragement for tipping back a pint of the black stuff, but International Stout Day just made it taste even better.
For many years, the only good stout beer to be found in Alberta was Guinness, and in decades past, Guinness was even brewed on contract at the Moosehead Brewery in New Brunswick, or at the Labatt Brewery in Toronto, so checking the labels to see just how far the beer had travelled was a fun game for me in those squandered days of youth.
For those new to the world of dark beers, stouts are a style that evolved from porters in the 17th century, and were quite different in that bygone era. Stouts were originally much stronger than porters, but changing consumer preferences over the centuries have blurred the lines between the two styles, making them more alike than different today.
Even the world-famous Guinness Brewery originally produced both stouts and porters between 1759 and 1820, until declining market demand for porters caused the Guinness Brewery to switch their entire production line over to their famous Guinness Extra Stout.
Like all diehard stout fans, I have made the pilgrimage to the Guinness Brewery in Dublin to sip directly from the brass teats at the wellspring of the world’s most famous stout, but the rise of craft beer in Alberta has brought countless examples of delicious stouts made from locally grown Alberta barley.
The closest example can be found right here in Chestermere, in the form of the Last Cabin Stout from Township 24. Brewed in the style of a Dry Irish Stout, this local example has displaced Guinness as my stout beer of choice.
Looking west to the big city, the Flat Cap Stout from Tool Shed Brewing is another winter favourite for me, and is a little easier to find in cans at your local booze merchant than our own local pride and joy from Township 24.
A friend of mine in Grande Prairie turned me onto his local favourite, in the form of the Tamarack Stout from the Grain Bin Brewing Company, which is hard to find here in southern Alberta. Fortunately, he hand-delivered a six-pack of bomber bottles to me on a recent trip down south, which disappeared in record time, leaving me longing for more. Hopefully their distribution area will grow outside of Grande Prairie in the coming year!
Fans of sweeter stout beers will enjoy the Velveteen Nitro Stout from Cold Garden Brewing in Calgary, with rich chocolate malts and hints of vanilla make it a perfect beer to pair with a sweet dessert.
I was a little worried that the Alberta Crude Oatmeal Stout from Wild Rose Brewing, a beer I have been drinking regularly since the naughty 90s, might have gone downhill following Wild Rose’s acquisition by Sleeman over the summer, but it is as delicious today as it has ever been. I can still recall when this beer was only available by the glass in the brewery taproom, as stouts were less popular in Alberta in decades past. Fortunately, the past few decades have been kind to the Alberta Crude, which is now available on tap in drinking establishments across the province.
With the recent dump of snow reminding me that winter has arrived in full force, International Stout Day was the perfect way for me to switch into winter beer mode, putting away those hoppy pale ales for the season, and settling down for several months of dark and dreary days, nursing a dark and malty stout while curled up in front of a roaring fireplace.
Do yourself a favour and try the delightful dark stouts from our Alberta brewers, so you can get through this winter with a smile on your face and a pint glass in your hand!
