Beer 371 Common Loon and Gord Downie

We knew it was coming. It had to happen sooner or later. We were warned, we were prepared, but in the end, we were not ready. Last night at the age of 53 Canada's "Rock Poet" Gord Downie lost his battle with cancer. My Facebook and Twitter feeds are overflowing today with pictures of Gord, snippets of his songs, reposted music videos. Everyone has been touched by the Tragically Hip; everyone today feels the loss. This morning our Prime Minister broke down and cried on camera as he said "...we are less as a country..." without Gord. For an entire generation, the Tragically Hip have been the soundtrack for Canada. Few other bands have been wholly and ubiquitously linked to the Canadian Identity. I've plucked out Hip songs on my guitar in my day, as "Road Apples," "Up to here," and ""Fully Completely" played out in the background. The Hip were a dying breed. There were certainly one of the last big rock bands that you could actually put on an album and listen to the whole thing. Each album was carefully crafted like a story. Each one took you on a journey. To this day I feel that hearing the opening notes to any song will grab the listener and whisk them back to that moment in time when they first fell in love with that Hip album. For me, it's the "Tragically Hip" their self-titled debut. It wasn't the first Hip album I had heard, but it is the one that resonates with me the most. Raw unadulterated Hip. Play anyone the first two notes of "Highway Girl" and you know immediately... it's a Hip song. 

Man who walks among the stars

Then we have the man himself. Poet, singer, family man, environmentalist, visionary, author, and champion of reconciliation. The man wore so many hats. Most of them sparkly and brightly coloured! In his last year here, he gave us the most memorable Tragically Hip tour (touring with his doctor no less) he gave us a solo album and book about the life of Chanie Wenjack a boy who froze to death trying to escape a residential school, with proceeds going to reconciliation efforts. And a final solo album that sadly he would not see the release of. We returned the favour by granting him the Order of Canada... Which he refused until they promised to give one to each of his bandmates. The indigenous peoples of Canada also held a "naming ceremony" for Gord in honour of his work raising awareness for reconciliation and "widening the road to include all Canadians." The gave him the Lakota name "Wicapi Omani" "Man who walks among the stars." Now he is gone it is up to us... to heal our wounds and tell our story. I'm sure someone will come along who will take up a new voice for Canada. I just hope he or she knows, they are stepping into some pretty big shoes.

Gordon Downies Charities can be accessed here:

THE DOWNIE WENJACK FUND

efforts for reconciliation between Canada and the Indigenous Peoples

The Secret Path

Gord Downie's album and book can be bought here

The Gord Downie Fund for Brain Cancer Research

OPERATED BY THE SUNNYBROOK FOUNDATION

Please if you are able, if you have been touched by the stories or the music, consider donating to one of these worthy causes. Sadly I do have to warn you to be cautious as it may appear that there are many "memorial funds" for Gord going around. These are the officially sanctioned ones, donate carefully so your money goes to the people who need it. --CJT

Beer # 371 Common Loon APA

Brewery: Bobcaygeon Brewing Company

Type: Contract Brewery    Est.:  2015

Location: Bobcaygeon, Ontario, Canada

Beer Style: American Pale Ale

ABV: 4.8%      IBU: 38

Format: Aluminium Can  Size: 473 ml

Cost: $2.95 CAD     Purchased At: LCBO

bobcaygeonbeer

    @bobcaygeonbeer

Since we lost Gord last night I felt we had to honour him with a beer from the town he made famous in one of his most iconic songs.

"Bobcaygeon" From the album "Phantom Power" 1998

Bobcaygeon Brewing company is currently building their own brewery right now in an historic building in their namesake town. Currently, there are three beers available this one, Dockside red and Sunset golden ale. They have also done a few seasonals like a session IPA and a porter, which I hope will return when the bricks and mortar brewery is launched.

Onto our beer.

Pours a crystal clear medium gold colour with a substantial off-white head made up of small bubbles. Aroma is piney and fruity with woodsy spice hints. First sip is malt forward with citrus and pineapple notes. Spicy green hops compliment the maltiness with a touch of pine. Aeration brings warm notes of spice, light caramel and vanilla, with hints of wood and toast.

Impressions: Fail, So-so, Pass, Exceptional 


Cost: 5/6 PASS
Colour: 5/6 PASS
Beer Style: 5/6 PASS
Re-Order:  5/6 PASS
Experience: 5/6 PASS


Final Thoughts:

A good everyday APA, balanced, decent flavours. Good for pulling out those old Tragically Hip CD's and giving them another listen.

Cheers... Raise a glass to Gord today.

CJT

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the 2-4 Beers of Christmas Day 2: Hurry Hard Amber Lager

Beer # 301 Hurry Hard  

Brewery: Hurry Hard Beer  By Triple Bogey Brewing Company

Type: Contract Brewery     Est.: 2013

Location: Toronto, Ontario, Canada

Beer Style: Amber Lager

ABV: 5.0%      IBU: ?

Format: Aluminium Can  Size:  473 ml

Cost: $2.50 CAD     Purchased At: LCBO

Twitter:  @hurryhardbeer @TripleBogey 

"Ladies and Gentlemen take my advice... Pull down your pants and slide on the ice." 

Sydney Freedman (From M.A.S.H)

Tonight's beer is the second sport themed beer from Triple Bogey Brewing company The first was their eponymous Triple Bogey Premium Lager, a golf themed beer. Since golf is very seasonal I guess they assumed they needed to find a sport where people could and usually do drink beer before after and during, but in the winter. Hence curling. Now curling has long been associated with beer especially here in Canada where a number of the Briers or Curling Tournaments have been sponsored by large beer companies over the years. But I will admit this is probably the first beer I have seen marketed specifically for curlers. The name, if you have never watched curling derives from a call from the curlers. Usually when a rock is thrown with "take-out weight'" to knock the other teams rock off of the sheet (ice)  the thrower will yell "Hurry Hard!" to tell his players to sweep the ice in front of the rock to keep the rock moving in a straight line or not "Curling."

Yeah.

Sorry, curling is hard to explain... you just have to watch it. It is truly is fun to watch, especially if you have had a few beers. Or you can watch one of my guilty pleasure, favourite movies "Men With Brooms" (2002) and you might need a few beers for that one too (Bonus: The band The Tragically Hip appear in the movie as the curling team from Kingston Ontario).

Onto our beer.

Pours a dark chestnut with and off-tan head made up of small bubbles. aroma is fresh mothering yeast with hints of sweet and spicy malt. First sip is quite sweet with syrupy malt hints of bread and light spice. drinks more like a sweet red ale than an amber lager. Hops are very light, touches of greenery in the background. Aeration gives us some stale bread, and more malt syrup.

Impressions: Fail, So-so, Pass, Exceptional 


Cost: 5/6 PASS
Colour: 5/6 PASS
Beer Style: 3/6 SO-SO
Re-Order:  4/6  PASS
Experience: 4/6 PASS
Christmas Cheer: 2/6 SO-SO

Final Thoughts:

Let me preface this with... this beer is not bad. It is not something I would be comfortable ordering as a regular beer. It's too sweet. The flavour profile for a lager is way off. Is it drinkable? Yes. Would I drink it all night if it was free? Probably. However, it's never going to be my first choice. For what it is designed for... A refreshing beer aimed at curlers... yeah I think it did pretty good. But it is not for me. Try it yourself. You don't have to curl or yell or slide on the ice. I promise.

Cheers

CJT

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