Following tradition, this pre-Canada Day wine column is all about beer. But before I lose wine-exclusive readers, let me suggest something for you as you celebrate the day.
What could be more appropriate than a Bordeaux called Chateau Canada? It's a medium-bodied Cabernet-Merlot blend that goes well with a range of foods from pizza to steak. And it's very well priced at $13.75 (LCBO No. 559468).
That done, here's the beer story, and it focuses this year on Brick products.
Brick is a Waterloo-based craft brewery that's distinctive in a couple of ways. First, it was Ontario's first craft brewery, opened by Jim Brickman in 1984.
It was around that time (from the 1970s, anyway) that there was interest in many countries on improving beer. In England, for instance, CAMRA (the Campaign for Real Ale) attracted huge support for its fight to save small independent breweries threatened by being swallowed up by the big corporate brewers. In places as far afield as Australia and New Zealand, new micro-breweries were established.
The movement was quite successful everywhere, and there are now dozens of craft breweries in Ontario, including Brick.
I'm intrigued by the parallel between beer and wine here, because it was around this time that we see the start of the quality revolution in wine, too. They seem to have been part of a broader movement. Jim Brickman says he used wineries as a model when he was setting up Brick. He specifically mentions Inniskillin, which got Ontario's first winery licence in 1974. "Even though there was Brights," Brickman says (referring to the Ontario winery that was a major producer in the 1960s and 1970s), "small wineries could co-exist."
But of course Brights wasn't in Brickman's mind as he planned his brewery. It was the big beer companies, like Labatt and Molson. "At times I thought I was starting a car company. I thought, 'how do you compete with the big guys?'" The answer, of course, is that you don't. As Brickman says, the craft brewers co-exist with the big guys.
Brickman's aim is to make distinctive beers inspired by European models. He prepared for the task by visiting 68 breweries in 29 countries. It's not everyone's idea of fun, but it helped Brickman establish the style he wanted to produce.
The results have been pretty impressive: Within a couple of years the brewery had to find larger premises, and it also went public. And in the last 20 years, Brick has won more Monde Selection for Quality beer awards than any other craft brewery in North America.
The second reason for highlighting Brick is that it has targeted Ottawa for a marketing campaign based on the city's demographic makeup.
According to the company, Ottawa has a significant proportion of well-educated, well-travelled people who are also affluent and have refined tastes, and that's just the group expected to rally to Brick's Founder's Series of beers.
Whether or not you fit into that category, look forward to seeing more Brick beer when you're out.
The National Capital Sommelier Guild holds advance tastings of some wines being released by Vintages. These "Vintages Pre-Release" tastings are open to the public, and the next is at Trattoria Caffe Italia, 24 Preston St., on July 6 from 7 to 9 pm. Cost of $32.10, including tax, covers the tasting followed by gourmet pizza. For more information, visit the website www.sommelierguild.com. To register on-line, go to www.mollyguard.com/event/31585473.