New Beer Weekend #269

Then those cans are lying about the “product of Canada,” never trust a can. I bet an email to switchback would get a good answer if any of us were so inclined. Regardless, it really hits the spot for me and is damn near close to regular Switchback.

 

According to a post on their own site earlier this year, they are brewing it in Toronto, and have contract to do so for a year. Apparently the BrewVo system is made by a Colorado outfit, but the only East coast operation (earlier this year) was in Toronto. They note that should it prove popular Switchback may invest in a system for their brewery.

That’s the best I can find. Ive asked some industry people I’m acquainted with if they know where in the city it is. Cheers!

From the article on Switchback’s website:


“As Deschutes did, the Switchback team opted to make a nonalcoholic version of a beloved staple, rather than creating something new for the N.A. market. Unfortunately, the only place on the East Coast that has a BrewVo NA setup for contract brewing is in Toronto. Switchback completed its first batch there under the wire, but it has a yearlong contract to produce nonalcoholic beer over the border, and the team is worried about tariffs, Cherry said.

"Right now, to get what we want, this is the only way to get it," he said. If the demand is there, he added, he's ready to make that multimillion-dollar investment for a BrewVo setup at Switchback.”

 

Interesting. It must be contract brewed by a brewer in Canada. It's not available here branded as Switchback but maybe it is under a different label.

 

Brewvo may brew beer, but the are also marketing a process, so other brewers could well be using it.

 

That makes sense - the more I read the murkier it got, but if SBT is marketing the technology/process then it makes perfect sense. Licensing the technology fits with the rest of the breadcrumbs.

The reference to BrewVo was on the Switchback site for the NA brew. And one thing lead to another, sort of.

 

Needed that last bread crumb to where the process is installed in Toronto - thanks, @Coronaeus

 

I now investigate three new beers each day--so each weekend gives me nine new explorations for me. Yesterday, the first two were: The 5% Saison de la Meuse Farmhouse Blond Ale, by Scotland, Ontario's Meuse Brewing...



...and the 4.7% Hola! Mexican Cerveza, from Kanata, Ontario's Big Rig Brewery...



More momentarily! Cheers from McGregor! =)

 

My last of three new beers to explore, yesterday, to start the weekend off on the right foot, was the 6% Face for Radio IPA from Block 3 Brewing Co. of St. Jacobs, Ontario...



My first of the three new beers to experience today was: The 4% Autopop: Cherry Cola Sour Ale, from Toronto, Ontario's Blood Brothers Brewing...



More thoughts on today's beers in a sec! Cheers, from The Responsible Beer Drinking Club! =)

 

I think Junction has an N.A. system and does contract work but can’t seem to figure out what it is. Brunswick Bierworks also does contract N.A. brewing from what I can tell. There is a place in London, Ontario too called Equals,but that isn’t Toronto.

 

My last two beer explorations for today are: From Peterborough, Ontario's Bobcaygeon Brewing Company--their 6% Fair Winds Nelson Sauvin IPA...



...and to round things off, for my fantastic and flavourful trifecta--the 11.3% Trappistes Rochefort 10, from Abbaye Notre-Dame de Saint-Remy of Rochefort, Belgium. It was truly sensational...



Tomorrow: The three new beers will be from the following breweries:
--Brouwerij der Trappisten van Westmalle (Malle, Belgium; my second of theirs);
--Broadhead Brewery (Orleans, Ontario; my fourth); and
--Burdock Brewery (Toronto; my eighth)...

Have a great weekend, and cheers--from The Responsible Beer Drinking Club! =)

 

Meuse brew some good farmhouse ales, in a farmhouse!

It's good to see local brewers doing a good job on traditional styles.

 

Mortalis Brewing As Above So Below. An imperial stout brewed with coffee and vanilla. Courtesy of @TCgenny. I was kind enough to return the favor by sending him some imperial stouts that blew up and were delivered this morning while he was at work so his wife could clean it up. The look is outer space black, with no foam. The smell is right in my wheelhouse. Milk chocolate, marshmallow, hazelnut, fresh coffee with cream, graham cracker, and fudge. The taste is French vanilla cream pie, freshly brewed espresso, vanilla, caramel, almond, and graham cracker. The mouthfeel is silkier than Linus' blanket, thick, creamy, and lucious, with light carbonation. Overall, this is probably the best non-barrel-aged stout I can think of. Absolutely delightful.

 

All three versions of 3-Way were quite good this year (no surprise), but I enjoyed the hazy version most of all (HUGE surprise).

 

Good afternoon BAs! Today’s new to me beer I won in a charity raffle last Saturday, a bundle of 3 BBA Mortalis imperial stouts. The following is “As Above So Below” - Coconut, Copper wax:



Bottled April 2024. A murky brown pour at 53° into my Angry Chair snifter; fast fizzy cinnamon brown head leaves no cap nor ring; no lace and the thinnest of legs on swirl. Strong coffee, nose; no barrel; no coconut. Chocolate fudge; sweet, brown sugar, graham crackers; a tiny bit of coconut on back end. Gooey adjuncty feel, full body; light carbonation; no warmth from 12% ABV. Very sweet; reminds me of angry chair back in the day with its thick fudgy feel; diabetes in a bottle.

3.75 | 4.0 | 4.0 | 4.0 | 4.0


Too cloying for me, glad I had someone with whom to split the bottle. I couldn’t find any barrel or coconut. Overall, a let down. I would not drink this beer again.

Cheers Y’all!

 

Doc, is our spiritual connection once again being demonstrated? We are miles apart, but we are connected by the same stars that are soaked in chocolate, coffee, and vanilla.

 

Happy weekend all. The weekends first new brew for me is Albero from Cellarest Beer Project in West Asheville. 4.8% abv.

Brewer's notes: Made from Chesapeake Pilsner and Great Chit malt from Riverbend. Hopped in the mash and the kettle with Styrian Golding and Michigan grown Zuper Saazer hops. Rested cold in our oak puncheons for five months before being delicately dry hopped with German Tettnanger, Saphir and Hallertau Mittelfrüh hops.

My tasting notes:

4.03/5 rDev +1.3%
look: 4 | smell: 4 | taste: 4 | feel: 4.25 | overall: 4

Picked up a 16 oz single from the Cellarest taproom cooler on 8-4-25 for $6.30. No canning date but canned maybe in mid-June; consumed 9-13-25. Cold stored since purchase.

Beer poured clear gold with a nice white head.

Nose has notes of sweet bread and floral hops.

Taste has notes of white bread in which the sweetness is cut down by some alpha noble style hops; 8/10 on my bitterness scale. Finishes oaky and dry.

Mouthfeel is light bodied and crisp, very refreshing.

Overall, though refreshing, this has more of a bitter dry edge than usual for the German Pilsner style.

 

I am getting into a 2nd Cellarest brew today, in collaboration with Asheville brewer Terra Nova who is very solid. This one a North German Style Pilsner.

Brewer Notes:
A base of Pilsner malt from Carolina Malt House, single decoction mash with whole cone US Tettnanger hops. Fermented inside our acacia wood foudre with our favorite German lager yeast.

Tasting Notes:

4.29/5 rDev 0%
look: 4.5 | smell: 4.25 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.25

Picked up a 16 oz single from the Cellarest taproom cooler on 8-4-25 for $6.30. No canning date but would guess late July; consumed 9-13-25.

Beer poured light gold with a gorgeous head with the original pour.

Nose is bready with notes of floral hops.

Taste is a nice bready malt base that combines very nicely with the noble hops. Finishes with a dash of black pepper bitterness to balance; 6/10 on my bitterness scale.

Mouthfeel is light, soft, and very refreshing.

Overall, a delicious brew. I also had the draft version in August which was a touch better!

 

Enjoyed catching up with the weekend created by @Whyteboar . Thanks for the kickoff. Restocked new beers yesterday, the plan for this weekend is for two out of state breweries.

I picked this one up because I love Deschutes, and reading rye in the beer notes after returning home raised an eyebrow, so excited and hopefully experience matches.

Deschutes Patagonia Provisions Organic Lager

4.08/5 rDev +8.2%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4.25 | feel: 4.5 | overall: 4.25



9/13/25 - (Home) (Chicago, Illinois) Can Notes: Purchased a single 12 oz can at Beer on the Wall on 9/12/25 for $2.27 including tax. Canned 6/9/25 @ 5:15 PM. We’re in the business to save our home planet. 4.7% ABV Organic Lager, Bright + Crisp Brewed with Kernza wheatgrass. Certified Organic by Oregon Tilth. Brewed & canned by Deschutes Brewery. Born in Bend, Oregon.

The Climate Could Use a Beer.

Industrial agriculture hasn’t exactly been easy on our climate. So why not give it a break? We brew this lager with Regenerative Organic Certified rye, organic hops, barley, and Kernza, a soil-saving, carbon-capturing, perennial grain.

Appearance: Poured about half the can into a tall slender Pilsner flute glass, yielding a clear faint golden straw base, generous bright white bubbly head that lingers for a couple minutes before leaving faint clumpy lacing, a thin cover over the base, fuller around the rim. Carbonation slow and sustained throughout. 4.0

Aroma: Cracker, salt, pepper. Light to medium, enjoying what I gleam. 3.5

Taste: Consistent with the aroma, a little bolder presentation with cracker, nice pepper and salt, a taste of honey. A bit sweet, it not too sweet. All blend well together. 4.25

Mouthfeel: Drinks light and easy, below the 4.7% ABV. Carbonation faint and gentle throughout, but slightly adds to a light crisp body. Edges sweet, lightly dry, comes together well. Pepper salt cracker start to finish. Very nice. 4.5

Overall: This is a very good Organic Lager. Light and easy drinking for a perfect Chicago day. Love Deschutes, this beer adds to my Love. 4.25

Think you’d like or love this on @jonphisher

 

We still get some Deschutes here from time to time, I will keep an eye out for it next time I'm at Total Wine. They seem to have the biggest Deschutes options around for us.