Go & Do Summer 2019

Craft brewing
universally
involves
boldly flavoured
beers coupled
with a
defiantly
independent
spirit.
Garrett Oliver, in the
Oxford Companion to Beer
That’s true as far as it goes, no
doubt. But I want to add that
there is always a dash of humour
that goes along with that boldness
of the brew. There is something
about the alternately brassy
and comforting experience of
drinking craft beer in a brew pub
that tickles the irony bone.
Kootenay Rockies brewers may
take their brewing very seriously,
but not themselves. The logo for
the Angry Hen in Kaslo is a frumpy
chicken with a cleaver. Ask Manon
or Andy, the Hen’s co-owners
along with brewmasters Shirley
and Frances, about the origin of
the name and you may or may
not get a straight answer. I’m sure
the gigantic hop-flower-shaped
pendant lamps have heard it all.
In all mock seriousness, the mission
of Nelson Brewing Company
is: Brew unto others as they would
brew unto you. The Angry Hen’s
slogan is more to the point: Just
Shut Up and Drink It, while the
motto of the Trail Beer Refinery
is Work Hard Play Harder. Not a
problem after downing a pint of
Holy Hefeweizen.
Names of the beers!
Cheers
~ Erika Bird, Go & Do 2019
Brewers are a whimsical bunch
when it comes to naming their
products. That’s especially so
when it comes to the seasonal
brews. Some fun local beer names
are Old Bitch Bitter (Angry Hen),
Rootin’ Around Red Ale (Torchlight),
Faceplant and Happy
Camper (Nelson Brewing Company)
Dick’s Happy Place Ordinary
British Bitter (Backroads Brewery)
and Nightshift Stout (Trail
Beer Refinery.)
It may be that you are one of
those people who always orders
the same beer every time you
belly up to the counter. That’s
your prerogative, for sure – being
predictable is not without its
merits. We salute
you. But I bet that
behind the name
of your favourite
beverage, there’s
a story – and
probably a story
that will tell you
something about
a characteristic
feature of the
town, or possibly
more than you
want to know
about an actual
local character.
For instance,
Torchlight’s Kutenai
Khaos is a pale ale that is flavoured
with wild local hops that
grow along the rail lines within
Nelson’s city limits. And you might
guess that there really is an angry
hen character (“Old Bitch” has to
be an exaggeration!) somewhere
in Kaslo.
At Torchlight Brewery on Hall
Street in Nelson, as a friend and I
sipped our pints and nibbled on
sourdough beer mash crackers, I
Angry Hen:
Just Shut Up and Drink It
Backroads Brewery Company:
FILL‘ER UP & SIT A SPELL
NBC Mission:
Brew unto others as they
would brew unto you.
Trail Beer Refinery:
Work Hard. Play Harder.
Torchlight Brewing Co.
Delicious Innovation.
asked Craig (co-owner) for some
of the stories behind the names
on the taps. Once while creating
a new batch of beer, he and his
partner Josh were stirring the
grains into the mash tun (the fermenting
vat is called a tun) with
an old canoe paddle and there
was so much grain, the paddle
snapped in half. Thus the beer
they were making named itself:
Broken Paddle IPA.
Make some
friends
On the social
scene side, I’m
starting to think
that West Kootenay
brew pubs
are like new
wave Legion
halls. They’re a
bit noisy (not a
lot of upholstery
happening as a
general rule) and
there is a lot of
talking going on
between tables,
between friends, between people
who have never met before. But
instead of a common military
history being the social glue, it’s
more of an anarchist philosophy
– any kind of conversation goes,
any age is fine, from baby to elder,
any “career” can be represented,
from execs to mountain bikers
(who can be one and the same)
and they’re all sharing a table or
a counter.
The more you know
If you’re like me and have a bit of
an anthropological bent, the best
people-watching is at Backroads.
There’s a bar right at the big picture
window that faces onto Nelson’s
main drag, Baker Street. In
the summer, their streetside patio
is the place to quaff your brew.
Beware of a quirky BC law that applies
here – you can buy your beer
at the taps, and walk with it to a
table, but to cross the public sidewalk
with a beer requires the help
of a professional (the staff will let
you know.)
Don’t forget to eat!
At the five breweries on the map
opposite, the food choices are
as original and tasty as the beer.
The Angry Hen, Nelson Brewing
Company and Backroads Brewery
don’t have kitchens, but they
do bring in some very creative
fare prepared by local cooks and
served hot (or cold) alongside
your pint. The fare served by
Torchlight and the Trail Beer Refinery
will make you wish you had
an alternate reality life and could
eat twice.
#BCAleTrail
BC Canada www.gokootenays.com #gokootenays - share the adventure! 2019 Summer/Fall GO & DO 29
Nelson