Left Field Bricks & Mortar Coffee Porter
Rating: NNN
Why Whole Guatemala Gesha beans roasted by Left Field Brewery’s next-door neighbours, Pilot Coffee, are added during this porter’s cold conditioning stage. The result is a mildly sweet and silken black beer with pure, intense coffee notes and a bitter twang on the finish.
Price 650 ml/$5.95
Availability At the Left Field Brewery Bottle Shop (36 Wagstaff, 647-346-5001, leftfieldbrewery.ca), open daily noon to 9 pm
Burdock White Peach Berliner
Rating: NNN
Why Brewed with fresh Ontario white peaches, Burdock’s Berliner Weiss may not be seasonal, but it’s like a puckering sip of endless summer that makes a swell aperitif, especially when there’s a mound of delicious cheese involved.
Price 500 ml/$6
Availability At Burdock Brewpub (1184 Bloor West, 416-546-4033, burdockto.com), open daily 11 am to 11 pm
Indie Ale House Furlong Farmhouse Ale
Rating: NNNN
Why A funky farmhouse from Indie (something they do quite well), Furlong is brewed with brettanomyces (brett for short), a yeast strain widely used in craft beer to give it a pleasant barnyard je ne sais quoi. Tart and lively with a surprisingly pared down ABV at just 4.5%.
Price 750 ml/$10
Availability At the Indie Ale House Bottle Shop (2876 Dundas West, 416-760-9691, indiealehouse.com), open Monday 5 to 11 pm, Tuesday-Saturday noon to 11 pm, Sunday noon to 9 pm
