Lakeside Libations Tea for Two (to Brew)

Nick Jeffrey

libations@theanchor.ca

Faithful readers may recall me waxing poetic about the Reinheitsgebot, also known as the Bavarian Beer Purity Law of 1516, which decreed water, barley, and hops as the only permissible ingredients in beer.

Those regulations have fallen away over the centuries, with modern brewers limited only by their imaginations when designing new brew recipes.

Coffee has long been a popular ingredient with craft brews, usually in the dark roasted stouts and porters whose malt bills already impart similar flavours.

However, tea has been making inroads as a beer adjunct, with the much more diverse flavours available making it possible to use in many beer styles.

I have often made my own shandy on hot summer days by mixing a light lager or blonde ale with locally produced Wild Tea Kombucha, for an extra bit of effervescence with just hints of tea flavour.

Perhaps the first tea-infused beer I ever tried was from

Calgary’s Annex Ales, who put out a seasonal brew called the King’s English Black Tea Lemon Pale Ale. This seasonal brew makes an appearance every summer, with plenty of citrusy hops that are complemented with lemon and bergamot for a classy drinking session on a sunny patio.

Located just a few blocks away from Annex Ales is Born Brewing, in Calgary’s popular Barley Belt district. Born Brewing has a similar offering called Earl’s Ale, an English Pale Ale with Earl Grey tea leaves added during the brewing process to infuse the beer with hints of tea and bergamot.

Travelling just a few more blocks will lead to ’88 Brewing, whose brewery is adorned with the neon fashions of the 1988 Calgary Olympics, where you will find a non-alcoholic version of a Kombucha-styled Hibiscus tea, pleasantly effervescent from pressurization on a nitrogen tank (like Guinness) instead of the more common CO2.

For a harder version of a Hibiscus tea, look no further than Calgary’s Good Mood Brewing, conveniently located in the same part of town as the last three, for their Sparkling Hard Tea with Hibiscus & Rosehip. This is more similar to a hard seltzer like Zima or White Claw than a beer, with vodka used as a base spirit, then infused with Hibiscus and Rosehip petals.

Perhaps the most unique spin on a tea-infused beer is from Calgary-based High Line Brewing, who has a Pale Ale beer made with Yerba maté tea and BC cherries. The cherries give the brew a sort of Radler or Shandy vibe, with the caffeine kick from the brewed leaves of Yerba maté plant providing a little pick me up.

Looking north to Red Deer, Troubled Monk Brewing makes a brew called Troubled Tea, which is technically a malt liquor steeped with tea leaves rather than a beer. On the plus side for the celiacs in the audience, it does claim to be gluten free. I tried it once when the liquor rep was pouring samples at my friendly neighbourhood liquor retailer, and the flavour profile is like an iced tea with a twist of lemon and a shot of neutral grain spirit.

Fortunately, there is no cloying sweetness that you might remember from iced tea served at a restaurant, as Troubled Monk brews everything from scratch, using small amounts of Alberta beet sugars for just a touch of sweetness, balanced by lemon-lime, and then steeped with close to 1000 teabags for a truly craft iced tea with a kick.

Looking north to Edmonton, Town Square Brewing makes a Peach Sangria White Tea Sour, starting with a base of a sour beer, then adding fuzzy peach concentrate and the tips of white tea flowers during the brewing process, producing a brew that will make you think you are sipping a sangria on the streets of Barcelona.

And to ensure our southern brewers do not feel left out, Hell’s Basement Brewery in Medicine Hat produces a hard tea, technically a malt liquor rather than a beer, and tastes like a brewed ice tea with a lemon twist, and a 5% ABV kick. Unlike the dark and stout coffee-infused beers that are best enjoyed on cold winter nights, tea-infused beers are quintessentially a summer brew, made to be enjoyed during our too-short Alberta summers. Look for some at your friendly neighbourhood liquor retailer, or check the offerings from your grocery delivery service while you remain hunkered down at home.

Chestermere Christian Fellowship

Free Stampede Breakfast outdoors at Chestermere Christian Fellowship.

9 AM on Sunday, July 16th.

There is good food, fun for the kids, gospel music and plenty of parking.

Older AdUlts Coalition of ChesterMere Meeting

When: Wednesday, August 16th Time: 1:30pm – 3:30pm

Where: • Lakeshore Manor, 200 Marina Drive, Chestermere

RSVP: • jumpmaster2@shaw.ca • illingw8@telus.net

Walk-ins welcome, RSVP appreciated

Everyone is welcome. Located 1.6 km north of highway #1 on Conrich Road.

Chestermere Lions Club

Meets on the 4th Wednesday of each month at 7:00pm Meetings are currently by zoom. Checkout our facebook page for more information,

Chestermere Christian Fellowship Services: Sunday 10:00 am

Pastor Vince VanderVeen 403-204-2079

1.6 km north of Hwy 1 on Conrich Road

WHERE PLAYING AND LEARNING GO HAND IN HAND!

Registriation for the 2023/2024 School Year is Open!

Registration will be available on a continuous basis until all classes are full

Located in: the the Indus Recreation Centre (Bill Herron Arena) in Indus Alberta, this not for profit preschool has been serving the community and surrounding area for 25 years.

Indus Preschool offeres a dynamic, hands-on learning approach that offers: art • IMagination stations • early literacy • & physical activity

Our program gives some of Rocky View’s youngest residents a chance to connect in a fun and positive environment while helping them to develop a sense of self and independence.

We help kids prepare for kindergarten and learn important skills that will help them in their daily lives.

Camp Chestermere Camp Chestermere is OPEN for Day Care, Rentals, and Community Events! We’ve even opened up registration for Summer 2021 Day and Overnight Camps! We are constantly reviewing and updating our policies to fall in line with current COVID protocols. Contact us today to find out how we can serve you and your needs. More at www.campchestermere.com https://induspreschool.com

The Chestermere Fine Art Guild

The Chestermere Fine Art Guild meets every Thursday at 1pm, at the Recreation Centre North side, upstairs in room 2. Come and explore your artistic potential. Welcoming new members beginner to advanced. Like us on Facebook and email chestermereartguild@gmail.com

Lakeside Quilters’ Guild Meeting each month at the Chestermere Recreation Centre on the first Wednesday of each month. Sew days are on the third Wednesday of each month and a sew Saturday each month, including summer. Quilting experience not required, new members welcome. For more information please contact Joyce at 403-383-1940.

St. Gabriel's the Archangel Parish

Catholics in Chestermere: Weekend masses are now open for public celebration without seating restrictions at St. Gabriel’s Catholic School (197 Invermere Dr.). There is no longer advanced registration required to attend mass (Saturday 5 pm, Sunday 9 am, and 10:30 am), but please stay home if you feel sick that day. For more information please call 403-455-0196

The Rotary Club Of Chestermere

Holds virtual meetings via Zoom on the 1st & 3rd Wednesday of the Month at 5:00pm and hosts in-person “Socials” at local venues on the last Wednesday of the month.

Guests are warmly welcomed to “Zoom in” to our virtual meeting or join us for some social time when they can!

Please email us for more information at: rotarychestermere@gmail.com

Check out our website at: www.rotarychestermere.org