Pyramid Audacious Apricot Ale

This past summer I went up to Vancouver with my best friend for the weekend. After checking into our hostel we went out in search of some hot food and ended up at a place called Rogue.

My friend likes wine, whereas I prefer a good beer. I have grown used to the endless selections of fine wines offered at restaurants, accompanied by a small selection of local drafts. Rogue's drink menu consisted of three pages titled: "Taps...", "More Taps...", "And...More Taps..." and "Even More Taps...." Located in the right corner of the page titled "Even More Taps..." and below the "Or Grab A..." was a short section titled "Don't Care Wines" with a line which read:

red or white... that's all you need to know

Then a section titled "I Do Care Wines"

"many other "you care" wines are available, ask your server for our list".

This was the place for me! Each of their brews was accompanied by tasting notes, brewing location and a short quote. Some of the choices were:

Central Raspberry Wheat Ale, Surrey, BC

"The easiest brewery on our list to visit....only 19s stops away on the skytrain...say hi to Gary for us"

Tasting Notes:

infused with raspberries from the fraser valley, this wheat ale is crisp and clean with a soubtle fruitiness.

$5.75 sleeve/ 18.25 pitcher

Crannog Backhand of God Stout, Sorrento, BC

"Ever felt the back hand of god?...it has a coffee cocoa presence."

Tasting Notes:

Lean in body & powerful in flavor, back hand of god stout has won three consumers' choice awards. This dry stout is easy to drink, rich and inviting. It is extraordinarily smooth & mildly hopped with a distinct coffee & chocolate presence.

$6.00 sleeve/ $19.25 pitcher

Granville Island Lager, Vancouver, BC

"The same clean, refreshing taste that put us on the map in '84 still makes this one a local favorite"

Tasting Notes:

Light and malty with hints of grassy hop aromas and a crisp hoppy bitterness, combining all-natural ingredients to produce its distinct hop flavour."

$5.50 sleeve/ $17.25 pitcher

Most of the brews were from Canada, but there were a few from California, Washington, Oregon, England, Ireland, Belgium and Scotland. I was a little overwhelmed by their extensive selection of award winning brews, so I asked the waiter for assistance. He directed me to a wheat beer from Seattle by a company called Pyramid: "Apricot Audacious Ale". According to the menu: pyramids = cool, apricots = tasty. Pyramids + apricots = audacious.

Tasting Notes:

"boldly combines the taste & aroma of fresh apricot with the smooth finish of wheat malt. Its unfiltered character & fruit flavor make it an ale worth savoring." It was $6.75 a sleeve. I was intrigued and love apricots so decided to give it a try."

The color was just amazing: an orange-gold. The restaurant was darkly lit, but the drink seemed to glow. It was cloudy and smelled strongly of yeast and apricots. I couldn't wait to taste it. The initial bitterness melted away to reveal a complex fruity flavor which permeated my mouth. It was just slightly carbonated and the apricot taste lingered. It was fantastic, I kept wanting to take another sip so that I could experience the burst of apricot.

Although I tend not to like wheat beers, this was something I would order again (and did). I would like to try it with some sausages cooked with apples and served with rustic bread, and maybe some stone-ground or spicy mustard. It went well with my chicken salad, (but we were very hungry and not very picky).

Definitely an ale for people who like sweet, wheat beers, but I would recommend ordering on tap.

Websites:

Pyramid Breweries

Rogue Kitchen and Wetbar