Imagine a can of beer composed of brews from around the world. Now imagine that beer in your mouth! That was what happened to me on the grounds of the Festival Modiale de la Biere at Windsor station which ran from last Wednesday until last Sunday. Thousands of beer patrons congregated outside and inside the station, which faces the Bell Centre, where another drunken debauchery was taking place, the Elton John and Billy Joel concert.
What I enjoyed most was the multiplicity of beer: Where else could the taste of German beer annex Austrian and Czech beer and bring the flavors of European hops together in your mouth. As you can imagine this reporter was getting mighty drunk at this international gathering. The mixing of beer made me want more. And for some reason people kept getting more attractive with every sip, it was like I was drinking some kind of magical libation that made life better.
The only problem I had with my experience was the lousy techno being played while I drank. When drinking I want old man’s bar music with a song from some decrepit country singer or lost blues musician slicing up a bit of his soul for an intoxicated audience. The techno playing in the foreground didn’t do it for me and neither did it help my stomach sit well with all of this brew mixing. Luckily for me I went with good company that tried out many beers and told me which beer to stay away from.
Now I should tell you what the worst beer was, but the name eludes me. I probably drank too much. The only thing I remember about it was that it looks like lemonade and tastes awful.
There were the normal favorites, Boreale, St. Ambrose, Griffon and Unibroue but also some new big beers like Taiga made from fresh Quebec water. One of my favorite beers was a Czech beer called Czechvar, which went down smooth and had a nice sweet aftertaste. But hands down the best 3 beers and my recommendations are: anything from local microbrewery Dieu du Ciel, which tasted like angels swarming around and then sitting their warm butts on my tongue, dampening it with flavor followed by Broadway’s La Sein d’esprit, a delicious microbrewery from Shawinigan and Italian Bruton, both tasty light blanche beers.
Benelux‘s American Brown Ale was the kind of beer I couldn’t decide if I hated or loved. It had a strong aftertaste, the kind that gives you a powerfully strong breath capable of waking up your co-workers up in the morning.
As the evening wound down and the large gathering of many thousands walked away laughing or waited in line one last sample, I thought what a great annual event. It was nine o’clock and I was sitting on the grass having a cold beer. Not a care in the world. Thank you, public drunkenness.
