At last, a fine sour ale that won’t melt your tooth enamel (or at least mine). This is one of many brilliant beers from a Niagara craft brewery that has shrewdly tapped into the world around it – fruit orchards and, more recently, vines and wine. Bench excels in sour beers that evoke the flavours of both wine and farmhouse ciders, and its beer lineup does not lack for variety. This gem boasts a slightly hazy, strawberry-orange hue, much like that of a Belgian fruit beer, to which it owes a wink and a nod. Tart and juicy, it’s brewed with local strawberries. And doesn’t it taste just so, with a big, tangy essence of sour strawberry in fine balance with funky earthiness. Lovely and uplifting on its own, it also would match splendidly with roast or grilled pork, spicy-grilled seafood or young cheeses. Available in Ontario at the price below and in British Columbia and Alberta at various prices.
- Price: $7.50/500 ml