Beer Up North: Relax and have a beer. You are on island time now!

One of my biggest regrets thus far in life, aside from just having traded in my 2007 Mazda B2300 (cherry red with an inline-four), is never having taken the time to visit Manitoulin Island.

In my mind’s eye I see a land that was at the heart of colonial Northern Ontario, rich with First Nation culture and artisanal spirit. A place with great walleye fishing, two breweries, and the famous Chi-Cheemaun ferry – essentially, everything that I hope one day awaits me when my time comes (maybe my old 4-banger will be there too!).

I suppose I could circumvent all the heartache and longing by simply taking an extended weekend and making the pleasant journey from the Soo with my wife and a couple of good friends, but somehow things are never as simple as they seem. I guess until the stars align, I’ll just have to acquiesce in trips to my local LCBO to pick up delicious Swing Bridge blonde ale from Manitoulin Brewing Co. and conveying my emotions and discoveries to the readers of Beer Up North.

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Manitoulin Brewing Co. is one of the two aforementioned breweries on Manitoulin Island (the other being Split Rail Brewing Co., whose beer I also look forward to trying). Located in Little Current, the brewery’s flagship blonde ale pays respect to the iconic swing bridge that connects Manitoulin Island to the mainland.

The labelling on the can artistically paints the bridge against a setting sun over the Great Lakes waters that expand out of St. Mary’s River, channeling between the island and the mainland, ultimately into Georgian Bay and Lake Huron.

A small sailboat on the reverse caps off the idyllic imagery quite nicely, while the simple phrase “You’re on island time now” makes you want to string up a hammock and reschedule your 3pm appointment to sometime next century.

The logo for Manitoulin Brewing Co. also includes a depiction of the hawberry, a thorny plant that thrives on the island’s alkaline soils and produces a tasty red berry that has been woven into Manitoulin culture to the point that locals refer to themselves as Haweaters and hold an annual festival in natural accordance. Surely therein lies a definitive chapter in the large novel I one day hope to write on Northern Ontario berry festivals.

In assessing any beer, a critical first step is smelling that first release of carbon dioxide emitted from the can or bottle immediately after opening (I term this “the smoke”). To me, the smoke off a Swing Bridge blonde ale is reminiscent of something bright, perhaps something like lemon.

The beer poured a beautiful clear, golden colour, as should be expected with a blonde ale, and retained a photogenic head long enough to appreciate, but not so long as to bore you while you wait to pour the rest of your beer.

It also exhibited some nice lacing – the effect of beer clinging to the side of the glass, creating the loose appearance of lace. I have no idea what lacing means in terms of quality or the brewing process, but it’s certainly visually appealing.

The taste of the beer was also appealing – rather clean with some subtle flavours that extended my perception of the lemony smell I detected on the smoke, almost like lemon meringue pie (note: when I say subtle, I mean subtle; this is not a lemon meringue pie flavoured beer).

Also, because of the clean profile of this beer, the bitterness of the hops shone through just enough to be noticed in the finish, becoming more noticeable to me as I worked my way through the beer.

One thing I appreciate about Manitoulin Brewing Co.’s website is that they identify the hop varieties used in their beer, in this case Brewer’s Gold and Hallertauer. It allows for a more informed drinking experience and can help us understand the bittering and flavouring effects of the myriad hop varieties that are used in brewing.

This would be an excellent beer for summer. If you’re looking to get going early now that the sun has returned and things are warming up, you can pick up a can of Swing Bridge blonde ale at a few Beer Stores around the Manitoulin/Sudbury areas and LCBOs from Sioux Lookout to Cobalt. $2.90 a can!

Cheers!

Jason McLellan is a self-professed beer geek.  He wants the world to know he's damn proud of his Northern Ontario roots, even though he couldn't catch a fish if one jumped in the boat. His columns run Wednesdays at 12:00 p.m. Find him on Facebook: Jason McLellan with the Beer Up North banner.