We live in the largest beer producing country in the world — yet we still find it difficult to go beyond beers such as Busch Light, Natural Light or Milwaukee’s Best. Our neighboring countries may not hold the beer producing title we do, but they are still home to some enjoyable beers worth sampling.Canadian brewed beers are arguably among the best in the world. Ever since I was born, I spent part of my summers at my family’s beach house in Ontario, Canada. Since the legal drinking age in Canada is 19, I have been able to enjoy Canadian beer for three years now. I have since concluded there are few things better than ending the summer and bringing in the fall season with a nice smooth Canadian beer. So here is a tribute to Canadian brews.
Molson and Labatt are the two biggest producers of Canadian beer. Molson has roughly 19 different types of beer ranging from pilsner to lagers to malt liquor. Molson also recently merged with Coors to form Molson Coors Brewing Co. and is tied for first with Labatt in the Canadian beer market.
A common Canadian beer ordered in the United States is Labatt Blue. It is a pilsner beer, which means it is made by mixing malt with a soft water, resulting in a bright golden colored beer. Labatt is consistent with the modern pilsner with its hop aroma and flavor. It has a 5.0% alcohol content that brings a nice buzz. (as compared to Miller’s XXX%). Its immediate aftertaste has a slight bite to it, but your palate is ultimately left with a sweet, honey-like, flavor. Labatt Blue is fairly inexpensive, a 12-pack of bottles ranges from $13 to $15, depending where you purchase it.
The other leading producer of Canadian beer is Molson. Its signature beer: competes with Labatt Blue. Molson merged with Coors in 2004 and is now considered to be the fifth largest brewing company in the world. Molson offers Molson Canadian, Molson Canadian Light, Molson Ice, Molson Golden, Molson Export, Molson Dry and Molson XXX in the United States.
Molson Canadian is a pale lager with a strong malt and corn flavor that is hidden behind a strong carbonation taste. I would definitely choose Labatt Blue over Molson Canadian. For the same price and the same alcohol content, Labatt Blue offers an overall better experience.
An excellent strong beer is Molson XXX. Although it is a bit heavy, it is smooth and packs a rather large kick with its alcohol content of 7.5%. Overall, it receives good reviews from customers, mostly due to the fact that it hides its slightly bitter taste behind a rather large alcohol content. The normal lager has between a 3% and 4.5% while a pilsner usually has an alcohol content between 4% and 5%. See for yourself, Molson XXX really knows how to throw you a buzz.
Unfortunately, one of the best beers that Molson offers, Molson Brador, is not available in the United States. This beer is rated the second best Canadian beer according to ratebeer.com. It’s a malt liquor beer with a strong flavor, smooth aftertaste and excellent finish. It has a 6% alcohol content; making this a well-rounded beer. If you ever get the chance to head up to Canada, it is worth a purchase. And if you are looking for something different, strong and full of flavor, go for a Canadian brew.
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