Hopping Into Easter
TJ Shirk • March 29, 2021
Beer pairings for your Easter dinner and a spotlight on Chronicle Brewing Co.
Welcome to Oenzym. A blog published to showcase Canadian wine, craft beer and spirits as well as the makers behind these incredible creations. As I am writing this, it is late March 2021, spring is here and Easter is right around the corner.
Some of you will likely be preparing a feast for your loved ones. Traditional fares such as ham, lamb, and turkey are already in stock and on sale at local butchers and supermarkets. This will leave you with the need to provide libations for your adult guests. You may be thinking “white wine with white meat and red wine with red meat” to serve with the meal. If you’re a wine person, you probably have something already in mind and it’s most likely incredible. But what if you’re not a wine person, you’re unsure of your diner’s preference and palate, or you want to try something different? Step out of tradition and perhaps serve some craft beer.
I recently sat down with Jon Cowling from Chronicle Brewing Company in Bowmanville Ontario to discuss (and sample) a selection of Chronicle’s beers to pair with Easter dinner. For a lot of us a perfectly cooked ham can take centre stage at the holiday table. Depending on the preparation and sweetness of the glaze (if used) you can opt for something “light and bright” or “dark and rich”. Light and bright options would be light ales, pilsners or lagers. High carbonation and dryness in these beers help cut the fat and marry the saltiness on the palate much like a sparkling wine. We chose The Loveland Frogman, a dry hopped lager. Dark and rich options would put you in the realm of darker ales and porters. For something smoother and sweeter to complement a sweet glaze similar in effect of a grenache or zinfandel, we went with Beholder milk porter.
Some indulge in tryptophan laced turkey for Easter, another excellent flavourful adventure. Amber or brown ale shine here, much like a rosé. Another avenue could be with a sour beer, complementing tartness in the cranberry sauce. We recommend Labyrinth
a dry hopped kettle sour. If turkey and ham are on the same plate, sticking with a lager or pilsner should keep everything harmonious.
For those keeping to the tradition of lamb at Easter, the rich, sometimes gamey flavour of lamb bodes well with a strong flavoured beer like a stout or porter, even a west coast style IPA with punchy hops. We recommend Dwarven Stout.
The fun doesn’t end at dessert. Instead of coffee, dive into a coffee porter or stout. For those of us with a sweet tooth, a standalone beer like Chronicle’s new Continual Flame
- an Arcane Ales release that is bourbon barrel-aged with cinnamon, lactose and vanilla - can be served as dessert itself or paired with all the chocolate eggs you can throw at it.
Should you have a cheese plate or charcuterie board as an appetizer, pair some hops with it. An IPA of your choice would be well suited. Alternatively, Ales from the Crypt
- a black currant sour - can take the place of a light-bodied red wine in many cases.
We hope these pairings serve you well. With these in mind, your local craft brewery may brew similar styles of beer as we recommended here. Please support local, if possible, and curate your Easter experience.
Now for more about Chronicle Brewing Company...
Chronicle Brewing Company opened their doors April 28th, 2018 offering five beers, Golden Axe, Mind Flay, Hero’s Handbag, Labyrinth,
and Beholder. These flagship beers are mainstays in their lineup to this day. Chronicle began as the brainchild of owner and brewmaster Ted Paulsen. For over 16 years Ted has dabbled in all things fermentation, honing his skills to grow the brewery to what it is today. Ted is joined by the Cowling brothers, Allan and Jon; as well as Corey Fairs. A skeleton crew of passionate beer and gaming enthusiasts.
In the three years since first opening, Chronicle has brewed over 100 unique beers*. They won gold at the 2018 Ontario Brewing Awards for Dark IPA with Super Dank Osborne, a beer I liken to “jumping the Grand Canyon with your mouth”. The guys at Chronicle are not ones to take themselves too seriously; you will often find witty and playful names and imagery on all of their various offerings.
In 2021 Chronicle launched Arcane Ales, an extension of their brand. Tailored to provide craft beer lovers with a distinguished, experimental, high-alcohol premium beer. Often barrel-aged and bottled with the intent to be enjoyed right away or cellared for future enjoyment.
The future holds further growth for Chronicle. Look for food trucks serving tasty delights next to their new, all weather patio! They hope to expand with a new event space and return to hosting RPG game nights, Mario Kart tournaments, live music and trivia when the global pandemic eases. They are releasing lots of new beers for the nice weather including a big May the Fourth launch. A future Arcane Ales release will continue their partnership and charitable giving to the Humane Society of Durham Region. Stay tuned for all the goings on at Chronicle Brewing Company.
You can buy Chronicle beer from their website www.chroniclebeer.com
with shipping to all of Ontario. You can also visit them in person at 422 Lake Road, Unit 3 in Bowmanville Ontario for a large selection of cans and 20 taps! They will fill any growler you may have but a little bird told me that by Easter Chronicle will have their own growlers for you to enjoy! Check them out on Facebook and Instagram @chroniclebrewery. New or re-released beer are posted every Thursday, just in time for the weekend!
Thank you all for getting this far. Here at Oenzym we are striving to bring you fresh content just like the passionate makers of Canadian wine beer and spirits. Cheers!
*110 beers with over 12,000 ratings on Untappd at the time of this post