MAY 1998

VOL.3 NO.5

Taste of the Month -- Some Foods and Drinks Make Bigger Impressions Than Others

In early April, I received a call from Bill White at the Oland Specialty Beer Company in Toronto inviting me down to a preview of their new licensee training centre. Since this premium brand division of Labatt is handling the draught introduction of several Interbrew brands this summer, I thought that it would be worth a look.

For the record, the centre itself is fairly impressive and quite well laid out. There is a long bar divided into English pub, Belgian cafe and North American tavern sections, with seating areas to match, and appropriate beers are on tap at each stop -- Boddington in the "pub," Stella Artois in the "cafe," Alexander Keith's in the "tavern," and so on. What caught my eye, however, was the draught Hoegaarden White in the Belgian section.

Forget that it might not be what it once was, forget that it comes from a brewery owned by Interbrew and forget that it's being shipped over all the way from Belgium; this is good beer! And when Bill poured me a glass, I happily accepted and welcomed the fresh spiciness and almost ethereal fruitiness of this fine brew. Hoegaarden White is refreshing, flavourful, and for a beer that is so light upon the palate, surprisingly full of character; perfect for the approaching summer months. On the unseasonably warm April afternoon of my visit, I didn't stick around drinking glasses of draught Hoegaarden with Bill all afternoon, but I could have...

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