Where to find it: Arrow and Loon Pub and Restaurant in the Glebe
There’s nothing wrong with hops. As an ingredient, hops can bring delectable bitterness and sharpness to an ale or lager. But since the great hops movement began a few years ago — scholars maintain that the exact date of its origin is lost forever — the simple ingredient has seemingly taken over three quarters of the offerings at local bars and LCBOs. This can make it difficult for the casual beer fan to try something truly different.
You can imagine my surprise then, after asking the bartender at the Arrow & the Loon (a long established micro beer giant in the Glebe) what Railway City’s Let the Gruit Times Roll! was like, when he responded, “It tastes like Thanksgiving dinner.”
Not exactly what you’re expecting or hoping for on a patio in the summer.
Yet, somehow this beer pulls it off. It’s both smooth and refreshing, and isn’t overpowered by the hints of rosemary and thyme, making its association with turkeys and stuffing appropriate, but not worrisome.
I don’t know if I’d want to drink more than a pint of this beer in a night, but sampling its unique taste is most definitely worth a trip out to the Loon, which for any beer lover has to be considered one of the best spots in the city.
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