Onbeer’s honorary prairie brewery, Yukon Brewing, has just completed a redesign of a number of its labels. New artwork has been done for the Lead Dog and the Cranberry Wheat, giving them a simiar feel as the other mainstays.

They re-did their Gold and Arctic Red labels last year, part of an ongoing process of freshening the company’s image, making it more sophisticated and disctinctly northern.

At the same time they have re-christened the Discovery Fireweed Honey Ale as Discovery Honey ESB. Last year, the folks at Yukon asked for my opinion on what style the Discovery most resembled. After some thoughtful sampling (and re-sampling to confirm my suspicions — I have a great job!), I suggested it was closest to an English-style Extra Special Bitter, but with a unique twist. So you can imagine my pleasant surprise when they actually listened to me!

It is one of the things I most appreciate about Yukon’s beer – it often defies styles. The Gold is delicious but impossible to pin down to a particular style. It is like it possesses the qualities of a couple of styles. The Arctic Red is similar, seeming like an Irish Red Ale, but hoppier and crisper than an IRA. It is that way with the Discovery as well. What style do you think it is closest to?

I am glad they sent me that tidbit of news, as it reminded me I haven’t written about them much in the past few months, and that when I talk about the great folks at Alley Kat, Half Pints, Wild Rose, etc. I need to include Yukon’s Bob Baxter (and their Edmonton rep “Yukon Dave”) in that list. They are jovial and good humoured, serious about making good beer and admirably committed to their community. Which is why they have been deemed honourary prairie-sters.