During my hacker-imposed lock-out I started a new series on my CBC column. I am doing a four-part discussion of the different beer personalities in Canada’s regions. A year or so ago I first raised my thesis that each region in Canada has a distinct craft brewing personality that reflects its history, culture and social attitude. I have been considering this thought more in recent months, in part due to my sojourn to Halifax this past spring. So, I decided to expand upon it and do an extended take on each region’s personality.

I am well aware that any effort of this nature is prone to over-generalization and neglect of beer and breweries that don’t fit the picture. Let me acknowledge that upfront. I know it is an over-simplification. But, I still believe there is some truth to the personalities I have defined.

I tried to hold off on making this post, as I have done 2 in the series so far. Unfortunately, CBC has only put the first one on their website (they sometimes get behind on that – blame a decade-plus of Liberal and Conservative cutbacks). So, I am forced to write this with only the benefit of the first one.

I start with Ontario, which I describe as a beer personality reflecting safe quality. Their beer are not adventurous or overly experimental. There are a lot of craft brewers, most making solid beer. In my trips to the province I have found a lot of brown ales, pale ales, pilsners and other non-intimidating styles. Many were great examples of those styles, so don’t confuse this observation with a critique of the qualtiy. I just think that Ontario brewers try to stick close to the centre in style selection. They choose to compete based on quality and care of brewing rather than offering some outlandish new thing. (Yes, I realize there are some significant exceptions, Flying Monkeys being the most obvious, but stick with me here). The list of their better known craft brewers is a roll call of well-made accessible beer. Beau’s All Natural, Steam Whistle, Mill Street, Black Oak, Wellington. They offer good beer, but most of their offerings fit traditional, well-known styles or an equivalent palate.

This is the land of Bay Street, the Maple Leafs and Sarnia. Even their politics are fairly stable and centrist (a brief tangent with Mike Harris excepted). Their beer reflect this history and culture.

In the CBC piece I highlighted Steam Whistle as a good example of an Ontario brewer. They make one beer, a pilsner, and work hard to make it good. The founders are former Bay Street investment bankers, and the brewery resides in the heart of Toronto, centre of the Canadian universe. This is Ontario beer in a bottle.

This may or may not make sense at this point. But follow me through the series and I believe you will start to see that I have point. An overly simplistic and vulnerable to exceptions point, but a point nonetheless.

Listen to the CBC column on Ontario here.