Last week, I took a look at the first beer that I tried following an absolute bonanza of beer acquisition from Gravenhurst’s Sawdust City Brewery. I’ve decided to start doing these two at a time, as there were a lot of them.
This week, I’ll be looking at the A Place To Stand Ontario Pilsner and Juicin’ IPA.
A Place To Stand Ontario Pilsner
The Can: While the design is clean and attractive, I find it a little bit boring. It is a blue & white take on the standard Sawdust City black & tan can. There’s nothing wrong with the way it looks, but it’s not particularly fun or interesting. You can’t see it from the picture, but there are a pair of blue boots on the side of the can. Alright then.
The Colour: It is a mystery! Actually, it isn’t. Because of the internet. But I didn’t see the colour in person. I was too busy drinking it. Research indicates that this is a beer-coloured beer.
The Flavour: This is a totally competent but not mind-blowing example of a pilsner-style lager. It’s light and crisp, with a bitter edge. I like it and would gladly drink another, but I won’t be making a special trip to find one.
The Verdict: This beer is a limited-run collaboration between Sawdust City Brewery, Great Lakes Brewery and The Griffin Gastropub. It is in celebration of Canada 150, so I would doubt that this will be around much longer. If you come across a can, it is well worth trying. It is not a tragedy if you don’t get in on it, though, as both of the breweries involved have a number of beers that are slightly more interesting.
Juicin’ IPA
The Can: This one’s got a big, bold look. It is fun. The back of the can has a picture of a peach being injected with… something. This makes sense after you drink it, but even before trying the beer, that wacky junkie peach made me happy.
Actually, maybe they’re drawing something OUT of the peach. Regardless, I like this fun drawing.
The Colour: This beer is the colour of happiness.
The Flavour: Juicin’ IPA came highly recommended by a good friend of mine who works on staff at Sawdust City Brewery. He was 100% on the money. This beer is amazing and baffling. While their don’t appear to be any fruit ingredients included in the beer, they’ve got it tuned up in such a way that it tastes like a super refreshing and delicious… peach beer? I’m not really sure. My mind was blown by how unique this thing tasted, and it was the perfect summer day drink.
The Verdict: I am kind of heartbroken that Juicin’ IPA isn’t widely for sale. It is the kind of bonkers thing that would be worth making a special trip for. It is the McRib of IPA beer. I’m going to start following it around the country, camping out in a car and knocking on doors to ask the locals if they’ve heard about it.
Most of that wasn’t true, but what is true is that Juicin’ IPA is the most interesting and surprising beer that I’ve tried in ages. Perhaps even more surprising than the absolutely insane cucumber beer from Muskoka Brewery that my friends and I drank too much of at my wedding.
I advise you to get juice’d as soon as possible! This beer may not be around long. You can find it in Gravenhurst at the Sawdust City Brewery!
The Fraudsters' Almanac 
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