To build on last week’s theme of trying beers that are only sold where they’re made, I travelled down to Queen’s Quay to see the redesigned opportunity for cars to drive on streetcar tracks and pay a visit to the Amsterdam BrewHouse. Summer tourists go through a startling quantity of the brewery’s standby offerings, but I was after something more unusual. 

Lorraine ($7 for a 14 oz glass), the latest release from their Adventure Series, had come on tap shortly before I arrived and fit the bill perfectly. It was brewed as a Lichtenhainer, a German style you probably haven’t tried before that combines a dose of smoked wheat malt and a subtle souring. Amsterdam and Nickel Brook, their collaboration partner for Lorraine, decided to age this beer in Cabernet Franc barrels for four months. 

It’s a bright yellow-gold beer that lands on the bar with a couple of fingers of white lacy foam.  As the head drops I get a noseful of wheat backed up by a sweet-tart lemon candy aroma. The flavour goes through a captivating transformation: It starts with stone fruit backed by a subtle smokiness, but as I acclimatize to the smoke it drops out in favour a gentle lingering sourness. 

Why did they choose such an uncommon style for this brew? “This was our first time collaborating with Nickelbrook,” explains Cody Noland one of the brewers at Amsterdam, "so we wanted to make something new for both of us.”

The Adventure Series is one of the most consistently excellent experimental beer programmes in the city. Special release one-offs are usually good for a smirk or a raised eyebrow, but for these I usually find myself craving a second glass. 

It’s quite possible that Lorraine will have tapped out by the time you make it down to the BrewHouse, but think of that as an opportunity to try whatever is next in line and know that you probably won’t be disappointed.

Amsterdam X Nickel Brook Lorraine, available at the Amsterdam BrewHouse.