Ontario Craft Beer 52: Rouge River Forgot About Drei Farmhouse-Style Pale Ale

Beer #52: Rouge River Forgot About Drei Farmhouse-Style Pale Ale (4.9% alc.) from Markham's first craft brewery explodes with pineapple and other tropical fruits and a symphony of favours continue to play out with each sip, culminating in a peppery finale. Brewmaster and co-founder Jordan Mills, formerly of Mill Street, was the first person in Canada to earn an advanced cicerone designation, and his craft shines through in this beer. It's brewed entirely with Brett Brux yeast (Drei variant), and gets additional farmhouse character from some added oats, spelt and wheat. 

I had a good chat with co-owner Stephen Barato as I sampled the three beers they had available this week (reviews of the other two to follow in the near future). Business is good so far since the brewery opened six months ago, but there's definitely a learning curve to get the Markham crowd sold on the craft beer experience. The brewery will soon be offering beer by the glass on site, rather than just giving away free tastings, and will put on some music and art events in the spacious taproom. They also have a bunch of casks near the brewery entrance that will soon be ready for sampling. If you're anywhere nearby, you should definitely check out Rouge River.

Remembering to taste Rouge River's Forgot About Drei at home

Hanging at the tasting bar with co-owner Stephen

Rouge River Brewing - spot the casks in the window