Have you tried a nitrogen-infused beer from your favourite craft brewery? We have a lot of options these days for local nitro-brewed stouts—I spot at least three on the BC craft shelf at my local BC Liquor Store whenever I go in, and they even carry de-alcoholized (Red Racer’s Street Legal Nitro Stout, for the interested). But where are the nitro brew ales?
Without the stout: Nitro brew ales
Whether it was our demand for the growing industry’s output that made further investment worth it, or the new technology meant excellent results became achievable and cost-effective, our experimental brew masters are having a wonderful time introducing us to the differences in texture and flavour that nitrogen gives.
But here’s the thing: While I’m very much into what nitrogen does to a beer, I’m not really a fan of stout. My favourite local nitro brew ale discovery ever has to be the Nitro ESB from Bomber Brewing, a short-lived seasonal flavour explosion. It was a novelty and a joy to experience.
Kilkenny Cream Ale proves the point
I still think of that Nitro ESB fondly, and especially around this time of year. Because, you see, on March 17 each year I do something very rare: I drink a non-BC beer. I drink a beer that’s not even Canadian. I drink Kilkenny Irish cream ale—Guinness stout’s younger, milder sibling.
Literally siblings, they’re produced by the same brewery and share the characteristic widget. But unlike Guinness, Kilkenny’s not a meal in a can, it’s a snack. Dark compared to my usual Steamworks pale, but it’s not heavy. You can even see through a full glass! And at 4.3% it’s almost a session ale. But because nitrogen is better for malty flavours than CO2 is, by combining cream ale’s uh…creaminess with nitrogen’s characteristic flourish, it’s still a rich, deep treat.
If Guinness is an indulgent brownie, Kilkenny is a perfectly baked chocolate chip cookie.
I understand why stout is so commonly the go-to for super-charging: thick, deep, dark, and heavy flavours can pop with a light dash of nitrogen—I mean, nitro cold-brew is also an increasingly available, welcome alternative to regular coffee. But lighter beers deserve a chance to be lifted by a creamier mouthfeel and a more open flavour. Kilkenny’s proof that nitro brew ales don’t have to be dark to be delicious.
I’m looking forward to more nitro pales, nitro ambers, and nitro creams coming from BC craft breweries. What’s your favourite lighter brew that could benefit from a nitrogen infusion?
Cheers!
