Rhyme & Reason

This summer has turned out to be a great one so far, with lots of sunshine, near-perfect temperatures, and plenty of excellent beer to go with it.

Also, when I think of summer, I think of getting out and enjoying the outdoors, with concerts, festivals, and all that the community has to offer. That's why, when I saw the colourful six pack from Collective Arts Brewing, I thought I might have found another perfect summer beer.

And I was right.

This Burlington brewery is founded on the belief that creativity inspires more creativity, and that art manifests itself in all of our culture: through music, through film, through visual art, and through brewing.

Craft brewing is an art form in which I thoroughly believe.

I think their video, on their Web site, says it all:



In keeping with Collective Arts' philosophy, the brewery incorporates art into their labels, each bottle in their six pack showing a different artist's work.

They truly have some of the most beautiful bottles I've ever seen. (Although, they do need to work on that sticker on the bottle neck: four of the six bottles in my pack had those little circles lifting off.)

But it's what's inside that counts, and I was eager to give them a try.

Rhyme & Reason Extra Pale Ale (5.7 % ABV)
Collective Arts Brewing Ltd.
Burlington, ON
Beer O'Clock rating: 5

Appearance: a dull, murky (that is, unfiltered) apricot and a creamy head the color of grapefruit rind.

Nose: intense tangerine and honeydew, with a hint of honeyed sweetness and a touch of malt.

Palate: bitter grapefruit and a fine balance of hops and malt. The finish is clean and thirst-quenching, and left me wanting more.

This is an excellent summer-patio beer. Though it has a higher alcohol content than many session ales, it reminded me of the Muskoka Brewery session ale that I've been drinking this summer. It's full bodied but clean, making it seem deceptively light.

I could see myself sipping a pint of Rhyme & Reason while enjoying an outdoor concert or at a film festival (I'm going to one this weekend: too bad they won't allow alcohol in the theatre).

One thing is for certain: I now have two favourite summer ales. My cellar is going to be well-stocked this season.

Rhyme & Reason is available at the LCBO.

Cheers!