Tooth and Nail Brewing nails it!

Brewer and co-owner of Tooth and Nail Brewing Matt Tweedy makes more than good beer. He makes benchmark brews true to style but with a sharp laser focus. They’re simply clean and precise and I count his beer among the best in the province.

Now that this is out of the way, I want to turn my attention to a specialty that is worth every penny of its $18 price tag: Tooth and Nail Breezehill Brut Bier. Brut is a style meant to emulate some of the characteristics of Champagne. It’s dry with a pronounced effervescence and, if fruit is used, a sufficient degree of both colour and fruit character.

Often this style can have too much acidity which only speaks to bad beer making. Breezehill however is textbook stuff with a lovely colour and delicious fruit that demonstrates its components of raspberries, strawberries and then finished with Hibiscus.

It’s further softened and given dimension having been aged in Pinot Noir barrels. It’s a stand out product that can age for another two years but why? It’s drinking so beautifully now.

This is a beer for the dinner table but also for under the tree. Those hardcore beer fans in your circle will love you for it.

I enjoyed it with baby back ribs braised with a glaze I created for the occasion. Here’s the recipe:

RJ’s Rib Glaze

This should be sufficient to baste one rack of ribs three times. Mix together:

• 6 tbsp ketchup

• 1 tsp good fish sauce (I use the one with three crabs on the label)

• 1 tsp ground black pepper

• 1 tsp worcestershire sauce

• 1 tsp onion powder

• 1 tsp garlic powder