Day 27 in this new world of Social Distancing and quarantinis. Day 27 of not being able to gather with friends and laugh, to go to the pub, to take the subway, to go into the office. Rage and Love widely capture some of the emotions I’m feeling at this time – rage at the situation, and love for those who are staying home to flatten the curve, love for those who continue to labour to keep the rest of us safe. I found myself sipping some of Rainhard Brewing‘s beautiful pink coloured ale, Rage and Love Sour Ale with Raspberry and Passionfruit alone in the backyard on a sunny April afternoon.
Rainhard Brewing has long been one of my favourite breweries in Toronto. I tried the first commercially available keg of Armed & Citra years ago before their official opening, at a Society of Beer Drinking Ladies bevy and I’ve been hooked ever since. After a lengthy stint of dodging alcohol during our annual Dry January detox, our first sip of beer on February 1 was at the Rainhard taproom, accompanied by our faithful doggo. That feels like a million years ago now. Jordan Rainhard, owner of Rainhard Brewing, thanked me for citing his brewery as one of the top places in the world to drink beer Jeppe Jarnit-Bjergsø’s anthology of places to try in Where to Drink Beer.
The taproom is closed now, thanks to COVID-19. Everything is closed. However, Rainhard Brewing is one of the many local breweries offering free local delivery in Toronto during this time (free local delivery with a minimum order of $40) and province-wide flat shipping of $10 for orders over $50. We took advantage of the local delivery option last week, and got a contactless delivery of precious cans delivered to our door. This version of Rage and Love Sour retails for $3.98 through the online store for a 355 mL can, and weighs in at 5.4% ABV. Twitter informed me earlier today that this one is back in stock, after I wiped out their inventory last week. Sorry guys. It’s good stuff.
Appearance: Bright pink colour, with a lingering pale pink and off white head.
Aroma: Fresh raspberry juice, like you just made a smoothie with fresh berries or got caught sitting in the garden eating raspberries straight from the bush.
Taste: Sour passionfruit with lingering homemade pie crust notes.
Aftertaste: Pie crust lingers, along with a sour aftertaste that blends both of the fruits in an indiscriminate way.
Food pairing: Freshly baked bread – if your Instagram feed is anything like mine right now, everyone and their uncle is making fresh bread at home. Last night’s digital Seder featured 2 people making matzos at home since we couldn’t get any in stores. Enjoy with some freshly made raspberry pie and a slice of cheese.
Overall: Enjoy with a healthy dose of social moderation until we can all raise a glass together again when this is over. Cheers to the staff at Rainhard for their hard work in brewing and delivering to us thirsty people who are trying to flatten the curve. L’Chaim!
Shawna has visited vineyards in 8 countries on 3 continents, and has a knack for finding the hoppiest beers around. A dedicated Booze Hound, Shawna completed the Wine Specialist Certificate at George Brown College in 2018.
She can be found drinking alka-seltzer and coconut water in the morning.
Email: [email protected]
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