Township 24 Brewery received a bronze medal for the Meridian Black Lager brew in the Amber or Dark Lager at the Canadian International Beer Awards.
Co-owner of Township 24 Brewery Mike Gron said winning bronze medal for the brew was a welcomed pat on the back for the amount of work that has been put into the brewery during the last two years.
“It was a validation for everything we’ve been doing,” said Head Brewer Curtis Metzger.
The Meridian Black Lager is one of Metzger’s favourite beers, he loves drinking it, and to receive recognition for the brew was amazing, he said.
Co-owner of Township 24 Brewery Matt Seib has always felt as though the Meridian Black Lager was an award-worthy beer, as the brew always receives positive reactions from consumers.
Seib is hoping that having an award-winning beer will peak the interest of people who haven’t ventured to the darker side of beers and open a new avenue.
Although the Meridian Black Lager is a darker beer, because of the ingredients used it is not heavy, Metzger said.
To create the Meridian Black Lager three types of malts are used.
A base malt which produces the most alcohol, a bit of colour and flavour, crystal malts which release a caramel flavour and colour, and then a chocolate malt.
The brew is finished using lager yeast, which causes the beer to be easier to drink.
“It’s not a normal beer. There is some complexity to it,” Metzger said. “Complex flavours with the chocolate and coffee all mingle together in a nice light easy drinking beer and makes it pretty fun.”
Using lager yeast is challenging because it has a longer turn-around time to complete each batch.
Most batches made with ale yeasts take about two weeks to complete, while the black Lager generally takes five weeks.
“It does get stressful when it goes through a popular run, and we’re down to four or five kegs in the cooler, and I have to get a new batch out soon,” Metzger said.
Along with ensuring Township 24 Brewery doesn’t run out of the Meridian Black Lager, Metzger is constantly refining recipes, as the natural ingredients used change slightly over time.
Altering the recipes slightly and listening to customers on what they don’t like is extremely important, Metzger said.
“I can take the same recipe, and if I have a bad brew day, I can come up with a significantly different beer,” he said.
Being recognized for the Meridian Black Lager made the weeks of stress and recipe refining well worth it for Township 24 Brewery.
Without the support, and feedback from the community receiving bronze for a locally made brew wouldn’t have been possible.
“The overall support from the community has been awesome. A lot of people seem like they’re quite invested in this too, it’s good to see,” Seib said.
Currently, Township 24 Brewery is working on a new release, summer pilots, and updating packaging.
For more information, please visit the Township24 Brewery Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/Township24/.
