Staff at Chatham’s Sons of Kent Brewery are raising a pint or two in celebration of successes at the recent Canada Beer Cup.
One of their staples – Flywheel Lager – earned a gold medal in a wide-open and popular category – Standard American Lager in the national competition.
Another – Mammoth – continued to do what it has done since first coming out of its barrels – turn heads and tantalize tastebuds, winning a bronze medal in the Wood-Aged Beer category.
Colin Chrysler, one of Sons of Kent’s owners, and its resident Brewmeister, said the recognition for Flywheel in such a highly competitive category is particularly rewarding.
“For us to have a beer that can run with the pack is pretty impressive. It’s probably the biggest deal for us in the brewery’s history,” he said. “It’s our best-selling beer that we do here at the brewery. The fact that it stands out among all the other lagers in Canada as the number one is pretty special for us.”
Meanwhile, Mammoth continues to earn accolades. Chrysler said it’s Sons of Kent’s biggest award earner, but is not for everyone.
“It’s a barrel-aged imperial stout. It is in former bourbon barrels for three to six months. It clocks in at about 13% (alcohol content). It’s pitch black. It’s a stout and it’s very strong,” he said. “But it’s actually a little bit smoother than people would think.”
Flywheel is the first beer Sons of Kent started making back in 2017, Chrysler said. But it’s not the same today.
“Flywheel has evolved a lot over the years. Today, it’s the best it’s ever been. It’s a very different beer than it was seven years ago,” he said. “It has gone through a lot of small tweaks and adjustments. It used to be a blonde ale, then we slowly switched it over. That made it a more refreshing, crisp lager style of beer, which has become even more popular.
“It’s drinking the best it ever has. And we’re always making small little adjustments to try and make the beer as awesome as it can be.”
Chrysler said lagers are typically more refreshing and crisp than other beer offerings. It appeals to a diverse group of palates.
He said the brewery has won about 15 awards since its inception in 2017, at the provincial and national level.
“We submit beers to different awards competitions between the Ontario and Canadian awards. With the Canadians ones, you’re competing against every brewery in Canada,” he said.
The success is not due to one person, he stressed, adding the production team deserves recognition.
“We couldn’t do it without our team. Your beer is only as good as the people who put it in the cans,” he said.
The Canada Beer Cup is a national competition celebrating independently owned and operated breweries across Canada. It showcases quality and innovation in craft beer from coast to coast to coast.
Judges from Europe, the U.K., the United States and across Canada took part in the tasting process.
