Thirsty Thursdays: Steam-Powered Power-Folk
By: Daniel Bordage
Band: The Steamers
Style: Power-Folk
Pairing: A Steam-Powered beer list
About the Band: Most of the Ottawa Showbox crew have been raving about the Steamers for a while now. I, on the other hand, am new to them. I had the pleasure of meeting them at a backyard show a few weeks ago and really got to enjoy their sing along brand of music at their CD release party hosted at the House of TARG. The venue was already very warm and the band introduced another level of heat by blistering through their great new release Years and other crowd favorites. That inspired my playlist. This time I flipped it around. I’m pairing the band with beer that are steam-inspired.
The Beers:
Maybe the most obvious of the beers to pair with the Steamers. Steamwhistle is an easy drinking beer. They only make one beer and they do it well. Steam whistles were used in the U.S., Canada, and India to warn that a train was in motion.
Covered Bridge Brewing “Showboat Paddle Smash”
This is a collaboration with Showboat, a local dragon boat team. Showboats were a form of theatre boats that were pushed by a tugboat. Adding a steam engine on one would have been in the middle of the auditorium. The tugboat however, had a steam engine on it.
Buzz Beer “Fictional beer from the Drew Carey Show”
This fictional beer was brewed in the shed in the back of Drew’s house. Made with coffee, we all thought it was crazy then. Little did we know it would be the norm in 99 per cent of breweries today! The show was set in Cleveland. I will let you figure out why it made the list.
Dominion City Brewing “Lost Train Oatmeal Stout”
Turns out, a lot of local beer is inspired by trains. This one was inspired by a rumoured abandoned beer train believed to be in a tunnel beneath Lebreton Flats. Read more about it here.
Railway City Brewing “Black Coal Stout”
Coal was used in the combustion process of creating steam in the boiler. Black Coal Stout has created steam in my boiler too…
Cassel Brewery “Caboose IPA”
Located in Casselman, a few minutes away, this local beer is set to be a regular in the rotation. Let the caboose loose! The first railroad in Casselman was opened on February 1st, 1882. It was used to transport wood, bricks, and food to the Ottawa region.
Great Lakes Brewery “Canuck Pale Ale”
The first steamboat on the Great lakes was the PS Frontenac in 1817. Making runs on the Rideau Canal, St. Lawrence River, and all the way to Niagara-on-the-Lake.
Bicycle Craft Brewery “Belle River Blonde”
Belle River was inhabited by French Canadians from Quebec and Irish immigrants who helped build the Great Western Railway. The region became one of the end points for the Underground Railroad.
Contact me on twitter @danielbordage or at dropthatspills@gmail.com for suggestions, comments or just to say hi.