My latest Vue Weekly column is out – a review of Red Racer IPA, from Central City Brewing in Surrey, B.C. This beer is climbing my personal beer charts – with a bullet! It has only been in Alberta since the summer, but I know that many beer fans have already partaken of its particular joyous flavour.

I will leave the details of the review for the Vue piece, which you can read here. But let me be clear. I really like this beer. It is unapologetically hoppy with a big grapefruit hops aroma and flavour (from the dry hopping of American “C” hops). It might just be the best Canadian-made India Pale Ale I have had (although there are some good ones out there). And, better yet, despite its assertive bitterness, the beer remains easily drinkable as there is enough biscuit sweetness to create a counterpoint.

Seven-year-old Central City started as a brewpub in Surrey (it still is), but a couple years back bought a canning line and has been slowly expanding their distribution. The choice of cans, as I have discussed before in this post about Yukon adopting cans, is complex, and one with which I don’t fully agree (I still want to do that side-by-side taste test of cans vs. bottles). That said, I will happily make an exception for Red Racer and other champion beer. And it appears I am not alone in my opinion of their beer. Central City cleaned up at the 2010 Canadian Brewing Awards, taking four medals plus Brewery of the year.

And maybe, just maybe, if Albertans buy enough of the IPA and the Pale Ale (which is also available), they will like us enough to send more of their beer our way – like Thor’s Hammer!