“Common” seems to be a pretty good word for describing one of the latest offerings from North Vancouver’s Hearthstone Brewery, the Cali Common.
For one thing, it’s becoming quite a common sight in my refrigerator. And during a recent visit to the pub it was the one beer that a table full of diverse, distinguished gentleman – a grizzled photographer who hates anything too fancy; a home brewer with a sharp palette and sharper opinions; an agreeable young father with razor-sharp wit; and me, a charlatan who started writing a column just to get free beer – all found common ground in agreeing that the Cali Common was the standout drink of the evening. My wife really likes it too, if we want to take this unscientific poll to its logical conclusion.
Hearthstone – located in the Taylor’s Crossing building on Marine Drive – bills its Cali Common as a “gateway beer,” a drink “for the common man” due to its complex yet accessible taste.
That may be selling it a little short. Brewed in a kind of hybrid fashion, the California common style – also called “steam beer” – uses lager yeast but ferments at ale temperatures. Vancouver craft fans will recognize it as the same style used in the popular 33 Acres of Life.
Hearthstone’s offering is definitely accessible and drinkable, avoiding the electric hoppiness of the IPA crowd or the puckering power of the trendy sours, but there are interesting flavours that make it more than just a taster for the timid.
A slight sweetness shines out – the brewer calls it caramel but for me it conjured maple, which for a good Canadian kid is a welcome flavour in almost any setting.
The Cali Common is available in tall cans at the brewery and most liquor stores, or on tap – no growler fills though – in Hearthstone’s lounge. It’s a limited release, although there’s a chance they might make it a keeper due to the enthusiastic response it has received so far.
If you try it and you like it, let them know you’d be happy if it remained a common sight.
