#lionwinterale

I was very pleased with the Granville Island Lion winter Ale. A lovely creamy ale with smooth mildly sweet vanilla and spice character. I'd serve it as an after dinner beer with or in the place of dessert.

Most of my Granville Island brewing experience isn't with them at all but with their collaborationn brewing venture with Creemore Six PintsSpecialityy Beer Co. which operates out of the Beer Academy in Toronto. I've very enthused by the Six Pints beers where I've generally not been very excited about the Creemore or Granville products I've experienced thus far. So it's grand to try a Granville Island beer I do quite like and would recommend to others.

Started in 1984 and claiming to be Canada's first microbrewery Granville Island Brewing was actually purchased by Molson Coors in 2005 under the same division of the company as Creemore Springs which Molson had previously acquired. To Molson's credit neither Creemore or Granville island have been altered very extensively and have more or less been left to operate as they had been making well crafted smaller batch beers. I am however perturbed that there is no obvious mention of Granville being owned by Molson or even Creemore on the GIB website. Giving the illusion that they continue to be a small business. Which for some people is a factor in choosing craft or micro brewed beer. I would have the odd Molson owned “craft beer” in general however I would much rather support my local small craft brewers. The omission of big brewery ownership is pretty obvious and makes me doubly unlikely to choose Granville when it comes time to put out my hard earned than if they were forward about the Macro brewing connection. Which would make me wary but not as much as knowing the connection and seeing it purposely withheld. That being said, I adore the Six Pints beers and the Lions Winter Ale is certainly worth a try and the same might be said for Granville's other West Coast brews.

But,don't take my word for it. Drink the beer !

http://gib.ca/beer/

http://beeracademy.ca/Aboutus.aspx