Ides 17: Target Practice
Target Practice is inspired by Hart House and Lawren Harris.
This Belgian Blonde finished with Niagara Cherries is a deliciously complex beer for the closing days of summer. Refreshing and tart with a sweet cherry nose and an ABV of 7%, this release is limited to 1131 bottles.
THE INSPIRATION BEHIND THE BREW:
Lawren Harris, founding member of the Group of Seven, is best known for the northern scenes in his paintings, but he lived much of his life in downtown Toronto, attended Central Technical High School and – in 1917 – served as a Gunnery Lieutenant in the Canadian Officers Training Corps headquartered at UofT’s Hart House during its construction.
While stationed there, he painted a 30’ x 16’ 3D set of a ruined Belgian village on what would soon become the Hart House Theatre stage. Marionettes of enemy soldiers were employed on the set for target practice so that soldiers-in-training standing behind sandbags at the back of the auditorium could shoot them – and Harris’ painting – to pieces. In 2016, Harris’s “Mountain Forms,” sold for over $11 million. Chances are no one’s in too much of a hurry to shoot that painting to pieces these days!
To commemorate great talent used for a good cause, we brewed this Belgian blonde ale with tart Niagara cherries. It’s a delicious merger of Canadian and Belgian, with notes of cracker, spice, banana, and citrus, and a subtle cherry flavour that’s sure to win you over.
