Beer Thirty with Max from Bane

Let's head over to the greatest city in the French world. Sorry, Quebec City.

So, sorry Paris.

Oh wait... St. Louis is...FRENCH...aww crap. Well, those Montreal folks are pretty good people and the province of Quebec is proudly French-Canadian. They were also kind enough to trade Jaroslav Halak to use all those years ago.

Sure, the Blues made mistakes going forward, but that was a great day. Another thing that makes Montreal great is this band called Bane. This Blackened Death Metal Mini-Horde is riding high on the digital, cassette, and CD release of their third album, Esoteric Formulae, but the amazing news is that next month they'll be smelling that sweet new vinyl smell.

Get all your pre-ordering on over BANDCAMP should you be interested in the sweet, sweet nectar of death metal on the grill.

While you're previewing that, let's talk beer.

1. My personal favorite beer style is the might Double India Pale Ale. The best DIPA in the world is STLIPA by Urban Chestnut. Tell me about your favorite style.

I’m a huge craft beer geek, my taste really varies but I guess my all time go-to favorite is IPA/DIPA, I like a bitter, hoppy beer. But, depending on the season (here in Montreal, the weather will vary between -22F in winter and 86F. in the summer) my beer style taste tends to change. 

In the winter I’ll often go with a heavier beer like a Stout or Porter (particularly Russian Imperial Stouts). In the summer though when the heat is rising, I’ve developed a taste for sour beers or the NEIPA which is getting more and more popularity here and in the USA. A good american example of NEIPA is the Heady Topper from The Alchemist in Vermont. 

I also really love Saison beers, we have a brewery in Montreal called Hopfenstark that makes insanely good Saison beers among others, they also made one for VOIVOD called « kluskap o'kom » which was made with balsam fir and was sold-out in less than a month. 

We are actually having our album release event at their pub « Station.Host » which is probably my favorite place in Montreal.

2. Many international people have laughed at me for this, but American Beer is the best in the world. Not American Lagers, that piss water is best used for drinking 15 of them while you're at the karaoke bar, but American Craft Beer. Which nation is pumping out the best beer?

We just came back from touring in the USA and I agree that I wasn’t disappointed with the craft beer in most places. The thing with craft beer is that it often breaks the rules of the brewer’s nation traditional beer-making, so I think that any nation with a booming craft-beer industry will have a nice variety of products. 

The USA are definitely on the top of their craft-beer game.

3. Even though I'm a giant beer snob, I'll drink beers that break the Bavarian Purity Laws. My personal favorite is Schalfly's Bourbon Barrel Imperial Stout. It's a might 22oz of 10% ABV Stout aged in bourbon barrels. It'll warm your heart and soul. 

What beers do you love that break Reinheitsgebot?

That sounds delicious! As I am answering this I am drinking a No.13 Tennessee from Pit Caribou brewery which are 2 Porter type beers assembled together, one of which is aged in Whiskey barrels, 9% ABV. 

And it also does warm my heart and soul! I think all the beers we have here breaks the Reinheitsgebot so it would be hard to say! But I do respect the passion the Bavarians have for their beers. I was in Munich back in 2006 and even though I was less into craft beers at the time, I do remember how good it was, but it is almost impossible to find those here as I don’t think they export them at all except the Hofbräu. 

I’ll have to return to Bavaria soon!

4. Right now, you couldn't pin me down and get me to give my favorite St. Louis Brewery, though Urban Chestnut's STLIPA does put them in the lead...but if you put a gun to my head,it's Schlafly Brewing. What do you think of your local brewers?

The craft-beer market in the Québec province is literally exploding right now. People are tired of the same-old lager beers that was dominating the market for decades. 

We have a great variety of all types of beers, a lot of products will only be available a couple months/weeks a year, which makes it that much more special when you see in on the shelves of your favorite beer store. 

There are tons of very good breweries and always new ones opening. On the top of my head the best ones are : Dieu Du Ciel, Hopfenstark, Pit Caribou, Dunham, Shelton, Farnham, Voie Maltée, Lagabière, Riverbend and so much more.

5. Hops or Malt? Personally, I feel like a jerk for asking the question. Give me a malty Scottish/Scotch Ale or a hoppy DIPA...and I'm happy...but you gotta pick one.

Both depending on the type of beer but if I have to pick one I guess I’d go with Hops.

6. Whenever I'm road tripping. I'm always bringing back beers. Ohio, Great Lakes Brewing. East Coast, Yuengling. Western New  York. Genessee. What do you bring home? 

For me in the USA, the Heady Topper and Focal Banger from The Alchemist in Vermont are now a must. Also brought home the Foggy Geezer which is a NEIPA from Warpigs/3 floyds which I got from the Black Circle Brewing Co. In Indianapolis.

Also remember having a Threat Level Midnight Imperial Stout on tap there which was really good.  Being on tour with a van full of gear doesn’t make it easy to bring much back home though, sadly. So many good beers, so little time. Can’t wait to be back!

Thanks for the opportunity to talk about one of my favorite things : beer!

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