Beer Thirty with Autocatalytica's Eric Thorfinnson

What happens if you ask a Canadian about beer and question them on whether or not American beer is defeating them?

Well, I didn't know before today, but now I do. Shots are fired, Canada. Canadians, former ones anyway, are now singing the praises of American Craft Beer.

I'm telling you, give a man a beard, a 23% ABV stout, and enough hops to take down a Cardassian Military Installation, and you've made a new friend who'll want to listen to Japanese pressings of Pink Floyd with you.

But you should check out some tunes from Autocatalytica if you're into ... if you're into... Well, honestly, I can't tell you what kind of music they are, but their deeply insane grooves will give you the good news.

Check them on BANDCAMP.

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. 

Oh boy, I’m a real seasonal kind of guy, but ain’t nothin else hit me quite like a sweet tasty Bourbon Barrel-Aged Imperial Stout. That or some super funky sours. 

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? 

Though I am incidentally Canadian, I’m an ex-expat now, and I still gotta go with America on this one. We’re closing the craft beer gap for sure, but god damn America’s got some great shit. 

This comes with the caveat that I’ve never been to Belgium and I could see that dethroning America. 

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? 

Shit man I’ll drink anything.

We had a beer in Lincoln Nebraska by Boiler Brewing last year that was a 15% monster that basically tasted like chocolate cake.

There’s a series by local Toronto brewery Bellwoods called Milkshark, which are lactose-infused milkshake beers that are all fuckin’ killer. 

That or any of the nutty shit by Omnipollo like their insanely fruity Bianca Mango-lassi Gose. 

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? 

Love em, I am blessed with a plethora of amazing breweries to choose from, my Toronto fav’s being Blood Brothers, Godspeed, and Rorschach. 

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.

Gun to my head probably hoppy? Just not a fair question though. 

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? 

Last year I did a cross country America adventure that including just so many damn breweries, but the stuff we brought home was as much Three Floyd’s Zombie Dust as we could, and a couple Pliny the Elder’s for very special friends.