Alto Bianco

Burdock Brewery is one of Toronto's most adventurous producers — a brewery that has always operated at the intersection of beer and wine, and Alto Bianco is one of the most compelling expressions of that philosophy. It starts with mixed-fermentation barrel-aged beer, then blends in Gewurztraminer, Riesling, and Plum wines before ageing the whole thing on Sea Buckthorn berries. The result is something that defies easy categorization: a quadruple-fruit grape ale that is simultaneously a beer, a wine, and something entirely its own.

Sea Buckthorn — the small, intensely flavoured orange berry that grows wild across northern Europe and Canada — adds a tart, tropical, almost passion fruit-like quality that runs through the whole beer and gives it its distinctive brightness. The Gewurztraminer and Riesling bring aromatic lift and stone fruit character; the Plum wine adds depth and a subtle sweetness; and the barrel-aged base gives it structure and complexity. This is a beer with real presence. Drink it cold, share it, and pay attention — there's a lot happening in the glass.