Beer Alert: Founder's Canadian Breakfast Stout

June 18, 1:58 PMChicago Craft Beer ExaminerMark McDermott

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Founders Canadian Breakfast is draft-only, so no
label art to show here.

I have word in so far of two establishments that will be tapping the new Founders Canadian Breakfast Stout.

This is another extension of this Grand Rapids, MI brewer's Breakfast Stout. The original is an Imperial Stout at 8.3% alcohol by volume, made with flaked oats, chocolate and coffee. Very popular among us beer snobs. It does show up in our area in the fall, then rolls off the shelves faster than an opened bag of gumballs.

Where did Founders go next? Like any extreme beer, into a barrel. Kentucky Breakfast Stout appeared in 2005: Similar recipe, though the website doesn't mention the oatmeal, then aged in bourbon barrels for a year, and presented at 11.2% alcohol. A once-a-year specialty. There's tremendous e-mail and message board buzz when bottles show up in Chicago; usually that includes a complaint or two from chain liquor store clerks about how their allotment got shorted so another location could get more.

Kentucky Breakfast Stout

In the true tradition of brand extension, we know have Canadian Breakfast Stout. Their Breakfast Stout aged in Canadian maple syrup barrels. There's a bit of confusion over just what kind of barrel was actually used. One source just says "Maple barrel." Another has "Maple syrup barrel." The Reader's music editorfood blogger, Philip Montoro, writing in their food blog (thanks for the correction, Philip), found this on the guest tap at Three Floyds' Dark Lord Day, and called it "aged in wine barrels that'd been used to store maple syrup." He also admitted to liking it even better than Dark Lord. Either way, every one who's rated it has easily found big notes of maple syrup in this heady brew.

Brixie's in Brookfield (9526 W Ogden Ave.) will be serving this brew this Saturday, June 20. As a pre-Father's Day celebration, they'll be tapping Canadian breakfast at 7:00 p.m. Other Founder's beers will be on tap from 6 - 10 p.m., including Founders Pale Ale, Curmudgeon, and Dirty Bastard, and just for variety, Three Floyds Apocalypse Cow. Information: (708) 387-0050.

You can also catch some Canadian at Bavarian Lodge in Lisle (1800 Ogden Ave.). On Thursday, June 25, Michael Bell, Founders' Director of Sales, will be on hand as they tap both Canadian and Kentucky Breakfast Stouts at 7:00 p.m. They will also have Cerise Cherry Ale on tap and other bottled Founders bees. Information: (630) 241-4701.