Aimee Qiu

St. Patrick’s Day is all about beer, so this year, on March 17, celebrate Ireland’s second most important national saint — Brigid, the Irish saint of beer.

Saint Brigid lived from 457 to 525 AD. In one of her poems, she waxes, “I should like a great lake of ale, for the King of the Kings…. I should like the family of Heaven to be drinking it through time eternal.” This national saint of beer is not recognized by the Vatican. The process of official canonization didn’t begin until the 10th century, as prior to that, saints were chosen by public acclaim based on legend or public lore.

St. Brigid ranks as the most remarkable Irish women of the fifth century, and is a patroness of Ireland. History painted her as a generous woman and Brigid founded the monastery of Kildare, or the monastery of “the oak tree.” Whether legend or public lore, most of St. Brigid’s miracles involved beer. When she worked in a leper colony and the lepers she nursed begged for beer, there was none, and by the sheer strength of her religious conviction, she changed their bath water into excellent ale. Once again, Brigid preformed a similar feat for some visiting clerics so they would have something to drink, but this time it was her own dirty bathwater. She also preformed a similar miracle and supplied beer out of one barrel to 18 churches, and made it last from Maundy Thursday (the Thursday that marks the Last Supper) to the end of Easter. These water-to-beer miracles would endear her to any lover of suds.

Calgary has its own brewing Irishman and, although miracle-less, Ed McNally comes close with his acts of charity, so much so that in 2005, McNally was awarded Canada’s highest honour, the Order of Canada.

Here are three Big Rock Irish-style ales to celebrate St. Patty, St. Brigid and maybe even pay homage to Ed’s own Irish-ness:

• McNally’s Reserve: this beer is a dry stout, which is the same beer style as Guinness, and Big Rock’s example is as dry as the Irish sense of humour. This creamy ale has a light, fruity and nutty body, a dense billowy head of foam, a rich and dry, light chocolate and espresso finish. This local Irish stout gets high marks as a dry stout.

• McNally’s Extra Ale: at seven per cent alcohol by volume (ABV), Extra is a world-class example of an Irish ale. It is perilously easy to drink and has a malty, woody taste and a pronounced hop bitterness ending with a light fruity, peppery and bitter finish.

 This ale is full-bodied and smooth with a buttery maltiness, and a great sipper.

• Black Amber: although not exactly an Irish stout, Ed’s brewers assert some of his Alberta-ness as well as Irish-ness into this quaffer. It’s a hearty, full flavoured and rich ale with a colour reminiscent of Alberta crude. This beer has a deep chocolate aroma, a nutty flavour and ends with a smooth light flavour of licorice and coffee.

After thorough research, I have determined that there is absolutely no bath water in any of these beers. May either St. Patrick or St. Brigid bless your pint this March 17th.