5.8.04

Ballet and Beer or Dancing and Hops



I had such a wonderful time tonight. Les Grands Ballets Canadiens de Montreal put on a free performance of Minus One in Parc Lafontaine. Kevin stood in line for us and seven of us sat in the very centre of the stands and watched about ten different dances. It was amazingly choreographed with fabulous soundtracks. Amber and I stayed warm in a blanket on the aluminum bench.

Following the ballet, as planned, we skipped up to Kevin's. Danny and I spent $10 at the corner beer store and brought back five different beers to add to two Kevin had at his house. What ensued was the great beer tasting of 2004. My reviews should be considered with the fact that prior to this evening I had tasted only a handful of beers.

Exhibit A: La Fin du Monde (strong ale on lees, triple fermentation)
A very strong flavor, but without a bitter aftertaste. Our favorite from the start.

Exhibit B: St-Ambroise (oatmeal stout)
Super dark and heavy consistency. Heavy, but enjoyable aftertaste.

Exhibit C: La Bolduc (old style beer)
Enjoyable, easy beer to drink.

Exhibit D: Golding Indian Ale (ale, golding hop)
Very strong taste with heavy and rather bitter aftertaste.

Exhibit E: Dentergems Witbier (Belgian white beer, fermented in the bottle)
A beautiful beer with gentle taste. Quite refreshing.

Exhibit F: Griffon Rousse (red ale)
Quite a different flavour from the other beers, pleasant taste and beautiful colour.

Exhibit G: U (Unibroue pilsner)
Quite unexpected strong taste with light aftertaste.

Our drinking was pretty minimal as we were sharing bottles between 2 or 3 people. Kevin made some cheese on buns with cumin and pepper on top to give us something to soak up the beer. Neither of us got drunk, just light buzz. We talked developing world, renewable energy, homestarrunner, Simpsons, horror vs. thriller, and childhood memories. It was a good time. Cheers Kev!

1 comment:

kevininspace said...

He he he! What an evening! I'll post more later, including my observations on the beers. And the ballet.

The ballet was the second time I saw it, as I met up with some friends the night before and saw it. I was so impressed, that I quickly suggested we see it. It was Miranda's first day in Montreal today (Welcome!!). I think she enjoyed this ballet too.

After talking with some friends who are really into dance/ballet, I found out that this was considered "contemporary dance" with some classical pieces, as opposed to "modern dance" which can include everything from jetés to nakedness. I'll go contemporary, thank you very much. It was very inspiring and varied. Encore, Grands Ballets!!