24 Beers of Christmas – December 23rd – Left Field Eephus Oatmeal Brown Ale
Junk pitch. Great Beer. Toronto’s baseball-themed Left Field Brewery have made their mark as one of Ontario’s best breweries since their inaugural at bat in 2013. Eephus is a Alternative Grain beer, brewed in the style of an American Brown Ale. It gets its name from the very low speed pitch, also known as the Blooper Ball, first thrown by Rip Sewell of the Pittsburgh Pirates in the 1940s. But don’t be mistaken – there’s nothing fluffy about this beer.
Eephus, like an Oatmeal Stout, uses the addition of oats in the brewing process to increase the beer’s body and to produce a creamy mouthfeel. This lends itself wonderfully to the great flavours that this beers delivers on, including chocolate and roasty nut along with some brown sugar and cereal notes. There’s just enough of a bitter bite to keep it interesting and to balance out a really top-notch beer.
Style: Alternative Grain (American Brown Ale) – 5.5% ABV, 35 IBU, 26 SRM
Food pairings: Ballpark Franks, Old Amsterdam Gouda, Boiled Peanuts
Availability: LCBO