It just so happened that I had a can of Fair Winds Quayside Kolsch in my beer fridge. I got a can each from my good buddy Chuck Triplett and my good buddy Jeff Evans a while back, and I still had one cold and ready to drink. I decided to tip it in the honor of Rayner Johnson, who worked for Fair Winds and, as I had just heard, had suddenly been stricken and passed away.

I only met Ray once, but he was one of those guys you knew was a good one right off the bat. He knew and loved his beer, and was revered by some very prominent people on the Virginia craft beer scene, including Chuck and Jeff. Hey, the man visited over 600 breweries in a single year. How could one not be revered with a feat of that magnitude? I wish I had gotten to know him better. I’m glad I got to meet him when I did. The outpouring of sentiment over his passing shows that a little piece of Virginia’s beer scene has been lost too, with someone who was there at the beginning of the craft beer revolution-and well before.

I’d like to think Ray was working the canning line when this can of Quayside Kolsch was packaged.

Fair Winds says this about the beer:

Light bodied, German-style Golden Ale

Pilsner and Munich malts provide a subtle, biscuity malt backbone balanced by the spicy flavors and floral aromas of the German noble hop varietals.

Fair Winds Quayside Kolsch has an alcohol content of 4.5% by volume with 22 IBUs. It runs $11.99 a six-pack at Total Wine, though not here in Georgia.

Fair Winds Quayside Kolsch pours to a hazy yellow color with a thick creamy head formation and a soft malty nose with subtle hints of pear fruit. Taking a sip, the beer is biscuit malty with the gentlest suggestion of apples and pears and a lightly dry, snappy hop finish. Soft biscuit malt, a subtle hint of fruit, drying grassy hops are all here and they are what I want in a Kolsch.

A great beer to remember a great man. May he have fair winds and following seas forever more.

 And remember, try a new beer today, and drink outside the box.



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