Deleted Scenes 2 -- Da' Beers

By special request, here's the rundown of the beers I tried along the way.

Regina, Sask.

• Bushwakker Sodbuster Brown -- This English brown ale has the richness and aroma I expect from a microbrewed brown ale, but it's not worth going out of your way to order this more than once. It's a slight improvement over Newcastle, but you have to have it shipped from Canada.
• Regina Pale Ale -- Definitely a worthy beer for the shipping price. It's bitterness isn't cringe-worthy (caveat: I'm a fan of bitterness, so that's just my palate) and it compliments a buffalo burger quite well, though I would steer clear of BBQ sauce in this scenario.
• Dupont Moinette Saison -- The Bushwakker Brewpub serves no other saison, not because saisons don't sell well, but because the owner says, "All other saisons are $#@! compared to this." I wouldn't go that far. Sure, it smells like a horse blanket and tastes like someone dropped a lemon Warhead in an India pale ale, but so have all the homebrewed saisons I tried in Tampa.

Whitecourt, Alberta

• Alexander Keith's India Pale Ale -- Umm, is this really an IPA? It says so on the bottle, but it also says otherwise, as the alcohol content is lower than what I'm told it should be (I must confess most of my beer knowledge is secondhand). Also, there's little body, and I like to practically chew my ales. It was the only Canadian brew at the lodge, but I switched to Coors after just one.

Whitehorse, Yukon

• Chikloot Lager -- If not for the label, I'd have thought it was a Budweiser.
• Yukon Gold -- A good ale I had with some fish 'n' chips. Nothing spectacular, but a solid addition to any beer-drinker's repertoire.
• Yukon Amber -- Flavorful and sweet, I happened upon this amber at the hotel bar, when another patron changed his mind and wanted a Gold. I was chatting with the wait staff at the time and the bartender said, "What am I going to do with this?" I grinned and offered my services. It was a free liter mug, so I may be a bit biased. The only drawback: When it gets warm (about 60 degrees), the sweetness becomes overbearing.

Somewhere near the Alaska-Yukon border

• Hamm's -- This is a cheap American-style lager from Milwaukee that tastes better than the Beast or Old Mil, but that's about the best I can say for it. I got a 12 pack for $2 because the store was closing.

Fairbanks, Alaska

• Fairbanks Lager -- The only brew I've tried from the Fairbanks-based Silver Gulch Brewery. It didn't knock me off my socks, but it was refreshing.
• Alaskan Gold -- A step down from the Yukon Gold (since I had fish 'n' chips with it, too, it was an accurate comparison)
• Alaskan Amber -- This will probably end up being my staple beer. It's flavorful but not too heavy. Also, it's on tap everywhere in town.
• Alaskan Coffee Brown -- A good night-cap beer, it leaves no strong aftertaste and is nice and heavy. A little too much coffee flavor though, which weighs it down more than necessary.
• Alaskan IPA -- Whooo, doggie! This has some kick. Because of the climate, lagers are the specialty up here, so maybe I was caught off-guard by an honest-to-God IPA (especially after Alexander Keith's). It's not for every night, but I certainly plan to keep a few handy when the occasion calls for it.