Queers, beers and rears

Beer is a fantastic, delicious and complex beverage,” says Mirella Amato, the founder of Beerology, a company that focuses on beer education. “We have such an amazing selection available in Ontario right now. I think people are curious to find out more, what beers they like and why.”

The goal of Amato’s work is to connect people with local producers and promote a historical understanding of brews. To that end, she is working on an exciting new event.

After 17 years of celebratory guzzling, the annual Toronto Festival of Beer is introducing the Queer Beer Festival, the first of its kind in North America. The festival boasts more than 150 local and international brands and will feature performances by Hunter Valentine, Lucas Silveira (The Cliks) and Ace of Base.

Cyndi Lauper was the festival’s unlikely inspiration.

“Last year at Pride, Cyndi Lauper performed at Queen’s Park, and the audience was fantastic,” explains Les Murray, co-owner of the Festival of Beer. “I thought, Hey, I wonder if we can do this and work with the gay community to see if we can actually bring a new evening to life, but focused around beer.” After all, girls just want to have fun.

Murray enlisted the help of local promoters, including Gairy Brown, of Prism; Steve Buczek, of the Beef Ball; Charles Pavia, of Jock and fly; and TK, who programmed the Pride Toronto stages, to set the lineup of performers and find the DJs to keep the music going. Maggie Cassella signed on to host, and suddenly, beer has never been gayer.

Food is also central to the event: a grilling station will showcase local and celebrity chefs, such as Mark Cutrara from Cowbell, and a selection of food vendors will feature everything from gourmet grilled-cheese sandwiches to Thai food.

One myth Amato hopes to bust wide open is the misconception that the cold stuff is especially fattening. Shockingly, a cocktail with juice has more calories than one beer.

Amato says that a lot of people have the “mistaken impression that beer is fattening, the mistaken impression that it’s not as good for you as wine, and that’s very much perpetuated in the media.”

According to Amato, genetics and lifestyle play a more integral role in weight gain than your choice of drink.

“There was a study that came out last year that completely disproved the beer-belly myth,” she says. “Also, it’s the lifestyle; eating and drinking in pubs is not exactly conducive to staying trim.”

Amato says there are a growing number of beers that specifically target gay audiences. Minerva, a small Mexican brewery, has two: Salamandra and Purple Hand. The latter is a reference to a 1969 protest in San Francisco.

“They’re honey beers, and the label peels off so you can wear them. I’m not sure what that’s about,” she says.

Earlier this year, the Queer Beer Festival partnered with Half Pints Brewing Co, a Winnipeg craft brewery, to develop Queer Beer, which was unveiled for that city’s Pride festivities.

“The Winnipeg Queer Beer was released in May, and that was pretty awesome,” Amato says. “A part of the proceeds from the sales went to the festival. That was a great collaboration and the beer was very well-received. I’m very sad I didn’t get to try one.” She didn’t get to try Queer Beer because it sold out before Winnipeg Pride even began.

When it comes to summer beers, Amato says there are plenty of local options.

“Pilsners are light and refreshing, and they also have a detectable bitterness in the finish, which makes them really crisp. They are, by far, my favourite summer beer,” she says. “For those who aren’t into pilsners, other great summer options are wheat beers, like the Denison’s Weiss and Mill Street.”

Murray says the Queer Beer Festival is about community: “Five dollars and 19 cents of every ticket we sell is going to The 519 in the form of a charitable donation.” But it’s also about letting loose and exploring. “You can expect well over 150 beers, most of which are from microbreweries and only available at the festival,” says Murray. He warns: “They’re samples — not that you’d be sampling them all.” But it will be fun to try.

Ryan English is a fab writer who has been known to quaff a pint or two.

Queer Beer Festival Thurs, Aug 4, 4–10pm Bandshell Park, Exhibition Place queerbeerfestival.ca