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Persephone Black Lager by Persephone Brewing Company.

Since it pours jet black with a frothy tan head, it's easy to think a Schwarzbier (or black lager) is going to taste the same as an Irish stout, like Guinness. But this old-school lager, which originated in Germany in the 1500s, has more in common with a bubbly golden lager than a roasty stout.

Schwarzbiers take much longer to brew than stouts because they're lagered in cool tanks for about a month, until they develop a crisp, clean pilsner-like profile. Just like a stout, the black hue comes from barley that has been roasted in a drum like a coffee bean, but since the barley has had its husks removed, there's none of the sharp roasted astringency found in many stouts and porters.

The result is a beer with a mellow, cold-brew coffee character instead of a bitter espresso bite. This is one of my all-time favourite beer styles. Here are three Canadian versions to try now:

Abyss, Spindrift Brewing Co., Dartmouth, N.S., $3.99/473 ml

A New World twist on the classic. Brewmaster Kellye Robertson beefs up her version with eight different barley malts: Notes of dark bread crusts, dark fruit, toasted nuts, ash and cacao swirl together in an effortlessly integrated sip. Light-bodied and refreshing. Don't miss Barrel of Cherries, a stunning wine-barrel-aged version of Abyss, spiked with Niagara cherries, that's available at the brewery's retail store now. Available in Nova Scotia and Newfoundland.

Blacklist German Black Lager, The Napanee Beer Company, Napanee, Ont., $3.20/473 ml

This luxuriously smooth Ontario take pours inky black with a generous head. Aromas of mocha give way to cold-brew coffee and milk-chocolate flavours on a medium body with a clean, dry finish. Available in Ontario.

Persephone Black Lager, Persephone Brewing Company, Gibsons, B.C., $5.89/650 ml

Topped by an ample, foamy tan head, flavours of dark bread crust and light chocolate notes hit the tongue but don't stick around, making for a quick, crisp finale. Available in British Columbia and Alberta.

From a rubber boot to a plastic syringe, beer tap handles come in all shapes and sizes as breweries compete for bar-goers’ attention. The owner of Toronto brewpub C’est What says customers often choose a beer based on its handle.

The Canadian Press

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