durhamregion.com This Week | Thursday, August 18, 2022 | 6 There's still some summer left. If you're looking for a new drink to enjoy on the patio or take to the cottage, we've rounded up ten unique brews and ciders being made right here in Durham. Fruity, spicy, sweet, sour, smoky -- there's a bit of everything on this list. MOCHA PORTER FROM C'EST WHAT DURHAM BREWING This is a coffee-forward beer that also features cocoa and hazelnut for a "creamy, smooth, mellow roasted symphony of complementary flavours," according to the brewery. The Mocha Porter is a nitro-infused cask beer, which creates a fresh, pub pint vibe. LEMON & GRAPEFRUIT FRUIT STAND SOUR FROM ALL OR NOTHING BREWHOUSE A citrusy option that's like "summer in a glass" according to the All or Northing Facebook page. This beer has strong lemon zest and grapefruit notes that's "an immensely sour, tart and slightly sweet experience not for the faint of heart." GOSEWORK ORANGE FROM TWO BLOKES CIDER This cider is infused with coriander, orange and a bit of sea salt to create a "a fully dry, slightly funky and lightly sour cider." Gose beer is a bit of an oddity for its blend of citrus and saline; it dates all the way back to 13th century Germany. The same idea was used to create this cider, which the blokes from Two Blokes Cider describe as an ideal drink for a hot day. SMOKED WHEAT ON RYE FROM THE SECOND WEDGE BREWING CO. This unique beer "has a lightly smoked aroma and a crisp, dry finish from additions of oak-smoked wheat and pale rye malts," according to the brewery's description. The Second Wedge suffered devastating damage following a tornado on May 21 -- but the Uxbridge brewery is still offering its beer for sale online and hosting pop-up beer garden events on some weekends -- the next pop-up runs from Aug. 12 to 14. HONEY HABENERO CIDER FROM SLABTOWN CIDER Described by the cidery as "the perfect balance of summer sweetness and warming heat," this cider is made with honey from 3 Boyz Bees and habanero peppers from Grattons Greatest. 3 Boyz Bees operates hives right next door to Slabtown -- you can't get much more local than that. ALES FROM THE CRYPT: BLACK CURRENT SOUR FROM CHRONICLE BREWING This beer is know known for big fruit flavour and big colour in the form of a vivid pink hue. The brewery describes it as "refreshingly tart and thirst quenching," while online reviewers say it's mouthpuckering in a good way. If you you're a fan of sours, Chronicle Brewing also has a dry hopped Labyrinth Kettle Sour. SORREL RUNNINGS FROM TILTED GLASS BREWING CO. A Caribbean inspired brew that's made with ginger, sorrel, and pimento from the Little West Indies food market in Bowmanville. The brewery says Sorrel Runnings has "a zippy taste of gingerbread with a lemon twist of acidity." You can find it in the bottle shop as well as in store at the Little West Indies. TEA AND BULLSHIT FROM LITTLE BEASTS BREWING CO. This beer is a collaboration with Grey Matter Beer Company. It's described as a Belgian Blonde that's fermented cool and finished with Royal Cream Earl Grey Tea and lemon zest. The name of this brew was originally supposed to be "Tea and Bullsh*t" but a Facebook post says the asterisk got dropped and the brewery ran with the more memorable option. PEANUT BUTTER GODIVA FROM 5 PADDLES BREWING CO. Chocolate and peanut butter are a natural pairing in chocolate bars, ice cream -- and apparently beer as well. 5 Paddles describes this stout as "rich and decadent." While many people associate stouts with colder weather, fans of this one say it's great for a summer night around the campfire. BLUEGRASS CIDER FROM BANJO CIDER A slow-fermented apple cider that's blended with organic wild blueberry wine. The cidery describes it as "reminiscent of a red wine" with subtle blueberry notes. Banjo Cider makes cider with organic Ontario apples using a long fermentation and aging process. We want to hear about your favourite places to eat and drink in Durham! Old favourites, hidden gems, new restaurants opening, awesome food trucks. Send your great eats to reporter Jillian Follert at jfollert@durhamregion.com 10 UNIQUE MADE-IN-DURHAM BEERS AND CIDERS JILLIAN FOLLERT jfoller t@durhamregion.com FOOD AND DRINK FRUITY, SPICY, SWEET, SOUR, SMOKY - THERE'S A BIT OF EVERYTHING ON THIS LIST There's still some summer left, and if you're looking for a new drink to enjoy on the patio or take to the cottage we've rounded up some unique beers and ciders made in Durham - including the brightly coloured Ales from the Crypt: Black Current Sour from Chronicle Brewing Company in Bowmanville. Chronicle Brewing Company photo A $44,000 grant will be used to investigate the feasibility of a geothermal district heating project in Whitby. The town is considering integrating a geothermal district energy system into the construction of the new Whitby Sports Complex, slated to be located on the west side of Baldwin Street South, south of Highway 407. The energy plant would power the new recreation complex, as well as surrounding businesses, heating them in the winter and cooling them in the summers. Whitby Mayor Don Mitchell said the project represents climate action and addressing the issue of greenhouse gasses (GHGs). Craig Ballard, CEO of Elexicon Group, spoke on behalf of the utility company. "Ten feet below maintains a consistent temperature of about 10 C all year around, which is a rather amazing and sustainable and infinite source of heating and cooling year- round," he said. "District energy, we believe, is perhaps the most important tool in our tool box right now, the biggest dent in climate change for the years to come and we truly believe this district energy project is going to create a ripple effect that will continue throughout Whitby, throughout Ontario and throughout the rest of Canada," added Ballard. He said using geothermal for heating and cooling will be a little more expensive than traditional methods, but it could save GHG emissions by 96 per cent. If the feasibility study supports the project, the new sports complex would serve as the anchor building for the district energy system and then the heating and cooling could be connected to nearby commercial developments. Whitby officials are hoping it would come online as early as 2025. This isn't the first geothermal project in Durham; Ontario Tech University currently has a geothermal plant on its site to heat and cool some of its buildings. The Whitby project is slightly different because there would be multiple tenants that would be the end user. The feasibility study will be financed with $44,000 from the federally funded Green Municipal Fund from the Federation of Canada Municipalities. The study will consider both the environmental and economic impacts of district heating. "These grants and loans for municipal projects mobilize local action, leverage community resources and provide innovative solutions," said Whitby MP Ryan Turnbull. GEOTHERMAL DISTRICT HEATING UNDER STUDY IN WHITBY REKA SZEKELY rszekely@ durhamregion.com NEWS The Town of Whitby is studying the inclusion of a geothermal district heating plant as part of the new Whitby Sports Complex slated for north Whitby. Town of Whitby concept art