Drinks In Toronto With Sir Pete Brown

L to R: Granite's Mary Beth, Victory Cafe's Neil Bereton & Brown

After downing a bunch of samples at barVolo's Friday afternoon Cask Days session I headed up to meet Ron Keefe at the Granite Brewery to discuss TAPS, and as I walked in I noticed three terrific beer writers sitting at the bar supping some Granite Best Bitter Special.

Word was out earlier in the week that Pete Brown, 2009 UK Beer Writer of the Year, was going to be in town and here he was flanked by Stephen Beaumont and Nick Pashley. Brown had emailed me a couple of days earlier to let me know that he and Beaumont would be heading to the Granite on this particular day, amongst their many other stops while drinking his way through Toronto, so for two hours we all sat around the bar talking about beer. His trip had brought him from Rochester where he had been doing some work.

Not long after I arrived some more friendly faces came into the Granite and the next thing you know we're having a little social right in the middle of the bar. It was all great fun!

Pete is a charming fellow who, to my surprise, used to live in Canada (Vancouver), albeit for only six months, and many years ago. He mentioned that he thoroughly enjoyed the beers he'd sampled thus far at the Granite and earlier at C'est What.

Brown's books include: Man Walks Into A Pub - Three Sheets to the Wind - Hops and Glory