CASK! Toronto - Beer For A Cure 2012

From the folks at CASK! Toronto:

Beer For A Cure - St. George's Day Festivities
Date: Saturday, April 21, 2012
Time: 7 PM
Location: Granite Brewery, 245 Eglinton Ave East, Toronto

CASK! is holding its annual fundraiser, Beer for a Cure, in support of Prostate Cancer Canada. As a perfect accompaniment to the St. George’s Day festivities, a delicious curry dinner featuring four cask IPAs will be served. Plenty of vegetarian options are available.

Celebrate all things English with MC Robert Hughey, guest speaker Nick Pashley, auctioneer Julian Mulock, fancy hats and door prizes.

Tickets are $65 per person, which includes a partial donation receipt. Please call Caroline or Robert Hughey at 416 462 3788 to purchase tickets. Have your credit card and address details ready. Email: robert.hughey@sympatico.ca

Meet the Keefe's - Granite Brewery (Toronto) Video

Another video...

I could really use a pint of the Best Bitter Special right about now!

Ron Keefe, who has been profiled on this blog many times, and his daughter, Mary Beth Keefe, who has started brewing with her father on a regular basis at the Toronto Granite Brewery, have released a video on YouTube that takes you inside the 20 year old brewery as the two discuss the line-up of beers they brew, the history of the family run Granite and why they think you should visit.

It's a fun little clip that was prepared just in time for the upcoming 2nd annual Ontario Craft Beer Week.




Here's is the old Meet Ron Keefe interview I posted back in December of 2008.

Meet Ron Keefe, owner/brewer/pioneer of Toronto's Granite Brewery, home to a great line-up of craft made English style ales. The brewery is located at the corner of Mt. Pleasant and Eglinton and attracts real ale drinkers, many locals and craft beer drinkers from all over the world who are visiting Toronto. You can usually find Keefe at the brewery, in the small brewhouse whipping up another small batch of one of his seven beers.

Did you always want to be a brewer?
I probably never thought much about it until the late 80’s when I started talking with my brother in Halifax about opening a Toronto Granite. Up until that point I followed a business career in production and marketing. I certainly always loved beer and made a little beer at home with some success.

So how did you get into brewing?
My brother Kevin started the Granite in Halifax at a tavern called Gingers, he owned with another brother Wilfred. Kevin trained at the Ringwood brewery in England. We often talked about opening a Granite in Toronto and we did in 1991. The restaurant business on its own was never a big attraction to me but combined with a brewery it seemed like the natural thing to do.

Why did you go the ‘tied house’ route as opposed to just a brewery?
We started as a brewpub and at the time you were only allowed to sell beer at the restaurant on premise. In 2004 regulations were changed to allow breweries to have a tied house. It was a natural extension for us, allowing us to sell to other pubs, open a retail store and bring beer to festivals. In the eyes of the law we switched from a restaurant with a brewery to a brewery with a restaurant, a subtle but huge difference.

Why did you choose to brew English style ales?
As mentioned, Kevin started the Granite in Halifax and he learned to brew at the Ringwood Brewery in England so ales were the natural thing to do.

Name your favourite Granite beer.
I don’t really have one favorite. It depends on my mood, time of day, season etc. although I am certainly most partial to the cask beers.

Hopping Mad. What inspired you to offer something new?
It started with an idea to do something new for Volo’s Cask Days this past fall. I would love to do different beers from time to time but I am between the proverbial “rock and a hard place”. Since the brewery is quite small and we have no more room to store beer I must take a beer off to make way for a new one. When we do that we alienate the regular customers who come to that Granite for that particular beer,

Are there any plans to get your beer back into the LCBO?
No plans at this time. Every once in awhile I consider a contract brew with a local craft brewer to expand into the Beer and Liquor stores. I do not have the capacity at the Granite to take this on.

Your beers have won numerous awards, which one are you most proud of and why?
Any award I ever received has been most appreciated.

What is the best aspect of working in the brewing industry?
It is a great industry with many great people. Almost all your “competitors” are also good friends. Everyone loves talking about beer not to mention drinking it.

You teach a Beer Education program at George Brown college. How has that been?
It is a lot of fun. I get to meet a number of people each term with varying degrees of beer knowledge but with a great desire to learn more.

Mother's Day at the Granite (Toronto)

Granite Brewery (TO) 19th Anniversary Package

While the Granite Brewery in Halifax is currently operating in their 25th year, the Toronto location (operated by Ron Keefe, brother to founder Kevin Keefe who operates the Halifax location) is in its 19th year and Ron has put together a promotion for all the kids out there celebrating a 19th birthday this year.

If you or someone you know is turning 19 this year simply head to the Granite (Toronto), show valid id, and ask for the 19th Anniversary pack, which includes your first pint on the house, a growler, and a free pint glass.

Nick Pashley Book Signing

On Tuesday night the Granite Brewery, with the help of HarperCollins, hosted a celebratory party for the launch of Nick Pashley's newest book Cheers! An Intemperate History of Beer in Canada. The event kicked off at 6:30pm and before long there was a long line-up of people eager to buy Pashley's book, and to have him sign something clever on the inside cover.

There were upwards of 60 people in attendance, many recognizable from the beer crowds at events and festivals. After selling numerous boxes of books (including copies of his terrific recently revised Notes on a Beermat), signing each copy, and posing for pictures, Pashley headed to the podium to deliver a speech about the making of the book. I knew that there would be some humour worked into his address to the crowd and to everyone's benefit, he didn't disappoint.

"I was lurking in the bookstore watching my book to see if anyone would pick it up. Eventually two young men came along, flipped through it and said, 'Cover is great, book is crap.' If only the damn thing was shrink wrapped."

Pashley also discussed why he wrote this book on beer in Canada as he often gets asked this question during interviews. "I choose to write a book about the history of beer in Canada because I like beer and you should always pick a subject you know best," he stated. "I had a great time writing it. I'd get up in the morning and do my research until the pubs opened in the afternoon; the book literally wrote itself."

I haven't read through the entire book just yet, but so far so good. I can say that it has been a page turner since I picked it up and right now I'm catching up on the Prohibition era of the Canadian brewing history. W.C. Findlay eh?

Go buy the book here.
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For those of you who missed the event, take note that Bar Volo will be hosting an event this Sunday - IT’S ALL ABOUT ME!: An Afternoon with Nick Pashley that will kick off at 12:00 and running till 10pm.

From Volo - Join Bar Volo this Sunday, November 29th between 12:00-10:00pm to Promote Nick Pashley's new book Cheers! An Intemperate History of Beer in Canada. Nick will be speaking about his book at 2:30pm. Nick is a great lover of craft beer and we encourage everyone to come out and listen to his fine words. Following the Canadian Beer theme, Volo will be launching several new bottle beers from across Canada that will be available from; Phillips, Alley Kat, Driftwood, Charlevoix, Trois Mousquetaires and Dieu Du Ciel! We will be extending our hours on Sunday for the Grey Cup which will be on t.v at the bar. Also the following beers will be available on Tap and Cask.

Draught
Beau’s/Beershack Tommy Gun Pale Ale
Black Oak Oaktoberfest
Church Key Red Ale
Denison’s Weissbier
Duggan’s Festbier
F&M Stonehammer Oatmeal Coffee Stout
Flying Monkey Netherworld Porter
Great Lakes Winter Ale
Mill St. Roggenbier
Niagara’s Best Spiced Apple Cider
Railway City Pullman Porter

Cask
Durham Hophead IPA
Black Oak Anniversary Ale: Ten Bitter Years

**Beers are subject to change.