Are We To Judgmental?

Are we to Judgmental? I think most breweries will agree with me. That is, if their product is something we're not too fond of.

I recently found myself deep in discussion with someone in the beer industry about the reviews and criticism that some Ontario beers receive on various websites and blogs. When I started this blog, I made a personal choice not to deeply criticize or post offensive material on a beer I didn't enjoy or a brewery I don't appreciate. It's just something that I feel is right. There are a lot of people in the Ontario beer industry that have their entire life wrapped up in the brewery and who am I to tell them they've made a bad product?

Shortly after I had this discussion, a thread on Bar Towel started to grow with heated comments after a certain brewer posted his thoughts on the beer community in Ontario. It got me thinking, "Are we to judgmental as beer geeks?" (sorry Alan, had to use the term)

We beer lovers are always searching for something new and exciting and we make our feelings be known. Bar Towel, Beer Advocate and Rate Beer are all great websites to do just that, as their open forums allow anonymous posters. Bar Towel has been instrumental in the rise of some Ontario craft brewers as they've helped promote and sell their products through word of mouth. Members have also been behind the push to get Ontario brewers to experiment with different ingredients to produce some unique beers.

But once these beers get produced, we are the first ones to jump on them and criticize the style, flavour, and smell if they don’t reach our expectations. For example, Church Key Brewery took a chance and brewed a sour flemish ale back in the fall that had people singing praises for John Graham (brewer). Then it all changed once they tried the beer. As quickly as it was hyped, it was quickly shot down. That's all fine and dandy. You don't like the beer, great, that's your opinion, but the words used to describe it were over the top. This is just one example and this isn't just limited to Bar Towel, I can’t stress this enough, without the site I might still be drinking Lucky Lager with the boys back home. This type of talk occurs all over and I hear it from breweries first hand.

Did this prevent Graham from experimenting in future batches? No, but what about the other brewers out there who regularly read these rough comments? How does it affect their breweries? Does this prevent them from experimenting themselves? All I'm saying is that as beer lovers and good beer drinkers, shouldn't we be concerned with the all the positives happening across the province?

On the other hand, when we like something we let everyone know about it. And that is great. We take pride in our beer knowledge and we rightfully should. But please remember that people are making a living doing this and shouldn't be ridiculed because they made something we didn't like.

The After Work Beer

Today was a miserable day here in Toronto and all I could think about was coming home, sitting in my chair and popping the top of a Propeller IPA.

Now I know some people reading this might say to themselves, "thinking about beer all day long at work?" alcoholic! On the contrary....I just appreciate ending my work day with a top notch ale while engage in pleasant conversation with my fiance.

This particular Propeller IPA has sat in a cellar at my childhood home for the past six months, so I didn't know what to expect.

A strong hop presence still, bitter yet mellow, still delicious and quaffable. A great English style IPA. Although it has only been six months, it aged extremely well.

Sometimes in life, the Gods smile upon you, and tonight the beer gods were smiling down at me. A beer at the end of a long rainy day is just want the doctor ordered today!!

Great Lakes Brewery: Orange Peel Ale

Great Lakes Brewery has recently released their seasonal 'Orange Peel Ale', a sign summer is inching closer. It will be available at select pubs and restaurants in the upcoming weeks and bottles can be purchased from their brewery's retail store before hitting LCBO shelves in late May.

John Bowden from Great Lakes:

Pouring a beautiful copper colour, it boasts a subtle aroma of orange (a touch more than last year) that carries through in the flavour with a pleasant bitterness in the finish. We think it’s the perfect beer for the warm weather, especially on a patio (which isn’t that far off!)

Bottles are now available at our brewery, and it should be on tap at a number of familiar licensees in the coming days and weeks. The LCBO will also be carrying bottles in late May as part of their Summer Beer Release, but until then, you can only get it directly from us

So why not get a head start on the Orange Peel Ale by visiting the brewery to pick up a few. You might as well enjoy a brewery tour while there and try some of the other beers Great Lakes produces.

Cameron's Brewing Co: Cask Night

Finally! I finally got out of the office a little early, to head down the QEW to Oakville to partake in Cameron's monthly cask night. I have been trying to get there for many, many months, but the logistics didn't work out for me. Luckily, I was able to catch a ride with another TAPS media member as they were shooting another video podcast on the event.

We got to Cameron's around 5:15pm and were greeted at the door by marketing/sales/promotions guru Mike Laba, who was quick to provide us with a fresh Cameron's Dark 266, the best beer in their line-up in my humble opinion. We did a quick tour of their retail area, where I was very tempted to get a shirt with their famous tag line "Brewed by a connoisseur, not an accountant," and then proceeded to tour the brewing area. Jason Ellesmere (sales, marketing), Jon Graham (Toronto sales, beer dude), Jason Britton (brew master), Adam (brewer) and others from the brewery were all there to welcome everyone to the event.

For those that might not be familiar with the cask nights, Cameron's brews up a special cask of beer, usually infused with different ingredients (lots of hops or a combination of hops, fruits, high alcohol content etc) and opens the doors to the brewery for fans and newbies alike. Food is donated by Whole Food Markets Oakville and from what I tasted, it is delicious.

Well I got lucky (not in that sense), but Adam used the Dark 266 as the base for this latest creation and threw in some vanilla laced oak sticks, sour organic cherries and finished it with Czech Saaz and Hallertau dry hopping. It was delicious. Something that I would love to see on tap at pub and something I think others would welcome as well. Everyone in attendance that I spoke with had glowing reviews of it, including two University students who have never had cask beer before. The smell was fruity from the cherries, and flowery from the hops, almost ice tea like aromas. The vanilla wasn't very prevalent in the nose, but it was picked up in the aftertaste after tipping the glass. A very complex beer. Oh, and Canada's Pub Guy and TAPS media member Bill Perrie, was honoured when asked to tap the cask and to officially start the night.

Great Lakes Brewing News New York Governor Steve Hodos and Pepperwood Brewer Paul Dickey made an appearance and agreed to a video interview. The pair both praised the beer and Mr. Hodos had some great things to say about Ontario brewers. I also got into a good discussion with Graham about the culture surrounding beer geeks, or as Alan over at A Good Beer Blog likes to be called, beer nerds.

The event was well attended, the beer and food were great and the hosts were outstanding. The night was a complete success and I look forward to attending more in the future (if I can escape the confines of the office).

Check out their facebook site for pictures, comments and videos. Also, check out the Cameron's Blog link I've added to my blogroll.

C'est What Stout/Porter Blind Tasting

I have been a little busy this week, hence the lack of posts here on the blog. Wednesday night I attended C'est What for the Stout/Porter Blind Tasting, Thursday night I headed over to Cameron's Brewing Co. for their monthly cask night, and last night I showed some out of town friends the Mill Street brew pub and had beers high atop the CN tower. Throw my paying job into the mix and you can realize why I haven't sat down at the computer and typed away.

So, Wednesday night I was down at C'est What for the tasting with a crew from TAPS: Canada's Beer Magazine, to film a video podcast. This is something that TAPS is very interested in continuing, as it helps raise the profile of local beer events and breweries. George Milbrandt, publican of C'est What, was interviewed before the sold out crowd arrived and spoke on the history of the pub and what was in store for the night. He was very receptive and spoke eloquently about the local beer being produced here in Ontario.

The tasting got underway just after 7pm, as George and Brenda carried out trays with the samples in unmarked small glasses. Each participant was provided with a blank scoring sheet to rate the beer and also to name the beer they thought they were trying. Although the names of the beers were posted on Bar Towel, nobody seemed to remember to bring a list, and C'est What didn't provide any to the participants, which made the naming of the beers that much harder.

One by one trays were brought out and glasses were swirled, the aroma's were taken in, and the conversation revolved around the liquid. The TAPS crew walked around interviewing participants to gauge their thoughts on the sample and to see if they knew what they were tasting. Every person we spoke to was happy to take the time, which pleased us, but Cass from Bar Towel seemed to think the camera crew was a bit distracting, which wasn't the intention. Nonetheless, everyone had a great time.

The beer was the best part of the night though, as you can imagine. The final list included:

C’est What Coffee Porter
Mill Street Coffee Porter
C’est What Chocolate Ale
Church-Key Chocolate Porter
Black Oak Double Chocolate Double Cherry Stout (special edition cask)
Neustadt Big Dog Extra-Aged Porter (special edition cask)
Heritage Black Irish Porter
Fullers London Porter
Guinness Stout
Hockley Stout
St. Ambroise Oatmeal Stout
Wellington Imperial Stout (cask)
Amsterdam Two-fisted Stout
Durham Blak Katt Stout
Nickel Brook Maple Porter

I would love to had said that I sampled and tested every one, but because I was busy with the podcast, I stuck to pints all night (which made it hard to speak to the camera at the end of the night).

I thoroughly enjoy going to events like this as you get to run into other beer drinkers and bloggers and get to chat about the industry. Greg Clow and his wife Cheryl, Mirella Amato, Cass Enright, Bill George (BJCP-LCBO), Jon Graham, the Roland and Russell team and a few Bar Towlers, made the night fly by with terrific conversation. And no matter what the pundits say about C'est What, it is a terrific place for a quality pint and good times.

The Crow's Nest Pub: Newmarket, ON

Sunday was a beautiful day to hop in the car and go for a drive out of the city, a great day to go back to the village I grew up in. It was also a great opportunity to get out and enjoy a nice local country pub, and I found one in Newmarket, ON, just 30 mins out of Toronto.

The Crow's Nest pub is located on a quiet residential side street, tucked away beside a small ravine and hidden from the construction boom taking place in Newmarket. The building is ordinary in itself, but there is something 'fairy tale' about it. Could be the brick structure with the yellow facade, the traditional English pubs sign hanging over the entrance or the water situated near by, whatever it was I immediately felt I'd found a good pub. The building has played host to pubs for close to twenty years, 9 to the Crow's Nest and prior to that, the Pirate's Cove.

The smell of food hit me the minute I walked through the door and that 'pub' smell was lingering in the air. I just love that smell. The Crow's Nest features a large open concept where you can see one side of the dining room from the other. Wooden pillars and beams are situated throughout the area among many wooden tables, chairs and plush maroon coloured benches. The floor is comprised of old weathered hardwood with a mix of green and red carpeting. I always like carpeting in a pub, it provides a feeling of comfort while adding a touch of simplicity.

There are two sides to choose from when deciding where to sit: the left side of the entrance is more of a casual dining area and the right side is where you'll find the bar. On the left side there are a couple floor-to-ceiling windows that offer a glimpse out to the water. There is also a gas fireplace that comes on during the cold days and nights of winter. The ceiling in this area has been left exposed and the wooden beams are adorned with various knick knacks, like old liquor and beer bottles, tin cans, swords, medieval tools, and other various items.

The rest of the pub has old Scottish prints hung on the walls and wacky cartoons in the bathroom (where the bartender points out that some people often take longer than normal to re-appear at the bar). The front entrance also has numerous local newspaper clippings that give each customer a brief history lesson on Newmarket.

The bar is situated on the right side and is in the shape of a capital 'L'. The solid wood bar is nicely decorated with brass railings and wire glass racks along with 10 bar back stools. So what's on tap? Well, nothing outstanding, but enough to get started. Inbev products, Diego products, Molson-Coors and one Ontario Craft Brew in Waterloo Dark. I noticed the menu listed Fuller's ESB, but unfortunately is was no longer available. Our social bartender also stated that London Pride was on tap months ago, but suffered the same fate as the ESB. I settled for a Waterloo Dark and it was pleasant with our beef nachos. Behind the bar are a number of various dollar bills donated by friendly customers over the years along with a number of beer signage and posters.

There is an older gentleman sitting at the bar reading the paper and sipping his beer and that's when I noticed that there is no tv in the entire pub!! I tell the bartender how much I respect pubs that can get away with no having one and she mentions that she has never heard a complaint. The oldies music is at a good level and pleasant on a early Sunday afternoon.

Because of the location of the pub, the Crow's Nest has to abide by noise regulations. So there is no patio and no live bands. They bring in some local musician's now and then for special events, but they mainly attract customers with good food and the ambiance of the extended family room. It is a pub suited for everyone. Families coming straight from Church, young couples shaking off a hangover by licking the hair of the dog that bit them, and the elderly reading the paper with a Guinness; it's a nice blend of demographics.

The Crow's Nest is a good pub for an afternoon with a good book or for good conversation with friends, although it could benefit from adding a couple more local, interesting beers. If I lived in the area, the Crow's Nest would make a good local.

"There's no place like this place, near this place, so this is the place"

A quote stenciled on the staff's shirts.

115 Prospect St. Newmarket, Ontario. L3Y 3T3
Phone: 905-953-8776 - Fax : 905-953-0170
Hours
Mon-Thurs: 11am 11pm
Fri-Sat: 11am - 11:30pm
Sun: 11am - 10pm

Just here for a Pint...or pints

Nova Scotia has changed on of their quirkiest liquor laws, set sometimes in the 1930's (they're really not sure when) as they removed the rule that you must spend more money on food than pints on Good Friday. Sound weird? It was.

From my understanding of the law, customers wishing to have a couple of pints at a local pub on Good Friday had to spend more money on food than the price of the pints. So, two Propeller's cost you $10, you had to spend over $10 on food. No thanks. Imagine if this was the case at every place you went, everyday of the week? I enjoy going into a pub to knock back a couple by myself with a good book or good conversation and I usually don't want to eat. I would be even more strapped for cash if that was the case.

Read the original article here from the Globe and Mail.

New Brew Pub in Nova Scotia: Port Pub&Bistro

There is a new brew pub in Port William, NS serving up a variety of beers crafted by head brewer Randy Lawrence.

*I was mistaken - the pub is in Port Williams, a few towns over from Kentville and across the bridge out of Wolfville.**

Back to the Port Pub and Bistro. In 2004, three local couples were having dinner when the idea of opening their own pub came up, as they perceived the town was lacking in this department. After rounding up investors from the area and others from as far away as South Africa, France and England, the couples purchased some land and set to work planning out the building's layout. Just over a year ago the land was bare, now a large brew pub occupies the site and is gaining accolades faster than expected.

Lawrence brews a number of beers for the pub, which are given names to symbolize life in the Maritimes. Port of the Storm porter, described on the website as "a smooth tasting ale has a roasted malt flavour with hints of chocolate and coffee. The initial sweetness is complimented by a judicious amount of English hops," certainly sounds delicious, and the Moondance Organic Lager claims to be Nova Scotia's first organic.

The owners expected to attract 75 persons per day upon opening, but they've averaged over 200 and served over 16,00 in the last two months. The owners are very proud of the fact that they've helped employ many locals as the brew pub created 36 full and part time jobs.

So next time you visit the beautiful Annapolis Valley, make sure to head over the the Port Pub and indulge in a fresh craft brew.

National Post on US Craft Beers Coming to LCBO

It's always fun waking up to see 'new' beer news in the press, and even better when it has to do with the good stuff and not about Bud Light gaining 2% of the market or something to that extent.

No, today's article in the National Post; featuring quotes from Bar Towel founder Cass Enright, and Chris Layton from the LCBO's Media Relations division, was and is definitely worth the read.

They touched on the sales for Rogue Brutal Bitter, a beer from Portland, Oregon which recently found a home on the LCBO's shelves. Enright hit the nail on the head when he mentioned that "Canadian's don't know what their missing," in regards to the breweries just across the border and the terrific beers they brew. Well, lately the LCBO has been trying to do something about this for the drinkers of Ontario. Over the next two months they will be rolling out four additional US craft brews (suspected to be Southern Tier and Dogfish Head and ......wait and see).

I am a adamant supporter of the Ontario craft brewers and I always will, but I think most beer lovers will agree with me when I say that Ontario is still in it's infancy compared to the brews being made south of the border with the exception of some.

So drink up while they're here. And the Rogue Brutal Bitter is definitely worth your attention.

Roland & Russell Southern Tier Launch

As I mentioned earlier in a previous post, Southern Tier IPA from the Southern Tier Brewery in Lakewood NY, will be making an appearance at select LCBO stores very shortly.

I recently received an email from the Roland and Russell import agency, who confirmed that Southern Tier owner Phin DeMink will be making two appearances in Toronto to launch the IPA's debut.

On Friday, April 25th, The Academy of Spherical Arts (1 Snooker Street) will host a sit down Beer Dinner with the Roland & Russell team and DeMink. Ticket prices have yet to be finalized. Stay tuned for details as they are announced.

There will also be a more casual “meet & greet” with DeMink on Saturday, April 26th at Volo. Again, time to be announced at a later date.

Easter Monday at The Abbot on the Hill

On March 7th, I headed over to the Summerhill LCBO to visit the Roland and Russell team, as they poured samples of Urbock 23 and chatted with interested customers. They even gave me a bottle of Gouden Caroule Easter Beer, which has a great label.

The owners of the Abbot on the Hill were also there handing out some delicious appetizers and handing out menu's to their wonderful gastropub. I got talking with Adam (1 of the owners) about the Easter menu they are preparing and last night he emailed me a copy and a brief update on what's happening on the Hill.

- We are launching Abbot Ale on draft soon and have exclusive rights to it in Toronto

- We are Officialy launching Bavaria for Premier Brands and have a Three course dinner lined up in mid April where a representative from the Bavaria Brewery will be speaking about Bavaria, Le Trappe , and last but not least the La Trappe Bock. This Bock is the only trappist bock in existence and it is the 1st time in the western hemisphere. There will only be one keg of the Bock and then its gone.

For those that have visited the Hill, you know how well they pair their food with beer, so it's no surprise how fabulous this menu sounds. For those that haven't made it there yet, it is definitely worth a visit. The food is great, the beer is fresh and unique and the servers are both very knowledgeable and friendly.

Here is the five course Easter Monday Menu:
There will be seatings at 6:30 PM and 8:30 PM, and the cost is $65. Call (416) 920-9074 to reserve.

Margriet
A Belgium one of a kind. Brewed to honour two powerful founding women from the town of Mechelen.

Seared sea scallops
Frissee salad
Lime chilli dressing

St Martin Blonde
The epitome of true abbey ale.

Smoked salmon stuffed cucumber
Gazpacho drizzle

St Martin Brune
The darker more mature sibling to the St Martin Blonde

Gorgonzola and brie cheesecake
Pruscitto
Raisin puree

Gouden Caroule Easter Beer
Bold lemony, with a rich and creamy head. Only 2000 cases are made a year.

Rabbit fricassee
Apricot preserves
Spiced pecans

Boscoulis
Exclusive to Abbot on the Hill. Fruity and jammy with the perfect combination of sweet and tart attributes.

Battered banana & homemade cider ice cream

Brewer Opposed to Monopoly on Barley

Here is a letter sent from Ontario brewer Charles Maclean, of F & M brewery, to the editor of the Owen Sound Sun Times paper.

I am an end-user of barley and have been a longtime foe of the Canadian Wheat Board's monopoly on western barley.

As a brewmaster, I like to use malted barley and hops appropriate for the style of beer that I am brewing. The Canadian Wheat Board has made it difficult to import European malted barley. I am also in the forefront of reviving the Ontario malting barley situation in at least a small way as well as Ontario hops. I have grown small quantities of both on my small farm in Grey County. I am in the process of starting a small craft brewery on my farm.

Grant Robertson's column on the wheat board is a very biased political hatchet job on the best government that we have ever had in Canada. He should stick to the facts.

The Federal Appeals Court decision against the government is yet another decision by interventionist justices, not justice. I am a free marketer opposed to monopolies.

We have two to deal with in my industry, one a foreign-owned private monopoly and the other the provincial government owned monopoly.

Charles Maclean

Good on ya Charles for voicing your concerns. Keep fighting the good fight. Is it just me, or do brewers have to jump through a lot of hoops at every avenue?

The Brewers Plate

Green Enterprise Toronto, Local Food Plus and Slow Food Toronto present:

A Local, Sustainable Spring Feast Celebrating
Independent Brewers, Chefs and Food Artisans

What does a great local feast look like in early April in southern Ontario? Artisanal cheeses, breads, and sausages, roasts and stews of wild game and root vegetables, local greenhouse produce, pickles and preserves of every description, fruit pies, and of course, libations from our great local breweries.

Friday, April 11, 6:30 to midnight, The Berkeley Church, 315 Queen Street East
Featuring finely crafted beers from Black Oak, Cameron’s, Church-Key, Mill Street, Steam Whistle, and Wellington. To compliment dishes from Cowbell, Gladstone Hotel, Jamie Kennedy Kitchens, La Palette, The Rebel House,and Veritas as well as variety of individual food artisans and live jazz bands.
$150.00+GST per ticket.

We expect a sellout crowd of 300. To reserve tickets with VISA/MC call 416-644-1012

This first annual event celebrates slow food, local-sustainable food and farming, and import substitution in the winter/spring season in the Toronto region. The event also supports the work of Green Enterprise Toronto www.greenenterprise.net

**GREG NASH No Longer with Garrison Brewery**

As I sat at my computer desk last night typing out the profile of Garrison's new Winter Weizenbock, I was thinking and writing about how Greg Nash, the brew master at Garrison's, was producing some fantastic beers out on the East Coast.

This morning I received a comment on the blog from a reader named 'jeremy' who stated that a rumour is circulating around Halifax that Nash is no longer with the company - a fall out with ownership. I contacted the brewery and got the bad news I was hoping wasn't true - Nash is gone. I couldn't obtain any details about the development, but I was told that yesterday was his last day.

Here's hoping that the brewer of the Canadian Beer of the Year, will catch on somewhere real soon in order to keep pumping out excellent beers.

Nash -if your reading this, head west on the 401 and stop in Ontario.

****Follow up: I spoke with Garrison Brewery Owner Brian Titus over the phone, and he too confirmed the rumour. While he didn't divulge all the news, he did state that Nash was the "best brewer Garrison ever had" and he will be missed. When asked about the seasonals and one offs that have been well received, Titus confirmed that new brew master Daniel Girard would continue to produce the Imperial Pale and would also look into creating others. Girard comes from New Brunswick's Pumphouse Brewery and has a brewing background from Germany and China. "He is very professional, has loads of experience operating breweries and was with Pumphouse when they were winning all the awards," stated Titus. "Garrison plans to see a 40% increase in sales this summer, so right now were busy gearing up for that".

****Follow up: I also spoke with Nash today, and while he is disappointed in the direction the brewery decided to go, he has his head up and he strongly stated that he will continue to brew beer somewhere. "I haven't decided the direction of the next chapter of my life as yet, however it will definitely involve making good beer. Now who needs a brewer?!" It wasn't just Nash that left, a group of guys followed him out the door, "the rest of my assembled brewing team quit as of 10a.m. today too", stated Nash.

April's Session Topic Announced

Beer people: The best folks known to mankind. Well, maybe in my opinion.

Stonch, who is hosting the next Session, has recently announced that the April topic will be on beer people.

On Friday 4th April, the date of the next Session, I'd like you to write about people. Choose someone you know personally. That person might be a brewer, a publican, someone who sups at your local, or maybe just a friend who is passionate about beer. Let's read some pen portraits of your companions on the path to fermented enlightenment.

I have a lot of these people to choose from as I do a fair amount of drinking in pubs in the company of others. While I do like to crack open a 'new' beer at home, sometimes it just doesn't taste as good as when its shared with others.

I am really looking forward to this session, I just hope I can keep the length of my submission from reaching 10 pages. Great topic Stonch!