Interview with Sam Calagione

Way back in May I wrote about the Dogfish Head dinner that I attended at beerbistro, which featured a 9 course meal with 10 Dogfish Head beers. Sam Calagione was in attendance and I had the opportunity to interview him for the Summer issue of TAPS: Canada's Beer Magazine. For those of you that didn't have the opportunity to purchase a copy, here is the interview in its entirety. Enjoy.

When the Dogfish Head Brewery in Rehoboth Beach, Delaware opened for business back in 1995, they were known as the smallest operating brewery in the United States of America. Today they are one of the fastest growing craft breweries and they’ve done so on the back of extreme beers like Worldwide Stout, 90 min IPA, Raison D’Etre and more, which all feature high alcohol content and bold flavours.

Sam Calagione, the charismatic owner, brewer and marketer of Dogfish Head (DFH), recently made his way to Toronto to take part in a nine course DFH beer and food pairing at Beerbistro, and to also celebrate DFH’s 60 min India Pale Ale’s addition to the LCBO’s general listing. Calagione’s passion for craft brewing is un-paralleled and he is often referred to as a brewing rock star and an inspiration to others. He is also the author of three beer books and is quite the entrepreneur outside the beer industry. Luckily for TAPS he graciously took time to answer some rapid-fire questions about his brewery, his beer and the man himself.

How did you get into brewing?
While working in a Mexican restaurant in New York during my college days, I became interested in all the styles of beer available and I took pride in recommending some to customers. Pretty soon I started home-brewing and experimenting with recipes and got hooked.

When did the light bulb go off for you – when did you know you wanted to be a brewer?
In the living room of my apartment after friends tried my first batch of cherry flavoured beer. They liked it, I was proud of it, and right then and there I knew I was gonna be a brewer.

What is the best part of owning/operating a craft brewery?
Experimentation. Experimentation my man. I love going into the kitchen and grabbing different ingredients to mix into a brew or heading to a library to look up old beer recipes and then trying to re-create their magic. I love wearing all hats, doing all the different jobs that go with running a craft brewery and the people are great in the industry. I have a ton of fun everyday, it beats looking at a computer all day.

Your marketing is very unique. Why don’t others emulate?
I love our marketing and I understand it is unique. I think others need to create their own niche and finding what it is, is very exciting. I wanted to create a logo and a brand that gets recognized everywhere and I think were getting there.

Why did you call your business Dogfish Head?
The name Dogfish Head comes from a small peninsula off Southport Island, Maine where my parents have a summer cabin that I spent many rambunctious childhood years. Also, I thought it was a great, unique, rustic name that people would remember and it would speak to our hard work in starting up a craft brewery.

When you’re away from the brewery, what do you do to decompress?
I love to row. I actually built my own row boat, so I love getting out on the water. I also love biking too. But spending time with my family is my ultimate method of relaxation.

How has the book tour gone? (Author of newly released “He Said Beer, She Said Wine”)
Very, very well. Better than expected. Sales have been great and it is getting a lot of great reviews from both wine people and beer people. It’s fun going into different cities to sign books and hear the positive remarks.

Why extreme beers?
I believed in brewing quality beers with quality ingredients when I first started out. Still do. I didn’t want to brew a flagship lager when I could brew a nicely balanced hopped beer for off-centred people. It put DFH on the map and opened up many doors for us. It gets people discussing our products, which leads to sampling, and that’s where brewing quality beers wins people over.

Are you a fan of Canadian craft breweries?
Yes I am. There are some terrific craft breweries in Canada. Unibroue is one of my absolute favourites. They do some cool s**t. I really enjoy Propeller’s English style beers from the East Coast. Tonight I enjoyed a Great Lakes Devil’s Pale Ale from the boys at Great Lakes (Toronto) and it was great. I like the beer from Cameron’s Brewing Co. (Oakville) too, especially the cream ale, very sessionable. And the guys there are great too. Fun times.

Goal for the Ontario market?
Push DFH 60min like crazy and get sales up. Then we’ll discuss options for bringing in more of our products. I like the idea of our Worldwide Stout as a vintage product in your liquor stores.

What was the dinner like?
One of the best DFH beer dinners I have EVER attended. Top three for sure. I have been to thousands since starting the brewery and this one blew me away.

Will you be back?
You betcha. I told Brian (Chef Brian Morin, owner of Beerbistro) that it would be cool to do one big dinner a year using different DFH beers.

*Photo - Sam on left, beerbistro owner/chef Brian Morin)

Cheers!

I Won A Prize

I was debating whether or not to enter Alan and Jeff's annual Yuletide photo contest this year as I had helped get them some prizes. However, right before the deadline I decided that it wouldn't hurt to toss in some pictures, besides, I felt that some of the photograph's I took over the last year at certain events were quite good.

So I entered, and I'm glad I did. I ended up winning a prize, 11th prize to be exact. My winning picture (above) was taken at Volo during their 4th annual Cask Days Festival and the hand belongs to Denison's owner Michael Hancock as he was pouring some of his delicious Dunkel into a glass for a waiting customer. I didn't think it was the best one in the pile, but hey, I won't complain.

According to Alan's list of prizes, that correspond with the list of winning photo's, I am the recipient of a free lunch at the Stinking Rose Pub in Campbellford, ON and a tasting for four at John Graham's Church Key Brewing Co. Stinking Rose is also owned by John Graham, so the two go hand-in-hand. Getting out to the Stinking Rose and Church Key for a visit to do some profiles have been at the top of a list of things I wanted to do, so the prize works out great for me.

Check out A Good Beer Blog to access and view the hundreds and hundreds of beery photographs that were submitted from all over the world. A big thanks goes out to Alan and Jeff for their work behind the scenes. This contest is always a good time and the pictures are all wonderful to peruse through.

Why Do 'I' Drink?

Lew Bryson is a fantastic beer writer and his blog is one site I read on a daily basis, getting the scoop on the US beer market. Back on June 10, 2008 Bryson posted a piece on the proposed taxes on beer in Maine during an election. On December 31st he received the following comment on that post from an anonymous person:

Anonymous said...
No offense to you, but I just do not understand why so many people have to be drunk in this country. It seems like if you are not a "drinker", then society looks down on you. Why?

I am 35 years old, never drank and have no desire to. I live in Maryland, a state that denies anyone to smoke in public, even considering a ban on smoking in your own home yet you can drink til the cows come home. I was at a restaurant where the manager received a complaint about a smoker standing outside the entry so he called the police and they made the person leave the property. Yet during the same visit to this place [Fuddruckers in Columbia], they sell beer to anyone who has the money. There are open containers of beer on pretty much every table in the place on a weekday afternoon. This drinker [aka: loser], he got up to go to the bathroom, and while gone, two kids maybe 11 or 12 years old walked up and drank from that bottle of booze.

During my visit there, this same person drank 2 beers and looked like he had some before getting to the restaurant too. When I complained to the guy and the manager, everyone acted as if I was from another planet. Like nothing is wrong with everybody getting boozed up and stumbling around and allowing minors to have free access to illegal products.

It seems to me that america is seriously flawed in their values now, we have major issues going on currently including a "depression" hitting the economy, jobs being lost daily, shitty healthcare standards, and so much more. Yet our leaders are focused on blocking marriage to those that want it, are entitled to it, etc. I bet a guy could marry his keg of beer though if he wanted to!!!

In closing, I just don't get it. Want is the fascination with drinking.......is life that sad that everyone would rather be lost in a liquor fog that to face realty and deal with life 1-on-1.

Bryson then wrote a beautiful column titled 'Why We Drink' in response to the anonymous commenter, which has received a good number of follow up comments from pro-drinkers. Bryson covered off the moderation argument, so I won't touch that, but it got me thinking: Why do I drink?

I drink for a number of valid reasons, valid reasons to me anyway, but I'll only list three here. The first reason for my consumption of beer is for social reasons. The old cliche - Beer is a social lubricant, it brings people together. Well, it does. I do most of my drinking in the pubs and it is here that I can meet someone for the first time and carry on a conversation like we had known each other for years. Sure, that can happen elsewhere in a different context, but it is never the same as over a couple of pints at the pub.

The second reason why I drink has to do with interest. Beer is my hobby; drinking quality beer, writing about beer and promoting good beer. In order to do the last two you must try the beer. It's the fascination with trying a new beer for the first time, visiting a new pub, learning things about beer that have helped shape the world. I am a history buff and the brewing industry offers an exciting glimpse into the past. It's full of wonderful, and colourful stories about the emergence of brewing in colonial times, how pubs/taverns/inns helped in the development of cities, and about the characters that were behind the beer. I like the taste of beer, the complexities contained in the body and the aroma's certain ones contain.

And thirdly (I could probably keep listing more reasons) I drink because I grew up in a household, and a family, who were beer drinkers. Maybe not the best beer, but beer drinkers none-the-less, and I observed them from a young age having fun, getting merry and acting goofy. Albeit in a responsible manner. When I was old enough to a steal drink from my father's beer after a fastball game I felt like I was one of the guys hanging out after the game. It showed that not all drinkers were drunks, that people could drink in moderation and still get home safely. It started my fascination with beer and through other series of events it has led me to where I am today.

The comment made by 'anonymous' (why didn't the person leave a name?) also got me thinking about the teetotalers stance on drinking. Why do people drink?

What do people drive? Why do people fly? Why do people swim? Why are there guns? Why do people smoke crack? Why to pedophiles get joke sentences when convicted? Why do teetotalers focus on drink when there are other dangers in the world? I don't know and I don't care, but to attack other people's pleasure in live because they can't see the benefit of drink is a waste of time in my opinion. Just take a look back to prohibition - yeah, that worked out well for them eh!

I understand that there are individuals in society who have one to many then get behind the wheel, which can cause serious injuries to themselves or others, even causing death. I have respect for organizations that fight this problem, but my personal stance is that drink is not the problem; people without good judgement is the real problem. Attacking alcohol is easy, but getting rid of booze won't stop people from speeding and causing horrific attacks.

I think Bryson did a good job responding to the anonymous poster and I look forward to seeing if the mystery person will offer a rebuttal.  Alan at A Good Beer Blog has also chimed in.

Top Ten of 2008

Okay, so here it is, my informal top ten list from 2008. Yeah, I guess I'm a list guy. You'll notice most of the winners operate in Ontario, sorry, but this is my home province and I don't get out of it as often as I should. Enjoy the list and feel free to post your thoughts on your what you might have chosen differently.

1. Best New Canadian Beer - Garrison Black Lager

2. Best New Pub Visited - The Victory Cafe

3. Best Canadian Beer Story - Beau's bottle drive

4. Best Beer Dinner - Dogfish Head dinner at beerbistro

5. Brewery Moving Up - Grand River Brewing Co.

6. Best Winter Beer - Wild Rose Barley Wine

7. Best Local in Toronto (only because I live here) - Volo and The Feathers

8. Best Event Attended - Canadian Brewing Awards Gala

9. Best New Beer Blog/Website - Free Our Beer

10. Best Beer Book - She Said Wine, He Said Beer & Christmas Beer: The Cheeriest, Tastiest, and Most Unusual Holiday Brews

2008: Beer Year in Review

I’m sitting here recovering from a hectic holiday season, getting ready for New Year’s, and I’m reflecting back on the year that is nearing the end. 2008 was a good year to write about beer. Many things happened, many things were experienced for the first time. I had the opportunity to drink a lot of terrific beers from all over Canada and from other parts of the world. I attended many events and festivals that ranged in size from the Toronto Beer Festival to the small intimate crowd of a Cameron’s Cask Night. I was fortunate enough to indulge in some world-class beer dinners and experience a boat full of beer launches. I hosted and spoke in a number of TAPS Media video podcasts, both scary and exciting. I met many great people who work in the industry and formed some great friendships.

Over the pass year we’ve witnessed the birth of Anheuser InBev; read the Toronto Star, the largest daily paper in Canada, call out politicians for their lack of control over the conglomerate known as the Beer Store; watched as the Minister of Finance reached out to the LCBO to increase buck a beer prices; saw the resignation and possible retirement of Jim Brickman – the godfather of craft brewing in Ontario; watched as Mill Street crushed the competition in the Canadian Brewing Awards to win Canadian Brewery of the Year two years in a row, same with the Garrison Brewing Co. in Halifax, they won Beer of the Year at the Canadian Brewing Awards for the second time in as many years for their Imperial Pale Ale; observed the smallest of breweries introducing unique and inspired products; heard how the Legislative Assembly of Ontario decided to only serve Ontario Craft Beer; and lots lots more.

It has been an exciting year for a beer writer/blogger and I’ve done my very best to get you the news as soon as I get it, or share a pub profile when I get the chance to visit a new place. I have posted 310 times in the past year! Way more that I thought.

I’m feeling a bit nostalgic, so let’s take a look back at 2008 and see what I wrote about.

January – I tried one of the best beers of 2008 in Garrison’s Black Lager. Simply terrific. I also managed to get out of the house to write profiles on three Toronto pubs: The Rebel House, The Bow and Arrow and the The Rhino. January was also the month that the Hockley Valley Brewing Co. announced that they would be killing off their Hockley Gold Ale in favour of their popular Stout, which went straight to general listing at the LCBO.

February – The biggest news to hit the Ontario craft brewing industry was Perry Mason, the founder of Scotch Irish Brewing (later sold to Heritage Brewing Co.), leaving Heritage to pursue other interests. “Hi folks, 
Just a note to say that I am no longer with Heritage Brewing. I am now free to persue “other projects” 
Although I may not be directly involved in the beer industry at present, I will keep a keen eye on what’s going on and I will pop up at certain venues from time to time. Rest assured, I will be reading this essential resource everyday and I am not done in this business yet.
All the best,
Perry”
I made my way to the Cloak and Dagger, Smokeless Joe’s and a guest writer profiled the Olde Angel Inn (Niagara on the Lake). Three really great pubs that deserve continual visits. C'est What celebrated their 20th anniversary and Mirella Amato, fellow beer writer, introduced Beerology.com, a website dedicated to helping educate citizens on the benefits of craft beer.

March – My fiancé and I moved into a new place in the city and it was then that I realized how difficult it was to move boxes and boxes of a beer bottle collection. Steam Whistle let me know that they were busy getting a canning line put together to can their signature pilsner in 500ml cans. I profiled the Crow’s Nest in Newmarket, ON and wrote a snippet about a new brewpub in Nova Scotia (Port and Pub). However, the big news in the Canadian brewing circles was the departure of Greg Nash from Garrison Brewing. Nash was the brewer of the Imperial Pale Ale that won the 2007 Canadian Beer of the Year award and helped bring respectability back to Garrison with a handful of terrific new styles. It was later revealed that Nash would head to Pump House in New Brunswick to brew there and Daniel Girard (formerly of Pump House) would head to Garrison to take up brewing duties there.

April – April was a busy month, a month that saw me write 35 posts! The most read post was titled “Are we to judgmental?” It was in this post that I discussed the way in which beer gets criticized. Some good follow up comments too. I participated in my first Ontario Craft Brewers Association podcast, visited one of Toronto's most well known drinking holes in the Imperial Pub, judged the Ontario Brewing Awards (last time – unless it gets better counterparts) and took in the awards show, headed to Volo to help celebrate their 20th anniversary and I introduced a new category to the blog where I ask brewers, sales reps, marketing directors and pub owners questions relating to their business. John Graham of Church Key was the first victim. The highlight of the month went to the Southern Tier beer dinner hosted by the wonderful Roland and Russell Import Agency at the Academy of Spherical Arts. Owner Phin DeMink was in attendance, the food pairings were excellent and it was here that I met Alan (A Good Beer Blog) for the first time.

May – Where did it all start? Session #15 asked the question and I provided an answer. Great Lakes Brewing Co. held a great Orange Peel launch party at Victory Café, Beau’s Brewery in Vanleek Hill introduced Bog Water Dirty Brown Ale (terrific) and I profiled Grand River Brewing Co. in Cambridge along with the Huether Hotel and Lion Restaurant in Waterloo, ON. May was the month that I met Sam Calagione. Sam was in town for the 10-course Dogfish Head dinner at beerbistro that now stands as the pinnacle of all beer dinners. Sam made the comment that out of the thousands of beer dinners he’s been too, the beerbistro one ranks in the top three. Simply magnificent, and the fact that I was lucky enough to seat at the head table with fellow beer writers Cass Enright (Bar Towel founder) and Greg Clow (Canadian Beer News) made it all the better.

Quick timeout – Beer break – Fat Cat Barley Wine

June – I took it easy in June. I went away to St. John’s Newfoundland for a wedding and to abuse my liver. A pub-crawl down George street, a visit to Quidi Vidi microbrewery, and a pub profile on a great little pub called Christian’s and more. I had a great opportunity to visit the YellowBelly Brewery and Pub while it was still under construction. Owner Craig Flynn and world-renowned brewer Liam McKenna, who also poured out some samples of their American wheat, English style IPA and Irish Red, gave me the grand tour. This was also the month that it was announced that Queen’s Park would only serve a select few Ontario Craft products, therefore eliminating imports and macrobrews for MPP’s and their guests to choose from.

July – Busy month. There was a lot going on. Dana Flavelle of the Toronto Star wrote a wonderful three-day series titled “Bad Brew” about the crazy realm of the Beer Store. It was terrific to see this problem highlighted in Canada’s largest circulated paper. The articles led to Cass Enright creating a new website called FreeOurBeer.org, a website dedicated to reforming Ontario’s beer retail system from a craft point of view. The articles also aroused a Hamilton, ON man by the name of Derek Howard who started an on-line petition to stop the Beer Store, which received attention from all the big media outlets. CASK! Toronto was established, Beau’s Brewery celebrated their 2nd anniversary, Church Key Brewing Co. purchased a small pub by the name Stinking Rose, the Gahan House Brewpub in Charlottetown PEI released to of their signature beers in bottles, Sleeman hung banners all through the Distillery District that received a fair bit of attention and Josh Rubin, Toronto Star’s beer writer, shared his 10 favourite Toronto beer bars. Victory Café and CASK! held their first cask festival on a summer day and I profiled a brand new Magic Oven restaurant with a craft beer flair.

August – Great Canadian Pubs and Beer Blog turns 1! Never thought I would go on this long, but sure glad I did. I see year 2 in the future for sure. Bob Connon released a terrific pub guide for the Maritime Provinces called “Sociable! The Elbow Bender’s Guide to Maritime Pubs,” the Toronto Festival of Beer took place and thousands of drunk idiots gathered to slide in the mud, Amsterdam shuffles the brewing team by welcoming Jamie Mistry as the new brewmaster and Andre Klinker as the new brewery operations manager, my fiancé told you all about her struggles living with a beer nut and the Golden Tap Awards took place at beerbistro. I was part of the Editor’s Circle panel and I was delighted to help pick out Cameron’s Brewing Co., Queen’s Park Speaker Steve Peters, St. Vernous and beerbistro’s Dogfish Head dinner as winners. The Prince Albert Public House in Mount Albert was also profiled.

September – Garrett Oliver flew into town to host a Brooklyn beer dinner at Fionn MaCool’s of all places. The speeches were good, but the food was subpar. A great night after dinner though. I attended the beautiful Abbot on the Hill for their launch of Czechvar on tap, helped organize the Canadian Brewing Awards judging and was responsible for pouring (and tasting) each beer submitted, Greg Nash (Pump House) released a video of him and his crew producing a Wet Hop Amber Ale and I headed out to the Dominion on Queen to indulge in a few pints. September belonged to the Canadian Brewing Awards gala though, as we had all the winning beers from across the country shipped in for sampling. Brewers and brewery representatives flew in from all over Canada to receive their awards and the night was a complete success.

October – Alexander Keith produces Stag Head’s Stout, a weak bodied stout that is lighter than a Guinness. MPP Ted Chudleigh sticks to his stance and reads Derek Forward’s Beer Store petition in the Legislative Assembly, Volo held their 4th annual Cask Festival that featured some great beers from Quebec, Ontario and England. Hops Direct, a United States hop supplier held a presentation at the Toronto Granite Brewery before 60 members of the Ontario brewing industry, Nicholas Pashley re-releases his 2001 book Notes on a Beermat: Drinking and why it’s Necessary, TAPS:Canada’s Beer Magazine and Beerology’s Mirella Amato team up to record audio podcasts, and the Granite (Toronto location only) introduces a new IPA to their line-up called Hopping Mad.

November – I made my way to Rochester New York for other business and ended up at Beers of the World, a beer boutique that made me salivate upon entering, Volo held a reading featuring Nicholas Pashley, I visited Ken Woods at his new Black Oak brewery in Etobicoke (not ready just yet), had $3 pints of Wellington at Kubo Radio in Toronto (now under renovation), the Castle on King in Waterloo announces that they must close their doors, and I attended the Gourmet Wine and Food show with Cass Enright and pondered why the OCB didn’t have a large section highlighting their respective breweries. I also posted my thoughts on why upscale restaurants don’t feature craft beer after being let down during a dining experience in the city. The big news belongs to the Dead Frog Brewery in BC as they were hit with a lawsuit from Sleeman’s (no suing two craft breweries).

December – For three Thursday’s I conducted tastings at a local LCBO for Cameron’s Brewing Co., providing me with the chance to talk to craft beer fans, mainstream beer drinkers and hardcore booze bags all in the same setting. It was a fun experience. Readers got to meet Ron Keefe of the Granite as he answered various questions about his business, Wild Rose brewery in Alberta announced a new seasonal Imperial IPA their working on, YellowBelly Brewery in NFLD finally released their St. John’s stout to much fanfare and the Minister of Finance asked the LCBO to increase the buck a beer prices. Also, Grand River announces three dates for a beer educational experience at their brewery; and last but not lest, I wrote this year in review while managing to drink only two terrific Canadian produced craft beers.

Thank you to all of you readers who have made this blog a popular attraction and for helping give me the motivation to continue writing each and sometimes everyday.

Stay tuned, my top ten list of 2008 will be posted shortly.

Church Key In LCBO

I received an e-mail from John Graham, the owner/brewer of Church Key Brewing Co. today announcing that his Northumberland Ale has been released to six LCBO stores with plans to expand into more in due time.

This is exciting news for fans of Church Key and here's wishing Graham success in reaching more customers in this province. I am getting way ahead of myself here but wouldn't it be great to go into your local LCBO and pick up a couple of bombers of Church Key's West Coast Pale Ale or Holy Smoke?

Happy Holiday's

Things have been pretty busy lately and it's time to rest. I'm going to be taking a small break from writing anything for the blog as it looks like I'll be putting my feet up at the cottage for a while. I'll return re-energized and ready to go for the New Year.

Here's wishing everyone a Happy Holiday and Merry Christmas. Keep the glass tipped in the right direction.

Cheers,
Troy

Deal of the Month: Southern Tier Imperial Cherry Saison

With Christmas only a couple of days away, the Roland and Russell Import Agency have notified me that they are offering a sweet deal on a case of Southern Tier Imperial Cherry Saison; just in time for the last minute bargain hunters. A case contains 12 650ml bottles and the cost has been reduced to $100!

Southern Tier is well known for the quality of beers they produce over in Lakewood, NY and R&R have done a great job getting them into the hands of us thirsty Ontarians. The Saison was brought in months ago on consignment; however, there are several cases left in stock for those interested in putting it under the tree for a loved one or simply serving it with dessert during the festive season.

For those how haven't yet tried it, the Imperial Cherry Saison weighs in at a healthy 8% alcohol by volume, pours a hazy clear golden colour with hints of sweet fruity yeast, flavours of the oak that the beer is aged in and traces of sour cherries and hops.

Add some to your collection today by contacting Roland and Russell at sales@rolandandrussell.com or by calling them at 416.801.9885.

Adios Buck-a-Beer

I just spent three long cold snowy days back home with the family, visiting friends and attending good old kitchen parties surrounded by buck-a-beer drinkers. Hell, my step-father is the poster boy for supporting the buck-a-beer brands. Lucky, Carling, Lakeport... you name it, he'll buy it. Does he like the beer? "It all tastes the same to me," he always replies. So why buy it?

He grew up in the north. A place where you drank what your father drank, who drank what his father drank, and so on. There was no buck-a-beer option years ago (if there was I haven't heard of it), but the old guys drank beers like Labatt 50, Canadian, Blue, Black Label and Molson Export. When the price dropped to $24 bucks for a case of the cheap lagers he decided to save his money and buy Lucky, a beer he has drank for a number of years now. It all tastes the same remember and saving money along the way made it all the sweeter for him. Will this 6.7% price increase stop him? $24 to $25.60? No, but the way in which it was raised had him shaking his head last night at the dinner table.

From what I understand, Ontario's jolly Finance Minister Dwight Duncan (who by the way - has not yet replied to the 3 page letter I sent him months back on the way the Beer Store operates) reached out to the LCBO for a price increase and then the LCBO went on and stated it was due to social responsibility. Pleaseeeee. Everyone knows the increase is purely for government coffers and social responsibility has nothing to do with it. But what is the MOF office doing requesting an arms-length agency to rise beer prices? And the LCBO, come on, a $1.60 increase will not deter or curb abuse!

I'm gonna take this and run with it somewhere else. I think 'social responsibility' is the most over-used word this government throws at us every time we bring up ideas for beer sales reform. Here is what Premier McGuinty's office sent me an in e-mail months ago when asked about opening private beer boutiques:

Thanks for your online messages regarding the sale of beer in Ontario. I appreciate the time you have taken to forward your expert views on this issue.

My colleagues and I feel strongly about preserving the social responsibility standards in the sale of alcohol. Ontario consumers have a variety of retail options available to them for the purchase of alcoholic beverages - these include the LCBO, The Beer Store, wine retail stores and direct purchase from wineries. We believe that the current sales system serves the public interest best because it makes it difficult for under-aged or intoxicated persons to purchase alcohol, provides convenience and competitive prices, promotes Ontario products, and encourages responsible reuse and recycling.

I appreciate the issues you raised and have passed along a copy of your online message to my colleague the Honourable Dwight Duncan, Minister of Finance, so that he can respond to you directly. Be assured that my colleagues and I will take your views into careful consideration.

Thanks again for contacting me. I welcome and value your input.

Dalton McGuinty
Premier of Ontario

c: The Honourable Dwight Duncan

Competitive prices? Provides convenience? This is for another time, another day.

Anyway, back to the buck a beer increase - I really don't care as the beer in that category doesn't/didn't appeal to me. End of story. Check out Alan's view over at A Good Beer Blog.

Square Timber Brewing Co: Pembroke, ON

It appears that the small village of Pembroke, ON will soon be home to a new craft brewery by the name of Square Timber Brewing. Marc Bru, the president of the proposed brewery states on his blog that plans are to open in the Summer of 2009.

Head over to the his site(www.squaretimber.blogspot.com) to see some designs he has in mind for the brewery. There is no mention of what styles of beer he has in mind for production but he is running a poll to see if citizens would support a brewery in the Ottawa Valley? 10 votes with 9 stating that they would absolutely support a craft brewery.

More good news for the Ontario brewing scene.

Railway City Brewing Adds New Brewer

The small Railway City Brewing Co. in St. Thomas Ontario has recently released their first newsletter, which contains some news regarding the hiring of a new brewer.

Barbara Ziola is our new brewer, formerly a brewer with Creemore Springs Brewery. Barbara brings her many years of experience to the brewery and has already made an impact with improved carbonation levels, and a more consistent products. Please stop in and visit Barbara, she's at the brewery most days throughout the week.

Turns out Barbara wasn't the only new addition to the brewery, as RWC has put together a new management team who will provide diverse opinions on the daily operations to help strengthen the brewery. The management team will soon be establishing a sample panel to critique the RWC line of beers and help in the development of new seasonal styles.

Also in the newsletter, RWC announced a special Christmas offer to those who purchase either 2 growlers or a 12 pack of beer. "With every 2 growlers purchased or 12 pack of bottles, the brewery will give you a free 16oz glass." - For those of you looking for a last minute gift!

RWC has also updated the list of establishments currently carrying their beers, most coming from the area surrounding St. Thomas:

East Side Mario's - St. Thomas and select outlets in London.

St. Thomas - New Sarum Diner, Pasto's, The Wayside, Longhorn's, Bella Jack's, Legend's, The Beanery, Boston Pizza, Crabby Joe's, Ollee's, The Salty Pickle

Port Stanley - Windjammer Inn, M.E. & Suzie's

Springfield - Post 'n' Pillar

London - Locker Room, JD's Sports Bar, Alex P Keaton's, Fanshawe College, Black Pearl, Tony's Pizza

Parkhill - Legion

Komoka - The Rail

Hamilton - The Winking Judge

Toronto - Bar Volo

SOLD OUT: Special Cameron's Cask Night

Can you believe it's already been over 1 year since Cameron's Brewing Co. initiated their monthly Cask Night? I can't. And I am embarrassed to say that I have only ever made it to one, and that was to film a video podcast. The Cask Nights have been so successful that members of the Editor's Circle, for the Golden Tap Awards, awarded the Oakville brewery a special award this past summer.

Everyone knows the story right. You pay $5, which gets you a pint of the cask, two Cameron's bottles, some food that gets prepared by Whole Food Markets and a tour of the brewery. Your presence also gets you a discount at their retail store. The casks are always creative, made with a variety of ingredients, and from all accounts they are well balanced.

Well, tomorrow night Cameron's has promised something special; a secret cask made to the preference of their most devout fans. You see last month the Cameron's blog put out a call for suggestions and ideas regarding what they should consider brewing for the 14th edition and responses included a vanilla porter, a barley wine, and a scottish ale. Something to go along with the weather. Sounds interesting.

However, for those of you wanting to go but didn't RSVP, it appears it may be too late; "We are at our capacity for tomorrow's event, but people are more than welcome to RSVP for our Cask Night on January 29th," stated Mike Laba, marketing and promotions at Cameron's.

Here is a complete list of all the casks created:

Nov 8th Hopburn
Dec 13th Black Oak
Jan 31st Pom Bomb
Feb 28th 19 Plato
March 27th Laced Oak 266
April 24th Espresso Lager
May 29th Mesquite Smoked Ale
June 26th Orange Cream-sic-Ale
July 31st Lagerita-ville
Aug 28th Clove and Dagger
Sept 25th L-Squared
Oct 30th Pumpkin Pie Ale
Nov 27th High Hop Silver
Dec 18th ??

YellowBelly St. John's Stout

When I was in Newfoundland this summer for a wedding I visited the YellowBelly Brewery when it was under renovation. I posted about the visit and have since updated readers on the status of their development. I get e-mails from readers from both ends of Canada daily and I'd love to post everything I get, but something about the YellowBelly and the importance it plays in the city of St. John's led me to promise myself I would keep informing drinkers of anything new (5 posts to be exact). Whatever it may be.

I received the following e-mail from a reader out in Newfoundland who is over the moon that he can actually get good beer in his home province; beers brewed by an esteemed brewer like Liam McKenna. The individual wanted to let me know that the launch for the St. John's Stout went over very well and the beer was fantastic.

Hi Troy,

The St John's Stout was launched at the Yellowbelly last night (Monday). The rumors are true, Liam Mckenna makes an excellent stout! Thick creamy head, full body, low carbonated inky black stuff with a lovely roasted bitterness. Its just what we need for the cold nights ahead. Liam says that it comes in at 4.5%.

The launch party was a great success. I went there with my cousin (a very good homebrewer) and another friend. As soon as we got in the front door Craig Flynn, the owner, was there with a ticket each for a free pint. The Chef was making his way around the room with free slices of thin crust pizza and other treats from the kitchen. Fergus O'Byrne was playing the banjo and singing some great songs like only he can. The place was packed. Not bad for a Monday night.

It was a good night at the pub. Craig Flynn was heard to remark that "we should launch a beer every Monday night."

I also wanted to mention that the Mayor of St John's, Dennis O'Keefe, was among the many people enjoying the St John's Stout last night. I can't see David Miller showing up at a beer launch in Toronto.

I'm glad to hear that everything seems to be going good for the brewery and I look forward to trying the stout.

Brewery/pub owners - if you would like information about your establishments posted here regarding new products, events or anything readers may find interesting, please send an e-mail to greatcanadianpubs@gmail.com. Readers, anyone willing to share information on your locals, your favourite brewery, stories about drinking; you can also shoot me an e-mail and I'll see if I can get it posted.

Cheers,
Troy

TAPS Media Update

The folks over at TAPS Media have been busy cranking out a number of new video podcasts for you to enjoy over the holiday season. The three podcast's include interviews with Bob Baxter of the Yukon Brewing Company, a behind the scenes glimpse into the Canadian Brewing Awards Judging, highlights of the CBA gala and a snapshot of the University of Toronto's Hart House Summer BBQ and Craft Beer event.

The video's are free to view. Simply go to iTunes and subscribe to TAPS magazine and load the video's when prompted. Or, head over to www.tapsmagazine.com and download each video separately. Whether sitting at work, riding the subway or while enjoying a seasonal beer, the video's make for great time killers and provide some useful information along the way.

Also, the newest (winter) issue of TAPS: Canada's Beer Magazine is set to hit store shelves any day now as the magazine was released from the printers yesterday. My articles include an interview with Brooklyn brewery's colourful brewmaster Garrett Oliver, a profile of the Publican House - Peterborough's newest brewery, a book review on Notes on a Beermat: Drinking and Why It's Necessary, provided some last minute gift ideas and reviewed two fine Ontario beers (you'll have to read the magazine to find out which ones). The rest of the team put together some great articles and everything wrapped up very nicely.

Speaking of last minute Christmas gift ideas, a new copy of TAPS would make any true beer lover smile upon reaching into their stocking on Christmas day. Better yet, a one or two year subscription. Check out the website for more details on how to subscribe to Canada's only beer magazine. One year - 4 issues: $23 or Two years - 8 issues $40. Pub/bar owners - 10 copies 4 times a year: $159.

Ontario Happy Hours

Back in December of 1981, before I was even a glimmer in my father's eye, the Ontario government passed legislation that permitted pubs, bars, and restaurants to sell their booze at cheaper than normal prices during a set number of hours. This became, or was known as Happy Hours.

For the next three years, citizens of Ontario could walk into their local after work and enjoy a half pint at a discounted price or some free food to compliment their beverage. From all accounts this pleased the everyday drinker and helped boost fledging sales at watering holes in towns and villages all over the province. It also got people out of the house, socializing with friends and strangers alike and created a rich pub scene.

However, when things appear to be good and well and people are happy, the government then (as it probably would now) stepped in after various 'anti' drinking groups funded research that casted negative views on the whole Happy Hour experiment.

It was December 12, 1984 that Happy Hours were abolished and soon prices started creeping back up. Here's to wishing it were back in force!