The Pub Radio Show - Now Available On Demand

Back in September I co-hosted my first episode of the Pub Radio Show with host Bill Perrie. The Stouffville based radio station gave Perrie his own hour long time slot to invite brewers, brewery representatives, industry insiders, and musical talent into the studio to talk beer. Perrie wanted to create an environment similar to that of a pub, some people sitting around the table having some drinks and chatting, and I think the show's done just that. The taping is done every Wednesday evening and airs on Saturday on 102.7 FM between 4-5pm and repeats on Monday's from 8-9pm.

We've had a number of guests head out to Stouffville to be interviewed and to talk up their product. From John Bowden of Great Lakes to Chris Goddard of Steam Whistle, Perrie likes to mix it up with representation from small craft breweries to large breweries like Molson, which helps create a level playing field that really caters to beer drinkers of all sorts. There have been some really good interviews.

Months after the show went on air, Whistle Radio has just recently put a Pub Show webpage together on their main site that features all the clips that we've completed to date, enabling you to go back and listen from the start. Right now each show is broken up into four parts on the webpage, and doesn't identify the guest, but at least they're available.

This week Perrie and I are going to have representatives from the new Hop City Brewery in studio, along with Nick Pashley who will be there to speak about his new book. It should be another good show. Join the Facebook group today to check out photo's of past guests.

Beer Guests to Date:
Cass Enright - Bar Towel Founder
Jon Graham - Cameron's Brewery
Steve Abrams & Joel Manning - Mill Street
Chris Goddard & Colin Banting - Steam Whistle
John Bowden - Great Lakes Brewery
Tony King - Sleeman's
Lisa Dunbar - Ontario Craft Brewers
Peter Bombaci - Miller Genuine Draft (MolsonCoors)
Roger Mittag - Professor of Beer
Nic Rennie - Innis and Gunn

Brewers, brewery owners, sales reps, suppliers, etc., if you are interested in coming on the show shoot me an email or contact Perrie at bperrie@rogers.com.

CASK! Social @ Victory Cafe

If you're not one of the many people from Toronto heading south to Buffalo today for Cole's Cask Festival, make sure to head over to Victory Cafe to take part in the CASK! Social event taken place between 4pm - 7pm.

These monthly CASK! Social's offer people the chance to socialize with like-minded people and drink some fine cask conditioned ales. There will be three cask ales available today. Admission is free.

*CASK! Social's are hosted by Toronto CASK! group.

Pete Brown Named British Beer Writer of the Year

Last night the British Guild of Beer Writers crowned Pete Brown the Beer Writer of the Year.

For those of you who aren't familiar with Brown, you should be. He is the author of three terrific beer books: Man Walks Into A Pub, Three Sheets to the Wind, and most recently, Hop's and Glory. Brown also puts together the yearly Cask Report, a definite report on the status of cask ale in Britain. He also has his own blog simply titled, Pete Brown's Beer Blog, where he posts his thoughts on the pub industry, beer industry, and goes after anyone who screams 'binge drinking problem' in the UK. If you enjoy the rants Rick Mercer ends his weekly show with you'll enjoy Brown's entertaining blog.

He once worked in the advertising field working on campaigns for Stella Artois of all brands, but gave it up to enter the less lucrative world of beer writing, something he doesn't regret one bit (or so he says on his latest blog post) fortunately for us fans.

Congratulations Pete. Well deserved.

Big Rock Founder Honoured

I just received an email from a reader out west that indicated that Big Rock Brewery founder, Ed McNally, was inducted into the Calgary Business Hall of Fame in a ceremony that took place back on November 5th.

McNally, who was once a lawyer and a barley farmer, founded the Alberta brewery in 1985 with three beers: Traditional Ale, Bitter, and Porter. The 1988 Calgary Olympics gave the new brewery a huge boost and they haven't looked back since. Today the brewery is one of the largest craft breweries in Canada and produces a number of ales and lagers for all palates.

It's nice to hear of a Canadian brewing industry pioneer like Mr. McNally being honoured, as I'm sure his creativity and vision 25 years ago was an inspiration to eventual brewery owners and brewers throughout Alberta.

Half Pints Burley Wine Open House - Dec. 5th

**UPDATE, please see bottom of post**

Looking for something to do in Winnipeg this weekend? Half Pints Brewing Co. is holding their 4th annual Open House Burly Wine Day, this Saturday (Dec 5th).

Starting at 9am, brewery founder and brewmaster, David Rudge, will open the doors to the brewery to mark the release of their Burley Wine, a beer that was recently recognized in Ben McFarland's book World's Best Beers.

The brewery elves have been busy and have also bottled up a special Bourbon Burly Wine – beer aged with bourbon soaked oak chips. This special beer will only be available at the Open House.

Half Pints will also be raising money for Winnipeg Harvest, a non-profit organization who collect and share food with people who are hungry, so Rudge is encouraging people to bring along tins of food to donate. He is also raffling off a 'leglamp' (see picture) with all proceeds going to Winnipeg Harvest.

So if you find yourself in Winnipeg this Saturday, head over to the brewery, taste some fantastic beer and help a local organization collect donations.

Half Pints Brewing Company is Manitoba’s only independent, locally owned brewery. They produce four all malt beers year round (St. James Pale Ale, Bulldog Amber Ale, Little Scrapper IPA, Stir Stick Stout) and a rotating selection of specialty and seasonal brews for distribution across western Canada. Half Pints’ beers are available for sale at the brewery, in select vendors, and at all Manitoba Liquor Marts.

Half Pints Brewing Co.
550 Roseberry Street,
Winnipeg, MB R3H 0T1‎
(204) 832-7468‎
http://www.halfpintsbrewing.com/

*FYI - HMH Negotiants, who represent Half Pints in Ontario, have let me know that a number of Half Pints beers, including the Burley Wine, will be available in Ontario soon for private ordering. Stay tuned for more details as they become available. Website coming soon. Follow HMH on twitter here: www.twitter.com/hmhnegotiants

Great Lakes Brewery - Hops for Hunger Begins

For the next month and a half, Great Lakes Brewery out in Etobicoke will be hosting their 2nd annual Hops for Hunger food drive to support the Daily Bread Food Bank.

From December 1st to the 19th, anytime a customer purchases beer from the brewery's retail store, Great Lakes will donate the corresponding poundage of food to the food bank. Last year Great Lakes surpassed their goal of 2000lbs by approxiametly 600lbs, and they wouldn't mind shattering that this year.

The brewery is located at:
Great Lakes Brewery
30 Queen Elizabeth Blvd.,
Etobicoke, ON M8Z 1L8

The retail store is open Monday to Saturday from 10am to 6pm.

Meet Richard Mclelland From Scotland's BrewDog Brewery

Roland and Russell have let me know that they are currently working with BrewDog and Meantime (another UK brewery they represent in Ontario) to bring them to the GTA for a one night event, slated for something in early spring. "We're looking at doing something similar to the Danish beer dinner we put together in April, and right now we're looking into locations and possible dates," stated Vlado Pavicic.

Pavicic also let me know that the Punk IPA should be in LCBO stores anytime now, retailing at $2.60 a bottle, so keep an eye out for it.
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This young Scottish brewery has been getting a lot of press since they opened back in 2007. Some of it good, some of it bad. Some of it their own doing, some of it not. Through it all James Watt and Martin Dickie have continued to plough away, getting their products into the hands of beer drinkers all over the world, and their Punk IPA was chosen by the LCBO to be included in this years winter seasonal program.

In Ontario, BrewDog are represented by the Roland and Russell Import Agency who kindly provided me with some samples last year, which included the IPA and their amazing Paradox. The boys at BrewDog have been in the news again, this time for introducing their newest beer: Tactical Nuclear Penguin, currently billed as the strongest beer (32% abv) in the world. Watt, who has been extremely busy with this launch, and on his way to the US, put me in touch with BrewDog's rock and roll Sales and Marketing Manager Richard Mclelland, to answer some questions I had for them about what having the IPA available for sale in Ontario means to them, the future goals that BrewDog has for Canada, and their thoughts on coming here for a function in the future.

Ladies and Gentlemen, Richard Mclelland.

How long has BrewDog been around?
Two years. Just young pups really, but very boisterous,

How many beers are currently in your portfolio?
Too many. We will be consolidating the range in 2010 back to about 6 core brews and we will also bring focus to the format that we sell these beers in. For example Trashy Blonde and 5am Saint will be core to our cask proposal while 77 Lager will no longer feature as a cask option but will rather be pushed as the Craft Keg option from our range. Moreover we have an initiative to introduce Punk IPA as a 2/3rd pint serve when it becomes legal. This will be the standardised serve for this product. We want the beer to be served and enjoyed at its best.

Your marketing techniques are impressive. How do you come up with
some of them?
The beauty of working with BrewDog is that the creative process is more like being in a band than a boardroom. There are no brainstorming sessions or breakout rooms. Everyone we employ - from packers through brewers to our logistical experts are all amazingly creative and imaginative people and the process is an ongoing collective lead by James and Martin. They kind of lay down the gauntlet of what they expect and that the rules are there are no rules. That type of freedom allows us to go beyond the usual confines of the traditional marketing strategy. We brew the beer we want to make and we tell the stories that we would want to hear and people seem to enjoy and relate to both.

How excited were you to hear that the LCBO (one of the world's largest purchasers of alcohol) agreed to bring in the Punk IPA for its current seasonal release?
This is another great milestone in the company's history and we are delighted to do business with the LCBO. It is always our aspiration to do business with the biggest and the best and this keeps us at the top of our games because organisations like this have very exacting standards.


Roland and Russell have a great reputation here in Ontario. How has working with them been for BrewDog?
We only ever do business with people that we respect and that we genuinely enjoy having a beer with - oh and people that can take us where we want to go. We share a vision and a methodology so we are glad to be on board.

Do you have any plans to enter other Canadian provinces like Quebec or British Columbia?
We want to take our beer to every corner of the globe and beyond. We genuinely believe that the enjoyment of great Craft Beer and being involved in the movement can make the world a better place. I never meet anyone in our business who seems like an asshole. There is something about the process of brewing, of being that close to the alchemy of life that humbles you and makes you appreciate the simple aspects of just getting on with things. Most of the world's problems are created by us (humans) and if we spent more time creating beautiful works of art, amazing music and great beer and less time creating issues that don't need to exist then we would all be in a better state.

Toronto has some terrific beer bars that have held a number of events with other high profile breweries. Have you looked into doing something like this in Ontario?
This is in the plan and we can't wait. This is always when we are happiest - sharing our beer with people from different countries. We love to travel and spread the word and get feedback direct from beer lovers.

You've been getting a lot of press in the UK lately. Some good, some bad. How have you handled all the extra attention?
We just get on with making the best beer we can. We are pretty thick skinned and 100% assured of what we are trying to achieve. We don't let the compliments go to our head and we don't let the negative and ill informed feedback distract us from the ultimate goal. If you are given attention then you have to use it wisely and we have been fortunate enough to turn that attention into a global platform to introduce our beer and philosophy to a wider audience.

What's up with the Portman Group? Why the hate on for BrewDog?
If they want to stay in a job they have to find someone to target and unfortunately/ fortunately we create headlines that they can react to. The real shame is that they never seem to think through their actions or consider the consequences of wasting time and money on Artisan producers such as ourselves. This is a classic example of the School Bully finally getting their comeuppance when they pick on the wrong kid - the one that is smarter, stronger and willing to stand its ground. They have clearly bitten off more than they can chew with BrewDog. This is all notwithstanding the fact that they are funded by the big conglomerates that we are stealing market share from at an ever increasing rate.

Tactical Nuclear Penguin! 32%abv. World's Strongest beer. Any chance of some bottles making an appearance here?
We try to get some of all our specialist launches to every country. I am sure this will make an appearance at our first tasting event at one of your fine Craft Beer bars.

What's next for BrewDog? How close are you to raising the $2.3 million for Equity for Punks campaign?
Next year is all about consolidating our position to secure manageable growth in our existing market places. We will continue to innovate both in our brewing and our marketing and one way or another we will have our Green Brewery up and running within the next couple of years. This will increase capacity 10 fold and allow us to really start playing in the Canadian market place. The share options have been going well and they continue to sell with a real rush being experienced in the run up to Christmas - the gang just keeps getting bigger.
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Morning Glory Breakfast Stout and a Brown Ale - Brewing @ Great Lakes

Whenever I have the opportunity to take part in brewing some beer I never pass it up. Earlier in the week I was presented with the chance to head to the Great Lakes Brewery in Etobicoke to help brew up some beers with John Bowden and Mike Lackey, two Great Lakes employees. Yesterday I was at the brewery playing around with the pilot system and we brewed up some Morning Glory Breakfast Stout and a Brown Ale.

10am - Arrived at the brewery just as the Morning Glory was being mashed. We started putting together the ingredients for the Brown Ale while the stout was going through the mashing process; grinding the malt and measuring the hop pellets. After the mash (1hr) the heat is increased to reach the ideal temperature before the 15 minute Volauf process.

11:30 - Sparging takes place. 38L of water is added as the wort is transferred to the kettle for an 80-minute boil. Amarillo and Golding hops are used in the Morning Glory, along with Birds and Beans Brazilian coffee, cocoa, Irish moss, and dark bakers chocolate, which are all added at various times throughout the 80 minutes. Now it's time to clean up and get started on measuring the hops for the Brown Ale while we wait on the Morning Glory to finish before pitching the yeast.

Great Lakes have really taken advantage of this pilot system, and it's great to be a part of it, even for just one day. Since setting up the system in early July of this year, Great Lakes has been producing a number of one-off beers that they showcase at their monthly Project 'X' nights. Morning Glory Breakfast Stout, Redneck IPA, Stein Paper Scissors, Superior IPA, My Bitter Wife IPA, Skinny Dip Saison Weiss and many more, are just some of the creations the guys at Great Lakes have whipped up. The Great Lakes Caskapalooza tent was the place to be this year at the Toronto Festival of Beer as the brewery produced 21 casks for the three-day event, much to the surprise of Toronto beer drinkers. Because of these beers Great Lakes is receiving a bunch of positive attention from beer drinkers, media, and other breweries, as this type of experimentation hasn't really been played on in Ontario.

The brewery recently received some good news regarding the Morning Glory as Bowden, who put together the recipe, was notified that it finished second in the overall voting at this years Cask Days festival at Volo. “Pretty cool to hear, and great to hear that people really liked it.”

12:19 - The wort is now boiling away and the first dose of Amarillo hops have been thrown in the kettle. Beer time – a bottle of the recently released Christmas Ale.

12:37 – The second dose of hops get thrown in as the beer boils away. The smell coming from the kettle is awesome. Chocolate malts, toasted oats, and the delicious aroma of the hops. The mash tun has been cleaned out and we’re going to wait an hour or so before starting the mashing of the Brown Ale. Throughout the boil the other ingredients get added and the smell gets even better.

1:22 – We begin the mashing of the Brown Ale, another recipe Bowden put together, just last night. Jon Graham from Cameron’s Brewing Co. just showed up, and he brought some beers with him. Graham has actually brewed with Bowden before, producing a Barley Wine that is currently maturing.

1:37 – The Morning Glory is done boiling. Now it’s time for the whirlpool before running it through the heat exchanger. From there it goes into the fermenting tank where we’ll pitch the yeast. Bowden draws some to get the final gravity.

We’re all just standing around and having a couple of beers while we wait for the next step in the mashing of the Brown Ale, which features both American and English hops.

2:20 – The stout now sits in the fermenter with the yeast, which is, at this moment, eating away at the starch to create alcohol. The target is to hit 6% abv and the final reading indicates that it will be somewhere around that. Now, time to clean out the kettle as it's almost time to transfer the wort of the Brown Ale.

2:50 – The sparging is taking place and the transfer of the wort to the kettle is underway. The colour, something Bowden was worrying about, looks good, better than he expected. We are using Northern Brewer and Goldings hops in the Brown Ale.

Like any beer you help brew I’m really looking forward to trying this once it’s done, likely in a month’s time.

3:30 – Boiling. The Brown Ale is now boiling, and will be for the next 60 minutes. The hops will be added during this time, but I won’t be here to throw them in. I have to head off to the Barley Wine tasting I mentioned (in yesterdays post). It has been a great day; an educational day filled with a bunch of good beer and good times.

I’ll be sure to post when the beers will be ready for public consumption, but FYI, the Brown Ale was given the name Skid Mark Brown and it could be available at a Future Project 'X'.

Pic #1 - Great Lakes employee, Mike Lackey
Pic #2 - The spent grains from the Morning Glory
Pic #3 - Me giving the wort a stir

A Brew Day at Great Lakes

Before a big night of Barley Wine tasting, I'm here at the Great Lakes Brewery in Etobicoke helping brew a couple of beers: Morning Glory Breakfast Stout and a Brown Ale. I've been here since 10am and the brewhouse smells terrific as we work away on the stout at the moment. I'll be doing a full post later.

Halifax Microbrew Fest & Conference - Oct 2010

There are 329 days until the first ever Halifax Microbrew Fest and Conference, thanks to the countdown ticker on the website that went live today.

East Coast Event Management (ECEM), an event planning organization in Halifax, NS, recently announced their plans to host the first ever Halifax Microbrew Fest & Conference. It's slated to take place in Halifax at the World Trade and Convention Centre on October 22 and 23, 2010 with the hope of attracting brewers, brewery representatives, homebrewers, media, brewing supply businesses, and beer drinkers from all over Canada.

I spoke with Arielle Figov last week, who is one of the two Dalhousie University students who founded the ECEM and who are putting together the fest and conference, and she stated that she hopes to attract a large contingent of breweries from across Canada to the two day event. "We will be contacting small craft breweries across the country, along with brewpubs, industry suppliers, beer media, and homebrew clubs to hopefully get them interested in attending." "We are in the preliminary stages right now, but we anticipate there will be good response from the industry."

The two day event will be the first of its kind in Canada and will feature seminars led by key figures in the beer industry, tasting sessions, homebrewing displays, and much more. From the website: The Craft Brewery Conference will take place Friday October 22, 2010 from 2:00pm to 5:00pm. During this time, the Halifax Microbrew Fest will be open to members of the beer industry and consumers eager to learn about the industry. Attendees can expect presentations from speakers from all areas of the the brewing industry.

Figov also mentioned that there will be live music, food pairings supported by local pubs/restaurants, beer memorabilia for sale, poker lessons for beginners, and a homebrewer's taste competition. Sounds like they have something planned for everyone.

Anyone interested in being an exhibitor for the event should head to the website to take advantage of the early bird pricing.

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.

Drinks with Alan (A Good Beer Blog)

Alan from A Good Beer Blog was in town earlier this week and we had the chance to meet up for dinner and drinks at Volo, which he had only been to once before. We drank some good beers (Granite's BBS, Muskoka Harvest, Nostradamus and Pannepot) and had some good discussions on a variety of beer related topics, and chatted it up with the regular Monday night Volo crowd (you know who you are).

Alan and I share a lot in common when it comes to how we perceive the beer industry, with the exception of beer and food pairings, and it was nice catching up with him (we had only ever met in person once before).

Head over to his site to read about his Toronto visit.

Duggan's Brewery Inching Closer to Opening

Mike Duggan is having a lot of fun these days. He's busy brewing beer; both at Cool Brewery, where he serves as brewmaster, and at his new tied-house on Victoria Street, Duggan's Brewery.

Last night I stopped by to have a look around, and to see if I could get him to spill the beans on an opening date.

I was showed around by another Mike, the front of the house manager who is looking after all of the restaurant aspects of Duggan's. He took me through the two-storey brewhouse, through the basement, around the upper level (street level) seating area's, and showed me the back private/special event area) and patio.

The place is huge. And it will be a great place for beer drinkers living, and/or visiting Toronto. Duggan, who comes out of the back during my tour states that he'll have eight beers on tap at any given time and rotating beers throughout the seasons. "We'll have the No.#9 IPA, a Stout, Porter, ESB, Pilsner (German style), Festbier, Weissbier, and a Stock Ale on tap and will work in other beers throughout the months," he said while I was having a fresh pint of the IPA.

Duggan, who needs no introduction, also stated that he is currently working on a Tripel and has a number of fruit beer recipes that he wants to execute in the not to distant future.

During the tour I'm showed the Beer Hall. This is a section of the tied-house that I see myself drinking in. Mike (not Duggan) tells me that they'll have high bar tables and chairs in this room and will be more 'pubby' than the other side of the restaurant, which will be more bistro like. There will also be a retail store on this side that will offer customers the opportunity to purchase Duggan's beers in growlers and bottles. "Clothing will also be available for purchase," stated Duggan.

So, the big question has yet to be answered: When will Duggan's be open? It's a good question. I had previously posted that the doors would open at the end of September, but plans changed slightly and it has taken a bit longer to get certain licences and such. The only hint of an opening date that Duggan would commit to, "We'll open on a Monday." Which led me to my next question. "Which Monday?" "A Monday, that's all I'm saying," he said with a big grin. Things do appear to be coming along quite nicely though.

Duggan's Brewery, opening on a Monday, soon.

Gone to the Cottage

I'm off to the cottage for a couple of days. Have to get the dock out of the water, bring the boat up to shore, and cut a bunch of firewood. There is no internet access up there so there won't be any blogging till I get back. Here are some old posts to keep you company.

Meet Mike Tymchuk, found of Wild Rose Brewery in Calgary, Alberta.

I'm wishing I had more Creemore Kellerbier, possibly the best beer release of the year.

A look back at a profile I did of the upper portion of Toronto's Imperial Pub in April 2008. I never did get back to do part 2?

Located on Bayview just south of Eglinton, Highway 61 has some great bbq foods, good music, and all draught lines are dedicated to Ontario craft beers.

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Oh, and one more thing. If you are not a regular reader of A Good Beer Blog (you should be), Alan has announced the details for his fourth annual Yule Beer Blog Photo Contest that is currently running as I write this. Head over to see what it's all about, and get your submissions in today.

Mill Street Launches Schleimhammer Roggenbier

I'd never had a Roggenbier until Tuesday night. And it wasn't a German produced one either. Or an American. It was a beer produced by Mill Street and they launched it before a good crowd at the Victory Cafe in Mirvish Village.

"A traditional German style rye beer that typically contains very large portions of rye. Expect a very pronounced spiciness and sour-like rye character, malty flavor, and a clean hop character. Often unfiltered and bottle-conditioned, Roggenbiers tend to be rather turbid and foamy." BeerAdvocate

Joel Manning, Mill Street's Brewmaster, had mentioned months ago that he was planning on brewing this and I was immediately intrigued. From Manning: "The Roggenbier has 30% rye malt, 20% wheat malt and 50% barley malt. Of the barley malt it has pale 2-row, caramel and chocolate malt. The hops are German Magnum variety and it is fermented with a German Hefeweizen yeast. What I like the best about the Roggenbier is that for a beer with as much complexity as this, it is still "table beer" and has a simplicity that makes it sessionable. Good 15th century peasant fare!"

The launch kicked off at 7pm as the upstairs loft was busy with a number of Mill Street sales representatives, LCBO employees, and some other pub owners; many people also sampling this style for the first time. Each individual was provided with two drink tickets and one food ticket that provided a huge ass pork schnitzel that went with some nice potato salad. The beer and the schnitzel together was pretty awesome.

My thoughts on the beer: Poured a lovely deep auburn leaning more towards brown with a dense tan head that hung around for a while. I got a lot on the nose right off the bat. Peat smoked moss, earthy barnyard like notes from the rye, and a slight charred smokiness, and a variety of sweet spicing. That peat smoked moss came out in the taste too and was joined by some fruity notes that I equated to green pears. The more I drank, the more it came out. A slight sourness, yet the malt helped balance it out. It all finished with a variety of sweet spices ending in a nice dry finish with a good amount of carbonation. Easily quaffable and good for a session, this 5.2% Roggenbier is not bad!

Manning shared some funny stories with us about the challenges they faced when they first attempted to brew it. "The mash was so heavy and thick that we couldn't mash it properly. We used the mashing paddle and it got stuck in all the goo. Rye goo, almost like a gelatin." After figuring out what to do the next time, Manning and brewing team experienced another situation when they went to empty the spent material from the lauter tun. "All the rye, wheat, and barley wouldn't budge. But when it did it cam flying out and made a terrible mess on the brewhouse floor (much to the entertainment of some patrons sitting near the windows that encompass the tanks).

This is yet another solid offering from Mill Street, and an extremely rare style for the brewer to try, and Joel and team pulled it off again. I'm really pleased with everything these guys have been doing lately.

Also brought up in conversation last night was Mill Street's future plans for seasonal releases. Coming up in mid-December will be a 7.5% Weizenbock to compliment their '09 Barley Wine and in February Manning will release his Imperial Stout that will use chocolate from SOMA, their next door neighbour in the Distillery District. The Scotch Ale will be back again, as will the Betelguese. The Milk Stout will not however be produced next year.

I can't say enough good things about what Mill Street is trying to accomplish with these seasonals. Yes, having the brewpub to experiment with is key, but it's almost as if the business has two seperate business plans: 1. to build up the core five brands and sell the hell out of them across Canada, and 2. to play around with beers like these that don't necessary make them a bunch of money, yet they keep the curious beer drinker happy.

The Roggenbier is available at the Mill Street brewpub and will be available at select Toronto pubs. Growlers will also be available down at the brewpub retail store. Also, the seasonal sampler will start hitting LCBO shelves tomorrow.