The Fitzgerald Public House: Toronto, ON

On one of my many walks down Queen Street East, I happened to stumble upon the Fitzgerald Public House located at 2298 Queen Street East at the end of the streetcar line. I have probably walked by this place half a dozen times already as it’s hard to miss. You can tell by the picture.

The Fitzgerald Public House has occupied the building since 1978 and is now owned by a husband and wife combination. I entered the pub around 1pm and I found myself to be the only patron inside. I took a seat at the very old, cherry stained bar, located on the main level of the two storey building and ordered a beer. Katie, my server, brought me a pint of Mill Street Organic Lager to quench my thirst from all the walking. I glanced down the bar to see what else is available and to no surprise I find a bunch of national brand lagers. Rickard’s White, Canadian, Stella, Keith’s, Keith’s Red, Guinness, Strongbow, Carlsberg and Mill Street round out the draught list.

After glancing around the pub and speaking to Katie, I come to realize that this is a very comfortable place to consume a beer. The music is nice and relaxing as Frank Sinatra and other classical numbers ring down from the speakers. The 10 bar stools surrounding the ‘L’ shaped bar are covered in what I assume to be velvet, which is nice to sit on. Everything in this pub appears old, without the help of paint. I noticed an old church pew acting as bench seating in a corner off the left of the bar that added tons of charm. The lighting has been dimmed offering a nice amber glow throughout the pub. The hardwood floors are old and weathered and combined with the wooden pillars and the old Toronto Maple Leafs pictures on the walls, reminded me of an old saloon from a western movie.

Up a flight of creaky old stairs you’ll find the Fitzgerald’s Lounge. There are many couches and love seats that are situated near the windows looking out over Queen Street. Games like Clue, Snakes and Ladders and Scrabble are made available for customers to play, and Katie mentions it’s a good place to have a first date. The bar is curvy with a beautiful painted mural over head. There are some imported beers available upstairs in the Lounge as it tends to cater to a different crowd then downstairs.

The Fitzgerald also has a large patio at the rear of their main level that gets lots of use in the summer months.

Katie and I talk about the status of pubs along this stretch of Queen Street and she told me that Fitzgerald’s caters mainly to regulars. Many people that live or work in the area usually stop by for a pint after work, play a game of darts or come to watch the Leafs in action with some buddies. In the summer months though, Katie says the pubs sees many visitors as people come from all around to visit Toronto’s beaches. It is a nice mix of people and many return every summer for some drinks and food.

There are only two things that appeared out of place in a pub with so much character; the Big Buck Hunter arcade game near the entrance to the outdoor patio and the pull down screen and projector that play sports later in the nights.

The Fitzgerald Public House is a nice intimate pub that I will make sure to visit again soon. The upstairs lounge would be a nice destination after a busy week of working to go and relax with a loved one over some drinks.

2298 Queen Street East
Toronto, ON
416.698.8588

New Beer In the Works At Beau's Brewery

I was checking out Beau's brewery blog (How to start a brewery (in 1 million easy steps) and noticed a posting that claims that they are in the stages of test brewing a new style of beer to be made available this winter. The post claims that, like Lug Tread Lagered Ale, this beer will be one of a kind in the Ontario market.

Another post states that Beau's has bought some bottles recently and Lug Tread will be available in select LCBO's and at their brewery retail store early in the new year. Toronto may start getting some of Beau's beer in the near future.

For more information about Beau's, check out Steve's blog at www.beausbeer.blogspot.com

Beer Appreciation Week #2

After taking last weekend off due to Thanksgiving, we reconviened at George Brown College to take part in the second session of Beer Appreciation instructed by Ron Keefe from the Granite Brewery.

Ale was the focus of the day which suited me well as I am an ale drinker. Ron started the class off by having us sample Sleeman's Cream Ale and judge it using the 50 point judging system. It's not bad taking a part time college course and the first thing you do when arriving is drinking a beer.

After Ron talked about all the different styles of ales available everywhere, he had us watch one of Micheal Jackson's Beer Hunter video's about British ales. This was a treat for me as I have never saw a Beer Hunter video to date. It was very interesting and I learned some new stuff about Cask ales that I have never heard of before.

After the video we got back into the tastings. We started off with a Marston's Pedigree in spirit of Jackson. The funniest tasting we did was comparing an Anchor Liberty ale with a Alexander Keith's IPA. Wow, what a difference. I have had Anchor before and I very much enjoy it and rated it very high. I love the smell of the hops on the nose created by dry hopping. Very nice. After the IPA(s) (you know what I mean), we got into St. Ambroise Oatmeal Stout and Guinness. I love the St. Ambroise so I wasn't really interested in tasting the Guinness. And finally we did a blind tasting of Scotch Irish Black Irish Plain Porter and Innis and Gunn Oak Aged. Both very nice.

It was a good class and as mentioned, I learned some more stuff about Cask ale just in time for Volo's Cask Days here in Toronto.

Wellington 473 ml Cans Available

Wellington Cans Now Available at the LCBO and Brewery Retail Store

Wellington Brewery have recently announced that their Trailhead Lager and Wellington County Ale, will now be available in 473ml cans for $2.35 and $2.50 each respectively.

The cans are available at the LCBO across Southern Ontario and the Brewery Retail store located in Guelph.

Trailhead Lager (4.5%):
This Vienna style lager is characterized by a careful balance of malt sweetness and clean, crisp hop bitterness.

County Ale (5%):
Wellington's most decorated beer is a dark traditional ale with a rich bouquet, matured slowly to deliver exceptional smoothness and balance.

The Canadian Brewing Awards

Yesterday was quite an eye opener for me. I helped run the 2007 Canadian Brewing Awards hosted by TAPS media at the Duchess Pub in Markham and I was delighted to see the number of enteries made by the breweries across this country.

The day started out at 8:30am carrying boxes upon boxes of packaged beer from 231 different national, regional and craft breweries in 21 different categories. Putting them into the fridge in order with their corresponding order was quite a task and took a good 2 hours. The bottles and cans were each given a number to represent the category they were entering in and the brewery they were from. For example, Fin Du Monde from Unibroue may have had the number 10-43-1 labelled on the bottle and that was matched to a judging sheet for the judges.

My job was to take out the corresponding bottles/cans when their respective categories were ready to be judged and pour them into the small wine glasses. I managed to drop only one glass, so needless to say the day went smooth for me.

Around 10:30am the judges started to arrive. Other awards have been cast in a negative light for using people in the media to judge or semi-celebrities. TAPS brought in 8 certified judges from all over Canada to sit at the tables to smell, swirl, taste and judge. It was very fascinating listening to the judges at different tables discuss the beers they were sampling. These men were all very knowledgable and some could even guess which brewery the beer came from even though it was in a unmarked glass.

The judging wrapped up around 7:30 and all the paper work was submitted to the statistican to be entered today. Stay tuned for the results.

Halloween Extravaganza: Steam Whistle Brewery

Press release from Steam Whistle brewery announcing their Halloween Extravaganza event held at the Roundhouse. Tickets are available to purchase on-line at www.steamwhistle.ca.

Lion on the Beach: Toronto, ON

Last night I met up with a friend of mine that I haven't seen in almost a year and decided to head down Queen Street East to have a couple of pints at the Lion on the Beach. The pub was highly recommended by a reader of this blog so I felt it was my duty to visit and comment on it. I have heard that it is a busy spot in the summer with tourists coming up from the beach to have a couple cold ones on the two patios on each side of the building.

As we entered through the Queen Street entrance, we came upon the bar to our left. We decided this would be the best place to sit and get some information about the place. Fortunately for us, Glen, a regular, was sitting beside us having a beer after work and he helped detail the history surrounding the pub.

Glen estimates that the actually building dates back to the early 1900’s and was once the home of a Dominion Bank of Canada. He also mentioned that the Lion on the Beach has occupied the building for 14 years serving the local residents of the Beaches area. He claims that he has been a regular customer for the past seven to eight years, meeting friends after work to share some stories. This was a good start to the visit as there is no better person to talk to about a pub than the people who visit religiously.

The inside of the Lion on the Beach consists of wall to wall wooden beams and pillars that have been painted a dark chocolaty colour. The colour emulates a Tudor style British interior that stays within the theme of the pub. The floor is covered with dark carpeting throughout the place and the walls are graced with random local photos from past to present. Glen likes the different photos because they don’t all fall under the same theme and it makes you want to know more about them.

The bar itself was nicely decorated in an autumn and Halloween theme and the large mirrors behind the bar with Lion on the Beach logo’s were very attractive. The bar was dimly lit by the light glowing from a string of Christmas lights over head and small candles directly on the bar. Glassware and pitchers were hanging above the bar in racks and above them were different signs in wood describing the variety of alcoholic drinks they offer – like spirits, ports, whiskey etc. There were 15 stools surrounding the straight bar that had a slight curve at the end, which made it easy to talk to others at sitting at the bar.

The beer selection caters mostly to mainstream drinkers. The draught line-up consists of Bud, Bud Light, Keith’s, Keith’s Red, Carlsberg, Creemore, Guinness, Boddingtons, Bass, Stella Artois, Hoegaarden and Stiegl. The bottled beer is made up of Canadian, Blue, Bud, Molson Export, Blue Light, Coors, Sleeman Ale, Moosehead, MGD, Steam Whistle, Corona, Cider and Heineken. I find it harder to choose from a list like this than one that is extensive and unique. I have had them all before and they are all unassuming, but craft beer is not everything when visiting a pub. What the Lion on the Beach lacked in quality craft beer they made up for it in atmosphere and hospitality.

I noticed two dart boards by the front of the pub and Glen confirmed that you can indeed play darts by asking the bar staff. We almost got into a game but we had to get going. I feel that I will be back to challenge Glen one day.

The music was not for me as I feel pop music is not condusive with my thoughts on pub atmosphere. Black Eyed Peas, Kanye West, Justin Timberlake and Madonna are all great for a nightclub, but not a pub that mainly caters to an older crowd. But there is live music on the weekends.

Overall it was a nice visit and many thanks go out to Glen for providing all the tidbits. My friend had a clubhouse and soup for $8.95 that he claimed was delicious and economical for the portion he received. Glen sums it up, “It is a nice environment to come after work with my buddies to have a beer in great a pub.”

1958 Queen Street East
Toronto, ON 416.690.1984

Put Away The Corkscrew

* Press release from Ontario Craft Brewers* What a great title for this event.

**** I should have informed you of this earlier, but this event is invite only for people in the industry. It is not open for the public to participate in, but I will post a write-up afterwards. The meaning for posting the release was to inform you, the readers, about what the Ontario Craft Brewers Association is currently working on to promote the great beers they sell. Sorry for any confusion.*****

Put Away the Corkscrew this Holiday Season-Deck the Halls with Bottles of Ontario Craft Beer

If you're searching for ways to spice up grandma's turkey recipe and want to know the latest trends in Holiday décor - look no further – the Ontario Craft Brewers want you to join them to find out everything you can do with Ontario Craft beer this holiday season. From recipes to food pairings, glassware to center pieces, the OCB has teamed up with food and décor experts to share tips and tricks to show you the finer side of beer.

Drop that decanter...at this unique beer showcase you will get a sneak preview of the OCB’s first ever OCB Discovery Pack (not available in stores until November 1st ), taste some of the freshest winter seasonal beers and learn about the finer side of beer. Experts will show you how to:

Cook like a pro with Ontario Craft beer this holiday season

Chef Ezra Title, Chez Vous who specializes in food preparation using ingredients from local and organic farms

Set a table featuring specialty beer glassware and this season’s hottest holiday trends

Dvira Ovadia, winner of Debbie Travis’s From the Ground Up will provide tips and tricks on this seasons hottest trends and new ways to entertain with beer

Distinguish different beer flavours and ingredients from resident OCB beer expert, Karen Behune Plunkett, President, Walkerville Brewing Company & other OCB Breweries



When:Thursday October 18th, 2007
11:30am – 1:30pm

Where:Summerhill LCBO
10 Scrivener Square, Toronto

Look Out Toronto, Here I Come

I have been extremely busy over the weekend, with it being Thanksgiving and all, and packing boxes for my move to the big smoke. Yep, that's right. I am leaving the small town of Orillia where I worked and leaving the even smaller village of Brechin where I grew up, to head south on the 400 hwy to live in Toronto.

I am excited for this move. I get the chance to start over again, find a job that excites me on a daily basis and lets me experience the hundreds of terrific pubs in this city.

Many readers of this blog have been kind enough to email me with their recommendations on which pubs I should visit and profile. I don't like to let people down so I will do my best to get to each one recommended. This week I plan to visit Smokeless Joe's on John street and Lion on the Beach on Queen St East, so stay tuned for a post on them this week.

I will try to get as many posts on the blog this week as I can, but bare with me as I get settled in to my new city.



Upcoming Events:
October 13th: Canadian Brewing Awards Judging at the Duchess Pub in Markham

October 14th: Independent Boast and Toast with Industry SOS at Rowers Pub Toronto

Drinking in a Legion

Last night I found myself drinking in a legion while a group of us were participating in a hockey draft. I have only drank in my local legion twice in all my years and this time I took a second to reflect on the surroundings.

Legions are a good place to go for a cold beer and a history lesson. While we were sitting there having some drinks after the draft, an elderly legion patron made his way over and fascinated us with stories of his fertile grandfather. He went on and on about his grandfather having 26 children with two wives and going through 48 loaves of bread a week. He had us in tears as he described his prolific grandmother's.

Legions may not have the best beer selection, but they do offer hospitality. I was shocked to see cans of Guinness in the beer fridge especially in the village we were in, as people there are predominately Molson or Coors Light drinkers. Which by the way was on tap along with Blue. But it really isn't about the beers at a legion. It is about sitting around a table and shooting the breeze with a bunch of regulars, sharing stories, experiences in a relaxing place.

They are a big part of the communities they are situated in, running fundraisers, holding events, and providing a place for seniors to wet their whistle so to speak. They are welcoming, inviting and as in our case, engaging. From what I've heard, most legions also have a display of war artifacts that offer insights into our past.

Last night I felt at home, part of the community. It was a fun night and I hope we go back soon.

C'est What's 19th Annual Fall Festival Wrap-Up

I have been a bit tardy getting this post on the blog as I have been busy with other stuff lately. I have also written a longer version of this story that may well end up in the upcoming edition of TAPS beer magazine slated to be released in November.

C'est What's? 19th Annual Fall Festival of Craft Brewers took place Friday Sept 28 before a packed house of beer enthusiasts'. There was a terrific line-up of ales and lagers produced by some of Ontario best brewers.

Every year this event is held by publican George Milbrandt to promote the diverse offerings brewed right here in Ontario. Many breweries contribute to the event by producing seasonal beers or one offs that could be sampled for the small price of a loonie.

Great Lakes and Grand River Breweries introduced their Pumpkin ales which went over very well with the crowd of mostly males over the age of 25. Scotch Irish and Durham County breweries produced a kellertrubes lager and India Pale ale on cask respectively, that had people reaching for more. This could be a good sign of things to come for drinkers in Ontario as the brewers are starting to brew some new and interesting beers. More favourites included Church Key's Flanders Sour Brown, Grand River Ploughman's Ale and C'est Whats Hazelnut Chocolate Ale.

One of the great things about this event was that some of the brewers and brewery owners showed up and made themselves available to answer questions regarding their beer. Ken Woods from Black Oak discussed his plans about relocating his brewery to the Toronto area and to expand distribution. It is always interesting meeting the person responsible for brewing beers that you consume.

Overall the event was another success and Milbrandt was a gracious host. He confirmed that this was the largest crowd in the 19 years and credited it to the brewers who are brewing new and exciting beers. I had a blast meeting other beer bloggers and brewers and look forward to the next event at the Canadian Brewing Awards.

Pub Atmosphere

I have posted before about the distinct atmosphere that some pubs offer us in Why I Drink in a Pub. It is one of the main things I look for in a good pub when venturing out to try somewhere new. Atmosphere can be anything like: smoky, loud, empty, cozy, dark, arty,etc. and some can be downright different. Atmosphere can make or break the success of a pub.

Many pubs today are trying to hard to re-create the atmosphere of pubs from Ireland, Scotland, England and Belgian even though they cater to mainly Canadian individuals. Owners have the idea that they will be taking their customers on a trip to a far away pub without the customer ever leaving the comforts of their own city.

Some pubs have been very successful emulating this model. Franchise pubs like the Fox and Fiddles, the Firkin chains and The Foggy Dew’s have set up shop in large metropolitan cities. They are empty to me, they breed no character and most of all, they try to pass themselves off as something their not. They offer deep fried food, frozen entree's, arcade games, loud music and many televisions. This may seem appealing to others, but this takes away the social aspect of visiting a 'real' pub with a group.

Drinking is social. Drinking in a pub is a social activity that couples participate in. By adding additional distractions to the mix you take away the very meaning of visiting pubs. Pubs are meant for people to share drinks, enjoy food or unwind after a hard day's work.

Traditionally, pubs were a spot where town hall meetings took place, a place where the family came for lunch and a place that offered rooms for resting. Over the years, many pubs have lost that very meaning due to the invasion of faux pas franchise pubs and government regulations. Atmosphere is what brings us to these establishments. We want a place that suites our interest and makes us comfortable.

Atmosphere can be a wide range of things mixed together. The atmosphere I look for when entering a pub is warmth. I am not talking about warmth in the means of temperature, but warmth from within the walls of the pub. Usually regulars and independent owners have created their own touch in the establishment, which creates atmosphere the way they want it to be. They are not instructed by someone far away to decorate this way, or that way, or to design the pub to specific model. My ideal atmosphere might look like regulars sitting at the bar talking intimately to the bartender or playing cards in a back corner. Its warm and inviting, somewhere you would want to go to get away.

Great pubs have great atmosphere, seek them out for the experience.

Beer Appreciation: George Brown College

I am currently taking a part time college course in Beer Appreciation held at Toronto's George Brown College. I have completed some other beer courses in the past, but I am looking forward to this as we will focus a little more on craft beers.

Ron Keefe, the owner and brewmaster of the Granite Brewery on Eglinton Street in Toronto, is the instructor for the course and he plans on educating the nine students on the history of beer, the different styles, how to match beer with food and most importantly - how to taste beer.

Some of the students have no experience when it comes to beer which should make it an interesting course for them. Hopefully they will gain a better understanding of the beer industry and beer in general, to help with future decisions at the beer store.

In the first class, after introductions, Ron discussed the history of beer and the theory of how beer came to be. We talked about the differences between Ales and Lagers and the different ingredients that are found in beers. We were shown different hop pellets and various malt profiles, which made a good visual stimulate.

Near the end of the three hour session, Ron removed some beer from the fridge and we went about tasting. We sampled Mill Street Coffee Porter, Mill Street Tankhouse, Creemore Lager, Brooklyn Lager, Sgt. Major IPA, St.Ambroise Pale Ale, Black Oak Nut Brown, Walkerville Lager, and Saint Vienna Lager. We were shown how to sample and how to rate the beer through aroma, body, taste and appearance. Me, being a hop lover, thought that the Sgt. Major and Mill Street's Tankhouse were winners. The line-up was a little different to some of the participants as they have never tried these beers before and were not used to the hoppiness of some.

It was an excellent start to what sounds like an excellent course. I look forward to watching some of the beer hunter videos that recently deceased Micheal Jackson was responsible for. I will keep you posted.

No class next week as Thanksgiving calls. So make sure to grab some Pumpkin Ale to savour with your pumpkin pie.

Cheers

Scotch Irish: Black Irish Plain Porter

Alan from 'A Good Beer Blog' and Greg from 'Beer,Beats,Bites' have already beat me to profiling this beer, but hey, I want in on the fun too.

Black Irish Plain Porter, a new offering from Perry Mason at Scotch Irish brewing, made its much anticipated debut September 14th at select LCBO's throughout the province to high acclaim.

It was slated to be released September 19th, but when a member of Bartowel.com came across some at his local LCBO, he quickly informed his fellow beer enthusiasts and sales soared.

"Some stores sold out very quickly and I had to make a quick trip back to Toronto to re-stock", claimed Mason. He mentions this only four days after the porter hit the shelves.

The beers pours a dark black that releases a chocolaty aroma. Hints of nuts and cocoa show up and attack the palate and the soft water used to brew it make the Porter a nice refreshing, smooth beer. It is also bottled in a stubby, making it easily recognizable at the stores.

The Black Irish Plain porter would make a great companion for a hearty stew in the cool days of an Ontario autumn. It is a terrific beer that Ontario was in desperate need of and should be proud of it.

Good Work Scotch Irish.

www.scotchirishbrewing.com

Propeller Brewery: Halifax, NS

When John Allen opened the doors to his Propeller Brewery back in 1997, he opened the door for change in a beer market dominated by the popular Alexander Keith's IPA.

Allen, a self proclaimed, dedicated homebrewer, wanted to take his passion to new heights by offering Nova Scotia residents an alternate choice. He started brewing Extra Special Bitter and Pale Ale and expanded his repertoire with a Honey Wheat and London Porter years later. The pure all natural ingredients created a beer that citizens came to adore and soon Propeller became a reputable brewery for excellent ales.

Due to the success of his flagship Extra Special Bitter, Allen started brewing seasonal ales like Pumpkin and Christmas ales. Just this past winter, Propeller introduced a terrific Revolution Imperial Russian Stout. At 8%, this stout was brewed to the traditional imperial standards and it sold out fast.

But the most successful one-off was Propeller's India Pale Ale that has since evolved into a year round beer. Compared to Keith's, which tastes more like a lager, Propeller's IPA is a hop bomb. India Pale Ales were brewed with extra hops to withstand the long sea voyages to serve the British troops stationed in India in the 1700's (hops are used as a preservative). Allen's IPA is as he describes it, "not for the faint of heart". The beer is dry hopped for up to a week which creates a wonderful flowery aroma.

The London Porter is a very popular beer in Halifax. It's based on a 200 year old recipe that includes a blend of pale, roasted and chocolate malts with English and North America hops. The ESB is a terrific ale made with pale malt, chocolate malt and crystal malts that pairs well with the williamette and fuggle hops giving it a 30 bitterness unit value.

Throughout the years, Propeller has won many awards at various beer festivals and championships throughout the world. Their IPA and ESB both won gold medals at the 2006 and 2007 World Beer Championships in Chicago. The London Porter picked up a gold medal at the 2005 Canadian Brewing awards and bronze in 2006. It also won silver medals at the World Beer Championships in 2002 and 2003. Propeller's Pale Ale picked up a silver at the 2006 Canadian Brewing Awards. Along with the beer awards, the brewery has won many times in newspaper polls for the best microbrewery in Halifax and Nova Scotia.

The Propeller Brewery is located in the North end of Halifax at 2011 Gottingen street. Tours can be arranged at the brewery for groups of 10 or more and staff will explain the history of the brewery, the beer and offer samples. Propeller also has a retail store where they sell t-shirts, hats, glassware and beer. Growlers can be purchased as well and make a great birthday gift.

It is a fantastic brewery brewing terrific beer that I only wish was available in Ontario. Highly recommended should you visit the East Coast.

2011 Gottingen Street
Halifax, NS
(902) 422-7767
Owner: John Allen
Sales: Rob Poirierwww.drinkpropeller.ca