Why The Brewer's Plate Matters
I like what I call the Rule of 3. I first learned about it through a style of gardening/farming called Permaculture (actually, Permaculture is much much deeper than just gardening and farming, but that's how I met it). …
Omerta Blood Orange Pale Ale — Bellwoods Brewery
Fruit in beers, what can I say? They range from light lime lagers to the epic Cantillion Lambics, and lots of iterations in between. In some cases, the fruit is really the only thing you taste, in other cases it used to …
Roman Candle IPA — Bellwoods Brewery
I love a good fireworks display. When I was younger, it was all about lighting off the kind you buy at pop-up shops on the way to the cottage, firing them off over the lake on Victoria Day, Canada Day, and midnight on …
Goedemorgen — Amsterdam Brewing Co.
Three years ago, if you had asked me about Amsterdam Brewing, I would have talked about their excellent quality, their awesome staff, and the (large) part they played in my journey into craft beer. I would not have …
Brewmance Episode 3: Sharing is Caring
Well, last month's Brewmance wasn't a home run, but this month, we've got Iain McOustra from Amsterdam Brewing Co. and a big old jug of Brettanomyces Bruxellensis. Indeed, we're going with a 100% brett pale ale, and a …
Hop Series Hallertau Hop Ale — Alexander Keith's
Single-hop (and indeed, single-hop/single-malt pale ales), are becoming a bit of a "thing" in the beer scene. Using careful hop additions to draw out the characteristics of the hops is something of an art form. It's not …
Market Pale Ale — Amsterdam Brewing Co.
One of the best parts of spring returning, is the return of the dozens of farmer's markets around Toronto. Nothing is better than wandering around, seeing neighbours, and meeting the people who grow your produce. I take …
The Monday Wrap
Well now, it's Monday morning. How was your weekend? I had my last Friday night hockey followed by drinks at the Monk's Table, Saturday was the epic Beaunly (more on that in a moment), and yesterday was nicely chill. I …
Well hello again
Hey there beer people in Toronto! Not sure if you noticed, but I've been gone for nearly two weeks. Indeed, I was off in Nicaragua (more on that in a moment) and while I'm not too pleased with the 40C difference in …
Left Field Launch Party at 3030
If you were one of the 600 or so people who read my post on Left Field Brewery over the past few days, you might be excited to know, the launch party has been announced!
So You Think You Want To Own A Pub?
[caption id="attachment_3114" align="alignright" width="280"] This is not The Duke of Bendale Inn[/caption] Let me tell you about my bar. It's called The Duke of Bendale Inn. It's in an old Georgian home, with a large …
Hops Series Cascade Hop Ale — Alexander Keith's
Well it's New Brew Tuesday (okay it was...), and I'm flying by the seat of my pants! As I type this, I'm actually at a launch party of Alexander Keith's new Hop Series Cascade Hop Ale at the Duke of Westminster. Now, …
Left Field Brewery Launches
I mentioned in my Saturday post, but Ontario has hit 100 Craft brewers who are operating, or have at least applied to by licensed to produce beer in Ontario. Possibly, Left Field was the brewery that broke through the …
The Should Have Been Friday, Saturday News Post
Well, I had the best of intentions, I really did. I had a bunch of great news items and events to post yesterday. Then I didn't. The good news, is I'm doing it now. And it's not too late! So if you're just getting back …
Brewmance Episode 2: Three's Company
Well, this one is a crazy one. I don't want to give too much away, but M Night Shamallamadingdong wouldn't have seen this coming. It's me and Mark, taking our adventures to a whole new level, with Eric Ecclestone of …
St Ambroise Erable — McAuslan Brewery
I don't even know if I can adequately describe in words how much I love maple syrup. When I buy a new bottle (always Ontario), I open it on the spot and take a swig. Ben does this now, too. Be aware, if you are pouring …
Vicar's Vice Old Ale — Amsterdam Brewing Co.
At this point, I expect many of my readers to be anxiously awaiting the save-the-date notice for my impending marriage to Amsterdam Brewing's Iain McOustra. I mean, I love the guy. And you're probably getting sick of …
St Ambroise Pale Ale — McAuslan Brewery
I was seriously shocked when I checked and discovered I had never actually reviewed McAuslan's St Ambroise Pale Ale. I mean, I drink it frequently, both in bottles and on draught. I often sing it's praises to others, and …
25th Anniversary Bourbon Barrel Aged Russian Imperial Stout — Great Lakes Brewery
I like celebrating my birthday for like, at least a week. Between dinners with family, drinks with friends, drinking crazy and rare bottles of beer, and indulging myself, I find I need at least 5 days, though 9 is …
Snowy Friday
Yes, it's true, here in Toronto, it's snowing like we're in Canada or something. Shut the place down! The good news is, we still have beer. And in case you don't — despite predictions to the contrary — the world is not …