Yup, the beer world just keeps on turning, and waits for no blogger. There’s a few things coming down the pipe worth mentioning, so let’s get to it!
Open Season
Indeed, the weather has warmed up (most days) and we all know what that means: Beer festivals. Volo held their Cask Days IPA challenge last weekend, thankfully the weather wasn’t too warm, so the casks could happily sit on the patio. Cheers to Volo for both hosting the event, and also winning it with their House Ales Westside 213 IPA. Next up is The Only Cafe’s Spring Craft Beer Festival, starting tomorrow at 5pm. Plan on coming early, as the line-up can get daunting later in the night. Admission is free and sample tickets are $1. One ticket gets you a 5oz sample and 4 gets you a 16oz glass. The festival also runs on Saturday, also starting at 5pm. Check http://www.theonlycafe.com/theonly/fest.html for the list of participants and for more info. Then get ready for OCB Week, Toronto Festival Of Beer, Hart House Craft Beer Festival, Muskoka Beer Fest, Session 99, Toronto Beer Week and Cask Days. Plus the summer and fall festivals at The Only. Oh, and to everybody heading to San Diego for the Craft Brewers Conference, you suck.
Cider Week
Yup, I’m theming it up next week. All week I’ll be talking ciders, as there are a few new ones on the market. An apple a day blah blah blah. But seriously, I really love cider, and can’t wait to bang off a bunch of reviews. If you’re not a normal cider drinker, totally make a note to check-in. We’ve got some really awesome options in Ontario.
The Dutch is Back
Amsterdam has brought back their Oranje Weisse. The bad news, it’s still called weisse. It’s not. It’s a witbier. I know, to Joe Public, it’s not really something they get hung up on. But really, we need to be encouraging a mainly apathetic public to engage in the culture we hold dear. Okay, Amsterdam Marketing, you’ve got my piece. Stepping off the soap-box. The good news is it’s also still a really really awesome beer. Last year it won three awards: Silver at the Canadian Brewing Awards, Gold at the Ontario Brewing Awards and Gold at the US Open Beer Championship. Yeah, that good. I’ve already seen it for sale at the Brewery as well as on the shelf at a few LCBOs. If you like a good fruity, spicy wit, do yourself a favour and get a case or two. And if you would like to drink some of this socially and meet the people who make it, Amsterdam is hosting a public tasting of it on Wednesday May 9th from 6-9pm at the brewery. All are welcome. This beer also holds a special place in my heart, as it’s the first beer I drank with Fred on our beer break on The Edge.
And Beau’s Goes Belgian
Beau’s has started a line of beers that sounds awesome. Check the press release that I just got:
Beau’s All Natural Brewing Company is launching Farm Table Belgian Pale Ale Thursday April 26, on draught only at select locations in Ontario. The new beer is part of the Farm Table line of beers from Beau’s, a series dedicated to exploring traditional styles of beer that serve up big, interesting flavours, but with a sessionable ABV.
The Belgian Pale Ale style was first produced in Belgium post WW2 to compete with the growing popularity of the Pilsner style. The farm table BPA has been partially aged in white wine barrels, and features fantastic hop flavour despite its low bitterness. The result is a dry sharp ale, with spicy and fruity notes complemented by a citrusy aroma. Expect mingling notes of mangoes, cloves and peppery character, with hints of oak and tangerines on the finish.Farm Table BPA will not be sold in bottles, but instead will be served fresh on draught at the following licensed establishments, beginning Thursday, April 26. (Contact the establishment for the date the keg will be tapped!)
In Toronto you’ll find it at The Only, Bryden’s, The Rhino, Smokeless Joe’s, C’est What?, beer bistro, Volo and Burger Bar. For the full list, check out http://www.beaus.ca
