Amsterdam Takes Over Volo, Haters Shut Your ‘Dam Mouths

If you read blogTO with any sort of frequency, you’re probably aware that the comments section tends to head toward negative town in quite a hurry. Typically, I accept this as part of blogTO’s charm. Sort of a “Come for the news, stay for the angry urban snark (or, transversely  chest-thumping 905er indignation).”

It’s all in good fun and comes with the terrain.

Sometimes however, the criticism gets under my skin a little. Specifically, I’ve noticed that any time I mention the folks over at Amsterdam Brewery, comments tend toward the sort that dismiss the beers the ‘Dam Good Beer folks are making as boring or bland.

Granted, it’s possible that the most recent incidence of this was partially my fault given that my most recent blogTO piece “outed” Toronto bars for favouring Amsterdam Blonde as their “house brand,” but most of the time, the comments are unfounded. Sure, Amsterdam makes some beers that fans of more complex libations might thumb their noses at, but under the guidance of Iain McOustra, they also make some fucking great–and out there–beers.

So, in case anyone who happens on this post has any doubts about their beers, I thought you might be interested to learn you’ll have a chance to see just how wrong you are when Amsterdam takes over all 32 taps at bar Volo on February 2nd.

I’ve posted the complete tap list for the event below and you can click this link to get tickets [UPDATE: it would seem tickets are already sold out, so if you don’t already have one, you’ll need to wait until 10pm when the event opens to the general public and pay $5 to get in. Sorry!]. If your impression of Amsterdam is based on that one time you tried Amsterdam Blonde, you need get your ass to Volo for this event. Go find out why McOustra, despite being woefully misinformed when it comes to the superiority of The Wire over The Sopranos, is kind of a genius when it comes to everyone’s favourite beverage.

• Admission: $10.20 (includes 1 beer token, commemorative sampling glass and limited edition booklet. Additional beer tokens can be purchased for $4.00 at the event.)
• Food: Hogtown Charcuterie 
• Tunes: DJ Trappist 10pm-close.

1. Sleeping Giant Barley Wine, collaboration with Biergotter.
2. Bastogne D’Or, Golden Ale with Brett Brux and Styrian Goldings, collaboration with House Ales.
3. Full City Tempest, Imperial stout with full city roast coffee.
4. Rip and Run Imperial Smoked Porter, brewed with wine skins, collaboration with House Ales.
5. Divination #2, Framboise with wild yeast harvested from Burgundy grapes.
6. Satyr Farmhouse, Farmhouse Ale with Lactobacillus and Brett.
7. Boxer Saison, Saison with Brett Brux and Lambicus.
8. Domestic Disturbance, 100% Brett Brux fermented ale with Pinot Noir wine skins in secondary, collaboration with Erica Graholm.
9. Alt, Traditional Dusseldorf Alt.
10. Second Coming, Stout aged in Southbrook Merlot barrels, collaboration with Biergotter.
11. Ezra (Solera #2), Farmhouse Ale aged in a Spirit Tree cider Barrel, collaboration with Great Lakes.
12. Barrel aged Tempest, Imperial Stout aged in fresh Jack Daniels barrels.
13. Vicar’s Vice, Old Ale on cask.
14. Jump the Shark, American Strong Ale, collaboration with Indie Ale House.
15. Dead Spadina Monkey, Raspberry Sour aged in Thirty Bench Chardonnay barrels, collaboration with Indie Ale House.
16. Spring Bock, aged one year.
17. Wee Heavy, Scotch Ale aged on bourbon soaked oak.
18. Burned Bridges Porter, Brown Porter with peppercorns aged on oak chips used in Tawse Pinot primary fermentation, collaboration with Bridgid Young.
19. Left of the Dial Mild, on cask, collaboration with House Ales.
20. KLB Pale Ale, English Bitter, dry hopped with fuggles, on cask.
21. Downtown Brown, English Brown Ale dry hopped with Goldings, on cask.
22. Boneshaker, dry hopped with Amarillo, on cask.
23. Early Spring Saison, with lemon peel and peppercorns.
24. Lady Stavoren Wheat Wine, 50% wheat and 80 IBUs.
25. Long Goodbye Nitro IPA, collaboration with Swansea Homebrew Club.
26. Under the Table Double Belgian IPA, Collaboration with House Ales and Great Lakes.
27. Maverick and Gose, aged in Thirty Bench Chardonnay barrels, collaboration with Great Lakes
28. Raspberry Gose, aged in Flat Rock Pinot Noir barrels, collaboration with Great Lakes.
29. Order and Chaos, Wit aged in fresh biodynamic Southbrook Chardonnay barrels.
30. Rye Peppercorn Saison aged in Cab Franc barrels.
31. Decalogue (1), 100% Brett Brux Trois barrel fermented Golden Ale.
32. Kyrie Tripel, aged in fresh Flat Rock Pinot Noir barrels.
33. I Can’t Believe You Read Them All this is not a real beer aged in why are you still reading