Still Waters Distillery: So how’s the booze?

Posted on by Ben

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A couple weeks ago I was on something of a whisky kick; penning a post for blogTO about fledgling distillery Toronto Distillery Company, announcing the release of Still Waters Distillery’s first single malt whisky, and even finding new reasons to rant about the province’s liquor laws as a result of said writing.

Somehow, in the shuffle, I forgot to include my thoughts on what should always be foremost when it comes to booze and beer: the taste.

I was lucky enough to be shipped a small sample of Still Waters’ very limited first release (the 46% version) and, while it’s a touch late to inform you about whether or not you should line up to get yourself a bottle when they were released (back on April 27th), here are my notes on the province’s only commercially available micro-distilled whisky. Continue reading “Still Waters Distillery: So how’s the booze?” →

#SummerWeiss or “The one where I shill for Muskoka Brewery but I don’t feel bad about it”

Posted on by Ben

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I think it’s pretty clear by now that Muskoka Brewery is kicking ass. They’ve stepped up their game immensely since the days of “Muskoka Cottage Brewing,” Mad Tom has redefined gateway beers and has found a semi-permanent home in the fridges of casual beer drinkers and craft nerds alike, and they continue to churn out high quality seasonals. As a result, they’ve become one of Canada’s fastest growing breweries.

Also, if you’re into that sort of thing, Muskoka Brewery clearly has good marketing.

Continue reading “#SummerWeiss or “The one where I shill for Muskoka Brewery but I don’t feel bad about it”” →

Black Oak Brewing’s Ten Bitter Years is coming to the LCBO year round

Posted on by Ben

10 Bitter Years Glass

There’s even more great news for bitter beer fans (that is fans of bitter beer, not people who drink beer who are angry at the hand they’ve been dealt in life): Black Oak Brewing Company’s award-winning Imperial IPA Ten Bitter Years is coming to the LCBO.

Originally brewed as a one time only offering in 2009 to celebrate the brewery’s tenth anniversary, Ten Bitter Years proved so popular with local beer drinkers that Black Oak has opted to bring it back once a year every year since. Each year, however, the small batch that Black Oak brewed was available only at the brewery’s retail store and typically sold out in a hurry; leaving the majority of the beer’s fans, well, uh bitter, I guess. Continue reading “Black Oak Brewing’s Ten Bitter Years is coming to the LCBO year round” →

Some perspective on the Ontario Brewing Awards

Posted on by Ben

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It is not my intention to diminish the achievements of those who won awards at last night’s Ontario Brewing Awards; however, I feel I am about to do just that.

You see, while the awards are a great time and an important event for the province’s thriving beer brewing industry, I feel that is important to remember that these awards don’t really mean all that much.

Don’t get me wrong, it’s great that the industry has this means of providing recognition, however, let’s take a look at what’s really going on here. Firstly, in order to be considered, a brewer pays $75 to enter their beer in a given category. There’s nothing wrong with entering your beer in a contest and nothing wrong with organizers of said contest asking for a little scratch to help cover administration costs (i.e. bottle openers, hulking gold statuettes)–but let’s consider that an award billing itself as “The Ontario Brewing Awards” isn’t actually necessarily representing the best beer in the province, it’s actually representing the best of a handful of beers which brewers have asked to be judged, please. Continue reading “Some perspective on the Ontario Brewing Awards” →

Another screaming example of why Ontario’s liquor laws need revising

Posted on by Ben

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Today a post I wrote went up on blogTO announcing the release of a single malt whisky distilled by Ontario’s first micro-distillery, Still Waters. My previous conversations with Barry Stein and Barry Bernstein about their booze have been enlightening–prompting me to write about the fact that most “Canadian” whiskies aren’t really Canadian at all and then later, based on my new understanding of Canada’s booze laws, I wrote about a whisky on Ontario’s shelves that seemed to be in defiance of those laws.

As with these previous conversations with the Barrys, my recent correspondence with them about their impending release likewise proved enlightening, unveiling yet another way that our province’s liquor laws are hurting Ontario businesses. Specifically, it was revealing that Barry informed me that a majority of their whisky–made just north of the Big Smoke in Concord Ontario–is destined for out of province sales elsewhere in the country, north of the border and even overseas. Continue reading “Another screaming example of why Ontario’s liquor laws need revising” →

Great Lakes Brewery’s “My Bitter Wife” coming to the LCBO

Posted on by Ben

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Well, it ain’t Karma Citra, but it will certainly do the trick.

Fans of brewer Mike Lackey’s great IPAs will be pleased to learn that Great Lakes Brewery’s IPA “My Bitter Wife” is slated for an LCBO release.

The release is part of the brewery’s Tank Ten series, which is apparently a “a tickle trunk of tasty treats,” and is designed to let GLB’s brewers flex a little of their creative muscle, reserving the eponymous fermenting tank number ten at their brewery to let them “brew whatever they heck they want.”

I was lucky enough to be at the brewery on Friday while the 650mL bottles were rolling off the line in anticipation of the LCBO release next week so I was granted this “scoop” as it were (Incidentally, the purpose of my visit was a collaboration brew with Mr. Lackey to brew what I hope will be another of his fantastic IPAs…but more information on that soon). Continue reading “Great Lakes Brewery’s “My Bitter Wife” coming to the LCBO” →

Goose Island Brewery Comes to Canada, Paul Aihoshi Gets Diarrhea

Posted on by Ben

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If you’re a small, renowned craft brewery, the idea of being bought out by one of the big brewers is a  somewhat dubious prospect. On the one hand, it means you’ll report to a big corporation who might be a little more concerned with their bottom line than your company’s product. On the other hand, it means you’ll now have a wealth of resources at your disposal, allowing you to expand your beer into markets you may have never thought possible, sharing your beer with a new audience.

It’s a precarious balance, but it’s one that Chicago brewer, Goose Island, seems to be managing successfully as they look to expand distribution into Canada later this month.

Started as a brewpub which grew to include a full distribution brewery and, later, a second brew pub, Goose Island was purchased by Anheuser-Bush InBev in 2011 and, thanks in large part to AB InBev’s resources, will arrive on LCBO shelves this spring. Continue reading “Goose Island Brewery Comes to Canada, Paul Aihoshi Gets Diarrhea” →

I might start going to the Bier Markt

Posted on by Ben

Bier Markt

I‘m going to be honest, despite having a name and quantity of beverage selections that seems tailor made to entice beer loving folks like me, the Bier Markt has never really been my cup of tea.

Sure, I’ve been there a handful of times–it’s inevtiable that eventually someone you know will propose going there and, if you can handle the usual wait times, the patio at their King Street location is top notch–but it’s just that it’s never been a place I’d think to go to for a couple reasons. Continue reading “I might start going to the Bier Markt” →

Fucking IPA Challenge is the same weekend as my fucking canoe trip

Posted on by Ben

IPA challenge

Tickets went on sale today for the 5th annual Cask Conditioned IPA Challenge at barVolo.

This year, the event falls on May 4th and 5th–as luck would have it the same fucking weekend I’m scheduled to take a fucking canoe trip with my fucking brothers.

The guys from Volo, who are responsible for some of my favourite fucking beer events and whose bar is one of my favourite fucking places to grab a pint after work, have seen fit to schedule the event–focusing on my favourite fucking style of beer–on the only weekend of the fucking summer that my three brothers and I are all available to get together for a long-planned journey down the fucking Saugeen River. Continue reading “Fucking IPA Challenge is the same weekend as my fucking canoe trip” →

Forked River Brewing Company: So how’s the beer?

Posted on by Ben

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Last weekend I made the pilgrimage back to my hometown of London Ontario for the obligatory feasting we all indulge in for the simple reason that the weekend marks the return of everyone’s favourite Jewish zombie carpenter.

And while I was excited to get together with old friends and family and to eat ham in honour of JC’s big comeback, I was also excited to try some new beer, namely that brewed by London’s first craft brewery to appear in as long as I have been alive, Forked River Brewing. Continue reading “Forked River Brewing Company: So how’s the beer?” →