Author Archives: chris

Pub Style Cider – Spirit Tree Estate Cidery

Pub Style Cider - Spirit Tree Cidery

So one of the common complaints by Brits drinking cider in North America, is that it lacks the pop of their beloved cider from the West Country in England.  “Scrumpy” cider is a traditional style of cider from Somerset, and certainly has a lot of “pop”.  Generally cloudy, these ciders are normally made exclusively with cider apples (no “eating” apples, which have more simple sugars), which make for a tart pint.  Because they are generally made using centuries-old techniques (and often equipment), they can pick up minor bacteria infections, like Brettanomyces, which adds a drying feeling, and an aroma and taste of saddle blankets/barns.  It’s better than it sounds, trust me.  Real Somerset Scrumpy’s are to Strongbow what Chateau Margaux….  [Read More]

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Duke’s Cider – Tree Brewing Co.

Duke's Cider - Fireweed Brewing Co.

One of the new-comers to the LCBO this year, Duke’s Cider is produced by Tree Brewing. From Kelowna BC, Duke’s Cider uses a blend of Okanagan apples in its juice. Last year Duke’s was the number one craft cider in BC. It is on LCBO shelves as of this week, and it won’t surprise anyone if it does really well here, too.

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Original Cider – Alexander Keith’s (Anheuser-Busch/InBev)

Original Cider - Alexander Keith's (AB/InBev)

First out of the gate for Cider Week is Alexander Keith’s Original Cider.  Right out of the box (literally) Keith’s wins the massively over-the-top packaging award.  My two cans of Original Cider arrived in a 22″x14″x7.5″ wooden crate.  Included was a glass, an insulated ice bowl with a partition to separate chilling ice and serving ice, a scoop and a spiral-bound booklet on the cider with pairing recipes.  Zowie.  This totally tops the locked wooden box I got a while back (and broke into). Now what you need to know: Made under the Keith’s name, this cider is actually brewed and packaged in New York state at an Anheuser-Busch brewery.  I’ll be honest with you: I’m not down with that. ….  [Read More]

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Toronto Beer Blog, Cider Week

Apple

Oh yes, it is Cider Week.  It’s like Shark Week, but with less blood and more alcohol! And less production value.  And apples. “….well I got her number. How do you like them apples?” Okay, seriously, why the heck am I doing cider week?  Well, I like cider.  I lost my taste for it a long time ago, but in the past few years have really gotten a passion for it again.  While it’s obviously different than beer, it is often in roughly the same alcohol range, and is generally served in the same sized containers.  It is also something that some homebrewers make, and the BJCP has guidelines for ciders and perrys, so I think it fits.  In a….  [Read More]

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Brewer’s Plate 2012 – I was totally there

So I’m a tad bit embarrassed that I’m only getting to this now. If you’ve been following along, you will remember I posted a while back about Brewer’s Plate. The awesome food and beer event at Roy Thompson Hall for charity. Well, I went, and it was awesome. This year I spent less time note- and picture-taking, and rather acted like a beer enthusiast. Cruising from booth to booth, chatting to the ultra-friendly folks serving some of the best beers in the province, and delicious food from all over the city. If you’re interested in pictures, Toronto Life has some wonderful images from the night here: http://www.torontolife.com/daily/daily-dish/bottoms/2012/04/20/brewers-plate/attachment/apr12brewersplate1/ So, let’s cut to the chase: the homerun pairing, in my books, was….  [Read More]

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Stuff You Need To Know Today – April 26th 2012

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….  [Read More]

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10 Bitter Years XI – Black Oak Brewing Co.

Ten Bitter Years XI - Black Oak Brewing Co.

Every year, in Munster Indiana, there is a migration of sorts.  While it doesn’t have the drama of David Attenborough narrating the migrations of the Serengeti, it may well be the largest migration of beer geeks in the western hemisphere.  I am, of course, talking about Dark Lord Day.  The one day a year you can purchase Three Floyd’s Dark Lord Russian Imperial Stout.  This huge RIS is widely considered one of the  best beers in the world, and 6000 geeks, all holding pre-bought tickets, turn up for a festival including beer, food, music, and the star attraction, Dark Lord RIS.  Now, Dark Lord Day doesn’t happen until the last Sunday in April (though I think it’s now sold-out), but….  [Read More]

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Conductors Craft Ale – Junction Craft Brewing

Conductors Craft Ale - Junction Craft Brewing

If you’ve been following along with the beer scene in Toronto, you will know that there are a bunch of fairly new breweries popping up.  Some are bricks and mortar (Bellwoods is now officially open!) and a few are contract breweries (including Double Trouble, who I work for).  Junction is one of the latter, and has already gained a great following for their Conductor’s Craft Ale, a hoppy spicy pale ale. Currently, their beer is only available on draught or cask, but they have great coverage, so it isn’t hard to find.  I got hooked up with a sample to review a while back, when we got our first cask of Super Conductor (Conductor’s dry-hopped alter-ego) at Castro’s and have….  [Read More]

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Bolshevik Bastard – Nickel Brook

Bolshevik Bastard Russian Imperial Stout - Nickel Brook

A while ago, Ryan Morrow, who is brewmaster at Nickel Brook, handed me some beers to check out (too long ago, my apologies Ryan).  I have never really gone crazy for a Nickel Brook beer; I’ve never had a bad one (like spoiled, infected etc), but the lager and green apple pilsner just never really set my world on fire either.  So I had never gone out of my way to do a review, but Ryan is a great guy, and has been brewing up some new and exciting things.  So when he handed me a few of the more recent brews, I was stoked to get to try them.  Then life kind of happened, and, like I said, too….  [Read More]

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Brewer’s Plate 2012

If that title doesn’t have you immediately looking up this year’s Brewer’s Plate (it’s here, by the way), perhaps my review of the night from last year is in order. Okay, back with me?  Have you headed over to the Brewer’s Plate website and bought your ticket yet? Just in case the answer is no, or you are lazy and didn’t check either of the links I just gave you, let me help out.

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  • Chris Schryer

    Chris SchryerI regularly describe myself as an "ardent supporter of beer", which pretty well sums it up. While I'm not working or busy being a husband and dad (okay, honestly, sometimes while I'm doing those things), I am drinking beer, attending events, visiting pubs, and thinking about beer. I work at Castro's Lounge, my local bar in the Beach, where I host beer events and take part in most things beer-related.

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