Oh boy. It’s been a while since I’ve done one of these. Usually I do it, because I’m totally swamped in announcements and stuff, and today is no different. So get your day-timers and maybe a sandwich and let’s do this.
Baby-daddy
Yeah, a lot of you probably already know this, but my wife, Erika, is due imminently (like, the due date is today) with our second child. This means I’ll either post a lot less for a bit, or more, or maybe about the same. Got it?
You already knew it was Movember
I’m guessing you’ve seen more facial hair above men’s lips recently, and not just on hipsters. Yes indeed, it’s Movember, the month when every dude’s partner has to let him grow a moustache, because it’s for charity. I’ve got one. So do a bunch of guys I know. We’re all doing it, and for many of these guys, it will look silly and dumb for the whole month, but that’s cool, because it’s for charity. So we might as well party, right? Good news, there’s plenty of mo-friendly options:
Rickard’s
Those of you who follow along will know, despite Rickard’s being a “big” brand beer (owned by Molson-Coors), I’m a fan of theirs. So I was happy when they dropped me a line (and a package) to let me know they were doing a Movember campaign. Rickard’s has set-up a Movember site, and produced a line of their products in Movember-themed tall boys, adorned with a particular stache, and info on their campaign on the reverse. Get these cans where you regularly buy your Rickard’s and check out their site. It’s cool to see the brand get on board. Cheers, Rickard’s! http://www.MoRickards.ca
Four Mo-tall-bros
Amsterdam
Yeah, Amsterdam, my not-so-secret love. A few of the crew at Amsterdam, including Jamie Mistry the head brewer, are sporting the stache this Movember. They are also hosting a mad party on Movember 25th, called “Brewstache Brewfest”. There’s an ad for it on the right of this page. For $20 it’s going to be a hell of a party at the brewery. Incidentally, I helped make one of the beers, as Iain McOustra and I revisited the mild he created for a Castro’s event in support of woman’s cancers; it seemed fitting to rock it out again for Movember. Details and RSVP here: https://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=239001116160023 Be there.
Burger Bar
Speaking of mad parties, Brock and the crew at Burger Bar are going to host a party on Movember 16th Movember 30th, where they are going to dollar-match donations for the cause. The core beer-industry people involved with this event have added a cool twist too. Paying homage to the original Toronto beer writer and also owner of a heck of a cool stache, Stephen Beaumont, we’ve morphed the event into “Beauvember”, where we are each trying to emulate Stephen’s stache/soul patch combo. Come check out how it’s all coming along. Also drink some awesome beer and tequila, and for goodness sake, make sure you get a basket of onions rings. Seriously.
Utopias
Indeed, it’s back, and at it’s ridiculously inexpensive price (seriously). Sam Adams Utopias, clocking in at over 25% abv, and costing $114.95/710ml bottle (it costs more in the USA, where it’s made. Weird.) is back at the LCBO. So you want it. Don’t bother lining up, there’s only 200 bottles and they will never see a shelf in an LCBO. You’ve got to call Vintages and purchase it over the phone (local 416 365-5767, or toll free 1-800-266-4764). It goes on sale at 9:00am on Friday, Movember 18th. And it’s a bit like in the days before the internet, when your favourite band was coming to town. You’ll need to call the vintages number at like, 8:58am, then just keep redailing. And don’t forget your credit card (it’s over $120 with tax for a bottle). I would suggest maybe pooling a few beer-minded friends, and everybody kicks in like $20 and the six of you share it one night.
#ONcask
One of the many cool ideas that I came out of Volo’s Cask Days with this year, was the nomenclature the cask-loving crew at Volo has come up with for Twitter (and by proxy, Untappd). In an effort to spread awareness of cask ale in Ontario, they are proposing we start using a set of tagging heuristics. As such, if you are a drinker, and you are at an establishment drinking a fine pint of cask, tweet something like this “Drinking a House Ales Left of the Dial Mild #ONcask @barvolo”. If you are a publican serving cask beer, whenever you tap a new cask try something like this “@GreatLakes Miami Weiss now #ONcask @CestWhat – get it before it’s gone.” And if you are a cask enthusiast, make sure you throw a column in your tweetdeck (or whatever equivalent there is in other apps), watching the #ONcask hashtag. Cheers to Ralph, Tom and Julian, and the whole casky crew at Volo.
Snowman
A little birdy told me that Snowman Brewing might have been making some beer on contract in a local brewery. If that birdy is right and not just some weird hallucination, then it sounds like my gluten-free friends might actually be able to buy some truly excellent totally gluten-free beer. Harass Kevin and Hirsch here: http://www.facebook.com/snowmanbrewing
Bartle
I would be remiss if I didn’t mention my friend, and brewer about town, Andrew Bartle. Andrew has been brewing at Amsterdam, and is a student of the Niagara College brewer operations program. I first met Andrew when he still had a big long billy-goat beard at Volo, while he was taking notes on what he was drinking. I was just drinking. Andrew is a BJCP judge, excellent brewer, and a heck of a drummer. And he was been stolen away from us in Toronto, by the dastardly yet so awesome Beau’s Brewery of Vankleek Hill. I would say I was going to miss Andrew, but I know I see a lot of the Beau’s crew nearly as often as I see him, so I’m not worried; he’ll still be around. One of the best breweries in the Province has gotten one of the best brewers. Congrats to both.
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