Tag Archives: ontario

Irish Red – Cheshire Valley Brewing

By chris | Published: January 16, 2012
Cheshire Valley Irish Red

Know what I like?  Beer.  I think that goes without saying.  I am particularly fond of Cheshire Valley, the “virtual brewery” of Paul Dickey (his words).  Paul makes some of my favourite beers in Toronto.  His mild might well be my desert-island beer now.  It’s that good.  His Robust Porter (which will be arriving at your local bar this week, if your local bar doesn’t suck) is just amazing.  I could go on.  So when I started planning the beer selection for my mother’s 64th birthday (which she had decided would be her “big” birthday, as opposed to 60 or 65, “Will you still need me? Will you still feed me? When I’m 64″.) an immediate thought was “I wonder….  [Read More]

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Here comes the sun (do do doo dooo).

By chris | Published: January 11, 2012

If you missed it or don’t remember, Beau’s All-Natural Brewing Co. started a really cool idea last year, of a subscription beer service, where they send you crazy cool special beers, and use the money raised to add solar panels to their brewery.  So easy.  If you were lucky (and smart) enough to take part, then this is great news for you.  If not, this will make you jelous, but mindful the next time they offer up the program, because, let’s be honest, it’s a killer idea.  Here is the press release just in from Beau’s this morning. Local Brewery’s “Beer for Solar Power” Program Continues with New Beer Release Beau’s fall beer Dunkelbuck, now aged in bourbon barrels, available….  [Read More]

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Winter Ale – Great Lakes Brewery

By chris | Published: December 9, 2011
Winter Ale - Great Lakes Brewery

I remember the first time I went to Cloak and Dagger, on College St.  I was meeting a friend before hockey, and we had decided to just randomly find a place near College and Bathurst, as that was a good meeting spot.  I got there first, walked east along College, and saw a dark little place that looked closed.  Then somebody outside it stubbed their cigarette and walked in, which I took to be a good sign.  I crossed over and wandered in, and found a dark narrow bar, with a whole heap of taps.  Still not being a fully infected beer geek, I was a bit out of my depth.  There were familiar European offerings, Steam Whistle, and an….  [Read More]

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Brown Ale – Snowman Brewing – 2011

By chris | Published: December 5, 2011
Brown Ale - Snowman Brewing

Frequent readers here will know that I have been championing a pair of brewers here in Toronto who are doing what I thought was the impossible: Brewing gluten-free beers that actually taste like their gluten-full counter-parts. Having had a celiac grandfather and a wife who generally stays away from gluten, I was interested in the concept of gluten-free beer (despite the fact that I eat gluten like it’s going out of style). Of course, what I had found ranged from highly disappointing to just drinkable. If the gluten-free beers available at the LCBO were the only choice, I would drink wine or gin. I had strong opinions that people were being ridiculous, trying to replicate a product where barley was….  [Read More]

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Deviator Doppelbock – Cameron’s Brewing Co.

By chris | Published: December 2, 2011
Deviator Doppelbock - Cameron's Brewing Co.

Here’s to my first Christmas beer review of the year! Indeed, as the day grow short and the weather is grey and damp and cold (and hopefully turns to snow!), people start reaching for higher alcohol brews, often Imperial Stouts, Doppelbocks, spiced ales, Belgian-style ales, and barleywines.  So when Cameron’s dropped me a few of their new Deviator Doppelbocks, it was another drop in the Christmas-is-coming bucket.  Cameron’s makes a solid line-up of year-round beers in their 30 Hec brewhouse, and about a year ago, installed a pilot system for the brewing crew to get to play a bit.  There have been many notable beers to come out of that spirit of innovation, though many have been limited to brewery….  [Read More]

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Mocha Porter – Lake of Bays Brewing Co.

By chris | Published: November 14, 2011
Mocha Porter - Lake of Bays Brewing Co.

So another beer from my new friends at Lake of Bays Brewing Co.  As I noted in my post on their Pale Ale, I would have been happy with them, even if they were making some very simple plain beers to support their production of exciting beers.  I would consider a Mocha Porter like this, exciting.  But their flag-ship Pale Ale was anything but plain and simple.  So what’s in store for the Mocha Porter?  Well, here’s what I know about it: It was a cooperative project between a few different companies in cottage-country; Savour Muskoka, a group dedicated to promoting food and drink in the Muskoka region; Diesel House coffee roasters, a coffee roaster in Bracebridge; and The Griffin….  [Read More]

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Pale Ale – Lake of Bays Brewing Co.

By chris | Published: November 2, 2011

I grew up spending summers in Muskoka.  As a very young fellow, it was at resorts like Delmonte in the Pines and Idylwilde (sp?) on Sparrow Lake/Severn River.  I also camped at Sparrow Lake Camp.  As time went by, we got a cottage outside Bala, and I started going to Muskoka Woods Sports Resort in Rosseau.  I am no stranger to Ontario’s cottage playground.  I remember being really excited the first time I had a bottle of Muskoka Brewing’s Cream Ale while at my cottage, thinking it was so cool to be drinking a beer made about a 30 minute drive from my dock.  So I was very interested when I heard Lake of Bays was getting their own brewery. ….  [Read More]

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Cask Days 2011 – Start Planning

By chris | Published: October 14, 2011

Cask Days is coming.  Specifically, it’s Sunday October 30th.  That should be enough.  If you’ve been to Cask Days before hit up http://www.caskdays.com/  and get your tickets. I’ll see you there. Okay, I realize that a lot of you might not be familiar with Cask Days, so let me elaborate, though seriously consider just buying your tickets now: they’re going fast.  You can read my pitch once you’re done. So, many of you will know that I am not alone in my reverential view of Bar Volo, on Yonge St, north of Wellesly.  To say that Ralph Morana and his bar are one of the most influential entities in the Ontario beer scene is an understatement indeed. From importing stellar….  [Read More]

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The Rambam – Gluten-free Belgian Quad – Snowman Brewing

By chris | Published: October 13, 2011
The Rambam - Gluten-free Quad - Snowman Brewing

You know what I love?  Good beer.  I think that goes without saying, but I said it anyways.  I love weissebeirs and dunkels and pilsners and stouts and imperial lite lagers.  I like it all.  Incidentally (and seemingly non-related) I also love bread and pasta.  See where I’m going?  I’m a bit of a gluten freak.  My wife somewhat recently went gluten-free.  This means I make two pizzas, two pastas, and toast out of two breads.  I suppose I could just bite the bullet and eat the gluten-free stuff, but I don’t.  I just really love gluten. I wonder, what would happen if I couldn’t have gluten.  My grandfather was a pretty severe celiac, so I’ve got a long history….  [Read More]

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Miami Weiss – Great Lakes Brewery

By chris | Published: September 9, 2011
Miami Weiss - Great Lakes Brewery

Ah Great Lakes, you and your crazy names.  Robohop, Does the Muumuu make me look hefe?, and the classic, Miami Weiss (say it. Remember, that “W” is pronounced like a “V” in German).  Miami Weiss, up until now, has only been available on draught at bars in southern Ontario and at festivals, where it is often served in a dry-hopped cask version.  The funny thing about it, is it’s not a weisse beer.  It would more accurately be called a pale ale, with a lot of wheat in the grain bill.  But you’ve got to love the name.  It’s available for a limited time at the LCBO, and often found at bars around Toronto.

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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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