People have already written about Bellwoods Brewery. I sort of suspected that would happen out of the gate. It seems like everyone in beer in Toronto has been there. I knew it was going to be a big deal when my next door neighbour, Dave, mentioned in passing that he […]
Sometimes, you’ll have one of those moments where the things that you have learned suddenly snap into place and you’re left talking competently about a subject that you thought you didn’t care about. The second semester at Niagara College was based largely around the scientific aspects of brewing. Of course […]
Green Flash OR At Least I Learned Something
(ed. note: Pete Brown, that lovable rapscallion and author of such books as Hops and Glory and the upcoming Shakespeare’s Local is hosting this month’s edition of Session. Apparently Stan Hieronymous started this five years ago. Bloggers are given a subject to write on once a month. I figure I […]
Session 63: The Beer Moment
You know how sometimes, you acquire a bottle of beer that’s going to be really, really good? The temptation is to chill it and serve it immediately, but that’s not always the best course of action. You will have read about the beer on some rating site and it’s got […]
In Which I Refrain From Making Any Puns About WVRST
Some time ago, I was asked whether I’d be interested in judging a competition. As I haven’t actually received formal BJCP training yet, it wasn’t a beer competition. It was something of a departure from my regular activities as this was for the Barry Callebaut Intercollegiate Chocolate Competition. I’m sure […]
In Which I Eat A Very Large Amount Of Chocolate
(ed. note: Sometimes I get tired of writing about beer and allow myself to indulge in trying something else. I assure you, we’ll be back to beer at some point in the very near future.) When I saw the commercial during the superbowl for a Three Stooges movie, I was […]
A Brief Interlude From Beer Writing: The Three Stooges
While I have a moment here this afternoon prior to attending a launch for Alexander Keith’s original cider, I’d like to bring something to your attention. We have a relatively unique beer event coming up on the Toronto calendar, and it’s one that you’re definitely going to want to attend. […]
The Brewer’s Plate 2012: A Shameless Plug
I’d like to expound upon an idea that’s been kicking around at the back of my head for a while now. I suspect that it’s a touch inflammatory, so I want to point out to you that it’s not meant as an attack on anyone in particular, but as more […]
Craft Beer Evangelism or St. John’s Wort Unfolds The Mystery
At some point in the middle of the last month, probably during a week when there were midterm exams, I was surprised by an email about the Ontario IPA Challenge. I knew it was coming up, but usually Volo sort of organizes their events independently and it seemed a little […]
So You Want To Be A Brewer: The Inevitability of ...
One of the problems with writing a national column has to do with the fact that it becomes pretty difficult to justify reporting on events that are purely local. Sometimes, I’ll see upcoming events that I want to plug, but it’s just not feasible due either to timeline constraints or […]