Uncategorized

Did you hear the one about the successful brewer? Of course you did. The story goes like this: Once upon a time there was a man who did not like the job that he was doing. He was an (Investment Banker/Accountant/Fry Cook)for a place much like Xero Castle Hill bookkeeping […]

Craft Beer, Elysian and Emmanuel Goldstein

January 28, 2015 in Uncategorized tagged Craft Beer / Emmanuel Goldstein / Orwellian Doublethink by admin

(Ed. Note: About once a year the family doggerel gene takes over. I try to fight it. Believe me. This is a cautionary tale in the style of Robert Service’s Songs of Sourdough. It is meant to be a warning about putting too much of yourself into your work. I […]

The Fermentation of David MacEwan

December 10, 2014 in Uncategorized tagged Craft Beer / Doggerel / Robert Service by admin

When I was working closely with Alan McLeod from A Good Beer Blog on writing Ontario Beer (See right! Buy one for a friend! Buy a dozen!) one of the things that we would disagree on periodically was beer and food pairing. Alan more or less believes that the entire […]

Beer and Food Pairing: A Fresh Start

September 21, 2014 in Uncategorized tagged Bar Isabel / Grant Van Gameren / Pilsner Urquell / Uncle Alan by admin

It must be fun to end the world. So many authors do it. There’s a giddy thrill that comes through in just about every book that does that and that’s likely the only commonality between them; the desire of the author to play with an entropic collapse. No one who […]

Beau’s MaddAddam Gruit

May 14, 2014 in Uncategorized tagged Beau's All Natural / Gruit / MaddAddam / Margaret Atwood / Pelee Island Bird Observatory / Session Craft Beer Festival by admin

Sometimes the best way to get what you want is to ask nicely. A few weeks ago, I had become frustrated with the constant bickering between The Beer Store and the Ontario Convenience Store Association on Twitter. As a columnist, the nature of my beat is editorial rather than journalistic. […]

Fun With Numbers: Legitimate Polling Edition

April 8, 2014 in Uncategorized by admin

Philip St.John lived in Uxbridge, Ontario. He settled there in 1817, if I’m remembering the details correctly. He had emigrated from Cork in Ireland to Upper Canada, but he wasn’t properly Irish. The St.Johns were from the German Palatinate, which is near Heidelberg, and went to Ireland around 1710. Before […]

On writing about History

March 19, 2014 in Uncategorized by admin

Since it’s now much colder outside my window than it is in my freezer, it’s probably a good time to talk about Imperial Stouts. There’s something seasonally dualistic about the combination of snow and Imperial Stout, if only in terms of greyscale. There’s a warming character to them and a […]

Barrel Aged Double Tempest and Vintage Winter Beard

December 14, 2013 in Uncategorized tagged 2012 Winter Beard / Actually reviewing a damn beer / Amsterdam Adventure Brews / Barrel Aged Double Tempest / Muskoka Brewery by admin

When you talk about pairing beer and food, there are a number of things to take into account. First of all, it should be pointed out that there is no perfect pairing. Throw that nonsense out the window right now. Food pairing exists on a sliding scale from better pairings […]

BEER AND FOOD: GREAT LAKES LAKE EFFECT IPA

November 16, 2013 in Beer and Food / Uncategorized tagged Beer and Food pairing / Great Lakes Lake Effect IPA / Lamb and Root Vegetable Stew with Dill / T-Bu by admin

If you are in New York City for under 24 hours, planning an itinerary that allows for the most out of your Big Apple trip can seem like a daunting task. With so much to do and so little time, you’ll need to develop a solid travel plan. Fortunately, we’ve […]