“Go very light on the vices, such as carrying on in society— the social ramble ain’t restful.” That was Satchel Paige that said that and while he may have been a good pitcher, his way with a witticism was probably better than Berra. That comes of knowing who you are. […]

They Send Me Beer: Early July 2017

People continue to send me beer. This is, more or less, a good thing, although the volume has ramped up lately due to monthly beer clubs. I’m currently clearing something like 4000 calories a day according to fitbit and the gym, so beer calories are not much of a concern. […]

They Send Me Beer: Henderson, Moosehead, Mill Street, Sawdust

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There are things that you learn about yourself when you try to do a new thing, just like when I start getting lol coaching sessions and I didn’t know I was so bad at the game. Since I started teaching Beer Appreciation at George Brown College, I have learned the […]

Poles Apart

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Of all the people who send beer out for review, Beau’s is probably the most prolific. It’s nice that they basically send one of everything for review, but a lot of the time there’s so much going on in Ontario that I worry reviewing all of it might give people […]

Review: A Beau’s Four Pack

At the end of a 675 page book, it turns out that there’s a bit of a fallow period where you don’t feel like writing very much. The temptation of Instagram is mighty in that situation and it becomes easy to try and build a following on that site by […]

They Send Me Beer: Cameron’s and St. Mary’s Axe

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Last year, I managed to miss the inaugural edition of the Toronto Brew Fest. I was feeling low key, as one does towards the end of February and had decided to stay in. What became apparent on the twitter feed surrounding the event is that the reviews on the ground […]

Upcoming: Toronto Brew Fest 2017

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Sometimes, your relationship with a brewer starts out in a mildly contentious manner. That was certainly the case with Bell City and their Eureka Cream Ale. When they made their debut on the patio at the Rhino Summer Beer Fest in 2013, I remember having the following conversation with the […]

Bell City and Changeability

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(Ed Note: Buckle the heck up, Junior Rangers. This is going to be a long one. It is also somewhat inflammatory.) The other question I get is “what do you think is going to happen?” It’s usually phrased that way and to be honest it means different things depending on […]

They Keep Asking Me: “What Do You Think Is Going ...

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As I went around the province talking to people at breweries and festivals over the course of the last six months, I was asked the two questions that I’m always asked. I have decided to answer them on the blog this week in the hope that it might avert some […]

They Keep Asking Me: “What’s Your Favourite Beer?”

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If there was a thematic element to this edition of the Ontario Craft Beer Guide, it is probably to do with the life cycle of the startup brewery. Mark Murphy from Left Field asked me back in the summer if we were going to go back and revisit the breweries […]

Some Post 2nd Edition Thoughts