One of the interesting things that happened in Ontario’s beer scene this year is that the market is becoming increasingly contentious. The increased interest in beer is making it so that the status quo is becoming somewhat untenable. There are 155 craft breweries open or in planning as of this […]
1 “Try it with Mexican Food.” This was the food pairing recommendation on a press release for a bottle of beer I got last year. I can’t remember which bottle exactly and it doesn’t matter very much. One of the things that many beer companies are guilty of when it comes […]
Beer and Food: Estrella Taqueria
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
1 The Background: Listen: Sam Corbeil has come unstuck in time. He’s living backwards. At some point in the next few months he’ll have a brewery in a refurbished Canadian Tire in Gravenhurst. In April, he hired staff in the form of Aaron Spinney. At about the same time, he got […]
I ACTUALLY BOUGHT BEER: SAWDUST CITY LONG DARK VOYAGE TO ...
2 The Background: I don’t really have a working relationship with Lake of Bays. I think this is partially because they’re tucked away up in Baysville in Lake Of Bays Township. It’s an apt if not particularly creative name for the brewery when you base it on that criteria. In honour […]
THEY SEND ME BEER: LAKE OF BAYS 10 POINT IPA
It should probably be obvious by now that people send me beer. I made up a fictional character to explain the phenomenon for God’s sake. The concept of The Beer Fairy has even caught on to some extent. I see people using it online periodically. What probably isn’t obvious […]
They Send Me Beer: Big Rock Anthea Wet Hop Ale ...
4 When I said that the best of the current crop of Craft Beer Cookbooks was the Canadian one, I should point out that it’s not out of bias. I mean, for one thing, I’m Canadian and it’s always nice when we win something. I also know the author, David Ort, […]
Additional Craft Beer Cookbooks and Delicious Nuts For Your Mouth
5 It was the Sunday of Thanksgiving weekend and we were barrelling down on Cooperstown, New York through the rolling hills of the Leatherstocking region. When I say “we”, I mean Dad and my younger brother Andy. We were there mostly to visit the Baseball Hall of Fame, but, knowing that […]
In Which We Visit Ommegang
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 […]
Spending a day in New York City
Howdy, St.John’s Wort Junior Rangers! Are you like me? Do you wake up to Jazz 91.1 on your clock radio? Is one of the first things you hear in the morning, aside from the contemplative cool jazz guitaristry of Pat Metheny the dulcet tones of brewmaster Joel Manning explaining why […]