Ransack the Universe Restores my Faith in IPAs
It’s been a long time since I had a “go-to” beer. By that I mean, when you get in the habit of trying to fluff your Untappd with unique beers, you get in a cycle of trying different brews constantly without ever returning to your favorites….
The Rare Barrel Makes the Best Sour Beer I’ve Ever Had
I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again — the best part of blogging about booze is all the friends who want to share a drink with you and talk about it. Recently, I had a very good friend return from California with some…
Beau’s Brewery Launches Rwanda Craft Brewery Project
There’s just something about Beau’s and brilliant ideas. The last time I interviewed Steve Beauchesne, co-founder of Beau’s Brewery, it was about the nifty project called “B-Side Brewing,” a craft beer label that looks to sign foreign breweries and collaborate to make unique beer. While…
Highlights from the Ontario Craft Brewers Conference 2016
Yesterday saw the greatest gathering of well-bearded folk in all of Toronto — the Ontario Craft Brewers Conference & Suppliers Marketplace. Taking place at the Allstream Centre, this conference was to inform, educate and network, all while drinking the seemingly endless supply of good Ontario craft…
Non-Alcoholic Beer: What’s the Point?
I know what you’re thinking — this article’s about non-alcoholic Budweiser, there’s simply no way it could be positive right? Mostly wrong, actually. I tried a free sample at the supermarket. And to be blunt it tasted exactly like Budweiser, which is to say “pretty…
What Makes a Great Lager? 3 Speed vs. Captain’s Log
What makes a great lager? I wish I knew for sure. It’s a bit tricky. Lagers are renowned worldwide for their drinkability, their simplicity and — perhaps unfairly — their mediocrity. They are the beers your sports-loving uncle drinks. They’re the cheap pints, and the cans…
Aging Beer: The Basics of Cellaring Your Brews
Originally introduced as a seasonal Christmas ale, Chimay Blue (‘Grande Reserve’) and its less potent older brother Chimay Rouge quickly find their way into the glass of those experimenting with the world outside of macro brewed ales and lagers. My first experience with Chimay Blue…
German Beer Purity Law: 500 Years Old & Time to Die
If you’ve ever had the dubious pleasure of tilting back a can of Holsten Premium, you’ve probably noticed the proudly displayed banner at the can’s bottom that reads “GERMAN PURITY LAW OF 1516.” This purity law doesn’t refer to, uh, other infamous German purity laws,…
Burgeoning Scene For Taiwan Beer Drinkers
I’ve been living in Taiwan now for nigh on seven years, and although I love the place, up until recently the lack of drinking culture has been a real downside. Taiwanese people are not huge social drinkers, and this had a real knock on effect…
Molson’s 1908 Historic Pale Ale Shows a Crafty Evolution
It’s a rare day I bother to review a beer made by one of the Macro-Domestic mega-corps. I am universally uninterested in their golden lager styles and have been consistently disappointed with their beers that attempt to emulate craft styles. But, like all people too entrenched…