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: The History (and Future) of the Reinheitsgebot
With a half millennia of history, the Reinheitsgebot (commonly anglicized to German Beer Purity Law) is as deeply ingrained in beer culture as, well, grains. It turned 500 years old on April 23rd 2016, celebrating a law that for many decades made “German beer” synonymous…
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…
Muskoka Brewery Takes a Spirited Next Step
When Muskoka Brewery comes to mind, you might think about their easy-drinking Detour, or perhaps their dark and burly Winter Beard. Maybe your mind goes right to their hop-bombs like Twice as Mad Tom. Whatever the case, it’s almost certain you’re thinking of their beer…
Hogtown Brewers are Creating a “Gateway” to Craft Beer
If you’re into the craft beer community, you probably have mixed feelings about contract brewers. Sure, they represent the entrepreneurial spirit that defines independent beer producers, but in a thriving market some question the veracity of their intentions — is it passion for the beer,…
Toronto — Ottawa Beer Exchange
In December, I had the opportunity to do a beer swap with Your Next Beer, a great blog for those who like a healthy dose of wit with their barley sandwiches. Dave, (Editor-in-Chief of YNB) published his review of Bellwoods beer on Sublime Imbibing, and I published…
A Tale Of Two Cities: Holiday Beer Exchange
Being a craft beer enthusiast can be really fun, but it can also be a tad frustrating at times. I only say this because there are so many beers out there that are only available regionally. Hell, regionally is being way too generous, because many…