Old Flame Brewing Rocks Their Red
I was contacted by an Old Flame Brewing Co. rep (who goes by “Big Red”) offering me a sample of beer to review. Naturally, I accepted. But when I was offered a choice between their ‘Blonde’, ‘Brunette’, and ‘Red’, I opted against my natural inclination…
Muskoka’s Winterweiss Will Warm You Up
There was a time in my life I thought Weiss beers were for spring and summer. While essentially untrue, there is some foundation for this belief. Many Weiss beers are light, fruity and easy drinking, making them a natural partner of sun-warmed docks everywhere….
Why Mill Street’s Sale is Bad for Craft Beer
Last Friday, Toronto brewery and craft beer icon Mill Street was bought by Labatt brewery. In a series of meek tweets, Mill Street scrambled to build a case for the sale, claiming it was “a partnership which will help [them] grow.” While the general consensus among…
Behind the Beer: Kevin Freer of Wellington Brewery Talks Brewing and Podcasting
I “met” Kevin Freer through a chance encounter on Reddit. I was posting my review of Arch Brewing’s Dinner Jacket, (contract brewed at Wellington Brewery) and he commented noting it was a challenging brew. Being a huge Welly fan, I leapt at the chance to interview…
Bud Light VS. Coors Light: What’s the Worst Light Beer?
I know it’s been on your mind. Deep down, every time you see a can of light beer cracked open and (probably) shotgunned, you wonder if it’s the worst light beer out there. Well, I tried two particularly bad ones to determine which was worse,…
Head to Head (to head): Session Pale Ale Stand-off
Like a bolt of low-ABV lightning, session pale ales have struck the hearts and minds brewers and drinkers alike. Perhaps in response to towering alcohol percentages and crippling bitterness, a wave of highly drinkable session pale ales have become available for public consumption. Among these,…
Behind the Beer: Arch Brewing is Setting Up Shop in Newmarket
My relationship with Arch Brewing began like so many do these days – with a tweet. As I was perusing Twitter, I came across a new brewery announcing it was setting up a location in Newmarket (which is essentially my hometown.) A couple of years ago,…
Behind the Beer: Burdock is Brewing Up in Bloordale
With its bustle of boutiques and quaint cafes, it seems nearly impossible to make Bloordale in west Toronto any more charming – but Burdock Brewery and Music Hall (1184 Bloor St.) is going to try. Fully opened in April of 2015, Burdock is a small pub…
Start Sipping Sour Beer: The Next Big Trend
We’ve done the bitter-bomb IPAs. We’re doing the easy-to-session ales. And we’re about to do the Sour Beers. I’m calling it now – the next big trend in brewing is going to be sour beers. I know what you’re thinking: “Who the hell wants to…
Behind the Beer: Shannon Howatt is Breaking Down the Home Brewing Boy’s Club
Picture in your head a modern brewer. If the person you imagine is impressively bearded, stocky, tattooed and male — well you’ve got a pretty good sense of an average brewer. But there are some who break the mould, and one of them is Toronto’s…