Japanese Beer Culture and Its Neat Nuances
Travelling to Japan exposed me to a wonderful world of refreshing cultural differences. From the food, language and customs to the possibility of adequate public transit (take note, TTC). But there were plenty that seemed familiar too, and that included the Japanese love of drinking, notably…
Alcohol-Free April: Raising Awareness for Alcoholism
Hey all, I’m posting this today so you know it’s not an April Fools joke. I’m taking all of April off booze. Not for any personal health reason, or because I’ve stopped enjoying a good drink, but because April is alcoholism awareness month. Alcohol addiction is…
In Defense of Pumpkin Beer
It’s no secret that the subject of Pumpkin beer tends to be divisive among beer drinkers. There are some who wring their hands anxiously as autumn approaches, eager to get their lips on a bottle simmering with cinnamon and notes of nutmeg. On the other…
Guide to Drinking Glasses
Looking for the perfect glass to drown your post-election blues? Here’s a handy chart when picking your glassware. Source: eReplacementParts.com
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…
Alcohol-free April: A Month In Review
Well, I did it folks. One whole month without booze. It wasn’t pleasant, but I learned a whole lot about what abstaining is like (SPOILER: it sucks.) I have an enormous amount of respect for people recovering from alcohol addiction, and I’m going to try…
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,…
Alcohol-free April 2016: Update #1
Two weeks in to no-alcohol April. You probably expect this post to be relatively uplifting and – at its essence – I think it is. But the reality of not being able to drink when you A) want to and B) can’t… well frankly it sucks….
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…