Simply Put, It’s the Best Pumpkin Beer: Southern Tier’s ‘Pumking’
My intention when I began writing this post was to review several seasonal pumpkin brews, and pick my favourite. But when I re-tasted Southern Tier’s Pumking I forewent even reviewing other options. Because, simply put, Pumking is the best pumpkin beer on the market, and…
Jackson-Triggs Meritage Reserve: Bordeaux on a Budget
There are those magical bottles of wine. The inexpensive ones that taste like they cost a fortune. The ones universally appreciated, that you can share with friends, or bring to a fancier dinner party. The ones that have patriotic appeal, something you can be proud…
Five Budget Beers Better Than Bud
I loathe Budweiser. It tastes like the cheapest of cheap lagers, and yet, it’s marketed as a premium beer with a price tag to match. Despite bearing remarkable similarities to the drippings that sometimes ooze forth from your garbage bag, a 24 case of…
A Wonderful Welly One-Off: Kolvoord Hopburst Double IPA
Like nearly any item, the value of a beverage is often determined by its scarcity. And recently, I had the pleasure — nay, the privilege — of trying an incredibly rare beer from Wellington Brewery called Kolvoord Hopburst Double IPA. Wellington Brewery, known for its…
Sipping With Smoth: Unlocking the Case for Rubicon’s ‘Cask Cabernet’
As much as I’d like to pretend otherwise, I’m essentially a budget wine shopper. Mostly I peruse the Vintage section for interesting bottles in the $20-$30 range, and I’ve even been known to stoop so low as to mingle with non-vintage wines in the $10-$15…
A Bangin’ Single Barrel Bourbon: Eagle Rare 10 Year
The first time I tried Eagle Rare 10 Year, I was already several drinks (and a hardy several at that) deep at a fairly rowdy work event. My co-worker had purchased it for some occasion or other, and in his alcoholically-amalgamated generosity, proffered a taste…
Twice as Mad, Twice as Good: Muskoka’s Twice as Mad Tom Double IPA
I’m a hop head. A fiend for IPA’s, the more bitter the better. I’ve extolled their virtue in several posts (such as this one), and one of my all time favourites is Muskoka Brewery’s Mad Tom IPA. So when I got to try Twice as…
Sipping With Smoth: Sangria Sessions and Cigar Bars in Montreal
Occasionally, you have some alcohol throughout your day. Other times, you have some day throughout your alcohol. Last summer, on a trip to Old Montreal with my close friend (and premier drinking buddy), we experienced a healthy dose of the latter scenario. The weather was…
Too Bad to Buy: McClelland’s Budget Scotch
William Faulkner once said, “There is no such thing as bad whiskey.” This proves two things: 1. Faulkner really liked whiskey and 2. He had never tried McClelland’s Islay Single Malt Scotch. Listen, I understand being on a tight budget. Really, I do. And I…
The Bubbly Brilliance of Prosecco
Undoubtedly, when sparkling wine comes to mind, it is Champagne that gets the majority of attention and acclaim. In fact, the name ‘Champagne’ has become synonymous with effervescent wine (much to the chagrin of both producers and many informed consumers). While you’ll be hard pressed…