Bier Goddess Adventures

Maternity Leave

2010-02-14T10:15:00.010-05:00

This is a picture of me from June 2008. Yes, it's been a while but I've been a little distracted with a side project.

There is so much to write about - a trip to Japan covering Kikuchi Brewers & Popeye's Pub, 2008 & 2009 Volo Cask Days, new beer discoveries, a BierGotter's Creme Brulee Java Stout fundraiser for a local children's centre and so much more. So I promise to get back to blogging.

My apologies for the extended absence.

Back to Buffalo: Feb 2008

2008-03-16T06:42:00.027-05:00

Day One

After a good attempt to start early we were on the QEW to Buffalo. We got a bit delayed at US Customs but the volume of travellers was very high due to Ontario's new statutory holiday, Family Day. The US Customs officials were very nice and they did the best they could to process the heavy volume of visitors as quickly as possible. We first met some other friends at the Fashion Outlet Mall, had lunch and did a bit of shopping. Afterwards we went to the hotel to check in and freshen up. Our group was looking forward to dinner at the Pizza Plant on Transit Road but they were on a long wait list so we went across the street to Appleby's. They were busy too but they accommodated the six of us fairly quickly and I have to say that not only did we have a great meal the service was outstanding.

After dinner we all headed back to the hotel for a night cap. Bier Guide & Andrew just made it to the store before closing to pick up a growler of Southern Tier Imperial Choclate Stout. This is what Bier Guide had to say about it: "Smooth,velvety and super chocolatey. It was rich but so easy to drink for an imperial."

Day Two

Andrew, Isako, me & Bier Guide in front of the Albright-Knox Art Gallery (http://www.albrightknox.org/geninfo.html)

After breakfast and saying goodbye to Rick & Sabrina who were headed back to Toronto a day ahead of us, our happy foursome headed to the Albright-Knox. It is a great contempory art gallery in downtown Buffalo. On a grey, wet day like this one, it was the perfect place to be. There was a minimalist collection of pieces from various artists presented with colours being the primary criteria for groupings. They also had many of their permanent collection on display.

Coles Restaurant (http://www.meetmeatcoles.com/)

After the gallery, we were all pretty hungry so we decided to head over to Coles for a late lunch/early dinner. Bier Guide had been there in the past & this place came highly recommened by Eric of BierGotter.

The impressive Beer Menu - Bottles & Draught....drooling....mmmmm.

(click on the pictures to enlarge image)

Bier Goddess inspecting her taster very, very carefully.

Premier Gourmet a must for all visitors to Buffalo who seek good beer & fine gourmet cooking ingredients.

Day Three

Bier Guide & Isako had a very bad night of food poisoning. We cannot be sure but the suspect food must have been the blue cheese on their Kobe Beef Burgers at Coles yesterday. It was the only thing that they ate that was in common and it was something that Bier Goddess & Andrew did not have. It was a bad turn of events but at least this happened near the end of our trip.

After a quiet morning of nursing very sore tummies we headed out to Consumer's Beverage - another must see for beer lovers visiting Upstate NY.

Andrew, Tom & Isako.

We made it through the stop at Consumer's Beverage although Bier Guide was struggling just to muster enough energy to pick out a few bottles. We had introduced Tom, who works at Consumber's, to Andrew & Isako to share his beer wisdom and help narrow down the selection. Thanks Tom!!

Sean M in England

2008-02-06T06:50:00.005-05:00

Living vicariously through another is not always all it's cracked up to be. My friend and fellow aspiring Bier God, Sean M, was off again on yet another business trip but this time to England. I've never been to the UK. I knew that he was there for work, away from his family and probably tired from jetlag, travelling and strange surroundings. However it's difficult surpress a feeling of jealousy that was bubbling up in my beer sole. Didn't you just get back from Boston not too long ago?! Some people seem to have the jobs with the best fringe benefits. Anyhow, putting my petty feelings aside, this is what he had to say about the beer experiences he had:

Been in London since Monday and this is the second bar that is all Samuel Smith. Tried the Extra Stout and let me tell you is way better than the bottled stuff. Fresh light and creamy, it's where you want to be. Also had their Wheat Beer as well also very good. Other good beers included all of the Fullers stuff like London Pride, and Spitfire Ale. Even the Kronenberg 1664 tastes better over here! Cheers!

Had Steak and Kidney pie and the wheat Samuel Smith. Heated by coal fireplaces of course! Note the date of the renovations.

Had the London Pride pulled here, no carbonation for the ales of course!

As for the beers, although you don’t want to hear it, there are not a lot of “traditional” old school pubs in London specializing in big heavy ales and stouts. Don’t get me wrong there are more than enough but most Londoners have opted for lighter food and drink as they have a very modern outlook on things. E.g. I have the steak and kidney pie followed by heavy dessert, they would more often eat a salad or light café food (Scottish smoked salmon on rye bread with capers, salad with rocket) and maybe a lager. I did find another pub with all of the Samuel Smith offerings, mostly on tap which was great. I had the Extra Stout and it was so fresh, creamy and light, even though it was full bodied. We also had Fuller’s products here and there, and some other more commercial European brews. Other brews that you mentioned would more likely be found up north as England ’s pubs are very regionalized. May be next time!

Volo Cask Days 2007

2007-10-31T19:17:00.025-05:00

The third annual Volo Cask Days festival.
October 20 ~ 21, 2007.

It was a beautiful autumn weekend for the 2007 Cask Days. The sun was shining on this sold out event. There were four sessions: (1) Saturday Breakfast with the Brewers, (2) Saturday Afternoon, (3) Saturday Evening and (4) Sunday Afternoon. Bier Goddess had been looking forward to this event for months. Of all the Toronto beer festivals and events, this is the one NOT to miss. It was the second year I had volunteered to help serve and there was no making the same mistake as last year - sensible shoes this time. I needed to pace myself since I had signed up to volunteer at two out of the four sessions. Ralph & Ina, the owners and operators, always do such a great job with all the special events they host that it's a pleasure for me to help out where I can. It also gives me a chance to talk with the brewers & get an inside look at this Toronto creme de la creme festival of All-Cask-Conditioned beers.

Biergotter's Cask Imperial Porter.
Biergotter's other beer, Hopocalypse Redux, won for Best Beer of the Festival as voted by the attendees. (www.biergotter.org)
Fog On The Tyne by Magnotta Brewery won for best beer name.

Ina and Stephen Beaumount, beer writer,chat about beer.

What an amazing turn out beers. Here is the list of special casks that were submitted to this event:
* Volo's Hopocalypse Redux (American IPA, brewed by Beirgotter)
* Volo's Casc Imperial Porter (American Imperial Porter, brewed by Beirgotter)
* Volo's Totally Bitter Ale (brewed by Robert Hughey)
* Denison's Weissbier (Denison's Brewery)
* Wind & Sail Dark Ale (Barley Days Brewery)
* Hop Bomb "S.T.F.U." Pale Ale (Black Oak Brewing)
* Bourbon Barreled 2005 Nutcracker Porter (Black Oak Brewing)
* Hopburn Ale (Camerons Brewing)
* Hop Head IPA (County Durham Brewing)
* Blak Kat Stout (County Durham Brewing)
* Taste of Ontario Harvest Ale (F&M Brewing)
* George's Herbal Mild (F&M Brewing)
* Fuller's ESB (Fuller's Brewery)
* London Pride (Fuller's Brewery)
* Mill Race Mild (Grand River)
* Plowman's Ale (Grand River)
* Best Bitter Special (Granite Brewery)
* Keefe Oak Chipped Steeped Irish Stout (Granite Brewery)
* Devil's Pale Ale (Great Lakes Brewery)
* Pumpkin Ale (Great Lakes Brewery)
* Stewart's Organic Ale (Heritage Brewery)
* Traditional English Dark Ale - Made with vanilla beans (Hockley Valley Brewery)
* Maclean's Pale Ale - Dry hopped (Maclean's & Lagers)
* Fog On The Tyne - Weizen yeast flavoured American IPA (Magnotta Brewery)
* IPA (Mill Street Brewery)
* Left Hook Barley Wine (Nickel Brook Brewery)
* Jackson Best Bitter - Michael Jackon tribute beer (Saint Andre Brewing)
* Perry's Atomic Pumpkin Ale (Scotch Irish Brewing)
* Peppermint Stout - Unconditioned (Tafalgar Ales & Meads)
* Volo's Grains Of Wrath Double IPA (brewed by Church Key)
* Arkell Best Bitter (Wellington Brewery)
* Special Pale Ale- Dry hopped (Wellington Brewery)

I had volunteered at sessions 2 & 3 but I attended session 4 with a group of friends. We had a great time tasting, sharing our favorites and mingling with the other beer fans. At these events, there always seems to be a relaxed excitement. The cost of $35 per session it's a real deal. You got ten 4 oz tasting tickets and a tasting glass. I don't know anyone who ran out of tickets. There were also four beers that were sold in to fundraise for Sick Kids Hospital. (Good on you Ralph!) My favourite beers of the festival were Biergotter's Casc Imperial Porter, for it's velety smoothness and well intergrated hops, and Perry's Atomic Pumpkin Ale, for it's good pumpkin flesh flavours and balanced drinkability.

Above, some of the brewers: (top) Adrian Popowycz (brewmaster of Black Oak), (second in column) Robert Hughey & Bruce Halstead of Durham County, (third in column) Perry Mason (founder of Scotch Irish Brewing Co)and (fourth in column) Russ Burdick & Jan Biega (brewer and brew monkey of Biergotter).

This festival benefitted from the trials & errors of the previous years. The quality of the beers submitted were a notch above past years. I think this is due to the competitive nature of the brewers and the prestige this event has garnered in the Toronto beer community. The cap on the number of attendees per session allowed for a more comfortable experience. We were not all on top of each other and the flow of traffic to get tasters was easy & quick. Also, the rotating invitees at "The Cheese Table" allowed for a fuller tasting experience, especially for those who attended more than one session. The invitees were, Julia Rogers (www.cheeseculture.ca), Cole Snell (provincialfinefoods.com), Ruth Klahsen (www.monfortedairy.com), Scott Jensen (www.jensencheese.ca) and Alli Miller (of Alli's Bread).

The two best beer t-shirts...gotta love the sense of humour that brewers have. (Click on the photo to enlarge.)

Tickets, Cheese Seminar, Beer Friends

2007-09-30T09:29:00.006-05:00

September 2007

On the last Sunday of September there was a special day at Volo. The first thing happening was the Cask Days one day ticket sale. To celebrate the day there was a limited quantity of Fuller's ESB on cask for the early birds. Not only was there a big line up for the ticket sale, they sold out within the first couple of hours! This was the third year of Cask Days & it had gained a certain prestige in the beer community in Toronto as The Festival to attend if you like cask conditioned beer.

I wanted to attend the Saturday night session but by the time I got to the front of the line, I could only get tickets for Sunday afternoon. I called everyone I was getting tickets for and thankfully everyone would be able to attend on Sunday instead. This ment I would be volunteering to serve both Saturday afternoon & evening sessions...I knew then that I would have to be prepared for a long day on my feet. Then I thought, "What if it rains??!" Having promised Ralph, the owner, I'd help out ment no backing out now. Not that I would. This was my favorite Toronto beer event and I enjoy supporting those events I believe in.

Dan & Doug are regulars at Volo. There not only very nice guys but they are also fellow beer enthusiasts. Cheers boys! Don't drink all the Fuller's - save me some!

Biergotter Gang: Eric Ecclestone, Jennifer Root, Russ Burdick & Jan Biega enjoying a pint of ESB and playing some eucher. I'll take some of that action.

Part 2 of the same day: Later, I attended the first of three monthly cheese seminars at Volo taught by Julia Rogers. There were 3 sessions scheduled for the last Sunday of September, October & November. Each session would have a different focus, introducing different cheeses and their different wine & beer pairings. This series breaked for the holidays but new sessions were added for spring of 2008. If you're interested go to the Volo website listed as a link on the blog's right hand side.

(More details on this September cheese session will be posted later.)

Julia Rogers of Cheese Culture (cheese educator & enthusiast)

Tasting Plate: September '07 Cheese Seminar

2007 Golden Tap Awards

2007-08-19T18:18:00.003-05:00

A table of Bier Gods & Goddesses enjoying their tastings.
(from left to right: Eric, Hilary, Chris, Michiho & Mark)

Once again Beer Bistro hosted the annual Golden Tap Awards on Saturday August 18. This event celebrates and honours the beer makers and beer establishments in Ontario. It was the fifth year of this event and it was packed with beer enthusiasts. Hosted by Cass Enright, the moderator of the Bar Towel website, it brings together brewers and their beers to one afternoon of casual fun and opportunity to sample, sample, sample. At $2 a tasting, it's easy to try a wide variety of beer or something from the table of finger foods.

One of the bonuses of attending is that many breweries bring one-off batches that you can try. These special brews are often only available at the event and you might not ever have a chance to taste ever again. Some at this year's event were Black Oak's Transvestites Tipple and Scotch Irish's Fire In The Hole.

Cass Enright who emceed the awards ceremony.

Michael Hancock, brewer and owner of Denison's, accepting his Editor's Circle Award for his outstanding brewing.

Adrian and Ken of Black Oak Brewing company who won the Best Beer of the Festival.

The 2007 Golden Tap winners:

Best microbrewery in the Greater Toronto Area (GTA) - Mill Street
Best microbrewery in Ontario (outside of the GTA) - Church-Key
Best beer brewed in the GTA - Mill Street Tankhouse
Best beer brewed in Ontario (outside of the GTA) - Beau's Lug-Tread Lagered Ale
Best bar in the GTA in terms of draught beer selection - C'est What
Best bar in the GTA in terms of bottled beer selection - beerbistro
Best bar in Ontario (outside of the GTA) - Winking Judge
Best brewpub or tied house in Ontario (including the GTA) - Mill Street Brewpub
Best beer of the festival - Black Oak Transvestite's Tipple

New this year were Editor's Circle awards, to recognize unique and significant achievements in the Ontario beer industry. Four were handed out:

Michael Hancock
Great Lakes Brewing
Roland + Russell
Volo Cask Days

(For past winners see http://goldentap.ca/winners.html)

Victory Cafe

2007-07-15T19:25:00.000-05:00

Victory Cafe, 581 Markham Street, Toronto (http://victorycafe.ca/)

I really wanted to get together to catch up with Bier Goddess Hilary after being away on vacation. We planned to meet at around 4 pm at Ronnie's Local 69 in Kensington Market. An unfortunate sequence of events ended up with meeting Hilary much later at a haunt closer to her house called Victory Cafe in the Annex. I'd never been there before but BG Hilary assured us that it would have some good offerings.

Beautiful Bier Goddess Hilary on a lovely Sunday evening in July.

It was cool but the summer is so short in Toronto, we sat out on the large patio anyways. The first pint I had was the Galt Knife Old Style Lager. It was sweet up front but it changed to a hoppy, dry finish. It was clear, amber in colour and had only a little head.

Some of Victory's offerings are listed here but you should always inquire about any guest taps.

I had the cod feature entree for dinner with stewed chickpeas. As my second pint, I had the Black Oak Saison. It was very good - some spice and malt flavours, refreshing and extremely satisfying. Coincidentally, just this past Friday, Cafe Volo hosted a tasting of Black Oak Saison on tap, cask conditioned and bottled. Tasting it now, I was very sorry I didn't make the effort of going. I understand that both Adrian (Head Brewer) and Ken (President)were at Volo for the tasting. I had the pleasure of meeting Adrian before (see posting on March 24, 2007). Well done Adrian! I've been spreading the word about your saison to all my friends.

This car was parked just a little down the street from Victory.

Grilling with Beer Event

2007-07-10T19:24:00.000-05:00

Lucy Saunders, author of "Grilling With Beer", Stephen Beaumont, beer writer and co-owner of Beer Bistro and Brian Morin, Beer Bistro Executive Chef, collaborated to host this event on July 10, 2007.

Sometimes timing is everything. The stars must have all been alined to conspire a truely memorable event. This special 5 course meal was offered only for one day which just happened to be my birthday. What could be nicer than being spoiled to a decandent, carefulled planned meal paired with American craft beers savored with friends?

We started with the welcome beer, Lost Abbey's Avent Garde Ale (San Marcos, CA, 7%alc.) An amber biere de garde with a bready body highlighted by spicy coriander and orange notes. I found that it was saison-like, somewhat Duvel-ish, sweet up front but it had a dry finish. It would have been better if it had been served a bit colder.

First Course: Trio of beer bacon-wrapped shrimp with smoked jalapeno pale ale bbq sauce, grilled gravlax, cucumber stout pancake, white beer vinaigrette and grilled cherry beer-cured duck with chipotle peach sauce. This first course was paired with Brooklyn Local 1: The new Belgian-inspired blonde from Brooklyn Brewery. (Brooklyn, NY, 9% alc.) A delicious start. Every bit satisfying and covering a wide spectrum of flavours. My favorite was the shrimp.

Second Course: Grilled porter ginger scallops bitter greens, mango, pink grapefruit lambic vinaigrette. It was paired with Anchor Summer Beer: A slightly sweet wheat beer with hints of honey & citrus. (San Francisco, CA, 4.2% alc.) The only thing wrong with dish was there wasn't enough. The greens were not sharp tasting because the tart dressing and sweet scallops balanced this dish.

Third Course: Smoked chicken & chanterelles grilled beer onions, pear tomatoes, thyme & goat cheese on herbed walnut flatbread. It was paired with Sierra Nevada Porter: medium bodied with notes of coffee and chocolate. (Chico, CA, 5.6% alc.) This course in really contrasted from the previous two with it's earthy flavours and heavier body. The porter accentuated the walnut flatbread and smokiness of the chicken.

Fourth Course: Slow-smoked pork back ribs Waupoos cider marinated, jalapeno cheddar biscuits, smashed potatoes & rauchbier bbq beans. It was paired with Lost Abbey Red Barn: spiced with ginger, orange, pepper & grains of paradise. (San Marcos, CA, 6.7% alc.) The ribs were so tender I hardly had to chew; the texture of the smashed potatoes really enhanced their flavour; the beans were smokey, saucey and made excellent use of the rauchbier they were cooked in.

Fifth Course: Strawberry raspberry shortcake, berry beer sorbet, icecream. Dessert was paired with Brooklyn Black Chocolate Stout: bittersweet and soothing. (Brooklyn, NY, 10.1% alc.) Fresh, lightness in the mouth yet extreemly deep in flavours. The palate was saturated with berries and velvetly smoothness of the stout.

No more...not even a tiny waiffer.

Great Divide, Denver, CO

2007-07-06T19:21:00.000-05:00

Great Divide Brewing Company (2201 Arapahoe Street,Denver, CO 80205 telephone:(303) 296-9460 ext. 26) www.greatdivide.com

Part two of the last full day of my vacation was a trip to Great Divide. I was a bit tired and loosing my happy buzz from Avery. I was struggling in the late afternoon to muster up enough energy to enjoy one more brewery tour. My motivator was the memory of tasting the Oak Aged Yeti at the Montreal Beer Festival. It had left a lasting impression.

The taps in the tasting room.

Proudly displaying their awards.

The Tour:

Yazoo was recommended by the guys at the brewery. We walked half a block up the street to a small take out place that specializes in dry rub barbeque. We'd had a lot of delicious, slow-cooked meats and barbeque on this trip. The diet begins tomorrow. It was a totally unassuming place. A plain counter in a tiny building with no airconditioning. The food was not my favorite bbq of the trip but it was also bbq of very different style than I had had so far so it was worth trying.

Avery Brewing Company, Boulder, CO

2007-07-06T19:20:00.000-05:00

When you're approaching the end of a your vacation, it's always kind of sad. Bier Guide and I wanted to get a lot done on the last full day of our road trip vacation. Our vacation started out with car trouble when we drove from Toronto to Buffalo, NY. The fan has to konk out now? We had to pull over to let the engine cool because every liquid in the car was boiling so violently that the car was rattling. Anyways from Buffalo we caught our flight to Seattle, WA where we picked up a rental car. Ocean, mountains, deserts, a lot of pulled pork, four thousand plus kilometers and 14 days later had brought us to Boulder, CO. We savoured our morning coffee as we planned out the itinerary of the last golden day.

After packing, visits to bike shops (see the next posting) and a quick lunch we headed over to Avery Brewing Company (5763 Arapahoe Ave., Boulder, CO 80303 or call toll-free: 1-877-844-5679). Thank goodness that we had looked it up because it would be easy to miss. Tucked away in an industrial area of town, we found a cluster of buildings belonging to Avery. Their tasting room is small but very nicely designed in a European-style with a pour station in the back and plenty of seating to let visitors relax.

Greg Miller was manning the pour station. I defy anyone to find a friendlier, more welcoming embassador of beer. He immediately invited us to start tasting and made us feel at home with his easy going manner. The anticipation of so many legendary beers to try, I asked Greg to give me a tasting course from least hoppy to most hoppy. I wanted my palate to pick up on as much of the flavours as possible.

Peter Archer is a Sales, Marketing and Merchandise rep for Avery. There were quite a few of us in the tasting room interested in a tour so he offered to take us into the brewery itself for a bit of a peek. His jovial charm, Australian accent and casual personality made a great guide for the six of us who eagerly jumped up at his offer.

"Wait a minite. We can't go yet. I see someone without a full pint!! Unacceptable, go back to Greg and get a proper glass of beer or I'm not going to take you," declared Peter. So back I went.

The tour was thorough but to be honest, I had drank too much by then to remember the details.

On the tour with Peter.

Bier Guide finally decided what to bring home...Avery delivers to Toronto, don't they?

Beer Has the Power to Unite

2007-07-06T19:00:00.000-05:00

It's amazing how people who were complete strangers can connect quickly if given the right circumstances. I was at the end of a two week vacation in the United States. We had gone from Seattle, WA to Boulder, CO covering over 2575 miles (that's approximately 4120 kilometers for my metric friends). It's always sad when you know you're on the second last day of holidays. The last day is always spent travelling home so it feels even worse. This trip was going to end with a bang. The morning was spent at bike shops. One shop was called Vecchio's where we met a gentleman who used to race in southern Ontario. He was familiar with courses and riders that only a small group of people would know. Beer Guide, who also used to race was familiar with many of the same places and people. Small world, eh?

After noon, we went to Avery. This was a much anticipated visit as we had already sampled their Maharaja in the past. (See blog entry on May 1, 2007.) Having checked on when their tasting room was open, we knew that it was just a matter of finding them. If anyone plans on visiting, look up their website for a map to their brewery & tasting room. It is not the easiest place to find - located in the rear of an industrial area off the main road. The search was well worth it! We were not alone. Some were there already sampling and chatting around a table. Soon others arrived. I offered to take a picture of a nice bunch of guys as a momento of their visit. You see, it's becomes apparent to me the folks that are really into beer and those who are not. They seemed serious about their beer. I like the serious ones. I think it was Vincent who commented how that was a nice offer but they had their own digital camera. I took their picture and asked if they wanted to send me a copy, I would post it on my blog. To my delight, they did.

From left to right are James, Cibi, Jacob, Matt, and Vincent.

I hope you boys are well and enjoying some Avery beers for me. And if any of you are ever in Toronto, I would be happy to show you around our beer haunts. Cheers!!

Moab, Utah

2007-07-02T19:14:00.001-05:00

The desert has always felt like a magical place for me. It's a place of such extreems. Exquisit beauty in one of the harshest environments on earth. Everything that lives there inspires amazement as they seem to survive on almost no water most of the time, under the unrelenting sun, cold to hot temperatures that can vary 40 to 50 degrees Farenheit in one day and has very little in the ways of protection. There are countless colours and shapes that can be seen in the many deserts of the southwest US. I have visited Grand Canyon, Red Rock Canyon, Valley of Fire, Craters of the Moon National Monument and Death Valley. This is Arches National Park which is approximately a 15 minute drive to Moab, the closest town.

I was there in early July this year so if you want to do any hiking at all, it's a good idea to start early because by noon the temperature rises to over 100 degrees. It's very dry and the sun is unforgiving. This is the view from Partition Arch.

In the tiny town of Moab is the Moab Brewery. I had the steak salad which was much more than I expected it to be. The steak was so tender that you hardly had to chew it and seasoned ever so lightly. The salad part was made up of mixed greens, roasted red peppers, Spanish onion and topped with a vinigrette.

Like other breweries I've visied blind, the best way to get a quick survery is to get the tasting tray. I took to the Scorpion Pale Ale and the Elephant Hill Hefeweizen. The one thing about finding your favourite in a tasting tray is that I usually don't have enough sobber left in me to order a pint.

For more information please see this link http://www.themoabbrewery.com/microbrews.html

Nederland, Colorado

2007-06-30T19:11:00.000-05:00

The sky was gorgeous with moody clouds mixed in the late day sunshine.

Nederland is a tiny town south of Rocky Mountain National Park. It's easy to miss but well worth a stop. This out-of-the-way place has great beer, friendly people, happy dogs, the Frozen Dead Guy Festival - yes, you heard me correctly!(http://www.nederlandchamber.org/FrozenDeadGuyDays/)and mountains close by ... what else can you ask for?

Wild Mountain Smokehouse and Brewery (http://www.wildmountainsb.com/)

Wild Mountain is tucked in amongst the thirty or so modest buildings that make up town of Nederland. We did not expect to find a brew pub here. We stopped at the town's information centre to get some advice on the hiking & camping in the area so this discovery was a bit of a surprise. The draught pints are $4 and only $3.50 at their 5 pm happy hour. They also have a solid selection of import bottles at more than fair prices.

Bier Guide chose the Hopdiggity IPA. At 7.4% it had a floral, citrus aroma and a nice deep gold colour. This IPA was juicy and smooth with a citrus flavour. It had a medium finish. It was not oily in the mouth. I had the Otis Pale Ale (6.6%). With a light smell and crisp, light hop taste, it was easy to drink. The finish was short with lemony tones.

A reminder of Prohibition times makes me more appreciative of the beverages we enjoyed that lovely July afternoon.

The local liquor store houses an impressive collection of American and import beers. They have a clear payment policy delivered with a sense of humour.

I'm guessing that this structure is a prop for the Frozen Dead Guy Festival. Held in March for the last six years, it features all kinds of family friendly events including a casket race!

Rogue in Portland

2007-06-26T19:10:00.000-05:00

Rogue Pub in Portland, OR (1339 NW Flanders, Portland 97209)

My love affair with Rogue started a couple of years ago when the LCBO got some of their products as seasonal features. From what I understand, Rogue will not be shipping to us in Ontario due to the mound of paperwork and labling required by the LCBO. Sad, but it does not surprise me. Who would want to deal with so much work for such a small market? The whole state of California has the same population as all of Canada. Rogue is in no short supply of clients so why would they want to jump through hoops for us? I don't really blame them. This means that I will have to make the occasional trip to Buffalo to get my Rogues.

This was the second Rogue Pub I've had the pleasure of visiting. (See previous posting on February 3, 2007 for the visit to Rogue in San Francisco.) But for Bier Guide, it was the first. We walked into a quiet bar during the after lunch but before dinner time of day. We had made the side trip to Portland for the specific purpose of visiting Rogue. The air was thick with anticipation. Okay, that's just our thirst talking.

The taps - aren't they beautiful?!! (Click on the photo for details of the draught list.)

Here, take a closer look.

My tasting tray.

It's a real treat to have so many of the Rogue as draughts. The Hazelnut Nectar truely shined. I've had it in bottles but the draught with it's freshness and subtle nutty, port-like, smokey flavours really cannot be put into words. A new one for me that day was the Honey Orange Wheat. I didn't expect much from it but it proved to be well executed. Plus, I hate missing an opportunity to try something new. As the afternoon worn on, I also tried a shot of their Spruce Gin. Rogue is also distilling three rums: Hazelnut Spice Rum, Dark Rum and White Rum. (http://www.roguespirits.com/spirits.html)

Delicious nibblies to compliment the beers. It doesn't hurt to have a bit to eat so I don't get too drunk, too fast.

The flags of Rogue Nation.

Seattle, Washington

2007-06-24T19:08:00.000-05:00

A view of Seattle from Kerry Park with Mount Rainier in the background.

The vacataion started with a drive to Buffalo, NY. where we had a "sleep, park & fly" hotel booked for the night before our flight. The car overheated in Niagara Falls - great, just what we needed at the beginning of two weeks vacation and on a Saturday afternoon when everything would be closed in 45 minutes. Anyways, we got into Buffalo okay in the end. We flew early the next morning to St. Paul, MI changed planes for Seattle, WA. I have always loved being near the ocean. Puget Sound glimmered in the setting sun. Fresh seafood, great coffee and famous west coast beers here we come! I was so tired but also very excited to finally have arrived.

We stayed at The Moore Hotel (www.moorehotel.com). It is in the heart of Seattle. Not only is it an economical place to stay, it is within walking distance of so much to do & see. The old building has character, friendly front desk staff and it's conveniently located near the Seattle Art Museum, Pike Market, and loads of shops & restaurants. Parking is very expensive in Seattle so it's a good idea to park the car in one spot and then take alternative modes of transportation while in the city. Public transit is free in the downtown core.

Our indoor picnic.

Next to our hotel the Moore Theatre had a marquee advertising that Feist would be performing that evening. Yes, in hind sight I should have gone but I was wiped. Call me old but I couldn't muster the energy to even go out for dinner. Instead, we picked up some stuff at the Pike Market and had a wonderful pinic dinner in our room. Some old cheese, pickled beets, French stick, salad and of course beer.

Pike Market is packed with vendors of all kinds. Fresh fish,cut flowers and produce,bakeries, imports from exotic places and my favourite was a great comic book shop in the basement. Wandering around has it's rewards.

Seattle has pigs the way Toronto has moose. I think I photographed twenty or so all over the city. This golden pig is right in front of the most popular fish vendor. If you hang around long enough you can watch as they call out an order. The fish mongers will skillfully throw a huge salmon into the air for another guy to catch in some brown paper for shipping. They advised that they can ship anywhere in the continental US for next day delivery by UPS.

Lowell's inside the market's main building where you can dine with a view of Puget Sound.
Dungeness Crab Omlette...so good we went twice!

Experience Music Project is an interactive music museum featuring the history of modern American music with a special focus on Jimmy Henrix. Because your admission gets you into the Science Fiction Museum and Hall of Fame as well, planning your day with enough time to take in both will let you get lots of bang for your buck. (http://www.emplive.org/visit/index.asp?categoryID=160) I found that even getting through EMP was a lot to get through. They have a bar with a descent selection of draft for those that need a break from information overload.

Hopvine Bar & Bistro was recommended to us by the young man at the front desk. Unfortunately, he gave us the approximate location and we ended up wandering around for over an hour. I was hungry and tired and we were going to miss happy hour. I was very unhappy at this point. By the time we got there I was very unpleasant company and I think I scared away our first server. Thank goodness the place had excellent beers. I started with the Point Defiance IPA. It had enough hops to wipe out my foul mood - delicious and thirst quenching. I then had the Rogue Shakespear Stout which to my surprise, I didn't enjoy as much. Their nachos with homemade salsa was very good. I would recommend Hopvine to any who are looking for a good selection of American draft with a focus on locally made brews. (507 Fifteenth Avenue East at the north end of Seattle.)

On the walk back to the hotel, we passed the other place we were looking for but missed completely, the Stumbling Monk (1635 East Olive at Belmont Avenue East). It is very poorly marked with a small, dark wooden sign above the entrance door. It specializes in Trappist-style Belgium beers. We didn't stay for a drink but checked their chalkboard. They have excellent prices for these kind of imports. They open late in the day (after 8 pm?) and it is a very understated - no fancy decor, more like a friend's basement.

This was written on the sidewalk outside Hopvine. Kinda reflects the laid back attitude of the hippy culture that is the underlining pulse of Seattle.

Seattle Art Museum located a stone's throw from Pike Market. It houses a good collection of contemporary art as well as some execellent historical pieces. I really enjoyed how the curator choose to display pieces from different disiplines and eras together. Rather than showing pieces grouped by time period, it is apparent that their focus was to show relationships and connections of the pieces themselves. It was a fresh way to present a whole new approach to looking at art.

Pike Pub & Brewery is opposite the Seattle Art Museum. It is big and slick and I was not expecting too much from it but it was a convenient place for lunch so we stopped in. Both Bier Guide and I had the tasting tray.
He correctly ordered the pulled pork sandwich. I incorrectly ordered the hummus veggie sandwich. Many of the beers were competent but nothing to write home about. Don't get me wrong, it's always good to try local and never write off anything until you've given it a try but would I go back? Likely not. (http://www.pikebrewing.com/)

Mondial de la Biere, Day 3

2007-06-06T21:16:00.000-05:00

Bier Goddess Hilary shakes her fists.

It was Sunday and we would be heading home soon but not before we had a last brunch to commemorate our first Mondial. We headed to Santropol as it was recommended. Apparently they have the best sandwiches in Montreal. Now anyone who knows Montreal's reputation would think that a statement like that is up for debate. But since it's was spoken so highly about, we decided it was fine to trust this suggestion. So off we went and in a hurry since Bier Goddess Hilary had to be at the train station in a couple of hours. Alas, it was closed. Hopes of varifying if they really had the best sandwiches in Montreal came to a terrible end.

Graffitti on our walk to find an alternate brunch place. Urban Art, nice.

We decided that time was short so we better start looking for some other place that was open. We passed a few places but we were set on breakfast-like brunch now. Hmmm...why did this street seem so familiar? Oh, we were here last night when we walked back to the hotel. St. Laurent is a main street running from the south end of Montreal right up into the northern suburbs. It seemed different in the daylight.

We decided on this place - Le Vieux St. Laurent.

Trying to get a group concensus on where to eat is sometimes tough but we were running out of time. So this place had a variety of menu items - something for everyone. It was lucky that we ended up here because look what we got!!

Bier Goddess Hilary's crepe.

My strawberry encrusted french toast.

There was not a lot of beer-related activities that day except that we did stop another SAQ on the way back to the hotel. Each location can have different products in stock. We got a few more goodies to bring home. That's one of my favourite parts of travelling - having beer for home that you would otherwise not have had access to. Maybe I should rename myself Bier Mule.

Mondial de la Biere, Day 2

2007-06-05T20:14:00.000-05:00

Bier God Sean H. contemplates his beer. Mediation and careful consideration of each beautiful offering. Something that each of us can do to pay the necessary respect to the artists that lovingly made these beers.

Day 2, Tasting 1 was Stone's Levitation which had the taste of bitter citrus rind and a malty finish. Next was New Holland's Black Tulip. It was honey sweet up front. It had low carbonation and the finish was hoppy with a light sweetness. Then I had Dieu De Ciel's Rose de Hibiscus. Wow, it looked just like pink grapefruit juice except it was a bit more pink. It had a citrus, floral, tart aroma...really beautiful, like fresh cut fruit (ie melon). Flavour-wise, it was floral, tart and clean tasting. It left my palate "scrubbed" and fresh. Then I had Stone's Ruination...no notes unfortunately...I must have put my pen down and didn't get back to it...I will have to make notes with my bottle at home.

Dieu du Ciel's taps are pouring samples. Oh, happy day...

Pouring at the Petit Pub.

I left the festival to see a bit of Montreal beyond the beer tents. First a record shop called Cheap Thrills. It is on the second floor up a very old building. A mish-mash of used and new cd's, vinyls and books. This was a picture they had posted by the entrance:

Then to Montreal's version of St. Lawrence Market, the Atwater Market. We went on their subway called the Metro. It is very quick, clean and cheap. The market was just about to close so we were quick to find the Fromagerie Du Marche Atwater. A small section is designated just for beer. A good selection of Quebec micros and some imports. Across the street from the flower market, there is a SAQ (liquor store) that also had a few selections worth toting home to Toronto.

We had to hurry back to the hotel to drop off our purchases and meet the rest of our party to go to the Bar-B-Barn for dinner. They are not fancy but famous for ribs. Really good however, go hungry or there is no point. There's nothing else to say but look at how gorgeous the ribs were:

After dinner there was a trip to the north part of city to the Dieu du Ciel's brewpub. It was a busy Saturday night in the pub and it was quite crowded. Service was terrible and they were out of the cheese plate that I was looking forward to but at least I could get a pint of that beautiful Hibiscus beer I sampled earlier at the festival. Look how pretty it is:

After the gang took a leisurely walk back to the hotel. We stopped at Fairmount Bagels. At 11 pm there was a line up out of the small bagel shop. They were so good, we ate a few out of the paperbag without any butter or cream cheese. Delicious, warm and moist.

Mondial de la Biere, Day 1

2007-06-04T09:58:00.000-05:00

Official Website, http://www.festivalmondialbiere.qc.ca/

We finally got all seven of us in two cars and on our way to Montreal. The morning was early but it was well worth it. We arrived to La Belle Provence to find the Montreal beer festival well underway. This year it ran from Wednesday May 29th to Sunday June 3rd. I had been to the beer festival in Toronto a couple of times but this really blew that out of the water. I would guess that there were three or four times the beer represented in Montreal. Of course there were many Quebec microbreweries, some international representation and a very decent amount of American micros available to sample. We quickly found out that the place to position yourself was in front of one tent called "Le Petite Pub". This tent held the not so pedestrian beers. Most samples cost 2~5 coupons. Many of us got the show's glass to get a more generous pour than you would get in a plastic cup. We found out later that some vendors were selling their own glassware at a cheaper price. Well, live and learn...now on with the drinking.

Yes, notes were necessary. I am not one to remember fine details even when I'm sobber. The Titan IPA by Great Divide was hoppy, dry and crisp. (Go to http://www.greatdivide.com/index.php) A good start, but then there was Allagash's Curieux bourbon barrel-aged ale which was sweet, it had a carbonated tongue, a heavy taste of liquor and a long finish. (http://www.allagash.com/curieux.htm) Third was Brasserie Caulier Bon-Secours Brune. With beige rocky head, it appeared dark, opaque brown. It had a light raisin/date smell. It had effervescent bubbles and a long, BIG, raisiny dry after taste.

A view of the crowds in the one building which also housed exhibitors & the washrooms. Yes, very important to find them early.

A night cap at Unibroue's pub, Fourquet Fourchette. I was not going to bed early just because I was drunk and tired - that would not do for our first ever Mondial, so being as it was on the way back to our hotel, I suggested we stop for one more. I ordered a lovely pint of Chamblay Noir. Like Blanche de Chambly but dark. It was similar to Kostrister but more carbonated. Hey, look they have bottles so we can take some to go.

http://www.unibroue.com/index_eng.html

Sean M in San Antonio Texas

2007-05-27T11:16:00.001-05:00

A friend of mine often goes away on business. When he's away, he seeks out his own beer adventures. I can only go a limited number of trips each year but when friends share their experiences with me, I can live vicariously through them. Recently, Sean went to San Antonio, Texas. He had to be there for five days so he he had some time to try the local offerings. This is what he reported back about the beers he tried:

Remember Alamo Golden Ale
5.3% alcohol, brewed in Texas
www.alamobeer.com
First impression is a little fizzy, eg too much carbonation. Taste is initially sweet, with some hops taste, but not overwhelming. Almost like a pale ale but not a lot of bitterness. Better on round #2, and I think would be better suited to food (? greasy Tex-Mex) than drinking by itself.

New Belgium's Fat Tire Amber Ale
5.2% alcohol
Fresh tasting is the first thing that hits you. Not over carbonated like many American beers. Easy drinking yet not lacking of flavour. Definite hop taste but the flavour is well integrated to produce a very smooth drinking brew. Very good stuff.

New Belgium's Sunshine Wheat Beer
4.8% alcohol
The crowd was split on this one. Typical of a wheat beer, it had a slight citrus after taste. The label said it was, "... spiced with coriander and orange peel in the Belgium wheat beer tradition". Very wet was one description. 2 for and 2 against. I liked it.

For more information, please see: http://www.newbelgium.com/beers.php

Negra Modelo Dark Ale
? % alcohol (my guess would be 4.8)
Light tasting for a dark ale. Medium carbonation. Very little malt flavour for a so-called dark ale. No immediate after taste (it shows up about 10 minutes later) so it's kinda lame, eg soft, but easy drinking and moderately tasty. Refreshing, but you wouldn't want to drink it all night; 2 max.

Modelo especial
? % alcohol (my guess would be 5%)
Clear bottle. Bla initial taste. Must be a Pilsner. Sort of like Labatt Blue but without the pronounced soap taste. Immediate after taste, a tad skunky. But surprisingly, a more flavourful brew than Corona. But would I buy it again? No. Everyone else in the room thinks I am being a pansy and should be more critical but I think its not THAT bad. Ok they think I'm ghey.

For more information, please see: http://www.gmodelo.com.mx/eng/marcas/negramodelo.html

Brunch Club

2007-05-20T11:12:00.000-05:00

I go to brunch with a small group of friends one Sunday each month. Each of us takes a turn at picking the restaurant. Today we met at the Sauter's Inn(109 Old Kingston Road, Ajax). Brunch was good. I had the Eggs Benedict which was highly recommended.

One of the first things pointed out to me was that they have Hacker Pshorr on tap. Unfortunately, alcohol cannot be served until 11am on Sundays. I tried to stall long enough to get one but then someone jokingly said, "You know you have a problem if you're willing to wait that long till the bar can serve." That didn't really get to me but I realized that I would be drinking alone while everyone watched. So it'll have to wait until I can swing back this way. It's close to my sister's place so hopefully that won't be too far in the future.

German wheat beer was one of the first favorite styles of beer when I began to realize that the world of beers is made up of more than Molson's, Labatts or any of those large, generic, tasteless, characterless, over-marketed breweries. It is an easy to drink style of beer with a clean, thirst-quenching quality that makes it perfect for hot summer days. Some German wheat beers I have enjoyed are Konig Ludwig, Schneider Weisse, Edelweiss, Ayinger, Erdinger, Paulaner andSchofferhofer. I can see how it goes with German sausage or schnitzel because it is a contrast to heavy foods. Of course it takes time and lots of tasting to develop a taste for the other end of the spectrum of beers, more "heavy" beers like Imperial IPA's or Porters or dark English ales. But the journey is the interesting part.

For more information on this beer style, please see: http://www.germanbeerguide.co.uk/hefeweiz.html

Panil Oak-Aged Sour Red Ale

2007-05-19T18:55:00.000-05:00

When I first encountered this unique beverage, I did not taste it. I was at a gathering of beer makers at one of my favorite pubs. There was interesting, informative conversation all around and I was, I have to admit, a bit tipsy already when someone said, "You have to smell this if you like sour." I had never sniffed a beer that smelled of grapefruit. Wow, I sobbered up for a minute and I thought that I'll definitely have to try this someday. Unfortunately it was $30, a bit out of my price range even for a 750 ml bottle. But it must be something special, I thought to myself and proceeded to get even tipsier with my knowledgable company.

It wasn't until my trip to Williamsville that I got my hands on a bottle. It was $15 USD but I knew that I just had to bring one home. For a while, I wanted to save it for some special occasion. I guess I had built it up in my mind so much that I wanted to savour just having it around. In the end I opened it to finally try it. Often things seem lacking if there were too many expectations hanging over any experience. It doesn't matter how good the movie or rollercoaster ride or beer may be, it cannot live up to the thing that I've already built up in my head. This was not the case for this lovely, fruity, tart, delicious Flemish style sour beer. And it's really beautiful to look at, isn't it? My only disappointment was that I only had one bottle.

For a commercial discription and a list of reviews, please see:
http://www.ratebeer.com/Beer/panil-barriqu%E9e-(sour)/22395/

For a translation of the Panil website, please see:
http://translate.google.com/translate?hl=en&sl=it&u=http://www.panilbeer.com/&sa=X&oi=translate&resnum=3&ct=result&prev=/search%3Fq%3DPanil%26hl%3Den%26sa%3DG

To place a private order, please see:
http://www.rolandandrussell.com/HOME.html

Avery's Maharaja

2007-05-01T21:01:00.000-05:00

This is the first in a series of guest reviews by Beer Guide. They will tend to focus on double IPAs, imperialized reds, in general, "statement" beers by notable craft brewers.There will also be reviews of more obscure and relatively
new Belgian beers.

The Maharaja Imperial India Pale Ale

The Avery Brewing Co. from Boulder Colorado is just one of many notable breweries from that state. I had been very curious about this beer for quite some time; recently I had a chance to try some. I was not disappointed. It poured a cloudy copper colour with a respectable head. At 9.9% alcohol and 102 IBUs, it's substantial. The nose was quite floral with strong citrus notes, very inviting. Up front is malt, sweet but not overly so. This is smoothly integrated with the big citrusy hop finish. Overall it's very smooth, well balanced and goes down easy with a long finish. It has an oily mouth feel indicative of very heavily hopped beers. All in all a good addition to the ever growing style of double IPAs, as pioneered by the west coast brewers.
The Maharaja says: "Bless them all!"

Asahi Kuronama

2007-04-16T21:51:00.000-05:00

This European-style dark lager was a gift from Sho Ozawa who is the rep for Asahi for Ontario & Quebec. While most people are familiar with the very popular Super Dry, not many are familar with Asahi's darker brother.

When I poured, it has a bit of a cascade and was very dark like Guiness. It had a good thick, bubbly head. It smelled of raisins, licorice and a tiny bit of smoke and coffee. It was light in body but it had a full taste not unlike Krostritser. It had a sweet, smooth flavour so I suspect that it would pair very well with oysters, mussels or a good barbeque pork. When I get a few more cans, I will have to test it with food!

For opinions posted by others please see: http://beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/716/3969

Fat Belgian

2007-04-09T19:35:00.000-05:00

After finding Smokeless Joe's too full we went a couple of doors down John Street to try the Fat Belgian. It has been open for a year now but this was my first visit. As you walk into the beautiful converted historic row house, the bar is just inside the front door. The intimate interior has warm wood and a clean, simple elegance. There's a "boys club" kind of feel except for the whimsical accents scattered around the room - fresh flowers, lit candles and multiple New Yorker Magazine-like caricatures of Rubenesque-bottomed women. It's far more formal than Smokeless Joe's but we were very comfortable and did not feel out of place in our casual attire.

On tap were, Delirim Tremens Blond Ale, Erdinger Wheat, DeKoninck Amber Ale, Fruli Strawberry Wheat and Affligem Abbey Ale. Their bottled selection includes other Belgian beers. Some listed are Achel Brune, Achel Blond, Chimay Premier, Chimay Blue, Chimay White, Chimay Red, Duvel, Golden Draak, Priaat, Westmalle Double, Rochefort 6, Rochefort 8, Rochefort 10, Blanch de Chambly and many more.

It was a bit too late for a full on meal but we did indulge in some light fare. The warm mushroom salad with miso dressing was buttery & rich. We also ordered the Fat Belgian mussels and the grilled calamari salad which were both excellent. The server was friendly and knowledgable. I will definitely come back to another visit and try a full meal next time.

For a profile on Toronto.com : http://www.toronto.com/restaurants/article/000-374-145

Clipper City Multi-Pak

2007-03-31T18:11:00.000-05:00

Clipper City Brewing Company is located in Baltimore, Maryland. They make a variety of beers. This multi-pak included four of their beers from the Heavy Seas series which included the Peg Leg Imperial Stout, the Small Craft Warning Uber Pils, the Loose Cannon Hop3 Ale and the Winter Storm "Category 5" Ale.

I did not know what to expect from any of these beers. I had never heard of Clipper City before but since this multi-pak included a range of beer styles I thought what the heck. Plus this was recommended and if you don't try new stuff, you never discover what's out there. So this is how it went.

The Peg Leg Imperial Stout had the taste of molasses and sweet smoke with low carbonation. It smelled of dark malt and a hint of smoke. It was very dark black/brown and opaque, no light coming through this one at all. Over all, it lacked the balance to carry the amount sweetness it presented. I would not recommend this one.

Small Craft Warning Uber Pils is golden/dark honey in colour with 7% alcohol it also is a very sweet brew. Lightly hopped with low carbonation, it had a honey flavour and a slight orange zestiness. A bit too sweet for the style, it smelled of cantalope and citrus.

The Winter Storm "Category 5" Ale was much more satisfying. This 7.5% alcohol imperial IPA was sweet but hoppy all at once. It's juicy malt, long citrus finish ends with a mouth puckering grapefruit with a bitter after-taste. There was a medium hop oily mouth feel and a hoppy citrus aroma. There was almost no head or lace and it had a slightly cloudy copper/red colour. I wish I had another one.

Saving the best for last, the Loose Cannon Hop3 Ale is a dark golden amber. At 7.25% it had a gentle, sweet floral nose. Hoppy and citrusy, tart and crisp, it is well balanced with some maltiness. Although it is not a session beer, I could definitely have more than one. Delicious, I thought this was the best one of the pak.

For more on Clipper City, go to www.clippercitybeer.com

Black Oak Double Chocolate Cherry Stout

2007-03-24T08:12:00.000-05:00

How many opportunities do you get to taste 4 versions of a rare & seasonal specialty beer side by side? Well last night Ralph of Cafe Volo offered another exciting session of lateral tastings. Available last night were the cask-conditioned, 2006 draught, 2005 draught and bottled versions. Black Oak Brewery (http://www.blackoakbeer.com/) make their dark Double Chocolate Cherry Stout with cocoa and juices extracted from real fruit grown by a local cherry farmer, explained Arian Popowycz, head brewer. It's always a treat when you can chat up the experts. He spoke in detail about the brewing process.

Although some of the technical details were difficult for me to follow, what I got out of it was this: making beer consistently is a science where many variables come into play with every batch; making good beer requires a crazy, almost obsessive attention to detail & it demands high quality ingredients. Adrian tastes every ingredient, the hops, the wort, the water. He spoke of the how important the timing & exact temperature are to the process. He said even if everything goes perfectly and the batch is just right, if the gods are not looking favourably on you on bottling day, there is the potential to spoil the product. All the hard work is really a labour of love. Like many small operations of any business, the people couldn't do it unless they had a real passion for what they do.

Opinions varied but I thought that the cask version was lightest in body & chocolate flavour but had the strongest aroma. The bottled version was more carbonated. The chocolate & sour cherry notes came through more strongly. The third 2006 draught version was very close to the bottle. I didn't get to the 2005 draught, but there's always today...

Relish a Future Visit

2007-03-15T12:34:00.000-05:00

I met some friends for brunch last weekend at a little place on the Danforth called Relish Bar & Grill (2152 Danforth Avenue, tel.416.425.4664). It is a very pretty place seating around 25 or so with a cozy lounge area in the rear. While there I noticed their tap offerings: Stella Artois, Leffe Blonde, Leffe Brune, Hoegaarden and Bellevue Kriek - ahh, a Belgian five-some.

It warmed my heart finding that even a small, local restaurant made an effort to offer draught selections with some character. I will have to come back for a pint soon...and maybe try their cheese plate too...mmmm...

p.s. BTW, brunch was excellent!

Williamsville Adventure

2007-03-14T23:10:00.000-05:00

It was February 24 and Bier Goddess was sick of the cold weather that had her trapped inside. She was itching for an adventure. What is far enough from Toronto to feel like you're getting out of town but not so far that a one day round trip would wear you out? Consumer's Beverage in Williamsville, NY at 8580 Transit Road.

The hour and a half car ride was well rewarded. There was a good selection of bottled American micros (Rogue, Stone, Great Divide, Avery, Victory, Bear Republic, Ommegang, Middle Ages, Clipper City, etc.) and bottled imports. The bonus was the tap station where there are 12 drafts to choose from for a take-home growler. (http://www.consumersbeverages.com/brew/new.html)

And it was at the tap station that we began chatting with a very patient gentleman named Tom who helped us navigate through the choices of beer - choices of which is not to be had in Ontario.

After a lengthy visit we checked out, giddy with excitement. Between the two of us, we agonizingly made our final choices. The cart was full and we were getting hungry so this was the result of the check out: 68 bottles (fifty 331 ml bottles and eighteen 650 ml bottles), $260 USD and $65 CAD taxes at Canadian customs). Just a sidebar about wine. We found out that there was a recent change to the duty charged on wine. I had purchased four bottles, each priced at $15 USD. The duty on these four bottles of wine was $50 CAD!! The customs agent explained that the LCBO got wind of Canadians going across to NY state to buy higher priced bottles because the duty was approximately $2 per bottle. Now the duty is calculated on the price point versus the volume. An expensive lesson to learn but at least I didn't buy a case.

With hungry stomachs we made our way down Transit Road a couple of minutes to Pizza Plant.

(http://www.pizzaplant.com/)
They are famous for their gourmet pizza & pods (calzone type stuffed pocket) and a good selection of micro drafts. I had a pint of the Rogue cask-conditioned Charlie and Beer Guide had an Avery IPA.

This was the take out...the pods are BIG. The marinara sauce that comes with it is so yummy. I should have asked for an extra for my leftover.

At home with a growler...or two...cheers to a good day out!

Volo's IPA Challenge

2007-03-01T20:00:00.000-05:00

Cafe Volo is a favourite restaurant of the Bier Goddess. Volo has hosted many beer & wine events and won the Golden Tap Award in 2006 for Best Beer Bottle Selection. (http://www.barvolo.com/) The owner, Ralph,is a real supporter of local beer makers, wines & cheeses. There is always a rotating selection of Southern Ontario micros on tap for you to enjoy as well as one or two cask-conditioned ales.

On March 3 & 4 there was an IPA contest open to anyone who wanted to take their best guess at 6 local beers plus one 'mystery beer' not from Ontario. The results of the contest are posted on the Volo website. A member of Bier Gotter, Beer Guide and Bier Goddess Alexa all gave their best shot but alas, only 4 were accurately identified. These were the beers: 1. Tankhouse 2. West Coast Pale Ale 3. Great Eastern IPA 4. Headstrong Pale Ale 5. Hop Addict IPA 6. Sgt Major IPA 7. (The Mystery Beer!) Brooklyn Lager

Despite the low rate of the participants' accuracy, the IPA Challenge was definitely worth it. It only cost $12 to participate and whenever you get a chance to sit with other beer-minded people, it's an opportunity to learn, teach & commune. Not to mention the healthy competition that these kind of events inspire.

Some of the comments around the table were about how similar the IPA's were and why that is. As time went on and several passes were had among the 7 beers, palates got muddier - the differences between each dimished. We heard from the grapevine that the brewers were invited to take part but none did.

Another afternoon with good friends, good drink. It never fails to delight because the world of beer is so vast and varying, just like the people who seek them out!

The Walnut Fix

2007-02-11T23:25:00.000-05:00

After enjoying a bottle of Maudite (http://www.unibroue.com/english.cfm), I took a sip of Samuel Smith's Nut Brown Ale (http://www.merchantduvin.com/pages/5_breweries/samsmith_nut_brown_ale.html). But something strange happened - the Nut Brown Ale tasted sour. I had another sip and again I got a very distinct sourness. I've had the Nut Brown Ale a few times before I had no memory of it tasting like this at all.

To try to 'correct' Beer Guide suggested eating walnuts. It worked perfectly. I think what happened was the bitter skin of the walnuts re-set my palate. The Nut Brown Ale had only tasted sour because my tongue had had something much sweeter in comparision just before. By eating something bitter, my tonge had a new frame of reference and the Nut Brown now tasted sweeter in comparision.

Does anyone else have any similar experiences when mixing beers in a session?

Beer Suitcase

2007-02-10T22:40:00.000-05:00

They say that necessity is the mother of invention. This is exactly how the Beer Suitcase came into being. Now some will argue that the need for beer is not a real necessity, and that the Beer Suitcase in not really an invention, but I will show that this is a perfect example of how ingenuity was inspired by my life's specific requirements.

Some people need a car. For the most part, I have learned to make do with public transit after someone rear ended me and totalled my car. Some people have a need to make a lot of money. I have never been inspired by money, rather, I have learned how to make my modest earnings work for me. I do however get great enjoyment from good food and good drink with friends. My appreciation for well made, thoughtful, handcrafted things gives me pleasure. Time spent working earns me the few nice things that I choose to spend my paycheque on. I do not buy souvenirs or trinkets when I travel. I do not spend a lot of time in malls & boutiques buying piles of clothes. The thing I buy when I travel is usually new & interesting beer (the variety of which I cannot get in Toronto) and very little else.

In the last few years, I've travelled as often as time and money allowed. This is why the Beer Suitcase became a kind of necessity for me. Since security and air travel regulations have become increasingly strict, we are, among many other things, not allowed to bring more than 100 ml. of liquid in our carry-on luggage. Now having to check all my precious beer requires special packing. (It was so much easier when I could take a box with me on the plane as my carry-on luggage.) With Beer Guide taking the lead, the Beer Suitcase was devised.

The task was figuring out how to pack a number of glass bottles in a regular suitcase in a way that would protect them from tough handling with light-weight, sturdy packing materials. Keeping in mind that most airlines allow 50 lbs. per piece of checked luggage, an oversized suitcase would just be too heavy when it was fully packed with bottles, so a small case with a pull out handle with wheels was choosen. Beer Guide got a typical 650 ml. and 331 ml. bottle to accurately estimate the total weight once the case was packed.

After some debate, this is what resulted:

Cardboard tubing 0.4 cm thick was cut into lengths of just longer than a 650ml bottle. Ten tubes were cut and could be placed width wise in the suitcase in 2 layers. Also included were packing foam & bubble wrap to make the interior as tightly packed as possible. Eliminating rattle inside a suitcase will almost ensure no breakage. A roll of packing tape and a pair of small sissors were also brought on the trip, just in case.

This worked perfectly when tested on it's maiden voyage. Not only was packing the beer easy & quick, all 17 bottles made it home without a single loss. Success was sweet...may Beer Suitcase have many, many more voyages to come. Amen.

Rocky Mountain Adventure

2007-02-05T21:42:00.000-05:00

(This is the view from Lineham Ridge)

For 17 glorious days last summer Bier Goddess also was Mountain Goddess. Her time was spread out to cover Calgary, Banff National Park, Canmore, Waterton Lakes Provincial Park and just over the US border in Glacier National Park (also called the International Peace Park) in Montana.

Now don't you think that just because she was out in all of nature's glory that there was a lack quality beer. No, just the opposite in fact. In Calgary I can recommend the following liquor stores with great beer selections: Willow Park (south end of Calgary at 10801 Bonaventure Drive S.E.), Liquor Depot (north end of Calgary at 831 Edmonton Trail North, unit 117) and Kensington Wine Market(mid-town at 1257 Kensington Road N.W.).

In Banff, there is a suprisingly descent stock of beer at the tiny liquor store on behind the main street on the north side called Liquor World at the back of Cascade Mall (202 Wolf Street). The Irish pub almost directly opposite that liquor store has excellent draught offering (and the best fish & chips I've ever had).

(A view from Canmore looking up at Three Sisters)

In the town of Canmore there is probably the best liquor store outside of Calgary. It's called Alberta Spirits (1120 Railway Avenue, located at the edge of town just off the Trans Canada Highway). The staff there have excellent product knowledge and sometimes will let you try stuff out before purchasing. Also worth a visit while in Canmore is the Grizzly Paw Pub Brewing Company (622 Main Street also called 8th Street). In the pub you can try their line of beer on tap. They can all be tasted as 2oz tasters that come on a tray so you can pick your favorite. Most of their beers are bottled so you take some to go. (website: http://www.thegrizzlypaw.com/)

When Bier Goddess was in the tiny town of Babb, Montana just outside Glacier National Park where there is steakhouse called The Cattle Baron Supper Club. It's hard to miss since it is the biggest building in town with hardly any buildings. Entering the restaurant is like stepping into a place that time forgot. The first thing you see is the big,wooden wrap-around bar where one can spy the very decent selection of bottled beers in the glass fridge (American micro o-plenty) and the variety of excellent draft they have tapped.

Continuing inside, there was lots of wood panelling on the walls, slate floors, a huge curved staircase upstairs to the dining area and mounted on high on the wall on the second floor is a replica model of ancient aborignal hunting area, Head Smashed In Buffalo Jump - very cool.

(This is the view from the path up to Lake Bourgeau early in the accent.)

It was nearing the end of the mountain adventure. Bier/Mountain Goddess had enjoyed numerous hikes, plenty of wildlife sightings (the highlight was the cougar), a day of spelunking, a dip in the hot springs, concerts, an art show, miles of heart breakingly beautiful countryside, scrumptious food and of course her fill of tasty beers (both regional micros and American & European imports). There was enough time for one last hiking challenge - Lake Bourgeau/Mt. Bourgeau.

It's funny how even the most modest of accomplishments can give one a sense of wellness and joy. This hike marked my personal best - I had grunted & struggled up my first vertical mile (1400m vertical gain from the starting altitude). The day was long and dusty. By the time I got near the top, I was exhausted and my legs were really spent but I was so happy. Yes, maybe not anything really special to anyone else but for me, it was a moment I won't soon forget. I felt like I was on top of the world.

It was bitter-sweet on the last night before heading home to Toronto. To toast another great trip, a Rattlesnake E.S.B Ale was chosen as the celebratory drink. Just a note, beer foams quite a bit when pouring into a stainless steel cup. If you rinse the cup with cold water, it helps a bit but it would still be wise to pour slowly.

Written on the BC Beer's website was:

"Rattlesnake E.S.B. Ale (Bitter, 5%) - While it doesn't fit the traditional E.S.B. profile in terms of colour (too light) or alcohol content (too low), it does have a good smack of hop bitterness to it. Can have a somewhat astringent graininess, but worth it for the hops."
For More information on British Columbia microbrews see this link: http://www.bcbeer.ca/default.aspx

San Francisco Adventure to the Rogue Pub

2007-02-03T22:07:00.000-05:00

(Thanks to Bagelhot Photography for the photo edit of the photo immediately above.)

While in San Francisco last November, Bier Goddess had one afternoon to visit a beer establishment. She chose the Rogue Pub (673 Union Street at Columbus Avenue). This was such a monumentous beer adventure, it took some thoughtful writing to capture all the wonderful experiences in less than 1000 words.

The visit almost was denied before it got started. The pub was not open at 11am when Bier Goddess initially arrived hoping to grab some lovely beer & good pub grub for brunch. Utterly disappointed, she noticed a man walking up to the pub doors. He was the Rogue Regional Sales Manager. What a stoke of luck! He offered to call the General Manager, Conrad, to confirm that the pub would be open by 1pm if Bier Goddess could come back in a couple of hours. Of course she could return...nothing would keep her from it. And it was so worth the effort. The pub was empty except for four patrons and Conrad. This allowed a kind of 'private' visit - Bier Goddess could look around, take pictures, chat at length with Conrad who was a generous host. He let Bier Goddess behind the bar to look at the taps. He made a "Rogue Nation" membership card for her. He gave her goodies to take home. Then there was the business of tasting some delicious beer.

Included in the line up of 2oz. tasters were: Shakespear Stout, Imperial Stout, HazelNut Brown Nectar, Chocolate Stout, Mocha Porter, Best Bitter, Juniper Ale, Dead Guy Ale, Imperial IPA, Uberfest Pilsner and Half-E-Weizen...unfortunately Bier Goddess has lost an exact account of each beer due the lack of documentation (yes, she has to start writing stuff down). The excitement of the visit and mild inebreation also contributed to the loss of details. Oh the perils of beer drinking...

There were many bottled beers purchased to go home with Bier Goddess from the retail fridge (see left).
For details of one of the beers purchased, Santa's Private Reserve, see previous posting.

A few more beer offerings were also snatched up from Coit Liquour store a couple of doors down from the pub (585 Columbus Avenue).

Heart felt gratitude goes to Conrad for his exceptional hospitality. He certainly made Bier Goddess' first trip to San Fransisco one she'll never forget. Apologies for making Conrad open up the pub early (especially since he did the close the night before). Bier Goddess has been singing his praises since that visit in November. In fact she sent a Beer Friend there just the following week. Unfortunately, this Beer Friend could not meet Conrad since it was his day off but it was reported back that he was well looked after by the Rogue staff. Cheers & hope to be back again some day!

Santa's Private Reserve

2007-01-29T00:34:00.000-05:00

This festive drink was acquired by Bier Goddess only through the gracious hospitality of Conrad, the General Manager of the Rogue Pub in San Francisco. Bier Goddess can only guess that when Conrad heard far she had come, how limited her visit to San Francisco was and then witnessed her "bouncing off the wall" enthusiasm, he must have somehow found it in his heart to sell her his only display sample of this Christmas Box set of Santa's Private Reserve which was meant to be kept until the real stock was delivered for sale to the general public.

So it came to pass that the precious gift set went home with Bier Goddess along with 16 other beers carefully packed in the Beer Suitcase (yes, she has an especially outfitted suitcase for the sole purpose of bringing beer back from her travels...more on this later). And when it was finally opened, the bottle poured out a rich, brown, sweet-ish ale very reminisient of another Rogue brew, the St. Rogue Red Ale.

This is what the Rogue website had to say:

"Santa's Private Reserve:
Rogue's annual holiday offering, Santa's Private Reserve, is a variation of the classic Saint Rogue Red, but with double the hops--including Chinook, and Centennial, and a mystery hop called Rudolph by head brewer John "more hops" Maier!This holiday elixir is brewed with two-row Harrington, Klages and Munich malts, along with Hugh Baird 30-37, Carastan 13-17, and Crystal 70-80 malts, plus free range coastal water and John's proprietary top-fermenting Pacman yeast. Available in both 22-ounce bottles, 12oz Loose packs for Winter 2005, and 12oz six packs for 2006.Measurements: 13 degrees Plato, IBU 44, Apparent attenuation 73, Lovibond 26

No Chemicals, Additives, or Preservatives"

http://www.rogue.com/index.html

Thanks for a totally memorable pub visit & all the goodies you sent me home with...cheers Conrad!

Midnight Sun Espresso Stout

2007-01-28T22:50:00.000-05:00

This lovely, black stout is from Yukon Brewing Company of Whitehorse. This impressive 1 liter bottle was purchased on an adventure last summer to Banff, Alberta. It was put away upon return from the trip until it could be shared with Beer Friends (one of whom is a particular fan of stouts and porters). We thought, "This should be right up her alley." We paired it with the 'intense dark' Espresso Escape cacao chocolate bar from Ghirardelli of San Francisco.

In a tasting seminar Bier Goddess attended a year or two ago, it was suggested that all food pairings should either be a compliment or a contrast to the beer being drunk. This pairing was a near perfect compliment - the dark, velvetly dry flavour of the stout was enhanced by the bitter, espresso chocolate. Although the stout had 6.2% alcohol, the low carbonation made it go down smoothly, effortlessly and far too quickly. It was enjoyed as the dessert after a lovely dinner. It wasn't so long ago that it would have been inconceivable to think of eating dessert matched with a beer. But Bier Goddess has learned that just like with wine, there can be great pairings with all kinds of food. It's a matter of investigating suggestions from others and experimenting on your own.

Written on the label was the following:

Hearty northern people love a hearty stout beer. We've teamed up with Yukon's famous Midnight Sun Coffee Roaster to create this special blend. Originally developed for "Bean Queen" Zola Dore in a small batch kettle system by Yukoner Mitt Stehelin, we've retained the artisan qualities of this unique, unfiltered brew.

The robust taste of this hearty stout starts with the smooth glide of real espresso and finishes with a dry, chocolately malt flavour. Why the big bottle? You'll love it so much, you'll want to share it with a friend, or not!

Flemish Primitive Wild Ale

2007-01-27T22:55:00.000-05:00

In the spirit of celebrating the newly formed blog, Beer Guide decided to open a very special bottle he had been saving for such an occasion. Delighted at the prospect of such a thoughtful gesture, Bier Goddess watched as Beer Guide extracted the synthetic cork from the 750 ml bottle. 'Flemish Primitive Wild Ale' from the brewery 'De Proef Brouwerij' from the town of Lochristi in Belgium was acquired in San Francisco back in November of last year.

Written on the back of the bottle was the following:
The name 'Flemish Primitive' refers both to the famous wild yeast that lends a unique flavor accent to this extraordinary ale, and to the school of "primitive" painters in Medieval Flanders whose startling work kick-started the Renaissance.
Working in his ultra-scientific brewery in western Flanders, Dirk Naudts, "The Prof", is one of Belgium's leading brewmasters. A rigorous experimenter, his fame is the perfect matching of malt, hops, and yeast. He has crafted recipes for breweries large and small throughout Belgium. The masterful Flemish Primitive, like everything from De Proef, is great brew born of science and passion.

Beer Guide and Bier Goddess first noticed the strong fruity nose. When pouring they noted the rocky white head. It was clear like a Duvel but not as golden, more amber in colour. There seemed to be a difference of opinion when trying to discribe the flavour. Bier Goddess thought it had a strong taste of sour grapefruit, likely a result of the wild yeast. She also detected some fruit and it was definitely very dry throughout. Beer Guide thought it was like a Saison more so than the Triple he was expecting. It wasn't as sweet as a Triple but rather quite dry in the finish. He said that it was fruity with notes of pear. He also added that despite the 9% alcohol content, the mouth feel was lighter than that of a Triple. Both agreed that it was well made and definitely worth seeking out.

In the beginning...

2007-01-26T18:16:00.000-05:00

In the beginning there was an ordinary woman who did not really care for beer. No, wine and cocktails were more to her liking. She considered beer as a drink filled with carbonated bubbles - often too bitter and too filling for her small stature. Like many before her, the path to great beer came gradually.

There was Beer Guide that aided her tasting experiences; introducing libations of which she'd never seen before. With an open mind and an adventureous spirit, she began to find a world of beer beyond the big, generic, commerical breweries. "Start at home and with what is close by" is good advice. So she started with beers from her area - Creemore Springs, Mill Street, Durham County and others.

Over time she started to discover a world of beer so vast and plentiful in variety and flavors that she began to think that it may even be bigger than the wine world. She discovered creamy ales & stouts, doubles, triples, Trappist biers, wheat beers and crisp lagers. Her palate started to change. Before she knew it, she was thinking, "What foods would compliment this fine beverage?" Thus, she started experimenting with food pairings. She found that she learned just as much from the bad pairings as from the ones that worked. She started throwing parties for friends sharing her beer experiences with those who were interested. She began to seek out pubs & restaurants that specialized in great beers. And in these establishments she made beer friends. Some were experts & brewers and others were just like her, a fellow traveller on their own beer journeys.

And so it came to pass that Bier Goddess began to emerge.