Beer Geeks

Railway City Brewery Release 'Witty Traveller'

noreply@blogger.com (Cory) — Mon, 17 Jun 2013 10:00:00 +0000

St. Thomas, ON

On the heals of a Gold Medal win for their Black Coal Stout, Railway City Brewer is happy to release another beer for their fans to enjoy.

"The Witty Traveller has finally arrived! In his trunk, the distinguished beer flavours of the world. With a top-hat in hand he's stopped in Railway city to share his knowledge and adventure. With spices from the East, the fruits of the South, and yeasts of the North enveloped in taste and aromas of far flung places. He has stopped to offer us a pint!

The Witty Traveller's tale opens with a potpourri of spices and fruit - sweet anise seed and subtle orange rind. As you delve deeper into the libation you discover clove and bananas alongside soft and sweet arrowroot biscuit with a short layover of bubble-gum before cleansing fresh-pepper and gingersnap.

When asked, the Witty Traveller would suggest: stuffed pork tenderloin with pilaf, fresh Goat Cheese Focaccia, or most simple fair - even the lowly soft-pretzel may be raised to new levels!

So we raise a pint to this traveller!"

Look for this at the brewery shop and finer craft beer establishments near you!

Father's Day Ale Trail to Kick off Ontario Craft Beer Week in Guelph

noreply@blogger.com (Cory) — Sun, 16 Jun 2013 10:00:00 +0000

Guelph, ON

Wellington Brewery is getting ready to celebrate Father's Day in style with a craft beer bus tour of Guelph. Back again after a hugely successful event last year, the 2nd annual Father's Day Ale Trail includes stops at Wellington Brewery, F&M Brewery, and The Woolwich Arrow.

On Sunday June 16th from Noon until 5pm the Father's Day Ale Trail will be an opportunity for beer lovers to meet the brewmasters and sample year-round offerings as well as exclusive small batch "One-Off" beers including a Sour Cherry Brown Ale, Shangri-La (an American style India Pale Ale), Pan Ontario Ale (a barrel aged blend of 5 Ontario Craft beers), and a collaboration beer made by the brewmasters at Wellington Brewery and F&M brewery that uses locally grown hops from Ignatius Farms.

The Father's Day Ale Trail marks the start of Ontario Craft Beer Week, a week-long celebration of locally produced craft beer. All week Wellington Brewery will be toasting the art of craft brewing with over 15 events happening in Guelph, Toronto, and beyond. The week will feature diverse events including: Beer & Cheese Tastings, One-Off Cask Samplings, Tap Takeovers, a Battle of the Brewery Bands, and much more!

Ontario Craft Beer Week, "is a chance for craft brewers and beer lovers to get together and celebrate the great beer produced here in Ontario by local independently owned breweries" says Brent Davies, Vice-President of Wellington Brewery.

Tickets for the Father's Day Ale Trail are only $20 which includes samples at each location and bus transportation between locations. For more information about the Father's Day Ale Trail and other craft beer events happening during Ontario Craft Beer week visit: www.wellingtonbrewery.ca or www.ocbweek.ca

Kensington Brewing Company's Baldwin FishEYE-PA Now Available at LCBOs Province-Wide.

noreply@blogger.com (Cory) — Fri, 14 Jun 2013 16:00:00 +0000

Toronto, ON

Kensington Brewery announced that their Baldwin FishEYE-PA is now available at LCBOs across the province of Ontario. Inspired by Kensington Market’s (in)famous fishmongers on Baldwin Street, FishEYE is a bold and unapologetically hop-forward American IPA. Adhering to their principles of inclusivity, FishEYE was brewed with the input of their fans over a series of test batches in 2012. The call for “more hops!” has been answered!

Baldwin FishEYE-PA has already begun to hit LCBO shelves in the GTA and will initially be featured in over 100 stores. Each 473ml “tall-boy” can will retail for $2.85 including tax and deposit.

At 6.5% ABV and 70IBU, FishEYE-PA is a brew for hop-loving beer enthusiasts. A marriage of 3 types of malt and 4 hop varieties, including an extra dose of dry hops, meld beautifully to create a complex, hop-forward ale. The aroma is dominated by floral and pine notes, with a slight tinge of grapefruit rind and sweet caramel malt. A lengthy finish is characterized by the balanced interplay between residual sweetness and a lingering hop bitterness.

Sawdust City Brewing Company - Lone Pine IPA

noreply@blogger.com (Dorian) — Tue, 11 Jun 2013 19:03:00 +0000

ABV 6.5% (Bottle 650ml)

The Brewery (Under Construction)

The Brew
"Sawdust City's Lone Pine IPA is aggresively hopped and bursting with flavours of pine and citrus, loaded with mounds of hops and balanced with a blend of 4 different malts...each glass is like a pine bow across your face. You've been warned!"

The Pour
Pours crystal clear and golden coloured with vibrant fall leaf orange at the edges. The body is bubbly with a pure white head that sinks into some nice sudsy lacing. The brew quickly settles still with no visible carb.

Aroma
Delicious, with generous portions of orange peel, tangerine slices, OJ with vodka and light pine. Overall the smell is fresh, alive, juicy and full of grapefruit and citrus tang.

Taste
This quaff presents a medium body upfront and big pine flavours that come through as alcohol warmth rather than resin. The four malts lend the brew a smooth body and even balance in flavour and feel throughout; it all ends with a sticky finish of pine and earth that doesn't overwhelm the senses.

Overall
"A pine bow across your face" is truth in advertising. If a lone pine on the Canadian Shield had a taste, this would be it. The pine is present but not overwhelming and everything is nicely balanced and delivers on every level. A real class act from an emerging craft brewery. I give it an A. Can't wait to see what they come out with next.

Check out what other beer geeks think of this brew at Ratebeer and Beer Advocate.

Up next...
I tackle three brews from LCBO's latest brewery feature: New Zealand's Renaissance Brewing Company.

Toronto's 'Fermentations!' is Celebrating 20 Years of Helping Torontonians Brew Their Own Craft Beer!

noreply@blogger.com (Cory) — Fri, 07 Jun 2013 12:44:00 +0000

Toronto, ON

With an ever growing craft beer scene, it is easy to forget about the pioneers that helped start it all. "Enablers" like Fermentations!, have been essential in the quest for tastier beers. Homebrewers and self brewing shops are a great way to enter the world of craft and explore all that beer has to offer. Fermentations! located at 201 Danforth Avenue in Toronto, has been helping introduce all grain brewing to those passionate for 20 years.

"Fermentations! was craft beer before there was a craft beer scene in Toronto- our clients came to us to be able to design and brew beer that represent the worlds great beers, or exist only in imagination. A cross section of chefs, beer writers, and others involved in Toronto’s exploding craft beer industry have taken up our offer of designing the beer of their dreams." says Charles Fajgenbaum, owner of Fermentations!.

Some of the more interesting creations include beers like Pomegranate Wheat, Jalapeno Ale, Kefir and Curry Leaf Pale Ale, even a Rosehip Cardamom and Orange Peel Saison conditioned with Ice Wine. In the end there is no limit to what you can come up with.

Fermentation! offers those interested in brewing an opportunity to gain knowledge an experiment without having to invest in the equipment themselves. They create the opportunity to guide one through all of the steps to create the beer you truly want to drink.

I can drink to that! Cheer to Charles and his team at Fermentations! for 20 years of brewing!

Fans to Once Again Choose Favourite Beau’s Beers for Holiday Mix Pack

noreply@blogger.com (Cory) — Wed, 05 Jun 2013 12:24:00 +0000

Ottawa, ON

“Best of Beau’s” to feature 4 beers with top votes; polling has begun

Voting has begun for the second edition of Best of Beau’s: a mixed 4-pack of the most popular beers Beau’s has ever released, as chosen by the public. This is the second year Beau’s All Natural will be letting democracy decide which beers go into the holiday gift pack. Last year’s Best of Beau’s 4-pack sold out of LCBOs in less than a month.

The selections in the running include every beer Beau’s has produced in the last seven years, with the exception of a handful that simply can’t be recreated, and the flagship beer Lug Tread, which is available year-round and therefore excluded. Last year, Matt’s Sleepy Time Belgian Imperial Stout, Screamin’ Beaver Double IPA, Patio Saison, and Farm Table Belgian Pale Ale received the most votes, and were brewed up in the fall for inclusion in the mix pack.

Fans will have only a few weeks to vote their favourite Beau’s beer into the mix pack, as the polls will close June 30. Voting can be done online at the Beau’s website, or at the brewery’s retail store in Vankleek Hill. The mix pack, containing 4 signature 600 ml bottles, will be sold for $24 in LCBOs across Ontario, as well as direct from the brewery, and through home delivery in Ottawa via BYBO (www.bybo.ca).

“Best of Beau’s is so much fun for us because we get to see which of our beers really got people excited, and it’s fun getting to watch all the votes come in,” says brewery co-founder Steve Beauchesne. “It’s like the elections, but with tastier results!” he added. “Personally I’d vote for Lug Tread as it’s my favourite, but seeing as it’s already available all year, I’m going to vote strategically for Burnt Rock Vanilla Porter instead.”

The online ballot for Best of Beau’s can be found online at www.beaus.ca/VOTE, or as noted earlier votes can be cast in person at Beau’s retail store at the brewery in Vankleek Hill. The poll will close June 30, and results for the 2013 Best of Beau’s mix pack will be announced in early July. The 4-packs are expected to be on the LCBO shelves in November, just in time for the holiday season.

Grand River Brewing - Dogstalker April Bock

noreply@blogger.com (Dorian) — Mon, 03 Jun 2013 13:35:00 +0000

ABV 6.0% (Bottle 500ml)

The Brewery

The Brew
"Amber/red in colour with a defined malt aroma. Upfront malt sweetness that dries out in the finish. Pale & Munich malts are balanced by German Hallertau Tradition and Mittelfruh hops. Very minimal bitterness, yet the standard GRB ‘back of the throat’ finish is there. Very easy drinker."

I had to include this:

"Brewmaster Rob Creighton also noted at the time that the beer was named in honour of April, a goat owned by brewery owner Bob Hanenberg and his wife Jane. According to Creighton, 'April will hide around corners waiting for the dogs to come along and then attack them, trying to ram them with its horns. One mean assed goat.'"

The Pour
Pours a beautifully clear golden amber with a foamy one-to-two finger head. The brew settles nicely in the glass with very little carb - rather like an English pale ale.

Aroma
Delicious sweet malts with hints of dandelion and lilac (although that may be coming in through my window). I also detected the lighter end of dark chocolate and honey oat bread. A very nice start.

Taste
Mouth-feel is getting on for medium bodied - which you need when you don't have very much carbonation - but overall it's a bit watery. The flavour falls fairly flat, but there are some caramel notes. The nose is the star here. However, there is a decent bite that develops as you move through the glass.

Overall
I suppose this could be a decent session beer if not for the higher ABV. I'm a bit disappointed with this one; but coming from a brewer that tries to keep their beers mild in flavour and under 5%, this is in line with their other fine offerings. Still for a lighting drinking ale any time of year, I'd reach for their Plowman's Ale or (fingers crossed) their Blackberry Wheat. I give this one a C+.

Man, I just don't have good luck with Bocks...I didn't like Amsterdam's Spring Bock either...I know, commence throwing rotten tomatoes.

Check out what other beer geeks think of this brew at Ratebeer and Beer Advocate.

Up next...
Not sure...I think a trip to the LCBO is in order.

Kensington Brewing Co. is Turning 2!

noreply@blogger.com (Cory) — Sat, 01 Jun 2013 14:00:00 +0000

KBCo is turning 2!

To celebrate their second anniversary they are hosting a party at The Rhino on Sunday June 3rd, 2013 from 3:00pm - 8:00pm. They will be featuring their entire line-up of beers, including Baldwin FishEYE-PA, Augusta Ale and Fruit Stand Watermelon Wheat. They will also have 5 special one-off collaborations brewed specifically for this event by their Head Brewer Dave Lee, in partnership with 4 amazing Ontario craft breweries.

KBCO x Sawdust City – “The Fundamental”
One Malt, One Hop, One determined Yeast: it's all about Fundamentals. The first offering in The Mental Series from Sawdust City & Kensington Brewing Company, a series that defies styles and is all about creativity.

Style: uh, Belgian-ish? (single hop, brett fermented, Apricots)
ABV: 6.4%
IBU: 25
Hops: Centennial

KBCo x Indie Ale House - “High Maintenance”
An “involved” brew (long story, ask Jeff & Dave) with Abbey ale flavours complimented by plums and grape must for added flavour and complexity.

Style: Belgian Strong Ale
ABV: 8.5%
IBU: 25
Hops: Fuggle/Sorachi Ace

KBCo x Indie Ale House - “Wit Way Scoo-Tea Go?”
A Belgian Wit with tea added in secondary to add a distinguished touch. This is a tribute to our scooter that we simply lost too soon.

Style: Belgian Wit
ABV: 5%
IBU: 20
Hops: Brambling Cross/Zythos

KBCo x Silversmith Brewing – “Bitterly Rye’teous”
A Bitter Rye/Hefe Hybrid that pushes boundaries of both styles & palates.

Style: Rye PA/Hefe Hybrid (Multi Hop, Hefe Yeast & Lemon Zest)
ABV: 5.9%
IBU: 72
Hops: Centennial/Simcoe/Sorachi Ace/Motueka

KBCo x Bar Hop x Great Lakes Brewery – “Coco Beware 2.0”
An excessively hopped black IPA with shards of roasted coconut added to the boil and hop back.

Style: Black IPA
ABV: 7.5%
IBU: 70
Hops: Sorachi Ace/Galaxy/Simcoe/Centennial

Important Details:

The Rhino – 1249 Queen St. East
No cover charge, no tickets, just beer!
First 25 people get a free KBCo pint glass
Cash bar - ATM available at The Rhino
Limited quantities of one-offs so show up early to avoid disappointment

PLEASE RSVP ON THEIR FACEBOOK EVENT PAGE:
https://www.facebook.com/events/155919587913624/?context=create

London Ontario Gets New Microbrewery

noreply@blogger.com (Cory) — Fri, 31 May 2013 21:00:00 +0000

London, ON

Local brewers begin distribution, opening to public June 8th

Forked River Brewing Company has announced the inaugural release of its beers to draught accounts will be starting Saturday, June 1st, 2013. London's only craft microbrewery will then have its first public hours, from 11am to 4pm on Saturday, June 8th, 2013 at the brewery. Located seven kilometres east of downtown London, at 45 Pacific Court Units 16/17, the 3000 square foot brewery and tasting room is ready to serve London and the surrounding area.

Forked River Brewing Company is proud to continue a tradition of brewing in London, which dates back over 175 years in the city. Named after the forks of the Thames River, the site of London’s brewing roots, the company represents an exciting new venture in a market which has been demanding its own craft beer.

By pairing innovation with tradition, the three founders/brewers are committed to providing all-natural, unfiltered, and unpasteurized brews both at local bars and restaurants as well as on-site at the brewery itself .

Founders David Reed, Andrew Peters, and Steve Nazarian, are all London residents and Western graduates who have a passion for handcrafting beer. An engineer and two microbiologists, their professional backgrounds form a perfect union of the technical expertise integral to making great beer. The founders have been producing award winning beer collectively for approximately 15 years and have been recognized at both the provincial and national levels within Canadian and American competitions.

Forked River prides itself on using only the finest quality water, malt, hops, and yeast in their beer. Recipes have been developed with no preservatives and the beer is unpasteurised to preserve the flavour the brewers intended.

Made in London for London:

• Capital Blonde: an easy-drinking, balanced blonde ale full of malt and hop flavour
• Riptide Rye: a hop-forward pale ale brewed with a generous proportion of rye malt
• Seasonal specialty beers available throughout the year on a limited-release basis

Forked River Brewing Company will showcase these quality products to the public through an on-site tasting room at the brewery where beer enthusiasts will be able to tour the new facility and purchase bottles, half-gallon growlers, and kegs of their favourite brews for consumption off-site.

Beau’s All Natural Announces The Tom Green Beer

noreply@blogger.com (Cory) — Fri, 31 May 2013 10:00:00 +0000

Ottawa, ON

Beau’s and comedian Tom Green to launch collaborative beer at Yuk Yuk’s Ottawa & Session Craft Beer Festival in Toronto

Beau’s All Natural Brewing will be collaborating with Canadian actor and comedian Tom Green this spring to create The Tom Green Beer. The official launch of the Tom Green Beer in the nation’s capital will include five stand-up comedy shows featuring Tom Green, to be held at Yuk Yuk’s on Elgin St. in Ottawa June 13-15.

Milk stout is the chosen beer style for the collaboration, a tip of the hat to one of Tom Green’s comic antics of the past. A balanced black ale, The Tom Green Beer will display flavours of chocolate and coffee, while delivering a creamy, velvety texture and finishing with a mild sweetness.

Tom Green initially approached Beau’s All Natural with the idea of making a beer together last summer. When Toronto’s Session Craft Beer Festival proposed the idea of “Collaboration Nation” (having Ontario craft breweries pair themselves with an artist and develop a beer together), the plan became a reality.

“Growing up in the Ottawa area, I’ve been a huge Tom Green fan. Having the opportunity to brew a unique and tasty beer with one of my heros is quite amazing — really amazing,” shared Steve Beauchesne, co-founder of Beau’s. “We're having so much fun with this project, we may decide to make it available as more than just a one-off release… assuming we like the finished beer as much as we think we will,” he added.

Tom Green preferred to share his feelings about the collaboration in song:

“This is The Tom Green Beer
It’s not The Green Tom Beer
This is my favourite beer
Because it is my beer.”

Tickets and information for the upcoming Tom Green stand-up comedy shows at Yuk Yuks Ottawa can be found at www.yukyuks.com. On Thursday June 13, Tom Green, Beau’s co-founder Steve Beauchesne and Beau’s brewmaster Matthew O’Hara will host a tasting event after the show. All performances will have The Tom Green Beer available for sale. (Ottawa media will be invited to share in a private tasting of The Tom Green Beer, prior to the June 13 show at 4:00pm.)

The Tom Green Beer will be available as part of Ontario Craft Beer Week, a week-long celebration bringing awareness of craft beer throughout the province — visit www.ocbweek.ca for all events. OCB Week will include the Session Craft Beer Festival and Collaboration Nation on Saturday, June 22 at Wychwood Barns in Toronto. Tickets and information for Session Craft Beer Festival can be found at www.sessiontoronto.ca.

Beau’s Releases 3 New Beers in Anticipation of Summer

noreply@blogger.com (Cory) — Thu, 30 May 2013 15:30:00 +0000

Seasonal and Wild Oats Series beer to hit LCBO shelves today + new collaborative beer

With summer just around the corner, Beau’s All Natural Brewing is keeping things interesting by releasing three beers to mark the changing of the seasons. Of these three releases, two are appearing in LCBO stores across the province.

The first is Beau’s summer offering, Festivale Altbier. Back for a fifth year this amber ale displays a rich amber hue and provides assertive malt and hop flavours. Festivale pairs perfectly with nutty cheeses, grilled pork and long summer days. Sold in single-serve 600 ml bottles, Festivale will be available beginning today for a price of $4.35. In 2009 Festivale won Gold at Mondial de la Bière in Strasbourg, France.

Beau’s also welcomes the return of Festivale Plus Sticke Alt; a stronger, bolder, oak-aged version of the aforementioned summer seasonal, Festivale. Festivale Plus features a decidedly robust yet balanced blend of clean, crisp and bready malts, with an assertive hop backbone. Beau’s brewmaster Matthew O’Hara suggests the beer as the perfect accompaniment to barbequed ribs, smoked Gouda, or crème brûlée. Beau’s first released Festivale Plus in 2010 and sold out of the entire batch in only one day. This time around, Festivale Plus is available in 600 ml bottles for $7.85. Festivale Altbier and Festivale Plus Sticke Alt are both now available at the LCBO.

“It’s a great treat when multiple releases coincide. It’s kind of like having your birthday on Christmas Eve. There is so much to celebrate!” remarked Beau’s co-founder, Steve Beauchesne.

Finally, Beau’s releases the latest beer in their Pro-Am Series: a Belgian IPA named Rudolphus VI. The beer presents notes of tropical and citrus fruit, accents of pine, and hints of clove. The bitterness is complemented by tropical fruit notes like star fruit, orange and unripened peach. To enhance the flavour further, O’Hara suggests barbequed chorizo or a spicy Thai curry for pairing. The Pro-Am Series are beers designed by talented and innovative homebrewers. Rudolphus VI was developed by 2012 National Capital Craft Beer Week Best of Show winner Joey Kilbride. This offering is available starting today in 600 ml bottles direct from the brewery, for home delivery in Ottawa via BYBO (www.bybo.ca), and at select restaurants and pubs.

For a list of LCBO stores carrying Festivale Altbier and Festivale Plus Sticke Alt, visit www.lcbo.com.

Garrison Brewing Releases Second One-Hop Brew in Series

noreply@blogger.com (Cory) — Wed, 29 May 2013 10:00:00 +0000

Halifax, NS

One of Nova Scotia’s most innovative breweries, Garrison Brewing, has released the latest in their One-Hop beer series - Citra One-Hop IPA. Following the successful winter launch of Comet One-Hop IPA, Garrison Brewing is showcasing a second great hop - Citra - in this SMASH (single malt, single hop) brew. This special India Pale Ale is boldly hopped with fruity notes of sweet mango and lemon, balanced by caramel notes from locally-grown Maritime Pale Ale Malt.

Citra is a recently developed (2007), high-alpha-acid (13%) aroma hop known for tasty citrus and tropical fruit characters. "We first utilized Citra in our Mash-up collaboration with Phillips Brewery and really liked it." said Garrison Brewmaster, Daniel Girard. "Its supply is also quite limited so we've had to commit to quite a bit or risk running out."

Citra One-Hop IPA launches this weekend and will be available right through the summer. Nova
Scotians can pick-up this specialty brew from the following locations:

many NSLC stores;
all four private stores;
on tap for a limited time at places like Freeman’s Little NY, The Wooden Monkey, The Press Gang and The Argyle; and
Garrison Brewery (1149 Marginal Road) in bottles and on tap for growlers and growlito's.

Kuhnhenn Brewing Co. - 4D (Fourth Dementia) Olde Ale

noreply@blogger.com (Dorian) — Wed, 29 May 2013 02:00:00 +0000

ABV 13.5% (Bottle 355ml)
The Brewery

The Brew
"Deep ruby red ale. Extreme malty/caramel flavor; sweet up front, finishing with hop bitterness and aroma. Very complex beer. We recommend at least four more months of age. But it is a delight to drink now."

The Pour
Pours brown, but is cola dark in the glass. I got no head or lacing, but burnt orange shades present when swirled for a nice added touch.

Aroma
Delicious and fascinating in equal measure! The nose is big and thick with sweet roasted malts, red licorice, candied fruits and rich fruit cake on top of the earthy aroma of fallen leaves. There is the faintest whiff of alcohol - which for 13.5% is impressive.

Taste
The mouth-feel is thick like oil as it coats the tongue. There is very little carb to compete with the substantial body - which is nice because the massive sweetness of the malts get to do battle with the alcohol warmth and cheek sucking bitterness without interference from bubbles. The warmth actually spread to my throat and chest like a nice sherry, making this a winning warmer for the cool spring months.

Overall
This beer is big, and I mean BIG! The alcohol is huge, but balances very well with an equally large palette of flavours that carry through from the fantastic nose. I give this one an A. It didn't blow my mind enough for an A+, but it is a substantial brew to be sure and well worth a try (get an extra bottle to age!) I can see why it rates so high at Ratebeer and Beer Advocate.

Up next...
Grand River Brewing's spring release of Dogstalker April Bock.

Beer Mail from Cameron's Brewing

noreply@blogger.com (Cory) — Tue, 28 May 2013 01:30:00 +0000

I was lucky enough to receive a very special beer mail from Oakville's own Cameron's Brewing. It included both their RPA (Rye Pale Ale), Multi-Medal Winner at both the Ontario and Canadian Brewing Awards for two years running and their Obsidian Imperial Porter Rum Barrel Aged.

Having had the chance to try both, they are fantastic. While complete different in style, the Obsidian blew me away. Incredibly rich, dark and velvety smooth with hints of burnt sugar and toffee. This roasty porter had a gentle sweetness with hints of vanilla imparted from the rum cask. Complex and delicious. Get this if you can!

For more information on the RPA click here.

For more information of the Obsidian click here.

And for heaven's sake go out and get some of each!

Beau’s All Natural Brew Tanks on the Move to Ottawa

noreply@blogger.com (Cory) — Thu, 23 May 2013 12:28:00 +0000

Ottawa, ON

Local brewery Beau’s All Natural “Pays It Forward” for The Love of Craft Beer

Eastern Ontario’s Beau’s All Natural Brewing and one of Ottawa’s newest craft breweries, Beyond The Pale, are excited to announce a plan that will bring even more great craft beer to the National Capital region. This week, four brewing vessels from Beau’s first brewhouse, purchased in 2006, will be loaned to Beyond the Pale, to help BTP meet the growing demand for their beer. BTP will compensate Beau’s for the loan with one case of their beer, featuring the re-released Hop on Your Face IPA.

Beau’s installed a new 60-barrel brewhouse and larger tanks in 2012 as part of a brewery-wide expansion, and since then the older 15-barrel system has been used mainly for experimental and small-batch brewing. When Beau’s co-founder Steve Beauchesne heard of Beyond The Pale’s capacity challenges, he saw the opportunity to pay forward the sense of community and shared passion that Beau’s encountered when first starting up.

“The greatest part of the craft beer movement is how good the beer tastes,” says Beauchesne. “The second-best part is that the movement is genuinely interested in supporting one another and working together for the sake of good beer.” Beauchesne notes that before Beau’s was able to purchase the tanks that will be loaned to Beyond The Pale, Church-Key Brewing in Campbellford, Ont. provided a home for Beau’s to brew the first batches of Lug Tread.

“Beau’s would not be where we are now without the support of craft breweries like Church-Key who came before us and helped us get our start, so it feels really good being able to pay it forward,” says Beauchesne. “It was an easy decision to loan the tanks to BTP because I like what they’re doing so much,” he added.

Beyond The Pale had difficulty meeting customer demand throughout the winter, and are looking forward to being able to ramp up their production for summer while continuing to grow. The two fermenters and two brite tanks on loan from Beau’s will increase their brewing capacity by 80%, and help them to run brewery operations more efficiently.

“In most businesses, if you called up the most successful and influential business in your marketplace and asked them to help support your unanticipated growth, they’d close the door in your face. Steve, on the other hand, took my call and has gone the extra mile to help support us,” shares Beyond The Pale co-founder Rob McIsaac.

“Beau’s has been great ambassadors for craft beer for many years and are truly interested in doing what’s best for both the industry as a whole, and for the community. They embody the mantra of doing well by doing good,” he concludes.

The borrowed equipment is expected to arrive at this week at Beyond The Pale, located at 5 Hamilton Avenue in Ottawa.

Brewery Ommegang and HBO Partner for "Game of Thrones" Inspired Brews

noreply@blogger.com (Cory) — Wed, 22 May 2013 10:00:00 +0000

Seize your destiny and the Iron Throne!

Brewery Ommegang and HBO are partnering on a series of beers inspired by the critically-acclaimed drama Game of Thrones. Launching ahead of the season 3 debut on March 31, Iron Throne, a blonde ale, is the inaugural beer in the series and the result of a creative collaboration between Brewmaster Phil Leinhart and HBO.

“No one enjoys their job more than I do -- producing and developing new brews to delight lovers of fine beer, add to that the opportunity to collaborate on a beer based on the cultural phenomenon of Game of Thrones and exploring ways to make the beer truly reflect aspects from the show. It made us approach development in a completely new way and I think the first edition Iron Throne reveals that. With a Lannister currently on the throne, it made sense to do a delicate, but piercing Golden Blonde Ale with Noble hops. Iron Throne is certainly fair in color and soft in appearance, yet it still possesses a complexity and bite to be on guard for.” says Phil Leinhart, Brewmaster at Brewery Ommegang.

Beer Mail From Innis & Gunn

noreply@blogger.com (Cory) — Tue, 21 May 2013 13:30:00 +0000

There are some wonderful products in the pipeline from our good friends at Innis & Gunn.

They have their Melville's Craft Lager line, sporting strawberry, raspberry and ginger beer flavours.

As well, something that I am really excited about; their Canadian Cherrywood Finish.

"Strong, sweet and full bodied, we matured this Limited Edition Innis & Gunn over Canadian Black Cherrywood and then finished it before bottling with a touch of maple syrup to give it a sweet, toasty twist."

Some suggested food pairings would include, fresh figs and a soft goats cheese, or smoky pulled pork.

Be sure to enjoy some of these selections this summer!

LCBO Stores Closed on Victoria Day

noreply@blogger.com (Cory) — Fri, 17 May 2013 21:00:00 +0000

Toronto, ON

The LCBO would like to remind its customers that, regardless of the status of negotiations with the union representing its bargaining unit employees, all LCBO stores will be closed on Victoria Day, Monday, May 20. Like most other retailers, LCBO closes on this statutory holiday.

Some agency stores will observe their normal business hours on May 20. Agency stores are locally-owned retailers that contract with LCBO to sell beverage alcohol, along with other products, in communities that are too small to support regular LCBO stores.

"In advance of the first long weekend of the summer, customers are encouraged to shop early for the best product selections," said LCBO Senior VP, Retail Operations Bob Clevely. "Customers entertaining this weekend can avoid any possible service disruptions by shopping our stores early and stocking up."

Negotiations with OPSEU are ongoing. For updates on collective bargaining developments, visit the LCBO Media Centre at www.lcbo.com or follow us on Twitter @LCBONEWS.

The Beer Store Closing Victoria Day

noreply@blogger.com (Cory) — Fri, 17 May 2013 19:00:00 +0000

Toronto, ON

The Beer Store will close all stores across the province Monday, May 20th, 2013 to observe Victoria Day . All Beer Stores will observe their normal closing hours for the rest of the weekend.

For stores hours, visit them at www.thebeerstore.ca The Beer Store would like to wish their employees and customers a safe Holiday. The Beer Store would like to remind you that they take back 100% of all beer packaging as well as all wine and spirit containers.

Please remember that many of your favourite craft brewery retail stores WILL be open for the holiday.

For a list of breweries, click here.

Support you Ontario brewer!

Beer Mail from McClelland Premium Imports - Stiegl Grapefruit Radler

noreply@blogger.com (Cory) — Fri, 17 May 2013 11:00:00 +0000

Another treat from our friends at McClelland Premium Imports. Specializing in bringing the finest European beers to Ontario, McClelland Premium Imports was founded in 2003.

Stiegl Grapefruit Radler, known as “The fruity one”, has a nice tart aroma and natural cloudiness. Made with real fruit juice, this is a light and refreshing twist to the cooler market. A beer cocktail low in calories: only 35 calories / 100 ml and also low in alcohol content: 2.5 % vol.

Should be refreshing after cutting the grass on a hot summers day!

Find out more about McClellands and their fine portfolio here.

LCBO Reaches A Tentative Agreement with Unionized Employees

noreply@blogger.com (Cory) — Fri, 17 May 2013 03:00:00 +0000

Toronto, ON

The LCBO, Ontario's Liquor Control Board, has just announce that stores will be open tomorrow and it looks like a strike will be averted.

Released via social media, the LCBO announced "Breaking News: We’ve just reached a tentative agreement with our unionized employees so stores will be open for business tomorrow."

While this is good news, please remember that your local craft producers of fine spirits, wine and beer would still have been able to fill their gap at the various retail shops. Please continue to support them!

Top 10 Reasons to Love Ontario Craft Beer Week 2013 ~ June 16 - 23 ~

noreply@blogger.com (Cory) — Thu, 16 May 2013 15:45:00 +0000

Here are 10 reasons why you won't want to miss Ontario Craft Beer Week:

NUMBER 1: CRAFT BEER HAS FLAVOUR - Ontario Craft Brewers brew over 250 brands including lagers, ales, pilsners, porters and stouts. This number multiplies with all the new seasonal specialties, one-offs, collaborative brews and casks available during this week only. Ontario Craft Beer Week is your chance to taste as many varieties as you possibly can.

LCBO BEER FAIRS: On June 15, 2013, eight local LCBO stores across Ontario will host tastings with four Ontario Craft breweries sampling two products each. Drop by for a taste and stock up for your own OCB Week home tasting event. Stores include: Summerhill, Kingsway and Bayview (Toronto), Nepean & Rideau (Ottawa), Orion Gate (Burlington), Appleby Line (Burlington) and Howard Ave. (Windsor).

NUMBER 2: CRAFT BEER IS DOWN WITH DAD - June 16 - What better way to treat Dad on his special day than with great, local, fresh craft beer. Most Ontario Craft Breweries host Father's Day events at their breweries with tours, tastings and BBQs and some will host events at local restaurants and pubs.

Amsterdam will be holding a Father's Day BBQ + Tours + Tasting at our brewery at 45 Esandar Dr. (Leaside)

Beau's All Natural Brewery will host a BBQ for daddies on the brewery patio and will release the 2013 edition of its collaborative brew, Pan Ontario, a delicious barrel-aged creation that contains one beer each from Beau's All Natural, Flying Monkeys, Great Lakes, Amsterdam and Wellington. (Vankleek Hill)

Cameron's Brewing Co. hosts its 16th anniversary during the annual Father's Day BBQ at the brewery in Oakville with beer, food & free tours.

F&M Brewery Father's Day Bus Tour (12-4 p.m.) between F&M Brewery, Wellington Brewery, and local craft beer legend, the Woolwich Arrow. Tours and samplings at the brewery in Guelph. $5 per person.

Granite Brewery in Toronto will give Dad a pint in a special free Granite Father's Day glass.

Bring Dad down to Great Lakes Brewery in Etobicoke between 2-4 p.m. for beer and BBQ treats.

Muskoka Brewery Steamship Cruise: A four hour tour of Muskoka lakes with good craft beer, delicious food and entertainment.

Railway City Brewing's Railway City will be hosting a Father's Day Barbeque, Brewery Tours and Sample event in our new brewery in St. Thomas, ON.

Steam Whistle Brewing - Free tours for Dad at the Roundhouse brewery in Toronto.

Wellington Brewery Father's Day Ale Trail (12-5 p.m.) between Wellington, F&M Brewery and local craft beer legend, the Woolwich Arrow. Samplings at the breweries in Guelph (including Welly One-Off limited edition cask beer) & more.

There's also Beach, Brews & BBQ June 14-16 at Woodbine Park in Toronto with tasty food and Ontario Craft Beer offerings from Beau's, Black Oak, Flying Monkeys Craft Brewery, Great Lakes Brewery, Left Field Brewery, Mill Street Brewery, Nickel Brook.

NUMBER 3: ONTARIO CRAFT BEER GOES GREAT WITH FOOD - Fine dining, 4, 5&6 course meals, BBQ, cheese pairings, pig roasts, sliders and canapés - all better with beer. Highlights:

"Chef-Faced" ... Presented by Muskoka Brewery & The Hintonburg Public House - A Bartender and the Chef from the HPH and 3 of Ottawa's Top Restaurants (TBD) will battle it out to see who will be crowned "Chef-Faced". Each team is to come up with a beer cocktail and food pairing; judged by a group of their peers. (June 23)

Mill Street Brewery will offer its outstanding Beer & Cheese Pairing Program in pubs and restos throughout the province with Mill Street providing 7 oz glasses, sampling paddles and tasting notes so participating establishments can offer flights the right way! (week-long)

Muskoka Brewery's 2nd Annual "Epic Pig Roast" at the Arrow and Loon in Ottawa (June 15).

The Beau's Beer & BBQ Bash at The Compass Bar & Grill in Oakville will showcase the talent of the Group of Seven Chefs and the fabulous flavour of Beau's Beer. Each BBQ dish will be complimented and enhanced by a specially chosen Beau's beer to complete the flavour experience.

Mill Street's four course brewmaster dinner made and paired with Mill St. beers and featuring a rare tasting of their 5yr old aged Barley Wine at the Dominion on Queen in Toronto (June 18).

Beau's & Glen Echo Fine Foods visit the Queen's University Grad Club for a cheers to cheese! Five Beau's beers will be paired alongside five perfectly matched cheeses. (June 17)

NUMBER 4: CRAFT BEER TAP TAKEOVERS - Follow your favourite breweries when they take over the taps at your local establishment. Highlights:

Beau's All Natural and Great Lakes join forces at Toronto's Bar Hop celebrating OCB Week with 36 of each breweries finest brews on tap + two cask engines. (June 19)

Flying Monkey Tap takeover and tacos. Five of Flying Monkey's regular craft beers on and one specialty brew (Imperial Pilsner). Corner Bar will be showing off their new menu which includes unique Tacos. (June 19)

King Brewery and Steam Whistle gather for a side by side comparison of their award-winning pilsners AND a rare sampling of their un-filtered versions! Compare two great versions of a classic-style Ontario Pilsner in both their un-filtered and regular style beers! (June 20)

Mill Street Brewery Tap Takeover at Relish in Toronto with live music all day (June 22).

Tap for Tap - Beau's vs. Muskoka - A friendly head to head competition between Beau's All Natural and Muskoka. Decide who will win each battle in this all out throw down as they compare beer by beer! Beau's own Tim Beauchesne and Muskoka's Ross Muir play host. Beaver River VS Mad Tom? You be the judge! (June 20)

Wellington Brewery Tap Takeover at Relish in Toronto featuring a wide selection of beers and beer inspired menu pairings from Chef Joanne Clayton. Karaoke starts at 10pm with 5 dollar Wellington pints. (June 20)

NUMBER 5: ONTARIO CRAFT BEER & ENTERTAINMENT - The 2nd annual Battle of the Beer Bands at The Only Café - 1 MC, 2 Nights, 3 Judges, 8 Bands. Each band includes at least one member who works for an OCB brewery. The 2nd annual brewery band showdown will include great music, tons of fun and a whole lot of great beer from your favourite breweries, including some tap features. Tuesday, June 18 Audio (Beau's All Natural Brewing Co.) Julian Taylor Band - (Cameron's Brewing Co.) Clang (Great Lakes Brewery) Stone Face Dolly's - (Wellington Brewery). Wednesday, June 19 Bands & Breweries TBA.

Party like a rock star with WILLIE NELSON and Beau's! Beau's Big Birthday Bash with Willie Nelson at TD Ottawa Jazz Festival. A selection of 8 tasty Beau's beers will be on tap and the first 1000 ticket holders through the gates will receive a free Beau's branded bandana. (June 21)

STRANGE BREW - Mill Street Brewery's amazing celebration of craft beer, rock n' roll, and the unusual. Featuring 10 seasonal brews from local craft brewers (Black Oak, Lake of Bays, Mill Street, Neustadt Springs & Steam Whistle among others!); performances by: DWAYNE GRETZKY; JUMPLE + more TBA. Hosted by: MYSTERION the Mindreader and featuring his clan of sideshow weirdos. (June 21)

NUMBER 6: ONTARIO CRAFT BEER TOURS - Sign up for a specially-priced, personalized regional beer tour, such as: the Old Toronto Beer Tour™ by Toronto Beer Lovers Tour Co., http://www.beerloverstour.com/toronto.html OR Ontario Group of Touring Companies, Ontario Craft Brewery Tours http://www.ontariogroupoftouringcompanies.com/en-CA/ontario-craft-brewery-tours/

Travel Round the World Tour with Beau's in four short hours! Experience Four Seasons, four Celebrations, four Countries & one Big Surprise! Join Beau's in Toronto for a tour around the world, celebrating Canada Day in Ottawa, Oktoberfest in Munich, New Year's Eve in Copenhagen and St. Patrick's Day in Dublin. Beau's will transport you through time and space to spend one hour at each of these magical destinations. (June 20)

NUMBER 7: ONTARIO CRAFT BEER COLLABORATIONS - Collaboration is a key theme of Ontario Craft Beer Week with breweries brewing, working and playing together.

Five Brewery Tap Takeover - "Crafters of the Brewniverse" Tap Takeover Event at Brothers Beer Bistro in Ottawa (Beau's, Muskoka, Nickel Brook & two TBD). (June 16)

Collaboration Nation - This year, Griffin Session Toronto has put together a collaboration nation of Brewers and Artists, teaming up 20 breweries and 20 Artists to create one-of-a-kind collaboration beers that will be available to try at Session. Highlights include - Beaus and Tom Green, Mill Street and Royal Wood, Great Lakes Brewery and Josh Rubin. Follow @griffingastro on Twitter and hashtag #collaborationnation. (June 22)

Niagara Collabrewation - Niagara College is inviting local Ontario breweries to visit the college throughout the summer to collaboratively brew with their student hire(s). (all week)

NUMBER 8: CRAFT BEER CULTURE IS COOL - One of the unique things about Ontario Craft Beer is that you can get up close and personal with the people who make the beer. Meet the makers behind Ontario's awesome craft beer scene.

Beau's Masterbrewer Matthew O'Hara and his mentor Michael Hancock of Denison's for dinner. A delicious four-course beer dinner will feature two of each brewer's creative and wonderful brews. (June 18)

Mill Street sampling and seminar with a Mill Street Brewer at Sarah's Café in Toronto. (June 20)

Beau's brewer Andrew Bartle will be onsite at the Branch Restaurant in Kemptville to make sense of each beer and why it matches each bite. The impressive beer lineup features a cask of summer seasonal Festivale Altbier, Boubon barrel-aged Strong Patrick + Festivale, Burnt Rock and The Tom Green Beer. (June 19)

Session Toronto will have special education sessions led by OCB member brewers and beer experts. This is the place to meet many people in the Ontario Craft Brewing industry. (June 22)

NUMBER 9: CRAFT BEER IS CREATIVE - This is your chance to try specialty and on-off brews created for this week only.

Join Flying Monkeys brewery at the Wellington Gastro Pub in Ottawa and taste two specialty cask conditioned pins and one specialty keg. (June 18)

Mill Street Brewery's cask tasting at Pegasus in Toronto. (June 20)

Wellington Brewery will be on hand at Sarah's Cafe to sample a selection of their award-winning beers including a special Welly One-Off cask. (June 21)

NUMBER 10: ONTARIO CRAFT BEER IS FUN! 'Nuff said!

GRIFFIN SESSION TORONTO - Official OCB Week wrap party in Toronto with 20+ Ontario Craft Brewers http://www.sessiontoronto.ca
When - Saturday, June 22nd - 4pm - 9 pm
Where - Artscape Wychwood Barns, Toronto
What - This year, Griffin Session Toronto teamed up 20 breweries and 20 Artists to create one-of-a-kind collaboration beers that will be available to try and at Session. Some of the highlights so far - Beaus and Tom Green, Mill Street and Royal Wood, Great lakes brewery and Josh Rubin. Details are updated frequently on twitter using @griffingastro and the hashtag #collaborationnation.

There will be an educational element featuring tastings, beer and food pairings and craft beer appreciation sponsored by OCB. There will also be an Ontario craft beer station sponsored by The Griffin Gastropub, UBC and Mom & Hops that will have many other Ontario craft breweries featured and on tap. Special beers will rotate by the hour. Live music by Madison Violet, Grady Kelneck and Lindy.

Tickets available on line at www.sessiontoronto.ca for $50 and that includes all beer samples. Food can be purchased from special food trucks and other food vendors on the grounds.

The goal of Ontario Craft Brewers' week-long, province-wide festival is to celebrate the local craft beer scene and expose consumers to the premium quality and culture of Ontario craft beer. OCB breweries will host events on-site at their breweries, in pubs, restaurants, and event venues throughout Ontario in cities such as Toronto, Guelph, London, Ottawa and smaller

Great Lakes Brewery Named Canadian Brewery of the Year at 2013 Canadian Brewing Awards

noreply@blogger.com (Cory) — Thu, 16 May 2013 14:00:00 +0000

Toronto, ON

2013 off to a great start at Great Lakes Brewery

On May 11th, 2013 the 11th annual Canadian Brewing Awards was held at The Inn at Laurel Point in Victoria, British Columbia. Canadian breweries from all corners of the country were in attendance to mix and mingle over some of the best beer in the nation, including the team from Great Lakes, Toronto’s oldest independent craft brewery, who returned home with a suitcase full of trophies; including the most prestigious of all – the Canadian Brewery of the Year!

The 2013 Canadian Brewing Awards was the largest in their eleven-year history, as 746 beers from over 120 breweries were submitted into 38 categories for judging. Awards of gold, silver or bronze were given to the top three ranking beers in each category. The judging was conducted in Toronto over five days in April by 43 BJCP (Beer Judge Certification Program)-certified beer judges in a blind tasting environment.

“We couldn't be happier with the results from the Canadian Brewing Awards,” stated Peter Bulut. Jr., President of Great Lakes Brewery. “There was a lot of competition this year and to receive an award of this magnitude is a testament to our entire brewing team.”

Great Lakes, who have had a strong showing in recent years at the Canadian Brewing Awards, took home the following medals:

Gold – Karma Citra India Pale Ale
Gold – Bourbon Barrel-Aged Robust Porter
Gold – Harry Porter
Silver – Crazy Canuck Pale Ale
Silver – Maverick & Gose (Collaboration with Amsterdam Brewery, ON)
Bronze – 25th Anniversary Bourbon Barrel-Aged Russian Imperial Stout

This has been the first time that an Ontario brewery has been named Canadian Brewery of the Year since 2009, and Great Lakes vows to continue producing high quality craft beer for the citizens of Ontario.

“It’s so great to be part of this great brewing nation, especially in Ontario, and we’ll continue to brew beautiful beers for years to come,” said Bulut.

Great Lakes’ David Bieman and Troy Burtch were in Victoria to accept the awards before a packed event full of brewery representatives from all over Canada, and both were amazed with the outpouring of congratulations and the camaraderie between breweries after the award was announced. Great Lakes would also like to congratulate all the other medal winners, especially Powell Street Brewery from Vancouver for winning Beer of the Year with their Old Jalopy Pale Ale.

Fresh off 25th Anniversary celebrations in 2012, Great Lakes Brewery has started 2013 off on the right foot as they were named “Best Brewery in Ontario” by RateBeer.com to winning the highest honour in the Canadian brewing industry on Saturday May 11th.

Beer List Released for Asheville Rare & Wild Beer Tasting

noreply@blogger.com (Cory) — Thu, 16 May 2013 14:00:00 +0000

Asheville, N.C

All About Beer Magazine and Thirsty Monk Host May Event to Benefit Pints for Prostates

Organizers of the inaugural Asheville Rare & Wild Beer Tasting have released the list of 37 rare and exotic beers that will be poured by 24 of America’s leading craft breweries at the May 31 event.

All About Beer Magazine and the Thirsty Monk Pub will present the inaugural Asheville Rare & Wild Beer Tasting during Asheville Beer Week to benefit Pints for Prostates, a nationwide campaign designed to raise awareness about the importance of early detection in fighting prostate cancer.

The beer list includes:

· Against the Grain Port Barrel-Aged Bo & Luke, Tickle Me Alemo & Citra Ass Down

· Allagash Smoke and Beards & Mattina Rossa

· Asheville Ratri Double IPA, Bier de Mardi Garde & Big Thankful Porter

· Bell’s Sweet Potato Stout

· Big Boss Hell's Bizz-ness

· Blue Mountain Barrel House Sour Cherry Lager & Barrel Aged Mandolin

· Boulder BFU (Be Forever Unknown)

· Brooklyn There Will Be Black & Silver Anniversary Lager

· Deschutes Burgschrund Black & The Dissident

· Founders Panther Cub Imperial Stout

· Goose Island Bourbon County Cherry Stout & 2012 Bourbon County Coffee Stout

· Haw River Farmhouse Ales Cotton Pickin' Farmhouse IPA, Sun Hands Tripel, Rusted Plow & St. Benedict's Brunch

· Highland 2008 Cold Mountain & 2009 Auld Asheville Ale

· Jester King Viking Metal

· Mother Earth Brewing 2012 Tripel Overhead Barrel-Aged

· New Belgium Barrel-Aged Love Oscar

· Brewery Ommegang Game of Thrones Iron Throne

· Oskar Blues Red Fox Ale

· Samuel Adams 13th Hour Stout

· Sierra Nevada Wolfinanny Wheatwine

· Stone 11.11.11 Vertical Epic Ale in Red Wine Barrels

· SweetWater Gangsta IPA

· Thirsty Monk Imperial Amber

· Weyerbacher Sour Black Pinot Noir Barrel-Aged

“We reach men through the universal language of beer and an event like the Asheville Rare & Wild Beer Tasting gives us a platform to get guys to focus on their health,” said Rick Lyke, a prostate cancer survivor, drinks journalist and founder of the Pints for Prostates campaign. “A portion of the funds raised at this event are going to be used to help underwrite a free men’s health screening in Asheville on June 10.”

The men’s health screening event will be hosted by Asheville Urological Associates at 1 Doctors Park in Asheville on June 10 from 5-7 p.m. The screening will include a digital rectal exam and consult with Board Certified Urologist, Dr. James Brien, plus blood testing for PSA (prostate specific antigen), cholesterol, testosterone, HDL/LDL, triglycerides and glucose. Solstas Lab Partners will be handling blood draws for testing. The screening will be conducted in cooperation with the Prostate Conditions Education Council, which will provide free informative literature to participants. Those interested in the testing should register by calling Renee Savickas at 303-999-2475 .

“We have a great list of American craft brewers committed to appear at the Asheville Rare & Wild Beer Tasting and each will be pouring rare and exotic beers,” said Daniel Bradford, publisher of All About Beer Magazine. “We want this to be one of the highlights of Asheville Beer Week and help raise awareness about an important men’s health issue by teaming up with Pints for Prostates.”

The Asheville Rare & Wild Beer Tasting will be held at 66 Asheland Ave. in Asheville on May 31 from 6-9 p.m. Fewer than 50 of the 250 tickets for theAsheville Rare & Wild Beer Tasting are still available. They can be purchased online at: http://www.etix.com/ticket/online/venueSearch.jsp?venue_id=9521. Tickets are $75 and include admission to the event, beer sampling, commemorative tasting glass, program and heavy hors d'oeuvres. More information about the event can be found at www.arwbt.com. Each brewery will pour unique beers. Some will be rare and others will be “wild” featuring barrel aged, sours, cask conditioned and vintage beers.

Pints for Prostates is a 501(c)3 charity. It raises awareness about prostate cancer at beer festivals and pub events. Funds raised by the group help support free men’s health screenings provided by the Prostate Conditions Education Council and Us TOO Prostate Cancer Education and Support Network, which operates support groups for men battling the disease. You can get more information about Pints for Prostates at www.pintsforprostates.org.

“Pints for Prostates and All About Beer Magazine started the Denver Rare Beer Tasting in 2009 and it has become renowned as one of the best beer events in the country,” said Barry Bialik of Thirsty Monk Pub. “Asheville Beer Week is growing and attracting people who want to experience the growing beer culture in the region. The Asheville Rare & Wild Beer Tasting is a great addition to the celebration. And we at Thirsty Monk are so proud to be a part of making this happen.”

The Devil Is Coming! - Le Trou Du Diable Tap Takeover @ WVRST Beer Hall - May 26

noreply@blogger.com (Cory) — Wed, 15 May 2013 16:00:00 +0000

Toronto, ON

A couple of events not to be missed!

Join Micro-Brasserie Le Trou Du Diable (Shawinigan, Quebec) on Sunday, May 26th, 2013 from 2:00pm-11:00pm with co-owner Isaac Tremblay and co-owner / brew master André Trudel at WVRST Beer Hall (609 King St. West, Toronto, Ontario) for “The Devil Is Coming”. We will be celebrating the arrival of Le Trou Du Diable Shawinigan Handshake (Hopfenweisse) to the LCBO summer beer release in early June.

Here is what will be served on tap:

Le Trou Du Diable Amer Indienne (Belgian IPA)
Le Trou Du Diable Cholie Fraulein (German Dunkel)
Le Trou Du Diable Chose (India Wee-Heavy)
Le Trou Du Diable Claymore (Scotch Ale)
Le Trou Du Diable L’Epoque Opaque (Black IPA)
Le Trou Du Diable Mactavish (American PAle Ales)
Le Trou Du Diable Morsure (American IPA)
Le Trou Du Diable Ninja Pale Ale (Cascadian Dark Lager)
Le Trou Du Diable Angelus (Belgian Pale Ale)
Le Trou Du Diable Porter (British Porter)
Le Trou Du Diable Ruby Red (Irish Red Ale)
Le Trou Du Diable Saison D’Tracteur (Belgian Saison)
Le Trou Du Diable Sang d’Encre (Irish Dry Stout)
Le Trou Du Diable Shawinigan Handshake (Hopfenweisse)
Le Trou Du Diable SMASH Citra (IPA Single Malt / Single Hop)
Le Trou Du Diable Désinvolte (Amber Ale) Cask-Conditioned
Le Trou Du Diable Dubaï Pillée (Double IPA) Cask-Conditioned
Le Trou Du Diable Sang D’Encre (Irish Dry Stout) Cask-Conditioned

Join Micro-Brasserie Le Trou Du Diable (Shawinigan, Quebec) on Saturday, May 25h, 2013 from 5:00pm-9:00pm with co-owner Isaac Tremblay and co-owner / brew master André Trudel at barVolo (587 Yonge St. Toronto, Ontario) for a very special barrel aged bottle tasting.

The following beers will be served by the bottle and sample:

Le Trou Du Diable Dulcis Succubus (Barrel Aged Imperial Sour Saison)
Le Trou Du Diable Buteuse Brassin Special (Barrel Aged Belgian Tripel)
Le Trou Du Diable Bretteuse (Barrel Aged Farmhouse IPA)
Le Trou Du Diable X DDC! Archeo Porter (Barrel Aged Sour Porter)
Le Trou Du Diable Nez de Poivrot (Barrel Aged Barley Wine)
Le Trou Du Diable Imperatrice 2009 (Barrel Aged Imperial Stout)