![]() Today we finish the Barrie trifecta. If you've been following along with my stories about Redline and Barnstormer, you'll know I was not very familiar with those 2 Barrie breweries prior to my visit. This one, I was familiar with and I was excited to finally go to the brewery. Much like my introduction to Great Lakes Brewery, Innis & Gunn and, Amsterdam Brewing Company, I was introduced to Flying Monkeys by my good friend Matt in my early days of learning about craft beer. Confederation Ale was one of his favorites and quickly became a regular for me when I wanted something other than Coors Light. Then, when I really started to dig into hoppy beers Hoptical Illusion became a regular in my rotation. Flying Monkeys have been in Barrie since 2004. While 15 years maybe doesn't like a huge number, there's not too many others out there that can boast being around for this long. Flying Monkeys have always branded themselves as the "out there" brand who always are looking to try something new. Their slogan is "normal is weird". I haven't been able to find a heck of a lot about the history online but I do know that founder Peter Chiodo learned to brew by being a home brewer while going through post-secondary education. When I first walked up to the building I saw a nicely restored building in downtown Barrie which backs right onto the beach. Not at all "out of the ordinary", beautiful but not exactly what I had expected. Then I walked inside. Posters on the wall, chandeliers hanging from the roof, neon lights, brightly coloured seats and, mismatched furniture. Now that's more like what I expected. Upstairs, there is an arcade room (called the lounge) with more seating. The main floor is a taproom/bottle shop/restaurant. My visit, much like the other 2 Barrie stops, was to load up on beer and for the weekend so I just took a lok around, bought some beer and, headed out. Jer's Picks: I'm going to choose 4 which seems like a random number but I couldn't narrow it down to 3 or less. The beer is just so well crafted I could probably pick 5 (or more) but I really want to highlight these 4, including the return of the "top sauce" pick. Confederation Ale: Nutty, very lightly hopped, malty. A perfected recipe and, a sentimental beer. What more can I say? I admit nostalgia plays a part here but I admit it proudly because if I didn't like this beer then I may not have been as willing to dig deeper into the craft beer world. Hoptical Illusion: The "almost pale ale" is tropical, floral and hazy with a hint of caramel. Very IPA-ish. I admit that my first purchase of this beer was strictly for the name. I also recognized the packaging and thought "hey, these Flying Monkey guys make decent beer. I'll try this.". Much like the Confederation Ale, there is some nostalgia in this pick but to this day I still recommend this beer to people who are starting their journey in craft beer. Live Transmission Milkshake IPA: By now, a Milkshake IPA on the list shouldn't be a surprise. Lactose (of course), grapefruit, orange and, a hint of coconut. Top Sauce - Juicy Ass: Juicy, dank hops, a bitter bite, hazy and, not overly carbonated. This is a really delicious beer. Plus, if you offer someone a sip you can say "hey, do you want to try my juicy ass?". What more can you want from a beer?
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![]() Happy New Year! I hope everyone had a fantastic holiday and there was lots of craft beer under the tree. Before getting into today's post I just wanted to reach out to everyone who's read this site to date and thank you for following along as I've started this adventure. Considering this started as encouragement from a friend to share my experiences with, admittedly, very little planning. I've been happy to find myself learning and finding like-minded individuals via social media. There truly is a community here and I hope that I can contribute to that community in a my little way. Before the Holidays I posted about Barnstormer and my stops in Barrie this past summer, I'm coming back to my first stop today. Just a stone's throw away from the Barrie Molson Centre is Redline Brewhouse. Driving down this road reminded me of the old days driving up to Barrie to catch concerts at Molson Park. I still miss that venue but it's fitting that a craft brewery has found it's home so close to the old Molson plant. The story of Redline seems to be one that is fairly common in the craft beer world, someone has a job that they were not completely satisfied with and decided to quit and just "go for it." and live their dream. Now Redline is a family owned and operated business. Almost a year to the date prior to my visit I had tried "Clutch" but hadn't seen their beer elsewhere in some time. I wasn't really sure what to expect upon my arrival but what I found was a full restaurant with an open concept, including the tanks and barrels right there on the floor. The bottle shop portion was just off to the side and was stocked right up with merch and beers, so much to choose from! I selected 6 different beers to try but there were probably another 4 more available in the bottle shop. Impressive selection. I also bought a cool baseball-style t-shirt which is still one of my favorite shirts. There's clearly a theme related to cars, specifically hot rods which at first I thought was weird but unique. I mean this in a good way, it sets their brand apart. Much like Barnstormer, I didn't do too much research prior to my arrival and next time I'm in Barrie I'll be sure to be making this a food stop to as they have a full menu with specials, snacks and, full meals. Jer's Pick: Peel Out IIPA: After my first sip I utter the words "holy shit, why didn't I buy more of this?". Of course, I was at a cottage with family so my mom gave me a dirty look for dropping the "S" word in front of my grandma but that's really how good it was! Mango is the dominant taste and it almost drinks like a juice that finishes with a bit of a bitter bite. You'd never know it's 8.8% while drinking it, you'd swear it's closer to one of those 3% raddlers, that's how easy drinking it was. If you are ever out in Barrie get your hands on a few of these.....and maybe grab me a couple too? |
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