![]() The 3rd and final stop of in our boys cottage country brewery day was Sawdust City. Admittedly, this was my second stop at Sawdust city during the week. I think that says what you need to know about how I feel about this place. Sawdust City is located on the main drag in Gravenhurst, On (Muskoka Road) and it sure seems to be the hot spot in town. When we arrived on the boys brewery day (my second time visiting) the rain had finally stopped and you could see that people were coming in for lunch or a beer. Lunch, by the way, is from the food truck on site. I noticed that there were a number vehicles from local businesses so this must be a hit spot for lunch locally. When you first walk in to the building you are in the bottle shop which also sells an assortment of local goods like spices, jams, baked goods, ect. It really is like a combo of a brewery/visitor centre/local market. Around the corner is the tap room which has a large bar made of a 100 year old tree. In fact, most of the building has wood as part of the cottage-like feel. Sawdust has 6 core beers and the rest, as the state on their website, is no rules brewing for brewmaster Sam Corbeil and staff. This is backed up by their 2019 project 52 Beer Pick Up Club. Essentially Sawdust is releasing a new beer weekly in 2019. Quiet the project! As this was the last stop of the day, we went for it and got the large flight with 12 samples in it and shared some fries from the food truck. Sawdust was about a 15 min drive from our cottage for the week so we relaxed and enjoyed the atmosphere for quiet a while before heading back and calling it a day on our 3 brewery day trip. It was a really fun day bonding with family and I look forward to this July when we can do it again, we're going to Huntsville this year so I think Lake of Bays and Canvas Brewing Company are on the list but if you know of any others in the area, leave a message for me in the comments and I'll be sure to add it to the list! Jer (and Family's) picks: Little Norway: My dad picked up a 6 pack, my uncle said it was his favorite from this location and, I bought more for my dad for Christmas this year. It's an easy drinking pale lager that's right up their alley. When it's nice and cold on a hot sunny day; this hits the spot perfectly. Lone Pine IPA: A core beer for Sawdust. Pine and citrus are the predominant flavours in this 65 IBU that my brother in law really liked. I think Lone Pine is a solid IPA that you can always rely on. Lemon Meringue Pie: This Berliner Weiss was sweet and tart. Lemon, as expected, was the dominant flavor. For a guy who doesn't drink much of this style of beer, this was exceptional. Juicin: Juicin' is right! This is a vermont style IPA, one of my favorites to being with, but with all the juicy peach, you actually think you are drink juice. Far and away, this was my personal choice and I hope that this summer there will be more to be had.
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![]() Stop number two in our boys cottage country brewery day was Muskoka Brewery. This stop was one I was really looking forward to and I know my brother in law was too. Muskoka Brewery is one of those I consider to be a big part of my transition from a Coors light drinker to enjoying the world of craft beer. The "survival" packs were an early "go-to" for me when I wasn't sure what I wanted to drink. Muskoka opened their doors in 1996 by Gary McMullen and the late Kirk Evan's. McMullen work in the military and home brewed on the side. He didn't love his job and, when the option came to leave (the military was looking to decrease in numbers) he jumped at the chance and convinced his buddy to start the brewery. It took 2 years of making business plans, finding money (through investors and loans) and creating recipes but on June 15, 1996 Muskoka opened their doors in Bracebridge, Ontario at the corner 13 Taylor Road. Funny enough, that location is set to be a new brewery after a number of failed businesses have occupied a portion of that space since Muskoka left in 2012. Something that's often looked over about craft beer, and why it's exploded in the last 5ish years, is the the fact that the federal tax laws changed in the early 2000s. In 2003 Ontario followed suit and suddenly a brewer like Muskoka had a bunch of capital free up as it was not paying the higher tax rate. Between this and a change in ownership in 2008 helped Muskoka to grow in the early 2000s. Bob Macdonald, a Toronto Business man who was a cottager in the area and fan of the brand came in and bought 40 different shareholders who were needed in the early days to help fund the opening of the Brewery. As time went on, having 40 different shareholders made it difficult to resolve business issues. With this hurdle out of the way Muskoka was able to continue their growth and, in 2012, move to their current home which is a 70,000 square foot facility just north of Bracebridge. McMullen has since moved on but remains an advisor in the industry. Our visit to the brewery was on a rainy day, so the patio was not in use but it really is a cool multi-season space with firepits and muskoka chairs. Inside is a pretty large taproom/bottle shop/retail store area with lots of apparel, a few local snack options (chips, nuts, ect) and, a small seating area to enjoy a flight or a pint. It was incredibly busy the day we went but I was not surprised at all and that's a great sign. I really like that they embrace the small town cottage feel despite having involved into a pretty large brewery that's distributed across Canada. One of the greatest examples of this is their Dockside Draught program where Muskoka will deliver kegs to your cottage's dock (along with glasses and an umbrella). Muskoka has also ventured into making Gin as product for the people who aren't fans of the 6 core beers, 5 seasonal beers or, the one-offs. Jer (and family's) picks: Honestly, it would have been easy to pick 10 for this list but we're picking 4 plus my top sauce. Detour: This is a dry hopped sessionable IPA that has a low ABV (4.3%) and lots of tropical fruit flavor to it. This beer is one that I have offered to many macro drinkers and they generally like it. Depending on who you ask, some get pineapple, some get mango. The hops aren't overly bitter at 38 IBU. Craft Lager: Very drinkable, light at 4.8 ABV, another good beer for those who aren't into big flavors that craft beer can sometimes provide. This is why this ends up on my Uncle's list, who's not a big beer drinker. Some lemony and cracker taste to it with a very slight bitterness. This is probably the one I should have in my fridge for the non craft beer drinkers, my uncle went through about a dozen of these during our week at the cottage and that's why this well crafted lager is one of our picks. Summerweiss Tropical Wheat: This pick, representing my Dad, came as a surprise. My dad is a lager guy through and through. He loves Tiger beer, Sapporo and, Heineken (I'm not even sure if he is aware Heineken makes Tiger now that I think of it) but he was really into this one. For me, I need something extra from my wheat beers otherwise I could take or leave them. Enter this beer. This is a spin on Summerweiss which is the flagship wheat beer from the brewery. They add some passion fruit and mango and it really takes it up a notch. Personally I got some peach from it too. Juicy as can be and it's perfect for a hot summer day. My dad grabbed a few of these to bring back to the cottage....and so did I. Hazed and Confused: Moonlight Kettle is a series of beers that Muskoka created that is beer for employees (and fans of the brand) by employees. 2 employees from any department are matched up with a Muskoka brewer and they develop a beer. It's a limited run beer and could be any style. In 2018 a Vermont Style IPA was developed and, frankly, I wish it would become one of Muskoka's core beers. It's that good! My Brother in law and I are both huge fans of this beer. It clocks in at 7% ABV and 48 IBU. This is an unfiltered beer, juicy, hazy, peachy/orangey, a bit of a lingering bitterness that's not overwhelming. This is delicious and I hope one day it will be back. Top Sauce - Black Raspberry Thunder: So, this one is actually a new release (2019) from Muskoka. This is their second collaboration with Kawartha Dairy and man, did they ever get this right! A raspberry/vanilla milkshake IPA that is very sweet but not to the point that it's too much to handle. It's just so delicious! ![]() In January I posted my final entry on my Barrie trip, wrapping up with Flying Monkeys. After visiting Flying Monkeys last July, I continued along my way to Gravenhurst to join my family for our annual cottage trip. During our week in Gravenhurst I had to arrange a craft beer day! So my father, uncle and, brother in law joined me on a 3 brewery day trip. Stop 1 was Clear Lake Brewing Co. Clear Lake, founded by Greg Knight, is located in Torrance, Ontario. So it's still a bit of a drive up the road from Gravenhurst, about 20 minutes. Located directly behind another favorite place of mine to visit, Pie wood fire pizza. The 3,000 square foot facility really has that cottage feel with a canoe hung up over the bar. The brewery is basically just an open area allowing people to see the fermentation tanks while enjoying their beers. Clear Lake also offers food. Mostly burgers, sandwiches and, wraps but are more than ok with you bringing a pizza in from across the parking lot. All the tables have game boards for popular board games printed on them, which I thought was a really cool touch. Our table had snakes and ladders on it. Our visit came not too long after the brewery opened for the day which, in hindsight, may not have been the best choice as we were advised that most of the kegs were not tapped so all the pours in our flight would be from a can. While not the end of the world, it was a little disappointing. We were also disappointed that the beer fridge in the bottle shop portion of the brewery was not yet stocked and there were very few cans to purchase and bring home. That said, the merchandise selection (hats, sweaters, tshirts, ect) might have been one of the best I've ever seen in a brewery. Lots to choose from. We were fortunate to have the brewery to ourselves for most of our visit. That meant all the staff working were more than helpful and made sure we were well taken care of. Before I get to my picks for Clear Lake, I'd like to talk about something else related to craft beer, something that I really realized for the first time at this brewery. We have 4 guys on this trip and I really got to learn their tastes in beer. My uncle, who isn't a huge beer drinker (but likes the odd one), is a pilsner and cream ale fan. My dad, who really is a wine guy (if I'm a beer nerd, he's a wine nerd) appreciates trying all sorts of different beers but really likes easy drinking lagers and rice beers. My brother in law is more like me, he's an IPA fan and does like to try local beers (he loves his local - Jackass Brewing in Cambridge) but doesn't tend to try anything other than IPAs unless I'm with him. It really hit me then and there that craft beer is for everyone, there's so many styles and flavours that there's something for everyone. You just need to find it. I really enjoyed this day with them and sharing thoughts as to what we thought of each beer we sampled so for these 3 breweries (Clear Lake, Muskoka and, Sawdust City) my picks will be based more on the group consensus than just my pick. Jer (and family)'s picks: Cream Ale: Honey is used in the fermentation of this cream ale but you wouldn't know it because it really isn't sweet, which I mean as a compliment. It was a little smoother than you'd expect from a cream ale but on a hot summer day, that is more than welcome. This was easily my uncle's favorite from Clear Lake but we all agreed this was pretty good. American IPA: This is brewed with El Dorado hops and was actually pretty easy drinking. I don't recall much bitterness and it had a slight fruit flavour which was mango-ish. Honestly, it drank like a pilsner. While it isn't what I've come to expect with an American IPA I did enjoy it. I think this is a good beer to introduce people to American IPAs. Cran Radler: Made with locally sourced cranberries I got the impression that this was the beer that we had to try. I enjoyed it, a little sour from the cranberries and citrusy notes. Not too much acidity. I think I was the one who enjoyed this the most but my dad, who is a fan of cranberry juice, also enjoyed this. ![]() Back in November I made a trip out to Brantford to check out the breweries they had to offer. I've written about Bell City and Steel Wheel but the first stop I made that day was Mash Paddle Brewing Company. They are located in a former industrial site turned into almost a strip mall for independent businesses. It's cool to see something be converted and used again. Mash Paddle was founded by husband and wife Teddy & Nicole Scholten and their friend Matty Buzanko who is the head brewer. The space is basically an open unit with the brewing equipment behind the bar and number of different seating options. They have games to enjoy while you visit and a patio out front (though, it was a little too cold for a patio beer that day). I arrived at about 11 on a Saturday and still wasn't done my coffee so I only grabbed a couple to go but even at opening, it was pretty busy which is something you always like to see. They 2 core beers: Dutchman's Alt and Unnamed Pale Ale and then they experiment with many different seasonal beers. When I visited I picked up a bottle of the Unnamed Pale Ale and the seasonal beer called Citranatti Bengal. Both are great names! To date, these are the 2 beers I've had the chance to try from Mash Paddle so they will be today's Jer's picks. I need to go back to try another release that is more in my wheelhouse as the beers I had were well done but not necessarily my first choice in style of beer. Unnamed Pale Ale: "Crushable". A sweet note to it, biscuit-y, not overly carbonated. I could see this being a beer that is a good stepping stone for non craft beer drinkers and a refreshing beer to have on a hot summer day. Not necessarily my favorite style of beer but I do enjoy one every once in a while. Citranatti Bengal: Citrusy and piney session IPA. Mostly an orange citrus taste. At 4.5 ABV it doesn't hit you hard. Another well crafted beer that could introduce non craft beer drinkers to the craft world. ![]() To date, I've posted about breweries that I've wanted to go see really badly or have really influenced my beer drinking choices. In some cases (my Barrie trip) I literally learned about a brewery and just went there, blindly. This one, is very different. Wellington Brewery is one that's always been around. I mean that literally. It was established in 1985, the year I was born. I've certainly tried some of the core beers but, as silly as this sounds now, until this past summer it never really clicked that this was a local craft brewery. I guess I just assumed, as they were always available, that they were macro. Obviously that is not the case and I'm embarrassed to admit that I didn't figure that out until 2018. What is it that the kids say? "Don't @ me". The truth is, Wellington is pioneer of the craft beer industry. The core beers are traditional style ales but they dabble in just about everything. In fact, Wellington came to be after a law change in Ontario in 1985 that allowed small brewers to operate in the province (side note: where would we be without that law change? I don't even want to think about it.). Phil Gosling was the founder who's vision was for a brewery that would produce English style ales; also known as cask-conditioned beers. This process is different than the normal as the beers are naturally carbonated and are served at cellar temperature (granted, if you read this site you probably knew that). To get that authentic English style the brewing equipment was flown in from England. Seems appropriate that they set up the brewery in Guelph aka "The Royal City". The core brands, who remain to this day, were developed at this time. These brands are; Special Pale Ale, County Brown Ale and, Arkell Best Bitter. It didn't take long for Wellington to become recognized. By 1987 they were winning local and national awards for their beers. In they year 2000 major changes were afoot for Wellington. The original owner, Phil Gosling, decided to retire and sold the brewery to 2 of his longtime employees; Doug Dawkins and Michael Stirrup. It was at this time that the added focus of sales to restaurants and bars was a business growth strategy that came into play. That is something that I normally wouldn't mention but as a result of this we got the famous boot tap handle that remains a staple in bars and restaurants today. 2007 brought more changes. The 25th anniversary was celebrated with a big party. The brewery installed their first canning line and, Michael Stirrup retired as the president. Doug Dawkins, who was the co-owner with Michael, took over as president and brought Brent Davies in to assist. Brent had been in sales with Wellington previously. It was also in 2007 that the Welly One-Off series kicked off. This series was a rotating series of small batch specialty beers. 2011 saw Wellington officially change their logo to the boot that had been featured on the top handles. This was also the year that tank capacity grew for the first time. The second time being in 2013. The 30th anniversary year in 2015 was very special as a 12,000 square foot addition broke ground. New brewing equipment and a new packing line was also added. Sadly and unexpectedly in 2016 Doug Dawkins passed away. A sad moment for the brewery as he was at the helm while so much growth was experienced. In September the brewery hosts Welly Cask Fest which is a celebration of casked beers. In 2018 over $2500 was raised for Habitat for Humanity at Cask Fest. I made my first visit to Wellington at the end of January this year. I went early (about noon) on a Tuesday, so it wasn't exactly peak busy hours but I was in the area and really wanted to check it out. The building is a cool Oast house style of building. The taproom and the bottle shop are connected but the taproom is a larger space than most craft breweries out there and I'd love to come back on a Friday night and see it packed. As I admitted earlier, what this brewery means to the scene really didn't click and as a result I see I haven't really dug too deep into what they have to offer until this past summer when I ordered a couple beers online that I really wanted to try. As a result I've only tried 5 of their beers. So for Jer's picks I'm going to pick my favorite of their year-round offerings as well as my favorite one-off that I really liked. Before I do that though, Wellington released a glass as part of the Welly Cask Days in 2018 and it's probably the coolest looking beer glass I've ever seen (and now own!). So shout out to the Welly CaskBuddy glass. I'll have a photo of it in the pictures below. Jer's Picks: Upside IPA: This is the year-round offering. This is a east cost style IPA with a Vermont ale yeast and has hints of grapefruit and peach. It's just a really well done IPA that is always a good grab. Shubie: Shubie is an IPA but I really wouldn't be surprised if people called it a sour either. It's a raspberry lover's dream, and I am a raspberry lover. It's juicy and tart as you would expect from a Raspberry beer. Just a really nice beer on a hot summer day. The can art was pretty cool too! ![]() 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? ![]() 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? With 2018 coming to a close, I thought I'd jump on board with a trend that we see this time of year; a best of list. 2018, among other things, was really a year of beer exploration for me. As we close out this year I thought I'd reflect back on the new beers I tried in 2018 and give them a shout out. As the title of this post suggests; these are new to me. Maybe I was slow to find them, maybe they were new releases but regardless they were something that I had not tried prior to 2018. Keep in mind; while there are some beers out there that I just love (see: Octopus Wants to Fight ) I had tried them prior to 2018 so they will not be on this list. ![]() Liquid Art Fest IPA by Collective Arts Brewing Starting things off with a familiar beer to this blog. As previously mentioned; It’s brewed with mango, lactose, vanilla, 2 hops and, fruit puree. What you’ve got here is actually a really refreshing beer that drinks like orange juice. It’s sweet, but not too sweet. This beer was brewed to celebrate the brewfest/art/music festival that Collective Arts hosted in June 2018 that will be returning in 2019. ![]() Max's Big Beer by Grain & Grit Beer Co. I must have just missed this beer when I highlighted Grain & Grit in my first post for the blog. This one is cool; over the summer Grain & Grit got together with Max Sedmihradsky (and his father Andrew) to help raise funds for Max's Big Ride. Max has Duchenne muscular dystrophy a muscles disease that doesn't allow this muscles to develop properly. Each summer Max and his father ride 600 km ride a cargo bike between Hamilton and Ottawa to raise funds to help towards the goal of finding a cure for the disease. Grain and Grit made a delicious milkshake IPA with Peach and Vanilla (2 of Max's favorite flavours) and donated all the proceeds. A great Milkshake IPA (which, by now you probably know is one of my favorite styles of beer) for a great cause. ![]() Blackberries for the Beer-geoise by Thin Man Brewery The second beer to make it's second appearance on the blog. Thin Man is a spot I always enjoy visiting and I've noticed that they are working on opening a second location. Great to see! This beer continues to be one that I think back on very fondly and I hope that it will return one day. I'd make a point to stay in the USA long enough to bring some home under my allowance as opposed to just a day trip. To round off the list:
Dream Pop by Fairweather Brewing Company - another one to make a second appearance. A dry hopped kettle sour. Blueberry Wheat by The Merchant Alehouse - The Merchant Alehouse is a cool little spot in St. Catherine's that brews in house. This beer is exactly as advertised and, is served with blueberries in the glass. Just a really solid wheat beer. Chanan by Merit Brewing - another repeat brew. I call it a frankenstien beer fruity and spicy and just a solid "go to" from Merit. Tranquillo by Fairweather Brewing Company - Another beer that is showing up again from a brewery that is on the list twice. Fairweather really should be a spot you visit if you haven't yet. Hazed and Confused by Muskoka Brewery - Cottage Country has some really cool spots but the one that's probably most well known is Muskoka Brewery. They have yet to be featured on the blog but that will happen in 2019. Hazed and Confused was a limited release as part of the Moonlight Kettle series. A delicious Vermont Style IPA that is good for both the experienced craft beer fan and those new to craft beer. Raspberry Radler by Waterloo Brewing - When Waterloo expanded into the radler game I was not sure what to expect. I enjoyed the grapefruit radler that came out years ago now since then the citrus and lemonade radlers have also come out, all very good. The Raspberry one tops the list. On a hot summer day this is refreshing and - bonus tip from me - freeze some raspberries and add them in your cup once frozen. Keeps the drink cold and doesn't water it down like ice would. This is probably my all time favorite radler. Hop Culture Reference - Ekuanot by Banger Brewing - My visit to Las Vegas this year had to include a craft brewery, it just wouldn't be me if I didn't! This single hop IPA was the highlight (slightly beating out the Jalapeno Wheat beer). Hop Culture Reference is a series of single hop IPAs they brew, each time using a different hop. So that's it. My top 10 new (to me at least) beers of 2018. Happy New Year to you all and see you in 2019! ![]() Every summer my family rents a cottage and spends a week together. Obviously this means there is an excuse to go to some craft breweries that I don’t get to visit on a regular basis. This past summer, I decided to get up at a decent time on our first day of the vacation and make a number of stops in Barrie before heading up to Bracebridge. I’m going a little out of order but stop #2 (I’ll come back to stop number 1 soon) was Barnstormer Brewing and Distilling Co. Barnstormer is a company that has been incrementally growing since 2013 when they opened their taproom in an old bowling alley. Prior to visiting Barnstormer I had tried one of their beers; Flight Delay IPA. I also really didn’t do much research prior to my visit which I regret now. I go to Barrie around noon and Barnstormer, whom I saw 2 addresses listed online, has a facility across the road from a pizza restaurant in Barrie I really like called Pie. It turned out, that is a newer facility that wasn’t open yet as it was still under construction. No problem, I grabbed lunch at Pie as intended. When I got to the open location, it turned out that it was a restaurant as well as a bottle shop, since December 2013, boy did I miss the memo! I saw a number of unique pizza options on the menu and wished I had waited to have lunch there. I’ll have to stop this summer. What I found was a brewery/distillery/restaurant all with an aviation them. Besides the things you’d find at a lot of breweries like a mug club, a tour or, trivia, the brewery embraces their home brewing roots and offers to assist home brewers with getting hard to obtain ingredients. As previously mentioned, they are a distillery as well and have Russian vodka and craft gin available. For what I thought was a small local brewery, this place is really much bigger than I thought and is a good success story to hear. They’re in the LCBO, they are growing to a second location and, they continue to embrace their Barrie roots. I’m glad I had the opportunity to stop in. Despite all this, I’ve only tried 3 of their beers to date. I opted to purchase a growler when I visited on that day and that beer is Jer’s Pick for Barnstormer. Accelerated Stall Double IPA: 4 hops! That’s what hooked me in to trying this in the first place. What you’ve got here is a profile with the tropical fruity flavour you’d expect from an IPA but not a super strong bitter taste that you can get from an IPA, still a bit of a bite, which you want, but it was pretty smooth. It was the perfect beer for the first night on the dock at the cottage. ![]() To date, I’ve posted about a number of breweries that are all located in pretty populated areas. La Salette, Ontario is a pretty much the opposite of that. In fact, it is considered to be a Hamlet in Norfolk County. All of Norlfolk County’s population is just over 64,000. To put that in context, the largest attendance for an event at the Rogers Centre (aka the Sky Dome) is 68,237. The whole of Norfolk county could have fit in the Rogers Centre and there would have been room for 2 thousand more people. Why do I mention this? After twisting and turning down some country roads (at the suggestion of a friend who lived in the area) I found my way to Ramblin’ Road Brewery Farm. What I found was something very unique. Ramblin’ Road is exactly as advertised. It’s a working farm that produces beer and kettle chips. Yup, you read that right. That is their 2 main products. Walking up to the big blue and white warehouse with a very unique stone entrance is a weird experience. I honestly thought I was walking into a casino but maybe that’s just because the look reminded me a bit of Casino Rama. When inside I wasn’t sure I was in the right place. It was a store full of kettle chips, peanuts and, other various snack items. The beer could be found deeper in the store. It turns out that that Picard Peanuts, a pretty well-known snack company in southern Ontario, is the owner of this brewery and they decided to incorporate a pretty large snack shop in the bottle shop. There is also food option from “The Roost”. I didn’t look at the menu but it seemed most people where eating burgers and fries or chicken wings. There is clearly a lot of room and enough tanks at this brewery for them to really start pushing out volume but prior to my visit, and since visiting, I really haven’t seen their product anywhere. It’s possible that this just happens to be a result of where I live. This much was clear though; it’s a popular spot for locals. Now, it may have helped that it was a nice summer Saturday but all the outside seating was filled up with people enjoying food and a beer. Ramblin’ Road has 6 core beers that they produce and then they do have some seasonal/experimental beers. From what I could tell, the seasonal beers are only available for growler fills. I could be mistaken on that but I didn’t see the season beer I got available in bottles or cans when I visited. I visited at a weird time of day; about 4 so it’s possible that the lunch crowd may have bought up the stock. For Jer’s Picks I’m going to pick 2 because one beer that Ramblin’ Road makes is very unique, to the point that it has to be included. Hop N Apple: This is a Belgian style wheat ale that uses apple juice to make this almost like a hopped cider. A great summer beer on a hot day for sure. Dakota Pearl Ale: aka “potato beer” as my buddy and I called it. This is a very unique beer. Ramblin’ Road brews a basic ale that they wash sliced potatoes with. Those potatoes (Dakota Perle potatoes to be exact, hence the beer’s name) go on to be chips. Through this process the ale gets starch from the potatoes and the beer goes back to be hopped and fermented as the starch is turned to sugar via use of enzymes. The result is something that is actually pretty but a little smoother than most ales. Plus, it’s just a cool beer to share with people and explain what makes it so unique. |
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April 2019
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