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.
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