Twas the week before Christmas...

This helpful fellow at the counter of Rainhard Brewing has
a problem. You see, just because he's rockin' a sick beard,
everyone accuses him of being a hipster. And every time
he tells people he had one before they were cool, well, that
only makes matters worse. But he took care of Beer Bro
Glenn and me so it's all good. And... a new glassware alert!
Also, this brother knows what it's like to work at the Beer
Store and believe me, it was a pretty tough neighbourhood.

It was simply meant to be a pre-Christmas lunch between a couple of old college buddies but how does that line about the "best laid plans of mice and men" go again? Something something astray? Something something cheese in a trap? Doesn't matter.

I had Monday off so Beer Bro Glenn and I decided to have a Christmas gift-swap and chow down a little lunch. Since Glenn is on one side of Toronto and I am on the other, we decided, of course, to meet in the middle. Does the fact that Toronto has countless great craft breweries come into the decision-making process at all? Of course it does. We're not idiots. We just act that way. Constantly. Almost to the point where you might believe the movie "Dumb and Dumber" is based on our real life situations. Granted, neither of us would know what to do with a Jim Carrey-size movie pay-cheque but I reckon we'd both be willing to give it a shot.

Since the choice of locale was left to me, I opted for the Indie Alehouse because I have heard their food is amazing. One problem. When I arrived there, the brewery was locked up tight. Turns out they don't open until 5 pm on Monday. No wonder people hate Mondays.

There is no arguing about some of the craft
beer choices at Bryden's. Truth is that after
years of drinking Nickel Brook's Headstock
IPA, I've never once had it at a bar. I finally
got the chance here. Damn, it was delicious!!

So I texted Glenn to apprise him of this new dilemma and said gimme a Plan B. He texted back "Rainhard" (Brewing) as a new meeting place. Perfect. Now at this point, I should note that since texting and driving is very much illegal in Ontario, Glenn made it very clear I was to say that he "safely and legally pulled over" to send me that text from behind the wheel. You all heard that? The fact that he actually texted "Rainhatd" back likely speaks to the fact he simply forgot to put on his reading glasses. I feel certain that claim would hold up in court. So Rainhatd it was.

After arriving simultaneously at Rainhatd (the T is silent and pronounced like an R), I was happily greeted by the fellow behind the counter, shown above, who pointed at me and cheerfully exclaimed, "Hey! Beer Store!" Ah yes, due to the sub-zero temperatures, I was wearing my Beer Store parka and the bright yellow lettering on a jet-black jacket does pop out a little. Turns out prior to working at Rainhard, he did some time at a Beer Store on Dupont Street and... a street that crosses Dupont Street. I think maybe he said Bathurst. Whoa, tough neighbourhood, tough crowd, I told him. Oh yeah, he answered, "I was pretty happy to get this job, instead." No kidding. Since I work in the comparatively comfy suburban confines of Oakville, I have it far easier than the Beer Store staffers in Toronto. It's funny because you can work for the exact same company but it's always location, location, location, baby.

We chose Bryden's in Toronto's Bloor West
Village because it's one of those craft bars
that's always popping up when breweries are
announcing where their beer is available.

With all due respect to Guns N' Roses' lyrics, the urban jungle isn't always "fun and games." However, I do buy into the band's theory that the grass is very nicely tended to and the girls are quite attractive in Paradise City.

After Glenn and I both bought our Rainhard stash (I threw in a couple of their glasses for us as a holiday bonus), there was still the matter of lunch. I suggested Bryden's in the Bloor West Village, my old stomping grounds, because I heard they stocked a lot of great craft beers. So straight down Jane Street we traveled, finding the place with relative ease. Well, okay, some ease. Fine, we went full-tilt Dumb and Dumber. Again. Despite the fact the bar is quite literally staring you in the face when Jane ends at Bloor Street, I turned left because I was 100% certain it was another place. Then Glenn couldn't find parking so he called me (actually, he was pulled over - I could see him) and I guided him to a hidden, back road municipal lot I knew existed from my days there. But hey, you gotta work for your beers, right?

And the sweet young waitress there was great to us, despite the fact she had to nicely ask me to step right out to the sidewalk to smoke, rather than loiter puffing away on the deserted patio because it's also the law. (It was three steps further. File that under First World Problems.)

Cameron's Brewing in Oakville is one of Drunk Polkaroo and
my favourite places. So when he gifted me with this Deviator
Doppelbock that was bourbon barrel-aged for four years, you
could say I was a little excited. Even more so when I drank it.

I often feel bad for wait staff dealing with Glenn and myself as customers. I get the sense that we must sound like a couple of old Jewish men bickering and bantering over blintzes and borscht in a New York deli. (To that end, Glenn left a generous tip.) Anyway, a great day because a couple of really good beers shared with an old friend (seriously, Glenn is, like, ancient) is all the therapy any dude really needs.

But since this is allegedly a beer blog, not a two guys ate lunch and isn't that exciting? blog, let's get down and dirty with some beers. My buddy, Drunk Polkaroo, recently gifted me with some beauties, two of which I've already looked at in the very space. So let's examine another. Okay, Cameron's Brewing out of Oakville is a place that's near and dear to both my and Polk's hearts. Great beers, great Cask Nights, great group of rascals, thugs and hoodlums. So I was pumped when I saw one of the beers in the gift-bag was their Deviator Doppelbock. But this was not their regular Deviator - no, this bad boy had been aged in a bourbon barrel since 2012. (I initially said a year and then bottle-aged from that point. Nope, Cameron's Robbie corrected me. In that barrel for four long years!) In terms of aging, that's older than even Glenn.

What's better than an Armed 'N Citra in my brand
spanking new Rainhard Brewing glass? Well, how
about six of them? Not all at once, mind you. I spread
the process out over at least a hour. Maybe two. It's
tough to tell and isn't time just some vague construct?

The beer itself? Good golly Miss Molly, she was some kinda great. A bit of chocolate, a bit of vanilla and a whole lot of oak on the nose. The bourbon was prominent but not overpowering on the tongue as some licorice and coffee slid forward. This 8.4% mocha-coloured beauty with the thin tan head is one of those perfect Winter beers as you can feel the warmth of the bourbon as it slowly slides down your throat. Small wonder that Polkaroo and I feel as strongly as we do about Cameron's. Time and time again, we both marvel as these guys knock yet another one out of the park. It's always a pleasure to write about our Oakville friends. (Also my hometown - shout-out to all the suburban Moms inundating my Beer Store with metric-tons of empty wine bottles this week before your Moms and Dads show up Sunday for Christmas dinner! That's the Oakville way! Dump that evidence! My teenage years in Oakville paved that devious road for you all.)

Okay, I started this by mentioning Rainhard... or Rainhat... or whatever Glenn is text-calling them these days. So I'm sure you want to know what beers I snagged while there at Raincoat, of course. (Even as far away as Burlington, I can actually sense brewery owner Jordan wincing and rolling his eyes as I bastardize his noble family name. Sorry, man, I'll stop. For a small fee. Beer also works.)

While at Rainhard, Glenn told me I had to try
their Daywalker Vermont Session Ale. No
problem-o as I snagged a pair. Frankly, I was
sold the minute I saw Vermont in the name.

Well, my first choice was simple when we were told the cans of their top-flight Armed 'N Citra American Pale Ale now came in six-packs and at a sale price for the sixer to boot. Now I like to think of myself as a quick decision-maker. Granted, the great majority of those rapid-fire decisions are, in fact, piss-poor ones. I mean, seriously, who knew flammable and inflammable meant the same thing? That's just crazy. But hey, strong decision this time as I snagged six of those pronto. I have praised this numerous times in the past. In fact, this was the first Rainhard beer I ever enjoyed. To recap, nice citrus and tropical fruit on the nose of this 5.2%, 45 IBU (international bitterness units) slice of west coast loveliness with a nice light body on the tongue. One of my all-time favourites. This is a perfect watching-hockey beer. That's the ultimate in Canadian praise, eh?

At Glenn's insistence, I grabbed myself some of their Daywalker Vermont Session IPA. Actually, because he was so insistent, I grabbed a deuce. If Glenn liked it that much, I knew it'd be a slam-dunk for me, as well. Well, I wish I could throw a last act M. Night Shyamalan twist in the plot just to make this a better thrill ride. (Bruce Willis was a ghost? Was he inflammable? Or the flammable kind of ghost? Pretty sure they make ghosts both ways.) But damn, Glenn called it. The word Vermont in the name told me it was gonna be hazy and yes, it was certainly that.

I say Rainhard's Unfiltered Pilsner was one of the best I've
ever had. Thor says, "Where's the Frost Giants? I was told
there would be Frost Giants. Did I come here for nothing?"

At 3.9% and 39 IBUs, it was quite tart on the nose. Lemon (rather than citrus) in aroma, there was some tasty melon on the tongue with the smallest back-end of malt on the light finish. This was pretty tasty.

But the one that surprised me was the one from which I expected the least just due to the style alone - their Unfiltered Pilsner. I bought it just because I like unfiltered everything. Well, smack me in the skull with an old board and call me Unconscious, I loved this beer. Its pale but also hazy colour duped me. A lot of grassy maltiness on the nose, the 4.9%, 35 IBU brew surprised the hell out of me on the tongue. A quick hop punch, some nice citrus, this is the perfect example of what this style, considered light-weight by most, can be with a little effort, some elbow grease and the right ingredients. This is the beer you could give to your macro-drinking friends and say, "What do you think?" Although, frankly, it might have a little too much flavour for them. One of the best I've ever had. If nothing else, these Rainhard selections proved that, yes, sometimes I make good decisions. Only regarding beer, sure, but still, we all need that springboard. It could be worse. You could be the angel that God left in charge of 2016 while He took a vacation. "How did it go?" the poor angel stammers, trying to buy time. "Uhhh, good... mostly good. Mostly. Couple of little hiccups, I guess." But guys and dolls, that's it, that's all and I am outta here. Until next time ("very soon," I say as a warning), I remain...