Kingston #BeerFam 2020 Brewery Tour 3.0

The Host and Hostess with the Mostest. This would
be Josh Hayter, co-owner of Spearhead Brewing and
his marketing manager Amanda Richardson gave
the Brewery Tour of a Lifetime back in February and
I have been dragging my ass over reporting about it.

Okay, time to wrap this bad boy up. Wayyyy back on February 22, Josh Hayter, co-owner of Spearhead Brewing, along with his trusty hella-great marketing manager, Amanda Richardson, gave us the Kingston Brewery Tour of a Lifetime on the surprisingly beautiful day of February 22. (February. In Kingston. And it was gorgeous out. Chilly but sunny. No way any of us expected that.)

Okay, to recap, Part One dealt with three-week-old Daft Brewing (fun and colourful) and Stone City Ales (enjoyed their product before, enjoyed them even more now.) Part Two dealt with Kingston Brewing Company (my favourite and host to a fantastic lunch) and Riverhead Brewing (where our passionate King City homebrewer Graeme kicked off a lively discussion with brewmaster-part owner Aaron Martin over yeast styles. Yes, yeast.)

That would bring us to Stop #5, Skeleton Park Brewing. Okay, much like the brewers before him on this day, Trevor Lehoux, owner-brewmaster there, would prove to be an engaging fellow with more than a few stories.

And the first one that came out was the origins of the brewery's name. Noting that they were named after a nearby park, he asked us all if we could guess why it was named that.

Owner-CEO-brewmaster Trevor Lehoux of Skeleton Park Brewing has
a captive audience with our crowd. Afterwards, Oakville Brew Crew
Greg told me the variety we saw was a big memory for him. "The
difference between (the breweries.) We visited six and each had their
own niche. (And) the passion each brewer/owner had when we spoke." 

Beer Bro Glenn was quick off the mark (y'know, for an old fart) asking, "Is it because they found a lot of bones there when they were making the park?"

Bingo. That was the exact reason. Turns out it was a bunch of kids playing at the park, while under construction, who found the bones. Which is pretty much the coolest thing ever if you're a kid.

To Guelph Curtis, that was a lasting memory. "I thought the creepy stories about Skeleton Park and the kids finding the bones in the area was pretty cool." He added, "And of course, Glenn found the St Lawrence River." (A nod to Glenn repeatedly asking where the river was. When we were in Ottawa?)

Once again, Graeme resumed the spirited "Which yeast do you favour?" discussion with Trevor, just as he had with Aaron at Riverhead. Graeme's like the Brew Crew's Beast of Yeast or something.

Okay, the three on the right are the Skeleton Park Brewing's Heritage
Series - the Bohemian Pilsner, the Proper English Ale (called Best Bitter
when we were there in February) and the Amber 6.6. The Brew Crew by
and large all favoured the Best Bitter/Proper English Ale while, I, of
course was loyal(ist) to the delicious Amber 6.6. On the far left is their
seasonal Sol Juice IPA, which wasn't available when we arrived there.

Sidebar: Actually what Graeme is best known for is his unique ability to track any beer you are scouting for in your vicinity. Because of that, we call him "The Beer Whisperer." An American posted a pic of a Triple IPA from Sierra Nevada on Twitter and when I noted I had yet to see it in Las Vegas, Graeme answered, "Wineland, south strip." Seriously? How?

But it was Trevor's story about how their Heritage Series started that got the most attention from the Brew Crew. I'll let Hamilton artist-cartoonist David pick it up from here. "I loved the stories told at Skeleton Park of them finding old records in the Kingston Archives to try and recreate old recipes (hence, the Heritage Series) and even harvesting an old hop found in the area that they are now the only one who use it." As I recall, the brewery then locked it in as a proprietary hop, now called the Loyalist Hop. Cool name.

Keep in mind this was late February. Yes, February 2020 - this year - and
in this photo, taken by Greg, there are no facemasks. There is no social
distancing. Hugs were freely exchanged. Doesn't seem possible that this
was six short months ago. Anyway, on the left side we see Chuck and
April Thibert (both of Ottawa's Waller St Brewing), Candice and Jamie,
and The Big Peezy Paul. On the right, Nichole and Curtis, me a few rows
back not paying attention and behind me, Graeme, also playing on his
phone. Ever notice how the worst kids gravitate to the back of the bus?

But I got a chance to chat one-on-one with Trevor after a chance meeting at the retail counter. I asked him why when they now have a full-fledged, brick-and-mortars brewery would they still maintain an office that they rented when they were contract-brewing?

His answer. The brewery is the brewery and retail but all that oh-so-fun paperwork of running a business is still done in the initial office. Separating, well, business from pleasure, if you will. However, he added that outside money people had approached him on occasion, asking if he'd like investors. While outside interest is obviously a good sign for any business, simply because it means others see your potential and would like a piece of that pie, there's also a downside. Silent partners never stay silent. In fact, they tend to forget what the word 'silent' actually means.

Oshawa's Jeff and Spearhead Head Brewer Jacob Schmidt share a laugh
when we landed at our final destination - Spearhead Brewing. I think the
operation was far larger than any of us anticipated and was a fantastic
capper on a even better day in Kingston. While Josh was, of course, our
host for the day, Jacob gave us all an outstanding tour of the brewery.

And since they would like to see the best return on their investment, it isn't long before they start suggesting cost-cutting measures. I truly hope Trevor has been able to continue resisting that through these trying financial times. He seemed like a pretty genuine and resolute fellow so I'd guess yes. The Brew Crew all loved his stories and even moreso, his beers. In many ways, the most interesting and informative stop of the day.

Okay, final destination (though not in that scary Final Destination movie way) was, of course, Spearhead Brewing because Josh sure as hell wasn't going to start the tour there. It had to be the big finale and it, indeed, was. Okay, right off the top, I think this operation was far larger than any of us thought it would be.

Well, what can I tell ya? The sign says it all! Here's me,
Curtis and Glenn all goofing around once we landed at
Spearhead. I suspect photographer Nichole was hoping
for a more civilized photo but given the subject matter,
that wasn't gonna happen, was it? Great day, great fun!

Back in May 2017, the Spearhead gang took over an old air-brake factory, located at 675 Development Drive, gutting it entirely and began building their brewery from the ground up. It was a lot of ground. Some 16,000 square feet to be precise.

While Josh originally envisioned a Fall 2017 opening, the usual hiccups and burps associated with envisioning and then actually building something of this large scale happened. However, in the end, the doors finally opened to the public on April 2018 - less than a year after they began. (That's actually damn good.)

At the time of the original announcement in May 2017, the Kingston Economic Development Corporation said in a release, "(We are) so excited to welcome Spearhead Brewing President and CEO Josh Hayter to Kingston." You know, I attended Queen's University for a half year decades ago and all I got was a note from the Penitentiary saying, "See you soon." But hey, funny story, guess who footed the tab for our dinner at Spearhead? Yup, the KEDC. Thanks, gang. Most of us were still working off that huge lunch but hey, believe me, we noshed. Great spread!

Exactly one week after our Kingston Brewery Tour, Spearhead was the
official beer partner to the 2020 Tim Horton's Brier Canadian Men's
National Curling Championship. Beers available at the bonspiel? Well,
their Hawaiian Style Pale Ale, Sam Robert Band Ale and Decoy Lager.
Here, our man, David, captured both Jacob and Josh lining up a shot.
Guessing the bar was as close to the ice as these two actually made it.

But back to Head Brewer Jacob and his insightful and laugh-filled tour of Spearhead. Like I said, our final stop of the day and I think we hit it around 6 pm or so? Due to a huge lunch, everyone was quite well behaved, especially after visiting five breweries but we were definitely loose and lively.

When Spearhead started in Kingston, Josh lured Tomas Schmidt out of retirement. Tomas had worked for big (Labatt) and small breweries alike. Jacob came along with his father, who he fully acknowledged had taught him well. So while Tomas is the official Spearhead Brewmaster, Jacob admitted as Head Brewer, well, pretty much all the day-to-day responsibility fell onto his shoulders now. And he made it clear that was happily so. With countless tanks at his and the crew's disposal, it was "kid in a candy store" time for a guy like him. And at this point, with a well-lubricated Brew Crew, he was fielding questions like he was the Brewers' Golden Glove winner.

Glenn thinks that he caught a Josh Hayter "unicorn" photo here. That
meaning, Josh is actually smiling. No. Josh smiles all the time. The real
trick is to catch him laughing!! A beer rep, who once worked with
Josh, told me he had never once seen him laugh. Oh, I will capture his
laugh. This I swear. And that bowling shirt from Sin City Brewing
in Las Vegas? I had to tell him they were a casualty of COVID-19 as
they shuttered their operations in May. Pandemics are a real bitch...

And I would relate those questions if I could remember even one. Truth is as entertaining and informative as Jacob was, I was only half-listening and then, well, just wandered away during the whole thing to see if I could discover what brewing was in their many tanks. Holding my attention after five breweries? You'd have better luck with a goldfish. But man, the Brew Crew loved it, each getting some one-on-one time with Jacob.

"One of the best parts (of the day) was the tour at Spearhead and seeing that operation," said Graeme.

"Chatting with (Jacob) at Spearhead was really interesting," added Curtis. "He knows a lot of efficiency."

But for me, our cartoonist David kinda nailed it. "Sitting at Spearhead and having a chance to talk with everyone was great." Yeah, the relaxing part at the end of the day where we just drank and chilled with new and old friends.

The thing about that is Josh arranged two rides for us on the bus back to the hotel. One at 8 pm, one at 9 pm. The bus never moved at 8 pm because nobody got on it. Absolutely no one was willing to call it a night that early. And we didn't. You see, on the bus-ride back, April and Chuck Thibert announced there was a Waller St Brewing After Party in their room at the hotel. With, of course, their beer.

Okay, pretty much the best Sour I have ever had in my life
and I know Curtis agrees wholeheartedly. The Waller St
Brewing Imperial Scotch River Sour was smooth, sweet,
woody and the most deceptive beer in the world at a huge
ABV of 11.8%. Honestly, it tasted like it was 3% or 4%. If
you see it, buy it. Might be pricey at that ABV. Worth it!!

Game on. Actually, 'game on' in two ways. You see, February 22 was the night that the Leafs were playing Carolina. After the Canes lost both goalies to injury, Toronto Marlies' zamboni driver David Ayres was thrust into duty as the Carolina goalie. After the Leafs scored on their first two shots against him, the Canes defence came out huge in the third, China Walled him, won the game 6-3 and the 42-year-old became the oldest goalie in NHL history to record a win in his debut. Every Leafs fan in the room, myself included, was cheering him on. His wife Sarah's reaction on Twitter when her hubby came onto the ice in a Canes jersey? A very honest "F**K ME!!!!"

But anyway, what a crazy capper to an insanely fun and meticulously-organized day by Josh and Amanda. I'm sorry it took me so long to write this, you two, but truth to tell, I thought I already had. Like months ago. It wasn't until I pulled up my blogs that I realized it was still just a draft. Perhaps that's a testament to how much fun I - and we - had that six months later, I still remember it like it was yesterday. Great job! But Scooby Doo Gang, that's it, that's all and I am outta here. Until next time, I remain...

Hangin' with Tiiu and Steve....

And so Tiiu gets her glass. I didn't realize it but Tiiu has long coveted
my HopCat (Detroit craft beer bar) Shaker Pint glass. Why? Because
no one covets a Shaker Pint. It's the most basic bar glass ever. But she
did. And why? She and hubby Steve are Detroit fans (yes, they exist)
but they also have a black cat. All the pieces were dropping into place
now. I had two of them so yeah, of course, no problem sharing one.

This is the story of a patio meeting at a craft beer brewery in Brantford. Now with that reveal, you're likely thinking, "Well, that's not exactly revolutionary, is it? People meet on patios all that time." And they do... or at least did. Until 2020. The year that changed the rules about, well, everything. How you socialize. Hell, should you even socialize?

As Ontario enters Phase 3 (with regards to opening more and more public facilities during the pandemic), a lot of us are still treading very, very carefully.

I have not been on a public patio since February 2020. Neither have my met-for-the-first-time friends, Tiiu and Steve (@SteveTiiu), who, like me, are very big Vegas fans and regular YouTube Vegas vloggers (okay, that part's not like me - just a Vegas drinker). In fact, the last time any of us was on a patio was February 2020 in Vegas. Three of us and not one has seen a public patio in five months. Mostly because they've been shut down. Here and in America. And around the world. Pretty much everywhere.

Tiiu, myself and Steve at our first social outing since February. We hit
the patio at Mash Paddle Brewing last weekend. Despite the fact the pair
lives just five minutes away, they had never been there. Turned out
Steve's a bit of a hophead just like me while Tiiu opted for the milder
styles. Who drank what? Well, you gotta read on and I'll get to that...

Apparently, there's a nasty little bug going on. I think I saw it mentioned in passing a couple of times on the internet. Corona-something. Maybe it was Heineken-something. Can't recall.

Anyway, before we continue, lemme explain how we all got together on a sunny and sizzling hot Sunday. A month or so ago, I posted a beer picture using that HopCat (Detroit location) shaker pint glass seen in the top picture. It's a fall-back glass I use when I don't have a branded glass for the brewery that made the beer. Tiiu commented on the picture, saying how much she loved the glass and was wishing she had one. I didn't know what the attraction was but said, hey, I have two if you want one. Turns out she very much did.

Going to Mash Paddle Brewing in Brantford was the first time
Steve, Tiiu and myself had engaged in a social outing since the
Coronavirus shit hit the fan back in March. Actually, make that
mid-February when we were all in Vegas, though in different
locations. The couple loves the strip while I am now a Fremont
Street kind of guy. I'll lure them Downtown somehow some way
but as a digital marketer, Steve might already know it's the best!

Long story short, Tiiu has a black cat that looks identical to the one on the glass. In fact, the cat appears at the cartoon beginning of their travel vlog. (Search Tiiu & Steve on YouTube.) There you go. So some time back in mid-June, she suggested a meet-up at a local Brantford brewery, suggesting Bell City, Mash Paddle or Steel Wheel. Either of the last two, I replied as I've been to Bell City many times. Steel Wheel took itself out of the equation as reservations are needed for their patio and they were booked up so Mash Paddle it was. In the end, we were all pretty happy with the choice. For me, a new brewery that was unfamiliar. For them, just five minutes from their house. Win-win.

So we connected on Sunday afternoon (July 26th). First off, what a cool couple. Super genuine. Like me, plenty of Vegas stories to share and between us three, just easy, fun and lively conversation all afternoon about our favourite travel destination. Fantastic for a first outing in five months, especially with new friends. (*Scottish brogue* Take that, ya wee shitty virus thingy!)

The beers that were available to us on the
patio. Steve and I both opted to drink the
Citranatti Bengal Session IPA as our first,
followed by the Vancouver Maneuver IPA
second. Tiiu went with the I Don't Practise
Sangria Boysenberry Blonde Ale as her
starter followed by a Bixel's Lager. We all
very much enjoyed our selections. Perfect.

Then the similarities started popping up left, right and centre. The last time we were all there - them on the strip, me at the Downtown Grand just off Fremont Street - was mid-February, as mentioned. I was there for my annual Vegas Birthday Week. So, too, was Steve. My birthday is February 14th. So, too, is Steve's. My next trip was booked for a March 16 arrival before Vegas - and all of Nevada -was shut down by Governor Steve Sisolak. Theirs was booked for that exact same day - first day of March Break.

"Without saying anything to each other, we both knew the trip would be cancelled by the middle of the previous week," Tiiu noted. I told them that I was still in it right up until that Friday. Both Vegas Value Vlogger, Mark (@pennys4vegas) out of London and I were resolute about our trips. By mid-Friday, I was ready to throw in the towel but confessed to them, I was waiting for Mark to pull that trigger first. He finally did and I immediately followed suit. No way I was droppin' trou' first, I chuckled.

But I had a Mark story for them from my Birthday Week. We met for the first time on February 9 at Banger Brewing on Fremont. Mark had some Group-on offer for the place so we split a taster flight to start (with pints to follow.) But because Mark's a Bud drinker, I started him with their Coffee Kolsch figuring it would be mild enough while I opted for their spicy El Hefe Hefeweizen. Mark quickly blanched at the Kolsch so I suggested he try my El Hefe. Now that he genuinely liked so we simply switched beers. After each of us had actually drank some of our own.

A very cool Mash Paddle pint glass (none available in the
retail) behind my Hog and 2cent "Scientific Fact" Bud-
themed facemask. The mask is great but that Citranatti
Bengal Session IPA was even better on a sunny, hot day!

"Can you imagine doing that now?" I laughed.

Tiiu is a health care professional (I don't really know who reads these so that's as much as I'll say) and she felt safe going to the patio. I found that in itself reassuring. Granted, Mash Paddle did it right. There was only three groups of us, at least 15 feet apart. As for indoor seating? One table and it was just 10 feet back from the wide open garage door. You arrived wearing a facemask (or no go) and were only allowed to take it off while drinking. Stand up to stretch your legs or go to the washroom, mask back on. When I arrived, (Steve and Tiiu were already there) the guy at the front asked for my full name, writing it beside Steve and Tiiu's.

I didn't know why but Steve explained, "In case someone there turns up having the virus, they have call us for contact tracing." Meaning, of course, we'd all need tests, too. And since both Tiiu and I have been essential workers since it all began, as much as I'm sure we'd both enjoy 14 days off, we'd prefer that wasn't the reason. (Although, in my case, there have been days... just sayin'...)

Inside seating? Yup. One table distanced from the patio by
about 20 feet. I tell you Mash Paddle hit all the right safety
notes when they opened things up to the public. Again, as I
said, if Tiiu, a medical health professional, felt safe there,
well, then Steve and I felt safe there. Good to have a pro!

Okay, so Tiiu and Steve are travel vloggers who just so happen to have a number of Vegas posts because, let's face it, it's a helluva lot more interesting than, say, Butte, Montana. I don't really gamble but I constantly plug into Vegas vlogs, which get guaranteed likes and subscribers because... Vegas!

Their vlog, Tiiu And Steve Hit The Road, (featuring that aforementioned black cat in cartoon form) is always a fun ride but when I clicked on it, I realized two things. One, I wasn't even a subscriber (don't panic - meet subscriber #295!) and two, way back in April, Steve had called me out to do the Three-Shot Challenge. Liquor and I have a hate-hate relationship so I deferred. But I do (now) remember Steve's challenge. I was one of the very few non-Vegas-vloggers nominated, I suspect. And I assumed I was already a subscriber because their vlogs kept showing up on my "recommended" You-Tube list.

But vlogging Vegas is not for slackers (such as myself), they noted. It's a lot of work, a lot of filming and a lot of editing. "We're kind of perfectionists," Steve admitted so yeah, they don't just slap stuff together and say, "Finished!"

Yanked off their Facebook page, here's a Mash
Paddle server having some fun at the brewery in
the pre-COVID days. Turns out the brewery has
been around for five years. I gotta admit - that
really surprised me. Well, I know where they are
now so they'll likely see me (and Steve and Tiiu)
again. It was a great afternoon of talking and fun!

But it was hilarious to hear that when they review their footage, there's a whole lot of "Oh, right, that's where we were. That's what we ate. That's what we drank." I suspect that is the case for many, if not ALL Vegas vloggers. I don't even vlog and my first two days of every week-long visit is a blur of slamming down fantastic American craft beer. By Day Three, my body's like, "Simmer down there, Hoss. You ain't 25 anymore." So I post pictures on Twitter that remind me during those bleary-eyed, foggy "Dafuq did I do yesterday?" mornings with my coffee. So far I haven't embarrassed myself but well, that takes a lot for me. Perhaps waking up in jail, missing a kidney or something.

It was interesting because Tiiu and Steve have always stayed on the Vegas strip as had I for my first 13 trips. That said, I am a recent but fiercely loyal convert to the scene in Downtown Vegas on Fremont Street because, well, it's just old-school Vegas nuts down there. But I think they may check out Fremont soon. Steve has mobility issues (wonky knees) so he boots around on a rented scooter. So many Vegas vlogs have been Fremont-centric recently, featuring prominent You-Tubers such as Hog and 2cent, Pennys4Vegas, Ace of Vegas, super-host Richard Wilk and Little Miss Hot Mess Express herself, Cinamon Hall, (I so have to party with this lady) that it's slowly becoming a desired destination.

I've circled the table where Tiiu, Steve and I enjoyed some
wobbly-pops last Sunday on a sizzling hot day. Trust me, those
beers went down mighty fine. Great little brewery, fantastic
company and well, you gotta start Phase Three somewhere, eh?

I suggested with the proximity of the hotel-casinos (less than a hundred feet apart, rather than miles on the strip) that they would love it there. Less walking for Tiiu, less scooting for Steve.

Okay, this is a beer blog so let's get that down for prosperity. Each of us had two beers. Like me, Steve is a hophead who loves his Lagunitas IPA. Being 100% owned by Heineken, there's plenty of that on tap in Vegas. So we both started with their session IPA, Citranatti Bengal. But when our friend Justin (@J_NO_LIFE) from Langley, B.C. (not a real place) saw Vancouver Maneuver IPA, well, he was pretty insistent we try that, as well. "Somebody has to try the Vancouver Maneuver for me," Justin said, "(Because) 6.6%, that's how we roll!!" I posted my pictures when I got home but, Justin, I am happy to report that's exactly what we had and it was damn solid. Unfortunately, it was also completely sold out at their retail. Tiiu prefers the maltier styles so she opted for the I Don't Practise Sangria, a boysenberry-infused Blonde Ale.

Cheers to all of our friends missing Las Vegas right now!
We will get back some day. Steve, Tiiu and myself are so
hoping for October but mine and Steve's Birthday Week
in February 2021 may be a little more realistic, I think.

She followed with their flagship beer, Bixel's Lager, which has a very strong following among the locals.

Okay, so Tiiu and I talked about meeting mid-June. Why did it take until the end of July until we finally did connect? Life. Work. A long-awaited visit from my son, David. Name it. So how did we eventually get together? Funny story. Turns out we were watching Colorado's coolest cat, Eric (@AceofVegas) livestream interview Saskatoon, Saskatchewan (yes, it's a real place!) couple Tamara and Gord (@VegasBestIdeas) about whether Canadians could go back to Vegas. Turn out we absolutely can but they actually did. On Canada Day, no less! But every livestream has a live chat section off to the right and hey, Tiiu reminded me about getting together. So we did. The next day. Gawd bless YouTube. So there you go. We'll be doing it again at a Hamilton brewery in the near-future but until then Scooby Doo Gang, that's it, that's all and I am outta here! As always, I remain...