A quick stop at Brock Street Brewing

Two of the reasons my son, David, likes visiting his
Uncle Johnny and Aunt Trish in Whitby. Number
one, he gets to hang out with my goddaughter, Julia,
and number two, they have a sweet pool. Those are
both good reasons. But now I have another reason...

It's always fun to catch up with my old pal, Johnny. For starters, we grew up in the same neighbourhood so we've known each other since we were five or six years old.

That was many, many years ago now. (Johnny and I stopped counting quite some time back.) Suffice it to say, he and I have gotten into a fair bit of trouble over the years. Nothing so serious that we've landed in jail, mind you. Well, okay, maybe once in the tiny hamlet of Hamburg, New York many decades ago but we weren't actually in jail. You see, my Dad's business had a couple of delivery vans and once every few months, a bunch of us guys (and women a couple of times) would pile into these vans, cross the US border and party our brains out in New York State. We probably hit every bar between Buffalo and Niagara Falls over the course of a few years. I feel certain none of them were sad to see us leave.

But one time, the drunken lot of us stopped at a tiny gas station that was also a restaurant on our way home. Guys stumbled into the place for a pit stop while I gassed up. Once everyone was collected up, off we went. Five minutes later, I was pulled over. The officer said that he had received a phone call, saying one of us had torn an antenna off a car, followed by "Would you please follow me to the police station?"

Well, okay, then, we certainly made
ourselves at home in a Hamburg
Police Station many years ago...

Well, okay, Officer, your call. So I followed him for a few miles and pulled up to one of the tiniest little buildings I had ever seen in the middle of nowhere. This "police station" was like something out of the Andy Griffith Show. A front desk, two jail cells... and nothing else. So there were 16 of us, drunk as skunks (I was driving so not quite so much) and him. Any guesses how that went for the poor officer? While I was talking to him at his tiny desk, explaining that none of us had taken an antenna (as antennas are cheap and plentiful in Canada), laughing guys were opening filing cabinets, singing O Canada in the two unlocked jail cells and getting their pictures taken in there. One guy snatched his hat off of his head for pictures. And man, we were loud! Drunken Canadians are not meant for confined spaces. Finally, he said, "Okay! Enough! Get these jackasses out of here and never come back! Now please!"

Well, how about that? Look what's located five minutes
away from my buddy Johnny's house! I see a couple more
Summer visits to his place this year. For friendship, right?

He didn't seem to enjoy our company at all... Very odd.

So yeah, while Johnny and I have been to a jail, we were actually asked not to stay. If you think about it, that's much trickier than actually landing in jail. A skill of sorts, really. But time passes and Johnny kept moving as his family grew, finally settling in Whitby, an equal distance on the other side of Toronto from me. So maybe an hour and 15 minutes away if I use the usually-empty 407 toll highway that arches north over Toronto, bypassing all that nasty traffic. A couple of times a year, my boy, David, and I try to make the trek out there so he can visit with his Uncle Johnny and Aunt Trish, as well as their daughters, Melissa and Julia. Always a wonderful trip. David and Julia swim in the pool while Johnny and I sit on the patio, catching up. Johnny is one of those rare friends where if you don't see him for a year, you just get together and pick up where exactly you left off. I have a few of those so I'm a pretty lucky guy. But last Summer, I missed the trip to Whitby as the entire lot of us got together at a cottage supplied by his boss at Parkside Beach off Lake Simcoe, just north of Barrie, instead.

Hey, Daddy, look at these big old fermenting
tanks inside Brock Street Brewing! The sweet
girl at the counter told us to wander in and
check out the equipment in the back. We did.

Of course, we had an awesome time as no Canadian ever turns down a free cottage. It's like saying "no" to beer, poutine or free rides on a moose. David, Julia and her dance troupe friends happily swam in Lake Simcoe while Johnny and I drank beers on shore and caught up. We missed Trish by a day and, well, Melissa is in university now so being trapped in a cabin with us parents is about as appealing as eating chalk and vinegar in a bowl for breakfast. (Trust me, Melissa, your Dad and I totally get that. We remember.)

But by not going to Whitby last Summer, it seemed I missed something. Last Spring, Brock Street Brewing set up shop and David and I missed a potential visit. I'm not sure how many beers they had at that point - likely only a small handful - but that's cool. Now, for the record, I have come across Brock Street Brewing on my own turf. They were at the Burlington Winter Beer Festival back in January and even then, I reported that the young turks manning the booth were a crap-ton of fun. They had brought a miniature ping-pong table about a yard (or a metre) long and were taking on all comers. After reporting on that here, as well as their outstanding Brock Street Irish Red Ale, I guess I got on their radar because when they got a mini-Foosball table a couple of months back, they called me out on Facebook with a Foosball challenge. I passed because Whitby is a long drive to lose at yet again another sport. But I appreciated the challenge. These guys and gals love to rock it out.

Some fresh Brock Street Brewing beer straight from the
brewery? Don't mind if I do. That's their Blonde Ale as a
crown on top of two of their Porters and four of their
Double Vision IPAs. The girls there were super friendly.

This time, when we visited, I made no mistake. Before we left, I showed Johnny where Brock Street Brewing was on Google Maps and he laughed, "That's right around the corner." It was literally five minutes away. Oh well, then, world's shortest road trip! David was game because he loves the big shiny tanks in these places. (Being easily distracted by shiny objects comes from my side of the family. I wish I could say it was a strength.) And off we went...

After the arduous 300-second drive, we arrived. "You won't be able to miss it," said Johnny. "On your left. Big sign." Ironically, Brock Street Brewing is on Hopkins Street, although they have an application into City Hall to relocate in a new building at Brock and Dunlop Street downtown. Following them on Facebook, I have watched them clear hurdle after red tape hurdle. It's getting closer. But for now, I kinda like the set-up on Hopkins.

Two young ladies were working at the front counter and as I made my purchase, one smiled sweetly at David, waved to the back and said, "Do you want to go in there?

Working the Saturday afternoon crowd who
were in and enjoying flights of their beer. 

My son flew back there like a shot. He also gets that from Daddy. I'm a little prouder of that. So we checked the place out. Great set-up for a small brewery increasingly getting noticed and lauded on the Ontario craft brewing landscape. At the recent Ontario Brewing Awards, that Irish Red won gold for the Best Dark Ale. On top of that, they were declared the Newcomer Of The Year. A damn good year for a brewery that's geographically located on the wrong street, I'd say.

Having already snagged their Blonde Ale from a local LCBO, I grabbed four of their Double Vision Double IPA and a pair of their Porter. But before I left, the nice young lady at the counter handed me four coupons for a free three-beer flight. "When you're back visiting your friend," she smiled. Okay, that's cool because basically it's like "Go roam at will through our home and hey, when you come back, why not drink some of our beer for free?" Talk about making a guy feel at home. These guys now rock at a Volume-11 Level. They're treading heavily in Spinal Tap territory. But, you know, good.

So how were their beers? Pretty impressive as I picked three that are all very different styles. So let's start with the lightest and work our way up to their bigger ones. Because "That's the way, uh-huh, uh-huh, we like it..."

Beer writing buddy, Paul The Beer Guy, took this cool shot
of two Double Vision Double IPAs poured into a one-litre
(34 ounce) Brock Street Brewing boot. Quadruple vision?

Okay, the Blonde Ale's on deck. As mentioned in this space before, I tend to shy away from blondes ales simply because I consider most to be kissing cousins to mainstream lagers. But the colour and the haziness on this one told me it likely had more oomph. And it did. Floral on the nose and some great carbonation tingle on the tongue, they was some light lemon in the aftertaste. At 4.3%, you could still operate heavy machinery (but probably shouldn't) so it's a pretty solid Summer Session Sipper.

The Double Vision Double IPA poured a really nice copper colour, as you can see from Paul The Beer Guy's picture, but the pine on the nose was mixed with some grassiness that gave this more of a single IPA vibe. On the tongue, it was a total malts vs hops battle, caramel but still bitter. At 7.5% and I'm guessing 75-80 IBUs (international bitterness units), this was a solid beer. I gifted a pair of these to friends before I even tried one because it's all about beer sharing.

Okay, this bad boy right here??? That's what I'm talkin'
about!!! This Porter at just 5.1% was really outstanding!!

Which brings us to their Porter! *Ding, ding, ding!* Ve haf a weiner, as a German guy might (or might not) say. Surprisingly light at just 5.1%, this porter had no outside flavouring, meaning it wasn't goosed by either fruit flavours or barrel-aging. Just a straight up, stand-alone porter. And stand, it did. Beautiful roasted malts and bittersweet chocolate on the nose with a lot more chocolate and a bitter bite on the tongue. This is a porter that's completely true to its style and was, hands down, my favourite of the three.

Johnny, I will be back. I have four free flights of delicious Brock Street beer waiting for me. Granted, only one per visit is the rule and it's a good one. The Halton Police already know me well enough. I'd prefer to stay somewhat anonymous to the Durham Police. Also, we're never allowed back in Hamburg, New York but that's fine. Other small New York hamlets have gas stations. It's all good. So we'll be back to Whitby, well, hopefully soon. On a Deteriorated Scale, my liver is probably about halfway between Ozzy Osbourne and Charlie Sheen. But guys and dolls, that's it, that's all and I am outta here! Until the next time, I remain...

Stairway to Summer Sippers...

♫ Here we come... walking down the street... ♫ Wait, that
one's taken? Hmm, we'll try something else instead, okay?

In case you missed it, sometime in late-June, rock legends Led Zeppelin were found not guilty of plagiarizing the opening riff of "Stairway To Heaven" from a little-known ditty called "Taurus" written by even lesser-known band called Spirit.

It was a big deal court case which actually only involved the two members of Led Zeppelin whose names were attached to the song - singer Robert Plant and guitarist Jimmy Page. Thus bass player John Paul Jones was excused from the lawsuit proceedings as was drummer John Bonham, whose health has not seen much of an upswing since his death in 1980.

Strangely, "Taurus" songwriter Randy Wolfe, who died in 1997, had been told on numerous occasions about the similarities and had just shrugged them off. He didn't care.

"Okay, if we stole from Spirit, how come we have our
own private jet and they're touring in a '68 Volkswagen
van? I mean, we're kind of a big deal in the rock world."
And could no one buy Robert Plant a shirt with buttons?

So who did care? Well, that would be his "estate", meaning distant relatives who thought they could earn themselves some easy money off Led Zeppelin's best-known song.

When the jury heard both songs, they decided the similarities weren't substantial enough to warrant handing millions of dollars to Wolfe's estate and tossed the case out. But I suspect the testimony at this proceeding must have been interesting.
Defence Lawyer: Yes, we concede the opening riff has some vague similarities but does this 'Taurus' song make any mention of hobbits, vikings, ice giants or gnomes of any sort? These are all staples of Led Zeppelin songs.
Estate Witness: No, I don't believe so.
Defence Lawyer: How about sex? Lots of sex in Led Zeppelin songs.
*Page and Plant snicker like school boys.*
Estate Witness: No. No mention of sex.
Defence Lawyer: Does 'Taurus' make any mention of... (looks at lyrics sheet) uhhh, "a bustle in your hedgerow" at all?

I feel like this is being made harder than it has
to be. I mean, there's a Highway to Hell but I
have to hike up all these damn steps to get up
there? No escalator, no elevator, no nothing??

Estate Witness: I don't even know what that means?
*Everyone in court turns and looks at Robert Plant*
Robert Plant: Not sure myself. I was pretty high for all of 1971. It probably made more sense at the time. Perhaps a hobgoblin said it to me in a dream?

And with that damning cross-examination, the case was pitched in the trash bin where it belongs. So good for Led Zeppelin, proving after 45 years of accusations that all that glitters sometimes is gold. Well, except for glitter itself, which is actually aluminized plastic. Whoa... irony.

Okay, that's it for the musical portion of today's outing so let's take a stairway to the beer portion. I found myself in an awkward position the other day when co-worker Marie brought me four beers from Block 3 Brewing in St Jacobs. One small problem. There was no room in my fridge. Yeah, there's a bit of food in there because my son, David, is with me. But not too much. I mean, it's not like the kid pays rent. No, in actual fact, there was an excessive amount of single beers in there. The fact is I will always grab a six-pack of one of my Beer Store's IPAs (Mad Tom, Twice as Mad Tom, Smashbomb Atomic, Finestkind or Ransack the Universe) on my way out the door, But I will often stop at the LCBO to find new singles of craft beer we don't sell. Believe me when I say they can build up quickly.

The Collective Arts 3X2 Summer Sampler includes their
Hefe Weizen wheat, their Gose sour and their Papaya
Saison. All of these were Summer beers and I was eager!

In order to thin the herd a little and make room for the Block 3 beers, it would seem I'd have to make the ultimate sacrifice and clear out a number of those singles through the treacherous means of consumption. As the thermometer climbed past the 30C (86F) mark this past week, many of the Summer Sippers that were taking up prime real estate in the fridge at Donny's Bar and Grill would pay the price.

Okay, there was one thing in my fridge that would free up plenty of space quickly. That would be the Collective Arts Brewing's (Hamilton) 3X2 Summer Sampler. That's six bottles of three different styles of Summer beers that, well, go down remarkably smooth. Before I even tried it, I called the Papaya Saison as the potential favourite. So was it? Well, let's see...

The Hefe Weizen was, as expected, big banana and either peach or pear (I couldn't tell which) on the nose with more banana and some nice tartness on the tongue. Definitely a nice 5.5% smooth sipper. Love a good German wheat!

Well, you just know a session IPA from Great
Lakes Brewery is gonna be good and of course,
the Sunnyside Session IPA was no exception.

The 5.2% Gose was a really nice surprise. If this is any indication, goses are a much lighter style of sour beer than my previously-sampled lambics, berliner weisses or barrel-conditioned ones. I was a Gose virgin. A wheat ale, this was lightly spiced, more tart than sour to me. There was a taste in the background that was confusing me so I looked at the box. Turns out that was Himalayan sea salt. That's a first. It made this very different but still quite tasty. Also the label helpfully pointed out it was pronounced gose-ah, not goh-se as I had been doing. Schooled by a label again. That brings us to the 6% Papaya Saison. To be honest, I wasn't sure I'd ever had papaya in my life before. The second I smelled this, I knew I had. Probably on vacation somewhere. So yeah, papaya on the nose, more papaya and light fruit on the tongue with a very dry finish. And yeah, it was my favourite of the three though I would happily drink any of them again.

I grabbed a six for co-worker, Jay-Dawg, as the LCBO nearest me in Burlington was the only one stocking it at that time (that has since changed) and he was equally impressed.

Look at the colour on this Lake Wilcox Brewing
Mad Quacker Vienna Lager!! Yes, of course, this
style is meant to be a darker hue but that just tells
you that you are in for one deep, rich tasting lager

"Did you notice they all kinda had the same taste?" he noted. Well, yes and no. I knew what he meant because all three were very light tasting even though a 6% saison suggests otherwise. But yeah, all three were easy Summer Sippers, for certain. Still, when I asked him his favourite and he instantly replied, "Oh, the Papaya Saison, for sure!" it was clear they had their discernable differences. While I have already declared the Muskoka Mix-Six Summer Survival Sampler to be the best mixed pack around these day, the Collective Arts' 3X2 definitely has Summer written all over it. And yet, the word is not mentioned on the packaging anywhere. These are crazy times.

In the GTA region, there has probably been no beer this Summer that's received the kind of word of mouth that Great Lakes Brewing's Sunnyside Session IPA has. It was all over Twitter, Facebook and Instagram the second it came out and even prior to that. Highly anticipated would be severely understating the case. It took me a couple of weeks to catch up to the others but truth to tell, that's about the distance I'd be behind in an actual running marathon so...

The folks at Black Oak Brewing in Toronto are
definitely going for a Summer Sipper when they
took this Belgian Wit and named it Beat The Heat

Simply put, this met the hype. Pouring a beautiful hazy gold, there was nothing but citrus on the nose. On the tongue, I got lemon instantly but a few sips in was a little bit of pineapple, too. At just 3.9% and a stunningly low 25 IBUs (international bitterness units), this packs a real IPA flavour. I would love to try this side-by-side with their Citradiction Pale Ale from a few years back. It clocked in at just 4.4% with a 40 IBUs and was a delicious session single hop APA. And, of course, Sunnyside featured Garnett Gerry's beloved cartoon character Roland Baggetts from the Lake Effects IPA label. And yes, he wear socks with his sandals and you won't care...

First beer out of the gate from our new friends at Lake Wilcox Brewing was their Mad Quacker Vienna Lager. Like most Viennas, this was a full-bodied reddish beer. Just 4.7%, the dark fruits and breadiness on the nose is countered by a thicker caramel and toffee finish. This is one heavy lager. Contract-brewed out of Railway City in St Thomas, I paired this with a roast pork and swiss cheese sandwich. 

When my buddy, Easy E, bought this carved bear for his trailer
at Lawson Park in Flamborough, I noticed that it had a convenient
beer holder for my Mad Tom IPA. Turns out, according to his lady
and my coworker Marie, that's actually a "pot holder." Oh, I'm not
really a pot smoker so I used it for beer, instead. And I don't know
much about the drug culture but isn't that an obvious hiding spot?
Well, unless there is another kind of pot that I don't know about...

A delicious lunch on both ends!!! Nice job, Lake Wilcox Brewing on your first beer.

I asked Lake Wilcox what was next on Instagram and they got back quickly, thanking me first before adding, "Our second style is currently available. It's out 'Wilcox Black Hops' Black IPA. We are currently working on our APA and Craft Lager. Please visit our new brewery in Vaughan, opening in August." Hey, a contract brewer no more! Very cool.

Okay, let's wrap this up with one from our pals at Black Oak Brewing in Etobicoke. Lest you have any doubts it's a Summer Sipper, this Belgian Wit is actually called Beat The Heat. So yeah, there's that small clue if you can crack the code. While I much prefer German weisses, a few Belgian wheats have impressed me lately and this 4.5% brew was one. As expected, some coriander on the nose but also some sort of citrus and breadiness. On the tongue, the anticipated orange rind but also quite dry and tart. I liked it. The style is warming on me a little but strong examples, such as this one, go a long way for that.

So is there room in fridge for those Block 3 beers yet? Well, I had to clear out another half dozen Summer Sippers because, ooops, more Ransack The Universe IPA fell into there by accident. It happens. But that's the Summer. I realized how much we are preoccupied with the heat (and cold) when a local TV weatherman came into my Beer Store and I realized I had no idea how to make small talk with him. "Man, it sure is hot out ther... ummm, so beer, that's some crazy good shit. Am I right?" Well, guys and dolls, that's it, that's all and I am outta here!!! Back in a few with more Summer Sippers but until then, I remain...

When All or Nothing bought Trafalgar

You just never who you could run into in the parking lot of Oakville's
Hopedale Mall. In my case, it was Eric and Jeff Dornan, the siblings
who own Oshawa's All or Nothing Brewhouse. The pair had just exited
the mall after signing the legal paperwork making them the new owners
of Trafalgar Ales and Meads last Tuesday. The deal was a real shocker.

Eric and Jeff pose with Mike and Nancy Arnold, the
now former owners of Trafalgar Ale and Meads. Mike
is basically a legend in the Canadian craft brewing
game, having started his brewery in August 1993 with
his wife and partner George Hengstman. Since that
time, Trafalgar has won countless awards, including
seven(!) alone at the 2015 Ontario Brewing Awards.

As chance meetings go, they don't come any flukier than this. Last Tuesday, I was on my break from the Beer Store located in Oakville's Hopedale Mall. (Well, actually, it is now technically called South Oakville Mall because a few years ago, Target moved and insisted the whole mall basically be refurbished to suit their needs. For the record, Target lasted a little more than a year. And to this day, no one calls the mall anything but Hopedale. Bite our collective arses, Target.)

But back to the story... I had forgotten my wallet on my desk at home so I had no cash, no debit card, nada.

I also had no driver's licence so thank gawd, I wasn't pulled over. I suppose I could have borrowed a few bucks until the next day but I am not a fan of borrowing money, even $5. Truth to tell, I wasn't even hungry. But I remembered I had some unchecked lottery tickets in my car so I figured, "Hey, maybe one is a $10 winner. You never know." (Yes, you do. No, it's not.) So off I went to the mall. No winners so I started wandering back to the store.

♫ The first time... ever I saw your face... ♫ Okay, that's a little
bit too sing-songy. But folks, this is Eric and Jeff Dornan at their
FIRST EVER beer festival - the inaugural 2014 Burlington
Summer Beer Festival. It was a very soggy Saturday when I met
the guys and enjoyed their All or Nothing Hopfenweisse wheat.

Suddenly I spotted a bright yellow Mini-Cooper adorned with the All or Nothing Brewhouse logo and their familiar cartoon boxer mascot, Cornelius, in his "Put up yer dukes" stance. So I stopped to get a picture of it on my phone. Suddenly, I heard a voice. "Don? Is that you?" It was Eric Dornan, walking towards the car with his brother Jeff. You see, I had met the brothers in July 2014 at the inaugural Burlington Summer Beer Festival down in Spencer Smith Park. They had just opened their Underdog's Brewhouse a week prior.
This was their first ever Beer Festival and the first exposure of their top-flight All or Nothing Hopfenweisse wheat ale to the beer drinking public. Using three malts and four hops, they had created a great German-style wheat with some west coast pale ale flare. Tasty brew.

Turns out I had stumbled upon the pair as they were leaving an office where they put their signatures on the papers that handed them full ownership of Oakville's Trafalgar Ales and Meads. The purchase was officially announced on June 20 and frankly, surprised the hell out of everybody. While Eric recognized me instantly, I could see it was taking Jeff a little longer to figure out where he knew me from. About 15 seconds later, it clicked. "Hey," he grinned, "Where's your Tilley?" He was referring to my Australian Outback Drinking Hat that I wear to every single beer festivals I attend because it's easier than, you know, actually taking the effort to comb my hair before I go out in public. I must be one helluva fun date. No wonder my phone is, like, never buzzing with offers.

Remember when these guys were called UnderDog's
Brewhouse? Yeah, these days they just go by All Or
Nothing Brewhouse and there's a legal reason for that. 

Also for the record, I'd like to point out my Outback Drinking Hat was purchased at a gift shop in a swanky five-star resort on Mexico's Mayan Riviera. That's about as far removed from true Australian culture as anything could be. The closest I came to seeing an alligator was probably some rich lady's purse. So it's something of an ironic drinking hat.

So onto the big purchase. I asked the guys how a pair of Oshawa brothers who contract-brew a solitary wheat ale ended up buying an established Oakville brewery. "Well, we knew (Trafalgar owner) Mike (Arnold) from any number of beer events," said Eric. "At some point, I guess he found out that we wanted to build a brewery, I don't think he had a retirement plan figured out yet so one day, he approached us and asked us if we'd be interested in Trafalgar."

The lure of setting up shop in an established, award-winning brewery was strong enough that the brothers worked quickly to get their financial ducks in a row and happily jumped on the offer. It may be the only time in provincial history that a contract brewer has bought out a brewery.

Some day, the brothers would love to relocate the entire brewery
to Oshawa's Colonel R.S. McLaughlin Armoury, a 102-year-old
military building that served as a training facility for years
through several wars. These days, it acts as a community centre
but as it's a federal heritage building, it could be a tough sell
for the guys to set up shop here. That said, a month ago, the pair
were contract brewers. Now they own a brewery. So who knows?
Also it would be pretty cool to be the only brewery with a damn
Sherman Tank out front. Even Molson's doesn't have a tank...

(Quick aside: Does it seem a little weird to anyone else that at some point, some dude must have lined up a whole bunch of ducks in a row, took a step back, looked at them and declared, "Okay, now I'm ready to proceed...")

Noting they'd come a long way in a short time from contract brewing at Railway City in St. Thomas to being Oakville brewery owners, Jeff offered up a quick correction. "You're right," he noted, "we did start at Railway City. That's where we were when we first met but for the last while, we've been brewed out of (Etobicoke's) Cool Brewing."

Their first order of business, it would seem, is setting up a state-of-the-art canning line at Trafalgar, whose entire line has always been bottled. In its two-year existence, All or Nothing has been sold exactly two ways - in cans and kegs. If you've followed the guys on Facebook or Twitter from the beginning like I have, it seemed like every week, another pub or restaurant was adding their wheat ale to their taps. Beyond the new canning line, they have plans of adding additional fermentation tanks to meet the brewery's now-growing needs.

Cornelius, as well as the Dornan brothers, was an
active presence at this past Summer's Toronto
Craft Beer Cruise. These guys are everywhere...

For starters, the brewery just added a new nicely-hopped German-style wheat to their portfolio. But the thing is, a couple of years back, Trafalgar also became an artisanal distillery. Beyond beer and meads, they added cider and liquor to the mix. So in essence, All or Nothing went from making a single wheat ale to making... well, everything.

On top of that, Trafalgar also brews all the beers shipped to the LCBO for sister company, Black Creek Historic Brewery. So the Dornans now own a little piece of Toronto heritage, none of it connected to the late Rob Ford. (You never want that as part of the deal.)

But something else occurred to me afterwards. Yes, these two guys just bought Trafalgar - that much should be pretty clear unless you skipped every sentence before this one. But back in the Spring, Mike Arnold was the owner of one of 20 craft breweries across Ontario that bought their way onto the Beer Store's Board of Directors. Now Jeff and Eric own Trafalgar and that means... holy crap, these guys are now my bosses!!! And now it dawns on me that had I actually been hungry, I could have asked these guys for an advance on my cheque. It's important that bosses are responsive to employees' needs. Especially mine.

The All or Nothing fighting pose is now
becoming as iconic as the Don Cherry-
Ron McLean thumbs up. Here, Eric and
customer Barry Naymark put up their
dukes on the Toronto Craft Beer Cruise.

So with the addition work space of Trafalgar, what's next for the brothers? Expanding their line of wheats primarily. From the start - and I mean back in July 2014 - the brothers emphasized to me that they wanted to be Ontario's best source of wheat beers year-round. With over 400 restaurants, bars, LCBOs and Beer Stores carrying All or Nothing, they're off to a strong start, especially for a style that is considered a Summer beer.

But when I noticed their licence plate, UNDRDOG9, I had to ask why they gave up the Underdog name back in December. Well, it turns our that another small Ontario craft brewer had used the name Underdog on a pale ale. "It's wasn't under trademark or anything," noted Eric. "I mean, we researched the name long before naming our brewery." But suddenly, they found themselves holding a cease-and-desist order from that other brewery. "I don't even think their beer (which they hadn't heard of until the lawsuit) had sold 5,000 units so it was pretty surprising." Rather than hand lawyers filthy-large piles of cash in a fight over who was the true "underdog", the brothers just renamed the brewery after their flagship beer.

And now that they own a brewery in Oakville in which they are about to make a significant investment, do they stay in Oakville or move the whole shooting match back to Oshawa? That's a prospect that has Beer Bro Glenn salivating. Well, that's still up in the air.

An impressive combined line-up of All or Nothing and
Trafalgar Ale and Meads products. One prediction for this
business venture? More wheats being brewed in Oakville.

Jeff told Oshawa website SlowCity.ca last month that they "just resigned our lease for another two years so we are not planning to uproot and move operations any time soon. The Durham region has been very good to us over the last couple years and we want to continue to work and live in the community." So the administrative end of All or Nothing is clearly staying put although in the same interview, Jeff made it clear they planned on making good use of Trafalgar's retail shop.

A separate story in the Oshawa Express saw the brothers still eager to set up a brewery in Oshawa, ideally in the Colonel R.S. McLaughlin Armoury, a much-beloved 102-year-old former military structure on Simcoe Street that now mostly serves as a community centre.

A Doge review of All or Nothing Hopfenweisse wheat ale.

However, the fact that it is designated as a federal heritage building means I might have an easier time opening Playboy Mansion as a craft beer bar. Let's not forget that even if they find a suitable Oshawa location, it doesn't preclude the brothers simply owning one brewery in Oakville and another in Oshawa. That's what John Romano has set up these days, owning Nickel Brook in Burlington and having half-ownership of the Arts and Sciences Brewery in Hamilton, shared with Collective Arts Brewing. Hey, time will tell. A month ago, Jeff and Eric were contract brewers. Now look at these beer studs. So when Eric's parting words were, "You gotta come up to Trafalgar and visit us," you can bet your ass, I agreed. I mean, yeah, I'm surrounded by beer all day but why not do that off the clock, as well? Life's all about finding safe, comfortable things in new environments, right? But guys and dolls, that's it, that's all and I am outta here!! Until next time, I remain...

Muskoka Brewing - the best part of 1996

They said they'd be there for us but were they? I
mean, really? No, they disappeared 12 years ago
while Muskoka Brewery has been there, instead...

Back in 1996, times were a lot simpler.

The TV show, Friends, ruled the television airwaves. The show had finished its second season and would start its third in this year. Best Chandler line ever. Joey: "You didn't cry when Bambi's mom died?" Chandler: "Yes, it was so sad when the guy stopped drawing the deer."

The Spice Girls had just burst onto the music scene. I can't name one of their songs but I do know one married soccer star David Beckham. I can't remember her Spice name but 20 years later, let's just go with Old Spice.

Beanie Babies were a big fad. I don't really remember what they were other than little stuffed dolls. I wish I had paid more attention since they originally sold for something like $15-$20 and now run over $3,000 on eBay. Or in terms I understand more clearly, 60-plus cases of Mad Tom IPA.

The Nintendo 64 was just released and frankly, I can still kick anyone's ass at Super Mario 64. Well, if I can remember how to work the console because most things are not quite as simple as falling off a horse. Tumbling off an equine is probably somewhat similar.

I don't use the term "hero" lightly but Muskoka
Brewery founder Gary McMullen heard this tree was
about to fall over and since that day, he has held it up,
using just one shoulder. Actually, I suppose that makes
him more of a hero to arborists. Okay, I'll go with the
whole started-a-craft-brewery angle for my hero thing

And finally, Mad Cow Disease was declared in Great Britain. Basically it was about infected beef that could make you quite ill if consumed. I also suspect that at the big meeting to decide on a name for the disease, one Brit scientist, who'd had a nasty argument with his wife the night prior, stood up and said, "I have an idea..."

All of those things have come and gone (cows' moods have since been upgraded to somewhat irritated) but something big that started small in 1996 is still here - Muskoka Brewing in Bracebridge. Yup, it was back in June 1996 that Muskoka founders Gary McMullen and Kirk "Kirby" Evans first opened the brewery's doors.

Unfortunately, this story started with some sad news early on as Evans was in a car crash just two months in and six months later, succumbed to his injuries in the hospital. Talking to the Bracebridge Examiner this past April, it was clear McMullen still can't wrap his head around the tragedy. "I was young when it happened, 26, and I think Kirk was 25. You don't expect that stuff to happen. You were young and invincible." While he questioned himself on whether he should even continue, ultimately, he conceded, "It would have been easy and acceptable for people looking at the business to say, 'No wonder they cashed it in' but we kept going."

You missed Pride Week? Muskoka's Summer Survival
Pack has your rainbow of colours right here. For my
money, this is the best Mix-Six I have ever seen. You have
a lager, an ale, a kolsch, a wheat, a session IPA and one of
Canada's best IPAs in one pack. Tis a thing of brew beauty

Asked in the same interview how he thinks Kirby would have viewed the brewery's present-day success, McMullen was certain. "I think he would have been really proud. He'd have a big grin on his face, for sure."

Before getting into their beers and 20th anniversary celebrations, though, perhaps it's time to explain what Muskoka (the region) means to people from south-west Ontario. It is cottage country, plain and simple. A humongous 2,500-square-mile tract of land off Georgian Bay that has 1,600 lakes, making it one of Canada's premier cottaging areas. We went there in our youth to our buddies' parents' cottages. You weren't from this area unless you have partied hard at The Kee To Bala on numerous occasions. Many go there now as cottage owners (well, not me - people who were smart with their money) and it is still some of the most beautiful and scenic land ever put on this Earth. It is, in essence, where people from the Greater Toronto Area escape towards to get the hell out of the Greater Toronto Area. It is also home to three premiere Ontario craft brewers - Muskoka in Bracebridge, Sawdust City Brewing in Gravenhurst and Lake of Bays Brewing in Baysville. There's a whole lot of beautiful in that area.

The Ultimate Muskoka IPA Debate - Mad Tom vs Twice
As Mad Tom. At first, I leaned heavily towards Twice As
Mad. Most IPA lovers I know still do. But then I started
drinking Mad Tom for a while - that while being most of
2015. I love them both - now equally - as they are very
different tastes. Dry-hopped with Centennial and
Chinook hops, the 6.4%, 64 IBU Mad Tom has tons of
grapefruit on the nose with light fruit and a bit of pine
on the tongue. The Twice As Mad at 8.4% and 71 IBUs
is aggressively double dry-hopped with big citrus on the
nose and big whacks of pine on the tongue. The price
difference between the two six packs is just $1.35 so why
not try both, side-by-side and judge them for yourself?

Ironically, McMullen himself does not own a cottage. Then again, he owns a brewery in the middle of Muskoka cottage country so who the hell needs one? Throw a lawn chair on the grass and catch some rays because you're basically at a cottage that never ever runs out of beer. Tough to beat that. Besides, as the man himself said in a recent Q&A, "Muskoka is a state of mind. You can live in a condo on the Gardiner in Toronto, slide open your patio doors and two Muskoka chairs are there. Pan-fry some trout, toss a salad, pour a glass of Summerweiss and you're there."

Well, then, Gary has just explained why the most comfortable and relaxing place in the world for me and visiting friends is the patio at Donny's Bar and Grill. When the foliage fills in on the lilac bushes behind me, I am afforded complete privacy from the townhouses across the way. Square glass table, five chairs, uneven patio stones (that could easily be fixed but haven't been) and a little "man garden" that my son and I built with zero flowers, dollar store ornaments and exactly three hostas. I might add a fourth next Summer. I might level those patio stones. Who knows? Geographically, it may be in Burlington but to me, that patio is my Muskoka and I spend May to September living there.

As part of their 20th Anniversary celebrations,
the brewers at Muskoka took their flagship
beer, the Cream Ale, and oak-aged it. That
rendered this as a completely different beer,
adding woodiness to both aroma and flavour.

You may notice all my pictures of beer are always facing the brick wall on the east side of the patio? Why? Because that's where the sun faces from 1 pm to 4:30 pm on the patio. Boring backdrop, yes, but the sexiness of the beers in the pictures distract you from it. Also that wall is a support structure so it plays a larger role in my life. Nice to give it some face time. Who's a good wall? *No reaction* You are, boy. Yes, you are. But the part of Donny's Bar and Grill that literally (or more accurately put, figuratively) screams Muskoka? The clocks are always set at Beer O'Clock. And that means it's time to start talking Muskoka beers right here, right now...

Let's start with that Summer Survival Pack, seen above. Okay, four of those beers - the Craft Lager, Cream Ale, Detour and Mad Tom - have have descriptive praise heaped on them in this space in the past. The Mad Tom, so much so, that a high school buddy changed its name to Mad Don to honour my last birthday. (It's February 14th, Muskoka, in case you want to do a special run next year. No pressure. Take a can, wrap paper around it and write "Mad Don IPA" in crayon. Draw a stick-man with hockey hair. That'll do.) But the two I have never talked about - the Summerweiss and the Kirby's Kolsch - both just won silver at the 2016 Canadian Brewing Awards for Best German-Style Wheat and German-Style Kolsch.

For those outside Canada who are confused as to what a
Muskoka chair is, it's one of these bad boys usually found
on the deck on a Canadian cottage. Granted, most of them
aren't branded with the Muskoka Brewery logo on the arm

A few years back, Muskoka took their annual Summer brew, the Hefe-Weissbier, and gave it a total rebranding, taking a plain white can with blue borders and changing it to bright yellow can and renaming it Summerweiss. Why? Don't know. Dammit, Jim, I'm a beer geek, not a marketing nerd! But I do know this is a great example of a German wheat with banana on the nose, a slight hint of bubblegum (that fades instantly) on the tongue followed up with more banana and clove. Nothing screams "Summer!" louder than a strong German wheat on the patio. Except the time I sipped this and actually screamed "Summer!" I was several decibels louder than the can. The brewery also makes a dunkelweizen for the Winter months called Winterweiss, which marries all the best parts of a dark lager to a German wheat. Equally delicious except I am less a fan of the Winter months so the Summerweiss holds a, let's say, warmer place in my heart.

Every Spring, the brewery releases the Legendary Oddity
and every year, it's a slightly different tweak. This year, I
drank mine on May 6, the release date of Captain America:
Civil War. Cap looks pissed here. Why? He's mad at Iron
Man!!! Geez, do I have to explain the whole movie to you?

The Kirby Kolsch was just introduced this Summer to honour the late-Evans and lemme tell you this. Everyone I know who has brought the Summer Survivor Park has asked when the Kirby will be introduced in single cans, just as the other five already are. That's how much it's been enjoyed. (Good news - it's out in singles now!) While I believe peach puree was added into the brewing, you only get it faintly in the taste and you practically have to be thinking of it. But it's lightly citrus on the nose with some hop and malt on the tongue. Also a refreshing Summer beverage for the patio. The beer's honouree would be proud.

Every Spring, the brewery releases their Legendary Oddity and every year, it is quite different. I remember having it in a 650-ml (21 ounce) bomber a few years back and it had some cloying sweetness to it. Not this year. The 7.1% offering was spicy on the nose with more spice, Heather tips and orange on the tongue. It was a tasty little bugger. Went back for a few more for I, too, am an oddity.

This past winter, the brewery released a special
batch of their Winter Beard Double Chocolate
Cranberry Stout that had been aged in Tennessee
Whiskey Barrels for over a year. The result?
A 9% boozy, fruity and chocolatey explosion...

Had something very unique from these guys this past winter. They took their annual Winter Beard Double Chocolate Cranberry Stout from a few years back and aged it for a year in Tennessee Whiskey barrels. The result, which was very hard to find outside their Bracebridge retail shop, was Winter Jack, a distant relative of Mad Tom, I presume. As I had enjoyed Winter Beard for several years, this barrel aging added a whole new level to the game. It added a beautiful layer of bourbon to the aroma and taste of this 9% stout without stealing any of the chocolate. I remember feeling the warmness in my stomach as I had this at Rib Eye Jack's Ale House back in January. Outstanding!

Okay, before I sign off, a couple more things I like about one of my favourite brewers. On every bottle, they stamped quite clearly "Enjoy before" with the date. You can't miss it. Bright yellow letters. Could be orange as I'm colourblind. I probably should have just asked someone but that inevitably leads to the "So what colour is this?" game that colourblind people dislike intensely. So that lettering is yellow for the purpose of this column. (But maybe not.) That has helped me rescue a handful of Mad Toms and Twice as Mad Toms before their expiration date. And by rescue, I, of course, mean that poor beer was trapped in a bottle and I saved it from its glassy captivity. Not every hero wears a cape. Or in my case, underwear. Too much info? Sorry...

Well, yeah, sure, this sign will guide you into
the brewery but how do we know that it's not
one of those Hotel California deals where you
can never leave? Geez, that'd be pretty sweet

Another little thing I noticed about the brewery a while back was when I had a Mad Tom poured for me at Rib Eye Jack's about a year ago. All of the breweries on tap have their own glasses at the bar. So there I was innocently sipping on my Mad Tom when I noticed writing etched into the bottle of the pint glass. It was the company's motto: "Venture off the beaten path." I had enjoyed a pint of Mad Tom dozens (and dozens) of times at the bar in the past and never once noticed that writing on the bottom of the glass. Should they some day start handing out Nobel Peace Prize for Lack of Observation, frankly, I'm a lock. Although, let's face it, I probably won't notice I won anything.

And one last thing - and something the brewery should be proud of. On June 24, one day before their big 20th Anniversary Party at the brewery, they issued a media release declaring that they had become the first Ontario certified Living Wage employer and the first Canadian brewery to adopt a living wage for its employees. Unlike minimum wage, a "living wage" is based simply on the principle that full-time work at the brewery should provide financial security above the poverty line. All sorts of things are factored into living wage, mostly the cost of living, goods and services in the immediate region. In terms of being good bosses, these Muskoka guys have definitely ventured off the beaten path. Well done to one of my all-time favourite breweries. I wish I could be that giving. If the survival of a buddy depended on my willingness to share my Mad Tom, I would be weeping big hoppy tears at his graveside. Just sayin'. But guys and dolls, that's it, that's all and I am outta here! Until next time, I remain, as always...

When friends share beer...

When Drunk Polkaroo stopped into Donny's Bar and
Grill, he came bearing a gift - the Puzzler IPA from
his homebrew outfit, Enigma Brewing, with pal Glen,
a.k.a. BigCanuck1975. The brew boys were pleasantly
surprised when they cracked open the first beer from
the first batch they have made. "It looks like beer,"
said Polkaroo in the video. "I think we have beer!"

There was a big entrance coupled with a big exit on Thursday, June 23.

The exit was interesting as the United Kingdom voted to leave the European Union, which is, in essence, an economic body encouraging trade between 28 member countries. As I have now read all about the social, economic and political ramifications of the Brexit vote, I'm getting the sense that it was not a smooth move. However - and this part's important, people - this is how democracy works. The masses vote, the results are tallied and then the will of the majority over-rules the will of the minority. What I think about it all from across the ocean means diddly-squat. And if I'm being completely honest, while I, like most North Americans, am familiar in all things Hillary, Bernie and The Donald, I had only heard about Brexit in mid-June - maybe a week prior to the big vote. Had you asked me even at the beginning of that month, I would have guessed it was some sort of snack cracker. Or perhaps that Brexit was related to Hodor on Game of Thrones. There's so many characters on that show that I probably would have outright lied and mumbled, "Oh... right! I remember him now."

So I guess if Brexit was a self-help book for countries, it'd be entitled "He's Just Not Into EU." But Britain, you of all countries should know, if you want to leave, do it properly by dumping a crap-load of tea into a harbour.

This editorial cartoon naturally gave me a chuckle as it
invokes the Monty Python skit "Ministry of Silly Walks"

But again, in complete honesty, while I saw the hashtag #Brexit popping up, I had no idea what it meant. When I figured it out (Britain exits - duh) I thought it was kinda clever. So if other European countries want out of the EU, I hope they come to me for their hashtags. Austria, you get #Outstria. Italy, how do you feel about #Italeaving. Finland, I have #Finished for you. Portugal, a couple up for grabs - #Departugal or #Portugone - so pick your favourite. Czech Republic, you were so easy - #CzechOut. Unfortunately, Romania, it looks like you're stuck in the EU as the best I could do for you was #Remainia. I'll keep trying. (Until I forget in less than 10 seconds.)

Drunk Polkaroo's Beer Fridge after a trip into Toronto
with pal Brett was full to overflowing. He scored that
Muskoka's 20 Anniversary Oak-Aged Cream Ale from
me (top centre) but from everyone else? Aye carumba!

Now, frankly, the big entrance on that day was of far greater interest to me as beer writing buddy, Drunk Polkaroo (a.k.a Robert) and his pal, Brett (a.k.a. The Wobbly Moose) landed on the patio of Donny's Bar and Grill as a brief stop on their way into Toronto. After being greeted warmly by both myself and my son, David (a.k.a. Huggy Kid), I was presented with a special gift - a one-litre (34 ounce) plastic bottle of his The Puzzler IPA, the first beer to come out of his Enigma homebrewing outfit with buddy Glen (a.k.a. Big Canuck 1975). The guys were shooting for an Octopus Wants To Fight or Ransack The Universe style IPA. Aiming for an 8.7% ABV, they measured it later and erroneously thought it was about 4.7%. That's okay, Glen said in their video (I'll link to it at the end), "we made a session IPA." Uh, no. After drinking it, they quickly realized it was close to 8%. And when I had it later that day, I realized it was something else. Namely, it was delicious. A healthy citrus aroma, nice orange rind on the tongue, by thunderin' Jaysus, these guys made an honest-to-goodness sure-as-shootin' first-rate IPA.

After coworker Marie hooked me up with a Danger
Zone Imperial Farmhouse IPA, Drunk Polkaroo
matched that with a 1-Up Double IPA. Marie had
also given me a 1-Up a couple of years back but it
was fun having these side-by-side. Two different
styles of Imperial IPAs as the Danger Zone really
amped up the spiciness in that true Belgian way. 

Gonna say between 70 and 80 IBUs (international bitterness units) and the lacing on my glass? Top to bottom! Beautifully carbonated. Praising it on Instagram, it caught the eye of coworker Jay-Dawg, who asked, "Was it really that good or were you being really nice to a friend?" No, I told him, it was that good. "Huh," he noted, "Maybe we should be homebrewing?"

Now oddly, that day, while #Brexit trended hugely on Facebook and Twitter, Polkaroo and my historic meeting did not. I suspect it was because we didn't have a flashy hashtag. Hmm, perhaps if we went with #TheseTwoNeverShutUp or #WeGetItYouGuysLoveCraftBeer we would have definitely trended in the, uhhh, double digits. Maybe even trending as high as 17 retweets and 24 likes. Seriously, it's all in the hashtag!

But while I forgot to give Polkaroo some great Detroit beer glasses I had set aside for him, I did have a Muskoka 20th Anniversary Oak-Aged Cream Ale for him. Haven't had it yet, neither has he. We'll let you know soon. But Polkaroo had one more in his arsenal for me - that being the world's biggest cooler that fits into a Mazda trunk. A Block 3 Danger Zone Imperial Farmhouse IPA.

New Zealand buddy and Beer Bro Stevil St Evil has been
so impressed with some of the beers given to me recently
by Rib Eye Jack's Ale House GM Steve that he created a
little graphic after noting that I always call it Steve's Stash

But as it turned out, my co-worker Marie had just given me one a day or two prior so he quickly switched it up and gave me their 1-Up Double IPA, instead. Now Marie had also given one of those a couple of Summers back but now I could try them side-by-side. Which is exactly what I did (although if you've read this before, me explaining my beer drinking habits is more pointless than a Safe Sex Guide in the hands of a Kardashian.)

As both Beer Bro Stevil St Evil are huge fans of the raunchy TV show, Archer, I loved the label of Danger Zone which borrows heavily from the cartoon's opening credits. Well, what can I say, Block 3 from the tiny hamlet of St. Jacobs continue to impress! Danger Zone is an Imperial IPA with a Belgian touch but not too much of one, meaning some nice spice on the nose with more on the tongue but also pine and some citrus in the herb-like bitterness.

Did someone mention Steve's Stash? Well, these two beers
from Innocente Brewing in Waterloo are the latest to fall
victim to my back patio. As different as night and day...

At 9% and 70 IBUs (international bitterness units), it was a nice step up from many Belgian-style IPAs. But their 1-Up Double IPA, baby, that's all west coast happening in that bottle. Using Magnum, Summit, Crystal, Citra and Cascade hops, this 8.7%, (roughly) 85 IBU smokeshow is orange rind on the nose with citrus and lovely maltiness on the tongue. Two great offerings from a tiny brewery that will continue to rise in the craft industry.

Rib Eye Jack's Ale House General Manager Steve is always generous with new finds so let's look at a couple from Innocente Brewing (Waterloo) in a little segment I like to call Steve's Stash. (Halton Police, this stash is not drug-related but if there are concerns, I'll give you his address.) First on deck was their Two Night Stand Imperial IPA which took gold at the Canadian Brewing Award, even surpassing my all-time favourite Canadian Imperial IPA, Nickel Brook's Immodest, which collected bronze.

When I teased Sassy Cassy over the simplicity of Sleeping
Giant's Bay Street Brown Ale label, she said that if they
ship their beers out to the LCBOs or Beer Store, they put
proper labels on them. For the ones sold at the brewery?
Quick stickers and hanging name tags. Hey, it works...

Okay, Two Night Stand is insanely fruity on the nose so small wonder you get healthy dollops of juicy mango plus pine and malt on the tongue. At 8.5% and 100+ IBUs, this was a very limited run so you'll have to wait patiently for the next run. Do so. It's that good.

Now their Giant's Causeway Wee Heavy caused me a wee heavy bit of trepidation. That's, of course, a $10 word that many translate to fear but since I fear no beer, let's go with apprehension. The reason was simply that it is a blend of their red-wine barrel-aged Scotch Ale and their Irish Red Ale. Why the concern? Not a fan of red wine. At all. So how was it? Much to my surprise, I loved what the wine barrel influence added to this 7.7%, 31 IBU deep dark beer. It added some deep plum on the nose and gave it both woodiness and nuttiness on the tongue. A beer that a wine lover would enjoy. And apparently me. Well, I am half Scottish and half Irish so this blend pretty much had the Redmond name all over it. Two very different but equally outstanding beers.

Well, this would be one I shared with Beer Bro
Glenn. The Greetings From Canada Coast to
Coaster Imperial ESB, a collaboration beer
made by Garrison, Trou Du Diable, Flying
Monkeys and Phillips Brewing. Tasty stuff!!

One of my biggest pleasures of the Summer is when Sassy Cassy returns home from her stint at Thunder Bay's Lakehead University. For starters, she's a much-beloved Beer Store daughter. But she must do well at school because she's smart enough to always bring me some beers from Sleeping Giant Brewing. That's both book-smart and street-smart... as her sweet gesture benefits me!! She brought me their 2016 Ontario Brewing Awards gold medalist Beaver Duck American Pale Ale, which I had much earlier this year and raved about in this spot. But she also had their Bay Street Brown Ale for me. Now I am not the biggest brown ale fan. The style has been around for so long, I feel like I should reloading my musket between sips. But I quite liked the Bay Street. The 5.2% reddish-brown ale had some nice dark fruits on the nose with nips of caramel and a nice maltiness on the tongue. Did I like it better than Beaver Duck APA? Hell to the no! But for a brown ale, it impressed me more than most. Good job, boys!

Here's one that I shared with Beer Bro Glenn during a recent stop at Donny's Bar and Grill - The Greetings From Canada Coast to Coaster Imperial English Special Bitter.

This is my little Sassy Cassy winning the
Outstanding Residence Council Member
Award for 2016 at Lakehead University.
That means she was chosen as the person
who helped those in residence get the best
of their experience. And yes, she's very,
very pretty but back off, guys! She has a
boyfriend and a father and a Beer Store
Father and we will beat the tar out of you!

Dug out from the back of my fridge, we shared this collaborative brew made by (moving east to west) Garrison Brewing in Halifax, Microbrasserie La Trou du Diable in Shawinigan, Quebec, Flying Monkeys from Barrie and Phillips Brewing in Victoria, BC. So truly, coast to coast and how appropriate that I'm sharing this one on July 1st, Canada Day. (Total fluke but...) Okay, kids, this ain't your Daddy's or Grandpappy's ESB, I tell you that. At 7.6% and 50 IBUs (way high), you get a lot of malt but also citrus on the nose and some real burnt bitterness and caramel on the tongue. Almost like those British-west coast hybrid IPAs, this thing is goosed to the gills. This is like no ESB you've ever had - a big taste for a big country from four of our premier craft brewers. It's so Canadian, you'll say "sorry" after the first sip.

Okay, some sidenotes to all the stories told today. As I mentioned, I'm half Irish-half Scottish. I suspect my relatives still there would like a word or two with the Brexit voters. I also mentioned the Danger Zone was Belgian style. Belgium, your EU exit hashtag is #Byegium. Also when Drunk Polkaroo was getting me my bottle of The Puzzler IPA, I noticed one had 7 written on the cap. "Oooh, Lucky 7," I said. He was pulling out #4 but asked if I wanted to switch. "Nope, number 4, Bobby Orr, I'll take that." You have to be either Canadian or from Boston to get that.

And finally, Halton Police, when I threw Rib Eye Steve under the bus, I need to know one thing. Crime Stoppers still comes with a cash reward, right? Because snitches get stitches and I want some craft beer during my recovery time. Well, gotta go. Hope all is going according to plan. Well, if my plan was "Drink beer now, figure out life later," then yes, everything is going according to plan. I'm not suggesting it's a one-sided relationship... but I wonder if craft beer thinks of me all day? Oh yes and that Drunk Polkaroo The Puzzler Video? It's right here. Click on: Puzzle Me This, Batman! But guys and dolls, that's it, that's all and I am outta here! Until next time, I remain as always...