As some of you may know, I periodically contribute to a website called TransitHub. This morning, they published one of my articles (click to see). However, I felt that the article would be equally at home in Beers For Breakfast. Thus, here is a shameless repost:

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Toronto is, without the slightest doubt, a world-renown city. It draws its fame from its astoundingly high CN tower and the surprisingly low costs of its lunchtime meals; from having both the shortest ferry ride and the longest street in the world*; from having the most academically-inclined strippers and one of the worst commuting times in the world. But in a world of superlatives, where the most useless of attributes are enough to bring a city fame, Toronto stands out in a completely different way.

In its heart, Toronto is a city that cares less about being the most of anything, and more about doing things with skill, passion, care, and personality… and nothing proves its mantra better than a weekend spent exploring a vastly underappreciated aspect of Toronto: its craft beer scene.

As an Ontarian, the world of beer has me worried. If you take a look at the top-selling brands, it’s clear that the majority of beer purchases in Ontario are drawing money out of the province, or even the country. More importantly (and this even applies to Ontario breweries), they are drawing culture out of the province. A brewery should be an institution that brings people together; one that provides jobs for its cities; one that respects the area in which it’s located; one that gets to know its neighbours and facilitates community. In the past, this is how breweries were; in modern times, a small handful of breweries are growing to colossal proportions. The way in which brewing happens today (out of town, industrially) makes it hard to imagine a time when the town brewery was an important social institution, not just an economic one. But even amid the difficulties of today’s world, craft breweries do exist… and they may just be our city’s greatest assets.

In fact, last Friday, I spent the day walking around Toronto with an out-of-town friend of of mine. In one day, we managed to visit three craft breweries… and we did it all on foot! Here is a brief overview of three fantastic craft breweries that are definitely worth visiting.

1) Amsterdam Beer: Purity. Passion. Revelry. — 21 Bathurst Street, Toronto
Despite its name, the Amsterdam brewery is as local as it gets! I mean, they even have a beer called (416)! Their wide range of beers includes crowd-pleasers such as their Natural Blonde Lager, Big Wheel Deluxe Amber, and their Nut Brown Ale, as well as exciting seasonals like their Oranje-Weisse Premium White and Wee Heavy Scotch Ale. Make sure to stop by on Saturdays between 1 and 6 pm for a “tasting and product knowledge session” and pick up some of their delicious brews!

2) Steam Whistle: Do one thing really, really well. — 255 Bremner Boulevard, Toronto
Walking into the Steam Whistle brewery feels like arriving at exactly the right time to a party exclusively for awesome people. The decoration is lively, the people are chatting up a storm, and the staff is nothing short of hilarious! Load up on some merch, buy a generously-priced six-pack, drink a complimentary sample, and most fantastic of all: take the brewery tour! You’ll learn about everything from how they organize their events to why they chose their iconically thick-glassed, green bottle. You’ll even get a little something to take home! Come check out the free art gallery, attend their many events, or enjoy their expertly-crafted pilsner, straight from the source.

3) Mill St.: Great beer lives here. — 55 Mill Street, Toronto
The Distillery District is known for its cobblestone roads and its high-end art. It is a very flavourful and fancy part of Toronto. But among the art galleries and theatres lies another of Toronto’s hidden gems: The Mill St. Brewpub. With delicious dishes such as their Sausage Skillet or their Sweet Potato Fries, you’re guaranteed a tasty experience… and what better way to enjoy it than with a hearty winter beer, such as their Vanilla Porter, their Coffee Porter, or their Cobblestone Stout? All in good company, of course!

To me, the Toronto craft beer scene seems to embody the Toronto spirit; these breweries are not looking to become the leading brand of beer in the world; they see more value in giving you the opportunity to enjoy a delicious beer brewed right down the street from your house than in attempting to lay claim on a trivial world record. Torontonians didn’t seem discouraged by the construction of the Burj Khalifa in 2007, despite the fact that it exceeds the CN Tower by almost 300 metres. We know that it’s not about being the biggest; it’s about doing things with well.

And besides, the CN tower is beautiful! Especially after visiting these three breweries in a row.

Cheers,
– Ionatan Waisgluss

For more musings about craft beer, home brewing, and having a good time, be sure to check out Beers For Breakfast, a collaborative effort started up by some friends of mine!
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* Yonge Street is not techinically the longest street in the world, as it is not synonymous with Highway 11. If it was, it would achieve this fabled status.

Here’s another video review. This one is for Beau’s Helles Lager. This is more of a summer beer than a winter beer, but whatever…

We never did arrive at a rating for this one… maybe we can discuss it in the comments section?

Note: Helles is a lager, not an ale. Fail.

This past Saturday, the B4B crew got together at Chris’ place to partake in our first ever group brew (post coming soon). While we were brewing, we had a bit of downtime to drink some beer and do a couple of group reviews. Since we were all together, we decided to try doing a video review. Keep in mind we had all had a few by this point! Anyway, Chris was kind enough to share his Super Collider with the whole group. Special thanks to guest reviewers Alex and Neil.

I did take a photo of the notes and opinions we had written down, but apparently I was not capable of focusing the camera by that point…

Like a pride of malevolent cats, hiding behind a shelf of Great Lakes Brewery’s Pumpkin Ale, dozens of pairs of eyes stared me down as I crept my way around the Yonge & Wellesley LCBO. Patiently, they waited for me to spot them. As I filled up my basket with seasonal goodies, saving what I presumed to be the best shelf for last, I spotted a beer like none I had ever tried before… Brasseur De Montréal’s Ghosttown Stout.

Having never tried anything from this myserious brewery, I immediately looked up their selection of beers, all of which feature a pair of eyes on the bottle. I enjoyed this delicious beer in good company, deliberating the unusual flavours found within it.

Ghosttown stout is a self-proclaimed strong flavoured beer. It draws its repetoire of flavours from the controversial spirit absinthe. Absinthe (from the Greek apsínthion, “wormwood”) is a strong spirit made with various herbs, including anise and wormwood (Artemisia absinthium). Wormwood contains various semi-toxic volatile oils which are of use medicinally. An alcoholic extraction of these chemicals, particularly of thujone, has been said to be psychoactive, though the claims have been shown to be largely exaggerated. It seems unfair to blame wormwood for all this, given that wormwood is also used innocently in certain desserts, such as Korean rice cakes. In the 1840s, absinthe was given to French soldiers as a treatment and precaution for malaria. When the soldiers returned home, they brought back absinthe culture with them. Drinking absinthe was reported to makes its drinkers delirious, and would allegedly bring about distorted visions of the green fairy. Because of this, 5 pm came to be known as l’heure verte (the green hour) in absinthe-era France. Due to its controversy, absinthe was banned in many countries in the early 20^th century. More recently, Absinthe is making a glorious comeback, thanks to companies like Lucid, the bottle of which looks quite a bit like our Ghosttown Stout…

Both bottles are, of course, green and black. The green probably comes from true absinthe’s usual colour, and its connection the green fairy, as well as the colour green’s toxic connotation. The black has more to do with darkness and mystery– two things which, in this beer, abound.

This beer is very complex, and definitely not something you could comfortably drink within ten minutes. Set aside a good half an hour, or more, to polish off a bottle. The tongue’s first impression is of coffee or chocolate, but that soon gives way to a very noticeable cigar-like copper, which in turn is followed by a smoky, herby complexity which goes beyond that of pure wormwood, or even the Lucid absinthe I recently got to try. According to the website, the recipe includes raisins, herbs, and profoundly-roasted malts. This beer keeps you on your toes with its “concerning amount of flavour.” It is extremely opaque, and possibly the darkest shade of brown known to man.

If you come across one of these bottles in your LCBO, I urge you to take one home. Be warned, however, that the taste is not for everyone… And please, tell the green fairy I say hello.

I would give this stout 3.5 heads out of 5

*** Sorry Rob, I beat you to it.

I was actually really surprised to find out from Nagy senior that no one had done a review of this beer yet. As far as I know, every member of the beer collective has tried this incredible brew. I suppose all of you were just so mesmerized and captivated by it’s holy demeanor that you just had to take a seat and appreciate this rather than take the time to review it. I can completely understand that, for I got a little bit lazy over the last week and rather than reviewing the rest of the Mill St. Sampler pack like I said I would, I just drank them all instead. I do like to occasionally relax and just simply enjoy my beers too! Although I don’t want to sound like reviewing them is a grieveous, painful process. It’s not. I shouldn’t be complaining.

Anyhow, getting back to the actual review. Here’s some fast facts:

- St. Peter’s Winter Ale comes to us from Suffolk England, where it is brewed at a restored medieval hall.
- The spring water used as the base of the beer has been continually supplied by an underground spring for around 700 years.
- The unique flask shaped bottle has been used by the brewery since 1770.

St. Peter’s Winter Ale is a really good breer. It is definitely deserving of the name Winter Ale, it is creamy, smooth and filling but not syrupy. The color is a deep copper/ ruby. 6.5% alcohol content contributes to a warming, satisfying mouthful. The head is thick to begin with (this one you ought to dump into your glass) and fades to a nice, thin veil. The aroma is slightly roasted, blunt and dry. To me this tastes like a spicy campfire with some damp peatiness. It’s just so damn good, you have to try it to know. This is not a good beer to start off the night with, because except for a few select Trappist brews, there are few beers that could top the complexity of a St. Peter’s.

Usually English beers are lighter in alcohol percentage and are much thicker, heartier, and could easily replace lunch. St. Peter’s has it’s own very unique style that separates it from all the other English beers that I have tried such as Caffrey’s, Tetley’s or Smithwicks. This ale is in a completely different world, although geographically very close to where those beers originated.

Wow. An absolute favorite. I look forward to Winter Ale’s appearing with all the other rarities on the shelves around Christmas time. This is one to buy lots of when you can, because they won’t last long at all. So stock up because they are available now! Age one and see how it tastes next Christmas. Click to read my paper review!

Possible dates?

Sunday December 11th

Saturday December 17th

Sunday December 18th

Style of beer?

This Holy Smoke Scotch Ale is heavily front loaded with roasted malts to give it a very robust and, well, smokey aroma and flavour.  Its black as midnight, probably because there is black patent malt in there, which mostly is used to give a very dark complexion.  So it drinks well, lots of nice rusty and dark and burnt flavours, but it does have a certain wateriness to it.  Something that keeps bugging me is this wateriness.  Its 5%, but perhaps the yeast used is too neutral.  I feel like its almost lager-like in its finish.  Its definitely worth a try for this Porter type Ale, but don’t make a mission out of it.

Though I do like that the Church-Key Brewing company is “Founded in 2000, Church-Key Brewing is located in an 1878 Methodist Church on the outskirts of the town of Campbellford, Ontario.”  Any Brewery operating out of a Church gets a thumbs up from me.

Since our rating scheme rates amazing beers similar to the so-so beers, I’ll put this one at 3 heads.

Here was the recipe that I concocted for this beer (mostly just stuff that I had lying around)…

-Grains-

12 lbs – German Pilsner Malt

10 oz – Biscuit Malt

3 oz – Special B Malt

3 lbs – Table Sugar (too cheap for Belgian Candy Sugar, so I subbed this in to get the % higher)

-Hops-

1.2 oz – Willamette

0.75 oz – Galena

0.5 oz -Perle

0.5 oz – Hallertau

0.5 oz – Saaz

Total IBU is 41.7 = less than a liberty (49 so I’ve heard)

So whats it like?  Its good.  It spend almost two months fermenting and another month or two cold conditioning in my keg.  Its mellowed out some, but its not very hoppy really (for an IPA).  The reason I think its not very hoppy in taste or bitterness is probably because of the table sugar and higher gravity.  The sugar definitely gives a character to this beer, not cidery but subtle sweet.  Its almost a perfect balance really, one that makes this beer very drinkable.  But be forewarned, sip this one because its strong.  It smells mostly of the pilsner malt and a touch of that sugar sweetness and tastes like it too.  Overall its a very nice beer that is also very clear.  Unlike the Orange Bastard beer that I made, this yeast did its job and fell out of suspension quite well.  For its strength it really didn’t need much time to age into a beauty.  Its like a twisted cousin to a pilsner.  Come by and try it out while supplies last.

The Southern Steal – 3 homebrew heads

The 3 Litre Growler destined for Burlington in two weeks.

Has it really been 20 days already? Two weeks ago I felt that this beer would never be ready for consumption, but alas that day finally arrived this past Saturday. John, the one overseeing the entire process kept a watchful eye over the brew in it’s second fermentation vessel. The two of us transfered and sifted the newly emerging ale from primary fermentation only a little more than a week ago. From there, it mellowed out and developed the body and complexity that we were all hoping for. What a worthwhile wait it was. (Thanks again Matt, John, Brad and Susan, we did it!!!)

Pretty much the entire household took part in sampling the premier of this really, really rare beer that probably hasn’t been brewed in this area for at least a couple hundred years, if ever. The original recipe was developed in Europe around 300 years ago, where the true Acorus calamus grows in the wild.  As I mentioned in the Making of Calamus Ale I produced the idea for this beer using a recipe from Sacred and Herbal Healing Beers. Along the way, any issues that we had to overcome we improvised and, constantly guided by Matt’s expertise, produced an absolute winner that is wildly different than anything I have ever tried before.This 5 – 5.5% cloudy, black cherry colored ale is thick and lively. The head is well pronounced and comfortably lingers for minutes after the pour. The aroma is clean, damp and pleasantly unusual. The flavor is mild and bitter, with an aftertaste that only Sweet-Flag can provide: pungent and wonderfully aromatic.

There is also a noteable fact about Acorus calamus compared with the traditional utilization of Hops (Humuls lupulus) that is rather significant and likely has not really been explored recently. Hops is a gently relaxing, calming and sedative herb, and has been used as a medicine for centuries to help those with stress, nervousness, over-excitability and insomnia. Acorus calamus on the other hand, is a stimulating, emotionally toning herb that rejuvenates irritated sinuses, skin conditions, the respiratory system and a weakened digestive tract. It also plays a major role in regulating moods and other psychological functions that contribute to mental health.

Sweet-Flag Rhizomes, whole and crushed.

Both Hops and Sweet-Flag are bitter herbs that discourage the growth of bacteria and fungi, so they both in theory should have similar preservative qualities for the beer. But what about the underlying medicinal qualities? Each plant is very different in terms of the original chemical compounds that they have produced in order to defend themselves from their environment. These chemicals are metabolized and digested in our bodies into a nearly endless assortment of micro-nutrients that keep us functioning properly. Since Acorus calamus is a mental stimulant, how will this effect the experience of the partaker? Would you feel the same way after drinking a few pints of conventional hopped beer or a beer featuring a different herb, something that most people have never ever heard of let alone tried? I guess we will just have to wait and found out (Cheers!). This is certainly not the last time this recipe will be birthed. Calamus Ale will definitely resurface, one day or another.

This was my first time being involved in beer making, and has only given me grounds for even more future ambitions. The Calamus Ale is currently on draught in Matt’s basement via his impressive collection of kegs and is kept company by the full carboys that surround the perimeter of the room. Come and get it while you can! There was a total of around 4 gallons that was made, and I doubt this is going to last more than a week. What a success, now I want to do it all over again. 3 home-brew heads. Bread-Maker-Brad also approves.

Without a doubt another success story for Mill St. This beer can pretty much be found anywhere, which is a tribute to just how popular it has become. I have never tried this particular beer on draught and I look forward to sampling it in the future, mainly because in the bottle it has been conditioned for 5 weeks before being distributed. So, my deductive reasoning says that without the short aging process this beer could potentially be very different. I wonder if there is a lot that can change in a beer over the course of 5 weeks? Maybe there is. I guess I am going to have to find out.

Plus, it’s organic, and we can’t forget about that little detail, can we? Might not seem like a big deal, but organic beer takes 2-3 times longer to brew and the ingredients are much more expensive because the barley and hops haven’t been blasted with insect neurotoxins. Tastes good, and it’s pretty good for you too. Could be a bit more flavorful, but Mill St. certainly achieved what they were going for. 2.75 heads.