Tuesday, April 30, 2013

Lake of Bays: Spark House Red Ale

One great thing about the micobrew scene is that you get to find beers from places you had never heard of.  Until a few minutes ago I had never heard of Baysville, Ontario but google maps tells me it is in the Muskoka area, somewhere near Huntsville (ish) and they have a brewery!

Spark House Red Ale bills itself as an Irish style red, but it its more of a copper colour as opposed to red.  Colour semantics aside it does indeed drink like a classic Irish red, although it is a very interesting version of an Irish red.  The taste is an interesting mix of spice and barley with a bitter finish a very good example of a red ale.   It is quite drinkable, but that is because it is watery, full bodied would not be a word that I would use to describe it.  It's a good red beer, but personally I prefer something a little less watery, however people who like beers like Keith's Red or Sleeman Red would really like Spark House  I sincerely wish these guys well as the beer has a lot of potential due to a large market for Red Beer here in Canada, but people who like beer with a fuller body will find Spark House to be a bit lacking.

Lake of Bays Spark House is available at some LCBO's (I found it at the Richmond Road branch in Ottawa).  Hopefully they will be able to expand their distribution as this beer has potential to be very popular.

What you need to know
Brewery
 2681 Muskoka Road 117
Baysville, ON
P0B 1A0

Website: lakeofbaysbrewing.ca
 Twitter: @LB_Brewing

Friday, April 26, 2013

Mill Street: Stock Ale

Ah Summer!  Although technically it is April (which according to my sources is Spring, not Summer), and technically it was rainy and miserable here in Ottawa today, it is never too early to start thinking about summer and summer beer and one of my favourites is from a top Ontario microbrewer: Mill Street.  

Stock Ale is a crisp, clean, and refreshing ale that really hits the spot while sitting by the lake on a summer's day.  Unlike most lagers, this old-style blonde ale is a little bit sweet with a hint of maltiness and a subtle touch of hops, all of which adds to the enjoyment.  In my mind it's one of Mill Street's most underrated beers.  Mill St's Organic Lager tends to get much of the publicity, however the Stock Ale has a lot more flavour and, in my mind, is much more refreshing than the organic.  I can't think of many better ways to quench your thirst in the summer, especially after a busy day in the sun. 

Stock Ale is available throughout Ontario at the LCBO and the Beer Store as well as on tap the occasional pub if you are lucky.  If that pub has a patio then you are extra lucky, if it overlooks some water then you are extra extra lucky.  I say the occasional pub as most pubs who carry Mill St. will have either the Organic or the Tankhouse (which is also excellent).  You can definitely get it on tap at their brew pubs in Toronto and Ottawa.  

What you need to know
Brewery & Brew Pub

21 Tank House Lane
Toronto ON
M5A3C4

Other Brew Pubs
Ottawa
555 Wellington St
Ottawa, ON
K1R 1C5

Toronto Pearson Airport Terminal 1
Mississauga, ON
L4W 1S9

Website: http://www.millstreetbrewery.com
twitter: @MillStreetBrew
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MillStreetBrewery?fref=ts


Thursday, April 25, 2013

Beyond the Pale: The Darkness

The first beer I will be reviewing is a beer from my local brewery (literally within walking distance of my house) called "The Darkness" by the Beyond the Pale Brewing Company. Many people think they know a lot about stout because they have had Guinness, a glass of The Darkness will really open your eyes to a proper stout. While Guinness draught has the right colour it is very watery for a stout while The Darkness is thick and creamy with coffee and chocolate flavours. This 5.6 % beer is a proper stout, a meal in a glass. When trying to make a stout, some microbrewers fall into a trap of making it overly bitter, but despite the thickness, the guys at Beyond the Pale have not gone down that road. It is absolutely lovely to drink, going down nice and smooth, although that can vary a little bit due to inconsistencies between the batches. It's honestly one of the best stouts I have ever had and I highly recommend it to anyone who likes stout or dark beer in general.

The Brewery is quite new so the consistency between the batches is not perfect, but I have yet to have a bad glass of the darkness. It's available in Growlers, Bombers, and 32 Ounce bottles (that look like medicine jars) at their brewery as well as on tap at a few pubs around Ottawa. Their website doesn't have a list of pubs but I know for a fact it is available at the Rochester Pub in Ottawa's Little Italy. Beyond the Pale also brews 3 other beers (to be reviewed later) called Pink Fuzz, Rye Guy, and Imperial Super Guy. I have tried all 3 and they are also great!  

What you need to know
Brewery Address:
5 Hamilton Ave N
Ottawa, ON
K1Y 1B4

Website: www.beyondthepale.ca 

Twitter: @BTPBrewing

Welcome to the Microbrew Times!

Beer, one of life's great pleasures. Whether it is having a cold bottle of lager on a hot summer or hunkering down on a pint of stout in a pub to keep you warm in the winter there is a brew for every occasion and every taste. Nowadays we are spoiled for choice as new microbreweries pop up seemingly every week, very slowly eroding the market share of the generic swill producing big boys. At the end of 2012 there were 2,347 craft breweries in the United States, the highest number since they started recording this number in 1887 according to this article: http://www.businessinsider.com/the-delicious-winners-of-the-american-beer-war-2013-3?utm_source=buffer&utm_medium=twitter&utm_campaign=Buffer%3A%2B%40BeerBrewin%2Bon%2Btwitter&buffer_share=a0069. Despite the record number of breweries, these 2347 breweries accounted for 6.5% of the market share, up from 5.7% in 2011, which is a very encouraging sign. Up here in Canada the market share is closer to 2% for the microbreweries, but this number is growing all the time. It shows that people are more and more willing to try new beers and give the little guys a chance, bringing many new types of beer to the market that the big boys don't make and elevating beer from being a working class or college kid beverage to something more of an art form. I have started this blog to discuss the beers I try, I don't pretend to know all the official beer lingo, but I do know what is good and in what situations so I hope people enjoy what I have to say and give the beers a try.