The Bar Towel

Guybrush · Joined: 23 Nov 2008 Posts: 111 Location: London, Ontario.

Two-part question:

1.) I was just wondering if that Malt Monk guy from Eatdrink Magazine was on this here bartowel.com? Or do y'all know who he is?

http://www.myvirtualpaper.com/doc/City-Woman-Magazine/october-2010/2010101101/58.html

2.) Anyone gone to Brennan's Beer Bistro, in London, ON. yet?

cratez · Joined: 15 Mar 2010 Posts: 1329 Location: Toronto, ON

The Malt Monk is on here but I will leave it up to him to disclose his identity (or not). He writes an excellent column for that magazine and I always anticipate each issue, not just for the beer breakdowns but also the profiles of the newest and best pubs and restaurants in the area.

Brennan's is the only beer-focused bar in London that I have not yet visited but some regulars at Chancey's have been a few times and I'm told that they serve 3-5 Railway City beers on tap, including Dead Elephant and - as of last winter - Mocha Porter. Brennan's is better known as one of the two "gay" bars in the city, and because some straight beer drinkers may not be comfortable going there, you don't see or hear it mentioned much as a beer destination. But the group I mentioned above are all straight and every one of them said they had a good time and felt welcomed when they visited, so if the curiosity is killing you, I say check the place out! Cheers

Guybrush · Joined: 23 Nov 2008 Posts: 111 Location: London, Ontario.

Thank you much!

3 - 5 Railway City beers... that's..... all of them? It's a Railway City beer portal?

SteelbackGuy · Joined: 06 Feb 2005 Posts: 4598 Location: Hamilton, ON

I've been several times and it is a cool little place. Great vibe and they have a few micros in bottles plus the railway city taps.
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Leafs fans are a special type of sports fan. And by special, I mean pretty gay!

GregClow · Joined: 10 Aug 2001 Posts: 3818 Location: Parkdale

[Joan Brennan - I assume to be the owner of Brennan's given her name - emailed me the following...]

Just ran across a review from a while ago about Brennan's Beer & bistro in London Ontario.

An update: We feature 3 Railway beers on tap: Seasonal, Pilsener and Copper. We also have Dead Elephant in bottles.

Also on tap: Flying Monkey's Hoptical Illusion and Netherworld. We have Smashbomb and Anti-gravity in cans.

Mill St. Organic and Tankhouse ion tap

Steamwhistle on tap

We also have about 38 types on domestic and imported beer in cans and bottles from Guinness to Red Stripe with wheats, gluten-free, low cal, as well as craft breweries represented.

And a small point. Brennan's is no longer a gay bar, although we have a fair number of people who come here because it has been gay. We also have a lot of people who come for the same reason: because it is a casual, comfortable, Friendly place where everyone is welcomed. The food is good, the beer is cold, the inside is comfy and the patio is beautiful!

Did I mention the entertainment? It ranges from bands to acoustic groups, from drag shows to burlesque!

And as mentioned: the only people not welcomed are douches!!!

velovampire · Joined: 28 Feb 2008 Posts: 971 Location: Parkdale

cratez · Joined: 15 Mar 2010 Posts: 1329 Location: Toronto, ON

Not sure why Joan wouldn't just join the forum to add her comments, but this is more excellent news for the London beer scene. By the sounds of it they now have 8 craft taps and some good micro and import bottles/cans. I plan to visit this place ASAP, and I might even add it to BA and RB if it strikes me as a genuinely beer-focused bar. I'll report back with my thoughts shortly! Cheers

SteelbackGuy · Joined: 06 Feb 2005 Posts: 4598 Location: Hamilton, ON

I've gotta go right by there after work tomorrow night, so I'll swing by for one pint and report back here to the towel.
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Leafs fans are a special type of sports fan. And by special, I mean pretty gay!

GregClow · Joined: 10 Aug 2001 Posts: 3818 Location: Parkdale

SteelbackGuy · Joined: 06 Feb 2005 Posts: 4598 Location: Hamilton, ON

Went here last night with the crew.
The prices are very very good, and the selection decent. They carry three Railway City core brands, plus they get all their seasonals.
There were 8 taps in total, all craft. Netherworld was fresh and tasting great. Bottle selection is modest with a micro/macro mix with a focus on imports from the LCBO and Macros with a few micros like Mill Street Coffee Porter and FLying Monkeys SMashbomb.

The Coffee Porter is selling for $3.75 a bottle. Lots of draughts were $5.

We had a good time on the outdoor patio, and the live entertainment was great. While its no Gambrinus, I will certainly enjoy going from time to time to see what's new.
_________________
Leafs fans are a special type of sports fan. And by special, I mean pretty gay!

gordmit · Joined: 27 Aug 2010 Posts: 58 Location: London ON

cratez · Joined: 15 Mar 2010 Posts: 1329 Location: Toronto, ON

Most of the taps that Joan mentioned are in rotation, although the bartender informed us that two of the Railway City kegs had just blown. They sell 20 ounce pints for $5.75, which is really good value. The branded glassware is also a nice touch.

Great to see Hoptical and Netherworld on draught and Smash Bomb in bottles. Unfortunately the rest of the bottle list is lacking, as there are only 6 beers out of 40 that I would actually purchase, and all of them are LCBO/TBS listings. They include Blanche de Chambly, McAuslan Apricot, Pilsner Urquell, MS Coffee Porter, Anti-Gravity, and Hoegaarden. But 15 or so high quality brews (on tap and in package) for a relatively small and new bar ain't bad at all. And I'm glad that yet another local restaurant is offering a decent range of craft beer options.

I'll likely return when I want to try one of the RCB seasonals, and I plan to order food next time. Below are some pictures from our visit last night. Cheers!

cratez · Joined: 15 Mar 2010 Posts: 1329 Location: Toronto, ON

This bar has taken an extremely promising new direction by billing itself as a "burger & beer" bistro. I dropped by with my girlfriend for dinner and we were both impressed with the food, drinks, and atmosphere.

Had the Mill Street Burger (topped with a "Coffee Porter cheese sauce"), Caesar Salad, Spicy Thai Chicken Bites, and Greek Garden Salad. Everything was very fresh, tasty, and affordable. I'm guessing the food will always be good because the owner also operates a gourmet catering business.

They've expanded their draught list to 11 craft taps and I believe the current lineup is Railway City Black Coal Stout, Honey Mild, and Dead Elephant Ale, Flying Monkeys Netherworld CDA and Hoptical Illusion APA, Mill Street Vanilla Porter, Tankhouse Ale, and Organic Lager, Lake of Bays Rousse and Mocha Porter (the latest additions), and Steam Whistle Pilsner. The complete absence of macro draughts is a definite plus. My pints of Black Coal and Netherworld were in fine form and the lady liked her sauvignon blanc.

Beyond all of this, there seems to be fundamentally decent people running and patronizing this place. It's not a traditional beer geek enclave in that the crowd is pretty eclectic and there's almost always a live performance going on, but I personally enjoy the welcoming, off-beat vibe.

With a simple and cohesive theme, solid food menu, and the third-largest micro tap list in the city, Brennan's is well-positioned to become one of the better beer spots in London. Even though it's probably wishful thinking at this point, I'd love to see them re-vamp their bottle menu to an all-craft line-up, as this would make me visit much more often. In the meantime, I'm just happy to have another decent local option for quality beer and food.
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"This whole being pleasant (thing) is fucking exhausting. I'm running out of nice juice to spray at these shit-munchers" - Veep