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The Morrisey House, London On.

Discuss Ontario's brewpubs, pubs, beer bars and restaurants here.

Moderators: Craig, Cass

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SteelbackGuy
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Post by SteelbackGuy »

Those are good introductory prices to introduce people to the product.
I'll still buy them when they are a couple bucks more though.

I like the idea of Denisson's Wheat on tap.
I know I went in to get some when I heard you guys had it, but it was already gone. :)

The rotating tap thing is a great idea to offer your customers "something new" on a regular basis. I think it is a great idea.

Sorry to hear the Wellington isn't doing so well, but sometimes it just isn't the right fit for some reason. It really isn't that interesting of a beer, so perhaps the "craft' drinkers just aren't interested in it. I think it is a nice little beer, but given some other options that you have, I don't think I'd ever buy it.

I don't think there is anything wrong with the fact that your top sellers are Keith's and others from the big boys. In fact, I think it is a good thing.
When you sell lots of Keith's, it creates profit for you, and some of that profit will allow you to purchase other beer that perhaps doesn't sell as well.
I know that at Chancey Smith's, their number one seller on draught is Coors Light, or Keith's. But again, thats fine with me. The thousands of Knight's fans that go there and buy Coors light, allows Milos to afford other brands that perhaps don't sell as well. It also allows him to sell most of his Ontario micro brewery pints for about $5.00.
So I look at it this way.........every hundred people that buy a $6 pint of coors light, or a $7.00 pint of Guinness, allows Milos to sell Cobblestone Stout for $4.75 to the customers who appreciate that sort of thing.

BTW, your menu is quite good.

I like the diversity. I've had quite a few things from it, and I must say I go back to the "FISHY, FISHY, FISHWHICH". The home made tartar sauce is quite good, and the price point is fantastic. Your fries are also good.......they have a neat spice on them.
Its a tough business, for sure, but you've been in it a long time now and you seem to be doing great things.


Len
If you`re reading this, there`s a 15% chance you`ve got a significant drinking problem. Get it fixed, get recovered!

matt7215
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Post by matt7215 »

if your serving both craft and macro beer i dont really see how wellington fits in. the craft drinkers are going to choose the more flavourful options, while the macro drinkers will stick to macro.

there is nothing wrong with Wellingtons line-up but its far to safe for most craft beer drinkers, other then the Imperial Stout.

2 types of establishments where i see wellington doing well are:

1) a macro bar where they are the only micro availible

2) a craft bar where the trailhead is the safest pale lager choice for macro drinkers

if your serving a mix of both craft and macro its easy to see why wellington is getting lost in the middle

WilliamEstevan
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Post by WilliamEstevan »

The smell of burning rags! Yes, the dryer started smoking last night, London's finest showed up, and yes the bar did have smoke in it- febreeze is my best friend this morning, and I am saving the good stuff for the main floor as my office smells a lot! No issues though with the beer although the laundry room is adjacent! Nice of people to empty the lint trap...isn't that the first thing your mum teaches you when you are a kid? Let that be a lesson to all (and yes, it is a shared machine with the apartment dwellers above).
That sucks, but I'm certainly glad it wasn't anything more serious. If nothing else, it's a story to tell! But I don't envy the cleanup or the aroma.

So far my favourites on the craft tap have been the Denison's and the Devil's Pale, with the least favourite being the Big Dog and the Steam Whistle (the latter just on principle, it's so easy to get a pint of that it doesn't seem worth tying up a craft tap for).

As for lint traps... I don't understand why they're akin to rocket science / brain surgery for some. My landlady *never* cleans ours out; I live in fear whenever I hear more than one load of laundry happening!

mozza
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Post by mozza »

Just tapped the Mill St Spring Bock...

still waiting on the 10 Bitter Years, which should be hitting London mid-April.

also gearing up for a new spring selection and summer menu. thinking, at least in the mix, sam adams summer ale, czechvar, keith's white, bass, denison's weissbier as a full time summer tap, maybe even grasshopper to replace the trad ale...thoughts??
please please please let me get what i want

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SteelbackGuy
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Post by SteelbackGuy »

mozza wrote:Just tapped the Mill St Spring Bock...

still waiting on the 10 Bitter Years, which should be hitting London mid-April.

also gearing up for a new spring selection and summer menu. thinking, at least in the mix, sam adams summer ale, czechvar, keith's white, bass, denison's weissbier as a full time summer tap, maybe even grasshopper to replace the trad ale...thoughts??

These are good choices. I'd probably scrap the idea of the Grasshopper though. Sam Adams Summer Ale is an American Wheat beer in style, and is of much higher quality, plus you'll also have Keith's White (Belgian Style Wit) and Denison's (German Style Hefe). So adding a low brow wheat to the mix doesn't make sense.

If you're keen on keeping Big Rock in the mix, why not give their Cider a whirl? Seems like a good idea for the summer.

I look forward to my next visit to check out new menu additions.
If you`re reading this, there`s a 15% chance you`ve got a significant drinking problem. Get it fixed, get recovered!

mozza
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Post by mozza »

you are right- not that we would have added all of the wheat style, but thank you. the trad is actually selling well right now, better than expected for sure...now to see if we keep creemore and 50 on or make room for more styles- this is the fun part!
please please please let me get what i want

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cratez
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Post by cratez »

mozza wrote:Just tapped the Mill St Spring Bock...still waiting on the 10 Bitter Years. thinking sam adams summer ale, czechvar, keith's white, bass, denison's weissbier as a full time summer tap, maybe even grasshopper to replace the trad ale
Nice work on getting the Spring Bock in!
Last edited by cratez on Sat Apr 03, 2010 11:08 am, edited 1 time in total.

kwjd
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Post by kwjd »

cratez wrote:Also, I'd much rather see Mill Street Belgian Wit or even Rickard's White over Keith's White. Just my two cents. Keep up the great work! Cheers.
Not that I am in London, but I agree completely with cratez. Keith's White is horrible. The Mill Street Belgian Wit is really nice. If you'd rather stick with a Labatt/Molson product for this tap, Rickard's White is miles better than Keith's White.

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cratez
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Post by cratez »

mozza wrote:now to see if we keep creemore and 50 on or make room for more styles - this is the fun part!
Missed this in my first post

All of these are good alternatives to Creemore:
- Grand River Plowman's Ale
- Sam Adams Boston Lager
- Grand River Town Hall Lager
- Barking Squirrel Lager
- Grand River Galt Knife Lager
- Brooklyn Lager
Last edited by cratez on Sat Apr 03, 2010 11:10 am, edited 3 times in total.

mozza
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Post by mozza »

have to keep the hometown brewers happy with 6/7 labatt taps of the 18 that we have. we do have stella, keiths, bud light, blue as the staples if you will, also 50. now i have two open taps- tennents was theirs but is now no longer distributed in canada. molson is not an option for us even though we do sell creemore. the politics of dancing! so, bass, hoegaarden, keiths white (which did sell well for us when it was on, we switched it up with red which has not), and we just finished off the leffe brun, which did not sell all that well either, but was loved!!
please please please let me get what i want

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SteelbackGuy
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Post by SteelbackGuy »

Hi Mark,


Nice to meet you yesterday. Keep up the great work with the beer. Mill STreet Bock was a nice treat.
If you`re reading this, there`s a 15% chance you`ve got a significant drinking problem. Get it fixed, get recovered!

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SteelbackGuy
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Post by SteelbackGuy »

Now Mark, just another idea........you have that massive patio........I don't know what your plans are, but anything in your mind about events outside on the patio? Glasses of a nice wheat ale go well with warm days and outdoor fun!
If you`re reading this, there`s a 15% chance you`ve got a significant drinking problem. Get it fixed, get recovered!

mozza
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Post by mozza »

The Headstrong Pale Ale is on tap as of Monday. Quite a few pints sold last night during our pub quiz- love those people as they will try everything!

Also, thinking about the new menu- tap and bottles- so start your wish list now!

Brands that will be leaving- on tap- Sam Adam's Summer Ale, Steamwhistle, Denison's Weissbier and we are thinking about switching up Creemore, Keith's White and Beck's as well. Gives us some flexibility, still need to keep a Labatt product on, which might go to a Leffe, Bass, Keith's Dark/Red, Hoegaarden...willing to look at imports, crafts etc...

Bottles leaving for sure- Welly SPA, Stratford Pilsner and we'll play around with what we get from Grand River (moving to the Galt Knife this week), Great Lakes, Mill St, Trafalgar, and the 'summer' beers of St Ambroise, Nickel Brook, KLB...
please please please let me get what i want

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cratez
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Post by cratez »

Hi Mark. Below are some of my comments and suggestions. I visit The Mo every other week and usually order about 4-6 beers with something to eat. Whenever I've tried the food - jambalaya, sausage platter, nachos - it's been great!
mozza wrote: The Headstrong Pale Ale is on tap as of Monday.
A solid beer on tap, good job on getting it in.
mozza wrote: Thinking about the new menu - taps and bottles - so start your wish list now!
As long as the Sam Adams and Steam Whistle are replaced with other craft beers, I'll probably drink whatever they are. Denison's Dunkel is very appropriate for the fall. I've already mentioned good alternatives to Creemore and Keith's White in this thread (above). Hoegaarden and Bass are the best Labatt products out of the ones that you mentioned.
mozza wrote: Bottles leaving for sure - Wellington SPA, Stratford Pilsner and we'll play around with what we get from Grand River (moving to the Galt Knife this week), Great Lakes, Mill St, Trafalgar, and the 'summer' beers of St. Ambroise, Nickel Brook, KLB
IMO, Wellington Iron Duke is the brewery's best beer and, unlike the County and Stout, you can't get it at any bar in London right now. Something to think about. Nice to see the Galt Knife coming - it's one of my favourite local beers.

You've said before that you prefer to go through LCBO and TBS channels to get beer for The Mo. One thing you could consider is ordering some good beers from these retailers - especially the 'BO - that can't be purchased in London stores (similar to what you did with Lug Tread). If you're looking to pursue this idea again, I would rush over to try any of the following:

Propeller Extra Special Bitter (ESB) - Bottle - LCBO
Amsterdam Frambroise - Bottle - LCBO
King Pilsner - Bottle - TBS & LCBO
King Dark - Bottle - TBS & LCBO
Griffon Extra Pale Ale (Blonde) - Bottle - TBS & LCBO
Griffon Red Ale (Rousse) - Bottle - TBS & LCBO
Stone Hammer Pilsner - Bottle - TBS & LCBO
Anything from Walkerville - Bottles - TBS & LCBO

For import draughts The Beer Store carries a bunch of good to excellent kegs from Weihenstephaner, Erdinger, Krombacher, Murphy's, O'Haras, and Paulaner (in particular). Most of these aren't available anywhere in the city. I hope this helps. Thanks for seeking our input! Cheers
Last edited by cratez on Tue Aug 10, 2010 5:50 pm, edited 1 time in total.

mozza
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Post by mozza »

always helps- a lot of good suggestions! my sister brought me a case of king dark from the brewery (still bought on licence!) that is about to go in stock thursday- so you have something to grab this weekend i guess!!

thanks for the help, looking forward to some new beers on tap and in the fridges.
please please please let me get what i want

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