Hop City Barking Squirrel Lager

[GregClow]

To get around some of our relic alcohol laws where beers from other provinces were treated and taxed as imports. Moosehead purchased Niagara Brewing Co when it was located on Lundy's Lane in Niagara Falls. It served to allow them to sell as a domestic and improve their margin on beer sold in Ontario.

The facility wasn't set to produce enough product in Ontario so they sold the building to Niagara's Best (now the Syndicate) and moved to the just emptied Cool plant in Brampton.

Funny story related to this:

Some friends and I visited the Lundy's Lane location of Niagara's Best soon after they opened, and while we were eating lunch, a couple came in who were upset because they expected the location to be the James Ready Brewery which they had driven quite a distance to visit.

The hostess had no idea what they were talking about, so I chimed in to tell them that James Ready was just a brand of Moosehead, and that Moosehead had moved to the Brampton plant.

They replied "well, I guess we're driving to Brampton." I told them that even if they went there, there probably wouldn't be much for them to see, as it was unlikely that the brewery offered tours. But that didn't matter, because James Ready was their favourite beer, and they needed to see where it was made.

[Belgian]

Something seemed off with Hop City brews, the few I've tried are tolerable but kind of half-hearted. Corporate front, indeed.

Which is all fine if they have at least one decent beer on tap to rescue the night out.

[Rob Creighton]

But that didn't matter, because James Ready was their favourite beer, and they needed to see where it was made.

Wow, I wonder how the drive to New Brunswick was after their jaunt to Brampton?

[mgmoney]

I too had no clue it was owned by Moosehead...i learn so much on here from you guys...thanks for that info and Rob keep the amazing Grand River stuff coming...which there was more distribution of it here in Durham region...Galt Knife is also one of my convert the Molbatt crew beers I like to use...

[GregClow]

But that didn't matter, because James Ready was their favourite beer, and they needed to see where it was made.

Wow, I wonder how the drive to New Brunswick was after their jaunt to Brampton?

Yeah, I left that bit out. Figured that having to go to Brampton would be bad enough for them, and I didn't want to totally crush their little dreams...

[pootz]

I tried a couple of the barking rodent lager in cans from the Gummint dairy bar - it tasted like green beer. as it warmed it had a lot of rough edges, It tasted like it was less than a week in the conditioning tank. And there is a nasty something in there that hits as the brew warms.

Whatever, I spent my last loony reviewing this squirrel stuff until there is some major improvement.

[pootz]

i had 3 at Jack Astors one fine evening, worst headache ever the next day!

Tell tale sign of the presense of complex sugars....LME?...dextrose syrup? Both can give a nasty sharp edge to beer ...really noticable if not served really cold....and of course give you the post party pain in the mellon

[codfishh]

Our Curling club has Squirrel and their new Pilsener Mr. Huff on tap, Squirrel is ok. Like someone said previously it's an unoffensive malty lager. The Mr. Huff I didn't care for at all, there was nothing particularly wrong with it but it is dead boring. I do enjoy a good pils but this wasn't it.

Our tap lines at the club got taken over by the premiumbeer.ca distribution company so they came in with Squirrel, Mr. Huff and Cracked Canoe. Thankfully they still have lugtread on tap. I am currently in the process of trying to get the pils and the canoe switched for something else.

Preferably something local from the ottawa area, maybe kichessippi and the newly formed broadheadbrewing.com.

Hop City also has a wheat beer called Lawn Chair Weiss that they claim is award winnng. Has anyone tried that?

[The Mick]

The lawn chair is ok, but nothing special. Just a middle of the road wheat beer. Of all their offerings the Happy Hour Ale is the best. It's not that great either, but it seems to have the most flavour of all their beers. The Hop City beers work really well for converting Molbatts because they seem to be muted versions of more flavourful craft versions of various styles.