C'est What? Festival of Small Breweries - Oct 3

georgemilbrandt · Post by **georgemilbrandt** » Tue Sep 30, 2008 7:03 pm

Alas, Hopfenstark underestimated the bureaucracy that is the LCBO. But there are still plenty of interesting brews:

Amsterdam - Oktoberfest, Pommegranate Wheat
Big Rock - Black Amber
Black Oak - Wasabi Brown Ale (cask)
C'est What / Durham - Caraway Rye Beer, Chocolate Ale, Coffee Porter, Sierra's Excellent (Summer) Ale
Denison's / Cool Brewing - Denison's Weissbier
Durham - Hop Addict, Witbier
Grand River - Bumbleberry Wheat, Hannenberg Pils, Highballer Pumpkin Ale (cask)
Granite - Hopping Mad
Great Lakes - Pumpkin Ale
King Brewery - Unfiltered Hopped-Up Pilsner
MacLean's / F&M - MacLean's Pale Ale (cask)
McAuslan - Apricot Wheat, Cream Ale, Pumpkin Ale, St. Ambroise Oatmeal Stout
Midland Beer Works / Hockley Valley - Georgian Bay Dipper
Mill Street Brewery - Oktoberfest, Organic Helles Bock
Neustadt - Elderbrah (cask), Scottish Pale Ale
Niagara's Best - Blonde
Nickelbrook - Oak-aged Kriek, Sahti Juniper Beer
Railway City Brewing - Iron Spike Copper Ale
Scotch Irish / Heritage - Corporal Punishment
Sleeman - Okanagan Pale Ale
Steam Whistle - Pilsner
Trafalgar - Smoked Oatmeal Stout
True North / Magnotta - Altbier
Unibroue - Chambly Noire, Don De Dieu
Wellington - Iron Duke (cask)

JerCraigs · Post by **JerCraigs** » Wed Oct 01, 2008 11:03 am

Granite - Hopping Mad - Intriguing! A new beer or a variation of an existing one?
Neustadt - Elderbrah (cask) - Intriguing! A new beer or a variation of an existing one?
Nickelbrook - Oak-aged Kriek, Sahti Juniper Beer - Is this the Uniek Kriek? Was that oak aged?
Unibroue - Chambly Noire, Don De Dieu - On tap or bottles? I quite like the DDD

georgemilbrandt · Post by **georgemilbrandt** » Wed Oct 01, 2008 11:40 am

JerCraigs wrote:Granite - Hopping Mad - Intriguing! A new beer or a variation of an existing one?
Neustadt - Elderbrah (cask) - Intriguing! A new beer or a variation of an existing one?
Nickelbrook - Oak-aged Kriek, Sahti Juniper Beer - Is this the Uniek Kriek? Was that oak aged?
Unibroue - Chambly Noire, Don De Dieu - On tap or bottles? I quite like the DDD

The Hopping Mad and Elderbrah are new, the Kreiek is the Uniek - oak aged, the Unibroue products are in bottle.

velovampire · Post by **velovampire** » Wed Oct 01, 2008 12:15 pm

JerCraigs wrote:Granite - Hopping Mad - Intriguing! A new beer or a variation of an existing one?

On the Volo Cask Days mini-site, there is mention of Granite offering an American IPA. If this is the same as the Hopping Mad (makes sense from the name), I greatly look forward to trying the HM at C'est What.

A question for George (or anyone else that might know) - just wondering if it is possible to purchase a full pint of a particular beer Fri. night (like a normal night), or is it ticketed samples only (to make it easier for bar staff)? The Spring '08 event was wonderful, but I can't remember if I saw anyone buying a full pint, or if the staff were strictly pouring sample sizes... Either way, I am looking forward to Friday night.

Cass · Post by **Cass** » Wed Oct 01, 2008 12:37 pm

Pretty sure you can buy pints of anything after 10pm once the ticket sampling time ends.

velovampire · Post by **velovampire** » Wed Oct 01, 2008 1:27 pm

Cass wrote:Pretty sure you can buy pints of anything after 10pm once the ticket sampling time ends.

Cool - thanks, Cass.

jaymack · Post by **jaymack** » Thu Oct 02, 2008 10:50 am

Cass wrote:Pretty sure you can buy pints of anything after 10pm once the ticket sampling time ends.

Will the sampling continue past 10 ie, will they still sell samplig tix? I agreed to go to an Argo game before this was announced, and was hoping to swing by after the game.

Cheers,
J

Jon Walker · Post by **Jon Walker** » Thu Oct 02, 2008 10:54 am

Not usually. They have to adopt a very specific set up to do samples (sample glasses, selling and taking tickets etc...) so when the event ends they generally switch back to normal service and all that stuff goes away. The beers will still be served but in the standard pint and half pint measures.

I guess you've got to ask yourself whether you love beer tastings more than the Argos?

jaymack · Post by **jaymack** » Thu Oct 02, 2008 11:27 am

I hate the Argos, I'm from Hamilton! But I'm not abandoning my friend.

Guess I'll have to settle for some 1/2 pints

Derek · Post by **Derek** » Thu Oct 02, 2008 1:47 pm

Nice line-up... Even a Sahti Juniper Beer!

Unfortunately I probably won't make it this year.

Belgian · Post by **Belgian** » Fri Oct 03, 2008 9:38 am

King Brewery - Unfiltered Hopped-Up Pilsner

Sounds like an even closer homage to the Original:

http://www.ratebeer.com/beer/pilsner-ur ... red/44956/

Incidentally the highest accorded RB-scorer in the world. No pressure, King Brewery!

PS:

Black Oak, Wasabi Brown Ale sounds darn interesting, and when will you gents release the fury of a Black Oak West Coast IPA on the unsuspecting Ontario public who've just recently discovered the American imports?

Cass · Post by **Cass** » Fri Oct 03, 2008 10:27 am

I'll be there after work tonight, looking forward to the event and seeing everyone.

Jon Walker · Post by **Jon Walker** » Fri Oct 03, 2008 10:33 am

Sadly I won't make it. Looking forward to hearing the reviews of those new beers.

BTW, Cass, I just passed 1000 posts...do I get a free Bartowel bottle opener or something?

shintriad · Post by **shintriad** » Fri Oct 03, 2008 7:01 pm

Just stopped by, they were at capacity! I could've stuck around, but I had a big coat on, my knapsack...decided to hit up the LCBO next door for some Rogue Hazelnut instead. Also, since St. Lawrence was still open, some sundried cherry tomatoes and artisanal crackers to go with it.

Post your reviews here and make me regret my impatience.

velovampire · Post by **velovampire** » Fri Oct 03, 2008 11:26 pm

shintriad wrote:Just stopped by, they were at capacity! I could've stuck around, but I had a big coat on, my knapsack...decided to hit up the LCBO next door for some Rogue Hazelnut instead. Also, since St. Lawrence was still open, some sundried cherry tomatoes and artisanal crackers to go with it.

Post your reviews here and make me regret my impatience.

Don't regret a thing. We arrived at 5:30 and were admitted fairly quickly, but with no seating available (for the 2 hours we were there) things got tiring. Also hard to order food while standing around. A few distinct beers available, but nothing incredibly out of the ordinary. Here are the beers that I haven't seen before: Granite Hopping Mad, Black Oak Wasabi Brown, Neustadt Elderbrah, Nickelbrook Sahti Juniper, King Unfiltered Hopped-Up Pilsner. If those seem worth a potential 30 minute wait just to get in (as it was when we left at 7:30 - they were operating on a one in one out policy, much like a nightclub), not to mention crushing crowds waiting 3-5 minutes to get a sample and standing room only, then yes, you missed out. If not, then you were right to stick with the Rogue, and I wish I was with you...
This is not in any way a criticism of C'est What or the staff - they did the best they could under the circumstances. Nor is this a bashing of the event itself; it is certainly an ambitious and important one. But perhaps (at the risk of sounding like an old curmudgeon) the event has become too popular for the space in which it is held...

The Bar Towel

C'est What? Festival of Small Breweries - Oct 3

Line-up update

Re: Line-up update

Re: Line-up update

Re: Line-up update