The Bar Towel

It's not on the website, but the Manx is doing all of their specials tomorrow night using Flying Monkeys beer. Netherworld and maple braised lamb shank and Stereovision marinated buttermilk fried chicken were what I heard chef say. All of the regular specials will have beer in them as well. I think there might have been a Smashbomb green pea soup from what I remember as well. Should be a tasty night and specials are never more than $20 for a plate there.

rejtable wrote:Anybody seen a beer list (not just breweries) for the festival this weekend? Wondering how much no-standard fare will be available.

I'm not going to be there but it should be impressive. Off the top of my head, expect:

Big Rig Brew Pub
Mill Street
Beau's
Broadhead
Kichessippi
Cassel Brewery
Ashton Brew Pub
Flying Monkeys
Muskoka
Hogsback
Clocktower
Nickelbrook
Waterloo
King Brewery
St. Ambroise
Thornbury Cider

cratez wrote:

cfrancis wrote: There were a ton of hops at the event. Loved it.

Dry Hopped Mad Tom
Double Dry Hopped Headstock
Hopped Up Miami Weiss
Naughtiest Neighbor

Great event.

Sounds awesome! Which one did you like best?

Tough call.

Double Dry Hopped Headstock and Hoptical with Centennial and Columbus were the only two I went back for more!

I got the Miami Weiss as I was walking out the door from Rob at Great Lakes. If I had that earlier on, I would have easily had a full pint of that as well.

The Headstock was probably the best, but only by a nose.

Arriving in Ottawa Friday afternoon but may only go on Saturday.

Good list from Beau's for this weekend.

Beau's Brewery ‏@beausallnatural

At Nat. Capital Craft Beer Week, Beau's will be serving: Lug•Tread, Festivale, Night•Märzen, Fous Alliés (Mango Saison).... plus..

....Weiss O' Lantern (Pumpkin Weiss), Barrel Aged Mr. Hyde & Barrel Aged Doublewide DIPA! This Friday & Saturday at Marion Dewar plaza!

Yeah, saw that. Solid list. I know this craft beer week thing is a first time and all, but man to have a festival and no reasonably solid beer list 24 hours before it starts is rough.

I'm leaning to going tomorrow afternoon for awhile.

Flying Monkeys is bringing in "an arseload of fruitbeer"

Nickelbrook is actually going to have a Root Beer non-alcoholic.

I'm pissed I'm going away for the weekend.

cfrancis wrote:Nickelbrook is actually going to have a Root Beer non-alcoholic.

Ooooh yeah! I'm a big root beer fan, and Nickel Brook's is the absolute best I've EVER had. Seriously.

GregClow wrote:

cfrancis wrote:Nickelbrook is actually going to have a Root Beer non-alcoholic.

Ooooh yeah! I'm a big root beer fan, and Nickel Brook's is the absolute best I've EVER had. Seriously.

They brought it to the Kitchener Ribfest and Craft Beer Show last month and I have to agree, definitely the best root beer I've ever had.

Just got back from a great liquid lunch at the fest.

Really great setup, although easy to be great when nobody is there.

Highlights included Beau's with two Greener Futures (2IPA and Hyde), and Monkeys Netherworld Cask.

Nickelbrook (APA), Muskoka (Tom and Cream), Monkeys (Netherworld) and Mills St (IPA and Cherry St Wit) were all on cask. The first Mill St cherry completely exploded while I was waiting, so looks like the IPA will be up next. Poor dude was soaked pretty good!

Nickelbrook, Monkeys and Beau's brought their A game. Pretty standard offerings from most everyone else, but still a great collection of tasty beer from Ottawa and the rest of the province.

One other great thing, at least while I was there, all the tents I went to seemed to be staffed by brewery staff or knowledgeable folks. Beau's, Ashton and Monkeys folks nearly talked my ear off (I mean that in a good way).


Stephen Beaumont gave a nice talk on all sorts of topics with some great stories.

We'll see how it works out when the crowd hits for the evenings, but overall it was really great. I'll at least be back tomorrow evening, and maybe stop for a quick one on my way home from work.

I'm so jealous. I really wanted to go.

But boys weekend calls and two kegs of some Sleeman swill!

Good thing I'm bringing a case of Central City Red Racer to mix in!

BTW, bit of a Gas Face for pricing. At 50 cents an ounce for most beers, and $1/oz for some of the special ones it ain't cheap. I like Steamwhistle and all, but I'll be damned if I'll pay them the equivalent of $6 a bottle unless there are strippers nearby.

rejtable wrote:BTW, bit of a Gas Face for pricing. At 50 cents an ounce for most beers, and $1/oz for some of the special ones it ain't cheap. I like Steamwhistle and all, but I'll be damned if I'll pay them the equivalent of $6 a bottle unless there are strippers nearby.

The prices at some of the booths are a bit better if you get the 8oz pours (usually $3) instead of the 4oz samples (usually $2). You can only get an 8oz pour if you buy a $5 plastic souvenir cup, but it's an option.

hops are your friend wrote:

rejtable wrote:BTW, bit of a Gas Face for pricing. At 50 cents an ounce for most beers, and $1/oz for some of the special ones it ain't cheap. I like Steamwhistle and all, but I'll be damned if I'll pay them the equivalent of $6 a bottle unless there are strippers nearby.

The prices at some of the booths are a bit better if you get the 8oz pours (usually $3) instead of the 4oz samples (usually $2). You can only get an 8oz pour if you buy a $5 plastic souvenir cup, but it's an option.

Yeah, a few were offering deals, but the 8oz pours are not my preference.

So, my closing comments:

Pros: great easy vibe (note I was never there past 7pm on either night, so I can't speak to how busy/crazy it may have been); breweries who stepped up (Mill St, Nickel Brook, Beau's, Monkeys and to some extent Muskoka) with unique or harder to find offerings; love the passes enabling you to come and go as you please; great food options; neat music that was never in your face if you didn't want it to be; lots of space to roam.
Cons: Cost; glaring absence of a few of ON's more interesting breweries (looking at you GLB and maybe Amsterdam); paying extra for those beer steins (I suggest next year charging a bit more for entry fee and giving away a 4oz version - maybe offering 8 oz as an extra cost) - the environmental damage done by everyone throwing out those 4oz sampler cups can't be justified in 2012; been nice to have a few more tables in the middle, got hard to find a seat later in the day.

Anyway, all in all a spectacular first effort. Personal highlights included the two Beau's Greener Futures, FM Netherworld Cask, Nickel Brook APA Cask, Saison and Berliner Weiss. Great times!