Peter Lopaty

[Roland + Russell]

A sad farewell to a man who was instrumental in changing Ontario's craft beer landscape. Without Peter’s passion, knowledge, dedication and contribution, our beer scene would be way less interesting.

Join us in raising a glass of something really good to Peter Lopaty of Esprit.

RIP Peter

[Cadbury102]

Oh my goodness. This is such tragic and terrible news. In my interactions with Peter I found him to be nothing but professional and friendly. I am sorry for his family. It will be a difficult Christmas for them.

Thanks Peter for everything you did.

[atomeyes]

this really does suck.

i'm waiting for the classless posts knocking him. people on here always treated him like shit, mocked his past demons, which was inapprorpiate.

peter was what he was. always called me by the wrong first name (for whatever reason). but he was so instrumental in bringing great belgian beer to Ontario. Rodenbach, Westy 12 and De Dolle (in a sketchy-but-appreciated manner) and so many trappist beer. i dropped by his Fairview (i think) house a number of times to buy some great beer. when he was on the ball, he was great. i'd laugh at him holding inventory in his van across from his house.

some of the beer that he had in the past (his spelling errors, not mine):

ACHEL BLOND
ACHEL BRUIN
ACHEL EXTRA
CHIMAY BLUE CAP
CHIMAY GRANDE RESERVE
CHMAY GRANDE RESERVE MAGNUM
CHIMAY PREMIERE
CHIMAY RED CAP
CHIMAY WHITE CAP
ORVAL TRAPPIST ALE
ROCHEFORT 6
ROCHEFORT 8
ROCHEFORT 10
WESMALLE DUBBEL
WESTMALLE TRIPEL
WESTVLIETEREN 8
WESTVLETEREN 12

Good guy who was way ahead of his time.

I wonder what will happen to his portfolio? hope things won't fall through the cracks. i think he was part of getting Orval back into semi-regular rotation.

[spinrsx]

Was he sick? Guess this explains why he wasn't getting back to people about import requests.

RIP

http://www.legacy.com/obituaries/thestar/obituary.aspx?n=peter-lopaty&pid=183187617&fhid=7524

I wonder what will happen to his portfolio? hope things won't fall through the cracks. i think he was part of getting Orval back into semi-regular rotation.

I wonder if this is why some of his portfolio beers showed up as online exclusives and then disappeared from the site. Or why there are so many Esprit beers at the LCBO clearance location

[atomeyes]

Was he sick? Guess this explains why he wasn't getting back to people about import requests.

RIP

http://www.legacy.com/obituaries/thestar/obituary.aspx?n=peter-lopaty&pid=183187617&fhid=7524

I wonder what will happen to his portfolio? hope things won't fall through the cracks. i think he was part of getting Orval back into semi-regular rotation.

I wonder if this is why some of his portfolio beers showed up as online exclusives and then disappeared from the site. Or why there are so many Esprit beers at the LCBO clearance location

i hadn't received an updated catalog in ages (although a friend just told me he got one in the summer), so i have no idea what he carries. think the last thing i bought from him was Rodenbach. so i don't even know what he had in the LCBO other than Orval

[spinrsx]

i hadn't received an updated catalog in ages (although a friend just told me he got one in the summer), so i have no idea what he carries. think the last thing i bought from him was Rodenbach. so i don't even know what he had in the LCBO other than Orval

I received this list in June:

ACHEL BLOND
ACHEL BRUIN
ORVAL TRAPPIST ALE
ROCHEFORT 6
ROCHEFORT 10
WESMALLE DUBBEL
WESTMALLE TRIPEL
WESTVLETEREN 8
WESTVLETEREN 12

BELGIUM-OTHER

ALVINNE PHI
ALVINNE SIGMA
BUSH AMBREE
DE RANKE CUVEE DE RANKE
DE RANKE KRIEK DE RANKE
DE RANKE XX BITTER
DE RANKE XXX BITTER
LIEFMANS GOUDENBAND
RODENBACH GRAND CRU
TIMMERMANS OUDE GUEUZE
TIMMERMANS OUDE KRIEK
TIMMERMANS FRAMBOISE
TIMMERMANS KRIEK
TIMMERMANS PECHE LAMBIC
TIMMERMANS STRAWBERRY
VIVEN IMPERIAL IPA
VIVEN PORTER

NETHERLANDS-TRAPPIST
ZUNDERT TRAPPIST ALE


NETHERLANDS
FROM DE MOLEN
VUUR & VLAM
HEEN & WEER
MOOI & MEEDONGENLOOS

[atomeyes]

anyways,
he was posting on here back in 2001. he was one of the original pioneers, for better or worse.
viewtopic.php?f=4&t=74&p=350&hilit=esprit#p350

[biegaman]

He was a pioneer for import beer in this province and one of the first people to introduce me to Belgian beer. RIP.

[El Pinguino]

Sad news....
First guy I ever bought beer from via private order/consignment whatever it was.
Still have some of the Belgian beers I bought from him, including part of a case of Chimay Magnums he left on his front porch for me....trusting that I'd slip the payment in his mailbox if he or his wife didn't answer the door.

I'll pop open some Belgian beers over the holidays in his honour.

[Belgian]

i dropped by his Fairview (i think) house a number of times to buy some great beer.

I believe Swansea district (Jane and Bloor area.) Lots of Ukrainian people traditionally came to this now already very expensive (and attractively well-built and very green) suburb. (If you had a decent house there before 1995 or 2000 you probably won the lottery, so I suppose one could at the end of the day leave behind a far worse state of affairs.)

Pete had a defiantly sharp & opinionated tongue posting here as 'esprit' (plus for a time also secretly posting under an alias account 'rabbit') and esprit & rabbit both provided some rather 'colorful' diversion on BT before he decided it was best not to 'get into it', so to speak. He then took a step back and sparingly only posted info about products.
He in any case had a passion for beer at a time when our at times frustrating province's most right & honorable Liquor Bureau was for years seemingly just paying lip service to the task at hand, and it is likely for the persistence of Esprit & some other dauntless, innovative importers we have some notable part what we can buy today.

Rest in Peace, Peter whatever that may be to you. Run, rabbit run...

[skaghevn]

Peter was also my 1st supplier for a private order, and I can still vividly recall walking into the foyer of his house surrounded by boxes and boxes of Rogue. Not every attempt to place an order was successful, but I did enjoy being able to chat with the man while picking up some fine ales.

That's something I can't say about everyone with whom I've placed private orders.

I'll be quite happy when 2016 is well & truly behind us.

[KW1]

I and a few friends had ordered from Peter before. Sad news. Condolences.

[Cass]

I was out of the country for the last little while taking a bit of a break and just catching up on things now. This is really sad to hear.

I have known Peter for a long time (he was one of the first podcast interviews I did) and it is undeniable he has been a strong advocate for good beer for a long, long time. He was one of the early members of the Bar Towel forum and although often said some controversial things, provided insights and information that were always entertaining and enlightening.

[lidaesprit]

This is Peter's wife - Lida. I must thank you all for your kind words about Peter. His passing was sudden and unexpected. He had a great passion for beer which I know will be missed by all. His sarcastic wit and all!

I shall be selling off all the beers Peter has left in the LCBO warehouse once they are released to me, I will post what is available.

In the meantime, if anyone is interested in buying glasses, I'm selling them off at $5 per glass or 6 for $25.00

Chimay
Duval
Westmalle
St Peter's

email me at: lidaesprit@sympatico.ca

[Andicus]

As mentioned in the other thread, I haven't been on the forum in a while, and was sad to read this news.

I bought a lot of great beer from Peter. Only had the pleasure of meeting him once, way back when, at the beer festival at Fort York.

May he RIP.