The Bar Towel

Over the last week in Niagara On The Lake and London:
Silversmith Black Lager (growler)
Silversmith Damn Buster English Ale (bottle)
Silversmith Bavarian Breakfast Wheat (bottle)
Silversmith Hill 145 Golden Ale (bottle)
Oast House Barnraiser (draft)
Oast House Saison (draft)
Oast House Grandma’s Strawberry Rhubarb Ale (draft)
Oast House Red Barn Bitter (draft)
Oast House Cherry Berliner Weisse (draft)
Oast House Oost Indie Bier (draft)
Black Oak Summer Saison (draft)
Wellington Iron Duke Strong Ale (cask)
Great Lakes Brewing Octopus Wants to Fight IPA (draft)

Right now:
New Holland Mad Hatter Midwest IPA (bottle)

While travelling in Italy:

Rome

Baladin - Saison Mule (saison)
Birra del Borgo - Duchessa (saison)
Birrone - Cibus (weizenbock)
Birra del Borgo - Ducale (Belgian strong dark ale)
Baladin - Super (strong amber ale)
Baladin - Nazionale (Belgian blonde)
Decimoprimo - Jouissance (Belgian blonde)
Birrificio del Forte - La Mancina (Belgian strong blonde)
Birrificio del Ducato - Winterlude (tripel)
Montegioco - Tentatripel (tripel)
Toccalmatto - Sibilla (saison)
Montegioco - Rex Grue (saison w/ added herbs)
Baladin - Watoto (Scotch ale)
Guldenberg Tripel
Decimoprimo - Hiderga (imperial stout)
Baladin - Xyauyu (barley wine)
Baladin - Xyauyu Barrel (barley wine aged in rum barrels)
Baladin - Xyauyu Fume (barley wine aged in Islay scotch barrels)


Capri

Capri Birra Artigianale - Leucosia (amber ale)
Capri Birra Artigianale - Lemon Peel (pilsner infused with lemon peel)


Sorrento

McChouffe
Belzebuth (biere de garde)
Notias Votias (this was a Belgian beer infused wth saffron that I had at a beer speciality bar. I can't recall who brews it)
Birrificio Sorrento - Syrentum (saison infused with lemon peel)
Lupulus (not Charlevoix; this was a peculiar bottle I found stashed in the fridge at a dive bar, I think the brew was Les 3 Fourquets and it was in the style of a Belgian strong blonde/tripel)


Pescara

Peroni Grand Riserva Rossa (amber lager)
Birrificio Leardi - Anita (pale ale)
Birrificio Leardi - Sofi Strong (dubbel)
La Rulles Estivale
Birrificio La Casa di Cura - TSO (IPA)
Birrificio La Casa di Cura - Tripel
Kasteel Filou (Belgian blonde)
St. Feuillien Tripel
De Graal Quest (Belgian blonde strong)
Weiherer Weizenbock

And for those concerned that I spent too much of my trip seeking out new beers to try and missing out on the local wines, rest assured that I also managed to indulge in a lot of vino (and limoncello, campari, aperol ...)

Provost Drunk wrote:… And for those concerned that I spent too much of my trip seeking out new beers to try and missing out on the local wines, rest assured that I also managed to indulge in a lot of vino (and limoncello, campari, aperol ...)

Nice! Actually very true, I gave up much beer searching in Italy because
1) so little beer that good and
2) so much Italy.

I tend to find beer stores fortuitously. Like the place in Berlin that had Fucking Hell (a Helles from the town of Fucking, Austria.)

When were you last in Italy, Belgian? The craft beer (or "birra artigianale") movement in Italy has picked up a lot of momentum recently! I'm hoping to create/update the "Local Beer Guides" for the benefit of those planning a trip.

Provost Drunk wrote:When were you last in Italy, Belgian? The craft beer (or "birra artigianale") movement in Italy has picked up a lot of momentum recently! I'm hoping to create/update the "Local Beer Guides" for the benefit of those planning a trip.

^ I like your thinking. I guess if I have enough time on my next trip and it's time-efficient to hit some beer hot-spots you might convince me to commit a few afternoons to "birra artigianale Italiana…" But the crostini better be good also!

I was in Italy a month ago. "Craft" seems to be perceived as saison's and farmhouse ales.
All unfiltered and since I'm not a saison fan, all uninspiring to me.
Looked for pale ale, saw one reference to an IPA near Canelli but couldn't get my hands on it.

Monogamy Nelson Sauvin from the bottle, Happy Friday Bartowelers!

Roasting some spicy sweet potatoes on the bar-b-grill.

Rob Creighton wrote:I was in Italy a month ago. "Craft" seems to be perceived as saison's and farmhouse ales.
All unfiltered and since I'm not a saison fan, all uninspiring to me.
Looked for pale ale, saw one reference to an IPA near Canelli but couldn't get my hands on it.

I would agree that saison/farmhouse ale is among the more popular styles in the Italian craft beer landscape (not a problem for me as I am a fan), but disagree with the assertion that it is the only style represented. Sours are also quite popular, particularly among microbrewers in the north of Italy. A number of other Belgian styles are also well represented. I didn't keep formal records, but anecdotally I would say that more than half of the Italian microbrewers have a pale ale / IPA offering in their arsenal. This style isn't in my wheelhouse and so I didn't dabble too much there. It is entirely possible that those styles of beer are pedestrian compared to what we see in North America, but I am not in a position to confirm/deny as much. There were a few stouts and porters available, though this style was under-represented and frankly the ones that I had were average at best.

Right now: Montegioco Demon Hunter (one of the bottles that survived the flight home from Italy).

A complex strong amber ale. Some peppery spice notes upfront before the caramel malt flavours emerge - sweet (without being cloying), though not particularly fruity. Pleasant dry finish with a touch of bitterness lingering in the aftertaste. Great balance.

Yesterday at The Rectory Cafe, Amsterdam BrewHouse, and Bar Hop:
Amsterdam Cruiser All Day Pale Ale (draft)
Amsterdam Bord Du Lac Saison (draft)
Amsterdam Testify (draft)
Great Lakes Limp Puppet Session IPA (draft)
Lagunitas IPA (draft)
Great Lakes Octopus Wants To Fight IPA (draft)

Lagunitas on tap in Ontario?

cratez wrote:Yesterday at The Rectory Cafe, Amsterdam BrewHouse, and Bar Hop:
Amsterdam Cruiser All Day Pale Ale (draft)
Amsterdam Bord Du Lac Saison (draft)
Amsterdam Testify (draft)
Great Lakes Limp Puppet Session IPA (draft)
Lagunitas IPA (draft)
Great Lakes Octopus Wants To Fight IPA (draft)

spinrsx wrote:Lagunitas on tap in Ontario?

Yup. It recently appeared on TBS website in keg only format.

Yesterday at beerbistro and at home:
Collective Arts Ransack the Universe IPA (draft)
Rodenbach Grand Cru (draft)
Stone Cali-Belgique IPA (bottle)

Napalm Frog wrote: Yup. It recently appeared on TBS website in keg only format.

Yes. And to my surprise, the Octopus was infinitely better. Our local crafters have come a long way in the last few years.

cratez wrote:Yesterday at beerbistro and at home:
Collective Arts Ransack the Universe IPA (draft)
Rodenbach Grand Cru (draft)
Stone Cali-Belgique IPA (bottle)

Napalm Frog wrote: Yup. It recently appeared on TBS website in keg only format.

Yes. And to my surprise, the Octopus was infinitely better. Our local crafters have come a long way in the last few years.

yeah, the regular lagunitas is quite underwhelming.
Octopus might just be my favourite GLB IPA so far... surpassing Thrust (or, at least the last couple runs of thrust). Maybe I'm remembering incorrectly but I think Octopus tastes more like the original thrust than the recent thrusts actually do. The bottled version at the LCBO was even a bit disappointing.
I look forward to the collective/nickelbrook brewery going full steam ahead and seeing Ransack in the stores - it's a killer.

Oh, and I'm drinking a stone IPA... better than when I had it on draft recently but nothing special in my opinion. I wouldn't buy/be robbed by it again.

To my great surprise, of all the US IPAs that have hit shelves this year I think my favourite is the Goose Island one. I haven't tried the Lagunitas yet, but I'm pretty sure I've had it in the US and thought it was good but not special.