2011 Predictions

Belgian · Post by **Belgian** » Mon Jan 03, 2011 1:03 pm

matt7215 wrote:
TheSevenDuffs wrote: Will we even see 10BY again?
it seems to be a beer that everyone likes but nobody buys.

I found the initial-release 10BY draught pours were amazing, and the sixers in bottles I drank up in months to follow were, well, just pretty good. The initial excitement was justifiable though! It poured SO unfiltered on tap.

Is 10BY a total "re-buy" for me like Stone or Lagunitas or Troeggs or Avery, maybe not as far as bottled beers. It's just that Stone IPA and Hop Stoopid and Nugget Nectar and Maharaja are all just extremely well worked-out IPAs that seem to bottle well too.

I think Ken at Black Oak will do well with OR without an extravagant one-off like Ten Bitter. And I hope he enjoys doing it, whatever he does! Obviously he can try something brand-new and do well enough to win a gold award for the first-ever batch of something, so good for him & best to his health and success (or even future experimentation.)

zane9 · Post by **zane9** » Mon Jan 03, 2011 1:07 pm

icemachine wrote:...This is why something like the OCB store concept is so vital, where the brewery's could launch beers collaboratively without being forced into more LCBO locations than they can supply, and ensure a fresh product reaches the customer.

Indeed. We had a discussion on that idea:

http://www.bartowel.com/board/viewtopic ... sc&start=0

I predict that 2011 will not see further traction on the concept.

cannondale · Post by **cannondale** » Mon Jan 03, 2011 1:21 pm

More and more bartowellers (and Ontarians in general) will get into homebrewing, particularly in light of the steady increase in local availability/affordability of a wide range of homebrewing supplies and equipment over the past while (http://www.homebrewgearcanada.com, http://www.ontariobeerkegs.com, the impending launch of G&P's homebrew supply site, etc.).

Tapsucker · Post by **Tapsucker** » Mon Jan 03, 2011 9:00 pm

cannondale wrote:More and more bartowellers (and Ontarians in general) will get into homebrewing, particularly in light of the steady increase in local availability/affordability of a wide range of homebrewing supplies and equipment over the past while (http://www.homebrewgearcanada.com, http://www.ontariobeerkegs.com, the impending launch of G&P's homebrew supply site, etc.).

This has happened to me.

I bet it will follow the path of the awakening of good food culture. First people started going to better and better restaurants and actually thinking about what they were paying for and eating. Then more and more they wanted to cook better food at home.

As beer finally creeps out of being a cheap buzz or man-child party staple and is respected for it's potential, as it has with the BT community, it's just a tiny step before one asks "how can I do that?" or "how do I express myself in this art?"

I threw a 'beer dinner party' a few months back featuring my home brew and a few contributions from others. I can't really call it a beer tasting, since there were no plans to judge. The idea was exactly like a dinner party, but instead of being a foodie thing, it was an excuse to get together and share the love I've put into my brewing. Everyone enjoyed it including many non beer geeks who had never tried much beyond the macros.

Flood · Post by **Flood** » Mon Jan 03, 2011 9:33 pm

cannondale wrote:More and more bartowellers (and Ontarians in general) will get into homebrewing, particularly in light of the steady increase in local availability/affordability of a wide range of homebrewing supplies and equipment over the past while (http://www.homebrewgearcanada.com, http://www.ontariobeerkegs.com, the impending launch of G&P's homebrew supply site, etc.).

Cheers to that!

Lackey · Post by **Lackey** » Sun Jan 09, 2011 2:43 pm

SteelbackGuy wrote:My Predictions for 2011:
-A new Brewpub will open in London, at the former site of Great West Beef

That would be sweet. Pretty huge building if memory serves.
Not sure what's there now but I always thought the Shot in the old train station on Richmond would be a cool brewpub. The Founders/Flossmore Station of Ontario!

SteelbackGuy · Post by **SteelbackGuy** » Sun Jan 09, 2011 4:02 pm

Lackey wrote:
SteelbackGuy wrote:My Predictions for 2011:
-A new Brewpub will open in London, at the former site of Great West Beef
That would be sweet. Pretty huge building if memory serves.
Not sure what's there now but I always thought the Shot in the old train station on Richmond would be a cool brewpub. The Founders/Flossmore Station of Ontario!

Yeah, Great West Beef was/is in a buliding. Should be great for a brewpub. The grumblings around town are getting louder so we should hear something concrete soon.

Currently at the old train station on Richmond is a Keg. But you're right, a great place for a brewpub it would be.

cannondale · Post by **cannondale** » Sun Jan 09, 2011 5:31 pm

Lackey wrote:
SteelbackGuy wrote:My Predictions for 2011:
-A new Brewpub will open in London, at the former site of Great West Beef
That would be sweet. Pretty huge building if memory serves.
Not sure what's there now but I always thought the Shot in the old train station on Richmond would be a cool brewpub. The Founders/Flossmore Station of Ontario!

It is a fairly large building. Sad to see that they've closed shop. My first job was as a busboy there. I was hired a few weeks before my 14th birthday, so I had to wait until I reached the minimum age before I could start earning the minimum wage. Those salad bars were extravagant!

The building that housed The Shot/The Base would indeed make a great location for a brewpub, or pretty much any kind of bar for that matter. But if The Keg has set up shop in there now, I can't see them getting out any time soon.

phirleh · Post by **phirleh** » Wed Jan 12, 2011 1:37 pm

Forget about an Ontario brewer creating a great IPA or Belgian style, when is someone going to step up and do a good Peanut Butter and Jelly beer?

icemachine · Post by **icemachine** » Wed Jan 12, 2011 1:41 pm

phirleh wrote:Forget about an Ontario brewer creating a great IPA or Belgian style, when is someone going to step up and do a good Peanut Butter and Jelly beer?

I remember drinking one at cask days a couple years ago, think it was Hockley Valley that brewed it.

cratez · Post by **cratez** » Wed Jan 12, 2011 1:47 pm

SteelbackGuy wrote: The grumblings around town are getting louder so we should hear something concrete soon.

A London BA by the name of Jeremy (monkjuice) claimed that he is starting his own brewery. Right now I'm trying to ascertain whether or not he was joking and whether he is the man behind this Great West brewpub thing. I'll let you know if I hear anything!

TheSevenDuffs · Post by **TheSevenDuffs** » Wed Jan 12, 2011 2:32 pm

phirleh wrote:Forget about an Ontario brewer creating a great IPA or Belgian style, when is someone going to step up and do a good Peanut Butter and Jelly beer?

How was it? I would love to try that one (and many of the other interesting Short's offerings).

Tapsucker · Post by **Tapsucker** » Wed Jan 12, 2011 5:06 pm

phirleh wrote:Forget about an Ontario brewer creating a great IPA or Belgian style, when is someone going to step up and do a good Peanut Butter and Jelly beer?

As far as beer goes, is this not getting a little OT?

notdan · Post by **notdan** » Wed Jan 12, 2011 5:09 pm

TheSevenDuffs wrote:
phirleh wrote:Forget about an Ontario brewer creating a great IPA or Belgian style, when is someone going to step up and do a good Peanut Butter and Jelly beer?

How was it? I would love to try that one (and many of the other interesting Short's offerings).

I also happened to try this a few days ago. I found the nose to be pretty spot-on; peanut butter, some roast, and tangy fruit. However, the flavour was very tart, almost sour. I think it may have gone bad, or was on its way. Possibly a shelf-life issue; the past three Short's beers I've tried in bottle have been at least a touch sour.

phirleh · Post by **phirleh** » Wed Jan 12, 2011 10:00 pm

Tapsucker wrote:
phirleh wrote:Forget about an Ontario brewer creating a great IPA or Belgian style, when is someone going to step up and do a good Peanut Butter and Jelly beer?
As far as beer goes, is this not getting a little OT?

Well, slightly off topic, but my intention was that this year will bring more boundary pushing beers from brewers. In 2010, Netherworld, Muskoka Double Chocolate Stout, and Lake of Bays Mocha Porter were 3 beers that stepped outside the conventional beer in terms of beer style and packaging presentation, and all three have been lauded at Bartowel and outside. I hope to see more of this from other brewers.

BTW, I haven`t tried the PB&J beer, it was a photo from a flickr contact, but I want to.

Another prediction is that the brewery spotlight will become less of a special event and more the norm. It`s frustrating to see one Souther Tier beer come in one after another, instead of numerous ones at the same time (like DDC and Haviestoun), and even more frustrating to see this selection in the Private Order and Consignment realm, but you have to buy a whole case of each beer!

The Brewmaster Mix in the last Garrison order really appealed to me since it is the perfect way to sample a bunch of beers from a single brewer, something that seems so rare (Mill Street and other combo packs being the small exception)