SteelBackGuy's comments from locked thread

[Bobsy]

You know, Cass has done a great job setting up bartowel and giving us an opportunity to discuss craft beer. It would be a far better place if we treated everyone as if we were speaking to them in a bar and not in the anonymous internet zone. I'm sure you're all nice folks and you have a damn good taste in beer - we should never forget that...

[iguenard]

Not sure I get your cause-and-effect logic here, but you are right...I will concede that my Rochefort comment was neither funny nor accurate and you concede that your comments were both melodramatic and martyrly...

Well, you won't get me to do that, but I'll stop engaging you in a pissing match, and if I ever do meet you, the first pint is on me. Welcome to Bar Towel.

Deal!!!

Woohoo!!! One of the guys!!!...

um...it is mostly dudes here right? Not a lot of ladies I'm guessing? Not that I'm trolling or anything I just don't want to use generic terms people might find offensive.

This place is a smoked sausage fest. Which goes greet with rauchbier, so no harm done. Welcome aboard.

BTW, if LCBO sucks so bad, why is SAQ starting to copy the one-off beer release format?

Rochefort 10 in september, I'll let you know exactly when after I stock up.

[SteelbackGuy]

It's like the LCBO isn't even trying. I mean, would it kill them to at least look into Dark Lord? Sheesh.

Funny, you were just complaining about the pathetic distribution of Red Racer the other day, but now I'm unreasonable for criticizing the Fall Release and pointing out the lunacy of the RR availability. Makes sense to me.

Folks getting mad asshurt up here over beer. Just enjoy it for what it is, don't get all "comic book store guy mylar pouch" about it.

Yo, dawg, ain't nobody gettin' asshurt up in here (unless you are?), just some homies engaging in lively debate about brewskies. Kinda what the forum is meant for, 'naw mean?

The Bar Towel has been...a place, less and less...where we discuss how our scene can be improved by our own beer.

Len, many Ontario beer geeks complain on a daily basis that our local beers are bland, mediocre, and uninspired in comparison to other beers from around the world, especially the U.S. Part of encouraging our own brewers to step their game up (in terms of flavour, consistency, and creativity) will involve opening up the retail system to competition from great American, Belgian, German, and (to a lesser degree) English brewers. This will at least play some role - however large or small - in improving the quality and depth of our beer scene.

I am less and less interested in our "beer scene." Not the Ontario beer scene......no, I love that. I love what folks like Milos and Adil and Ralph and George are doing. THEY LOVE ONTARIO BEER.

I'm curious to know, who on this site (specifically) doesn't "love Ontario beer," in your view?

Also, you seem to be inferring that the folks you mentioned are "doers" (and, of course, they are) while some members of this site - I'm not sure who - are not. I'm going to assume that you're not lumping me into the latter group, as I could write a whole other thread on the hypocrisy and outright falsehood involved with that insinuation. My last response to JeffPorter will do for now.

Beer brewed in this province for people in this province.

This is a bit unambitious, isn't it? Obviously our brewers have to (and should) satisfy their local supporters first, but they can simultaneously aspire to craft world class beer while doing so.

On another note, I think your threat to leave this site - simply because a few people have posted opinions that you don't agree with - is melodramatic and unnecessary. I notice that the members who criticize the LCBO don't have any desire to leave when others disagree with them, but the pro-LCBOers react to dissent with departing letters and thread locks. Just seems overly emotional to me. If you think the Board is the greatest thing since sliced bread, that's fine with me. I'm happy to disagree with you and I don't view your opinions as "negative."

Lastly, your signature suggests that, to this day, you don't understand the rational arguments against state distribution of alcohol to citizens. We've had the "public vs. private goods" debate many times before, and it's unfortunate that you still don't get why people who are entirely in favour of public health care and a progressive, redistributive government, can also be in favour of the private sale of alcohol (which is a private, not public, good). That's my rant for today folks, I'm off to have a beer! Cheers

Wow, I've had a thread dedicated to a quote of mine. Cool.

Guys, I am pretty much done here for the reasons I already stated. But I want to clear this up.....

Mike, firstly I will say that my leaving the site is not a threat. I simply said that I was done with things for now and I will pop in from time to time. You'll do just fine without me.

Secondly, the "doers" you mention actually include you. I don't know if you read the initial thread, but you were one of the people I praised and said made the most sense in this shitstorm. Did you miss that? If I were you id take it as a compliment cause it is.

Lastly, any reference to my sig is just ghey. You know me better than anyone else here. My sigs are meant to piss people off and provoke. You know that better than anyone else here. Don't fall play to that. You're one of the one people who actually get me.

Talk to you soon, just not on here.

In the words of the venerable Harry, "I'll come by from time to time to see if it's still raining".

[JeffPorter]

Rochefort 10 in september, I'll let you know exactly when after I stock up.

I've heard about this, and in fact, little birdies have told me that Rochefort 10 is already appearing in some of the more, uh, "dingy" SAQs.

I'd love to see a photo of Rfrt 10 beside 750ml cans of Labatt Ice...

[cratez]

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[Sil]

um...it is mostly dudes here right? Not a lot of ladies I'm guessing? Not that I'm trolling or anything I just don't want to use generic terms people might find offensive.

I'm a chick, but I've *never* been called a lady.

[sprague11]

um...it is mostly dudes here right? Not a lot of ladies I'm guessing? Not that I'm trolling or anything I just don't want to use generic terms people might find offensive.

I'm a chick, but I've *never* been called a lady.

Give it time!

[StevenThrasher]

BTW, if LCBO sucks so bad, why is SAQ starting to copy the one-off beer release format?

Rochefort 10 in september, I'll let you know exactly when after I stock up.

Sentence two validates the first part of sentence one.

When is the last time Rochefort 10 was at the LCBO in any format either one-off or general listing?

Maybe I'll head over to Quebec instead of down to Buffalo (or try to grab some from Peter at Esprit).

[Belgian]

As for my supposed "pro-LCBO views" - unlike many people here, I can recognize both good things and bad things about the LCBO and their policies. When they deserve to be criticized, I've done so. When they deserve to be praised, I've done so.

And in regards to be being "dictatorial" - try being a admin on this forum for a while, and see how many threads YOU'RE tempted to delete, move, or shut down. Frankly, I think that Cass and I often give more leeway here than some people deserve. Situations like this are few and far between.

Greg I read Cratez' accusations as off-base, and frankly insulting, so I'm sorry to see that. You're obviously not spending your time here to take that kind of crap and we should recognize your efforts.

BT'ers - We're losing touch a bit and these guys aren't there to be our mommies. Grow up. The Bar Towel is a great resource, and that is its primary purpose.

As I've said there's always a classy way to discuss the LC system without making a mess for the Admins to clean up. Be nice house guests.

[El Pinguino]

Since I joined here on BT years ago there has been one constant - complaining. I try not to get involved too often, mostly because I've seen so many great new beers become available.

When I joined here I'm pretty sure that: there was no Flying Monkeys, Spearhead, DDC, Southern Tier or Dogfish beers around. Volo didn't have cask days and IPA challenges yet. Creemore didn't have their Kellerbier and Muskoka, Black Oak, Great Lakes and Mill Street (among others) weren't creating so many new, unusual and special beers.

Overall I've been happy with the progress of beer the past few years at the LCBO as well as in bars and at breweries around me, here in Ontario.

As for BT I've always come here mostly for education and information more than conversation...I'm not going anywhere, but I can see how the constant negative vibes have caused others to go away. Hopefully, in time, more people will realize we're not really in the dark ages of beer selection and availability here in Ontario.

[sprague11]

Creemore didn't have their Kellerbier and Muskoka, Black Oak, Great Lakes and Mill Street (among others) weren't creating so many new, unusual and special beers.

I give full credit where it is due - our local brewers have really stepped it up. Some local things I'm hoping for in the future:

A Double IPA being a regular at the LCBO (Flying Monkey??)
Some solid Octoberfest Beers available for the Fall (King? Grand RIver? Black Oak?)
A barrel aged Stout (Tempest? Russian Gun?)
A good bottles saison

[Kel Varnsen]

Some solid Octoberfest Beers available for the Fall (King? Grand RIver? Black Oak?)

Now that Beau's has started sending their seasonal beers to the LCBO, you should see Night Marzen show up sometime in September/October. That stuff is awesome.

[G.M. Gillman]

While it took a little longer than in some parts of the U.S. for style diversity to hit Ontario, I think we are there now and have been for some time, for those who live in Toronto certainly (but this is a Toronto-based beer board). Virtually every style of beer is available here, from barley wine to sour styles to APA to lager to helles bock. And most of it is pretty good or excellent. I've travelled for years in the U.S. tasting great beers there and I don't see much difference to the local scene in Toronto, now.

Sure, at any one time you may not find what you want, but if you make the rounds of the good pubs, usually you will sooner or later. (I won't sweat it if I can't find a barley wine in August though, but I know where I can get a good Imperial Stout!).

This makes the import selection a lesser issue in my mind, given too that many of the latter (not all) are pasteurized and well-filtered.

I don't care anymore about the LCBO issue. Most in southern Ontario can occasionally cross the border to get a large range of bottled and canned beer there. And anyway, again for Toronto people but also many living within the GTA and even beyond, there is great local draft to be had in numerous styles, I'm good with that.

Gary

[Kel Varnsen]

This makes the import selection a lesser issue in my mind, given too that many of the latter (not all) are pasteurized and well-filtered.

The import issue with a lack of US beers at the LCBO doesn't really bother me at all since for the most part I am pretty much convinced it is the breweries making those decisions more then it is the LCBO. I mean it is the same as a ton of other products made in the US in that US producers aren't really interested in going after the much smaller Canadian market. I mean walk into an US grocery store and you will see 100's of products that you can't buy in Canada. Just thinking of a few off the top:

• Peter Pan Peanut Butter
  Edy's Ice Cream
  Cape Cod Chips
  Cheezits Four Cheese Italian Crackers
  Cookie Crisp Cereal
  Tom's Steak House Salad dressing
  Keebler Cookies
  Saranac Root Beer

Is the Ontario government keeping those products out of stores the same way some people seem to think the LCBO is keeping US Beers out of stores, or do those companies just not care to ship to Canada?

I don't care anymore about the LCBO issue. Most in southern Ontario can occasionally cross the border to get a large range of bottled and canned beer there. And anyway, again for Toronto people but also many living within the GTA and even beyond, there is great local draft to be had in numerous styles, I'm good with that.

That's sort of my opinion too. I mean I live in Ottawa, there are a couple really big LCBO's here (and a new one being built like 3 blocks from my house). On top of that Quebec and Brouehaha are just across the bridge, Beau's is an hour away and if that still isn't enough selection for me the IGA store in Postdam NY is only anhour and a half away. So between the LCBO, Quebec, and short cross border trips, I probably have more beers available to me then a huge percentage of the world. To be annoyed that all of those beers aren't avalable around the corner from my house to me would come across as lazy.

[cratez]

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