Perspective on Ontario beer

[JeffPorter]

My first time at Bar Hop tonight.

I was sitting next to a gent who was enjoying his second glass of Wellington RIS. He was just raving about it, saying how much he liked it, and how hard it was to find a good RIS on tap.

He said he was just walking along King, from the east, couldn't find a place to eat and saw the "craft beer" sign and went in. I could tell he was American, and asked where he was from. He said North Carolina, and he was just in Toronto for a few days, and it was his first time here.

I told him congrats, because he had sampled Bar Hop, before most Torontonians had!

But then he starting talking about the Welly again. He said he normally drinks ("I don't know if you've heard of it", he says) Old Rasputin at home, but he really liked this!

No I'm not comparing the Welly's RIS to Old Rasputin, and maybe it was just a REALLY good keg of it, but it made me wonder if maybe our perceptions change a little when we travel and drink (or have beer brought back to us.)

For him - the Welly was really rare, just as I'm sure we've experienced some beers in the U.S.

I just thought it was cool that he was really digging a beer that many of us may take for granted.

[ErkLR]

Murphy's is probably one of my favourite stouts, just because I can only get it once per year or less.

[shintriad]

Just passed this place on the street tonight. Can't believe it slipped my radar! Awesome to see a new locale devoted to craft beer so close to my workplace, especially now that Smokeless has moved.

[JerCraigs]

I have always felt that the Wellington RIS is under-rated. I think it lives in that unfortunate arena with Unibroue, and St. Ambroise Oatmeal stout in that we tend to forget about it because its "always" around.

[Derek]

I think most of the Wellington line is underrated. Great British-style brews that are fresh! Their original mandate was to bring cask ale to the masses... that didn't pan out at the time, but I'm surprised they're not doing more casks now.

There's certainly the novelty factor with any new brew... doesn't matter where you are.

[Malcolm]

I had a Wellington County Ale, or dark, or whatever they're calling it last night at C'est, from the cask. It was really good - a lot different from the last version I had. Much more malt and an almost molasses sweetness. The inconsistency of their beers is what gets me - the RIS and Iron Duke seem quite consistent but I know that C'est What has had to send back several kegs of RIS recently because they've been way off. The bitter is a crapshoot every time.

[iguenard]

My first time at Bar Hop tonight.

I was sitting next to a gent who was enjoying his second glass of Wellington RIS. He was just raving about it, saying how much he liked it, and how hard it was to find a good RIS on tap.

He said he was just walking along King, from the east, couldn't find a place to eat and saw the "craft beer" sign and went in. I could tell he was American, and asked where he was from. He said North Carolina, and he was just in Toronto for a few days, and it was his first time here.

I told him congrats, because he had sampled Bar Hop, before most Torontonians had!

But then he starting talking about the Welly again. He said he normally drinks ("I don't know if you've heard of it", he says) Old Rasputin at home, but he really liked this!

No I'm not comparing the Welly's RIS to Old Rasputin, and maybe it was just a REALLY good keg of it, but it made me wonder if maybe our perceptions change a little when we travel and drink (or have beer brought back to us.)

For him - the Welly was really rare, just as I'm sure we've experienced some beers in the U.S.

I just thought it was cool that he was really digging a beer that many of us may take for granted.

If you have Netflix, check out TED Talks. One of the TED talks is all about the perceived value of items. They use the example of a wool shirt, and how much people value that wool shirt before, and after knowing that it once belonged to George Clooney. Of course, they all felt they'd pay more for it after knowing it.

They go on discussing how their research discovered (or realized ...) that the amount of joy that one gets from food, and wine, is actually increased (and they actually scan brains to measure the amount of "joy" activity issued in the brain), they find that not only is perceived joy increased when they beleive they are drinking expensive rare wine, but there seems to be an increased chemical reaction in the brain that would tend to say that one actually FEELS more joy (i.e. taste, flavour) when they think they are drinking something rare and expensive.

All the more reason to value the results of completely blind tastings over "ticking".

Also explains the perceived over-valuation of Westvleteren 12 and Dark Lord affecting their respective ratings on major beer review sites.

Quite interesting TED Talk that was. Cant remember the name of it, but its in the brain/neuro-science section on Netflix.

[JerCraigs]

TED Talks are also available on iTunes. I need to catch up on them!

[_sloth]

... but it made me wonder if maybe our perceptions change a little when we travel and drink (or have beer brought back to us.)

I've wondered about this as well. Almost every beer I tasted last time I was at a beer bar in Baltimore was delicious. Maybe I just made good choices though....

Or, maybe I'm just less of an asshole and less critical when in vacation mode.

[Tapsucker]

TED Talks are also available on iTunes. I need to catch up on them!

And just on their website if you don't want to subscribe to anything.

[saints_gambit]

We're really not all that far behind the US. I keep saying it, but no one wants to believe it yet.

I sort of wonder what it will take.

[Cass]

We're really not all that far behind the US. I keep saying it, but no one wants to believe it yet.

I sort of wonder what it will take.

(at least) two factors to overcome.

1. A collective inferiority complex, which affects Toronto as a whole. I have to think this weighs ratings down, if that kind of thing matters. But if we don't believe we've got great beer, this permeates others.

2. Lack of open market (speaking draught specifically). We desire that what we cannot have. So, without an open market it is difficult to compare Ontario vs others, so currently a top place like Volo almost everything on tap is Ontario. If there was more variety possible, we would choose our own product as its good. But that's difficult to do so #1 is further fueled.

[G.M. Gillman]

I agree fully with Cass. I've travelled a reasonable amount in centers where fine U.S. craft beer is available. Our selection now between tap and bottle, especially in GTA, is as good, maybe better.

However, the lack of "free taps" is an inhibitor: it means we can't get the best non-Ontario Canadian draughts regularly here (there is the odd one that comes in) and of course there is no U.S. draught on the craft side of things. So it is hard to compare but also, the lag is greater for the development of newer styles here than would otherwise be the case, but it does happen ultimately, e.g. Black IPA and sour styles.

But we are there, really, in its essence.

Gary

[TheSevenDuffs]

We're really not all that far behind the US. I keep saying it, but no one wants to believe it yet.

I sort of wonder what it will take.

That is true and untrue at the same time. It is almost impossible to evaluate Canada as a whole because there is a HUGE difference among the provinces. Quebec and BC probably aren't all that far behind the US. Ontario is definitely behind but catching up at a rapid pace. Other provinces are at various places between Ontario and miles behind the US...

Then again, there are certain states that I could also argue are way behind Ontario...

[JeffPorter]

We're really not all that far behind the US. I keep saying it, but no one wants to believe it yet.

I sort of wonder what it will take.

(at least) two factors to overcome.

1. A collective inferiority complex, which affects Toronto as a whole. I have to think this weighs ratings down, if that kind of thing matters. But if we don't believe we've got great beer, this permeates others.

I wanted to add something to this, but don't think I can - well said...