Looking for the original Bar Towel blog? You can find it at www.thebartowel.com.
We have a trivia question in order to register to prevent bots. If you have any issues with answering, contact us at cass@bartowel.com for help.
Introducing Light Mode! If you would like a Bar Towel social experience that isn't the traditional blue, you can now select Light Mode. Go to the User Control Panel and then Board Preferences, and select "Day Drinking" (Light Mode) from the My Board Style drop-down menu. You can always switch back to "Night Drinking" (Dark Mode). Enjoy!
ckoop wrote:Surprising omissions to me.
Nicklebrook (I love immodest and malevolent but the rest of their lineup is meh and those are only out in the spring)
Well you said it, this is a 'lately' thread. I haven't seen much of their good stuff recently, but if they have a dry Saison or Berliner or anything good like that on tap I buy that, not their Green Apple Pilsner. Ditto the Pinot Barrel or Jack Barrel aged Winey/Old Kentucky versions of Bastard Impy.
Aside - I can't believe those dry Berliners and Saisons are not now just staples on tap everywhere in TDot just as Pale Lagers and Cream Ales once were. These are (or can be) very functional summer styles, IMO even more so that Wits and Weissbiers which can occasionaly overwhelm with sweetness.
ckoop wrote:
Surprising omissions to me. Nicklebrook (I love immodest and malevolent but the rest of their lineup is meh and those are only out in the spring), Firestone (honestly they could have made the list but I find their IPAs usually stale around here so I pass on most of their year round lineup), Sierra Nevada (I always buy these guys, but I guess they are just steady and never mind blowing), silversmith (getting better and getting a diverse lineup, this year could see them jump on the list).
For BTers who live in Ontario and don't have the good fortune of traveling to the US very often or otherwise acquiring American craft (outside of what is available at the LCBO), I would expect that NB might make some top 5 lists. If I had to list my top 5 Ontario breweries, they would be in contention.
For BTers who live in Ontario and don't have the good fortune of traveling to the US very often or otherwise acquiring American craft (outside of what is available at the LCBO), I would expect that NB might make some top 5 lists. If I had to list my top 5 Ontario breweries, they would be in contention.[/quote]
Oh definitely, that's why I was surprised they weren't on my list since I'm a fan of them. They just are not very consistent year round to rank in my top 5.
I had a chance to talk to owner of NB at the Kitchener Beer and Ribfest, and was surprised to hear that the Green Apple Pilsener and Gluten-Free beer are by far their 2 highest sellers.
As for my top 5, in no particular order,
Hill Farmstead
Crooked Stave
Prairie
Cantillon
Anchorage
Barncat Artisan Ales deserves to be on that list too, some of the best beers I've ever had.
Cantillon
Hill Farmstead
Great Lakes
Rochefort
Three Floyds
3F could be replaced by a good 15-20 brewers I can't get regularly enough to pick from. AleSmith, Russian River, Drie Fonteinen, Firestone Walker, Cigar City, Deschutes, Stone, Kuhnhenn, The Bruery, BFM, Lawson's Finest Liquids, ...
sprague11 wrote:Kind of a spin off of what are you drinking now. Which breweries have been hitting it out of the park for you guys lately?
Based on the OP request, since I haven't done much travelling lately this is heavily Ontario-centric
Great Lakes
Bellwoods
Founders
McAuslan
Muskoka
Lots more US stuff that could be on that list if I got a chance to travel more, Lagunitas is probably my favourite US brewery, hopefully the Chicago plant results in some LCBO availability.
I suppose I shouldn't forget about Primeau Beer Co either
