Next Beer Frenzy?

[Liverdie]

Where are the good beer bars in Barrie? Do tell, I've just moved up here.

According to a review on beer advocate, you have one option: http://beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/24297/view=beerfly

Thanks Malty Tasker (nice catchy name BTW)

Alas, one beer bar is better than none.

I know where that one is. It's near the bus station.

Cheers,

[mintjellie]

The Local Gastropub, located across from the bus terminal, carries mostly craft on-tap. I think they might even be exclusively craft - I remember the last time I was down there he didn't have any Sleeman beers on anymore. You can usually get Smashbomb, Hoptical, sometimes Netherworld, Muskoka Cream or Dark, whatever Muskoka Seasonal is current, Mill Street Cobblestone, and a few others. They also carry Maudite in bottles. Scott serves the best Fish & Chips in town. I usually enjoy whatever his current twist on haggis is. In the past, he's done fritters, spring rolls, and croquettes made with haggis! The Local also carries a small selection of quality single malt whiskeys. They also have plenty of board games and small selection of food, whiskey, and beer books.

There's a place in the south end called Pie, it's down by the Cineplex theater. They mostly sell Sleeman's, but they usually have at least one craft option on tap. In the summer, it was Muskoka Summer Weisse. I was there for dinner last monday, and they has Mill Street Cobblestone on. The real attraction though is delicious pizza served hot from the wood-burning oven.

You wont expect it when you see it, but The Locker Room at Cundles & St. Vincent carries King Pilsner on-tap alongside the usual MolsonCoors junk. They also put Creemore on as well. I think they also carry Thornbury Cider.

Oscar's is a casual fine dining place with very good food. If you love fresh shucked oysters, this is the only place in town to go (other than buying them at Johnny's Fish to shuck at home). Their drinks menu is focused more on wine and cocktails, but they always have something from Flying Monkeys on-tap as well.

Moose Winooskies is part-of a small (four locations) regional chain, they have a location up on Bayfield Street. If I recall, they carry Creemore, Erdinger, Steamwhistle, and a Mill Street tap as well as your usual macro suspects. I recall they also had stuff like Innis & Gunn and Palm available in bottles. Go here if you want massively meaty chicken wings.

And believe it or not, the Frans Diner location on Bayfield Street actually has an Erdinger tap.

Hi Mintjellie,

You hail from Barrie? Where are the good beer bars in Barrie? Do tell, I've just moved up here.

Thanks,

Where are the good beer bars in Barrie? Do tell, I've just moved up here.

According to a review on beer advocate, you have one option: http://beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/24297/view=beerfly

[Liverdie]

Hi Mintjellie,

Thanks so much for all the info. I actually live between Orillia and Midland, near Mt St Louis Moonstone but I'm in Barrie frequently.

In our LCBO in Coldwater we get tons of Muskoka including the Mad Tom DIPA. I also got Winter Beard (Yummy) and St Peter's Winter Ale, Wellington and I can't wait for the day those Sawdust boyz come up here and if they can get their names by the LCBO people even better.

When I'm in Toronto, I stay in Leaside so I'm quite happy Amsterdam moved their brewery and like everyone else, I think the Tempest is excellent. Since I moved I really miss my local, bar Volo especially now that they have even more taps!!

Cheers,

[mintjellie]

The LCBO om Bayfield Street gets pretty much all of the beers that come in the seasonal releases. The one down in the south end by Mapleview and Bryne gets a lot of them as well.

I was thinking it would be cool if Barrie-area towellers had a meet-up. Go out for couple pints at The Local and just chill and play cards or board games.

Hi Mintjellie,

Thanks so much for all the info. I actually live between Orillia and Midland, near Mt St Louis Moonstone but I'm in Barrie frequently.

In our LCBO in Coldwater we get tons of Muskoka including the Mad Tom DIPA. I also got Winter Beard (Yummy) and St Peter's Winter Ale, Wellington and I can't wait for the day those Sawdust boyz come up here and if they can get their names by the LCBO people even better.

When I'm in Toronto, I stay in Leaside so I'm quite happy Amsterdam moved their brewery and like everyone else, I think the Tempest is excellent. Since I moved I really miss my local, bar Volo especially now that they have even more taps!!

Cheers,

[icemachine]

Not even remotely upset. More, you've piqued my interest. It would be fairly simple right now to put together a line-up of Tempest...

I'd be interested in that if I could get off work, and if it wouldn't break my bank account...

Funny I was thinking a 'vertical' of 3 bottlings of Tempest - original 2011 and earlier 2012 from brewery and later 'small wax' 2012 from LCBO. If these could be all bit different, who is to say for sure what beer we're disagreeing about (setting aside draft and aged versions!)

Might make sense to establish that correlation, then go on to compare whatever decided-upon version Tempest to other RIS and Stouts.

I have 2011, 2012 brewery releases and a bottle of the mislabelled Goendavond a.k.a BA Tempest. Should grab a bottle of the LCBO release and see just how different those four are

[chris_schryer]

Here's my review of a two-year vertical of Tempest from my Amsterdam Week. I wouldn't for a moment suggest that it's totally unbiased (I'm pretty fond of Jamie, Iain and the whole Amsterdam crew) but I like to think I give a pretty good picture. http://www.torontobeerblog.com/beer-rev ... rewing-co/

[dale cannon]

I was thinking it would be cool if Barrie-area towellers had a meet-up. Go out for couple pints at The Local and just chill and play cards or board games.

I'm game if that happens. Also, if any Barrie BT folks want to join me for a brew day in my garage, you are more than welcome to.

Note on PIE: Sublime pizza. Used to be that they always had either Mad Tom or Smashbomb on tap...but last bunch of times we went it wasn't. I hope it's not a permanent change.

[mintjellie]

I was thinking it would be cool if Barrie-area towellers had a meet-up. Go out for couple pints at The Local and just chill and play cards or board games.

I'm game if that happens. Also, if any Barrie BT folks want to join me for a brew day in my garage, you are more than welcome to.

Note on PIE: Sublime pizza. Used to be that they always had either Mad Tom or Smashbomb on tap...but last bunch of times we went it wasn't. I hope it's not a permanent change.

I would love to take you up on that brew day offer. I've actually never brewed before.

[Liverdie]

I was thinking it would be cool if Barrie-area towellers had a meet-up. Go out for couple pints at The Local and just chill and play cards or board games.

I'm game if that happens. Also, if any Barrie BT folks want to join me for a brew day in my garage, you are more than welcome to.

Note on PIE: Sublime pizza. Used to be that they always had either Mad Tom or Smashbomb on tap...but last bunch of times we went it wasn't. I hope it's not a permanent change.

I'm game to meet some new beer pals in my new region. The cab fare from Barrie to my place is not out of the realm of anything I've paid for my pub crawls in Toronto.



I'll be seeing ya soon.


Cheers,

[JeffPorter]

There could be an element of batch variation at play here as well. I've only had the LCBO released batch, but the hype is based on how good peoples experiences with the brewery-only batches were.

This might be it right here - I love the "LCBO batch", but but the "June" batch that come out at 10% was the best non-BA stout I've had...I think...

[cmadd]

There could be an element of batch variation at play here as well. I've only had the LCBO released batch, but the hype is based on how good peoples experiences with the brewery-only batches were.

This might be it right here - I love the "LCBO batch", but but the "June" batch that come out at 10% was the best non-BA stout I've had...I think...

As always "drink what you like", and don't let anyone tell you otherwise. Far be it from me to tell you what you're experiencing. But for me, Tempest has a decidedly thin body (probably from the rye malt) as compared to "world-class" imperial stouts. If you think body is a really important characteristic of an imperial stout, Tempest simply doesn't run with the big boys.

I happen to like the interplay between the rye, hops, and roast in Tempest, but world-class? The three imperial stouts from Michigan – Founders Imperial Stout, Plead the 5th, Expedition – give Tempest a thrashing in my mind. There's just no comparing. It's not even some sort of Canadian inferiority complex; St. Ambroise RIS may be my favourite bourbon oak-aged RIS.

EDIT: In fact, after having had Calm Before the Storm, which is divine, I can't help but see Tempest as an Imperial Dark Mild. Seems like an oxymoron, but to my taste CBtS was such an accomplishment that Tempest became defined in relation to its offspring.

[Liverdie]

There could be an element of batch variation at play here as well. I've only had the LCBO released batch, but the hype is based on how good peoples experiences with the brewery-only batches were.

This might be it right here - I love the "LCBO batch", but but the "June" batch that come out at 10% was the best non-BA stout I've had...I think...

As always "drink what you like", and don't let anyone tell you otherwise. Far be it from me to tell you what you're experiencing. But for me, Tempest has a decidedly thin body (probably from the rye malt) as compared to "world-class" imperial stouts. If you think body is a really important characteristic of an imperial stout, Tempest simply doesn't run with the big boys.

I happen to like the interplay between the rye, hops, and roast in Tempest, but world-class? The three imperial stouts from Michigan – Founders Imperial Stout, Plead the 5th, Expedition – give Tempest a thrashing in my mind. There's just no comparing. It's not even some sort of Canadian inferiority complex; St. Ambroise RIS may be my favourite bourbon oak-aged RIS.

EDIT: In fact, after having had Calm Before the Storm, which is divine, I can't help but see Tempest as an Imperial Dark Mild. Seems like an oxymoron, but to my taste CBtS was such an accomplishment that Tempest became defined in relation to its offspring.

I will have to try to remember those ones when I'm out and about. I love stouts, but I know I have not tried those ones. I believe I've had the St. Ambroise. The names stand out, I'll probably get to them, I'm still young!

Cheers,

[midlife crisis]

Some good info on Barrie beer bars here. Mods, could that be hived off into a thread in Local Guides?

[dale cannon]

I was thinking it would be cool if Barrie-area towellers had a meet-up. Go out for couple pints at The Local and just chill and play cards or board games.

I'm game if that happens. Also, if any Barrie BT folks want to join me for a brew day in my garage, you are more than welcome to.

Note on PIE: Sublime pizza. Used to be that they always had either Mad Tom or Smashbomb on tap...but last bunch of times we went it wasn't. I hope it's not a permanent change.

I'm game to meet some new beer pals in my new region. The cab fare from Barrie to my place is not out of the realm of anything I've paid for my pub crawls in Toronto.



I'll be seeing ya soon.


Cheers,

Liverdie, mintjellie and any other Barrie area BT folks, a buddy and I will be at The Local this evening. Feel free to drop by for a holiday pint or so.

[mintjellie]

Liverdie, mintjellie and any other Barrie area BT folks, a buddy and I will be at The Local this evening. Feel free to drop by for a holiday pint or so.

I just saw this post, and I'm already in my cozy fleece pajamas. I don't think I'll be coming out tonight.