I haven't made the rounds of all the down-town places but I hit Castro's Lounge yesterday for a (self-congratulatory) 'apres-gardening' snack
A fair selection of quality draught, and some very nice Belgian private imports. My chicken wrap was a bit heavy on the chilies, but the Achel 8 Blonde was a very nice discovery.
(I would have liked the spicy wrap better with a stout or something sweeter like the La Trappe Quadrupel they carry.)
A place I will return to for good beer since I live nearby- they seem a bit more hip than most of the Beaches - not overly slick, with an emphasis on content. Let's encourage that vision.
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!
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!
What Y'all think of Castro's?
What Y'all think of Castro's?
In Beerum Veritas
I don't make it out to that end of town very often, so I've only been to Castro's once, but I enjoyed it. Four of us spent a couple of hours there on a Sunday afternoon. I tried their Niagara-brewed house beer, Duff Lager (as a die-hard Simpsons fan, I couldn't resist!) and found it to be a pleasant mainstream quaff. I can't remember what else I had, but I recall the selection to be quite respectable, similar in size, quality & price point to Ciro's. If I lived in the area, I'd probably be a semi-regular there.
I don't recall Duff on tap, but Creemore....
Also Denisons Weiss, St. Ambroise Oatmeal Stout, Wellington County Ale (great), & at least a couple other good ones (did they have some Black Oak Mill Street, I forget!)- I was surprised actually. Lots of people were drinking the Weiss so they must have some beer-hip clientéle. (Important for freshness.)
I also found 7 bucks for a Trappist pretty okay. As long as the beer selection is intelligent and the prices are fair, I will enjoy Castro's more often. I like the Beaches and we need smart businesses like this here.
I will report on further quaffings.
Also Denisons Weiss, St. Ambroise Oatmeal Stout, Wellington County Ale (great), & at least a couple other good ones (did they have some Black Oak Mill Street, I forget!)- I was surprised actually. Lots of people were drinking the Weiss so they must have some beer-hip clientéle. (Important for freshness.)
I also found 7 bucks for a Trappist pretty okay. As long as the beer selection is intelligent and the prices are fair, I will enjoy Castro's more often. I like the Beaches and we need smart businesses like this here.
I will report on further quaffings.
In Beerum Veritas
When I lived in the area, Castro's was a regular spot. Beats anything else i ever found in the Beaches. Sampled a range of what was offered on tap, as well as the extensive bottled menu. Delish! It's a bit of a hike for me now, but I make sure to stop in whenever I happen down to the neighbourhood.
cheers
cheers
Beer - the cause of, and solution to, all of life's problems.
After some rollerblading around the Beaches we stopped by Castro's. Nice! 
A nice selection on tap. It turned out to be a Denison's Weissebier weekend as Castro's had it as well as Smokeless (went there on Saturday night.)
After seeing Delerium Tremens being pored at Smokeless I gave it a try at Castros. Looks nice. Has floaty bits in it. The taste, while not bad, isn't what I'd call refreshing or sweet. I'm not too disheartened that the LCBO had a brain cramp about it and it's going away. The other odd ball was McEwan's Scotch Ale. After pouring that out you really have to hold it up to the light to see that it's a deep amber colour. The taste, while not bad and had some sweetness, was rather heavy for me. If we hadn't finished the onion rings I may have liked it better. It'll fall in the "drink with food" category.
The Dirty Girl Scout martini is really good too.
Anyone try the Wings of Death? How do they compare with Duff's on Bayview? I'm not a wing eater myself. Too much work for too little reward. I'd rather have chicken fingers caked in the sauce. Plus there is that messy fingers factor.
A nice selection on tap. It turned out to be a Denison's Weissebier weekend as Castro's had it as well as Smokeless (went there on Saturday night.)After seeing Delerium Tremens being pored at Smokeless I gave it a try at Castros. Looks nice. Has floaty bits in it. The taste, while not bad, isn't what I'd call refreshing or sweet. I'm not too disheartened that the LCBO had a brain cramp about it and it's going away. The other odd ball was McEwan's Scotch Ale. After pouring that out you really have to hold it up to the light to see that it's a deep amber colour. The taste, while not bad and had some sweetness, was rather heavy for me. If we hadn't finished the onion rings I may have liked it better. It'll fall in the "drink with food" category.
The Dirty Girl Scout martini is really good too.
Anyone try the Wings of Death? How do they compare with Duff's on Bayview? I'm not a wing eater myself. Too much work for too little reward. I'd rather have chicken fingers caked in the sauce. Plus there is that messy fingers factor.
lister
-
old faithful
- Bar Fly
- Posts: 986
- Joined: Fri Oct 10, 2003 8:00 pm