The Bar Towel

I had a friend from out of town buy some random samples of local beer to try and brought some over a couple weeks ago. He generally got lucky with some interesting samples. He left a few behind as he was flying out. One I just decided to try. Something called Hoperation Smash.

All I can say is, for the sake of the Ontario craft industry's PR, I'm glad he never tried it. What a pointless beer.

I was not familiar with these guys so I did some interwebbing. It appears they are an agency representing some O.K. brands as well as the novelty trailer park boys shtick. They may well be a solid professional agency, though I see few of the brands they represent on shelves or taps anywhere, so there is that...

From what I gather, they have decided to launch their own brand, which this mediocre beer is part of. I guess it''s just another "it's easy to start a beer brand! We can just contract brew it!"

In this case, I will support the contract brew strategy as the beer was not foul or didn't make me sick (contract brewers do run good operations), but there is nothing to recommend about this beer. Why did they even bother wasting their time and resources on this project?

Yep....I foolishly bought a can of Hoperation as well a couple months back. Pretty shite tbh and a total waste of my money. Then I started reading the can, and a name of the owner(I think) rang a bell. It took a little while, but I remembered that it was the same name as used to be on the cans from “double trouble brewing” I remember they made some pretty mediocre beers a few years back, contract brewed out of Wellington, and this Hoperation was right in that wheelhouse.
Not sure what this American Craft thing is.....just a name
Change, or a differ t company, either way I kind of felt like I had been played

Yeah, basically a nothing beer. Bought it at a The Beer Store and won't buy it again.

It's not really a NEIPA, but it's definitely a lot better than most similarly priced beers at the LCBO/Beer Store imo. GLB Canuck is better at a lower price so yeah, no need to rebuy it, but I've had a lot worse very often.