The Bar Towel

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.

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.

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

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.

lister wrote: The other odd ball was McEwan's Scotch Ale.

You can usually find the McEwans Scotch Ale on clear-out at the LCBO if anyone wants to try just a single bottle. The cases must fall apart or something.

Yes, but did he not mean draft?

Gary

old faithful wrote:Yes, but did he not mean draft?

Moi? No, McEwan's was in bottle form at Castro's.

Tried the Denison's last night, it was one of the best things I've tasted. they sell a lot so I guess it's fairly fresh all the time.

Belgian wrote:Tried the Denison's last night, it was one of the best things I've tasted. they sell a lot so I guess it's fairly fresh all the time.

I haven't had a bad pint of Denison's Weissebier yet at any of the usual spots it is at. Smokeless, C'est What?, Castro's, Bow & Arrow...