The Bar Towel

I've never been, just wondering if it's worth my time.

If you've never gone, I'd say that it's worth going at least once. The fest draws it's fair share of criticisms - some of them quite valid - but there are generally enough micros and decent imports available alongside the macros to make it worthwhile. Especially since some of the micros, like Scotch-Irish and Black Oak, usually crack out a couple of great exclusives.

If you can get off work early on Friday, I'd strongly suggest that you head down that afternoon. Saturday is a complete madhouse, and by Sunday, the limited beers might be tapped out.

This year we are bringing a whole slew of thing to the festival.
The list includes: Session Ale, Black Irish Plain Porter, Corporal Punishment, Sgt. Major's IPA, Tsarina Katarina Imperial Stout 2005, Heritage Lager, Heritage Dark Heritage Passiion Brew and, brew exclusively for the show, Ginger's Ale, Major Misconduct, Captain Cascade and Vanilla Bean Porter. These last 4 are one off cask ales.
BTW, Thanks to all of you who have stuck with us during our adjustment period.
Perry

This year we are bringing a whole slew of thing to the festival.
The list includes: Session Ale, Black Irish Plain Porter, Corporal Punishment, Sgt. Major's IPA, Tsarina Katarina Imperial Stout 2005, Heritage Lager, Heritage Dark Heritage Passiion Brew and, brew exclusively for the show, Ginger's Ale, Major Misconduct, Captain Cascade and Vanilla Bean Porter. These last 4 are one off cask ales.
BTW, Thanks to all of you who have stuck with us during our adjustment period.
Perry

This is reason enough to go

PRMason wrote:This year we are bringing a whole slew of thing to the festival.
The list includes: Session Ale, Black Irish Plain Porter, Corporal Punishment, Sgt. Major's IPA, Tsarina Katarina Imperial Stout 2005, Heritage Lager, Heritage Dark Heritage Passiion Brew and, brew exclusively for the show, Ginger's Ale, Major Misconduct, Captain Cascade and Vanilla Bean Porter. These last 4 are one off cask ales.
BTW, Thanks to all of you who have stuck with us during our adjustment period.
Perry

Perry any idea on the schedule of release, or will it get poured as it sells?? I am currently debating between attending friday and sunday or just sunday, and am excited to try the Ginger's Ale and Vanilla Bean porter.

I will tap the Vanilla Bean and Major Misconduct 2006 on Friday, Captain Cascade on Saturday and the Ginger on Sunday.

after years of seeing the festival crumble from an event for beer drinkers (whom also enjoy good food), that are there to sample what is "also" available (when i say this, i am refering to the fact that i am there to sample beer that i would not normally be inclined to purchase while on my travels through the lcbo or beer store). now that the event has become a product of the cartel that controls what we can and cannot drink, the craft brewers are cast off to the side (almost behind the toilettes) while they push their swill to an audience that could not tell fermented piss from their mass produced crap. also, why is assume-a-lease there? the last thing i am thinking about after a few drinks is driving, let alone leasing a vehicle. "hey buddy, can i test drive this vehicle in the lot?, i'm ok ive only had 2 drinks"
so my answer, in terms of advice, would be go to a least one beer fest and decide for yourself if it really is a festival or just a huge cash grab. sample what you would not normally drink. speak to the people who make the beer, and not the brewery sales reps. be very patient, it may take 5 minutes to get a 4 oz. sample of a product that wound up costing you $2. make sure you bring alot of money, cause it ain't cheap. but the most important advice i could give......... have a catheder installed, the lineups for the port-o-lets are huge!

I guess I'm only partially suprised that there isn't much BUZZ going on about the festival this year... I'm taking this year off, having made a 'deal' with my wife, I went to Montreal instead, I think it was a good deal

For anyone who's heading down, have a ball, and please post a review, I'm disappointed not to get to try Perry's latest offerings, let's hope the Winking Judge still does their Fall Festival, I can catch-up then...

JWalter wrote:I guess I'm only partially suprised that there isn't much BUZZ going on about the festival this year... I'm taking this year off, having made a 'deal' with my wife, I went to Montreal instead, I think it was a good deal

For anyone who's heading down, have a ball, and please post a review, I'm disappointed not to get to try Perry's latest offerings, let's hope the Winking Judge still does their Fall Festival, I can catch-up then...

Sounds similar to my situation. Only, I didn't make a deal, but my wife has to work all 3 days of the festival. Her parents are out of town, or I would have them take care of my daughter while I attend the festival. If I find a way, It'll probably have to be Sunday, which is too bad, since I was really looking forward to trying Perry's vanilla porter.

Well, I'll almost certainly see you at the Judge if they have a fall fest. I'm sure Perry and Ken will have something worth drinking there. I haven't been let down in the past!

I'll be there tomorrow...I know I dont post allot, but I'm always reading.

Major Misconduct = Reason enough to go

The wife and I hit the festival for a few hours this afternoon and had a great time. After working at the Esprit booth for the past few years, it was nice to go just as an attendee - more time to chat with the brewers and friends, and of course, drink some beer.

I'll be putting together a post-fest news article for the main page news feed this weekend, as well as a more extensive review feature for my blog, but here are a few tidbits to whet your appetite:

- Church Key tapped the first keg of their Purple Lustrife Mead for the festival.

- Great Lakes Devil's Pale Ale wasn't the only new PA to be released this weekend - we also got Ste. Andre Eastern India Pale Ale.

- A certain Eastern Ontario brewery with a somewhat tarnished reputation will be changing their name and all of their brands in the fall, as the new owners have improved the quality and standards at the brewery and want to get a fresh start.

I think there are a couple of other things to report, but I need to get my notes together.

As promised, I've posted a full news item on the new beers & other news from the Festival. If you come across any other news or new beers that I missed, please drop me a line at news@bartowel.com

This news post will be edited and expanded into a full Festival report which will be posted to Gremolata and/or my own blog in the next week or so.

I went to the fest on Friday night around 8:15 to check things out. It was a fun time, nice to see lots of familiar faces again. Most of the brewers I spoke to are excited about the Golden Tap Awards, and hopefully we'll see some interesting beers there too.

[quote="GregClow"]thanks for the updates, greg. I look forward to some of these inteersting new offerings, and will look out for them around town

I went to my first 'Toronto beerfest' on Friday and...well... I was disappointed...

Being used to the smaller 'Capital City beer fest' and the Montreal 'Mondial', my first impressions of the T.O. one was 'DISORGANIZED'...

I walked from Union Station to the Fort's closest entrance to be turned back and go 'on the other side'... wh...wha...what??? too hard to put a booth there?

Then, the 'token line-up' was...well...HUUUUGE!!! Can't put 3 or 4 booths?

Those two things, for me, were a major turn-off...

On the other hand, having many of the Ontario micro-breweries was a major plus, as they're not in Montreal (of course!)

Although some didn't like it 'that much', I'm not afraid of saying that I really enjoyed the Great Lakes Devil's Pale Ale...

Perry's casks (Mjr. Misconduct & Vanilla bean) were interesting to say the least...

All in all, I had fun, but I'll probably pass on next year's show...Montreal, although VERY busy on Friday night & saturday, will be on my schedule in 2007

frosken