Pepperwood Beers of the Month for July

Pepperwood Bistro & Brewpub (1455 Lakeshore Road, Burlington) have announced the details of their special beers of the month for July:

Pepperwood Monthly Feature –
German Style Wheat Beer
Available Friday, July 3rd

Moderate banana and clove flavor. The soft, grainy flavor of wheat is complementary, as is a slightly sweet Pils malt character. Hop flavor and bitterness is very low. A tart, citrusy character from yeast and high carbonation is present. Well rounded, flavorful palate with a relatively dry finish.

Pepperwood Cask -
English Mild
Available Friday, July 24th

A malty beer, with flavors including caramel, toffee, toast, nutty, chocolate, coffee, and roast. Low bitterness, enough to provide some balance but not enough to overpower the malt. Fruity esters moderate.

Pepperwood Beers of the Month for June

Pepperwood Bistro & Brewpub (1455 Lakeshore Road, Burlington) have announced the details of their special beers of the month for June:

Pepperwood Monthly Feature –
Ginger-Lime Summer Ale
Available Friday, June 5th.

Loosely based on a Cream Ale style, this beer is neither dominated by malt nor hops. A generous amount of ginger with a hint of lime makes this a refreshing beer for easy summer drinking.

Pepperwood Cask -
English Ordinary Bitter
Availability to be announced - hopefully mid-month.

A low gravity, low alcohol level and low carbonation makes this an easy-drinking beer. Noticeable malt with complementary hopping makes this a session beer. Enjoy!

Pepperwood Beers of the Month for April

Pepperwood Bistro & Brewpub (1455 Lakeshore Road, Burlington) will be releasing West Coast Pale Ale their Feature Beer of the month on Friday, April 3rd.

A Dry Stout will follow later in April as their Cask Ale of the month. The date the cask will be tapped is to be announced.

Brewmaster Paul Dickey is also looking for some feedback on Pepperwood's monthly cask ales:

The last Cask "Mild" was well received but nevertheless I had to empty 1/3 of the keg on Monday because I was not willing to serve it beyond its prime.

I need your input to make Cask viable at the Pepperwood.

Are you interested in Cask Ales?

What night is best for you?

Is there a particular style you are looking for?

How can this be framed as an event you would interested in attending?

Do I need to be present for this to be successful?

If you'd like to offer your thoughts, feel free to contact Paul with your answers.

Pepperwood Beers of the Month for March

Pepperwood Bistro & Brewpub (1455 Lakeshore Road, Burlington) released their Feature Beer of the month on Friday, March 6th, and will be releasing a Cask Ale of the month on Monday, March 16th.

The Feature Beer is Chipotle Ale, previously available at the Pepperwood Beer Fest last month.

The Monthly Cask Ale will be an English Mild, with the following notes from brewmaster Paul Dickey: "A malty beer, caramel, toffee, toast, nutty, chocolate, coffee, roast. Finish tends to dry. Low bitterness, yet enough to provide some balance but not enough to overpower the malt."

Also, coming soon to the Pepperwood's craft beer guest tap is Black Oak Double Chocolate Cherry Stout.

Pepperwood Beers of the Month for January

Pepperwood Bistro & Brewpub (1455 Lakeshore Road, Burlington) will be releasing their Feature Beer of the month on Friday, January 2nd, and a Cask Ale of the month on Friday, January 16th.

The Feature Beer is Scottish Export 80 Shilling brewed in honour of Robbie Burns. Brewmaster Paul Dickey provides the following notes: "Malt is the primary flavor, but isn’t overly strong. Hop bitterness is low, but the balance is towards the malt. Has a grainy, dry toasty finish."

The Monthly Cask Ale will be an American Pale Ale brewed with Centennial hops.

Also, the annual Pepperwood Beer Festival will take place on Sunday February 22nd. More details will be announced soon.

Pepperwood Beers of the Month for December

Pepperwood Bistro & Brewpub (1455 Lakeshore Road, Burlington) will be releasing their Feature Beer of the month on Friday, December 5th, and a Cask Ale of the month on Friday, December 19th.

The Feature Beer is a Winter Warmer with the following notes from brewmaster Paul Dickey: "Winter warmers are a more modern style of the English Old Ale and are generally maltier, fuller-bodied, often darker beers. Because we have had a run of darker beers lately, this winter warmer is very light in colour, aroma, and flavour, however it is anything but light in alcohol. It weighs in at 7% - with a light refreshing malt character, some yeast overtones with just a hint of cranberry befitting the season."

The Monthly Cask Ale will be a Pale Ale brewed with Centennial hops.

Pepperwood's Ontario Craft Brewer guest tap for December will feature Mill Street Coffee Porter.

Pepperwood Beer of the Month for November

Pepperwood Bistro & Brewpub (1455 Lakeshore Road, Burlington) will be releasing their Feature Beer for November on Friday, November 7th.

Pepperwood Dunkelweizen is described by brewmaster Paul Dickey as being "a moderately dark, spicy (clove), fruity (banana) , malty, refreshing wheat-based ale. Reflecting the best yeast and wheat character of a hefeweizen blended with the malty richness of a Munich dunkel."

Paul will also be brewing his first monthly cask ale, although it will be available exclusively for the Canadian Amateur Brewers Association AGM & Bus tour on November 8th. This cask is an Imperial Pale Ale and the style was voted upon by CABA members. In December there will be a cask available to all on a date to be determined.

Pepperwood's Ontario Craft Brewer guest tap for November will feature Mill Street Coffee Porter.

Granite Brewery Launches Hopping Mad

The Granite Brewery (245 Eglinton Ave. East) have added a new beer to their line-up of ales. Dubbed Hopping Mad, this strong pale ale checks it at 6% alcohol with a strong hop character, but also enough malt to keep it balanced. It will be available at the Granite on a rotating basis, and will also be one of the many beers available at Volo Cask Days next weekend.

Also back at the Granite for the fall and winter months is their Gin Lane Ale barley wine. The 2008 edition is still in the fermenting tanks, so the remainder of the 2007 brew will be available for the next couple of weeks.

Pepperwood Beer of the Month for October

Pepperwood Bistro & Brewpub (1455 Lakeshore Road, Burlington) will be releasing their Feature Beer for October on Friday, October 3rd.

Pepperwood Pumpkin Ale is described by brewmaster Paul Dickey as being "like a slice of pie in your glass. An orange hue, with a full bouquet of pumpkin pie spices makes this an excellent beer to celebrate the fall. Follow it up with a coffee porter for a perfect matching."

And conveniently enough, Pepperwood's Ontario Craft Brewer guest tap for October will feature Mill Street Coffee Porter.

Paul will also be trying to brew a one-off cask ale each month starting in November. This will be in addition to the feature beer, and the timing will be dependent on the brewing schedule and will vary from month to month. If you would like to be kept apprised of what the next monthly feature will be or when a cask will be put on the bar, e-mail Paul at brewer@pepperwood.on.ca or bookmark this link.

Pepperwood Beer of the Month for September

Pepperwood Bistro & Brewpub (1455 Lakeshore Road, Burlington) will be releasing their Feature Beer for September on Friday, Seotember 5th.

Pepperwood ESB is described by brewmaster Paul Dickey as "a true English gem - made with Crisp malt and english varieties of hops. On the dark end of the colour scale, with notes of biscuit, nuts, and a dry roast finish."

In addition, Pepperwood's Ontario Craft Brewer guest tap will feature Stone Hammer Pilsner from F&M Brewery for the month of September.

Pepperwood Beer of the Month for August

Pepperwood Bistro & Brewpub (1455 Lakeshore Road, Burlington) released their Feature Beer for August this weekend.

Pepperwood Summer Ale is described by brewmaster Paul Dickey as "A light refreshing beer with a hint of lemongrass, sure to be refreshing on the patio".

In addition, Pepperwood's Ontario Craft Brewer guest tap will feature Stone Hammer Pilsner from F&M Brewery for the month of August.

Pepperwood Bistro Beer Notes for May

Pepperwood Bistro (1455 Lakeshore Road, Burlington) have sent out early word about their beer plans for May:

CAMRA are designating May as "Mild Month". Mild is the ultimate session beer. It is one of the most traditional beer styles which is enjoying a revival in today's real ale market. Usually dark brown in colour, due to the use of well-roasted malts or barley it is less hopped than bitters and often has a chocolatety character with nutty and burnt flavours.

Pepperwood Monthly Feature – English Mild - available May 2nd - Cask & Draft

To celebrate “Mild Month” we will tap a cask of Mild on Friday May 2nd. The same beer will be available on draft so you can compare the cask and draft versions. To complete our celebration of Milds we will also have Grand River Mild on tap.

Feature Ontario Craft Brewer Beer - Grand River Mill Race Mild

Darkly coloured and rich in appearance, this mild ale is brewed in the traditional style of British mild beers that are disappearing even from the pubs of London, England. Grand River Brewing has revived this traditional style of beer that is deep in colour but doesn’t possess the harsh bitterness that many people associate with a darker beer. The pronounced creamy head welcomes you and is followed with a beautiful roasted barley flavour and a smooth creamy taste. This is a beer that just makes you want to have another and with being a mild, go right ahead.

Pepperwood Bistro - April Newsletter

Here's the April news update from the Pepperwood Bistro (1455 Lakeshore Road, Burlington):

Pepperwood Monthly Feature for April - Märzen - available April 4th

Märzen

History: Typically brewed in the spring, signaling the end of the traditional brewing season and stored in cold caves or cellars during the warm summer months. Served in autumn amidst traditional celebrations.

Flavor: Initial malty sweetness, but finish is moderately dry. Distinctive and complex maltiness includes a toasted aspect. Hop bitterness is moderate, and noble hop flavor is low. Balance is toward malt, though the finish is not sweet.

Overall Impression: Smooth, clean, and rather rich, with a depth of malt character. This is one of the classic malty styles, with a maltiness that is often described as soft, complex, and elegant but never cloying.

Comments: This particular Märzen has been cold cellared for many days - in fact almost two weeks. Why wait for Autumn when you can have it now.

Feature Ontario Craft Brewer Beer

Black Oak's Cherry Chocolate Stout

Pepperwood Bistro - March Newsletter

Here's the March news update from the Pepperwood Bistro (1455 Lakeshore Road, Burlington):

The Festival is over and the results are in

Another great year. Probably a larger attendance than I can remember. Everyone seemed to have a great time, and there was certainly a great selection of beer to be tasted.

Congratulations to all the brewers!!!

The winners based on "Best Brewery" ballots filled out by attendees:

1st place - Pepperwood
2nd - tie - Nickel Brook & F&M
3rd - tie - Mill Street & Trafalgar
4th - tie - Black Oak & Grand River

Pepperwood Monthly Feature for March - Chipotle Ale - available March 7th

A North American base with some Munich malt provides the base for this festival ale. With a generous amount of chipotle peppers in the fermenter this beer starts off with a mild heat that builds. Never too hot, but definitely an interesting spicy character.

Feature Ontario Craft Brewer Beer

Trafalgar Maple Bock followed by Black Oak's Cherry Chocolate Stout.

Pepperwood Bistro - February News

Here's the February news update from the Pepperwood Bistro (1455 Lakeshore Road, Burlington):

Pepperwood Monthly Feature Beer – Rye Pale Ale

This month’s feature is a lightly hopped, English style pale ale with 25% rye malt. The impression is of a malty, full-bodied ale with a slight lingering bitterness. The rye malt lends a white pepper note to the palate and creates the impression of a light spicy aftertaste.

Pepperwood Beer Festival - Sunday February 24th

Preparations are well underway for our annual beer festival. Breweries that will be represented include: Denison’s, Better Bitters, McAuslan, Black Oak, Interbrew/Ambev, Amsterdam, Mill Street, Trafalgar, Camerons, Great Lakes. Grand River, Cool, Diagio, and of course, Pepperwood.

Tickets are available now, and are expected to sell quickly. Don’t miss out on a fantastic event. Sample a variety of beers, nibble on Mike’s creations, win a door prize, enter to win the 50/50 draw – and of course talk to the brewery representatives and fellow beer lovers.

If you would like to be kept apprised of what the next monthly feature will be or when a cask will be put on the bar please e-mail Paul Dickey at brewer@pepperwood.on.ca to be put on a mailing list for the Pepperwood brew notes.

Snow Day at The Granite Brewery

To help encourage folks to get outside despite the snow, the Granite Brewery (245 Eglinton Ave. East) is holding a special Snow Day promotion for today only (Friday, February 1st).

Mention 'Snow Day' to your server, and you'll get 25% off the food portion of your bill. (Offer is valid for eat-in only, and cannot be combined with 2-for-1 offers.)

Mill Street Brewpub Now Open

After months of planning and work, Mill Street Brewery have opened the brewpub at their original brewery location in the Distillery District. They currently have eight beers on tap - Tankhouse Ale, Stock Ale, Coffee Porter, Organic Lager, Oktoberfest, Barley Wine '04, Wit, Cobblestone Stout - and will be adding an IPA, Kriek, ESB and Helles Bock in the next few weeks.

Les 3 Brasseurs Brewpub Coming To Toronto

The following announcement was posted recently to ProBrewer.com:

Les 3 Brasseurs microbreweries is opening a new site in Toronto at the begining of 2007.

For this reason we are looking for a brewer from the Toronto area, with knowledge in chemistry-biochemistry-microbiology or experience in the brewing industry. This person will follow a two month training in our microbreweries in Montreal. Working knowledge of the french language is an asset.

Please contact Cédric Dauchot by email: cedric@les3brasseurs.ca

Les 3 Brasseurs is a chain of brewpubs started in France, with three locations in Montréal. According to a note on the menu from their Montréal locations, the Toronto pub will be located at 275 Yonge St., which is south of Dundas across from the Eaton Centre.

Discuss this topic in the Bar Towel Forum

Pepperwood Beer-of-the-Month for March

The beer-of-the-month for March at Pepperwood Bistro (1455 Lakeshore Rd., Burlington) is a Pepper Ale. One taster has described it as having "good heat, with a similar base beer to their dry hopped bitter".

Discuss this topic in the Bar Towel Forum

Pepperwood Beer-of-the-Month for February

The beer-of-the-month for February at Pepperwood Bistro (1455 Lakeshore Rd., Burlington) is a Rye Ale. These one-offs generally don't last long, so get out there quickly if you want a taste.

Discuss this topic in the Bar Towel Forum

For Sale: Brewpub In Ottawa

Ever wanted to own a brewpub? Here's your chance!

The Draft Horse Brewery near Ottawa has been put up for sale (along with the attached Navan Feed Mill Restaurant) after only a few months of operation. Interested parties can check out the sale listing at ProBrewer.com for more information.

Discuss this topic in the Bar Towel Forum

Pepperwood Beer of the Month

January's beer-of-the-month at Pepperwood Bistro is a Barley Wine. As always, it's well worth the drive to Burlington!

Discuss this topic in the Bar Towel Forum