The Bar Towel

Thanks so much to Muskokan for sending me some free beer. I just received shipment this morning, so I had Lower West Side with my lunch. It is a shade darker than most west coast ipas, which I can appreciate some malt complexity. It definitely has the hop flavour to balance. It's taste starts off a...

I actually grabbed a Mad Tom yesterday after it was mentioned here, realized I haven't had it in far too long. Boneshaker has been in heavy rotation. I think I've developed hazy fatigue and it's one of the few that still has that bracing hoppiness I remember from the good old days. I've noticed a lo...

Just noticed that Little Beasts Brewery has been closed for 5 weeks now without an update. Doesn't look promising for them. Good news, they just posted to their Instagram account and they'll be reopening. Dates TBD. I believe it is under new ownership as I understand owner and head brewer Erin was ...

GLB are truly unrivaled at their price point in Ontario. Canuck at 3.15 and their rotating IPAs at like 3.60 are like a buck cheaper than their competition. Pompous Ass is under 3 bucks! I will say though, Collective Lager has become a bit of a staple for me. It's consistent, well-priced and pretty...

A re-focus on quality may do them some good..... I think you are on to something. For a while now I've thought they should regroup to some of their core product, get it right and throw in some rotational seasonals and maybe the occasional collab. Every time I go to the LCBO I feel they have some ot...

Rouge River has another NA IPA out and it's fantastic. First one (Free Beer) might have been slightly better, but that's probably just personal hop preference. https://rougeriverbrewingcompany.com/store/jazz-dance-non-alc-ipa-473ml Nice. I'll be in Markham next weekend, hopefully it sticks around t...

"Our private members' tap room is an exclusive haven, accessible by invitation only, ensuring an intimate setting for those seeking a truly distinctive experience." All I can say is LOL! Definitely comes across as a style over substance endeavour at this point. Hopefully they brew good eno...

Absolutely, I was wondering about that as well. Especially RTD cocktails and seltzers, I've noticed they've taken up a good chunk of shelf space at the LCBO that used to be devoted to beer. I go to Vic Park/Ellesmere a fair bit and the craft selection seems to have been cut down by a good 25% or mo...

I think part of it may be the rapid growth of many breweries in a saturated market, but what is really being downplayed is the interest in other beverages such as RTD cocktails, seltzers, wines, etc as younger generation's tastes change or we become more health conscious. As an anecdote, I just cam...

I also thought Laylow was just a neighbourhood bar, didn't realize they considered themselves a brewery. Katalyst, I've seen that name pop up but never came across any of their beers. Economic challenges for craft breweries notwithstanding, I do wonder if the industry grew too fast to be sustainable...

On the topic of imports, anyone have some insider knowledge as to whether or not they'll be bringing in another shipment of Orval? I was getting excited that it'd be somewhat regular with new stock 3 years in a row from 2020-22. If we go on another hiatus I'm going to have to start rationing again lol

Years ago, 2017 I think, I got a German import advent and while a lot of the beers were ok at best, it was interesting to try stuff we'd never get over here. It's funny you should mention this - I was at a Costco in Detroit a couple of weeks back on a business trip, and I saw the German beer advent...

The decline of the Bastard series has been disappointing. In the mid to late 2010s those were some of the best BA stouts going. Last I had was around 2020/2021 and I noticed a significant drop-off. It was watery, unbalanced. Hopefully it returns to form. I'd recommend trying Left Field's Blackburne...

Details included in link. https://www.vintagesshoponline.com/vintages/Public/OrderProgramProducts.aspx?programId=1032&lang=en&utm_medium=email&utm_source=ecomm-notification&utm_campaign=20231122_Sazerac-Availability-Notification~Vintages_en&utm_content=Hero Full Email Blurb belo...

Stumbled across this thread by chance from a couple of years ago. Every year I am tempted to buy a beer advent calendar.....but I've never pulled the trigger. Has anyone else purchased one in 2021 or last year and can offer comments on fun and value? I'm much the same. Finally decided to last year ...