Looking for the original Bar Towel blog? You can find it at www.thebartowel.com.

We have a trivia question in order to register to prevent bots. If you have any issues with answering, contact us at cass@bartowel.com for help.

Introducing Light Mode! If you would like a Bar Towel social experience that isn't the traditional blue, you can now select Light Mode. Go to the User Control Panel and then Board Preferences, and select "Day Drinking" (Light Mode) from the My Board Style drop-down menu. You can always switch back to "Night Drinking" (Dark Mode). Enjoy!

Merchant Ale House

Discuss Ontario's brewpubs, pubs, beer bars and restaurants here.

Moderators: Craig, Cass

Post Reply
midlife crisis
Beer Superstar
Posts: 2009
Joined: Thu Jan 08, 2004 7:00 pm
Location: Toronto

Merchant Ale House

Post by midlife crisis »

Is this still the best place in St Catharines for lunch and a good pint? Are they even open at lunch time? Took a look at their web site but it looks to be out-of-date at best and possibly has been hacked. Any other reco's for St. Kitts? Thanks.

User avatar
SteelbackGuy
Beer Superstar
Posts: 4613
Joined: Sun Feb 06, 2005 12:11 pm
Location: Hamilton, ON
Contact:

Post by SteelbackGuy »

midlife crisis wrote:Is this still the best place in St Catharines for lunch and a good pint? Are they even open at lunch time? Took a look at their web site but it looks to be out-of-date at best and possibly has been hacked. Any other reco's for St. Kitts? Thanks.

I think it opens around 3 or 4 during the week. At least it used to. I'd just skip it entirely and drive the extra 15 minutes to the falls and go to Taps or Syndicate.
If you`re reading this, there`s a 15% chance you`ve got a significant drinking problem. Get it fixed, get recovered!

midlife crisis
Beer Superstar
Posts: 2009
Joined: Thu Jan 08, 2004 7:00 pm
Location: Toronto

Post by midlife crisis »

That could be an option, yes. Is one significantly closer to the QEW and/or St Catharines than the other? Also, from a quick Google search I see there is also a branch of Syndicate right in St Catharines. That might be my best option.

hopdevil
Posts: 93
Joined: Fri Jul 27, 2007 8:05 pm
Location: Mississauga

Post by hopdevil »

I highly recommend the Syndicate - 2 min south of the QEW, on Ontario St.
( same ownership as the NF location )

ontbeermaker
Posts: 11
Joined: Mon May 30, 2011 8:42 pm
Location: Hammer and The Kitter
Contact:

Post by ontbeermaker »

Pow Wow just down the street from the merch gets mill st seasonals and good burgers.

midlife crisis
Beer Superstar
Posts: 2009
Joined: Thu Jan 08, 2004 7:00 pm
Location: Toronto

Post by midlife crisis »

Ended up at the Syndicate on Ontario St. in St. Catharines, which was great, so thanks for the reco. Unexpected location for a brewpub with upscale "farm to table" food selections, to say the least! I had the Taps Black IPA, which does not appear to be on the website at the moment, but was very good indeed.

User avatar
S. St. Jeb
Seasoned Drinker
Posts: 1044
Joined: Tue Mar 22, 2011 11:44 pm
Location: Burlington, ON

Post by S. St. Jeb »

.
Last edited by S. St. Jeb on Sat Jan 21, 2023 10:22 pm, edited 1 time in total.

User avatar
S. St. Jeb
Seasoned Drinker
Posts: 1044
Joined: Tue Mar 22, 2011 11:44 pm
Location: Burlington, ON

Post by S. St. Jeb »

.
Last edited by S. St. Jeb on Sat Jan 21, 2023 10:22 pm, edited 1 time in total.

User avatar
S. St. Jeb
Seasoned Drinker
Posts: 1044
Joined: Tue Mar 22, 2011 11:44 pm
Location: Burlington, ON

Post by S. St. Jeb »

.

User avatar
S. St. Jeb
Seasoned Drinker
Posts: 1044
Joined: Tue Mar 22, 2011 11:44 pm
Location: Burlington, ON

Post by S. St. Jeb »

Did a search and found a very old thread for this place.

I've been there a few times over the last few years; it's a really nice little place. Last time I was there was last spring and I bought a Merchant Ale House Skullkrusher Bourbon Barrel Aged Brown Ale I had it tonight which prompted me to finally check if this place had been mentioned before. A nice place to go if you are in St. Catharines.

midlife crisis
Beer Superstar
Posts: 2009
Joined: Thu Jan 08, 2004 7:00 pm
Location: Toronto

Post by midlife crisis »

S. St. Jeb wrote: Sat Jan 21, 2023 10:22 pm Did a search and found a very old thread for this place.

I've been there a few times over the last few years; it's a really nice little place. Last time I was there was last spring and I bought a Merchant Ale House Skullkrusher Bourbon Barrel Aged Brown Ale I had it tonight which prompted me to finally check if this place had been mentioned before. A nice place to go if you are in St. Catharines.
Glad to hear that it has survived the COVID! Have always enjoyed my visits there, though the last was back in 2019 I believe.

User avatar
Tapsucker
Seasoned Drinker
Posts: 1910
Joined: Fri Apr 28, 2006 6:21 pm
Location: Toronto

Post by Tapsucker »

S. St. Jeb wrote: Sat Jan 21, 2023 10:22 pm Did a search and found a very old thread for this place.

I've been there a few times over the last few years; it's a really nice little place. Last time I was there was last spring and I bought a Merchant Ale House Skullkrusher Bourbon Barrel Aged Brown Ale I had it tonight which prompted me to finally check if this place had been mentioned before. A nice place to go if you are in St. Catharines.
It obviously caused three blank posts. What is the ABV? :lol:
Brands are for cattle.
Fans are cash cows.
The herd will consume until consumed.

User avatar
S. St. Jeb
Seasoned Drinker
Posts: 1044
Joined: Tue Mar 22, 2011 11:44 pm
Location: Burlington, ON

Post by S. St. Jeb »

Tapsucker wrote: Mon Jan 23, 2023 10:27 pm
S. St. Jeb wrote: Sat Jan 21, 2023 10:22 pm Did a search and found a very old thread for this place.

I've been there a few times over the last few years; it's a really nice little place. Last time I was there was last spring and I bought a Merchant Ale House Skullkrusher Bourbon Barrel Aged Brown Ale I had it tonight which prompted me to finally check if this place had been mentioned before. A nice place to go if you are in St. Catharines.
It obviously caused three blank posts. What is the ABV? :lol:
LOL, yah, clearly was having some difficulty. I think it was about 10%

User avatar
Cass
Beer Superstar
Posts: 3828
Joined: Sun Jun 17, 2001 8:00 pm
Location: Toronto
Contact:

Post by Cass »

Thanks for reviving the old thread about Merchant! One of those places I've never been, but glad to hear they're still going.

midlife crisis
Beer Superstar
Posts: 2009
Joined: Thu Jan 08, 2004 7:00 pm
Location: Toronto

Post by midlife crisis »

Cass wrote: Wed Jan 25, 2023 4:40 pm Thanks for reviving the old thread about Merchant! One of those places I've never been, but glad to hear they're still going.
One of those rare places that has cask -- or did as recently as 2019 (haven't been since) -- which is what makes it really special for me. I know the presumed "death of cask" was discussed extensively in another thread but it's still the #1 criterion for a great beer bar in my books.

Post Reply