“The Mysterious, Misunderstood Mild” is the theme Jay Brooks chose for this, the third edition of the beer blogging day known as The Session. In so choosing, Jay’s heart was in the right place, as he sought to pay homage to CAMRA’s “Mild Month” of May, but for a North American, the style he chose could scarcely have been harder to find. And even harder to find in an at least somewhat authentic form. (more…)
Archive for 2007
A Mild Session
Friday, May 4th, 2007
Tempest in a Brewkettle
Thursday, May 3rd, 2007The organization of Belgian beer aficionados, Zythos, appears to have gotten a bunch of people riled up lately when they drafted a declaration as to what should and what should not be considered Belgian beer. Certainly there’s a lot of discussion about it over at the Burgundian Babble Belt. (more…)
Pretzels and Beer
Thursday, April 26th, 2007I notice by the masthead of our home page that today, April 26, is National Pretzel Day. So, what to drink with your pretzels?
As simple as this question may appear, it is actually more complicated that you might think. Because most good pretzels – at least in my book – carry with them a fairly generous dosage of salt, and unless your beer is properly chosen, NaCl, or common salt, can be a destroyer of beer flavour. (more…)
A Victory for the Little Guys
Wednesday, April 18th, 2007The headline said it all: “Brewers ‘Stunned’ by EC Cartel Fine”
Now, those of us who have been following the beer biz for some time are neither surprised nor shocked, and certainly not stunned, by fines levied against big breweries, which most often take the form of a slap on the wrist for some marginally illegal marketing activity. (more…)
The Session #2 – Belgian Style Dubbels
Thursday, April 5th, 2007Welcome to edition number two of The Session, the once-a-month beer blogging day hosted this time out by my fellow Ontarian, Alan McLeod, over at the Epicurious-approved “ A Good Beer Blog . (more…)
Enough with the “Me, Too” Beer Lists, Already!
Monday, April 2nd, 2007Last night, my very significant other and I stopped in to a Toronto pub for a beer and a late bite to eat. Which pub it was is irrelevant, because these days, so many pubs in my home city look pretty much the same. Or at least, they do from the bar. (more…)
The Globe and Mail’s Case Against Alcohol
Saturday, March 24th, 2007Okay, let’s ignore the fact that the illustration of “Alcoholics Accelerated,” a feature story in the Saturday, March 24 edition of The Globe and Mail newspaper, is of a bottle labelled “Canadian Rye Whiskey,” when a quick glance at any CC or Crown Royal label will tell you that, in Canada, it’s properly spelled w-h-i-s-k-y, sans ‘e.’ This is Very Serious Journalism, as befits a cover story of the Focus section, and it would be just picky to focus on a illustrator’s typo. What we should be looking at are the facts. (more…)
Who is Thirstier Than These Guys?
Tuesday, March 20th, 2007Regardless of how you feel about the Canadian presence in Afghanistan, you can’t help but love this photo, forwarded to me by Ron Keefe, owner of the Toronto location of the Granite Brewery. (more…)
Drinking to Spring
Monday, March 12th, 2007This Thursday evening, I will board Air Canada flight 541, bound for Seattle and the Brouwer’s Cafe Hard Liver Barleywine Festival. And on Monday, I will return home, thus bringing to a close this winter’s barleywine season. (more…)
Toasting “The Session” with an Unusual Stout
Thursday, March 1st, 2007“Not Your Father’s Stout” is the theme of the first ever installment of The Session, the once-a-month beer blogging day brought to life by my friend Stan Hieronymus over at Appellation Beer. And whatever else it may be, a stout flavoured with mint and chocolate is definitely not something daddy might have drunk. (more…)
