The Great Canadian Beer Thread

[Marty_Mcfly]

Originally Posted by SignalHillHiker

Blackhorse is from Quebec.

http://theovercast.ca/death-mergers-...and-only-here/

This subhead: "So It’s Ours Now, Despite Some Knicks in Its Pedigree" killed me. Died laughing. This paper is always so bitchy.

If I recall correctly, even during it's time in Montreal, it's brewing was contracted out to a company in New York City. The beer that travels even further.

[Drybrain]

Originally Posted by kel

Notice today that my regular after work six pack jumped from $8.40 to $10.20, thank you once again Alberta Gov't.

If that's a craft-beer sixer, that's still quite a deal. In Nova Scotia (and last time I was in Ontario) prices range from 12-15 for a six-pack of craft beer.

[Trevor3]

Originally Posted by Drybrain

If that's a craft-beer sixer, that's still quite a deal. In Nova Scotia (and last time I was in Ontario) prices range from 12-15 for a six-pack of craft beer.

In NL I'm paying between $15 and $17 for 6-pack of anything considered a craft beer. A 6-pack of Muskoka runs $16.80 taxes in, I tried Okanagan Spring this weekend and that was over $16 as well.

[Marty_Mcfly]

Originally Posted by Trevor3

In NL I'm paying between $15 and $17 for 6-pack of anything considered a craft beer. A 6-pack of Muskoka runs $16.80 taxes in, I tried Okanagan Spring this weekend and that was over $16 as well.

A 6-pack of Budweiser (or any macro lager) is $14.94 (probably before tax).

I remember back when bad beer was only 11 bucks for a six pack.....

[Marty_Mcfly]

Next beer club order is coming from Beau's Brewing out of Vankleek Hill, Ontario. Is it worth it, folks?

More specifically, these are what will be available (and the prices for the lols)

The Tom Green Beer - Milk Stout ($5.97/600 mL bottle)
Golden Vox - Rye Pale Lagered Ale ($5.97)
St. Luke's Verse - Lavender Gruit ($5.97)

And an Oktoberfest 4 pack (4 x 600 mL, $28.99) made of:
Ginger Wolf - Ginger Hopfenweisse
One Ping Only - Baltic Porter
Return of the Mumme - Medieval Mumme Ale
Vienna Style Lager - Vienna Lager

[Drybrain]

Originally Posted by Marty_Mcfly

Next beer club order is coming from Beau's Brewing out of Vankleek Hill, Ontario. Is it worth it, folks?

I've always enjoyed Beau's. Prices seem pretty normal for a 600 ml bottle.

[Proof Sheet]

Originally Posted by Marty_Mcfly

Next beer club order is coming from Beau's Brewing out of Vankleek Hill, Ontario. Is it worth it, folks?

More specifically, these are what will be available (and the prices for the lols)

The Tom Green Beer - Milk Stout ($5.97/600 mL bottle)
Golden Vox - Rye Pale Lagered Ale ($5.97)
St. Luke's Verse - Lavender Gruit ($5.97)

And an Oktoberfest 4 pack (4 x 600 mL, $28.99) made of:
Ginger Wolf - Ginger Hopfenweisse
One Ping Only - Baltic Porter
Return of the Mumme - Medieval Mumme Ale
Vienna Style Lager - Vienna Lager

Any chance you can get this one?

https://www.beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/15435/159668/

Lots of hops, but then again I love hops. Generally, IPA is what I drink 90% of the time when I'm choosing.

[Loco101]

Originally Posted by Marty_Mcfly

Next beer club order is coming from Beau's Brewing out of Vankleek Hill, Ontario. Is it worth it, folks?

More specifically, these are what will be available (and the prices for the lols)

The Tom Green Beer - Milk Stout ($5.97/600 mL bottle)
Golden Vox - Rye Pale Lagered Ale ($5.97)
St. Luke's Verse - Lavender Gruit ($5.97)

And an Oktoberfest 4 pack (4 x 600 mL, $28.99) made of:
Ginger Wolf - Ginger Hopfenweisse
One Ping Only - Baltic Porter
Return of the Mumme - Medieval Mumme Ale
Vienna Style Lager - Vienna Lager

Beau's beers are great. I'd get them for sure.

[eemy]

Just to chime in as well, I haven't had any of the beers you listed except the Tom Green (which I recall being good - I'm not a very sophisticated beer drinker), but Beau's is consistently good and well worth trying.

[Marty_Mcfly]

Good to hear, guys. The beer club rarely brings in "bad beer", just sometimes beer I don't enjoy like Wold Top Brewing. While I'm hesitant to buy a beer with Tom Greene's face on it, I do love milk stouts

Originally Posted by Proof Sheet

Any chance you can get this one?

https://www.beeradvocate.com/beer/profile/15435/159668/

Lots of hops, but then again I love hops. Generally, IPA is what I drink 90% of the time when I'm choosing.

Unfortunately we're stuck with what's on that list. I've seen this beer talked up in this thread, so I'm a little disappointed it's not in the order. Maybe the dumb politicians in this country can actually agree to lighten up on the archaic inter-provincial liquor transport laws. I'd love to buy great beer online and have it sent to my house without it costing me my firstborn child.

Ayreonaut just sent me and SHH a beer package from Alberta before he left for Tokyo. Should be here in a few weeks. I trust his taste in beer so I'm super excited for that to show up There's some non-hoppy beers for the lighter hearted (SHH )

[SpongeG]

i really like this one from phillips from victoria, solaris white peach ale

very refreshing

[Ayreonaut]

Originally Posted by Marty_Mcfly

Ayreonaut just sent me and SHH a beer package from Alberta before he left for Tokyo. Should be here in a few weeks. I trust his taste in beer so I'm super excited for that to show up There's some non-hoppy beers for the lighter hearted (SHH )

SHHHHHH!!!!! It's illegal.

I've been in Tokyo for 30 hours now and I'm already missing the Calgary liquor stores. #humblebrag

Lots of restaurants ONLY have Asahi and even though I can't read the labels on most cans, all I need to see is "Sapporo," "Asahi," or "Kirin" to know that it's probably not great. But, Sapporo has a Belgian white (astonishingly named White Belg) that I think might be okay. It's among the 5 beers I picked up at the grocery store this afternoon.

[niwell]

Originally Posted by Ayreonaut

SHHHHHH!!!!! It's illegal.

I've been in Tokyo for 30 hours now and I'm already missing the Calgary liquor stores. #humblebrag

Lots of restaurants ONLY have Asahi and even though I can't read the labels on most cans, all I need to see is "Sapporo," "Asahi," or "Kirin" to know that it's probably not great. But, Sapporo has a Belgian white (astonishingly named White Belg) that I think might be okay. It's among the 5 beers I picked up at the grocery store this afternoon.

I've had some craft beer friends report that Tokyo and Japan in general don't really do a great job with craft beer, although it is getting better in recent years. Even at the craft beer festivals the quality is well behind anything in North America.

[Marty_Mcfly]

Originally Posted by Ayreonaut

SHHHHHH!!!!! It's illegal.

I've been in Tokyo for 30 hours now and I'm already missing the Calgary liquor stores. #humblebrag

Lots of restaurants ONLY have Asahi and even though I can't read the labels on most cans, all I need to see is "Sapporo," "Asahi," or "Kirin" to know that it's probably not great. But, Sapporo has a Belgian white (astonishingly named White Belg) that I think might be okay. It's among the 5 beers I picked up at the grocery store this afternoon.

Search harder and you may find some.....rice lagers?

Japan doesn't strike me as a place where you can find a nice imperial stout or west coast IPA.

[Ayreonaut]

Found a great IPA last night at a bar and Yokohama Pale Ale is really nice, too. I'll go back there for sure because they had 16 taps of Japanese craft beer, ranging from hibiscus sours to stouts.

Bars can be pricey though so I'd still love to find a store with a large selection of bottles. I know they exist because in 2012 I found a place that carried Chimay and other imported beers, but so far nothing in my area (I did find two cans of Brewdog two days ago but the rest of the store was mainly whisky. I'm sure Google can help me.

[Kilgore Trout]

If you're having trouble finding craft beer in Tokyo, this site is your friend:

http://tokyobeerdrinker.blogspot.hk/

Pretty much any good liquor store in Tokyo will have some craft beer. You can get Yo-Ho at most Lawsons convenience stores, too – these are pretty solid, especially the Aooni IPA, Tokyo Black porter and whatever is in the their "Sorry" series of one-offs.

If you're in Shinjuku, check out Shinanoya for a decent beer selection. There's a liquor store inside Bic Camera that is also decent. On the east side of town, Le Collier inside Tokyo Station has a great selection of good Japanese craft.

For draught beer you're spoiled for choice... Popeye's is incredible, they have 70+ extremely well-curated taps. The Baird taprooms are good too, Craft Beer Market has a decent selection and is very cheap for Japan, Goodbeer Faucets is nice and I like the Watering Hole. One of my favourites is Kura Kura, an obscure upstairs place with 12 interesting beers on tap. There are actually tons of little neighbourhood craft beer bars with just a few taps that rotate quite often.

Some good Japanese breweries to check out:

- Hitachino Nest (good lager and witbier)
- Yo-Ho (mentioned above)
- Shiga Kougen (try the special IPA, it's great)
- Fujisakura Heights (great rauchbier)
- North Coast (excellent hoppy West Coast-style IPA)

Definitely hit up Popeye's, though. You won't regret it. One of the best beer bars in the world.

[Ayreonaut]

I've since discovered that one of the guys in this share house (born in Cleveland, raised in Ontario) is a beer guy and has been living here for 3.5 years. He's given me some recommendations as well.

I'm definitely going to try Popeye - it's 22 minutes away from me. I'll look into Craft Beer Market as well because I'm usually the only one in my group willing to pay much of a premium for good beer. The BrewDog Bar in Roppongi is literally 2 minutes on foot from our studio space, so I'm basically going to be a regular there until October.

[SignalHillHiker]

A few of my recent hauls. I've definitely fallen in love with beer from Halifax, it seems.



So far from this one I've only had the Flatrock Freshie Black Currant Saison. It's almost flavourless. It's probably the closest beer to water I've ever had. I wouldn't even be able to tell you the faint hint of flavour was black currant without having read the label first.



From this one they were both fine. Nut Brown is very plain as well, similar to Quidi Vidi Honey Brown but slightly better. Great replacement for macro beer.

The ESB is my favourite right now, up there with Storm Island Gold and Storm Coffee Porter as my favourite basic, minimum beer.



In this one the Czech one was surprisingly light; I was disappointed. The Oktoberfest one was decent. The dunkel one was the better of the three.

[SignalHillHiker]

The Garrison Brewery's Double Jack Imperial Pumpkin is really nice.

It doesn't immediately have that tinny, chemical taste that most large-batch, heavily flavoured beers seem to get. The flavour is strong, but somehow authentic.

You couldn't do the whole 650 ml in one sitting. In fact, it's probably best drank like a port.

[SignalHillHiker]

The Propeller Rye IPA is definitely an IPA. I taste grass, but not as strong as in the past. There's some creamy aspect to this, like someone dumped a tin of Fussel's into the mix. Overall you can tell it's kind of amateur, but it's still better than macros. It has layers you can taste, unlike say Quidi Vidi British IPA.