Look! Over yonder! There’s a beaver and a loon swimming arm in arm while patriotic music swells! Behind them a moose carefully waves a flag while standing in a canoe, never letting it crease the rippling waters. Nearby, a Polar Bear threatens a Mountie, but only in a playful two-for-flinching sort of way! It’s a regular hinterland who’s who as we head into the Canada Day Weekend here at The Growler Ontario.
NEWS
The biggest news of the week is the potential LCBO strike that may potentially occur at midnight on July 5th. While that is fully a week in the future, the LCBO is planning ahead with stores staying open for extended hours in many locations so that you can stock up prior to any labour action. If there is a strike, all LCBO stores will close for two weeks, so you may wish to plan ahead.
The OPSEU members working for the LCBO voted for the strike with a 97% mandate. Their primary disagreement with the LCBO has to do with Doug Ford’s plan to move beer, wine, cider, and RTD’s into grocery and convenience stores this fall. However, longer term concerns surrounding unionized full time positions and the creation of permanent part-time jobs are of nearly equal importance. Given that the LCBO will be the wholesaler for grocery and convenience stores, it makes sense that the union would push for additional positions given the increase in workload.
This coincides with a long weekend in Canada during which many of your favourite craft breweries are having case sales with discounted prices so that you can enjoy yourself at the cottage, on your porch, or, if you’re Drunk Polkaroo, in your above ground swimming pool (Hi Rob!). This might be a good time to fill your fridge.
It’s also worth mentioning that Bill 149 has changed the way in which tipping is reported in the province for auto-gratuities and forced tipping. Which means that if you’re going to tip your delivery driver, cash is king.
EVENTS
While many breweries will have Canada Day related activities over the weekend (crokinole, syrup chugging contests, crying about hockey) it’s worth pointing out that some will be closed on Canada Day itself, which is a Monday this year.
Personally, I think the coolest events are going to be Royal City’s 10th Anniversary Party, which goes on Friday through Sunday, and Black Bellows’ four day long Canada Day Kerfuffle.
THE SIX PACK
Market Brewing Sesh – Session Pale Ale w/ Pineapple Express Terpenes – 4.20%
According to the fine people at Market, this Session Pale Ale contains Cannabis Derived Terpenes extracted from Pineapple Express Sativa along with natural pineapple flavour. Dry hopped with Mosaic and Ariana hops. While it does not contain any THC or CBD, it is absolutely redolent of your favourite bong water. It’s dank enough to get Michael Cera to express an emotion other than confusion and regret.
Parsons Brewing Company JIMI PALE ALE
Named after everybody’s favourite left handed guitarist not named Kurt, Jimi Pale Ale is a psychedelic, aromatic, dry-hopped pale ale with a floral nose. A Mosaic Cryo and Amarillo hops team up to formulate a tingly blueberry apricot lovechild with a floofy full-bodied mouthfeel (contains lactose). Presumably it is not purple, but is hazy. At 8 IBUs, it’s a sweet little heartbreaker.
Nickel Brook Cucumber Gose
Do you like lime in your beer? Do you like Pimm’s Cup? Do you only know what that is because of Wimbledon? Well, this is flavoured with lime, cucumber, coriander, and salt. It’s bright! It’s tart! It’s summery! What more do you want from me? You want me to tell you where they got the cucumber? They know a guy at Mucci Farms who grows some of the world’s finest cucumbers. Nothing but the best for Nickel Brook.
All My Friends Beer Co Trashed – DIPA w Citra & Motueka -8.5% – Collaboration w Fine Balance Brewing & The Wheeled Brew Bottle Shop
Trashed is a Hazy DIPA brewed with creamy overnight oats and hopped with ridiculous amounts of the stickiest Citra, and Motueka hops. Pouring a thick, bright hazy yellow with aromas of ripe peach, pineapple and candied lemon. A creamy soft mouthfeel delivers flavours of sweet stone fruit, zesty lime, and citrus candies to your taste buds. Wrapping up with a clean and very mild bitterness.
Left Field Green Cathedral Spruce Tip Saison
What’s more Canadian than making a beer with a pine tree? Nothing. Maybe if you put some trillium leaves and maple sap in there it would be a little more Canadian, but like, who’s counting, eh? What are you, the hoser police? Take off!
With 5 kilograms of fresh spruce tips added in two additions – to the kettle and the foeder – and then aged 3.5 months in our oak foeders, this saison is an ode to the places the soul of baseball resides: the ballpark.
Quayle’s Brewing Brian’s Choice
This is just a pleasant, heartfelt thing. It’s a Northern English Brown Ale named after one of the founders of the brewery who passed away. It’s a Northern English Brown Ale with an ABV of 5%. Enjoy its dry, balanced flavor with notes of biscuit, apricot jam, and caramel, featuring earthy undertones from our own farm-grown Willamette hops, which Brian helped plant.
Isn’t that a nice way to be remembered? I sure think so.
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