The change of the season is upon us, but you wouldn’t know it from looking at the weather. The forecast for this final day of summer, at least here in Midtown Toronto, is mainly sunny and 24 degrees and it looks like it might continue on that way until Thanksgiving. This is an absolute boon to breweries across the province who are still rocking the great outdoors and hoping for an extended patio season. Still, in a world where Pumpkin Beers come out in August, seasonality is sort of out the window anyway.
NEWS
Over the course of the last two weeks, beer and RTDs have rolled out in nearly 4200 convenience stores across the province. This has caused a number of ripple effects to occur within Ontario’s Beer ecology.
The province’s Financial Accountability Office has pledged to look into the deal that has allowed the move. Bringing the conclusion of the Master Framework Agreement forward a year has cost a minimum of $225 million dollars of taxpayer money with the potential for up to a billion dollars in knock on costs according to some critics of the current regime. The report should conclude at some point in early 2025. Unrelatedly, did you know Stephen Harper is on the board of Circle K? The Growler Ontario looks forward to accurate reporting and total government transparency in this matter. Also, we’re looking forward to the flying car.
The Beer Store has taken the opportunity of retail reform to alter the way in which pricing is reported on shelves. While pricing at the LCBO, Grocery, and Convenience stores continues to include HST and Deposit, The Beer Store has decided to remove those elements from inclusion on their shelves. This seems to have coincidentally occurred at the same time as a price increase in a move I hesitate to describe as cynical for liability purposes. Although the price point on a value brand 24 is now $45.10, the shelf reads $37.79.
Choice! Convenience! Higher Prices! Obfuscatory Practice! I’m beginning to think they might not have had our best interests in mind. The price point is $9.40 a case higher than when Buck a Beer was announced in 2018. Remember: Canada is an extraction economy; If you’re not sure what they’re extracting, it’s you.
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Trenton’s Flyby Brewing has closed as of September 13th. The small brewery opened in Trenton in 2021 and enjoyed three years of success as Trenton’s second craft brewery, bringing variety to the local scene.
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Prince Edward County’s Strange Brew has closed temporarily due to a fire occurring in their barn. The fire destroyed 95% of the brewery’s stock, including several multi-year projects, and the damage looks to be catastrophic. The brewmaster, Dave, has pledged to rebuild, which is excellent news given the reputation of the beer he has been producing on a nano scale.
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While updating the Ontario Brewery Map, I have noted the following closures which took place over the course of the last several months:
• Stouffville’s Cornerhouse on Main (home of Cock-A-Hoop Brewing)
• Kingsville’s Taphouse location on Main Street
• Dundas and Sons Brewing
• Covered Bridge Brewing
EVENTS
One of the better parts about having an events section is the ability to plug your own material.
Next Wednesday at Toronto’s Enoch Turner Schoolhouse, we’ll be celebrating the 176th anniversary of that august institution with a brand new beer collaboration between myself and Toronto’s Granite Brewery. It’s a very traditional ESB which will be served on cask at the venue (and hopefully at The Granite itself at some point). The event will also feature a lecture on Toronto History by Adam Bunch, author of the Toronto Book of the Dead and live music from Brian Taheny.
While the event wasn’t noted in our calendar, yesterday marked the launch of Henderson Brewing’s new book Toronto in 100 Beers, featuring the stories behind their Ides series, which has been released monthly over the last several years. Look forward to a review at some point in the near future. I suspect we’ll probably tell you it’s an excellent stocking stuffer.
History. It’s hip. It’s now.
Or, you could look for an Oktoberfest event in your region. You can’t swing a schnitzel without hitting blue and white bunting this week.
THE SIX PACK
FAIRWEATHER UPPER CRUST HEFEWEIZEN
Periodically, people will get in touch with me, like, say Eric Bennett and ask, “Hey, you! Where the hell’s the Hefeweizen?” Usually they phrase it more pleasantly than that, but the gist of the conversation is that they need delicious banana and clove and woe betide you, local beer man, if you get in the way of our fix. Well, the answer is Fairweather, apparently. It’s only for Posh People. Real Schicki Mickis. The Hoity and The Toity. Really, the fact it exists is enough to include Ram this week.
LEFT FIELD WIES’N
Speaking of styles that took the world by storm in 2011 and then disappeared in a poof of lactobacillus sometime in 2014, Berliner Weisse. Left Field has one this week for their Oktoberfest celebration. Will they pour it with cherry or woodruff syrup? I don’t know. Like the man said, I am a donut. It’s on tap only, so get out there and meet the Mets.
SHAWN AND ED INDIA PALE LAGER
Speaking of Left Field choices, I’m always curious when an established brewery does something weird. Shawn and Ed have launched an IPL with Ontarian and Australian hops and it clocks in at 45 IBU. Remember, this is about the most interesting stuff that comes through my inbox. “Brewery that makes wonderful IPAs makes a wonderful IPA” isn’t news. “Brewery in curling rink makes IPL, a style that never had a heyday” is closer to the mark.
MERIT YOUNG RIVAL
Gosh, we’re heavy on the Hammer this week. Hamilton’s Merit Brewing is finally in the LCBO with Young Rival. It’s their flagship IPA and uses El Dorado and Mosaic hops. If you haven’t had Merit before, it’s a pretty good introduction to what they do. Not as good as going down to the brewpub and staring into brewer Aaron Spinney’s deeply soulful eyes, but pretty good.
MUDDY YORK DARA IRISH STOUT
Included here not just because their instagram was banned earlier this week for reasons known only to the Zucker, Dara Irish Stout happens to be a terrific interpretation of the style from a brewery that excels at the use of darker malt. If you’ve had their Schwarzbier, Black Opal, you can probably imagine what Muddy York is capable of in an Irish Stout direction.
QUAYLE’S STRING AND TWIRL FRESH HOP SAISON
Listen, I interviewed Scott Bohana-Martin and while he brews a lot of lager and IPA, the man really loves making a Saison. It’s his pride and joy. This is going to be an excellent representation not only of the Cascade and Sorachi Ace hops grown at Quayle’s, but also of the brewer’s wheelhouse. I’m going to ask the owner to ferry me some since he lives a couple blocks from here. Graydon? Buddy? Beer?
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