“Oh that’s a cute artichoke,” says one of my colleagues from outside the world of beer writing.

“It’s a hop cone,” I deadpan.

Consider yourself warned, Ontario friends, that when I show you the first issue of The Growler I’d rather not have that exchange again. And, trust me, I’ll be happily showing off the magazine, with the lovely cover designed by the talented Cai Sepulis, a bunch this week.

Where can you find issue 1 of The Growler?

The rollout will be somewhat gradual. You’ll start to see copies available for sale in local craft breweries taprooms before the Victoria Day long weekend. By next week, it will start appearing on newsstands across the province and if you subscribed or ordered a copy directly it will be on its way to you around then, as well.

On top of being the first place The Growler will show up, breweries will also be able to sell it at a steep discount. We’re talking $2 or 60% off the $5 you’ll pay otherwise. (Breweries, if you’d like to join the ranks selling our magazine, shoot us an email at orders@thegrowler.ca.)

That twoonie goes a long way to helping support what we do here—like pay the talented team of designers and freelance writers that it’s been such a pleasure for me to work with.

What’s in our first Ontario issue?

I’ll tell you this week more about what we have managed to squeeze into the first issue, but here are three quick highlights:

• Scotch eggs recipe (long weekend-brunch, anyone?) by Jesse Vallins.
• Discussion with Mike Lackey (Great Lakes) and Iain McOustra (Amsterdam), two of Ontario’s top brewers about what inspires them.
• A feature by Crystal Luxmore on the balancing act craft brewery employees are striking between work and family.

There’s definitely more to come as we all look forward to the May 2-4 weekend and the first issue of The Growler in Ontario.