Ontario’s smallest brewery will soon expand its seating capacity No, Nick Baird isn’t going to the PUP show tonight. It’s a question he’s asked maybe a dozen times as we make our way across two venues and handful of beers […]
Beerlab! eyes expansion
The Fall and Rise of Steam Whistle Brewing
Doing one thing really, really well again Somewhere along the way, Steam Whistle Brewery lost its way. Founded in 2000, Steam Whistle, with its distinct green bottle, has a ubiquitous presence in bars and restaurants across Canada, enjoys a prominent […]
Drafted: Lessons learned from having beer on tap
I don’t find myself pining for a night at the bar all that much. Maybe it’s because I am getting older and am a married father of two, but the idea of coordinating a meet-up at a pub, getting in […]
Liquid Gold
How one Canadian craft brewery catapulted to global fame while staying true to its roots In the Venn diagram of breweries, there are typically two circles: one is “has really great beer,” and the other is “has really great branding.” […]
Lessons from Pandemic Drinking
The last six months have been an interesting and trying experience, to say the least. They have taught me a lot about myself, my family and my relationship to my home and work. Most importantly, they’ve taught me some crucial […]
Go big and stay home
Here are five big-bottled brews perfect for staying put
Free beer tomorrow
Ontario beer drinkers show their love via their wallets. When they venture into the expensive end of the catalogue are they getting good value for their money? When you first get into craft beer, your enthusiasm can make you behave […]
Hops for the holidays: Channel your inner Scrooge this festive season
The older I get, the more I enjoy hosting parties as opposed to attending them. The main reasons I prefer a shindig at my house are twofold: First, I can just wear my slippers. Perhaps it’s yet another symptom of […]
Under the Influence: The effects of social media on craft beer
There was a point in time, the early aughts perhaps, when it seemed like the prevalence of social media was something that was changing the world for the better. Like no other time in history, we had access to virtually […]
The Two Dogger Lager Combo and other guilty pleasures
I recently had one of those family trips that makes parents remember why a family trip is actually a very different thing than a “vacation.” For March break, my wife and I took our five-year-old son to Florida for a […]