On Saturday May 21st, 2022, in the middle of the Victoria Day weekend, Dave Smith and his partner Jen set out from Toronto to visit friends and enjoy a day trip to rural Ontario. Visiting a brewery was on the […]
Crafting community: Cold Bear Brewing getting started in Arnprior
On the hottest April 13th in recorded history in the Ottawa Valley, Hugh Colbert and I took a walk through his family’s property and current residence in Arnprior, Ontario. The old windsock on his grandfather’s air strip blew in the […]
That crisp, cold glass of gold
This past summer was a particularly humid one and paired with work ramping up, I quite often had a drink in my hand. Sometimes it would be an iced coffee or the odd hefeweizen (it’s my favourite summer beer), but […]
Style snapshot: A guide to the sessionable yet contemplative ESB
WHAT IS IT? A top fermented ale just that little bit stronger and darker than a typical pub strength English Bitter, among the stronger offerings from English breweries, but average for American craft beer. DANGER LEVEL Expensive pub session possible […]
The Growler’s 2022 Holiday Season Gift Guide
You’re buying gifts for people? In this economy?! Well, that’s awfully nice of you. You’re clearly a stand up type with a penchant for selflessness. If Santa leaves coal in your stocking, it will probably be to help keep your […]
Mighty Neighbourly
It’s a beautiful beer in the neighbourhood. The day after I got back from the holidays in January I woke up to find that the building was a little chillier than usual. Freezing, even. After several hours all the […]
Fall down the craft beer glassware rabbit hole
So you have tracked down that hard-to-find beer that everyone is talking about. Or maybe you have a friend who has decided to share some of their cellar full of world class aged beer. Are you planning to drink that […]
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 […]
The stubbornness of local
How a small group of Ontario brewers are redefining the support local movement Milos Kral, one of Ontario’s biggest craft beer boosters and owner of Milos’ Craft Beer Emporium, was making his weekly rounds in Toronto to pick up the […]
Pandemic Side Hustle
How two Ontario breweries launched ready-to-drink brands their way The Birth of Great Lakes Spirits When the pandemic hit last spring, Great Lakes Brewery (GLB) decided to collect all of the full kegs they had in the market and replace […]