Communing with nature is thirsty work The fall is a special time in Northern Ontario. Days are getting shorter and evenings are cooling. It is a time where hunting and fishing camps come alive with activity. My journey to camp […]
Camp, not cottage
Beerlab! eyes expansion
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 […]
A history of Ontario’s Iron Brewer competition
One of the most interesting (yet under-the-radar) brewing competitions takes place right on our doorstep: Iron Brewer, held by the Master Brewers Association of America, Ontario District. Iron Brewer is an annual competition held among and for Ontario District members. […]
Brewer vs History
In which editor Jordan St. John goes head-to-head with an 1840s Bass Pale Ale Over the course of my career, I’ve spent a lot of time thinking about historical brewing. I wrote a book called Lost Breweries of Toronto that […]
The best way to get a thick foam
Or, the science behind the LUKR Czech faucet As with any other pleasure in life, beer is enjoyed with all your senses. Even before tasting, you will appreciate its colour, brightness, haziness, and of course, head. Depending on the type […]
Can you teach someone to like beer?
There may be a beer for everyone, but some of your friends haven’t found theirs yet. How do you approach someone who has already told you they’re not a fan of beer? “I generally just start by asking what it […]
Style Snapshot: A guide to the punchy, aromatic NEIPA
WHAT IS IT? An offshoot of top fermenting American IPA styles, typically using new world hops for big, vibrant aromas by focusing on cold side additions to create biotransformation and extract essential oils. DANGER LEVEL Hazy at night, hazy the […]
Brewer vs Nature: The tornado edition
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 […]