When Is A Stonch Not A Stonch?

Published June 5, 2010 at 9:16 p.m.

When it's his business. Jeff the artist formerly known as Stonch has announced a blog for his pub The Gunmakers will be updating soon ... Excellent news. Now, if he can just work on closing the street for Tuesday night London Skittles league play ...

Read Article Read    Post Talkback Post Talkback

Maine: 11th Anniversary Ale, Allagash, Portland

Tagged with:

ale, beer, belgian

Published June 5, 2010 at 7:21 p.m.
777265-maine--11th-anniversary-ale--allagash--portland

Memorial Day weekend el norte continues with this four year old treat from Allagash in Maine. Sixteen bucks for 750 ml at 9.2% in 2006? I have no idea. Pre-recession pricing is meaningless to me now ... The brewery speaks highly of this creation which finds itself this far into its life looking very much like a very good Belgian dark strong. Fig and licorice are works used by Allagash but there is a fabulous texture to this beer, like a sticke alt, that speaks to enough residual sugar to let

Read Article Read    Post Talkback Post Talkback

Quebec: Porter Baltique, Les Trois Mousquetaires

Tagged with:

beer, porter, stout

Published June 5, 2010 at 7:21 p.m.
777264-quebec--porter-baltique--les-trois-mousquetaires

This must be the best value in Baltic porters on the planet at $7.99 a 750 ml at 10%. Dated and "grand reserve", too. I don't know what "grand reserve" means in this particular case as I picked it up at Marche Omni and it didn't come out of a deep dank cavern but ... The beer pours inky brown with a deep dark mocha head. The aroma is licorice with pumpernickel and even a sort of candy thing. In my mouth there are layers of dark things accentuated by fine light carbonation - dates, coffee

Read Article Read    Post Talkback Post Talkback

Adnams Seeks End To Small Brewery Tax Break

Tagged with:

beer, brew

Published June 5, 2010 at 7:20 p.m.

[ Note: ... I have been well chastened by a generous application of the facts by Mr. Stephen Pugh in the comments and now am compelled to consider his objections to the format of the tax subsidy far more seriously. This post has been edited accordingly but done so in a way to ensure continuing admission of my blockheadedness. ] ... Still with the news out of Britain, it appears Adnams of Suffolk is none too pleased with the recently retired Labour government's tax break for small brewers if this

Read Article Read    Post Talkback Post Talkback

Planning Sessions For The Upcoming Beery Seminars

Tagged with:

beer

Published June 5, 2010 at 7:19 p.m.

Gaffel Kolsch has shown up in the LCBO after, my guess, a 15 year absence ... I used to get this up in the Ottawa Valley when the LCBO used to do things like stock beer preferred by local communities. My part of the Ottawa valley had an army base which included a lot of former residents at German posts. I picked it up because Ontario's famed Beau's has asked me to share what knowledge I have with some of their staff. As you know, I like to help ... My idea is to have a series of sessions after

Read Article Read    Post Talkback Post Talkback

Lots Of Club Soda And A Pity Barbeque

Tagged with:

beer, wheat

Published June 5, 2010 at 7:18 p.m.
777261-lots-of-club-soda-and-a-pity-barbeque

I hate not getting to get the BBQ going even if I am sick. And no, in true Canadian style, it wasn't really a BBQ even if I smoked the rib steaks for the last bit of the grilling. As our dinner guests took the hint, it was more of a pity 'que. Just a man, briquettes and meat. At least it wasn't a turkey wienie on a hibachi or whatever else my countrymen call a BBQ. I had to. Watching a mid-80s weekend happening just right out there, beyond the picture window can drive a man mad. Even if you have

Read Article Read    Post Talkback Post Talkback

Wisconsin: Moon Man Pale Ale, New Glarus

Tagged with:

ale, beer, pale, wisconsin

Published June 5, 2010 at 7:18 p.m.
777260-wisconsin--moon-man-pale-ale--new-glarus

It's Memorial Day weekend in the USA and I am celebrating. Mainly because I've been sick since the middle of last weekend's Victoria Day long weekend up here. Being in a border town it's not a great stretch even if I can't get over to witness one of the glories of the western world, a small town US parade. Eat a hot dog this weekend, woudja? ... This beer was launched just a few weeks ago and arrived in a mixed 12 pack care of my Wisconsin mule - oddly by way of a village in north western

Read Article Read    Post Talkback Post Talkback

Err... About The Pub As A Campaign Issue

Tagged with:

beer

Published June 5, 2010 at 7:17 p.m.
777259-err----about-the-pub-as-a-campaign-issue

So, when the government gets the boot and is replaced by a coalition you know that what plays out is the true feeling of the population mixing with the true intentions of the parties. And, all of the sudden, it seems like the pub is not the flavour of the month with the new British government: ... The association, whose members account for 98pc of beer brewed in the UK and own more than half of Britain's 54,000 pubs, believes that the increased cost of a pint could have a damaging impact on

Read Article Read    Post Talkback Post Talkback

Pizzaria Owners Advised To Short The Public

Tagged with:

beer, keg

Published June 5, 2010 at 7:16 p.m.
777258-pizzaria-owners-advised-to-short-the-public

I came across an extraordinary bit of beer business advice in PMQ which I take in this context to be "Pizzaria Marketing Quarterly"¹ Read this and let me know what you think: ... It’s also important to know how many servings you should get from a keg. For example, most owners know there are 1,984 ounces in a 15.5-gallon domestic keg, and they know they pour 16-ounce pints, so they assume 124 servings per keg. However, with the evolution of the 14-ounce pint glass (in combination with ½”

Read Article Read    Post Talkback Post Talkback

Denmark: Helene Heather, Nørrebro Bryghus

Tagged with:

ale, beer

Published June 5, 2010 at 7:16 p.m.
777257-denmark--helene-heather--nørrebro-bryghus

You know that you've been hanging out with the wrong crowd when you have a sip of a new beer and think it tastes like Pimms or rather those cucumber sticks that sit soaking in Pimms. But it sort of does. The taste opens. Soon the aroma is like a lumber yard in a light damp rain. My guess at rye in this amber ale gives a well balanced peppery spice along with flashes of honey, irn bru, orange, lime and grassiness, cinnamon and almond. Pine even. Fairly modest carbonation makes for a soft easy

Read Article Read    Post Talkback Post Talkback


Featured Advertiser: