Dude, where's my beer? Butt-texting the boss and Sawdust City

As I lay in bed and tried to close my eyes last Saturday night, two thoughts kept entering my head. "What a fantastic, awesome and totally amazing day" was the first thought. The other was, "where the hell is my beer?"

And not just my beer, but everyone's beer.

See, when we got Don checked into the La Quinta hotel in downtown Oshawa, we checked our beer and swag from the day in his room as well. It had to go somewhere and the party wasn't over just yet.

Problem was, Don phantomed soon after we returned to Buster Rhino's and despite two attempts by Candice and I, we couldn't wake him.

So my sleep was, what's the opposite of restful? Unrestful then, though I'm sure excessive amounts of alcohol contributed to me tossing and turning through the night. Anyway, at seven or so in the morning I got up and checked my phone to discover Don had sent me a message just before midnight - and hour or so after our final attempt to wake him.

Stashing the beer. (Yeah, I know. I used this picture
last blog. But it's an awesome pic!)

"There's seven million beers in this room. Someone needs to get this in the morning."

I figured that 'someone' may as well be me, so I called him and invited myself over to collect the beer.

Other than one bag marked Dead Dove Do Not Eat (an Arrested Development reference) that I knew was Paul's, there was no way of knowing whose beer was whose.

Except for mine. I knew what I bought.

It didn't seem like there was enough beer either, but I figured I'd sort it out when I returned home.

So Don and I loaded up our cars with beer and then went back inside to enjoy La Quinta's complimentary breakfast. (For the record, the scrambled eggs and sausage was nothing to write home about but the coffee was good. And that's all that mattered that morning. That and 'free.')

And I said my goodbyes to my old friend and went home to sort out the beer situation.

Josh's beer came home on his shoulders

I remembered Josh had his beer with him (stuffed in his backpack - oh, those millennials!), so I sent messages to Joe, Paul and Candice asking what beers they bought.

Joe was the first to respond and gave me his list, which I assumed meant he didn't have them in his possession. And we all know what happens when we assume, don't we?

(When we walked in the classroom for our very first Journalism 101 class, there it was on the blackboard, courtesy of Jim Smith, our course co-ordinator: "When you assume, you make an 'Ass' out of 'u' and 'me.' And now you have evidence that the text slang for 'you' was in existence way back in 1980. Learn something new every day, huh?)

Anyway, I spent the next three hours or so worrying about where Joe's beer was. Because I sure didn't have it.

Paul responded next, and I invited him over to my subterranean mansion to find his beer. He pretty much took everything that wasn't nailed down mine, so now I'm thinking Candice AND Joe are both missing beer.

Candice's beers were in her truck
to stay colder

(I'm also thinking Gus, our chauffeur, was enjoying stolen Dr. Juice Imperial IPA from 5 Paddles, but I figured it was too early to name names.)

After Paul left I remembered Candice dumping her beer in her truck before we went back to Buster's, so I stopped worrying about her. When she finally woke up in the afternoon (sleepy-head) she said she actually was missing a Dr. Juice and a Maple Paddler.

Josh might have your Dr. Juice, Candice. As far as the 5 Paddles Maple Paddler, can't help you dear.

Everybody seemed to really dig Dr. Juice, by the way, prompting this Twitter exchange between Hago, myself and Don, which I totally stole from Don's latest Brew Ha Ha blog, titled Glenn and Hago are awesome:

Hago: "I would drink it in a bar, not allowed to in a car!
I would drink it in a glass, I would drink it off my wife's ass!This rhyme just got loose, it's time to enjoy my Dr. Juice!"

Me: "I would drink it in a pub and I would drink it in a tub!I would drink it with Hago-I-Am and I would drink it by the kilogram!But I wouldn't drink it with a goose because I want to drink my Dr. Juice!"

Don: "Hago, you better have your wife's consent unless you want to be paying rent!Glenn, for liquids, we use litres, not grams, which makes your rhyme a total sham!
But for now, boys, let's just call a truce because I wanna drink my Dr. Juice!"

And Dr. Juice from 5 Paddles, well that's
a world class, world record holder

Poetic geniuses, we are.

But back to poor Joe. What were we going to do about his beer?

I was prepared to give away half my beer fridge so the poor guy would not go thirsty, except for the single bottle of Polar Vortex White IPA from Manantler. If Joe wanted that he was gonna have to drop by and share it with me.

And then Joe sees the social media chatter on my dilemma and responds:

"Oh no! Yes, I have all of mine. Sorry for any confusion."

Glad that's settled. Now all there is left to do is drink all the beer. You're still welcome to come over Joe.

I have lots.

Naked Tuesday Thursday and butt-texting the boss

Other than a pint or two or six at Buster Rhino's, I don't get out much, but I always circled Tuesdays on my social calendar. Buster's closes at 10 on Tuesdays and the staff at the bar - and a bunch of our friends - head across the street to Stag's Head to close that place down too.

It's called Naked Tuesdays and no, I'm not sure why. Wishful thinking on the guy who named it, I guess. And no, it wasn't me.

Two a.m. closings make it tough to climb up and down ladders at work the next morning but it was my one night out and sacrifices must be made, no?

And there's Karaoke.

I guess when I blog about it, I'm breaking the Karaoke 'code.'
But don't I look good in heels?

I made other sacrifices on Naked Tuesdays as well: Stag's Head served no craft beer. None. So I drank Molson Export.

Anyway, the Naked Tuesdays thing seems to have petered out for lack of interest, so when I popped in to the bar on a Thursday, I joined my friends Adam, Shannon and Craig (the world's worst wingman) for a couple of pints after the comedy show.

Only a couple, I said to myself, as I had brought my car the five blocks south from my apartment. Parked right out front too.

Many pints later I realized several things: the car was staying where it was;  I was going down the street to the General to close another bar down and sing Karaoke; and wise decisions are rarely made in a bar.

So Adam (the ringleader on this little adventure), Craig and myself (Shannon begged off, citing new job commitments) walked the one block south to the General, where pitchers of Stella Artois started magically appearing on our table.

I think this is how butt-texting
works but I'm not certain

I saw some familiar faces, I sang (Boots or Hearts by The Hip, the same song I was belting out, word-for-word, in the limo a week or so later) and I drank premium European macro beer.

And we closed the bar down.

So at 2:30 a.m. I put one foot in front of the other and walked the six blocks home. At 2:41 a.m I butt-texted my boss, waking Nancy up from her slumber. And at 2:45 a.m. (give or take) I stumbled into bed fully clothed, with my phone and its precious alarm two rooms away.

And at 7:18 a.m. I woke up, realizing instantly how badly I had fucked up.

My pal Brandon, who I take to work every morning, had to be picked up by Steph, making the whole crew an hour late to the job site. And I eventually made it to work, a whole two-and-a-half hours late, with just a half-formed apology as an explanation.

And a $30 parking ticket to boot.

I'm pretty sure Nancy still loves me, but I hope her husband Rick doesn't get the wrong idea about the late night butt-texting.

I guess I'll find out at the Christmas Party. I think I'll leave the lampshade at home.

Buster's, Sawdust City and another kick-ass tap takeover

We have had some amazing tap takeovers at Buster Rhino's this year.

In the summer Markham's Rouge River came to town (bringing most of their staff in the process) and they killed it with their beers. In fact, we had to lock up the Passionfruit Sour so the staff wouldn't drink it all.

In September it was Left Field, one of the new stars of Toronto's east end brewing scene. Greenwood, one of the finest New England-style IPAs of the year, and Bang Bang Sour were two of the standouts for me.

A month later it was the legendary Great Lakes Brewery, and with Troy Burtch in the house and Karma Citra, Swamp Juice and Audrey Hopburn on tap, you were guaranteed a great time.

Last month Sawdust City rolled into Oshawa, and this was one tap takeover I was super excited about, because it was the first this year I didn't have to work. I could just show up at the bar, order beer, and drink.

Imagine that.

And that's what I did.

Candice was there with her friend Tim, so I joined them and after a brief glance at the board I started the evening off with a bang, ordering a flight of two 2017 11.05s (Sours) and two of the 2016 version (Brett Tripels), with both (all four?) beers clocking in at more than 11 per cent alcohol.

What can I say? It's a limited run and they were like some close friends: I didn't know if I would ever see them again.

By the time I was ready for my next flight my pal Paul dropped by, so I invited him to our table and made the introductions.

(A couple of weeks later three of us from this table would comprise half of the Group of Seven that would attempt to terrorize Whitby's four breweries in an unforgettable day called Whitby Craft Brewery Invasion 2017. And yes I know my math is a little off but Candice counts extra because, well, Candice.)

My next flight was Buttertart Beer (it seriously tastes like a butter tart - well done), Hygge Coffee Stout, Golden Beach Pale Ale (a long time favourite) and Lone Pine, Sawdust City's flagship IPA.

The conversation was flowing by this time, and it was interesting to watch the servers - my former co-workers - work the busy room. Kudos to the staff, I said to no one in particular, and as Paul and Tim were busy gnawing away at big plates of barbecued meat, it was left to Candice to nod her head in agreement.

My third flight was almost as dangerous as the first. Princess Wears Girl Pants, an interesting hybrid that has been called many things over the years but now is classed as a Belgian Strong Ale, clocked in at nine per cent. Blood of Cthulhu, a 9.5 per cent Imperial Stout, was on the board and I also ordered another 2017 11.05 because it was so good.

Blood of Cthulhu Imperial Stout. It's usually
pronounced 'Cu-thulu' but there's no one school
of thought as it's a freakin' alien language and
you probably need nine tongues to say it right

The fourth taster was called Adaptionn: Idaho 7, a five per cent Kolsch. For balance.

Tim left at this point and the three remaining amigos all opted for a Sawdust City offering from the beer fridge: Strawberry Milkshake IPA.

I'm a big fan of the Milkshake IPA - one of this year's hottest beer trends - and this one hit the spot. Pink and creamy, this is strawberry up front and finishes with strawberry, tropical fruit and a ton of lemony tartness. It works well.

Speaking of work, at least two of us had to do that the next day, so we soon wrapped up our little party. I finished with Ol' Woody, because drinking a five per cent Alt beer after all those nine to 11 per cent behemoths already in my belly would surely sober me up for my five block walk home.

Sure.

I know one thing. Being a customer and drinking all those great beers at awesome tap takeovers is waaay better than working it.

Cheers!

Unforgettable - the Whitby Craft Brewery Invasion

I may not remember everything that happened last Saturday, but I will never forget it either.

What a blast.

Singing everything from Wu Tang rap tunes to the the Tragically Hip at the top of my lungs, shouting "You never go Full Weinstein" at every bawdy joke (and there were many) and forging strong bonds with friends old and new are some of the memories I took away from the Whitby Craft Brewery Invasion 2017.

And that's just in the limo.

We also drank fantastic craft beer at four amazing breweries (and one craft beer bar) and hobnobbed with the finest people in the land (not counting the seven of us), making the day an memory permanently etched in my brain.

I have visited a lot of breweries and I have drank a lot of beer, but I have never had quite the experience like I had on this day.

The gang (pictured at Little Beasts brewing).
That's Don at the top and from left it's
Josh, Hago, Joe, Candice, myself and Paul

It was amazing. And despite it getting a little foggy near the end, it was also unforgettable.

My old college chum and Beer Bro Don put the event together after hearing about Little Beasts and Town, Whitby's newest breweries, and listening to me whine about why he never visited me. As Don already knew about Brock Street and 5 Paddles, the idea of a tour of Whitby's four breweries seemed like a great idea.

Lucky for us Don also had the brilliant idea to rent the limo - "think about it as my Christmas gift to you guys," he explained - so we could hit the town in style.

Pick a date, he said, and as the first Saturday I had available was December 9, I picked that one.

The limo, our party central

It was on.

First up was Don's buddy from CFB Borden, Hago, who I talked to on Twitter many times but had yet to meet. Hago, who chronicled the day on video, was someone I was anxious to drink a beer with, as I heard he was the coolest guy in every room he walked into.

Turned out to be true.

Paul, a Beer Store staffer like Don, was all over the plan as well. Paul lives in Newmarket but is a frequent visitor to Buster Rhino's in Oshawa (my local) because his mother lives in Oshawa and, well, Paul is clearly a saint.

Don's pal Charles, a sales rep with Nickel Brook Brewing, was also supposed to be in the mix but his services were required back in Burlington for the brewery's annual Kentucky Bastard release.

Next time Charles.

But my peeps in Oshawa were there to fill the seat. Josh, who I have known since he was a six year old still in short pants straight off the boat from England (he may have flown here; I'll have to check), was already on board (more on Josh in a bit), and I had asked my friend Candice if she wanted to join us.

Pals Don, our organizer of the event,
and Hago, our videographer

Hell yeah, she said.

We all met at Buster's at noon (Don even brought gifts!) to get the party started and to fill our bellies with delicious barbecue food, which is a necessary requirement before any major day drinking adventure.

Darryl, the garrulous, generous and always gracious proprietor of this fine establishment, was on hand to greet us and to gift each of us with a bottle of his proprietary barbecue sauce. Jessica, the Operations Manager, my friend and former boss and one of my favourite people, was there to take our orders and make sure we were looked after.

And that's where I ran into my pal Joe, who had popped in for some take-out.

"Join us," I said, and when Joe hesitated I asked him to at least join us for lunch. I had to twist his arm a bit and I was worried the festive atmosphere (it is the season) that my out of town friends brought into the restaurant would scare him off.

Next thing I knew he was in the limo. "I'll save you a seat Glenn," he said.

Candice with Mark of Brock Street

I'm kidding, of course. He didn't save me a seat at all - I had to crawl over him to get in. But I didn't have to twist his arm either. Once he realized how awesome we all were (and once he spotted the stretch limo) there was no way he was saying no.

And then we were off, with Gus behind the wheel and the seven of us squeezed in the back, singing loudly and drinking excellent homebrew (Stress Buster American Pale Ale and Granny Teapots English Pale Ale) - courtesy of Josh's pals Linda and John, as well as Notorious, an ale from Wild Card Brewing (Trenton) that features the late, great Biggie on the label.

There may have been some Brock Street Blonde as well, which was appropriate as Brock Street was our first stop. And not the brewery, which is actually on Hopkins Street, but the future site of the brewery right on Brock Street in downtown Whitby.

We were greeted there by two of the brewery owners, Mark and Victor, and the building team, led by Bob (the Builder). While nothing more a hole in the ground right now, there will eventually be a three-story brewery (8,000 sq.ft.) and event space (4,000 sq. ft.) that will cost some $2.7 million and should be open by the spring.

Prompting the question from Hago, with only a small twinkle in his eye: "Do you know how much money you could have saved if you just called it the Hopkins Street Brewery?"

But a more important question is, why the celebrity treatment for this particularly sketchy (plus Candice) band of beer writers, vloggers and drinkers?

It seems the real celebrity here, at least when it comes to Brock Street Brewing, is my boy Josh. An accomplished carpenter as well as a craft beer fan, Josh has worked on a number of projects with Brock Street, most notably the pop-up bar at the Oshawa Centre mall, which he designed and built.

Candice showing off her guns

He's a star, our Joshua.

With Gus getting impatient, we climbed back in the limo and set the GPS for Brock Street's current location on Hopkins Street, where we were met by Mark (great guy) and whiled away an hour drinking beer, buying beer and swag, and being entertained by a two-piece band playing in the brewery.

5 Paddles, Durham Region's first craft brewery, was next on the agenda, and we arrived there the old-fashioned way: we walked. Gus was nowhere to be found (he had gone for coffee, though Don had assumed it was something I said) so we didn't bother waiting for him as 5 Paddles was across the street and just 50 metres up the road.

We got the celebrity treatment here as well, as Spencer (one of the original brewers and owners and a super cool dude) took us on a tour of the brewery before we settled in for more beer - Dr. Juice, a 7.5 per cent Double IPA was the bomb! - and more good times.

Gus was back from his coffee break in time to squire us to the next stop, Little Beasts Brewing in south-west Whitby, near the Oshawa border.

I love this place. It has only been open for a month or so but Brewmaster Erin and her business partner John have been busy producing world class beer since opening day.

It's a big space, too, and the place was busy with thirsty customers, all being waited on by Erin (never without a smile, this lady) and John, who happen to be the only two employees.

Paul Thebeerguy, Hago and Matt from Manantler

We drank some excellent beer - the just-released Boysonberry Saison was super delicious - and met up with a few special guests. Paul Thebeerguy, a long time pal was in the house - much to the delight of Don, who had spoken to him on social media but never met him - as was Matt from Manantler Brewing in Bowmanville.

We had invited Matt to meet us somewhere along the way because we had felt bad not including Manantler - my once and always favourite brewery (they put my face on a beer, dammit!) - on our agenda because of time constraints.

Matt chose Little Beasts because he hadn't yet visited the brewery and had heard (as we all did) great things about it.

I had just finished loudly reminding Matt how much I loved Manantler (they put my face on a beer, dammit!) when he got the chance to meet Erin, who is one of the nicest people in craft beer. I was a little too far to eavesdrop on the conversation but I'm sure the subject of Manantler swag (in Matt's car, as requested by us) might have come up.

We would have stayed longer but Gus was only booked until 4, and besides, we had business outside in the parking lot.

What happens in the limo, stays in the limo.
Or something like that

In a scene about ten minutes later that looked illegal sketchy as hell, Matt opened his trunk to reveal a bag of beery goodies, which we had asked him to bring along. And our little band of merry men (and merry woman) lined up to score Manantler beer and t-shirts and the like in the Little Beasts parking lot.

And that's one of the many things I love about the craft beer community. It isn't about competition, it's about collaboration. So cool.

And then it was back in the limo - party central on the day - for the final brewery stop.

The limo really was a party all on its own. It's where Hago, our videographer on the day, got some of his most candid shots and video sound bites, and it's where we did our best (ahem) singing. I mentioned at the top about belting out Hip tunes - I remember Boots or Hearts - and when Josh broke out a bottle of Manantler's Liquid Swords - a Wu Tang Clan-inspired IPA - someone (Paul, I think) found a Wu Tang song on the car's stereo.

It was a sight to see - though probably not to hear, as Gus quickly put up the partition - the seven of us singing very loudly, "Wu Tang Clan ain't nothing to fuck wit!" WU TANG CLAN AIN'T NOTHING TO FUCK WIT!"

Good times, good times.

Our last stop was Town Brewery and we all definitely had our glow on by this time. We had negotiated an extra hour out of Gus, so we still had time to wander about in the huge (1,500 sq.ft) tap room, drink some great beer (Lotto Max IIPA, anyone?) and buy some swag to go.

I also found time to chat briefly with Jeff, one of Town's co-owners, and school both Paul and Joe at ping-pong (yes, they have a ping-pong table, as well as a giant Jenga), so I couldn't have been glowing too hard.

Hago, however, cut himself off at that point and switched to water as he had dinner plans at his in-laws just up the street. And that's where we went next, delivering Hago and his awesomeness to his family (and the roast turkey), safe and semi-sober.

Don, Candice and Paul enter La Quinta Hotel
in Oshawa like a boss with a trolley full of beer

Gus then took us all back to Oshawa, where we got Don checked in across the street from Buster Rhino's at La Quinta Hotel so we could stash all the beer. And then we went en masse back to Buster's.

Pretty sure there was a good glow on everybody by that time, and we lost Don a short time later. With a freshly made bed literally across the street, it was no surprise he 'phantomed' back to the hotel.

Soon it was just Candice and I, and as there was still the small problem of all that beer stashed in Don's room, we made a couple of trips from the bar to the hotel to bang on his door to try and rouse the poor guy.

But no waking up this boy.

All good things must come to an end; even the Whitby Craft Beer Invasion 2017. Candice called for a ride home and I went back inside Buster Rhino's and had one more half-pint before being told by both Nancy and Alex that I had drank enough for one day.

Good call.

All there was left to do at that point was to put one foot in front of the other and walk the five blocks home to my bed.

Unforgettable.

Beer guilt and my pal Don

The idea of the Whitby Craft Brewery Invasion 2017 really came from me trying to make my pal Don guilty for never visiting me in Oshawa.

He would visit Whitby, Oshawa's arch rival in sports and our next door neighbour, annually (at least) to see his friends Trish and Johnny. And he would fail to visit me and I would of course be butt-hurt about it, especially as I drive down to Burlington/Oakville for a night of drinking a couple or three times a year.

I mentioned the butt-hurt?

My Beer Bro Don, pictured here with his new pal
Josh at Little Beasts. Don't worry Don, I don't think
Trish is still mad at you for not visiting

Anyway, the last time this happened a few months back I laid on the guilt heavy. Really tried to make him cry, in fact. His response: "I'm in Whitby. You're in Oshawa. Duh."

I answered back, "It's next door!" but he was off on another social media adventure and ignored me the rest of the day.

So then I wrote a super positive blog about my friend Erin's new brewery, Little Beasts, and the wheels (actually operated by real mice) started turning in Don's head. "So there's Brock Street, 5 Paddles and now this? Hmmmmmm..." he probably said.

I wrote another blog three weeks or so later (unusually busy activity for me) on an even newer Whitby beer maker, Town Brewery. And my story was again glowing, reflecting the fact that both new breweries are fantastic places staffed by wonderful people making amazing beer.

And then the light bulb went off in Don's head, likely scaring the shit out of the mice, and the Whitby Craft Brewery Invasion 2017 was born.

Don's home Saturday night. But good luck trying
to wake him, Trish!

"We will visit all four craft breweries in Whitby," he said. "We will drink beer."

And then he thought a bit more. "We will rent a totally bad ass limo and do this in style. And I will pay for it!"

And then he probably paused, reflecting if it would be worth all the effort.

"And Glenn would shut the hell up about visiting him!"

Actually, I'm just joking about the last part (the rest is all totally true), because Don knew that getting a bunch of craft beer drinking friends (and soon-to-be-friends) together for a day of brewery visiting would be an absolute pleasure as well as a fucking blast. All by itself.

Hell, the limo ride itself was totally worth it.

Anyway, after the party was over and the pictures and comments on social media started flooding in, there was one from Trish in Whitby that I thought was priceless.

"Excuse me sir ...are you in Whitby right now???"

The tone and the multiple quotation marks were clearly the mark of a woman who was a little bit butt-hurt upset that her friend didn't visit her when he was so close, but couldn't get mad at him because he was the loveable kind of guy that was hard to stay mad at.

And I have to admit I grinned a bit at the exchange.

Sorry Trish.

***

Hago: Soldier, family man, awesome dude and amazing videographer, put together this kick-ass montage video of our day. Whitby Craft Brewery Invasion 2017  Enjoy!

You should also read Part One of Don's Brew Ha Ha blog The Prelude Blog, all about this wonderful day. More to come.

Cheers!

Town Brewery takes a Leap of Faith (and nails the landing)

When you're on a roof and you take that first step onto the ladder to head down to safety, there's that moment of trepidation before you step out into the thin air.

It's the Leap of Faith, I call it, though for me it's more like the very-careful-slow-motion-hold-the-ladder-steady-willya Step of Faith.

Roofers and the awesome people who hang your Christmas lights for you (#christmasdecorshamelessplug) may consider this routine, all-in-a-days-work stuff, but for less experienced people like myself, it can be a bit terrifying.

So is falling off a ladder, which I do (unfortunately) have a little bit of experience in, as my pals Brandon, the (possibly self-proclaimed) Boy Wonder, and Scottie, the Directionally Challenged (but getting better) Soldier Boy, can attest.

Christmas lights are not recommended
as a point of contact. Trust me

But I just get up and get back on that ladder anyway, because Rick and Nancy are great bosses, the lovely Steph is an awesome foreman and I'm finally getting enough hours to pay the bills AND spring for a few Christmas presents.

And maybe even visit a brewery or two on the rare evening I'm not so exhausted that I just stumble off to bed at the end of the day.

That's how I found myself at Whitby's newest brewing establishment, Town Brewery.

I had heard great things about this place from quite a few people, notably Matt from Brewer's Pantry, who raved about it when we chatted a couple of weeks ago.

I was aware Town had a bit of money behind them. I also knew they had poached their brewmaster, Tim, from Toronto's acclaimed Great Lakes Brewery - perhaps the greatest IPA producers in the free world - and I had been told the taproom was something to see.

No kidding. The place is YUUUUGE! Big enough for a ping-pong table and some sort of giant Jenga thing on the other side of the room. And popular enough to be teeming with beer lovers on a Sunday night 20 minutes before closing.

Located down by the lake in Whitby's marina district (I dunno if Whitby actually has a 'marina district,' but that's what I'm calling it), Town Brewery is the newest kid on Whitby's rapidly expanding brewery block.

A few of the beers in the Leap of Faith series

I enjoyed several of their offerings earlier in the month, as Buster Rhino's in Oshawa was quick to put their first series of beers on tap as soon as Town opened its doors, and the night I popped in they had seven beers on tap and in the fridge. So naturally I asked Travis behind the bar for a flight.

The Session Pale - light, dry and peachy at 4.8 per cent - was the only beer on the flight new to me, and it was an easy decision to choose Town's Saison (six per cent), IPA (6.6 per cent, quite bitter and delicious) and Pale Ale (5.2 per cent) for the rest of my flight paddle, as all three had already passed the awesomeness taste test with flying colours.

All of these beers, by the way, are part of the brewery's Leap of Faith series, which meant it only took me 13 paragraphs to make the connection from the lead.

(That could be a record for me, though I doubt it would make the top 10 of Beer Bro Don's Brew Ha Ha blogs. But I digress.)

The next beer on my list was the first not called Leap of Faith and one of the main reasons I drove down here on this November night: Square Wheels Wheat IPA, a 6.8 per cent beer, (that wasn't technically a White IPA because the yeast was American and not Belgian, I was told) came highly recommended by my friend Josh.

It was all it cracked up to be. Grapefruit and pineapple deliciousness with a super juicy texture, this could be my favourite Wheat IPA. Ever. Which is what I told Jeff, one of the brewery owners, when he stopped by my bar stool to shoot the breeze.

Square Wheels Wheat IPA. Yum

I asked him about the Leap of Faith name, and why it was attached to the brewery's first series of beers. He gestured at the brewhouse and taproom and said it was how they all felt when they started brewing for real.

"We went from 20 litre test batches to brewing 2,000 litres at a time," he explained. "I said to our Brewmaster, that's kind of like a leap of faith."

Jeff then brought me a sample of a Rye Saison collaboration with 5 Paddles and when I made that face of delight I use when I taste delicious free beer, he said "come with me" and walked me into the brewery side of the space and offered me a taste straight from the tank of another collaboration beer that was so secret hush-hush that I can't reveal what it is in this space.

Actually, in all the excitement of more free beer, I just forgot what it was, though I think it was an Imperial IPA. But it was tasty.

But I will be back for more, Jeff. Next Saturday, in fact, when a rag-tag band of out-of-town beer writers, beer lovers (including the aforementioned Don) and other ne'er-do-wells will join Josh and I for an all-day takeover of Whitby's four breweries.

Given the size of our party and the size of your taproom, I think we will make Town our last brewery stop of the day.

See you Saturday afternoon.

Ontario's best guide to craft beer

When I got a message on Facebook from Jordan St. John asking if I had received the book yet, my first thought was What book? You mean your book? The one you wrote with Robin LeBlanc? That book? You sent me a copy of your book? Why? Did you want me to review it? Really?

And on and on like that.

Jordan is one the icons of the beer writing world, at least in this country, along with Stephen Beaumont, Ben Johnson, Robert Arseneault (Drunk Polkeroo) and Robin, aka The Thirsty Wench. And as my beer writings are sporadic at best, I was surprised he would want my opinion.

But as I established in the previous story, I like free stuff, so I told Jordan that I had not received a copy of the Ontario Craft Beer Guide and perhaps he had the wrong address but I would be honoured to receive a copy.

And so forth.

His due diligence revealed an oversight on his publicist's end and in due time a copy of said book landed in my mail box.

That was a few months back. What can I say? My eyes ain't what they used to be so I'm a slow reader.

But I can tell you that if you're looking for information on Ontario's breweries and our brewing scene and how we got to this point, this is the book for you. There is a section not to be missed on the province's brewing history; information on where we buy beer and the ingredients that are used in making that beer; recommendations on Ontario's best craft beer pubs and restaurants and nearly 500 pages of information (and ratings) on the province's breweries.

But before you go straight to the middle of the book to see how your favourite brewery measures up, check out the history section. Yeah, I know, you probably slept through history class in high school. But Jordan and Robin bring Ontario's colourful beer history to life and it's well worth knowing how we got from E.P. Taylor and his Canadian Breweries kingdom (and the consolidation and tied houses and everything else that goes with a brewing empire) to Molson and Labatt's to the first wave of craft beer in the mid-80s.

Jordan St. John

Besides, your history teacher might be reading this. And judging you.

That first wave, which spawned Brick Brewery and Upper Canada among others, got its kick start by a beer strike, of all things, in February, 1985.

The LCBO wasn't really much into beer back then, so beer drinkers didn't have a lot of options to get their suds. Enter a few homebrewers, who started producing beer in huge quantities (far more than the biggest craft breweries of today) to meet the demand.

The problem, however, was consistency, combined with cheap short-cuts such as malt extract. In short, the beer was shit and the diversity of styles was practically non-existent. As the authors noted, the 1980s may have been "the only time in Ontario history when people anticipated the annual release of a Bock beer."

'Nuff said.

Robin LeBlanc

Many of the new breweries stuck it out for a while, at least until discount brands such as President's Choice came around in the early 90s, just about killing the craft beer sector.

Jordan and Robin identify 1995-2007 as the second wave of craft beer, and while the selection was still poor, the quality improved dramatically, as now you had brewers with a bit of experience.

The real craft beer explosion has happened in the last decade - the third wave - and in particular, the past five years, which has seen the addition of more than 200 new breweries.

The book is eminently readable, the tone and style is remarkably consistent for a co-authored book, and is a source of information on Ontario's now world class beer scene that you can't find anywhere else.

You can wait until one of the authors sends you a copy like I did, but the authors would much prefer you go out and buy a book yourself.

After all, as Jordan and Robin state so eloquently, "every day that passes (is) the best day for beer that the province has ever had."

Amen to that.

Meet Corey Fairs - Manantler Brewing's new Head Brewer

Manantler Brewing in Bowmanville, once and always my favourite local brewer, has hired a new Brewmaster.

Manantler's Corey Fairs

Corey Fairs, a graduate of Niagara College's acclaimed brewing program and a Matt Soos scholarship winner in 2016, was hired to lead the brewing team last month.

Corey takes over from Chris, the co-founder of the three year-old brewery, giving Chris time to concentrate on the management of the company and to play with his sweet new 3-D printer.

My only concern is the timing of the announcement. Corey's hiring comes awful close to Chris buying the 3-D printer on Black Friday. How are we to know he didn't just create Corey? Those damn things can do a lot of magical things. A little DNA here, the addition of a few hops there. You never know these days.

I guess I'll have to meet Corey to know for sure.

Cheers!

Bah humbug birthdays go better with beer

Birthdays are about getting old, but when you're old like me, the joy of each new birthday gets old, and fast.

My birthday was in late October - the same day every year my whole life - and the serious funk started the day before while I was doing my Saturday night shift at the bar. I did my best to put a smile on my face but I couldn't help feel sorry for myself, and my woe-is-me attitude continued after I dragged my ass home.

An evening of Netflix and copious amounts of beer didn't seem to help, so I stumbled off to bed around three, safe in the knowledge I could sleep in on my one day off a week.

My body clock woke me two hours later anyway, and then every hour or so after that until I finally rolled out of bed at the crack of noon.

Bah, humbug.

I wasn't terribly hungover, but I hadn't shaken off that depressing funk either. So I opened a beer - a Naughty Neighbour from Nickel Brook, if I remember - and started in on my birthday greetings on Facebook and via text message, hoping they would help me feel better.

Erin and John  of Little Beasts Brewing

They did, a little. There were sixty or so, and I answered each one personally. Even the people who spelled my name with just one 'n,' 'cause I'm not petty. Or anal. At all.

I figured a visit to the gym would help me chase away the blues, so I packed my bag and took my tired self up to LA Fitness in the north end for a workout. But all it did was make me thirsty.

But I had an answer to that problem: beer.

And not just any beer, but fresh brewery beer, and my first birthday stop was going to be a brand new brewery, and that's about as fresh as you can get: Little Beasts Brewing.

I have known Erin, the brewmaster for Little Beasts, for a little while now, as she is a frequent visitor to Buster Rhino's. She also knows my daughter - her three kids are the same age as Adrianne's and her oldest went to the same school as my granddaughter Allison for a time - and she had been promising an IPA-friendly brewery since long before the first shovel hit the ground.

So I was pretty pumped to see this place open.

Not nearly as pumped as Erin. Little Beasts - named for the brewer's less than affectionate term for yeast (and not as a totally affectionate name for her kids, as I first thought) was supposed to be open in July, and then August, and then September.

But with any new business, and especially ones involving brewing equipment, liquor licenses and the like - there are pitfalls, and it was October before Erin and her business partner John got the brewery up and running.

I was there the weekend after opening to congratulate Erin and John, though I got a sneak peek at three of their beers the previous week at Buster Rhino's.

Experiment Blonde (5.2%), La Petite Duchesse (4.5%) and Experiment Session IPA (4.5 per cent) were in the bar all week, so I already knew what I was getting into when I paid a visit to Little Beasts on my birthday.

There's some magic going on here, I'm certain of that. Experiment Blonde is made with El Dorado and is described as "crisp, light and full of flavour." I agree.

La Petite Duchesse is Erin's year-round Table Saison and I'm totally stealing the review from my friend Sheila, who is a certified beer judge and a damn good beer rater too. "Holy crap," Sheila enthused. "La Petite Duchesse is dynamite! Delicate but formidable. She is little but she is fierce."

No way I'm topping that.

The Experiment Session IPA was brewed west coast style with Chinook, Centennial, Summit and Amarillo hops. Lots of malt in the aroma but the taste was all west coast. Very smooth and very sessionable.

Tough Mudder Erin has her own brewery!

I was back the next weekend as well and the hits kept getting bigger and better. La Saison d'ete is a 6.5 per cent heavily hopped beer (Amarillo, Nelson and Mosaic) that was unlike any Saison I've ever tried. More like Saison meets IPA, in fact.

Brewed using Escarpment Laboratories old world saison yeast, it was spicy and tropical fruit on the nose and it packed a punch on the tongue. Citrus was most prominent, with the spiciness lingering in the background. Delicious, and my Saison of the Year.

In fact, La Saison d'ete is the best example of the style I have ever had. There. I said it.

Another contender in my year-end awards is Salem's Lot (6.3%, 65 IBU), a New England IPA that delivered a fresh bouquet aroma of citrusy hops. Brewed with all New Zealand hops, this is creamy, juicy and delicious.

So glad this brewery is finally a thing and so happy for the Little Beasts team of Erin and John and especially for Erin, who, in addition to being a total badass - she is a multiple Tough Mudder competitor and is off to the World's Toughest Mudder in Las Vegas this weekend - is one of the nicest people in the craft beer scene.

John seemed like a pretty good dude too.

And thanks to the both of you for turning my birthday blues frown upside down. Turned out to be a pretty good birthday after all.

GLB's Tap Takeover takes top honours

We've had a few tap takeovers at Buster Rhino's over the years I've been hanging around the place, but none so anticipated as the Great Lakes Brewery takeover that took place Friday, October 6.

GLB, which is celebrating its 30th anniversary this year, just might be the greatest brewery in the history of breweries. There are those who may call that hyperbole, but I stand behind my words.

Sure, Great Lakes has some competition for the title: My friends at Manantler in Bowmanville will always get my love, and I've been earning frequent flyer points lately for my visits to Bellwoods. Internationally, Stone Brewing in the U.S. (no one forgets their first love) is the Brewery That Can Do No Wrong and Epic Brewing of Aukland, New Zealand sent me (super awesome) beer.

But it always comes back to GLB. It could be because of their Tank Ten series of IPAs, which include Octopus Wants to Fight and Karma Citra, two of the finest examples of the style ever created. In fact, though their entire lineup is stellar, Tank Ten is probably why Great Lakes is number one.

My friend Robert (Drunk Polkeroo) did a collaboration brew with some other craft beer personalities at GLB's nerve centre in south Etobicoke back in February and snapped a picture of himself hugging Tank Ten. I was so jealous I scared myself. I told my friends I would marry Tank Ten if it was legal in this province. That scared them.

So I don't think my statement was hyperbole at all.

But the problem on October 6 was that I wasn't just a customer at Buster Rhino's any more. I also work there, and it was all hands on deck for the Friday night tap takeover, so I knew I'd be on duty for at least part of the evening.

But I had seen the walk-in fridge and with GLB kegs stacked floor to ceiling (okay, that's hyperbole, but the cooks, who had to climb over kegs to get the brisket and ribs would understand), I knew there would be plenty of beer for me when my shift was done.

Still, it was hard watching other people drink great beer while I did my non-beer drinking duties. But I understand sacrifice in the name of paying bills, so I persevered.

It was a packed house and everyone looked like they were enjoying themselves, so that was one consolation. And I got my entertainment watching Troy, GLB's Beer Rep Extraordinaire, do his thing behind the bar slinging beer for the customers.

He, in turn, got his entertainment watching me struggle with my phone. The picture I'm using of him in this blog, in fact, is a selfie because he gave up trying to pose for me and just took the damn picture himself.

No matter. Eventually Jessica released me from my commitments and I got to sidle up to the bar (Troy was long gone by this time) for a half-pint of Citraddiction, a Citra-hopped (naturally) session ale that hasn't been brewed for two years.

I have missed you Citraddiction.

Troy, GLB's beer rep, behind
the bar at Buster Rhino's

I followed that up with a flight, with Saison DuPump, the best Pumpkin beer I have ever had (that's not saying much, but still...), Sexy Poncho (a Farmhouse Ale made with blackberries), CanCon Session IPA, and Somewhere Down in Moxee, the brewery's excellent New England-style IPA.

Still thirsty, I opted for Audrey Hopburn next. This Belgian IPA, like Citraddiction, has been out of circulation for a couple of years and I welcomed its spicy goodness back. Next up was more Moxee before I chose Swamp Juice #40, wondering right after my first sip why I waited so long.

Darryl, our lovable, larger than
 life and legendary host,
poses with Gordie Levesque

Swamp Juice is a blend of three GLB beers, with the usual mix consisting of two Tank Ten IPAs and something more sessionable. This version was a blend of Octopus Wants to Fight and Karma Citra - which, as I mentioned earlier, are two of the finest IPAs in the world - and Canuck, the brewery's flagship (and wonderful) Pale Ale.

The blend was sublime. It was amazing. It was ... really damn good. Best Swamp juice. Ever.

I did my best to get through the rest of the lineup as well, which also included Karma Citra, the 30th Anniversary bourbon barrel-aged Imperial Stout (a big, bold 9.5 per cent beer made with coffee, cocoa and vanilla bean which I enjoyed back last winter at GLB's 30th birthday bash), and their regular Pumpkin Ale.

That one I didn't try - one pumpkin beer is enough for one night, I figure.

A helluva night it was, and I stumbled home happy in the knowledge there was plenty left for me to drink the rest of the week.

Troy may very well return as well, if only to retrieve the life-size cardboard cut-out of Gordie Levesque, the official mascot for Canuck Pale Ale, he left at the bar. Maybe I will have figured out how to take pictures on my phone by then.

I'm thinking probably not.

Left Field takes centre stage

Left Field, another great Toronto brewery, had its turn in the Buster Rhino's spotlight this fall as well and this Leslieville brewmaker was a big hit with the paying customers and staff alike.

The baseball-themed, four year-old brewery, owned by the husband-and-wife team of Mark and Mandie Murphy, has helped Toronto's east end explode as a brewing hotspot.

And they brought their heavy hitters to Oshawa on September 16.

Laser Show is an eight per cent ABV Imperial New England-style IPA that has been on tap at the bar many times. It's all pine and orange with some dankness on the back end and it's dangerously good.

But my favourite beer from the tap takeover was Greenwood, another IPA - 6.3 per cent this time - with that distinctive Vermont yeast strain that defines the style so well. This was a new one for me and I loved it. Smooth tasting with a burst of citrus that left my mouth feeling happy.

I ordered the beer all week until it was tapped out.

If I'm picking the taps that emptied the quickest, however, it would be the Sours, especially Bang Bang, which was a favourite of staff. Nancy, in particular, couldn't get enough of the stuff.

And why not - it was tart (but not puckering) and lemony with an intoxicating aroma. Citrusy and delicious.

Greenwood IPA from Left Field

Squeeze Play Sour, made with pink lemonade, was a pretty popular beer as well, and the brewery brought a couple of Saisons that piqued the interest of many of our regulars: Sunlight Park, a Grapefruit Saison that was tart and tasty and a perfect summer sipper, and Cranberry Park.

And then I was on to a trio of beers right in my wheelhouse. Super Prospect - Citra, is a 7.1 per cent ABV single-hop IPA that was fresh and citrusy up front before finishing bitter and delicious.

Maris, named for the legendary Yankee star Roger Maris - Mr. 61 home runs - was less friendly to my palate, as I found it rich and malty with grassy notes. It just didn't hit the sweet spot for me.

Callum, a pal who is at Buster Rhino's so often his brewery t-shirt (and other swag) collection is ten times mine, loved the stuff though.

Passion Fruit Day Game, a Session IPA, quickly restored my faith in humanity. I've enjoyed this beer before, and this brew hits with power that belies its 3.9 per cent ABV status, delivering 60 IBUs. There's big tropical fruit up front, with more tropical goodness and citrus on the way down.

One of my favourites in the style.

I sampled Eephus next, an Oatmeal Brown Ale that is always smooth and delicious, and failed to hit up only Bricks and Mortar, a Coffee Porter.

Next time.

Cheers!

Sunday pub crawl in the Hammer

(With Don and the Polkeroos)

Two days off.

That may sound like a normal end of the work week for many of you (often called, appropriately, the 'weekend'), but for me it was a rare treat indeed.

The last time I had two days off, in fact, was more than three years ago. And that was called a 'holiday.'

Anyway, with Sunday no longer on my schedule at my part-time bar job and with my landscaping boss deciding Labour Day was a good day to stay home, I was free to enjoy my 'weekend' any way I saw fit.

So I called my pal Don and told him I felt the urge to drink a lot of beer, maybe visit a brewery or two, and perhaps make a border run.

Oh, and call the Polks and invite them, would you?

The 'Polks,' would be Robert and Kathryn, better known in social media circles as Drunk Polkeroo and Mrs. Polkeroo. I met this power beer couple just once at the Great Lakes Brewery 30th Anniversary bash earlier this year, but have chatted many, many times on Facebook and Twitter.

Myself and Don (top) with the lovable
Polkeroos at Merit Brewing

Robert is a beer writer and videographer who chronicles his (and Kathryn's) life in beer - as well as his own personal struggles - with extraordinary honesty and insight. Kathryn is active on social media as well and the pair combine to make the lives of those around them better each and every day.

So yeah, Don: invite them.

We agreed to meet up at Merit Brewing, a brand new downtown Hamilton brewery that I've been hearing fabulous things about, with the Polkeroos promising us a mini pub crawl through the mean streets - and now well on their way to being thoroughly gentrified - of the Hammer.

But first, a quick trip across the border into Niagara Falls, New York, because I am genetically incapable of NOT hitting the border if I am within 40 minutes of American soil.

Seeing as I was in a hurry, I dispensed with the better options and hit up Consumer Beverages, a beer store no bigger than a Mac's just 10 minutes from the border.

I filled up my shopping cart with beers from the usual suspects: Ballast Point, Stone, Bell's, Dogfish Head, Green Flash and a whole bunch more - mostly Imperial IPAs - to the tune of $126 US before heading back to Canada.

I made quick time on my way through and I was on the bridge less than five minutes on the way back before my luck ran out. I was asked to pay duty for starters, which is proper but is usually overlooked by customs officials not interested in the extra paperwork. No biggie, though, and $29 CDN later I was headed to Hamilton and my Merit Brewing rendezvous.

And one more picture of the four of us. Just because

About a minute later (thankfully before I got on the QEW), I heard the unmistakable sound of a flat tire. I picked up a nail and probably on the damn bridge, too!

So there I was on the side of the road putting on my spare. At least I was in Canada for this I told myself, and the delay was only 15 minutes or so before I was back on the road again and headed to Hamilton.

I was also very thirsty.

Good thing the highway was clear, else I would have had to pull over and dip into my U.S, stash to stave off dehydration. But thankfully I made good time and was at Merit Brewing's downtown Hamilton digs in less than an hour, where I found both Don and Robert out front to greet me and to guide me to parking.

Kathryn wisely stayed inside guarding the beers.

Merit Brewing is amazing.  It's a huge and inviting place, right in the heart of downtown Hamilton. The bar is open concept style with communal tables, as befitting the collaborative nature of the craft beer scene.

The tap list was long and had not one but two Milkshake beers on it, as well as an IPA, an Imperial Session IPA and a Session IPA, plus a few other delectables.

I love these guys already.

Sixty pounds of fruit loops cereal went into Merit's Fruit Loops Milkshake IPA, and while I found it interesting - though not as interesting as Bellwood's line of Milkshark beers - Don found it ... disconcerting.

The always smiling Tej, one of Merit Brewing's owners

Somehow my pal Don had completely missed the Milkshake IPA craze that swept Ontario this summer and his first stab at the style left him decidedly underwhelmed. It was the texture that threw him for a loop (okay, his pun, not mine), and he proclaimed it was "as odd to me as a pizza having the texture of a salad."

Harsh words from a salad-hating, pizza-loving man like Don, but he quickly softened his stance by saying he actually liked the beer.

It was just the damn 'mouthfeel' that threw him off.

The second Milkshake beer on tap was not actually an IPA at all, but a Milkshake Stout, and that was a new one on me. The Neapolitan Milkshake Stout offered licorice and honey in the aroma with a taste that was seriously like neapolitan ice cream! It was a little sweet mid-palate but finished bitter. Really tasty session stout.

The rest of the Merit lineup this day was stellar. Idaho Beach House was a well executed Session IPA that was far more bitter than the 4.5 per cent alcohol would indicate and Young Rival, the flagship IPA of the brewery, was rich and little sweet with a pungent finish. On Two, their IIPA, was just delicious.

There were other beers on the menu we tried as well, but it's been six weeks and both my memory and my notes failed me when I sat down to write this. Oh well, I could just say they were all awesome.

Or I could just ask Robert or Kat.

But there was more that just beer at Merit. There were ... sausages (I had the lamb andouille), fries (fashioned after the chips found at the HopCat craft beer chain in Michigan) and various snack and sides, including some delicious sourdough bread.

Do they have a lot beer on tap at Rust City? I think they do

It was a long drive. I was hungry, okay?

Tej, one of Merit's co-owners, stopped by to chat as well - it seems Robert knows nearly every one in the Hamilton beer scene - and after a stop at the bottle shop we were off to wander Hamilton's downtown in search of more beer.

Our next stop was Hambrgr, a beer and burger mecca just around the corner from Merit, and we had every intention of sampling their epic burgers (and grabbing a pint or two from their bountiful tap list), but the long wait for a table - which is typical for this place, I'm told - forced us to look for our next adventure.

But not before we lingered by the patio while Rob chatted with his cousin - I swear the man can't walk down the street in the Hammer without running into someone he knows - and I noted with considerable interest Hamilton's effort to revitalize its downtown.

The street - King William - is a bit of a microcosm of Hamilton's downtown. The entire north side of the street is devoted to restaurants and shops with patios - very chic - while the view to the south is an abandoned warehouse in the throes of demolition.

Reminds me of Oshawa, though on a much larger scale. As Pops would say on Luke Cage, "forward. Always forward."

Rust City Brewing

Anyway, we eventually got thirsty and moved on to Rust City Brewing, where there were plenty of tables available, so we got one near the bar. To be closer to the beer, of course.

This place has a great atmosphere and one of Hamilton's best selection of craft brews, as well as great coffee. The brewery part, however, has been delayed - they were supposed to be up and running this month - because of some feet dragging by the local council.

"The current zoning in downtown Hamilton does not allow microbreweries, and although changes to allow brewing are coming it won't be until June that these changes will be presented to City Council for approval," owners Nancy and James Malcom and partner Gabriel Spiegelshrift explained on their website. "This situation has forced us to delay the introduction of our on-site brewing until the near future. Rest assured, we are working on it."

So we'll be back, no?

In the meantime we were forced to settle (!) for some Bellwoods beer: the very awesome Goblin Sauce Imperial IPA (which is finally back in the Bellwoods bottle shop this weekend), the Monogamy IPA with Vic Secret (one of Don's favourite hops) and a mystery, label-less bottle.

I was convinced after sampling it that it was one of their Runes series of beers, but it turned out to be the Monogamy with Mosaic hops. Tasty, but a touch on the peppery side.

A trip to Fairweather Brewing was also on the agenda on this day, but after returning to Merit for another pint and a bite to eat we decided that Fairweather would have to wait for another day.

And another day with Don and the Polkeroos, in a city that is fast becoming a craft beer capital, will be a good day indeed.

Beer O'Clock

This blog has gone long already, not to mention the six weeks between the experience and the writing of it, but I have to mention a few of the beers I enjoyed from the weekend.

Goblin Sauce is another lupulin powder creation from the creative brewers at Bellwoods and it instantly became a finalist for my Double IPA of the year. The aromatics are front and centre, with pineapple, mango and something lighter, like strawberry. It's a big bomb on the palate, with more tropical fruit, resin and pungent hops.

Dayslayer, an Imperial IPL from Stone and Maine

I picked up a bunch of beers from the American side and Beer-Sainted some of them to my pals (who tweeted about it for days). Three of them in particular stood out.

The best of the bunch was, surprisingly, a lager. Dayslayer, which was labelled as an Imperial Pale Lager on the bottle and Imperial Pilsner in the descriptive (I prefer the latter - fancier), was a collaboration brew between Stone (Escondido in San Diego County) and Maine (Freeport, Maine) that delivered toffee sweetness, lemony citrus and a dash of pine. The aroma was fantastic and the beer tasted like ripe citrus and resiny deliciousness met and had a torrid affair.

Manta Ray, an Imperial IPA from Ballast Point (San Diego), was all pine, ripe citrus and dankness on the nose. The taste is candy sweetness with a good lashing of resin.

Finally, there was Passion Fruit Kicker from Green Flash (also San Diego), which was so popular among my friends (craft and non-craft) that I only enjoyed one small bottle.

There was plenty of passion fruit, along with a bit of spiciness. The taste was tart with lemon, more passion fruit, spices and a bit of saltiness.

Cheers!