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!

IPA Tales

The Moving Day Days Week

Moving is a bitch. Usually, anyway.

My most recent move wasn't so bad because more than half my stuff was already in boxes in the garage, on account of me downsizing at the beginning of the year and moving in with my son.

So when I got the keys to my new downtown digs on a Wednesday, I started moving my boxes in - one car load at a time. And when it was time for the big stuff three days later, I borrowed a truck from work, borrowed the muscle of my pal Brandon, and two trips later I was all moved in.

Easy peasy. Sort of.

Not that the day was without its little adventures. What move is without those, huh?

For starters, the couch wouldn't fit, so back to the old place and its garage it went. The box spring and frame wouldn't fit down the stairs either, so the box went into the garbage and the frame went into my new garage for later disassemble.

I now sleep on a mattress only, which makes me feel very tall until I have to get out of it. Then I just feel very old.

And then there was the hooker Brandon and I met on our travels.

We were just south of downtown - a block away from the one-way street that would take us north, almost all the way to my new place - when she hailed me down.

At first I thought I knew her, with her waving and all (and it being the middle of the day) and when I realized she was a working girl I thought she was a step up from the usual 90-pound sleep-walking street walkers of our fair city. But as she got closer I could see in her face the signs of drug abuse.

"Can I service you," she asked, and that is something I can say I never heard before. Then she noticed Brandon in the passenger seat. "Oh sorry, I didn't realize you were with somebody."

I'm not exactly sure how to take that last comment. Brandon wasn't sure either.

There was another, even sweeter, highlight on Moving Day: beer.

We were nearly finished loading the truck back at the house I shared with Most Awesome and Number Two Son Cameron, when I decided a beer break was in order. (I was smart for a change and had beer stashed at BOTH houses.) And not just any beer, but a homebrew from Linda and John, courtesy of my pal Josh. It was an American Pale Ale called Stress Buster and it was ... incredible.

I've had a few of their creations before but this was just bursting with flavour. Two thumbs up from Brandon as well.

Anyway, we finished the move and I was left with an apartment full of boxes. For anybody who has moved (except for the supper efficient types and you know who you are), that's when the real work begins.

As I write this a week later, my apartment is still full of boxes. But at least I can sit down on my futon and stare at the space on the wall where my television would go if I had one. And at least I can sit down at my computer and write this story if I had internet.

Scratch that last line. I finally have internet. I wouldn't be writing this if I didn't. But I went four days - nearly a week if you count from the day I received the keys - without the life-saving internet.

(My son Matt said I was turning into a Millennial because I was complaining about it so much.)

My phone also died during the transition period and I went three days with no phone, no TV and no internet. The J Man refused to visit me - "there's nothing to do Dad!" - he would tell me, forcing me to go up and visit him in his air-conditioned mansion if I wanted to help him with his homework.

Ungrateful teenagers, right?

But it's all good now. The apartment is now functional, though cluttered, with only the problem of finding homes for my many boxes of books I cart from one move to the next, finding an outlet for my microwave that won't trip a fuse (thank God for breakers), hanging up pictures - my comic book, beer and sports posters are already push-pinned to the wall - and doing all those little things that turn a basement apartment into a home.

Now if only someone would visit me. Anyone? Bueller? Bueller's sister maybe?

Manantler. We've been apart too long

I popped into Bowmanville the other day, partly because my fridge had more food than beer in it (a situation that had to be remedied), but mostly because it had been a while since I saw my peeps at Manantler, my favourite local brewery.

And any brewery that puts my face on a beer will ALWAYS have my love, though just making great beer is usually enough for that.

There was nothing new on the shelves, but there were three old stand-bys that never cease to gladden my heart.

Dark Prince, one of the finest Black IPAs in Ontario and a silver medal winner at the 2015 Ontario Brewing Awards, was there, and so was Liquid Swords, the Wu Tang inspired IPA that is the flagship beer of the nearly three year-old brewery.

But the highlight of my visit - besides chatting with the lovely Mariska - was definitely Hot Tropics Belgian Table IPA.

The last recipe created by former brewmaster Jim before he left for the Left Coast, this is a beautiful 3.6 per cent beer (that is not a typo) that seems even better than the last time I enjoyed it. Perhaps Chris has tweaked the recipe, I dunno. But it is fantastic.

There's a big blast of citrus on the nose with loads of flavour. Citrus, a hint of melon and a lashing of spice follow. The best under-four per cent beer I've ever had.

Cheers!