West-Coast E.S.B.
What's a West-Coast E.S.B.? It could simply be considered as an E.S.B. that's brewed on the west coast, though more recent examples are typically a little stronger in alcohol, bitterness, hop flavour and aroma. The first widely distributed modern example may have been Rogue's Brutal Bitter. With a complex malt bill, [...]
Meet Frederick Tremblay – Brewmaster of MicroBrasserie Charlevoix
keep6imports (formally HMH Negotiants) invites you to celebrate the launch of MicroBrasserie Charlevoix (Baie-St-Paul, Quebec) Dominus Vobiscum Blanche (Canadian Brewing Awards Gold Medal 2010 - Belgian Wit) availability at the LCBO (Summer Seasonal Release). LCBO ITEM #227629 $4.60 / 500mL Click Here for Availability Join founder and brew master Frederick Tremblay [...]
BC Beer – June Releases
The Summer Solstice marks the start of what many Canadians refer to as "Patio Season". As the long days begin to warm up, people reach for the lighter brews and these releases certainly reflect that. Tree Brewing's Hefeweizen, crafted by the German Braumeister Stefan Buhl, won a gold medal at the [...]
Buffalo Beer Week 2011
While Ontario beer drinkers are in the midst of the 2nd annual Ontario Craft Beer Week, our friends in a nearby American city that's quite popular for over-the-border beer runs are also celebrating our favourite beverage with their own week of events. Buffalo Beer Week is running on the same dates [...]
Cass & Troy’s 2nd Annual Toronto Pub Crawl Coming Up
As part of Ontario Craft Beer Week, Cass from The Bar Towel and Troy from TAPS Magazine will be hosting another edition of their successful pub crawl on Thursday, June 23rd. Details below: Cass & Troy's 2nd Annual Toronto Pub Crawl Join Cass and Troy in their East vs. West showdown [...]
Happy Anniversary, Bar Towel Forum!
It was 10 (!) years ago today, June 17th, 2001, that the Bar Towel Discussion Forums went live. The Forum has become the lifeblood of the Bar Towel, and a pulse of the craft beer scene in Ontario. Over the years tons of craft beer news has been broken on the [...]
BC Holds Their Own – Stateside
No, I'm not referring to games 3 & 4 in Boston, those were a total disaster. But this past weekend the North American Brewers Association presented their annual awards... and these Canucks won! Howe Sound Brewing Company Gold (Kristall Weizen / Berliner Weisse) - Goldtooth Berliner Weisse Silver (Weizen Bock) - [...]
Brewery Market Continues June 5th
The Brewery Market, an event series that started last weekend at The Stop's Green Barn at the Wychwood Barns, continues tomorrow with Denison's Brewing Company. At tomorrow's event Denison's will be featuring both of their regular beers, Weisse and Dunkel and The Stop will be offering fresh wood-baked pizzas to complement [...]
You’ll Love Canada (and HopYard)
As part of a new LCBO promotion entitled I Love Canada, a great beer from the East Coast is being released for a limited time. Arriving from Garrison Brewing is HopYard Pale Ale. This beer, which made its debut last year and won a silver at the Canadian Brewing Awards (North [...]
Garrison Invades The Rhino
The Rhino, a great beer bar located at 1249 Queen Street West in Toronto, has just received a massive private order of beer from Garrison Brewing of Halifax, Nova Scotia. Garrison, a renowned craft brewery (represented in Ontario by The Bar Towel) has seen its Imperial I.P.A. on the LCBO shelves [...]
Busy Beer Weekend In Toronto
If you're out and about in Toronto this weekend and looking for something beer-related to do, you'll have a few of options to choose from... Saturday May 28th Great Lakes Annual Spring Charity BBQ Great Lakes Brewery, 30 Queen Elizabeth Blvd., Etobicoke 12:00 noon to 6:00 PM This always fun event [...]
Brewery Market Arriving on May29th
The first Brewery Market event will be coming up on May 29th at the Wychwood Barns located at St. Clair West and Christie. Featuring the beers of Flying Monkeys Craft Brewery, a number of their beers will be available, including Hoptical Illusion Almost Pale Ale, Amber Ale, Antigravity Light Ale, Netherworld Cascadian Dark Ale and Smashbomb [...]
BC Beer – May Releases
The May 2-4 weekend (aka Victoria Day) is generally recognized as the start of the cottage & camping season. So I'm sure everyone will be excited to hear that Howe Sound Brewing has just released their new lager in a can! Now this isn't your fathers lawnmower beer, this one's packed [...]
Vancouver Craft Beer Week 2011: Final Event
Thanks to the Urban Diner ticket giveaway, I made it down to the final Vancouver Craft Beer Week event. This was the Brewery Creek Beer Festival featuring 24 BC breweries. There was a number of new products, hard to find brews and old favourites to provide a full afternoon of sampling [...]
The Brewery Market Coming to Wychwood Barns
The Bar Towel is happy to announce the creation of a new beer event series coming this summer: The Brewery Market. Created in partnership with The Stop Community Food Centre, The Brewery Market is a single-brewery beer tasting taking place over the course of eleven Sundays in the summer time, at [...]
Lighthouse goes Overboard
Lighthouse Brewing will be releasing the fourth beer of their "Big Flavour" series on April 29th. "Overboard Imperial Pilsner has an intense flavour profile and a strong 8.5% alc/vol. A long cool fermentation with a pure pilsner yeast strain creates a very unique spicy flavour and a soft malty body. Considered [...]
BC Beer – April Releases
Driftwood Brewing has brought back the Naughty Hildegard. Named after a Benedictine nun, who is reportedly the first to have recorded the use of hops in brewing, this 'west-coast' E.S.B. is bursting with traditional English hop flavour. Phillips Brewing has released their Double Barrel Scotch Ale again. It spent 6 weeks [...]
Tofino Brewing Company
Tofino Brewing Company is now open for business. You just can't get more west coast... and while I haven't made it out, here's one more reason to make the trip. They're launching with Tuff Session Ale, which is available in growlers: * Malts: Canadian Pale, Crystal and Amber * Hops: Warrior [...]
LCBO Summer Beers Coming in May
The LCBO has announced their Summer Beer seasonal release, hitting the shelves beginning the week of May 22nd: Lindeman's Kriek (355mL, $5.95) Lindeman's Cuvee Rene Gueuze (355mL, $6.45) Great Lakes Green Tea Ale (650mL, $4.95) Dieu du Ciel! Rosee d'Hibiscus (341mL, $3.10) Charlevoix Dominus Vobiscum Blanche (500mL, $3.85) Brasseurs de Montreal [...]
BC Beer – March Releases
After some trouble with the law (concerning the original name 'No Jail Pale Ale'), Cannery's No Justice Pale Ale has finally hit the shelves. At only 3%, you can drink the bomber without getting bombed. Granville Island Brewing recently bottled their Limited Release Imperial IPA. Available at their retail store, and [...]