A Case for Rarity
Scotch whisky lovers love rarity. Characteristics such as age marking, unusual special editions and unique casking are all part of whisky lore. Drinkers seek out unique products from interesting places and they are especially savoured. In the beer world, parallels to this are evident due to the similarity of the drinks [...]
Cascadian Dark Ale
The birth of this new style has sparked a huge debate in the brewing community (see episode 10 of Brewing TV). This style has been called Black IPA (what an oxymoron!) and India Dark Ale, though it was never intended to be shipped to India. The Brewers Association have continued to [...]
Home Brewer Cask Series
R&B Brewing have a new pilot system and they're brewing four of the gold medal winners from the Vancouver Homebrew Awards. Home brewers can be creative (and even a little risky) because there isn't as much cost involved when you're only brewing five gallons at a time. Some of these 'experiments' [...]
One Week Until Blue Monk Bus Trip
There's one week to go until we load a bus full of thirsty Toronto beer lovers and hit the road for the Blue Monk in Buffalo, NY! There are still tickets available if you are interested in joining in on the fun. We'll be leaving from Union Station at 10am and [...]
Winter hits BC
The lifts haven't opened for the season but the highest peaks are covered in snow and the Winter Ales are hitting the shelves. This is the time of year that people push aside the lighter brews and reach for something with a little more character and richness. There are many interpretations [...]
CASK! Social – November 13th
Good news for cask ale fans, as Ontario's only real ale consumer organization announced its November social recently. CASK! is dedicated to the promotion of quality cask ale, and its socials provide a great venue for both afficianadoes and people new to the real ale format. They operate on an informal [...]
Keep Enjoying Garrison with New Private Order
Following the successful debut of Garrison Imperial I.P.A. as part of the LCBO's Autumn Ales release (all that's left is what's listed in the current inventory), The Bar Towel is happy to announce an exclusive private order for beer connoisseurs who would like some more Garrison. This private order allows you [...]
Great Lakes Project X November 11th
Join us at Project X this month as we tap 2 feature beers: - Winter Ale with Bourbon Soaked Raisin Flambé - Swampwater Pale Ale (60% Pompous Ass, 30% My Bitter Wife, 10% Tenish Anyone IIIPA?) This month's event is catered by the fine folks at The Local, who will be [...]
Bar Towel’er in BC
As some of you know, I've chosen to slow down my pace of life and I've moved to Kelowna, BC. If you're wondering where the heck that is, it's on Okanagan Lake in the southern interior (about 400 km from Vancouver and 600 km from Calgary). It's outside the rainy shadow [...]
Learn 2 Brew Day @ Amsterdam
Hot on the heels of Toronto Beer Week’s Homebrew Contest comes an event hosted by the Southern Ontario Brewers and the Amsterdam Brewery, where attendees can learn how to make their own beer from the pros (well, the homebrew pros, at least). The SOBs make up Ontario’s largest homebrew club and [...]
LCBO Winter Beers Will Warm You Up
One of the best times to be a craft beer drinker in Ontario is the winter holiday season, as the LCBO debuts two releases at the same time. First up, and hitting the shelves now is their Gift Packs release, which includes many beer and glass combinations, plus a few single [...]
Samuel Adams Has a Beer Party in Ontario
When Moosehead Breweries announced their strategic alliance with the Boston Beer Company (a.k.a. Samuel Adams) earlier this year, beer fans in Ontario had reason to be cautiously optimistic. Having a strong partner on the ground in the Canadian market would give Samuel Adams a good opportunity to have their brands reach drinkers [...]
Cask Days 2010 Beer Line-Up
Cask Days 2010 Line-Up. Ticket are still available online and at barVolo! Click Here to Buy Tickets! For More information please visit www.caskdays.com CASK-DAYS: TRADITIONAL ENGLISH ALES Monday, October 25th – Wednesday, October 27th Durham’s Hophead Volo + St.Andre Jobs Parti-Gyle 2.1 Wellington’s Arkell Bitter F & M Ordinary Bitter Durham’s [...]
The Bar Towel Announces Bus Trip to Blue Monk
The Bar Towel and The Blue Monk are happy to announce an exclusive day trip to Buffalo! The Blue Monk is a new Belgian-themed bar and restaurant in Elmwood Village in Buffalo, NY. Owned by Mike Shatzel and Kevin Brinkworth, Mike being the great beer guy behind Cole's (also in Buffalo), the Blue [...]
Sign Up for Bar Towel E-News
We've already sent out our first e-mail newsletter about the latest on The Bar Towel and what's being talked about in our lively discussion forum, with more coming soon. So, if you're interested in receiving periodic e-mail updates on what's happening with The Bar Towel and the beer scene, please register here [...]
Paddock Wood in Ontario – But Not How You Might Expect
Paddock Wood, Saskatchewan's first craft brewery, is entering the Ontario market with two of their brands: 606 India Pale Ale and Czech Mate Pilsner. But the tale of how and where the brands are available is an interesting one, and not the usual way a new brand arrives in Ontario. Earlier [...]
Great Lakes Project X Cask Days Edition
October is looking like a great month for beer, with tons of great events spread over the next few weeks. Mark your calendars for Thursday, October 14th, from 6pm-9pm. Great Lakes will be hosting their monthly Project X and joining forces with Volo to bring you a special Cask Days edition. [...]
Muskoka Harvests an Impressive New Brewing Direction
Over the past couple of years we have seen craft breweries in Ontario really step up their game to appeal to the serious beer connoisseur. One of the best examples of this is Great Lakes – a brewery known for almost 20 years for quaffable lagers made a noticeable push to [...]
Garrison Imperial I.P.A. Hits Ontario
As part of the LCBO’s Autumn Ales beer release, we are thrilled to say that Garrison Imperial I.P.A. from Halifax, Nova Scotia is rolling out to the shelves for purchase. The Bar Towel, through our partner Cecktor Limited, is the agent for Garrison in Ontario and has been documenting the experience [...]
Beau’s Oktoberfest Invades the East
If you aren't exhausted from the recent Toronto Beer Week, there's a big event in Eastern Ontario that you should definitely get to. Beau's All-Natural Brewing Company is hosting their annual Oktoberfest party in their hometown of Vankleek Hill on October 2nd and 3rd. And by all accounts based upon last [...]