Wednesday, 3 August 2011
July 30, 2011
Checking in on David M. Ewalt's One Year, One Thousand Beers project, his most recent post, dated July 27th, finds him at number 77. By way of comparison, from April 7 to July 27, I managed 124 different beers. At some point he is going to require a binge worthy of Oliver Reed to catch up and I don't want to miss that.
Monday, 1 August 2011
July 29, 2011
The other place we stayed on vacation was Belleville. Maybe I didn't give it a fair chance or perhaps we stayed at the lonely end of town but I was reminded of the words of Dorothy Parker: "There's no there, there." It was a Friday night and things were closing down at 10PM, for Heaven's sake.
July 28, 2011
263) D'Arcy McGee's in Ottawa: Big Wheel Deluxe Amber (bottle) by Amsterdam of Ontario: **1/2; hints of mocha;
Yes, I know, a chain pub. Forgive me. Having said that, I hear that their prime rib burger is as good as any burger out there. D'Arcy McGee was one of the Fathers of Confederation and one of the very few Canadian politicians to be assassinated.
Yes, I know, a chain pub. Forgive me. Having said that, I hear that their prime rib burger is as good as any burger out there. D'Arcy McGee was one of the Fathers of Confederation and one of the very few Canadian politicians to be assassinated.
July 27, 2011
261) In our living room at the Albert at Bay Suite Hotel in Ottawa: Loyalist Lager - Oaked by Barley Days Brewery of Ontario; *1/2; very smooth; oaking adds layers of complexity; I enjoyed this more than most lagers;
262) Pub Italia, Ottawa: 1855 by Kichesippi Beer Company of Ontario: **1/2; a very rich, very subtle dark ale;
We bought three 650ml bottles at the brewery in Picton on our way in to town. All three are oaked which I found intriguing. Like many Ontario craft breweries, it is a very small outfit but it was nice to drop in and sample a couple of beers.
I have to visit Pub Italia whenever I am in Ottawa. First off, the interior is beautiful - it's like a cathedral. If there was a pub in the Vatican it would look a lot like Pub Italia. The menu is pretty large but it can be summarized as your standard pub fare with an extra helping of Italian dishes. I always enjoy my meals there and the mussels were a hit with those who ordered them. It is described as an Irish-Italian pub but I didn't see quite so much Irish influence. They have a terrific beer list that pulls no punches. I recommend you go on line at http://www.pubitalia.ca/beer.html and seek out their comments on Crest Super Lager and Faxe.
262) Pub Italia, Ottawa: 1855 by Kichesippi Beer Company of Ontario: **1/2; a very rich, very subtle dark ale;
We bought three 650ml bottles at the brewery in Picton on our way in to town. All three are oaked which I found intriguing. Like many Ontario craft breweries, it is a very small outfit but it was nice to drop in and sample a couple of beers.
I have to visit Pub Italia whenever I am in Ottawa. First off, the interior is beautiful - it's like a cathedral. If there was a pub in the Vatican it would look a lot like Pub Italia. The menu is pretty large but it can be summarized as your standard pub fare with an extra helping of Italian dishes. I always enjoy my meals there and the mussels were a hit with those who ordered them. It is described as an Irish-Italian pub but I didn't see quite so much Irish influence. They have a terrific beer list that pulls no punches. I recommend you go on line at http://www.pubitalia.ca/beer.html and seek out their comments on Crest Super Lager and Faxe.
July 26, 2011
260) Stonewater Irish Pub in Gananoque: Naughty Otter Lager by Gananoque Brewing Company of Ontario: *1/2; a golden lager with mild citrus notes; grainy;
The Gananoque visitors' centre directed us here as the owner is also the brewer. For the time being, their beers are being brewed by Niagara's Best Brewery but the plan is to begin brewing in Gananoque in the very near future. This beer is named for a particular creature who makes its home at the swing bridge near the Stonewater Irish Pub. We enjoyed our lunch so much that we returned on our way home for another visit. It was definitely a grade above the usual pub fare and the surroundings are hard to beat. I hope to be able to drink Train Wreck in Toronto very soon.
The Gananoque visitors' centre directed us here as the owner is also the brewer. For the time being, their beers are being brewed by Niagara's Best Brewery but the plan is to begin brewing in Gananoque in the very near future. This beer is named for a particular creature who makes its home at the swing bridge near the Stonewater Irish Pub. We enjoyed our lunch so much that we returned on our way home for another visit. It was definitely a grade above the usual pub fare and the surroundings are hard to beat. I hope to be able to drink Train Wreck in Toronto very soon.
July 25, 2011
258) Kingston Brewing Company, Kingston: Train Wreck Strong Ale by Gananoque Brewing Company of Ontario: ***; an IPA with strong, earthy hop flavours and aromas and hints of gingerbread; I agonized before awarding three stars but the fact is on this vacation, I did seek this one out;
259) Kingston Brewing Company: Dragon's Breath Original Real Ale by Kingston Brewing Company of Ontario: **; unfiltered and cask conditioned; an English style Real Ale; not to be confused with Dragon's Breath Pale Ale which some will remember from the Hart Robinson Breweries, late of Carleton Place;
Whenever we are in Kingston a visit to KBC is in order. In addition to brewing beer, they make wine and they also make their own root beer and a clear cream soda for the young ones. The food is pretty good as well.
259) Kingston Brewing Company: Dragon's Breath Original Real Ale by Kingston Brewing Company of Ontario: **; unfiltered and cask conditioned; an English style Real Ale; not to be confused with Dragon's Breath Pale Ale which some will remember from the Hart Robinson Breweries, late of Carleton Place;
Whenever we are in Kingston a visit to KBC is in order. In addition to brewing beer, they make wine and they also make their own root beer and a clear cream soda for the young ones. The food is pretty good as well.
July 24, 2011
256) The Inn, Lake on the Mountain: English Ale by Lake on the Mountain Brewery of Ontario: **; a convival English Ale with hints of biscuit and dried fruit;
257) The Inn, Lake on the Mountain: Country Brown Ale by Lake on the Mountain Brewery: **1/2; very dark with hints of mocha;
Lake on the Mountain is not far from Picton, Ontario. Until recently, said lake was a bit of a mystery. It didn't run dry in spite of having no obvious sources of water but it was discovered that a number of underground springs feed into it. The brewery makes draught exclusively for the Inn so this was my only chance to try it. We stumbled across this location by accident the last time we were driving in the area but it was closed for a private ceremony so we put it on our to-do list. I'm glad we did because we had a great lunch here.
257) The Inn, Lake on the Mountain: Country Brown Ale by Lake on the Mountain Brewery: **1/2; very dark with hints of mocha;
Lake on the Mountain is not far from Picton, Ontario. Until recently, said lake was a bit of a mystery. It didn't run dry in spite of having no obvious sources of water but it was discovered that a number of underground springs feed into it. The brewery makes draught exclusively for the Inn so this was my only chance to try it. We stumbled across this location by accident the last time we were driving in the area but it was closed for a private ceremony so we put it on our to-do list. I'm glad we did because we had a great lunch here.
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