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Ontario Brewer Podcast
Since 2010, I have been preparing and hosting the Ontario Brewer Podcast series for the Ontario Craft Brewers Association. These podcast feature interviews with Ontario brewers on a range of different topics.Beer News & Updates
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Let’s celebrate St. Brigid’s Day!
Posted February 1, 2012 | 10:00 am, by Mirella
Are you looking for an excuse to break your post-holiday, guilt-driven “drinking break”? Do you need an excuse to get off the couch and out to the pub this evening? Well, guess what? It’s St. Brigid of Kildare’s Day!… Let’s all head out to the pub and CELEBRATE! Right now, some of you might be wondering who St. Brigid of Kildare was. Well, like St. Patrick (who we celebrate at the pub every year) she is one of the patron […]
Is it okay to send a beer back if it doesn’t taste right?…
Posted January 9, 2012 | 5:58 pm, by Mirella
I just came across this great article called “When Craft Beer Goes Bad: A Guide to Refusing a Beer” on the American BA website. It includes a handy chart that details common issues with beer service, what causes them, and how they can be resolved. It’s certainly got me thinking… The article is saying that: “Ultimately, you should be able to send back any beer that you are unsatisfied with…but consumers seem to have hang-ups about doing this.” I would […]
A Holiday Treat!
Posted December 11, 2011 | 2:00 pm, by Mirella
Beer Nog (a.k.a. Royal Posset) A fun treat to share over the Holiday Season… I was researching a holiday beer ideas CBC radio segment last year and came across this delicious recipe for Royal Posset. Posset is a warm drink and it is thought to have been the pre-decessor to Egg Nog. It can be made with either beer or wine but because the recipe originated in Britain, many people theorize that Posset would originally have been made with beer… As part of […]
Ending the year with a bang!
Posted December 2, 2011 | 11:00 am, by Mirella
Our last Cask! social this year is running in conjunction with the Victory Cafe Winter Cask Festival this weekend. Come on by and sample a wide range of delicious cask-conditioned ales!
Yum!
Posted November 29, 2011 | 3:03 pm, by Mirella
I had to take a moment to share these fantastic recipes that chef Matt Kantor created for the latest Ontario Brewer Podcast. Beet Salad with the Red Leaf Lager Squash and Mushroom Salad with the Winter Ale Chocolate Cake with Winter Ale Caramel As I mentioned in a previous post, this whole season of Ontario Brewer is about pairing beer with food. This month, the feature was on Great Lakes brewery and Matt came in to talk about his experience […]
You know what we need?
Posted November 25, 2011 | 8:25 pm, by Mirella
This has been on my mind for a while and I was reminded about it today whenI came across this news about Beau’s BYBO program being shut down… We need a national craft brewer’s association in Canada. It’s time. Craft breweries in various provinces are gaining momentum and growing fast. What isn’t growing and changing along with the craft breweries is our distribution legislation. Legislation like the one that is preventing Beau’s from implementing the BYBO program, legislation that limits inter-provincial distribution, […]
A different kind of beer tasting
Posted November 2, 2011 | 7:49 pm, by Mirella
Usually when I organize guided beer tastings, I am trying to find the tastiest, most fun and contrasting selection of beers possible. Off-flavour sessions are something else entirely… These troubleshooting classes that I’m organizing are different. They are about exploring what can go wrong with beer because it is a complex and delicate beverage. Although brewing beer is easy in theory, brewing it properly and consistently requires a lot of care and attention. Something as innocuous as a speck of […]
Cask! is collaborating with the fine folk at Volo on Cask Days 2011 Seminars
Posted October 19, 2011 | 4:02 pm, by Mirella
Over at Cask! we’ve collaborated with the Volo team to organize three seminars on cask-conditioned ale on October 29th, followed by a Cask! Social. Each seminar is accompanied by a one-off beer that was brewed especially for the occasion! Admission costs are $10 per session, or $25 for all. This includes one glass of cask-ale per session plus seminar discussion. BUY TICKETS HERE Here is more info on the three sessions: SESSION #1 – HOW TO MAKE CASK-ALE Hosted […]
Ontario Brewer is dedicating a whole season to food pairings
Posted October 11, 2011 | 2:57 pm, by Mirella
The first podcast of the new 2011-2012 season of Ontario Brewer was posted today. This year, we’re going to be focusing on pairing beer with food. We’ve enlisted four food specialists to help create fantastic food pairings for various Ontario Craft Brewers brands. Nickel Brook Beer & Cheese This first podcast features the brands of Nickel Brook, and the second part of the podcast (which will be released in two weeks) will feature cheese pairings suggested by Michael Simpson from Leslieville […]
The Oxford Companion to Beer is now available!
Posted October 4, 2011 | 5:47 pm, by Mirella
I just received the copy of the Oxford Companion to Beer that I pre-ordered through Amazon a month ago and I must say that I’m very proud to have been a part of this project. I was one of seven Canadian contributors and penned 8 entries on various subjects. The Companion is a lovely book and I was happy to hear that it got a great review in the New York Times. Garrett Oliver, who edited the Companion, told us about […]