On Mediocrity
In undergrad, a friend of mine adopted a principle that allowed him to spend more time playing cards than doing coursework. While he was very interested in doing his best when it came to the courses...
View ArticleStone’s Indiegogo Campaign is Cynical and Exploitative
One of the things that I find frustrating in writing about beer is the insistence by people that brewing is not first and foremost a business. I have written two histories now and I can claim to...
View ArticleWibbly-Wobbly Timey-Wimey Stuff
One of the things I don’t see people taking into account frequently when they talk about beer is time. I don’t mean that you should drink a hoppy beer when it is fresh (you absolutely should) or that a...
View ArticleGerman Beer and Food Part 2: Terrines, Terpenes and Terroir
Last week (just scroll down a little), we ended up by talking about Oktoberfest and how it’s a sort of benchmark for the modernization of the Bavarian agrarian system. The impressive thing about...
View ArticleTwo historical beers you should try at Cask Days
Cask Days is this weekend and for Toronto beer drinkers, that’s an event that is more or less Christmas. This year’s specialties are from California, with nearly 40 beers to choose from. There are also...
View ArticleAdvent Calendars – But What If You’re In Ontario
This week in the column, I talked about the growing trend for breweries to produce advent calendars. It’s a fun idea and one that I can get behind. With the short days and cold weather, you want to...
View ArticleOn Malt Lightening and the Beer Style Continuum
As far as I can tell, every single brewery is issued one of these when they get their license. I’ve never been in a brewery that doesn’t have one kicking around. Look at it sometime and note the...
View ArticleWhy Budweiser Lost
(Ed. Note: Periodically, I’m called upon to do an interview on the radio or in print about Craft Beer. The question that comes up most frequently is really two questions: “Why Craft Beer? Why now?” I...
View ArticleThe Ontario Problem
Since I started writing about beer about four and a half years ago, the Ontario situation has become more and more interesting. There are more breweries competing for market share and there’s increased...
View ArticleThey Keep Asking Me: “What’s Your Favourite Beer?”
As I went around the province talking to people at breweries and festivals over the course of the last six months, I was asked the two questions that I’m always asked. I have decided to answer them on...
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