One of my favourite events in southwestern Ontario returns on Saturday, September 21 at Blue Mountain Village, and there will be beer, food, and fantastic festivities once again at Creemore Springs’ Oktoberfest at Blue.
If you’re looking for some beer ideas for the long weekend, patio season, or any summer occasion, I’ve got seven great options for you, including five Ontario favourites and a non-alcoholic brew.
Happy patio season! It’s that perfect time of year when a pint on the patio is one of the simplest, greatest pleasures, but how well do you know beer? The idea of the “perfect pour” may even be confusing, and that’s where certified Canadian beer expert Justin Lamontagne comes in with some simple beer tips and suggestions.
Super Bowl Sunday is almost here and if you’re planning a get together with your friends or family, you’re likely looking for a few drink ideas. This is, after all, the highlight of the season, when football fans, and non-fans alike, sit down together to eat, drink, and be merry.
My family raised me on country music. When I was a kid, my mother and grandmother listened to nothing but old school country, and that certainly rubbed off on me. My tastes are all over the place, but country still speaks to kid in me that grew up on it, so when I got an invite to come down to Chicago to cover the Windy City Smokeout country music festival, I was excited for a whole bunch of reasons.
Innis & Gunn founder and master brewer Dougal Sharp has been making beer since he was a teenager. Back then, Sharp worked at his father’s Caledonian Brewery in Edinburgh, Scotland, but it wasn’t until a fire in 1994 that he became much more deeply involved in making award-winning brews. And while he had other plans for his career, brewing beer was clearly his calling.
Heineken launched their new BrewLock kegs in Canada recently, at their Heineken BrewLock Pour Lounge in Toronto, by offering up a few pints to their social media and VIP friends, and aside from nibbles, a DJ, pint pouring training, it was a great Friday afternoon break to hoist a few fresh pints.
The first ever Quinte Craft beer festival was a big hit, drawing hundreds to Belleville’s Empire Square to sample local brews, wines, and food this past weekend. In fact, the event was such a big hit that a second festival is already in the works for later this year.
Grolsch’s ever-iconic swingtop bottle was immortalized earlier this year when the company celebrated their 400th anniversary with a huge artist competition in Amsterdam. With 400 artists from around the world competing, they had to bring their own style to the Grolsch design, and Canadian illustrator Dave Murray was one of only 9 works that ended up being selected for a special honour.
Spring has definitely sprung in Toronto, and that means it’s time to start getting back out on the patios, and trying some fresh, new seasonal-themed food and drinks. In that spirit, the Bier Markt has launched their Biers of Spring menu, which pairs some of the best food and beer together to help inspire your taste buds.
