Beer of the Week - Dec 27, Church-Key Northumberland Ale

My sister, Judy, and her husband, Doug, live north of Belleville just outside the town of Madoc. About 20 minutes north of them live my folks, just north of the small town of Eldorado, home of Ontario's first gold mine. We went down the weekend before Christmas for a holiday visit.

For a few years when we go down to visit, I have always wanted to detour over to the town of Campbellford, which is about a half hour from Madoc. The reason for this? Church-Key Brewing Company.

Located in a refurbished 1878 Methodist Church, the brewery has been opened since 2000. The company has a good reputation in the beer community and I have always wanted to take a detour during my visits down to my family to drop in and sample some wares but so far have been unable to.

Judy and Doug, though, solved the sampling part of the problem by getting me some Church-Key Northumberland Ale for Christmas. This is the only Church-Key product available at the LCBO and only the ones local to the area.

The Church-Key owner, John Graham, was interviewed on Great Canadian Pubs and Beer and it turns out he used to run a "brew your own" place in Aurora. I have likely brewed beer at his place when I lived there. He then worked as a brewer for Amsterdam Brewery in Toronto, before going out on his own.

The Northumberland Ale was the first beer he turned out. It is a "stock ale" that was designed "to be a throwback to tavern ales of the 40s and 50s". I wasn't around then so cannot comment on how close he got.

I noticed when I opened it that it poured with a cloudy strawish colour and a nice head. The ale had a good head and left the desirable lacing's on the side of the glass.

It has a nice smooth taste to it, starting malty and finishing with a slight sourness. It is a light tasting refreshing brew, one that would be an excellent session ale.

Now that I know this is available in the local county LCBOs, we will be making a stop to get some more whenever we are down.

After tasting this beer, I also am more determined than ever to drop into the brewery and try some of their other brew.

Thanks Judy! Thanks Doug! Great choice for a gift!

Christmas Fridge - 2009

Last year at Christmas, I found myself surprised by the number of different beers that I had in our fridge and posted about it. I used to have lots of beer in the fridge but they were all the same kind. Last year I had seven different beers.

This year, there is even more variety ... 11 different beers, 12 if you count the two different years for the 2008 and 2009 Fullers Vintage Ale. The other English beer I have has now become a Christmas tradition, Wychwood's Bah Humbug.

I have only one beer from the U.S., Two Hearted Ale from Bells Brewery in Michigan. I had brought back a 24 of it from Pittsburgh when I was there recently.

From Quebec, I have a Griffon Extra Pale Ale from McAuslan Brewery. It is not a great beer but I had to try it as I am a huge fan of their St-Ambroise Oatmeal Stout.

Teena, who hails originally from the east coast, bought a half dozen Keith's, one of the few big brewery beers that I enjoy.

The rest of the brands are all from good ole Ontario. Two are from Black Oak Brewery , their fabulous Black Oak Pale Ale, and seasonal bottle conditioned, Summer Saison. Another two come from Great Lakes Brewery, which is just around the corner from Black Oak, the Seasonal Winter Ale and their terrific Devils 666 Pale Ale.

One of my favorite pilsners, Kings Pilsner from King Brewery just outside of King City, Ontario, sits on the shelf beside the Northumberland Ale, from Church-Key Brewing Company located in Campbellford, Ontario, which came to me as a Christmas present from my sister, Judy, and her husband, Doug. I will be trying it today as the Beer of the Week. Thanks, guys!!

All 11 brands are strategically placed in the fridge to allow sufficient room for food. In 2010, one of my goals is to get a beer fridge for the back room so Teena does not have to work around getting all the shopping fitted into the fridge around my beer.

Duggan's Brewery

Teena and I headed into the city to check out Toronto's newest brewpub, Duggan's brewery at on Victoria Street and Adelaide.

I have been looking forward to this place opening as there has been quite the buzz about it since August on the Bartowel. It open just a couple of weeks ago, with the downstairs and another room still waiting to be completed.

Mike Duggan was a brewer at Mill Street before setting off on his own. His #9 IPA, which he has been brewing under contract at Cool Brewery, has been a hit with the beer geeks for awhile now and I was looking forward to trying it.

The room is all original brickwork, with lots of windows which makes it nice and bright. I must say that the service was excellent and we were well looked after.

We split an order of wings, which came with creamy coleslaw. I love coleslaw but didn't care for this one. The wings, though, were large and delicious, with a very nice Asian heat to them. I would definitely get them again but would want the whole plate to myself.

The beer was worth the walk into town.

Teena and I both started with the German Pils. I liked it. It has a pleasant clean taste and a slightly hoppy bitterness to the finish. Teena thought it was okay ... she does not like hoppy beers. She switched over to the Asian Lager, which is brewed with rice and barley. It was a sweeter beer with a surprising buttered popcorn aroma and taste. She said she enjoyed it.

My next beer was the much anticipated #9 IPA. The brewery is quite proud of this as their display case shows. It uses 9 different malts and Cascade Hops, which are a stronger, more bitter hop. It is dark brown ale, with a great aroma and better taste. It is a strong tasting ale, with great balance between all the malts and hops, and finishes with the nice hoppy bitterness which I enjoy so much.

Next up was the London Porter. It is black in colour and was very delicious. It is not a beer you can drink all night due to its heaviness but had a tasty coffee/chocolate taste. This is a beer that I will have every time I visit Duggan's.

I could not have the porter without trying the #7 Stout. The stout came with a creamier head but I found the taste was more like a watered down version of the porter. As I sipped it, I longed for the porter instead.

Duggan's brewery is a great addition to the Toronto brewpub scene. I foresee this place being a continued success and, yes, I will be visiting there in the future, especially when they open their onsite brewery store.

Here are some more pictures ...

The beer is brewed onsite in the downstairs brewery area.

Teena with the beer menu and the German Pils.

The London Porter and the Asian Lager.

The #7 Stout

Grindhouse Burger bar

This post is from guest blogger, Teena, who is a great blogger and a great wife. Thanks for letting me use this, dear. Frankly, today I am too darn lazy to do a post of this on my own.

One note on the Brooklyn Brewery 's Black Chocolate Stout. It weighed in at 10% alcohol, so definitely is a sipping beer. Although it was quite delicious, there are other stouts that I find as good or better ...

Gord and I took a walk toward downtown this afternoon and stopped at the Grindhouse Burger Bar at King Street W/Peter for a late lunch.

It's only been open for a month or so. They've renovated it nicely.

Here's Gord having a Big Wheel.

Our lunch arrived. Gord ordered a bison burger and onion rings.

And I ordered a regular beef burger.

The buns are made with beer onsite. Yum!

It was interesting to note that all menu items are made in-house and are free of refined sugar and preservatives ... no diet pop because of the aspartame. All food is naturally raised and hormone-free. They even consult a holistic nutritionist!

Gord was excited when he heard they had Brooklyn Brewery's Black Chocolate Stout!

Here's me and our server, Christina. She took good care of us.

Thanks, Roy!

I am a baseball fan and, in particular, a Toronto Blue Jays fan.

Roy Halladay has been the anchor, heart and soul of the team and a favorite for a decade amongst the fans.

He is focused and driven on the mound. In my opinion, no pitcher has played with such consistent dominance over the past decade.

His career record says it all ... 148 wins, against only 76 losses, an ERA (Earned Run Average) and a WHIP (Walks and Hits per Innings Pitched) of only 1.20. The WHIP stat is considered excellent for a single season, let alone an entire career. All the numbers speak to a place in Cooperstown.

Sadly he was traded in the off-season to the Philadelphia Phillies, which may be the last piece in their puzzle to win the World Series, which would be their second in three years.

I haven't mentioned the class of the man. Everyone in Toronto knew he was a class act all the way, something which the fans in Philly will discover this year. Never did he badmouth the organization, a teammate or a single bad play on the field. He had asked for a trade to a contender, got one, and in one final act of professionalism and class, took out a full page ad in today's Toronto Sun to thank the fans (pictured).

Toronto Blue Jays fans are going to miss Roy. I know I will. If the Jays aren't in contention in 2009, then I will throw my support for the Philadelphia Phillies, something that I have never done before.

Good luck Roy!

Here is the transcript of Roy's ad:

My wife Brandy, sons Braden and Ryan, and I would like to express our deepest gratitude to the Toronto Blue Jays organization, its incredible fans, and the city of Toronto.

I feel blessed to have been part of the Blue Jays since 1995 and am extremely thankful for the opportunities it has provided. Throughout the past 15 years, there have been so many people within the organization that have made a wonderful and significant impact in my life, it would be impossible to name them all.

I am sincerely grateful for the incredible support and compassion the Blue Jays fans have shown me. I am in awe of your overwhelming passion and devotion.
Toronto will forever have a special place in my heart.

The memories will last a lifetime and so will my gratitude.

Best Regards,
Roy

Beer of the Week - Dec 18- Lambic Beer

I have read about Lambic beer in the past and was excited to find that the Bier Markt carried this style of beer. So this week instead of writing about one beer, I decided the Beer of the Week should be about one style of beer, the Lambic.

So what is Lambic beer and why am I excited?

The book I am reading, Beer (Eyewitness Companions), says that "Ancient brewers must have stumbled across fermentation by happy accident." Grain which had become wet during storage would have released starch and sugars. The unseen and, at the time unknown natural yeast that floats through the air, would have transformed this substance into a very primitive beer. That is a happy accident!

We now call this "spontaneous fermentation".

For many centuries, this was the way beer was produced. Beer makers prepared a primitive "wort" and would let it sit and magically turn into beer. In fact, it was not 'til the mid 1800s that it was discovered that yeast was the necessary agent that transformed wet grain into beer. Now brewers had more control over the brewing process, could make larger volumes of beer quicker, and the old process was nearly forgotten.

There are brewers in Belgium that still produce beer in this same ancient way by using "spontaneous fermentation". The wort is prepared and left to sit in shallow cooling trays called "cool ships", rooms where the windows are left open to invite the airborne yeasts to enter and settle into their brew. The the brew is casked into barrels and left to ferment for up to three years. The beer produced by this method is called Lambic beer.

And the Michael Jackson's Beer Companion, states,"to sample Lambic is to encounter one of the world's most complex drinks: it is also to experience a taste of life half a millennium ago."

Most of the Lambic brewers age their casks for three years. They then mix some of the three year old or "old Lambic' with the "young Lambic' which has fermented for just a year to create what is called Gueuze.

And the Bier Markt has some!

First choice was the Mort Subite Gueuze. At $11.30 for a 375 ml bottle of 4.5% beer, it was costly but hopefully worth it. The original brewery was founded in 1686 but according to a book that I just purchased, The Beer Book, bought out in 1970 by De Keeremaeker Brewery. This recipe lives on.


So ... how does it taste?

It had a very strong malt flavour, not surprising as hops are only used to preserve the beer and not to add flavour. This beer was unfiltered but fairly clear, something I did not expect. There was a slight head but it did disappear fairly quickly.

I was surprised at the initial sweetness of this beer. Although, as far as I know, no apples were added, it quickly developed a strong apple cider taste. It was a very enjoyable beer, one I intend to have again and share with Teena.

After a nice glass of water, I then tried a St Louis Gueuze Lambic. Again I was surprised when the label said that it had "artificial" added ingredients in it, which were sugar and Acesulfume Potassium which is an artificial sweetener. I found this beer started off sour but the taste diminished quickly.

My final selection was "Lindemans Cuvee Rene Gueuze". The bar manager, Alex, had not yet tried this so I told him to grab a sampler glass for himself. He said he would pay back with sample but I have had so many from there and we were enjoying a nice chat about Lambics.

This may sound more like a bubble gum commercial but when I took a small initial sip, my mouth exploded in flavour. It had a very strong citrusy sourness to it which nicely faded but stayed with you. Alex too was surprised by the powerfulness of the flavour.

Even after drinking most of the glass, each taste gave the same wonderful explosion of flavour. After I was done and left, there was an enjoyable lingering taste in my mouth.

So my verdict on Lambic beers?

Very enjoyable but for the price, one to enjoy only on occasion. I loved the Mort Subite Gueuze and the Lindemans Cuvee Rene Gueuze. They are very refreshing and I would love to sip on one on the patio on a warm summer day, which I am sure I will next summer. I would pass of the inferior St Louis Gueuze Lambic.

It was a fun way to start my vacation, though!

Beer of the Week- Dec 12 - Black Creek Historic Brewery IPA

Today Teena and I ventured out to Black Creek Pioneer Village at Jane and Steeles, up on the northern border of Toronto. We toured the historic buildings and it was quite interesting. The original homes of the the Stong family who built their first home log cabin there in 1816 and another larger home 16 years later, still reside on the property. The village part is all original homes that have been transported from around Ontario to end up at this heritage site. It was quite interesting and worth the trip.

For Teena's blog of the tour, click here.

The part that I was really looking forward to was the recreation of an 1860s brewery that brews ales using the original method of the time, appropriately called Black Creek Brewery. We did the beer tour which lasted an hour and was only $4. Blythe, our guide, is an actress and excellent tour guide. We learned a lot from here and she was very entertaining.

We started in the tavern of the inn, where they brewed the beer downstairs and learned about the importance of beer in that time and how different parts of society viewed the drinking of spirits. Originally beer and whisky was produced as the water was not always healthy. Beer and whisky contained alcohol which killed bacteria. For the most part, it was drank in diluted forms, although it seemed the men, after a hard days work, went for the stronger stuff.

Blythe then took us to the mill to explain the milling process of the barley. Where mills usually grind barley down to a fine powder for baking, for beer they use a coarser mill stone to break the barley to allow for germination. The barley is then laid across a large floor surface, moistened, raked constantly so it doesn't stick together, until it germinates and grows a small sprout that doubles the size of the original barley. Then it is set out to dry.

We then visited a cooperage to learn how the oak barrels were built, and then retreated after every use. It wasn't until the late 1890s that glass bottles were used so most beer was drank from a barrel or firkin.

Then it was back to the tavern and downstairs to the brewery. The brewery is operated by Trafalgar Brewing Company and uses 99% of the methods of the time. If you're wondering about the 1%, the fire is a gas fire and not wood for consistency, and they filter their beer through cheesecloth and not through straw, something I appreciate.

The brewer explained how the water is boiled to purify, then passed through the malted barley in the mash turn. It then drains out the bottom and is reboiled and then sent again through the mash turn. It then is filtered and set in a long tray to cool to about 80 degrees Fahrenheit at which point the yeast is added and the beer is then kegged.

The beers they had kegged that day were Brown Ale, Porter, Stout and IPA. We then were able to sample three, proceeded, of course, by a toast to Queen Victoria. We started with the stout, which I found very nice. As there is no carbonation injected, it did not have the nice head or "storm" in the glass but had a nice coffee taste and I found it to be a very nice brew. I would have enjoyed an entire pint.

Next we had a brown ale. Teena hated it and passed it on to me. I was not too crazy about it either and found it a little weak in taste and watery. Of course, I drank it all. After all, I had to make sure that I was thorough!

The last one was the Indian Pale Ale or IPA, one of my favorite style of beer. It did not disappoint. Again it poured with almost no head and does look flat. It is also very cloudy (see picture as the beer is unfiltered).

And the taste ... it was very, very nice. It had a good hoppiness and was surprisingly sweeter than I expected. A pleasant taste lingered after I had drained my glass. Unfortunately Teena enjoyed hers so I had to be satisfied with mine.

There was a private party in the restaurant area so we were unable to sit down to have a pint. Too bad, I would have liked that.

We tried three beers, so why did I name the IPA as the beer of the week? I was impressed enough to bring home a growler.

The kettle in action ... the steam in the small room almost hides the brewer.

The mill. It was a great bright day for a tour.

NAC - Day 2, A Better Day

This weekend over a thousand well-armed fencers descended on the city of Pittsburgh to compete in 32 different events in the North American Cup(NAC).

All ages were represented in all three weapons in Division 1, plus wheelchair events for all weapons, and my category, Veterans. Yesterday I fenced in Veteran Men's Sabre in the 50-59 age bracket. Today it was the Men's 40 and over.

Yesterday I had issues and was not happy with the way I fenced. Today I was going to be aggressive and fence my game.

I lost my first two matches but wasn't fencing badly ... just had to adjust. Now that I have a few years of experience, I can do that and won the next two matches. I lost my last match in the poole but it was very hard fought. There was only a point or two that was won quickly. I lost but am proud of that match.

I finished the pooles ranked 19th out of 33. My Direct Elimination (DE) did not go so well. I think I could take him next time but he had a move I could not overcome called a Point in Line. I have overcome that move before but this fellow was excellent at it and scored 4-5 touches on me with it. In a 10 point match, this is not a good thing.

So I ended the day 20th in a field of 33. Again I learned a lot and learned what I need to work on. I am happy to say my basic fundamentals are working well.

My friend, Vince, competed in his first NAC. He finished the pooles 1-4 but rallied to take the next two Direct Elimination matches to finish in the top eight. To the right, he is pictured in the top 16 match and below to the left, his last match in the quarter finals.

Congrats, Vince!

I must say that after six tournaments over four weekends in a row, I am tired, sore and ready for a bit of a rest.

But I also can hardly wait till March when I head to Dallas for the next NAC.

NAC - Day 1

I am in Pittsburgh this weekend for two fencing competitions.

This afternoon was the NAC (North American Cup) for Veteran Sabre for those 50-59 years old. Finally after a month full of tournaments against fast university types, I get to play with kids my own age.

The day started with my lame (metallic jacket) failed the equipment check so off I went to get a new one. Usually they run $200 or more. I got lucky, though, as the first vendor I checked had their jackets marked down from $150 to just $100. Gabby, who fences foil at my club Bladeworks and is in Pittsburgh for the 60-69 foil event, happened by with his wife, Rifka. Seems they know the owners. Not surprising as Gabby knows everyone.

Rifka helped my with the sizing and I came away with a shiny new lame ... oh, and a new sabre. Couldn't turn it down as it was so light and well-balanced. It was only $50 too so I saved big on it. Gabby, Rifka and I had our picture taken (below) and off I went to have it tested and get my name stenciled on.

The lettering takes about an hour so I grabbed a bite to eat, went back to pick up the lame and there it was:

Jones
USA

Huh!!!

Sorry, that should be CAN for Canada. He was good about it and bought me another lame. Thank goodness they still had one left my size and put a rush on the lettering. It was ready about 10 minutes before the start.

I did not have a great day on the piste. Teena says I am too hard on myself but today I felt I should have done much better than placing 17th place out of 24 fencers. I did not feel aggressive but that will change tomorrow. My friend, Vince, was watching me and said that I am thinking too much instead of acting.

He is quite right. I am trying to figure out my opponent's game and not playing my own. Tomorrow morning that will change. A new and improved Gord will be hitting the piste for the 40 and over event.

I'm looking for that good day that has been avoiding me since the Commonwealths. Tomorrow I hope will be it.

Friday Night - Pittsburgh

Yesterday I drove six hours to Pittsburgh.

Except for a snowstorm between Niagara Falls and Fort Erie, it was a pleasant trip.

Pittsburgh is a picturesque city set on the junction of three rivers. Hills surround the downtown area and, of course, there are bridges everywhere.

Even though I am fencing today, I wanted to check out the nightlife in the downtown area.

East Carson is the hot spot of town know simply as the South Side. Bars and pubs line both sides of the street. Where people in Toronto like to go out late, the South Side was jumping and in full gear by 8:30.

I had to be good and not do the South Side crawl. That's where you walk down one side of East Carson stopping for a drink in each pub, then crawl back along the other side again hitting all the pubs. Instead I just had a pint at three places I had heard about.

I started off at Fatheads (pictured right ... a shot of the taps is to the left) which was jam packed and had a Fathead Czech Pils.

Next across the road was Pipers. It was full but not overcrowded. The bartender was a really nice guy, quite friendly and quick to offer samples. I had a "Big Hop Harvest Ale" from East End Brewing , which is a local Pittsburgh brewery. The beer had a nice hoppiness to it, which I quite enjoyed.

I finished off at Smokin Joes (pictured top left) with a beer from Bells Brewery in Michigan, Two Hearted Ale, a nice very hoppy beer.

Then it was a cab ride over the bridges and through the tunnels of Pittsburgh back to my room. I was back safely in my room by midnight. I had a sampling of Pittsburgh's downtown Friday night. Today it is down to business. My 50-59 Vets tournament is at 3:00 today.

I'm feeling ready.

The bottle selection at Smokin Joes ...

Pipers Pub ...

My home away from home ...