Beer of the Week - Tennent's Lager

Tonight I met some friends at a Firken Pub and found that they had changed their draught menu. A much better beer menu offered now.

One of the selections, Tennent's Lager, I had not heard of before. I found out that the official launch of it in Canada was held at the Caledonian just last September.

Tennent's is a lager brewed in Scotland, surprising as whenever I think of a beer from the United Kingdom, ales always come to mind.

This lager is not new to the scene either. Wellpark Brewery was founded in 1740 as H&R Tennent where it made stouts and strong ales. In 1885, after taking a tour of Europe and falling in love with Bavarian Lagers, Hugh Tennent came home, took over sole control of the business and started brewing his own lager.

Pretty successfully too. According to the C&C group website, Tennent's lager is Scotland's leading alcohol brand.

The brewery was operated as a family business until 1963 when it was bought out by Charrington United Breweries , which merged with United Caledonian Breweries in 1966. It was during this time to promote Tennent's in a can instead of bottle, they came out with "The Lager Lovelies". Each can had a picture of a woman on the side. They ran 'til 1989 and now collectors apparently will pay a lot of money for them.

The company was bought out by C&C Group and still brews in Wellpark.

But how's the beer?

It came golden with a white head which disappeared quickly. The website says they use maize and malt, which would explain the lack of a sustainable head or any lacings on the glass. The beer starts a little sweet then the hop bitterness comes through. Not an overly bitter beer, but a definite step up from the big brewery beer on this side of the ocean.

It's a decent beer but not a great beer. This would be my "go to" beer at pubs with a limited draught selection.

Beer of the Week Stats

Beers Profiled 150
Countries 29
Breweries 128
Provinces 8

The Corned Beef House

Hidden on the northeast corner of John and Adelaide is the Corned Beef House. Even though we both love deli, it has been a year since we last stopped in for a meal.

The meal was tasty and huge then and was again last night. Last time we were there, we ordered fries with our 10 oz sandwich and even though they were great, we were too full to have many. This time we skipped the fries.

I ordered the smoked meat sandwich on light rye. It was huge and delicious! Teena ordered the corned beef. It was huge and delicious. We swapped half of our sandwiches so ended up having a half of each. Turned out that was what we did last year too!

Our server, Jermaine, was great. He had a great sense of humour and looked after us well. Surprisingly he remembered us (in a good way) and pointed out where we sat when we were last there. I was impressed.

I work in the area and had recommended this place to a co-worker, who was quick to thank me after he ate there.

If you love deli, this place is a must visit in the city. If I had to rate it out of 5.......it is a 5!

***

My Smoked meat sandwich. It is huge!

Movie Review - Goon

Labeled an outcast by his brainy family, a bouncer overcomes long odds to lead a team of under performing misfits to semi-pro hockey glory, beating the crap out of everything that stands in his way.

Many people I spoke with said there was no way they would pay to see Goon and that it looked dumb. Too bad for them, they will miss a fun movie.

Going in, you know this will not be an Oscar nominated movie. The previews show you what you're going to get. The movie is a little dumb, violent, bloody and a lot of fun. It is Slapshot without Paul Newman.

One thing Teena and I found interesting is the film is about team goon, Doug Blatt playing, for the Halifax Highlanders in the Eastern Maritime Hockey League, yet in the credits it says the film was shot entirely in Manitoba. Wonder why they did that instead of staging the story out west. During the movie, Teena spotted Doug coming home with a case of Fort Garry beer, something she bought for me when she was in Winnipeg and only available in Manitoba and definitely not in Halifax. Now it makes sense.

I'm looking forward to seeing it again when it comes on TV. Teena's review is here.

Wild Wing

For over a year, I have been passing this store front on King by Bathurst advertising the building of a Wild Wing location. It was one of the slowest construction projects I have ever witnessed. Finally this week it opened and Teena and I stopped in to give it a try.

Wild Wing started in 1999 in Sunderland, Ontario, and now has about 100 locations in Ontario and Alberta.

It was early afternoon and the place was empty. The service was good and the place had that new feel to it.

The decor was a little confusing, though. Their website says "Wild Wing restaurants are dressed up as old time saloons" which for the most part, it is. The Wild Wings logo has palm trees in it and this restaurant also has a large plastic palm tree in the middle of the room. On the website, cowboys and cows trot underneath a couple of palm trees. Now I have watched hundreds, maybe thousands of westerns and never have I seen a palm tree in any of them.

Confusing.

The place also loses points on a very disappointing beer selection. Just the usual big beer company boring stuff.

Being a wing place, though, this is where most of the points need to be scored and they come through with flying colours. Teena and I had to decide whether to get our usual order or, as they have over a hundred different kinds of wings, go for something new and different.

We went for new and different. Teena had Whiskey Girl wings (BBQ sauce with a buttermilk dill drizzle) while I had Mango Chipotle which was a dry rub on breaded wings. They were delicious and big.

Teena has been known to dip her wings in a dill sauce so the combination worked very well. The breading on mine was not over done and the spice was excellent. The wings were much sweeter than I had expected but once done, there was a nice mild burn on my lips, to me the mark of a great wing. We each got nine wings and they were huge!

Should be interesting to see how this location does as it's on a tough corner. St Louis Wings tried and failed on this corner already. There is a takeout wing place across the street that has been there for a couple of years and right next door is the Wheatsheaf, Toronto's oldest bar and a place famous for their wings.

That being said, if you are a wing fan, you should give Wild Wing a try. We will be back for more.

***

Teena's Whiskey Girl wings

My Mango Chipotle Wings

The Toronto Rock and the ACC Platinum Box

Tonight I was invited by my company to the "Platinum Box" at the Air Canada Centre (ACC) to see the World Champion Toronto Rock take on the Rochester Knighthawks in National Lacrosse league (NLL) action. It was a crucial game for the Rock, who were just a game back of the division leading Philadelphia Wings.

I have been to box seats with Teena's company so thought I knew how this works. That was until I was asked by Teresa, who was heading the event asking who wanted to get together before the game for a drink at a pub. I declined saying I would see them in the box for the game.

I was confused with her reply asking if I would be joining them in the box "before" the game. My reply was that yes, I planned to be there early and looked forward to seeing the game from the company box.

She replied, no, we go to the box first, then to our seats. You can't see the game from the box.

OK, obviously she was the one who was confused here. We'll sort it all out at the game.

So I arrived at the ACC and went to the section on my ticket. The usher pointed out where my seat was. I mentioned that I was supposed to meet my party in the box. She pointed me out to the usher that stood by an entrance way right behind the players bench. He guided me to our box, which was a small room in a hallway below the stands.

Teresa was right. Sorry to doubt you, Teresa. The box was very cool and the seats were great, 4 rows behind the Knighthawks bench.

We had great food and a few drinks and went to head out to see the opening ceremonies (yes, the food and drinks are still available during the game from the box). Then it occurred to me how extra cool our box was. We were located between where both teams came from their dressing rooms to enter the arena. Talk about being up close!

The Rock started the game by honouring their Hall of Fame Goalie Bob Watson by retiring his sweater, the first Rock player to have their sweater retired and number raised above the floor of the ACC. He did nothing less than anchoring the Rock through 6 Championships, the last one being last year. What a way to finish a career!

The Rock had a 5 - 0 lead by the end of the first quarter but the Knighthawks came back to make a game out of it. Toronto prevailed 16 - 12.

10,274 fans were in attendance at the game. There should have been more. Indoor lacrosse is a fast, exciting and rough game. The ball control is amazing. Admittedly I have been to very few games and each time have come away vowing to get season tickets for next season. Tonight was the same and next year I will!

I did stop at the box office on the way out and bought 2 tickets for next Saturday night's game against Washington for Teena and I. I'm looking forward to it.

Thanks to the people I work for for inviting me along. I had a great time meeting people from work that usually I only get to communicate by email.

Lacrosse is extremely fast and hard to capture on film. I found myself focusing the camera on the net, watching the game without the viewfinder and clicking when I thought something was going to happen

Here are some pictures from the game.

***

Honouring Bob Watson before the game.

Opening faceoff. For faceoffs, the ball is set on the floor and the players lineup with the nets of their sticks backwards to the ball.

Rock goalie Matt Roik makes a save. The ball is glacing off his shoulder.

Action around the Rochester net. Matt Vinc makes a save. The ball is against his blocker. He had a busy night as the Rock peppered him with 59 shots.

Rock mascot Iggy. Iggy Rock instead of Iggy Pop?

Toronto Rock Cheerleaders.

More action.

Here is how close we could get to the players. The defeated Knighthawks and the victorious Rock.

During the game the guard allowed me to get to the top step of the entrance to the dressing room of the Leafs, Rock and Raptors. I felt like a kid at that moment!

Sucked in by the Tim Hortons Cup Psychology

Everyday every Tim Hortons I walk by has a very long line-up.

They have the staff to handle it so when you think the line may take a half hour to get through, it only takes minutes. Keep in mind I am speaking about in store, not drive through as I have no experience with that.

My standard order at Tims is a "large black double cup". Translation, a large black with one cup set inside another so I do not burn my fingers. Their cups are quite thin.

Interesting note if you didn't know is that a "double double" is a double sugar and double cream, and is a term so well-known in Canada that it is now in the dictionary. Also Tim Horton was a famous Toronto Maple Leaf defenceman from the 60s who started the chain.

To me, a large was enough. It seemed too much to go to the "extra large". In fact, I never saw many people carrying around an extra large.

Then Tims (what many of us in Canada call it) changed their cup size. They downgraded all their cup sizes so my large suddenly became a medium. Then they added a new 24 oz "extra large" size, which bigger than their old extra large.

The first time I walked up, which was the first day of the change, and ordered my usual "large black double cup", the server pointed at the new cup sizes and explained how a large is now in an extra large glass but called a large.

I knew it was going to be a long morning. I was tired, it was Monday morning so I said sure, I want the new large size. Now the new large size is the same price as the old extra large size, which is not much more, maybe 20 cents. So my large became a medium but I ordered a large which was an extra large.

Hope you're following!

The result ... when I go to Tims now, I always get the new large (old extra large). I also see many others doing the same. I now see many people down in the concourse with the old extra large cups (now large) in their hands.

Then it hit me.

They used psychology on us. We didn't order extra large before as it seemed too much. So they made an even bigger extra large and renamed the sizes. They don't care if few people or any order the new extra large. They were counting on sucking most of us in on moving up a size and we are. I get a bigger cup of coffee but pay more.

They got me!

And now that I realize this, am I mad, will I go back to buying my old size (now medium)? The scheme was so smart I can only applaud it and will do so tomorrow when ordering my "large black double cup".

I love Tims!

Now if they would love me and let me win big on their "Roll up to Win" game!

Beer of the Week - The Beers of Faxe Brewery

Faxe Brewery has always interested me.

Its cans sitting on the shelves of the walk-in cooler at the beer store boasting their high percentage of alcohol. The Danish Bock with its 7% in bold red, the Danish Export with 8% boldly showing and Faxe Extra Strong with its 10% in big print in the middle of the label. Lots of high powered beer from this brewery.

This brewery is not at all concerned about selling their high alcohol beer in smaller bottles. These cans are all 500 ml cans. In fact, in Germany they well known for its 10%, 1 litre cans! That 1 litre can is like drinking a 6 pack of 5% bottles.

I also picked up their weak sister, a 5% Amber ale.

The original brewery, then called Fakse Dampbryggeri, was started in 1901 in Zealand, Denmark, by Nikoline and Conrad Nielsen. When Conrad died in 1914, Caroline renamed the the business Faxe Bryggeri and carried on the operation. The business at the time made a mild ale and carbonated soft drinks.

In the 1930s,the success of the brewery also created a problem. Zealand is an island in Denmark and the brewery's operation was draining the water supply and creating water shortages. To stay in operation, the company drilled an 80 meter (260 feet) deep well and found limestone filtered water. It has been using it for its beer ever since.

In 1945, Nikoline created a partnership for her three sons and then retired from the brewing business. In 1956, Faxe became a limited business. The next 4 years were hard ones for the family as all three sons passed away in that period. Nikoline's grandson, Bent Bryde-Nielsen, was named the head of Faxe Bryggeri.

In 1989, Faxe Bryggeri merged with Jyske Bryggerier to become the force Royal Unibrew, which is the second largest brewing group behind Carlsberg.

Time to try some beer!

I'm going to start with the weakest and work up. Definitely will be done over a couple of days.

The Faxe Danish Amber pours with a deep amber colour and a white head. The head dissipated quickly and there were no lacings. I see on the can that they use maize in this beer (known in the beer world as an adjunct) which explains lack of lacings. There is a slight floral hop tone in the aroma. The beer is flavourful, starting with with a slight hop bite and a long hop finish. Not an overpowering hoppy beer, but a decent brew. I like it but could not see me buying this one again.

The Danish Bock as mentioned has 7% APV. It pours dark brown in colour with a slightly brownish head. Lots of lacings are left along the insides of the glass. There is a coffee tone in the aroma, perhaps some chocolate too. On taking my first sip, the beer reminds me more of a stout or porter but a little thinner in taste. Don't get me wrong, the taste is enjoyable plus the alcohol taste is well-hidden. I don't sense coffee in the taste as I did in the aroma but bitter chocolate does come through. Like the first one, a decent beer, but not one I would buy again.

The Royal Strong Danish Export Beer surprised me. Being 8%, I did not expect it to pour as light a colour as it does. It pours a light golden colour with a white head. I could sense alcohol in the aroma along with little hops.

I am unsure if I like this one. It is not a very well-balanced beer. It has hop notes in it but no malt balance. I have had strong beers before with no sense of the alcohol but this has a slight alcohol burn in the taste. There also seems to be very little carbonation after the initial head dissipates, and the glass, which was rinsed well before pouring, has clear sides with lacings not even attempting to form.

The ingredients listed on the side of the can state there is maize (corn) in this as well along with glucose syrup. Barley malt is mentioned second after water but glucose syrup is listed third. No wonder the head dies quickly, there are no lacings or balance to this.

No, I don't like this one.

Finally we are up to the heavyweight. The 10% Extra Strong Beer. It too pours golden in colour, a little darker gold than the 8%. Surprisingly there is little aroma. I see that glucose syrup is listed third followed by maize.

This actually is slightly nicer than the 8%. No alcohol burn in this one and some hops in the finish. This one is just an OK beer.

Of the four beers I tried, I like the Bock the best, followed by the Amber. There is not a beer that I tried here that I would be buying again.

Beer of the Week Stats

Beers Profiled 149
Countries 29
Breweries 127
Provinces 8

The Churchmouse and Firken

Today Teena and I dropped into the Churchmouse and Firkin for supper.

The meal was delicious, the atmosphere great and Mark, our server, was terrific. Teena did such a fabulous write up of our visit and I am full and lazy, so I am borrowing Teena's post of our visit.

***

After Gord and I toured the Loblaws at Maple Leaf Gardens, we walked to the Churchmouse & Firkin at Church/Maitland for supper.

It was a busy spot and we managed to grab a table by the window.

Mark was our server and he took really good care of us. He was funny and friendly. He seemed to know everyone and obviously loves his job.

Gord ordered Pad Thai (rice noodles, chicken, egg, green onions and bean sprouts all tossed in our tangy pad thai sauce). It was tasty.

I was going to order wings but Mark talked me into ordering one of the specials, Meat Lasagna and Garlic Bread. It was good too (thanks, Mark!).

We had a fun time and will definitely popped back in the next time we are in that 'hood.

Loblaws in Maple Leaf Gardens

Maple Leaf Gardens was built in a little over 5 months back in 1931 for a cost of just $1.5 million ($21.9 million in 2012 dollars, still a great deal).

On February 13, 1999, the Toronto Maple Leafs played their last game in the great hockey shrine and moved to the Air Canada Centre. From that point, Maple Leaf Gardens was closed.

I was sad when that happened. I have seen the Leafs play there (still haven't seen them in the ACC), seen concerts, political rallies, wrestling, lacrosse and the Marlies in their heyday. To lose a building that holds so many memories for so many people would have been tragic.

There were a few ideas as to what to do with the building, and one thing was sure ... no one wanted to see it torn down. Loblaws stepped in a bought the building. The lower floors are a huge Loblaws and the upper area houses the Ryerson Athletic Centre, complete with a 2,600 seat hockey arena.

Times change and it would have been a shame for the building just to have become an crumbling old eyesore. I think Loblaws did a great job in setting up a huge store, while doing their best to keep the history of the building alive. Even the eating tables have historic pictures embedded in them.

My hope is that one day they will display the time capsule discovered during the renovations and it's contents.

Heading over to do a grocery shopping is now on our list of things to do.

It was fun to visit and as always, best told in pictures.

***

The Gardens today

The Gardens back in the 30s

It is quite hard to bring out the size of this place in pictures

Centre ice is marked on the floor. It's in row 25. I think it would have been fun to also have the centre ice line, blue lines net and boards marked. Still, I like what they have done.

The wall of cheese. This was a hard to capture it's size.

A great mural

They took some old seats from the blue section and formed a Maple Leaf with them. Notice to the left of this display how the marks for the old seats still remain in the wall. Very cool.

At the front entrance