The 2014 Hart House Craft Beer Festival

Tonight was the seventh annual Hart House Craft Beer Festival. Teena and I have never been as we are always on vacation during this week but as this is a "staycation" we had the opportunity. The fest opened at 7 PM and, as expected, there was a lineup. It moved fairly quickly, though, and by twenty after, we were in.

 

The $36 ticket came with eight beer tickets (extra tickets were $2 for a 6 ounce pour) and all you could eat food, which featured BBQ, sandwiches, a variety of salads, hard boiled and pickled eggs, snacks, it was never ending. Teena and I did not know what to expect so we ate first. If we go next year, we won't make that mistake.

We thought that the food stations being spread around created a problem in the flow of people around the court yard but others we talked to said it was better laid out from other years when they had it all in one place which created long line-ups.

 

My favorite picture of the night taken during sunset.

The courtyard when we first arrived.

An hour later.

To the beers! I started with a very nice Shangri-La IPA from Wellington Brewery.

Teena had a Creemore Springs Lager.

Next up for me was a Oast House

I had Black Oak Brewery Ten Bitter Years.

 

I had another one to end my night!

Mirella Amato from Beerology was there promoting the Canadian Cicerone Program. This is the beer version of a Sommelier and Mirella is North America's first female and Canada's only Master Cicerone. I took an excellent beer course from her a few years ago. She recently published a book through Random House called Beerology: Everything You Need To Know To Enjoy Beer...even More that I'm looking forward to buying.

Although the beer lineups were short and the Hart House staff did a great job ensuring that all the food plates were continually cleaned up, I found it crowded.

 

 

Teena ran into members she knew from the Society of Beer Drinking Ladies. 

More beer!

I had a favorite that I have had before, a Hop Circle IPA from Phillips Beer.

Another favorite. A Hops and Robbers from Double Trouble Brewing.

My second last beer of the night was the Boneshaker from Amsterdam Brewing which I always enjoy.

The yard was quite colourful as we left.

As we left, I saw this view of the university and the moon. 

Something was off about tonight for both Teena and I. The beer was great and although it was crowded, the lineups for beer were small. Lots of food was available but we had ate before we went. Everybody we talked to were having a great time, yet for both of us, there seemed to be something missing. For me, I think I felt very confined in the crowd of that courtyard and perhaps that's why I didn't have the great time that I usually have at a beer festival.

Beer of the Week - Descendants Harbinger American Pale Ale

 

This past weekend Teena and I were at the Toronto Festival of Beer and one of the first beers that I tried, a Harbinger American Pale Ale, was from a new brewery, Descendants Beer and Beverage Company.

How new?

New enough that they currently brewing from a temporary location while the actual brewery is being built inside an old historic flour mill originally built in 1856, Wellesley Mill, in Wellesley Ontario, just outside of Waterloo.

Just a few years ago, Descendant's brewmaster, Robin Molloy, was a personal banking officer with one of the big banks. He wanted to get into the brewing business so he quit his job, and in January 2012, went over to Germany with his wife, Lee, to study the art of brewing beer at VLB Berlin. Molloy also worked at Fly Monkeys Brewing before he and Lee decided to open their own brewery.

Lee was too busy pouring beer for the continuous line of people at their both to talk and when I went to speak with Robin, he had disappeared, to take a break, so Teena and I spent out time talking to Melissa who does their PR. That's her in the top picture.

And the beer?

The Harbinger poured golden in colour with a white head. There was a nice citrus present in the aroma so I guess it was dry hopped (hops added at the end of the brew to add to the aroma). That citrus which was promised in the aroma comes through very nicely in each sip. It is not overpoweringly hoppy but is not shy about it either. The beer starts with that citrus bite which is even more evident in the finish.

This is a beer I could have more of and, should if come available at the LCBO, I would certainly buy some for my beer fridge.


Beer of the Week Stats 

Beers Profiled 246 
Breweries 220 
Countries 46

My July Beer of the Month Club Delivery

It's always exciting to get the email from the Beer of the Month Club saying that my monthly beer delivery is on its way. It's even more exciting to know I'm going to be home when it arrives and I don't have to wait the extra day to go pick it up from the post office!

Mine came this afternoon! I opened the box, lifted off the Frosted Mug newsletter and protective covering to reveal the contents inside.

Again there were beers from two different brewers inside, this time both were breweries from Quebec ... Microbrasserie Saint-Arnould and Microbrasserie L'Alchimiste. Each brewery were represented by two beers, Microbrasserie Saint-Arnould had golden blonde ale, P't Train Du Nord, and a wheat beer, la Blanche des Anges, while  Microbrasserie L'Alchimiste offered a Legitime, which is a pilsner and Claire, which is a lager.

All are in my fridge getting the right chill on them. This week I'm on vacation too. Lots of time to sample!

The Fergusson Room Pub, Fergus, Ontario

We ate ate the Brew House on the Grand tonight and afterward Teena and I headed down the main strip to the Fergusson Room Pub in the Breadalbane Inn and Spa. It`s situated in an old unique building with a sculpture of a Scottish warrior carved out an old dead tree outside.

 

I love the entrance.

 

Except for this picture of the phone, none of my other shots turned out.

We had a great conversation with Mike H (I don`t know his last name, just that it starts with a silent "H"). He and a few friends are experimenting with some brews and plan to open up a brewery in a few months tentatively called Four Fathers Brewing. I spelled it right as there are four fathers who are doing this. Mike really knows his stuff and I look forward to trying their first brew.

The Fergusson Room is a place I wish we had right down the street from where we live!

Supper at the Brewhouse in Fergus,Ontario

This evening Teena and I had supper at the Brew House on the Grand in Fergus. It is situated in a historic building overlooking the Grand River with a great patio!

Too bad it was chilly with a wind so nobody was outside. Yesterday it was too hot and muggy to sit on the patio. Funny how that works. So we ate inside.

This vintage building is has quite the varied history.

The building was originally built as the home of Thomas Watson, the proprietor of the Webster Tannery, circa 1851. Dr. Abraham Groves converted the building into a flour mill after the tannery went bankrupt. He later installed two generators and steam boilers, converting the mill into a electrical generating plant in 1890, which provided power to his hospital, the lights along Main Street and a number of businesses in town. As far as is known, Dr. Groves was the first man to transmit electricity between two towns in Ontario when he extended service to Elora in February 1900. Ontario hydro took over service to the town in 1910. 

The building has since served as Jack Twedle’s chick hatchery, the Fergus Police Department, the house of Brougham and eventually was divided into several smaller businesses and residential units. In 2000. the building was purchased by Carlos and Sidonia Madruga. Mike Mackay then leased and renovated to open the Groves Mill Brew House & Inn. The pub remained within his family until 2011, when the current owners, Katherine Brasch and Jim Silburn purchased the business from Claudia Hine. In 2011, the name change to “Brew House on the Grand” was in keeping with past name changes so that it will forever remain “The Brew House”, while celebrating the beautiful location on the river.

The inside is very rustic which I like with lots of exposed brick and an old fashioned fan assembly that I have only seen in one other place. I will say that for a place called the Brew House ... there should have been more craft beer available. I had a local Wellington Brewery Special Pale Ale (SPA) while I was there.

 

 

 

The service was great. We were well looked after. It is about the food, though. Teen a had the Curried Chicken Enchilada that has a sweet curried sauce. She wasn`t crazy about it and would not get it again. She found many of the flavours conflicting.

I started went completely of the board (above) starting with the spicy black bean soup.

I love black beans but there were very few in this. It was full of spice and heat which I love, though. Spice does not like me anymore and as much as I thought it was delicious, I will likely feel it tomorrow (note to self: when an item on the menu says it is spicy, you may want to believe it!). I am glad I had it. Rarely do I have delicious heat anymore!

Next up was the Ribeye Fajita Wrap. It came with fries or a cup of soup. I ordered the bowl of soup and fries on the side here. I wish I had ordered the fajita with the soup only as the soup was hearty.

The fajita not only was great looking but delicious! I would order this, again and again!

 

The Brew House on the Grand is a very unique and historic place. The staff was friendly, like you always find in a small town and the food was great. It is another place I would I would recommend in Fergus, especially on a nice sunny day out on the patio!

Spa Day at the Mosaic Spa in Fergus, Ontario

Instead of buying presents for each other on our birthdays, we take each other to the spa. It's a tradition we have been doing since we first got married.

Saturday was Teena's birthday so I took her to the Mosaic Spa in Fergus. Although it's a little plain looking on the outside, the inside is very nice.

There's even a fireplace in the sitting are for those cold days.

Teena started with a massage by Kate and I came in an hour later to have my massage with Kate while Teena had a facial. My full body massage was great and Kate took spent some extra time on my injured shoulder, which feels much better now. Thanks Kate! Teena enjoyed her massage and her facial.

Then it was time to meet up for our hot stone pedicures.

Teena picked out her colour, then took a picture of it for her blog post.

Ashlee looked after Teena's toes while Tasha did mine. We had never heard of a hot stone pedicure so tried it today. Little hot rocks are placed between all your toes, then Tasha rubbed the hot rocks into the muscles of my feet and calves. It felt great. As she ran the stone along, her fingers also dug in for a very soothing effect. I enjoyed it. Teena did too. We both would have one again!

We had a great day at the Mosaic Spa and would highly recommend it.