The World of Gord

1812 Merlot Cabernet by Palatine Hills Estate Winery

2012-02-11T17:01:00.001-05:00

I was reading the December 2011 newsletter The Fife and Drum put out by the Friends of Fort York and saw this notice:

"The Friends of Fort York have appointed Palatine Hills Estate Winery of Niagara-on-the-Lake as an Official Supplier of its 1812-brand wines for a three- year period. Palatine's offerings of VQA Chardonnay and Merlot Cabernet wines are sold in select LCBO outlets throughout the Greater Toronto area. Each bottle sold in this market will give rise to a donation by the winery to the Friends. These monies will be used to support the Guard and other initiatives at the fort. A similar arrangement exists between Palatine Hills and The Friends of Fort George at Niagara."

Interesting combination for me. I enjoy wine and have a great interest in the War of 1812 and have visited Fort York, which is home to Canada's largest collection of original War of 1812 buildings many times. Now I can sip on a nice (hopefully) glass of red wine and support one of the most important historic sites in Toronto. I just had to give the Merlot Cabernet wine a try. I am not a fan of Chardonnay.

Palatine Hills Estate Winery is run by John and Barbara Neufeld, who have owned the property in Niagara on the Lake since 1972. They first planted grape vines in 1975 with Gamay and Gewürztraminer. Currently their fields have Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc and Merlot. The white varieties include Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay, Gewürztraminer and Riesling.

It wasn't 'til 1998 that the winery bottled and sold their first wine. Palatine Hills is named after a gristmill which was built on the same land in 1777. Now fully in the wine business, John Neufeld became Chairman of the Ontario Grape Growers, a position he held for 7 years.

I love the fact that this family-owned business became a sponsor of two historic sites. It was something they did not have to do, but wanted to do.

It was while planting vines that John found American and British musket balls and other evidence that his property was the site of many skirmishes during the War of 1812. With his interest in history, he and his winemaker, Jeff Innes, came up with the idea of the 1812 brand which has been called the "official" wines of the upcoming 1812 celebrations. What great corporate citizens!

"A percentage of the proceeds will go to the local bicentennial committee, while in other areas where Palatine wine is sold, such as Amherstburg, the Windsor Sarnia area and Toronto, some of the proceeds will go to support their 1812 events"

There is an excellent article of their involvement here.

At just $13.20, this is not a high end wine but is definitely in my price range. Time to pour Teena and I a glass.

Interesting in that I am so used to writing about beer, that attempting to describe a wine, I am finding quite hard to do.

The wine is very nice tasting (a lame description I know), slightly fruity and not heavy and overpowering as some reds I have had in the past. It is a very enjoyable wine without that heavy tannin mouthfeel.

Teena describes it as full bodied, initially tasted of a little pepper but, as it sat, she found it became more sweet.

"Even if they were not supporting the war of 1812 celebrations, I would still buy it," said Teena of the wine.

That makes me glad as now I can bring home more. Sipping on a nice red wine while supporting a passion of mine makes me quite happy.

Book Review - Titanic, One Newspaper, Seven Days, and the Truth That Shocked the World

2012-02-11T10:11:00.007-05:00

This year is the 100th anniversary of the sinking of the Titanic, the largest ship of its time. It is one of the world's most famous tragedies and this year more books will be coming to print about the story.

This one caught my eye as, while we all know the story of that night, this one tells the tale in a different way.

Titanic, One Newspaper, Seven Days, and the Truth That Shocked the World is ...

A unique look at the epic tragedy as it played out in the pages of the world's largest newspaper.

The Titanic was the greatest ocean linear ever built and the news of its sinking, 5 days into its maiden voyage, shocked the world. Captivated by the tragedy, audiences turned to the trusted London Daily Telegraph hoping to find answers to questions of how the "unsinkable ship" could have ever gone down. Focused entirely on media clippings and reporting from the time of the tragedy, Titanic is a ripped from the headlines account of the sinking of the world's largest ship.

It was this unique focus that made me want to read this book. One note in the forward says that really this was "history being written on the fly" is so true.

Incredibly interesting right from the first day when one of the first stories "The Titanic sunk at 2:20 this morning. No lives were lost" appeared. The mishmash of stories that followed that day were confusing, right from the how the Titanic sunk with great loss of life to "Vessel Sinking - Steamers are towing the Titanic and endeavouring to get her into the shoal water near Cape Race for the purpose of beaching her."

The author's notes at the end of each chapter help fill in the gaps and correct some errors in the reporting, to the facts as we know them now. For instance, the side note on First Class stewardess Mrs J Gould, thought to be lost in the disaster. The story said she had survived two other shipping accidents while working. She on the Suevic which sunk after being cut in two during a collision, and was on the Olympic which was rammed by the ship Hawke. In the footnotes, it said that she survived this one too.

I felt sorry for Joseph Ismay, the executive director of the White Star Line, who was on board the Titanic and escaped in the last lifeboat. A scapegoat was needed and the blame was placed on him. The last chapter from Monday April 22, 1912, told of the grilling he took in front of a congressional hearing. The end notes explained what happened to him after.

The book definitely was "history being written on the fly". The heroes, the story of the survivors ordeal, the stern resolve of those left behind, are all told here.

It is a book worth reading.

Beer of the Week - Tasting History with Garrison Brewing Spruce Beer

2012-02-10T18:03:00.005-05:00

Last fall I read the book Captain James Cook in Atlantic Canada which was about the nine years Cook was stationed with the British Navy in Nova Scotia and Newfoundland. A very good book which I would recommend.

The book told how James Cook learned from aboriginal peoples how to use spruce in a drink to stay healthy during the long winters. I thought scurvy was a disease which only occurred on the high seas but during long winters without fresh fruit or vegetables, scurvy could also rear its ugly head.

He used this method in making a spruce beer. In fact, later in his sailing career he would make literally boatloads of spruce beer to take on his long voyages to ward off scurvy. Not a total way of preventing scurvy but the spruce provided enough Vitamin C that along with the fresher food and cleaner living conditions helped to make his crews the healthiest of those times.

I wondered what spruce beer would taste like when I read an article in The Grid which talked about how Garrison Brewery in Halifax has made this beer the past couple of years and sells out in just a couple of days. The article then said 800 bottles have been shipped to the LCBO in Ontario.

Three of them now sit in my fridge.

When you think about it, spruce beer is a very original Canadian style of beer. It originated in this country and was constantly brewed for British troops stationed on the east coast of Canada during the 1700s.

In 1759, the Daily Order for the Highland Regiment was "Spruce beer is to be brewed for the health and conveniency [sic] of the troops which will be served at prime cost."

Canadahistory.com even has a 1760 recipe for General Amherst's Spruce Beer, part of which explains "Take 7 Pounds of good spruce & boil it well till the bark peels off, then take the spruce out & put three Gallons of Molasses to the Liquor & and boil it again, scum it well as it boils, then take it out the kettle & put it into a cooler, boil the remained of the water sufficient for a Barrel of thirty Gallons."

Garrison describes their method as "brewed with local Spruce & Fir tips, blackstrap molasses and dates. Dark amber and brown colouring. Aroma is a comforting mix of spruce boughs, caramel malts, molasses and dates. Complex and full-bodied, it balances the crisp bitterness of spruce and fir gum with the warming flavours of molasses and bittersweet chocolate."

Now it's time to step back and taste a little bit of Canadian history.

The beer pours dark brown in colour with a brownish head and no sediment. I was not sure if there would be any sediment or residue left in the bottle. There appears to be none. I sense maybe chocolate in the aroma. Hard to pinpoint. There is a little something else that I can't put my finger on, which might be the spruce.

My mouth is assaulted with flavour with my first sip. It is a little overwhelming and for some reason unexpected. I think it is the pronounced sweetness that I did not expect. With lots of molasses in the brew, though, it is not surprising.

It does start sweet, then some bitterness comes through. There are many flavours involved here. The molasses does come through but so do more other flavours. You may have heard a beer described as "complex tasting" and this is definitely one of them. There are different tastes which comes through in this that I have not experienced before, likely the spruce and dates, which I am liking. The flavours seem to be layered throughout, making this an interesting and enjoyable beer to taste.

I can see why they line up for this at the brewery each year and I think I will need to hit the LCBO and stock up on this myself. It is a terrific winter beer ... and I won't have to worry about scurvy.

The Wigram Brewing Company in New Zealand bases its spruce beer recipe on the same one which was used by Captain James Cook when he first brewed spruce beer in New Zealand in 1773. Having now had the Garrison, I would love to try that one!

Note: I tried another Saturday night and found that the spruce aroma and taste really came through. Again I found it an excellent beer!

Beers Profiled 148
Countries 28
Breweries 126
Provinces 8

Beer of the Week - Labatt 50

2012-02-05T23:26:00.003-05:00

This week I was reading an article on The Grid called "The Ultimate Winter 24". It named 24 beers that writer Crystal Luxmore thinks makes perfect winter drinking. She names craft brewery and English stouts, Belgium brews, Seasonal Canadian craft beer brews and Labatt 50.

Labatt 50! Seems out of place on this list.

She writes "The Super Bowl calls for a chuggable, all-day, all-night beer that washes down the classics: pizza, wings and nachos. “Fiddy” is your guy—this crisp, pale ale combines a sweet applesauce flavour with a hoppy bite, bringing more heft to the table than a lager would."

Interesting.

Labatt 50 and I do have a history. My dad was a 50 drinker. When I was in my early teens, he would send me to the kitchen to get him a beer. I remember, like it was yesterday, taking the stubby out of the fridge, cracking the cap and having a whiff of the harsh bitter aroma. Then I would have a sip. It had a delicious bitterness.

Keep your chocolate and candy bars. I'll take a cold bitter beer any day.

I would hand the bottle to my dad, who would hold it up and exclaim, "I'll have to write the company. They're not filling up the bottles as full as they used to." It was a running gag.

In 1972, when I hit age of majority, I could walk into a beer store and pick up my own two-four of 50, which I did often.

My friends were 50 drinkers and remained so for years. I don't have an idea when or why we stopped drinking it and moved on to other brands.

Originally called Labatt 50th Anniversary Ale, to celebrate 50 years of the founder John Labatt grandsons, John S. and Hugh Labatt co-running the company, it made its debut in 1950.

In 1847, 10 years after arriving in London, Ontario, from Ireland, John Kinder Labatt opened brewery with a partner, Samuel Eccles, which they called "Labatt and Eccles". When Eccles retired in 1854, Labatt took over the company calling it London Brewery. Later the name was changed to John Labatt's Brewery, then simply Labatt's Brewery.

In 1995, the company sold out to Interbrew, which through a series of mergers over the next 13 years, is now known as Anheuser-Busch InBev.

Labatt 50 was a success story. From 1968 to 1979, it was Canada's number 1 selling beer. My friends and I helped it be there. I remember the ad jingles, "Enjoy yourself. Take 5 for 50 Ale" and "Me and the boys and our 50. Me and the boys and our beer!"

Why did its popularity die (except in Quebec where it still enjoys brisk sales)? Hard to say but there is a very interesting and humorous article from the London Free Press from September 9, 2008 ...

Labatt 50's demise, as I see it, was because of two things: light beer and long-necked bottles. Miller Lite was inflicted upon the beer drinking public in 1977 (Great taste! Less filling! My butt!). Molson unleashed the first Canadian light beer -- Molson Lite -- in 1979. To bolster a sagging market, Canadian brewers phased out the iconic stubby beer bottle in favor of the sexier, trendy long-neck. By 1984 the stubby was history and Fifty's reign was over. Blue supplanted Fifty as the nation's brew of choice and we haven't looked back since. Within five years, Fifty was as trendy as a polyester leisure suit and about as popular."

So who better to try a Labatt 50 today and evaluate it? Kevin, Alfred, Craig and I, all 50 drinkers from back in the day. Getting together today for the Superbowl, I am bringing along a few bottles of 50 for judging. I brought bottles not cans, as we always drank from bottles (long neck bottles not the stubby. I miss the stubby!).

After cracking the cap, I immediately took a sniff. I found there was little or no aroma. Then we all did a cheers and had a sip.

The 50 starts off watery with very little flavour but has hop bitterness in the finish. Although not a great beer, it is drinkable. Good thing too as they do not sell six packs of 50 in bottles, only twelves.

Alfred commented that back when we first started drinking it was all about the bitterness. He too found the 50 watery in the beginning with bitterness at the end. He enjoyed the first few sips but once done, the bottle, said he really didn't like it and likely it was because his tastes had changed over the years.

Craig liked it and thought it was nostalgic to be sharing a 50 again.

Kevin did not like it at all.

So would I have another again? I likely would not buy it for my fridge but will have no problem drinking the six that I have left. It may become one of my "go to" beers when I am at a bar with no craft beer on tap.

All in all, it was fun to share a 50 again with my friends while watching the game.

Here is an old 50 commercial from 1972, the year I could legally start buying it.

Classic photo moments of drinking 50. Boy have we changed over the years!

Alfred (left) and Kevin hold on to Ken (my son) ... and their stubbies.

Here I am holding onto my parents dog, Banjo, with my 50 close by.

Here we are today. From left to right, me, Alfred, Craig and Kevin.

Beer of the Week Stats

Beers Profiled 147
Countries 28
Breweries 126
Provinces 8

Book Review - Flashforward by Robert J Sawyer

2012-01-29T11:42:00.005-05:00

When I read the premise for the book, Flashforward, I knew it was a book that would be fascinating to read.

Two minutes and seventeen seconds that changed the world

Suddenly, without warning, all seven billion people on Earth black out for more than two minutes. Millions die as planes fall from the sky, people tumble down staircases, and cars plow into each other.

But that's the least of the survivors' challenges. During the blackout, everyone experienced a glimpse of what his or her future holds-and the interlocking mosaic of these visions threatens to unravel the present.

The idea sounded very familiar, though, and I had the book for a week before sitting down to start it. As I picked it up to finally start reading, I realized why it sounded so familiar. ABC had made a TV series based on it. I never watched it.

The book was a very interesting read. It is one case where being a fan of Star Trek paid off as I had heard about many of the theories about time travel discussed in the the old shows.

Lloyd Simcoe and Theo Procopides are two research physicists doing an experiment at the CERN Hadron Collider, which causes the entire world to black out for two minutes and seventeen seconds. Death and destruction ensue during the blackout.

Also most people witness two minutes and seventeen seconds of their own future, from their own viewpoint 30 years in the future. Eerie as many of the visions match with the visions of others.

Some, like Theo, experience nothing. The only conclusion that can be drawn is that those with no vision, did not experience one, as they would be dead. To make things even worse for Theo is he discovers that he was murdered just a day before that point in the future.

Is the future fixed? Can it be changed.

Theo sure hopes so, as do many others.

An excellent book with a very interesting storyline. I enjoy good science fiction and reading this makes me want to read more by Robert J Sawyer.

Restaurant Review - The County General

2012-01-28T20:01:00.000-05:00

One Friday night back in November, I stopped in at the County General for a beer and a read. I enjoyed it and, of course, wrote about it .

I told Teena about how enjoyable it was and how I would like to go back for a meal. After seeing a movie today, we did just that. It was just 6:30 when we got there and the place was full. It is a very small and popular place so really it was no surprise. We had thought that the nasty weather might keep some people away.

We were wrong.

We waited about half an hour, unusual for us, but were sitting on a window sill with a glass of sparkling Riesling. So really, we were fine.

We finally got a place at the bar. The bartender who looked after us was nice, efficient and engaging. Most people do not like sitting at the bar to eat. I find it so much better whether having just a drink or eating.

Teena had the burger (Milk Bun, Mustard, Mayonnaise, Pickle and Fries) without the mayo, which she really enjoyed. I had a Fried Chicken Thigh Sandwich (Buttermilk Chicken, Milk Bun, Avocado Chutney, Coriander, Green Onion and Fries). I really enjoyed my meal except for the Coriander. Next time I would hold the Coriander.

I am not a ketchup fan but they make their own ... and it has a kick. I am not a ketchup, nor a tomato fan, so this is the first time I have ever dipped my fries in ketchup. The fries were a bit over salted but the ketchup took care of that!

Over the night, we were well looked after and fed well.

Interesting I though was they just did not have the regular liquor. For instance, they had the regular Eldorado 5 year old rum, the 10 year old , 15 year old and 21 year old. They seemed to do this for many of their liquor brands.

I am sure we will be back.

Teena's review is here.

My meal ...

Teena's meal ...

The owner seems to be in love with chickens and is part of the ambiance and charm of the place.

We will be back!

Movie Review - One for the Money

2012-01-28T17:06:00.000-05:00

Teena has been a big fan of the Stephanie Plum series by Janet Evanovich so today we went to see the first movie of the series, One for the Money.

Unemployed and newly-divorced Stephanie Plum lands a job at her cousin's bail-bond business, where her first assignment puts her on the trail of a wanted local cop from her romantic past.

Knowing nothing about the series, I went in with an open mind. I have enjoyed many movies the critics have hated so the reviews never fazed me. If they did, I would have seen something else.

I found the movie okay. According to Teena, the movie was faithful to the book but it really it did not engage me. The acting I thought was fine, the story was okay but really I found no chemistry between anyone in the movie.

I give it a 5 out of 10 and if they make a sequel, I will not be back.

Beer of the Week - Hogtown Brewers, Hogtown Ale

2012-01-27T17:50:00.000-05:00

I was excited to hear that there is another new brewery in town, Hogtown Brewers.

Brewing under contract at Cool Brewery, their beer is currently only available at the Duke of Devon at First Canadian Place in downtown Toronto. It seems they are using that bar for a "soft launch" before expanding. So after work, I decided to trot on over for a taste.

The company was founded by six guys who decided to make a craft beer geared more to the mainstream beer drinker. Only five, though, have their profile on their website. I love their job titles such as "CEO & Chief Keg Washer", "President & Talent Director" and "Doctor of Operations & Resident Beer Geek".

There was an amusing story about the brewery bringing the beer to the Duke of Devon taps just a little ahead of schedule, which I found on BlogTO (January 20, 2012):

Hogtown officially launched this past weekend, slightly ahead of schedule. The owners of the Duke of Devon told Shippen (the president of Hogtown) that they'd start pouring Hogtown on Wednesday, just as soon as the current supply of Alexander Keith's Red was expected to run dry. Anxious to get their beer out there, however, Shippen and the rest of the Hogtown Brewers enlisted some friends and saw to it that the bar's supply of Keith's Red ran out ahead of schedule and Hogtown has been tapped at the Duke since Friday.

Now I have a problem here. The beer they currently have out is a Kolsch, which according to the German Beer Institute is "one of only a handful of traditional German ales. It is one of the palest German beers made. It is Germany's answer to the British pale ale. Kölsch is very subtle and delicate. It is light in both body and appearance, its maltiness is subdued, and its hoppiness is unobtrusive."

The problem is that I have never found a Kolsch which I have liked. Hopefully I like this one but really I am expecting not to, which is not really fair to the company. So for this beer, I am looking more at the quality of which it was made and not whether I like it or not. Liking it will be a bonus!

The Duke of Devon is a very busy spot on a Friday night. Being downtown, it is a place that many in the downtown core seem to stop to "let go" of the week. That's what I like to do.

The bar was full but I managed to find a place at the bar with a chair right by the Hogtown Tap.

The beer comes in a tall slender glass, which according to the German beer institute is the correct glass. "A Kölsch is always served in a very narrow, straight-sided, cylindrical glass called a Stange (which means "rod" or "pole" in English)."

The room was a little dark but looking at it up in the light see it being golden in colour with a nice frothy white head. There is a little bit of hops to the nose. The head remains as it sits and I take pictures and when I sip it. There are lots of lacings along the inside of the glass.

I was surprised that it is a not a weak tasting beer, flavourful but not overpowering. Hard to describe but I thought it seemed to start like a lager but finished like an ale. There is a very nice hoppy bitterness at the end which I did not expect. It seemed to stay on the back of my tongue and hold. At first, I did not know if I enjoyed that particular hop aftertaste but by the end of the glass found myself ordering another.

Seems I found a Kolsch which I like!

The two fellows beside me were also having a Hogtown Ale and I asked them what they thought. I wished I remembered their names as they were nice guys which I ended up talking with for the rest of the night but that is a great fault of mine (I vow to work on that this year). One liked it enough and ordered a second and the other ordered something else.

I heard someone behind me then ask how I liked the Hogtown. I said I liked it, it was tasty and that this was my second. He liked that.

He introduced himself as Derrick, a sales rep from Hogtown (hey guys, he was a rep so I wrote his name down ... sorry because I also should have done the same for you!). He then asked the other two how they like the beer and both said they liked it.

As they answered, their beers hit the counter, a Hogtown and ... a beer that wasn't a Hogtown.

"What is that! I didn't order that! Where's my Hogtown?"

It was funny! If you think not, maybe you just had to be there.

Derrick was a nice guy and we spent about a half hour or so talking about the brewery and the craft beer business in general. It was fun and I learned a lot about bringing a brand new beer from a brand new brewery into the market. Start-up costs for things like glasses, beer mats, those little signs on the table all add up.

A salesman from a big brewery would have bought us a round. Being a start-up trying to break the market without big bucks behind them, he never offered.

No matter. Derrick left after meeting a friend and I ordered another as it is a good beer.

I came in thinking I likely would not like this beer and found he opposite. Not only did I enjoy the beer, I also enjoyed the energy of the pub and the new people I met. One of the joys of sitting at the bar in a pub is the chance to meet new and interesting people.

That happened again tonight.

On one section of the Hogtown website, they finish with "So the real question is, What next? We are putting the finishing touches on a hoppy, aggressive IPA that will be sure to impress even the most discerning beer drinker."

I'm looking forward to it!

Beer of the Week Stats

Beers Profiled 146
Countries 28
Breweries 125
Provinces 8

Book - Breakthrough by Thea Cooper

2012-01-25T18:36:00.006-05:00

I am unsure where I spotted this book but as my son, Ken, came down with diabetes when he was 17, the subject of the discovery of insulin is interesting to me. Also it is a very Canadian story and a huge piece of our history.

Ask any Canadian who discovered insulin and they will tell you it was Banting and Best. Yet it was Fredrick Banting and Professor John Macleod from the University of Toronto who shared the 1923 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine. This always puzzled me and I was hoping this book would clear that up.

It is 1919, and Elizabeth Hughes, the 11-year-old daughter of America's most distinguished jurist and politician, Charles Evans Hughes, has been diagnosed with juvenile diabetes. It is essentially a death sentence. The only accepted form of treatment—starvation—whittles her down to 45 pounds of skin and bones. Miles away, Canadian researchers Frederick Banting and Charles Best manage to identify and purify insulin from animal pancreases—a miracle soon marred by scientific jealousy, intense business competition, and fist fights. In a race against time and a ravaging disease, Elizabeth becomes one of the first diabetics to receive insulin injections—all while its discoverers and a little-known pharmaceutical company struggle to make it available to the rest of the world.

Relive the heartwarming true story of the discovery of insulin as it has never before been told, written with authentic detail and suspense, and featuring walk-ons by William Howard Taft, Woodrow Wilson, and Eli Lilly, among many others.

Breakthrough by Thea Cooper and Arthur Ainsbergis a very interesting, well told story.

Although Leonard Thompson was the first person treated with insulin on January 11, 1922, when he was just 14, the book concentrates on Elizabeth Hughes who was among the first 10 or 20 patients to receive insulin and make a miraculous recovery. Her story is noteworthy for sure as she was the most famous, being the daughter of Charles Hughes who was the U.S. Secretary of State at the time. Some people even incorrectly credit her with being the first recipient of insulin.

I have always thought that the discovery of insulin was done in a spirit of harmony and determination. That sure was not the case. Banting had the idea and, along with Charles Best, did all the work in making the discovery. Macleod allowed the two to use one of his labs and gave a little funding money but no pay, and then left for a long vacation in Scotland. When Banting ran out of money, he sold his home and belongings to be able to fund his research. Only after the discovery was he put on the payroll.

Biochemist Bertram Collip also was instrumental in the work as once Banting and Best discovered how to draw insulin from a pancreas, it was Collip who was needed to find a way to purify the solution consistently for human consumption.

John Macleod put his name on the paper and, as a leading professor at the U of T, took part credit. Banting used to burn every time he heard Macleod use the term "we" and was enraged when he heard he had to share the Nobel Prize with Macleod.

How enraged?

He refused to go to the Nobel ceremony. In fact, not only would he not sit at the same table with Macleod, he would not even have his picture taken with him.

Banting shared his Nobel prize money with Best and Macleod shared his with Collip. Insulin was one of the biggest medical breakthroughs of the 20th century and certainly a high point for Canada but nowhere is there a picture of Banting, Best, Macleod and Collip together. The picture shown here is best on the left, with Banting on the right.

The story is not only about the discovery but also how Eli Lilly in the U.S. and Connaught Laboratories in Canada worked to mass produce insulin. Interesting how in 1922 there were less than 10 diabetics being treated and a year and a half later, 60,000 alone were being treated in Canada and the U.S. Eli Lilly's work is the hero in the early development and today sells $3 billion annually of insulin. Connaught Laboratories gave great contributions later on to make an insulin that works longer in the body.

I especially enjoyed the ending chapters telling the story of how every one's life continued after the discovery. Sadly Leonard Thompson, the first person to receive insulin, died 13 years later of diabetic complication. Many others who receive the first injections lived very long lives.

This is an interesting, well told story and a book worth reading.

Note: I found it interesting that in the U.S., the book is sold as Breakthrough: Elizabeth Hughes, the Discovery of Insulin, and the Making of a Medical Miracle whereas in Canada it is sold as Breakthrough: Banting, Best and the Race to Save Millions of Diabetics. Easy to tell from which side of the border each is being sold.

Beer of the Week- Amsterdam 416 Urban Wheat

2012-01-22T16:39:00.009-05:00

Two years ago, I featured Amsterdam Boneshaker IPA as my Beer of the Week. It was a high hopped 7.1% APV American IPA.

This week I am reviewing another beer from Amsterdam Brewery but one that is almost the opposite of the Boneshaker. A low APV wheat beer called 416 Urban Wheat.

Appropriately named for a few reasons. 416 used to be the only area code for the City of Toronto before they ran out of phone numbers. According to the bottle, this beer is also 4.16% APV. Amsterdam also brewed this to celebrate their 25th anniversary. During this time, they have brewed in 3 different locations. Currently the are located at the bottom of Bathurst at Front St.

Why a light beer to celebrate the brewery's 25th anniversary? It is explained in a Toronto Star article ... "Jeff Carefoote, owner of Amsterdam Brewery, says he's "kind of fat" and that's why he set out to make a low-calorie beer that wasn't watered down.

"Getting the calories out is a challenge. We tried different malts, hops and yeast. We were trying for good light beer flavour with lower calories. This has 20 per cent less calories than other light beers but you give up less alcohol as it's just under 4 per cent."

And the taste?

The beer is unfiltered and pours a cloudy straw colour. You can see the yeast sediment left behind after pouring on the the bottom of the bottle. Not a beer to drink right from the bottle for sure. Citrus dominates the aroma.

Wheat beer has a unique taste and I was surprised that I did not find it in this beer. The beer starts with a citrusy taste and ends on a sour note. Not bitter but sour.

I really like this beer. It is refreshing, tasty, and a little unique. A great beer to have while watching football on a Sunday afternoon. This is one more beer that proves that a light beer can still be full of flavour!

Thanks to Teena for letting me use her computer for this write up while mine is in the shop.

Beer of the Week Stats

Beers Profiled 145
Countries 28
Breweries 124
Provinces 8

Light Beer- Wellington S.P.A (Special Pale Ale)

2012-01-15T18:16:00.007-05:00

I have been actively searching for a true definition of what a light beer is.

To me, it is a beer which comes in around 4% APV which is what I am searching for. Many definitions seem to suggest that a light beer is one that is 4.5% or less but again, I can find no hard line.

Today I am trying another beer with less than 5% APV, Wellington S.P.A (Special Pale Ale) by Wellington Brewery in Guelph. The brewery concept is to "produce English-style real ales for the Ontario market."

One thing I love about English ales is that they strive for flavour no matter what the APV is. The idea is that people will be be willing to drink more if it tastes good even if it has less alcohol. That way they sell more beer. Brilliant!

Wellington S.P.A comes in at 4.5% APV. This beer won the Ontario Brewing Awards 2008 People’s Choice Awards (Pale Ale). Time to see how it tastes.

S.P.A. pours a copper colour with a whitish head. I see lots of lacings along the inside of the glass as I tip and turn it. I do not detect any hops in the aroma, but can sense the malt.

My first sense when I sipped was a spiciness in the beer, which I did not expect. It is not a bitter beer nor a sweet one. It is a flavourful beer, though. After a few sips, I can sense a slight bit of hop bitterness. There is a slight spiciness to this, though. I don't believe that any spice has been added to this but it must come from whatever hops are used in this brew.

In any case, this is a very nice flavourful beer, which I am enjoying. I would put this 4.5% beer up against most 5% big brewery beers.

I believe this will be in my fridge in the future for my Light Beer Sundays! Well done!

Beer of the Week - Flying Monkeys Netherworld Cascadian Dark Ale

2012-01-14T16:04:00.009-05:00

Last week I tried Flying Monkeys Anti-Gravity Light Ale as part of my Search for Taste in Light Beers.

I searched back to see what I had written about Flying Monkeys Brewery and found I have never done them as a Beer of the Week.

Surprising!

Their Hoptical Illusion is a regular visitor to my fridge and whenever Teena is on business in Barrie, she always stops into the brewery store to pick me up some fresh beer and any of the seasonal beers they have on hand. I have their hat, teeshirt and glass (2 actually) and, yes, I admit I am a big fan of the brewery.

What I haven't done is visit the brewery itself or featured it as a beer of the week. The Beer of the Week part I am correcting today.

The brewery was opened in Barrie in 2005 as the Robert Simpson Brewing Company, the name honouring Robert Simpson (pictured right) who was Barrie's first mayor (1871, 72 and 76 ) and a successful brewer himself owning and operating Simcoe Steam Breweries.

Peter Chido, who is the head of the brewery and one of its brewers, decided in 2009, to take the brewery in another direction. At the time, the company had Robert Simpson Confederation Ale and Anti-Gravity Light Ale but it was time to get adventurous.

The owners sat down (three families own the brewery) and came up with a new name ...

"We were brainstorming ideas for the Anti-Gravity beer and flying monkeys was on the short list. The name came from a sign we have in the mudroom at my house that adds some humor to the constant nagging at my kids to put away their backpacks and stuff, or else 'Don’t make me get my Flying Monkeys'," said one of the original founders Peter Chiodoe "It originally comes from the Wizard of Oz, but the threat has found its way into the brewhouse."

Their website describes it as:

"Once upon a time, we were The Robert Simpson Brewing Company, but we’re morphing into The Flying Monkeys Craft Brewery. Why? Because being named for a dead white guy just isn’t very exciting. Where’s the fun in that? Beer is supposed to be way more fun than a history class. It’ll be weird for a while, but the new name opens up so many more possibilities for us to express ourselves (and be flakey).”

“So Bottoms Up, Friends - and Release the Flying Monkeys!”

They even received some valuable free press when one of their beers, Smashbomb Atomic IPA, was banned from the LCBO for a cartoonish picture of an explosion on the label.

"It really comes down to the imagery, as a depiction of an explosion," said LCBO spokesman Chris Layton."Many products are marketed today as provocative, edgy and tongue-in-cheek at times, but we're also sensitive that some consumers find depictions of either violence, explosions or bomb blasts disturbing."

In the end, Smashbomb and its label were allowed on the shelves of Ontario Liquor stores. It too is a beer that I really love.

Today, though, I am featuring their Netherworld Cascadian Dark Ale. It is not really a porter nor a black IPA, but kind of both.

It pours black like a porter with a brownish head. Lots of lacings line the glass when sipped. There is slight sense of chocolate and floral hops in the aroma. Hops in the aroma is not surprising as the beer is dry hopped with Cascade hops, which are also used with Columbus hops in the brewing process.

The roasted malts (4 kinds are used) come to the front when first sipped with tones of chocolate, and maybe a little coffee coming through. Just when you think this is a very nice porter, the hops come in for the finish. Not overpowering, they do make their presence known.

This definitely is a different style of beer and one which I do enjoy.

Hopefully this summer I will get to visit the brewery and, yes, will write and post pictures when I do.

Beer of the Week Stats

Beers Profiled 144
Countries 28
Breweries 124
Provinces 8

Book Review - Shatner Rules: Your Guide To Understanding The Shatnerverse And The World At Large

2012-01-10T20:17:00.007-05:00

I admit, I was a fan of the old original Star Trek series. William Shatner has been kidded for years for his acting in it but he has always survived in the world of show business.

At 80 years old, he keeps on going.

I have never read any of the 2 books he wrote previously about his life, Star Trek Memories or Up Till Now: The Autobiography, but this one, Shatner Rules, interested me.

"You love William Shatner.

You admire his many and varied talents.

You appreciate his creativity and willingness to take risks.

You want to learn his master negotiation techniques.

You wish you could hang out with him.

Admit it. You want to BE William Shatner.

And now...you can (almost).

This collection of rules, illustrated with stories from Bill's illustrious life and career, will show you how Bill became WILLIAM SHATNER, larger than life and bigger than any role he ever played. Shatner Rules is your guide to becoming William Shatner. Or more accurately, beautifully Shatneresque.

Because let's face it...Shatner does rule, doesn't he?"

It is a fun tongue-in-cheek book about the rules to live life as he has. He explains there are two Shatners, the public somewhat pompous one and the private one where he can truly be himself.

The book is full of antidotes and stories about his life, divided into the different rule to being Shatner such as "Rule: Always Have a Spare Set of Underwear on" or "Rule: Don't Trust the Facebook" (hilarious story).

Sometimes, many times, he wanders off topic. In sections, he is a little pompous but the book is very enjoyable.

The first chapter is "Rule: Say Yes". It was a funny chapter and a very true rule.

"Yes" means opportunity. "Yes" makes the dots in your life appear. And if you're willing and open, you can connect these dots. The lines you make with those dots always lead to interesting places. "No" closes doors. "Yes" kicks them right open.

He does show throughout the book how saying yes to questionable projects (his first singing album) paid off for him in the future. It is also a funny chapter.

I also really enjoyed "Fourth Rule for Turning 80: Get Out of Bed". George Burns used to say the same thing. This is a more serious chapter about being 80 and how he is facing the fact of his own mortality. "When I woke up on my 80th birthday, I felt that life might be over soon. That was terrifying."

I also love how he is proudly Canadian throughout the book and devotes a full chapter to that "Rule: Remember Where you Came from ... Eh?" Another great chapter. Heck, they all are!

A fun easy to read book that I quite enjoyed. A must read for any fan!

My First Tai Chi Class

2012-01-08T20:50:00.005-05:00

I have wanted to try Tai Chi for a few years now but have never got around to it.

I was surprised and delighted when I joined the West End YMCA to find they have an hour and a half course on Sundays.

Problem was, I had an injured knee and have off it for 7 months.

Now that it is about 90%, it is time to get back into action. Tomorrow night I have my first fencing practice since May and thought taking Tai Chi today would be a great non impact way to try my knee out.

Jody, our instructor practices, the 24 move form of Tai Chi to start. I have no idea what that is but I think after today I have the first part of the first move down, but very, very rough.

I enjoyed the class and my legs really feel it. The half hour of stretching we do before getting into routines will be very good for this stiff body of mine.

I'll be back next week and any Sunday that I do not have a fencing tournament. I believe this will be a great addition to my fitness program.

Light Beer - Flying Monkeys Anti-Gravity Light Ale

2012-01-08T15:37:00.006-05:00

It is the New Year, my knee is mostly healed and it's time to get back into shape.

Part of my new set of rules will be light beer Sundays. In order to do this, it is time to continue the search for taste in light beer.

This week I am trying one from Flying Monkeys Brewery in Barrie. They describe their Anti-Gravity Light Ale as "purposefully brewed as a light ale which accounts for its body and complexity not usually found in beers at the lighter end of the spectrum. Antigravity is a late hopped light beer that's lighter, but still flavourful; effervescent, but not too hoppy or aggressive.

You can definitely tell where a dry-hopped dose of Hallertauer, used more traditionally in lagers, gives this light one some character."

The beer pours golden in colour with a thick white head which lasts. It is very lively with lots of bubbles flowing up from the bottom of the glass. There is the scent of floral hops in the aroma. I am looking forward to this!

Sipping, I do find it flavouful but more sweet than bitter. There is more of the sense of hop bitterness in the aroma than in the beer. I would call this a blonde-style ale.

For my taste, it is just an OK beer but I do qualify this in the way that I am not a fan of blonde ales. I just like my hops!

If you are looking for a tasty, not bitter, well-crafted light beer, this would be one to try.

Beer of the Week - Fullers Past Masters

2012-01-07T16:14:00.003-05:00

Fullers is not only one of my favorite English breweries, but also one of my favorite breweries in the world. I have done them as a Beer of the Week back in 2009 and every year do a comparison of 3 years of their Vintage Ale

They are now doing something unique. Re-creating beers using some of their old beer recipes which they call Past Masters. "The Brew Book has been the bible of brewing at Fuller's since 1845. Every recipe of every beer ever brewed at the Griffin Brewery has been recorded in meticulous details, documenting the profound skills of generations of Master Brewers.

Today's Master Brewer, John Keeling, will be recreating a number of epic ales, named 'Past Masters', with those precise recipes from the Brew Book.

Sourcing ingredients as close as possible to those originally used, each Past Master will be brewed with traditional techniques to recreate a truly authentic taste.

Only one Past Masters beer will be brewed in a single batch for each release. Each will be unique in its character, and will be a very special opportunity for beer lovers to taste the beer of our forefathers."

Should be interesting!

I have two to try. First up is XX Strong Ale.

"The first beer in the Past Masters series we have chosen to recreate is XX, a strong ale which is perfect for bottle conditioning. Brewed at 7.5% ABV, with the original recipe first used on September 2, 1891, it is dark, rich and full flavoured, with a distinctly warming character."

Time to taste some history!

The Strong Ale pours a coppery colour. The head has a brownish tinge to it and it smells a little malty. Lots of lacings are left on the inside of the glass, which was expected.

The beer starts with a slight bitterness which expands and stays throughout the finish. I can tell that there is lots of malt to balance the bitterness. It is not a smooth beer, but one with a bit of an edge, a bit of a bite. No doubt how they like beer back in 1891.

I also noticed that the warmer it got, the nicer it got!

I'm glad I tried it. It was an enjoyable experience and a good beer.

Now the Double Stout. "Past Masters Double Stout is the second in the series, brewed to a recipe from 4th August 1893 – a time when 'stout' meant 'strong'. Its signature ingredient is Plumage Archer barley, carefully malted and kilned using 19th Century methods. Dark, brown and creamy this beer is brewed to 7.4% ABV and balances a rich fruity aroma with smoky, bittersweet chocolate notes."

This stout pours very black. There is no seeing through this one. A hint of chocolate does come to the nose. I had expected a coffee aroma, as this is what I usually find with roasted malt, but not this time.

This has a very silky texture to it. I guess it is what they refer to as creamy, which works for me too. I had also had expected overwhelming roasted malt flavour and some alcohol taste, but no, for a 7.4% APV stout, it is a very nice subtle taste to it. No hint of alcohol taste in this. there are lot's of chocolate tones in this one. very nicely balance. A very nice stout!

I am unsure as to what Fullers will be coming out with next in this series, but if they come to Canada, count me in.

Tasting a beer brewed the same way as it was over a hundred years ago is fun. Who says history is boring!

Beer of the Week Stats

Beers Profiled 143
Countries 28
Breweries 124
Provinces 8

A Rainbow to Wish Us Goodbye!

2012-01-04T11:07:00.003-05:00

Although the winds were heavy all night, when we got up in the morning we were told our noon flight was on time.

We went to breakfast and when we came out we saw this beautiful rainbow over the bay. I'm glad I had my camera on me.

It was a fabulous final shot to end our vacation on. A rainbow and a rooster!

The Swizzle Inn, Baileys Bay, Bermuda

2012-01-03T21:31:00.010-05:00

The first afternoon, right after we checked into our rooms at the Grotto Bay Resort, we headed over to the Swizzle Inn, which was a 5 minute walk away. It was raining but Teena had heard that this was a place we should visit and we did.

It wasn't our last visit either!

The Swizzle Inn is Bermuda's oldest pub, having opened in 1932, in an old homestead dating back to the 1600s. It has been family owned since 1962. The inside have been drastically changed to house a pub but looking at old pictures that hang on the wall, the outside has not changed.

The service is good, the servers are friendly (Oxana and Van Dyke rocked), they have Oscars Ale from Dockyard Brewing, they are generous with their shots and the food is good. We were at an all-inclusive except for tonight and still would wander over. Our thinking was we could pay $15 each for internet at the hotel or have a couple of drinks in a great atmosphere, and use their free WIFI.

The food is good. One night we just wanted something familiar, as we were eating fancy at the hotel, so we ordered a pizza. Yes, they do pizza very well. Tonight, as we are no longer paying for an all-inclusive, we are eating here again. The bartender (I forget his name but remember he is from Etobicoke, ON) is going to find the Canada/Russia hockey game.

They encourage patrons to stick their business cards somewhere on the walls or ceilings and they are everywhere. They also allow graffiti. I am proud to say that my GKJ adorns one of their walls and my business card is also stuck somewhere.

The Swizzle Inn is a fun spot, the type of pub I wish was in our neighborhood. If your heading to Bermuda, the original Swizzle Inn on Baileys Bay is a must visit!

***

Enjoying an Oscars Ale on the patio

Teena with a Black Seal dark rum and Diet coke, me with an Oscars

My famous GKJ sits proudly on their front inside wall

My business card is tucked somewhere on this wall

"Galed in" Bermuda. A Chance to Visit St George's

2012-01-03T20:17:00.017-05:00

It was with some reluctance when we woke up this morning, packed our bags and dragged them up to the front desk. We had seen most of the island but not St George's which was just to the north. After breakfast we found that our flight had been canceled due to the storm. In fact all flights too and from Bermuda was canceled. The hotel still had our room open, so they booked us back in for another night. We confirmed that we had a flight for the next day, and dragged our bags back to the room. Once there we changed and rain or shine were off to see St George's.

"Admiral Sir George Somers, who founded Bermuda, named the town not after himself but in honor of the Patron Saint of England, St. George. St George's, was settled in 1612 and is the oldest continuously inhabited English town in the Americas. St. George's used to be Bermuda's capital until the 19th century after being substantially outgrown by Hamilton."

It rained on and off during the day and we were lucky as we were in the only 2 open pubs when the big downpours came. The wind was strong all day with great gusts. Although the bay is sheltered there were 4 to 6 foot waves. The TV said outside of the reef which protects the islands, the waves were 20 to 25 feet high!
The town is a UNESCO World Heritage site as many of the buildings, alleys and street are from the original days of the town. The oldest building is the State House built in 1620. Like Teena says, there are so many reminders out there that the world existed before we did.
St Peter's Church is "is the oldest surviving Anglican church in continuous use outside the British Isles. It is also reportedly the oldest continuously used Protestant church in the New World."
The Globe Hotel was built in 1700
Most places were closed for the holidays and many had signs they were closed for the off season and re-opening in March.
I had hoped to see the full size replica of the Deliverance, the ship that saved America.

"In 1609, a fleet of 9 ships set sail from England for the new British settlement at Jamestown, Virginia. The fleet was commanded by Admiral Sir George Somers on the flagship, Sea Venture. During a vicious storm the Sea Venture floundered on Bermuda’s reefs. Somers managed to land the crew and colonists on the uninhabited island without the loss of a single life. 7 of the remaining ships made it to Virginia, albeit without much of their cargo.

They found many hogs in the island which they could feed on and survive. Over the next 9 months Somers' men built 2 ships, Deliverance and the Patience to complete their journey to Jamestown. In fact, they initially started to build only the Deliverance, and soon figured out that it wont have enough capacity for all plus all the salted pork that they planned to carry with them.

On May 10, 1610, Somers and his men started once again for Jamestown. Somers left behind two men to retain British claim of Bermuda. When they reached Jamestown, they were shocked to see that only 50 out of the 500 men who reached there earlier had survived. The rest all died out of starvation."

The food aboard save Jamestown.
We found Wahoo's Bistro and patio just before the heavy rains came. I had Alfred's award winning fish chowder which was excellent and warming with a great spicyness which reminded me of black bean soup. I also had the wings which were good. Teena had honey fried chicken and fries with huge pieces of chicken which she enjoyed. Teena's review is hereWe ate and watch the storm.
The rain stopped and we headed to the only other open pub in town, The tavern by the sea. It was still very windy.
It was time to leave and catch the bus back to our resort. It was a good day and we were happy we managed to be stranded for just one more day. A great sunset was in the sky as we left St George's.
"Red at night, sailors delight" Hopefully we are flying home tomorrow.

Beer of the Week - The Beers of Dockyard Brewing Company, Bermuda

2012-01-02T15:38:00.002-05:00

Before we left for vacation, I did a little research and found that Bermuda had one craft beer brewery, the Dockyard Brewing Company, located, of course, at the Dockyards.

The brewery actually started further up the island in the Flatts as the North Rock Brewing Company in 1997. It outgrew the facility and, in 2006, formed a partnership with the Frog and Onion Pub and moved all it's equipment down to the Dockyards.

They had the space, we had the expertise and so today we brew the same line of fine beers that we have done for these past twelve years.

The Frog and Onion was opened in 1992 and is named after the owners who formed the original partnership when the pub first opened. One owner was French (frog) and the other was Bermudian (known as Onions) Cute. The pub is great. Teena has an excellent review here.

They have their five beer sampler, which is what I went with.

Time to taste! I was hot, tired and delighted to be here so do apologize as I forgot to take a picture of each beer.

The first one up is their Whale of a Wheat which they describe as "a typical German Hefeweizen, this light and refreshing ale is made using a combination of wheat and barley malts from Europe. Brewed using only German hops this summer thirst quencher is served with a traditional slice of lemon."

I prefer the beer not to be served with lemon so I can taste the true flavours of the beer. I did not know at the time it would come which a wedge on the lip.

This is a light straw coloured beer which I could sense the wheat essence in the aroma. It is very light tasting but the wheat comes through in the finish. I enjoyed this beer but really should have asked for one without the lemon fro a true taste. This is a nice beer, which is the case with me with wheat beers, is great to have one or two of before moving onto a stronger beer.

Next up was the St David's Lager. "Brewed in the Pilsner style, this light, straw-coloured beer is delicately hopped with the finest European hops giving it a satisfying crisp flavour with a dry finish."

It is straw-coloured, darker than the wheat and I could sense hops in the aroma. There is a nice taste to this from start to finish. The beer starts with a slight bitterness and finishes a touch more bitterness in the finish. This is a very good pilsner, one I could have many of, especially on a hot day. Teena had this one too and enjoyed it. If sold here, it would be a regular in my fridge.

Charles, our bartender, threw in their seasonal Honey Pale Ale so I would taste everything they had to offer. Described as "a smooth unfiltered, dry hopped light pale ale. Bermuda honey added during brewing comes through as a subtle aftertaste which increases as the beer begins to warm."

It was a light amber colour with a slight sweetness in the aroma. Although unfiltered, it was pretty clear. I found this beer to be very watery. The hops do try to come through but are watered away. I did not like this one at all.

Somer's Amber Ale is the flagship beer of the brewery. It is brewed with Noble hops as a traditional English Bitter. This ale is also sold to the Swizzlers Inn and rebranded as Oscars Ale, where I have already enjoyed a few. Up until today, I did not know it was from this brewery.

It is ambered-coloured as the name states and is a very nicely flavoured beer throughout. A great session ale which starts a little malty but has the hops come through in the finish. The hops are not overpowering but nicely balanced.

Now to the stars of the show. The heavy hitters which I have been looking the most forward too. The IPA is the brewer's favorite and the Porter is the favorite of Charles.

First up is the Trunk Island Pale Ale, or Trunk IPA, an Indian Pale Ale that they play with the initials on. It is brown in colour and, yes, there are hops to the nose! Although it has sat for awhile, it still has a little head left and there are nice lacings as I sipped.

It starts a little watery, almost tasteless, but then the hops come galloping in and stay well through the finish. This is a very good IPA which I could see myself having a few of. Nicely done!

The last one for me to try was the medium hopped Black Anchor Porter. I have come to really love porters and was anxious to try this one.

It pours almost black and, still after this long while, had head left. The roasted malt aroma comes through and I think lacings line the glass after sipping. Surpisingly, this has a much more silky mouth feel than the porters I am used to. It is full-flavoured with the taste of coffee coming through. Nicely balanced, between the hops and the malt and finishes with a bitterness which comes more from the roasted malt than the hops.

An excellent porter. As shown by the picture above, I had another afterwards.

Also pictured above are 16 oz growlers just waiting to be filled. I had Charles fill two for me to take back to Canada ... the IPA and the Porter. It was also nice knowing when we left that I still could have the Somer's Amber Ale (Oscars) back at the Swizzler, a pub beside our resort.

The only disappointment (besides the honey ale) was that the brewer was away on vacation so I could not get a tour of the brewery itself and meet the brewer. That would have been the icing on the cake!

Beer of the Week Stats

Beers Profiled 142
Countries 28
Breweries 124
Provinces 8

The Royal Naval Dockyards, Bermuda

2012-01-02T14:04:00.000-05:00

The ferry ride from Hamilton to the Royal Naval Dockyards, which every just refers to as "The Dockyards", is a very scenic 20 minutes.

With their defeat in the American War of Independence the British lost the use of the ports of its former colonies. To compensate work began in 1809 at Bermuda’s Ireland Island on the construction of the ‘Gibraltar of the West’, the Royal Naval Dockyard. The work was carried out using both slaves and convicts shipped from England. Of 9,000 convicts shipped to Bermuda, approximately 2,000 perished during construction, many from yellow fever.

The Royal Naval Dockyard remained a major Atlantic outpost for the British Royal Navy until 1951, when most of the facility was closed. A limited number of buildings and facilities remained opened for the support of British and NATO ships until complete closure in 1995.

Most of the original buildings remain. It was fabulous to walk around amongst all that history. The old British prison to the west of the dockyards, where Britain sent its convicts back in the mid 1800s, is being restored for tours and looked like a harsh, depressing place.

If you are going to Bermuda, the Dockyards are a must see! Once again, pictures tell the story the best.

***
The Dockyards

The Commissioner's House which was finished in 1828.

The Bermuda Moongate.

Casemates Prison - This was built by convicts in the 1830s as a barracks and then became a prison in 1851 where convicts from England were shipped. It became the main prison for Bermuda convicts and closed in 1995.

The Victualling Yard - This yard, which has only two entrances, is where food, water and rum was prepared and stored in barrels for the ships that came and went.

Any military historical site has cannon. Here I am (once again) directing fire.

A Short Visit to Hamilton Bermuda

2012-01-02T12:24:00.000-05:00

Today Teena and I set out to see Hamilton, which is the capital of Bermuda. Hamilton was incorporated in 1790 and the Colony's capital relocated to Hamilton from St. George's in 1815. It is well-protected from attack, a concern in those days, as it lies in the middle of the island, inland and at the end of the very long Great Sound.

It was a bank holiday and when we arrived found much of it closed up. There was a noon ferry over to the Dockyards and we decided to take it instead of hanging around.

Hamilton is a pretty city overlooking Hamilton Harbour. I managed to get a few pictures in the hour we were there.

Bermuda currently allows just one franchise in the country and only one outlet. It is in Hamilton and from what we hear, very busy during the work week.

The Bermuda Public Library

Gosling Brothers has been operating out of the same store for 127 years. In 1863, they first produced their own rum, which they sold by the barrel. After World War 1, they began to sell it by the bottle, which they sealed with a black wax seal. That's how their main brand of rum came to be named Black Seal. It's an nice tasting rum that Teena and I became quite familiar with.

Hamilton from the water.

Teena on the ferry to the Dockyards with Hamilton in the background.

Great Shots of Coney Island

2012-01-01T17:54:00.000-05:00

I took my new camera to Coney Island today and had a chance to try some different features.

The first picture is our view of Ferry Island from our bench. Two people were to the left of the Martello Tower. Without a tripod or anchoring the camera, I managed this zoom.

We saw this sunset and Teena mentioned that I should have a sunset setting on my camera. I didn't but under the Scene setting had a super vivid. I caught some great shots. Thanks for the tip, Teena. The first shot is just on landscape. The difference is incredible.

My favorite. The colours are outstanding!

The last is a picture of a hedge which ran beside the sidewalk by the Swizzle Inn. Again I shot this with the super vivid setting.

Exploring Coney Island, Bermuda

2012-01-01T17:39:00.000-05:00

The first day that we landed at Grotto Bay Resort, I looked across the bay and saw a causeway, swing bridge and an island, with some old structure on it. I knew I had to go explore it.

So after a relaxing a relaxing morning, Teena and I headed over to what we found out was Coney Island Park.

A Bermuda National Park. Named after the coney fish (Cephalopholis fulva) one prominent around here. 14.5 acres (5.9 hectares) in size and open to the public from daylight to sunset, free of charge. It has an interesting, undeveloped park and beaches. Its northernmost tip is called North Point and was the western terminus of a railway bridge that once ran to Ferry Reach.

It was an interesting and scenic walk. The old Bermuda Railway Trail follows the west side of the island and has great views of the rugged Coney Island shoreline, ocean and Ferry reach to the north.

The Bermuda Railway was a 21.7-mile (34.9 km) common carrier line that operated in Bermuda for a brief period (October 31, 1931 – May 1, 1948). In its 17 years of existence, the railway provided frequent passenger and freight service over its length spanning most of the archipelago from St. George in the east to Somerset, Sandys Parish, in the west.

Due to high maintenance costs and the introduction of the car to the islands, the railway was closed. In 1984, 18 miles of the line were developed into a trail.

It was a beautiful sunny and warm day for a hike. I took my new camera along with me. I'm glad I did as our afternoon hike is best told with pictures.

***

We first came upon the Bermuda Railway Trail on our way to Coney Island. The bridges are long rusted out and torn down but their supports remain. Our resort is in the background.

The coastline is quite rugged.

This guy was handlining for squid from the swing bridge. He would see a squid from the bridge, throw out a line with a 3-pronged hook at the end and snag the squid. He got one while we were there.

Finally we arrived at Coney Island.

On the north side of the island, the Bermuda Railway Trail cuts through the rock and used to go over to Ferry island. There is a bench here and we spent some time just resting and enjoying the view.

I saw this Martello Tower, which was built in 1822, from a distance and was disappointed that it was across the bay on ferry island. I took many shots of it, some seen above. Here are a couple more.

This structure we could see from our resort. i still do not know what it would have been used for.

Finally as we were making our way back along the trail I took this shot of the moon. Never been able to do that before.

Exploring Grotto Bay Resort

2012-01-01T13:23:00.000-05:00

After rising a little late after the New Years celebration, Teena and I took some time to explore our resort.

It is a very nice property built on what seems a hill with a small cliff. The lower units where our room was, was built against the side of the cliff.
There are caves (grottos)on the resort. This one is especially interesting as it features an underwater natural pool where we could swim. We both stuck our toes in and it was cold! We decided that it was much nicer to look at than to swim in, although we heard there were 3 girls swimming in it later.

In all my life, I had never seen water so clear that I was unsure where it started when I went to dip my toe in!

What I found most amazing though was the quiet. Every sound was amplified. We would stand in silence and could hear every single drop of water falling from the ceiling and striking the pool. If one was into meditation, this would be the ideal place!
Our hotel is on a protected bay on the east side of the island. The water was cold so we only waded. There is a shipwreck for snorkeling nearby. Maybe if the water was warmer.
This in in a private corner of the beach. People come to relax and feed the may fish from here. There are fish here that I have seen only in salt water aquariums at home. The second shot is showing the fish lying under a rock shelf but fish of many size are all around.
The area behind the hole is the pool area, with a bar (in season, closed now) hot tub and exercise room. No, I never made it to the exercise room except to look!
And, of course, the roosters and chickens. Contrary to popular rumour, they do not crow at dawn but start around 4 AM!

New Years at the Grotto Bay Resort, Bermuda

2012-01-01T00:47:00.001-05:00

Teena and I came to Bermuda to celebrate the last of 2011 and the welcoming of 2012.

We heard there was a big party in St George’s with fireworks and laser lights but as we just had arrived at the islands decided to join in with the celebration the resort had planned.

It started at 9 with a 4 course fancy sit down meal. Appetizers, soup, main course and dessert. It was $75 US for those that were not going all-inclusive. We were.

The problem was the front of house staff were very disorganized. Our table seemed to be in the Twilight Zone where it could not be seen by staff. After 10 minutes, Teena went over to Victor, who manned the entrance and seemed to be the Captain of the room (that’s what I heard him referred to during the evening), who brought us over some wine. Then it was about another 10 minutes before we were asked what we would like for appetizers.
The whole meal went like that. It took over 2 hours to get the 4 courses. The food was excellent and one server, Livui, was great with the wine. He gave not a 6 oz pour, not a 9 oz pour, but the glass was filled right to the brim!

Teena didn’t like the apps nor the soup so would order my second choice. For appetizers, I had the Olive oil Poached Maine Lobster, Martini Style and Teena ordered (for me) the Trio of Hudson Foie Gras. I had never had Foie Gras before and enjoyed it. The lobster was excellent and refreshing.
Second was Main Lobster Bisque and Teena had the Baby Corn Soup with Duck Confit. I liked the lobster bisque but it is something I could not have too much of but found the corn soup delicious, light and refreshing.

Teena and I both had Beef Wellington for the main.
For dessert, Teena had the Apple Crumble Crostate (with cinnamon gelato) and I went for the Elixir Seasonal Fruit Salad. Teena really enjoyed hers and mine was a light, nice finish to the meal.

Afterwards we moved into the lounge for dancing and the New Years celebrations. There were not very many people there until about 15 minutes before midnight when the place became crowded. Bubbly flowed at midnight and it was a great time. About 15 minutes later, the crowd was gone.

The band was quite good and deserved a better crowd to play for a full night. They were a kind of jazz/Motown mix which we enjoyed.
About 12:30, we went outside and found a clear sky. I pointed out the very, very few constellations I know. There was a warm breeze coming in off the ocean and it so nice being out there alone away from all the rest of the world.
It was a great way to ring in 2012.

Our Room at the Grotto Bay Resort

2011-12-31T17:56:00.005-05:00

We checked into our room at the Grotto Bay Resort. The layout of the resort is interesting as from the main public area and restaurants it is hard to see any of the rooms as there is a cliff and the rooms are a level below. We have a great view of the resort, bay and ocean.

The room is quite big with a king size bed, mini fridge TV, oh, and did I say a great view.

Of course, there are chickens and roosters wandering the property. Hope they are not too noisy in the morning. I don’t need a roosters call to get up to milk cows. I don’t do that anymore.

Time to rest and relax so we are ready for the New Years party. After all, it`s been a long day so far!

Here are some pictures!

***

The view while laying on our bed

The view from our balcony

Just some of the chickens and roosters that freely walk about below. Hopefully they are quiet in the morning!
It's been a long day. Time to head for a nap before the New Years celebration starts at 9!

First Afternoon in Bermuda

2011-12-31T17:11:00.002-05:00

Teena had a great idea. This year instead of doing the usual thing, let's go to Bermuda. So here we are!

We were up bright and early at 5AM and caught the 8:15 AM flight out of Toronto. There were a few hitches. Turns out when you book a trip through Air Canada travel, they do not reserve a seat on their own Air Canada planes. We had the hotel booked, the shuttle to and from the hotel booked but not our seats on the plane.

We were going STANDBY!!

It was a nervous hour but once we were confirmed for our seats we felt better. Air Canada Travel will hear about this!

We landed without incident and were taken by shuttle to the Grotto Bay Resort, just a short 5 minute drive across the causeway. The picture above is the view of our resort from the hotel. Funny as I still have not heard a plane. Casey, a chatty fellow, was the driver of our shuttle, was excellent on tips for the St George New Year celebrations and how best to get around the islands.
We checked in and because we would not get our rooms 'til 4, we headed for something to eat in the hotel. I had the buffet, which I enjoyed, and Teena had some great wings (I had one. It was fabulous!) and a huge burger. As we are in the islands, of course, we had some rum with our meal.

Teena had talked to a few people who said we had to hit the Swizzle Pub while we are here. It is a three minute walk away and as there was a drizzle, we decided to walk on over.
I know many people who would say, “why go someplace else when you can do everything on an all inclusive resort for free?” How else to get to know the island?

The Swizzle Pub was a hoot. On the patio, there were three Canadians from Winnipeg having a jug of Swizzle. What is a jug of swizzle! Look at the picture. It are 2 types of rum with fruit juices in a shaker and the shaker (a clean one) goes home with you.
We had to start with that.

The rain poured and the wind blew, and we didn’t care. There was a balcony over us so we were mostly dry, it was warm and we were someplace different and wonderful. Our server, Oxana, who is from Russia, looked after us very well.
Chickens are everywhere! They walk down the sidewalks, hang around in yards and are … well, they are everywhere, including the Swizzle Inn. Again, they were fun to watch.
The inside of the Swizzler Inn is interesting. Graffiti is everywhere, there are TVs around but is a nice warming place. I wish we had a place like this in our neighborhood!
After a couple of hours, it was time to check in to our hotel but not without buying one of their tee-shirts! The walk home is only a couple of minutes but scenic.
Now we are checked in. Our New Years is booked and we are relaxing in our room. Ahhh!

Teena's review and pix of the Swizzle Inn are here.

Beer of the Week - The Beers of Hoss Brau-Und

2011-12-27T17:23:00.001-05:00

Knowing that I love trying new beers, my sister Judy and her husband Doug gave me the Bavarian, Alps Collector Bottle Gift Pack for Christmas. Back in April 2009, one of my Beers of the Week was Doppel Hirsch Doppelbock which is in this set, but there are two beers I have not tried. It should be interesting re-trying the Dopplebock to see how my tasting this year compares to then.

When I originally researched the brewery I could find next to nothing on it's history. The brewery website is all in German with no English translation. This year is no different. The most I could find is that the brewery is one of the oldest privately owned breweries in Bavaria, perhaps 350 years old and is located in Sonthofen in the Alps. A very scenic town I would love to visit! It is pictured in the bottom of this review.

So it's time to try their beer.

First up is Neuschwansteiner Das Echte which is a Helles lager. According to the German Beer Institute website "Hell is the German adjective for "light," while Helles is a noun used in the sense of "a light one." But unlike in North America, this designation refers to color only, not to the beer's caloric or alcoholic strength. If there is one beer style that typifies the greatness of German, and especially of Bavarian beer-making, it is this straw-blond lager"

This beer is 4.7%

On the label is a picture of a castle, and it is not fantasy or Disney but a real castle in the Bavarian Alps. The bottle is a 500 ml tall with a swing top cap. I am looking forward to this!

True to it's description the beer is straw coloured with a white head. There is a slight hop aroma to this. At first the beer tastes a little weak and watery, but then the delicious lager hop presence makes itself known. This is no North American big brewery tasteless lager but a lager made the way one should be.

A fabulous beer to start my tasting.

Next up is the 5.2% APV Holzar Bier. I found this Many websites call this a Munich Style Dunkel which the German Beer Institute describes "Like all Bavarian-style beers, Dunkel tends to be very malty with only a gentle hop accent for very little hop bitterness. It has almost no nose. Today Dunkel is still made primarily in Bavaria," I like dunkels. This should be interesting.

The beer pours brown in colour with a with a white head perhaps with a slight brownish tinge. As said above, there is no aroma to this. This beer like the last one, starts off a little tasteless and watery, then the malt comes though. There is a slight bitterness to this, which I believe must come from the roasted malt as I do not detect any hop bite to this. To me this dunkel is a little weak tasting but still very enjoyable.

Last up is the Doppel Hirsch Doppelbock weighing in at 7.2% APV. "Bockbiers rank among the heaviest and maltiest, yet smoothest, brews in the world. Doppelbock (literally "double bock") is a stronger and usually darker version of the Bavarian Bockbier. It is exceptionally malty, with very little bitterness." Dopplebocks were originally made as liquid bread for monks to drink during their periods of fasting.

This beer pours very dark in colour with a brownish head. I can smell the malt in the aroma. It definitely has a thicker mouth feel. No wateriness here!

It is not a bitter beer but one which is very malty. This is a full flavoured beer! The taste is immediate. A slight bitterness comes from the malt, and the flavour is full from start to finish. I really like this beer.

What was my original review? I haven't looked at it till now "I popped the top and had a pour. The beer does pour with a nice head. It is a dark coppery colour with a inviting fragrance.

In tasting it, I can see why this is considered a cold weather beer. It has a heavy, sweet, malty taste which reminded me of caramel. It is an excellent sipping beer, not one you would have too many of."

Caramel! That is the flavour I was having a hard time describing today.

All three beers in the package were enjoyable. I love how they were all true Bavarian beers (biers?) of different styles.

Thanks Doug! Thanks Judy!

I had fun giving these a try!

Beer of the Week Stats

Beers Profiled 141
Countries 27
Breweries 123
Provinces 8

The Year I was Santa

2011-12-25T23:29:00.000-05:00

Tonight I watched a show called Mall Santa, a documentary which was shot in 2008, about three Toronto area men who worked as mall Santas.

Global’s one-hour documentary Mall Santa seeks to uncover the real lives of these Santas, and they’re surprisingly ordinary guys with a simple goal: to make kids happy.

Through the special, we meet Santa John (a packaging plant employee who’s been Santa for 11 years), Santa Bernie (also a parade Santa who’s had the gig for 50 years) and Santa Roy (a retired accountant who’s been Santa for 12 years).

It was quite enjoyable and took me back to the year that I was Santa. Wow, that had to be over 25 years ago.

In the Scout organization, Beavers is the youngest age group in the organization. After that, a boy becomes a cub, then a scout. Ken was in the Aurora Beaver Colony.

For Christmas, the Beavers did a gift exchange and it was decided that Santa should distribute the gifts. One of the leaders, Jim, took me aside when I came to pick up Ken after a meeting and asked if I would be Santa for their meeting next week.

"Sure ...", I said a little hesitantly.

I wasn't hesitant about playing a Santa and felt I could do it well. My worry was Ken would be there. Would he recognize me? After all, he still believed.

So for a week to throw him off whenever Christmas came up, I would say in my best pirate voice "Argggh, Merry Christmas me Buccos!"

Why?

I didn't want him to recognize my HoHoHo.

So the night came and I dropped him off at the meeting, then raced home and changed. I found I couldn't drive with the pillows jammed in my pants, just didn't fit behind the wheel of the car, so took them out, drove to the church and entered, as instructed, through the side door and into a nearby room, where I jammed the pillows back in.

There I waited for about ten minutes inside a warm room, covered head to foot in a Santa outfit, in a hat, boots, wearing that full Santa beard and packed with pillows which acted like extra insulation. Santa had a good sweat on by the time his cue came.

So I strode down the hall, shaking my bells and letting out my best HoHoHo!.

Yes, Santa had arrived.

I came into the room and saw the faces of 20 boys light up, including Ken's. Great to see through Santa's eyes.

So I sat in the chair by the presents. The only game plan we had was that I come in, give out the presents and go. The only thing was, I knew Santa had power. Santa was not just going to distribute gifts. He was going to make them work.

But doing what for Santa?

Well, Santa explained they would have to do something for him before they were given their gifts. He wanted to hear a Christmas carol!

They quickly decided on a song and sung their hearts out. Yes, it is fun being Santa. Santa has full control!

Then came gift giving time, which made me nervous. I would pick up a present, call out the name on the tag and the boy would excitedly run up get his present, then bound back to his spot.

Finally the moment came. The present with Ken's name on it. I knew I could not overdo or under do this. I had to be exactly the same as the other kids. He came running up like the others, and when he got to me, suddenly was shy.

I was surprised. He is a class clown and looking forward to this but was shy around Santa. He took his present, said thank-you and ran back to his spot.

Once the presents were all given out and opened, I asked the kids to sing me another song as I left. I can still remember their voices singing as I walked down the hall and ducked into the room where my street clothes were.

Ken was quite excited when I picked him up and told me all about Santa's visit.

I was told by the adults that were there that I was a great Santa and I believe that I was. I had pulled it off! Ken's friends did not recognize me and, more importantly, Ken did not.

A few years later, I told Ken the story. He told me he remembered that. No, he did notknow it was me but there was something a little familiar about Santa that baffled him.

I really had done it.

Only one picture was taken of me that day. I took a picture of myself in the mirror before leaving the house. If I still had that picture, I sure would post it here.

Christmas is for kids and I enjoyed putting some Christmas into this small colony of Beavers.

Movie Review - Mission: Impossible - Ghost Protocol

2011-12-25T18:01:00.003-05:00

As is tradition in our household, Teena and I love spending Christmas going to an afternoon movie. This year it was Mission: Impossible - Ghost Protocol.

After being disavowed and framed for a terrorist bombing on the Kremlin, Impossible Mission Force (IMF) agent Ethan Hunt (Tom Cruise) has to assemble a crew of fellow disavowed agents (the returning Simon Pegg (Mission: Impossible III) along with newcomers Paula Patton (Precious), and Jeremy Renner (Hurt Locker, the upcoming The Avengers) to clear the agency's name as well as their own.

I hated the first movie and because of that never saw the second. I loved Jay Leno's line about MI2: "Maybe Mission Impossible 2 will explain what the hell Mission Impossible 1 was all about."

I heard really good things about this one, though, and my son Ken, really recommended it.

This was an excellent movie, full of action and thrills. I love how in this one they keep to the idea of the original series with intricate schemes to get just one part of the job done.

As with most action movies now, some sense of reality should be checked at the door. If you do, that you'll love it. The special effects are awesome and the scene with Tom Cruise on the Tower in Dubai is breathtaking.

You cannot wait to see this on TV and would be ridiculous to see it on a tablet or iPhone. We saw it in IMAX. That is the way to go.

An 8.5/10 for me. One I would even go to see in the theater again!

Book Review - Strongman, The Doug Hepburn Story

2011-12-24T11:20:00.007-05:00

I participate in the 5th Annual Canadian Book Challenge, which is run by John, way up in the North-West Territories. who challenges readers to read 13 books set in Canada, about Canada or by Canadian authors in one year. There are no prizes but it is an interesting challenge as people post links to their reviews and tallies are kept.

Every once in awhile he does post a monthly challenge where a prize is awarded. A couple of months ago I won the monthly prize and received Strongman, The Doug Hepburn Story by Tom Thurston.

Tom Thurston has written the first biography of one of Canada’s athletic legends, Doug Hepburn. Born in Vancouver with a club foot and a severe alternating squint, Doug decided as a boy to surmount his disabilities by training with weights, setting his sights on becoming the world’s strongest man. And this he achieved. Doug is now known as the grandfather of modern “power weightlifting.

For those interested in building a super-strong body that will last well into old age, Doug’s complete, drug-free training secrets are revealed in a way that are easy to understand and employ. For those looking for the inspiration to tackle some of their own goals, Doug Hepburn presents a fine role model. For all Doug’s successes as a strongman, his life was filled with much sadness, many setbacks and even, at times, poverty. Thurston’s biography does justice to all aspects of Doug’s life, illuminating the fortitude with which he met his many challenges. A truly splendid biography with many black and white photographs.

It is a very interesting story. Doug did set out with disabilities with an incredible goal in mind. It was discipline and determination and willingness to accept help which took him to Stockholm in 1953 for the World Weightlifting Championships which he easily won.

When he did not get the adulation, fame and riches back home in Canada, which he felt he deserved, he gave up and went on a long spiral downward. A note here is that in Canada if you are not a hockey player, figure skater or the winner of the 100 yard dash, international successes are not generally heralded or even much publicized as they should be.

Doug Hepburn could not accept this, it seems.

His struggle to dig himself out of the hole he had dug for himself is good reading. The story was dictated to Tom Thurston at nights.

"Mighty Doug had found that by leaning back in an easy chair with the lights out and his little black cat, Cupcake, curled on his chest, he could close his eyes and experience his past as vividly as if he were back in time."

He does lay it all out, the good and the bad. I found Doug Hepburn to be a good person inside but a very screwed up individual.

It is a quick, very interesting read. Glad I won this prize. The book is worth reading.

Brinicle ice finger of death filmed in Antarctic

2011-12-24T10:49:00.006-05:00

I found this on the BBC website and found the video extremely fascinating. The only way I can describe this is a huge underwater icicle forms, which is so super cold it instantly freezes to death everything it touches.

The article which accompanies it on the BBC website is quite interesting. What you see here has never been caught on camera before.

"With timelapse cameras, specialists recorded salt water being excluded from the sea ice and sinking. The temperature of this sinking brine, which was well below 0C, caused the water to freeze in an icy sheath around it. Where the so-called "brinicle" met the sea bed, a web of ice formed that froze everything it touched, including sea urchins and starfish.

The icy phenomenon is caused by cold, sinking brine, which is more dense than the rest of the sea water. It forms a brinicle as it contacts warmer water below the surface.

The unusual phenomenon was filmed for the first time by cameramen Hugh Miller and Doug Anderson for the BBC One series Frozen Planet."

It is just over a minute long. Have a look see.

My 2011 Christmas Fridge

2011-12-22T23:38:00.005-05:00

Back in 2008, I started into the world of craft beer. Before that I was "Buck a Beer Gord" searching for taste in cheap beer. Once I discovered craft beer, it was all about taste. That year I pulled everything out of my fridge to see what I had and was surprised by the variety. So I blogged about it.

Now it has become tradition. So here is this years Christmas fridge.

It is beer which I have just bought tonight, some beer I have received as gifts and some which I have had in the fridge aging. This year's variety seems bigger.

From left to right:

Muskoka Brewery Mad Tom. Just bought tonight. I love it's hoppiness.
Barley Days Yuletide Cherry Porter. A beer of the week (BOTW) a few weeks ago. I had bought a six pack.
Amarcord La Tabachera is a high alcohol beer Italian craft beer from a BOTW back in August which I have been aging.
Next is an upcoming German 3 bottle beer set which I got as a gift from my sister, Judy, and her husband, Doug. Looking forward to this!
Fullers put out a Past Masters series. I have the strong ale and porter which are made from an old recipe. Yes I will be writing about them.
Black Oak sold out of their excellent Nutcracker Porter last month. I had bought a dozen and have just 2 left. Lucky me!
I have only one Grolsch from 6 I bought last weekend. It was gone somehow by the time the rest was put away.
I have a variety of Faxe, a Danish beer which will be an upcoming BOTW.
Fullers Vintage is in the middle. Every year I buy 3, 1 for this year, 1 for next and the other for 2 years down the road. That way I always have 3 to compare. It's fu to do!
Crazy Canuck in is my fridge the majority of the time as I think it is one of the most perfect beers out there.
I just did Keith's as my beer of the week and have 2 left.
Flying Monkeys Netherworld is another favorite that finds my fridge quite often. I great black Cascadian ale.
Our neighbor gave me the gift pack of Old Speckled Hen which was a bottle and a glass. Looking forward to it.
I love Tree Hop Head, another regular to my fridge.
Paddock Wood from Saskatchewan makes a great lager with their Czech-Mate Lager. Another regular.

Merry Christmas to me! A beer fridge is a must in 2012.

The Wheat Sheaf Tavern, Toronto

2011-12-20T18:39:00.008-05:00

Tonight Teena was out with friends and I had a dilemma. Should I go home, make some pasta and then head out for Aquafit or hit a pub for a couple of beers and some wings.

As you can see from the top picture, the devil on my shoulder won out. I was simply too lazy to cook myself supper. I did walk to the pub and then home which is a 3KM walk (almost 2 miles) so did get some exercise.

I stopped at the W heat Sheaf Tavern which has the proud distinction of being Toronto's oldest licensed establishment having opened in 1849.

Their selection of beer is not too bad. They have a few of local craft beers, Amsterdam Blonde, Steam Whistle and Mill Street Tankhouse, plus a dozen other beers on tap.

The bar where I enjoy sitting was almost full but I found myself a spot. The rest of the bar was quickly filling up during my stay, either because of the holiday season or Tuesdays being half price wing night. The bartender was friendly and looked after me well. They seemed to have lots of staff to look after the tables.

I ordered the plain seasoned wings with smoked BBQ sauce on the side for dipping. The sauce was interesting. It seemed to be a combination of BBQ sauce and liquid smoke. I have experimented with liquid smoke in the past. Some experiment with acid, some with cocaine, me with liquid smoke. It was quite good and I found myself dipping often.

The wings were a good size. I have learned from the Lord of the Wings on how to properly take a picture of a wing.

The part I enjoyed most was finding out that a pound of wings and two 20 oz glasses of Tankhouse came to just $18.50.

The pool can wait for another night. I enjoyed my stop tonight.

Beer of the Week- The Keith's Brewmaster Collection

2011-12-20T17:48:00.007-05:00

For Christmas I got the Keith's Brewmaster Collection from my nephew Kyle and his wife Kerri.

A nice gift as it gives me a few new beers to try. The pack comes with 3 IPAs, and a White, Amber and Dark, plus a beer stein. I have not had anything but the IPA so this should be interesting.

Alexander Keith came to Canada from Scotland in 1817 when he was only 22. It did not take him long to get something going as it was in 1820 that opened his brewery in Halifax.

The brewery prospered and he became well known and liked in town becoming the Mayor of Halifax three times. Teena and I did a tour of the brewery a few years ago and, if in Halifax it, is really worth taking.

In 1971, the brewery was sold to Labatt's. In 1995, Labbatt's was sold to the Belgium International brewer Interbrew which merged with AmBev in 2004 to form Inbev which became Anheuser-Busch InBev in 2008.

Go to the east coast, though, and Alexander Keith's is still considered one of their own.

Time for some tasting.

Keith's IPA - This is my "go to" beer in palces that don't have any craft beer on tap. I remember when it first came to Ontario. I was in Ottawa and a big fellow from Cape Breton named Keith saw the Keith's sign and steered me into the pub say, "Now, Gordie boy, I'm going to show you what I grew up on. It was very good." Teena is from down east and it is her beer of choice too.

It pours yellow in colour with a white head, which quickly disappears. The Keith's stein has an etching in the bottom which allows the beer to keep creating bubbles so does not go flat if left too long. Beer is not left "too long" around here.

It has a slight hop aroma and starts a little sweet in taste finishing with a slight hoppy bitterness. The bitterness has stood up in the past when I have had a more bitter beer before it.

It's really not an IPA but a decent big brewery beer.

Keith's Premium White - This is the newest product produced by the brewery. It comes unfiltered and is made with citrus and spice. It pours a straw colour with a white head and is cloudy due to it being unfiltered. The head quickly dissipates leaving no lacings on the glass.

It has a surprisingly light mouth feel and is very flavourful. There is not the usual typically strong wheat beer taste or aftertaste to this. The flavour does fall away quickly in the finish.

This is a nice pleasant wheat beer. People who like a light refreshing summer beer but don't like wheat beer would enjoy this.

Keith's Red Amber Ale - This beer actually pours brownish in colour with a brownish tinge in the head. The head does remain for a bit.

There is a malty sweetness in the front which carries through to the finish. There is no bitterness in this beer but I found it flavourful and would have it again.

I am not sure if Keith's put this out to compete with Rickard's Red but if they did, they win on taste for sure as I am not too crazy about the Rickards line. If that was not their purpose, it still is a happy win for them.

Keith's Dark Ale -I heard rumours that this was first produced as Keith's Stout, which was marketed as a light stout with the slogan "Stout need not be heavy." It was rejected by the public and then relaunched as Keith's Dark Ale. Knowing this, I approach this with caution.

It does not pour black but is extremely dark, maybe a very deep brown.

It has a good brownish head which dissipates much slower than the others, leaving behind some nice lacings. The roasted malt comes through very nicely. There is a slight bitterness which may come from the roasted malt of hops. I am unsure.

The beer is a little watery in mouth feel but overall a very decent beer. I would buy a stout or porter before having this one but sure did enjoy it.

Thanks, Kyle! Thanks, Kerri! I enjoyed it and it was fun. Still have a couple of IPAs left for another day too!

Here is the etching in the bottom of the Keith's mug. I have seen this in other glasses such as Duval it is more to keep the beer lively than for decoration.

Beer of the Week Stats

Beers Profiled 140
Countries 27
Breweries 123
Provinces 8

Sunday Family Photos

2011-12-18T11:41:00.001-05:00

Last night we didn't take the opportunity to get some family shots. Teena was determined to take care of that this morning. So here is guest blogger, Teena in Toronto

***

Before we left Gord's parents' this morning to head for home, we took some pictures.

Here are Gord, Minnie (his mom), Keith (his son) and Keith (his stepdad). Great shot!

Grandparents and their oldest grandson ... Keith, Ken and Minnie.

Here are Ken, Minnie, Keith and me.

Attempting to Capture a Frosty Morning

2011-12-18T09:49:00.001-05:00

It was frosty when Teena and I woke up this morning at my folks' north of Belleville. We went for a walk. Teena had her camera too. Her shots of our walk are here.

My original intention was to play with the "poster" setting on my new Canon PowerShot SX30. It was bright morning and the frost was heavy everywhere. My new challenge then became to capture this and the way it glistened in a picture. I used "landscape" for many of them and some I used the "snow" setting. I wished I had taken notes as to what was what.

Here are the best of my efforts.

***
The sun is to the right of the picture here.

This once was a working outhouse back in the time before there was plumbing in the original farmhouse. The sun was to the right of the picture.
This is shot in the direction of the sun attempting to capture the glistening. I lowered the angle so the sun was above the shot.
I originally came out to take shots in "Poster" mode. Here is the only one I took. The brighter colours really stand out.
My parents' dog, Pepper, was out with us. I used him as contrast. Again the sun is directly above him.

Frozen apples with a frost field behind or Gord trying to get artsy.

The sun is to the top left hand corner of this shot. I was trying to capture the old wood shed, the frost and, even though the farmhouse is behind us, the isolation.
Finally, the same shed but with the sun to my back. This was one of my last pictures and now I realize how important it is to have the sun at your back to capture a picture such as this.

2011 Family Christmas

2011-12-17T21:20:00.000-05:00

Every year, Teena, Ken and I head down to see my side of the family, who live north of Belleville to celebrate Christmas.

We always go down a week early so Ken can spend Christmas with his mother, who lives alone.

As always, it was a fun time. My mom is 84 but still very active, and did not want to cook a turkey, so instead she cooked a ham ahead of time and we all brought the side dishes. It was all very good, especially the deviled eggs which mom made the mistake of setting down by me!

My mother is a great grandmother as my sister, Judy's son, Kyle, and his wife, Kerri, have two kids, Madison and Colton. That makes my sister a grandmother - snicker, snicker. Madison is a ball of energy while Colton is just a few months old.

It was a fun family get together, best shown with pictures. Teena's view is here.

***

A typical Christmas get together with kids makes for a busy room.

I love this picture of my mom and Colton. The smile says it all.

My sister Judy and Colton.

It was hard getting a picture of Madison. She rarely stopped moving.

Teena did get her to stop for a minute to look at pictures.

Judy's son, Kyle, and my son, Ken, enjoying some time together.

My stepdad Keith liked the hoodie we got him.

Mom and Ken enjoy some time together with Pepper.

This is the best shot I could do of the generations. In front, my sister Judy; behind her, Kerri holds onto Madison; behind in the chair, Judy's son, Kyle, holds onto Colton; and my mom, the great grandmother, looks on from the back.

A couple of my brother in-law, Doug, with Madison, then in the chair cradling Colton with one arm and an unwrapped bottle of white whiskey with the other.

It was lots of fun. Here's the refreshing part of my haul.

Christmas Supper at Baton Rouge with Old friends

2011-12-16T22:32:00.001-05:00

Tonight Teena and I headed up to North York to meet friends for a Christmas get-together at Baton Rouge. I have been friends with Alfred, Kevin and Craig for many years .... actually since the early 60s. Wow!

We guys get together on many Tuesday nights but we don't get together as often as we should as couples. OK, there's a new years resolution.

It was fun not only getting together and reminiscing about the old days but, although we lived miles away, the Mel Lastman square area was a place that we guys visited often, traveling on bikes. Not something we would let our kids do today. So we we also spent some time trying to remember the way the area was.

The food, as usual, was quite good and the service was excellent. Teena and I both had the Chicken Tenders. Teena had mashed potatoes with hers and I got coleslaw and fries with mine. The tenders were fabulous and I love shoestring french fries. I did find the generous mound of coleslaw dry and bland. Alfred, who had the tenders and ribs, felt the same way about the slaw.

The beer selection had a lot to be desired. When I asked what was on tap, I cringed when I was told it was all the usual Molson's bland products. Thank goodness Molson's also owns Creemore Springs Lager (and have left the brewery alone to continue to do it's own thing very well) as that was the only decent offering on tap.

All in all, a very fun night. Next year getting together more often as couples is a resolution I don't plan on breaking.

Teena's write up with many more and much better pictures is here.

Here are Teena and I tonight.

A Gord's Eye View of Toronto - Remembering Mary Pickford

2011-12-13T19:07:00.013-05:00

I just finished reading Mary Pickford: Canada's Silent Siren, America's Sweetheart and the book mentioned that a plaque and bust commemorating Mary Pickford stood in the area where she grew up on University Avenue back at the turn of the century. I had to go find it. Above is the plaque and bust. Here is 211 University Avenue as it was.

Here is the plaque which was unveiled in 1973 by her third husband, Buddy Rogers.

The plaque reads "Born in 1893 in a house which stood near this site, Gladys Marie Smith appeared on stage in Toronto at the age of five. Her theatrical career took her to Broadway in 1907 where she adopted the name Mary Pickford. The actress's earliest film, "Her First Biscuits", was released by the Biograph Company in 1909 and she soon established herself as the international cinema's first great star. Her golden curls and children's roles endeared her to millions as "America's Sweetheart". She was instrumental in founding and directing a major film production company and starred in over fifty feature-length films including "Hearts Adrift", "Pollyana" and "Coquette". For the last-named film, she received the 1929 Academy Award as the year's best actress."

This is the bust by artist Eino Gira and the small plaque which is on the base. It was added sometime in the 80s.

I did not take the house picture but had to add it as I like the story. During World War II, Mary Pickford came to Canada to raise funds for Canadian war charities. She sold her original home on University Ave and used those funds ($15,000) to build a house at 90 Glenwood Crescent in East York. Tickets then were auctioned off at a dollar a piece and the effort raised $250,000. The house still stands today. Below we have a picture of Mary Pickford signing the door on May 26, 1943 and the same house today.

Mary Pickford never forgot her Toronto roots and I'm glad we did something to remember her.

Book Review - Mary Pickford, Canada's Silent Siren, America's Sweetheart

2011-12-13T18:28:00.008-05:00

"Mary Pickford's ambition, passion, innate talent, and savvy business acumen sent her career into the stratosphere and set the blueprint for the modern movie star. Born Gladys Louise Smith in 1892, Pickford was raised in a house on University Avenue in Toronto and began her acting career on the stage. However, her determination led her to the new world of motion pictures, where she not only revolutionized acting method but negotiated her own terms for the highest salary for any actress and complete creative control over her films -- unheard of behaviour for a woman of that period.

Pickford co-founded United Artists in 1919 with Douglas Fairbanks and Charlie Chaplin, which turned the existing studio system on its head. The actress’s subsequent marriage to Fairbanks incited a fan frenzy comparable to today's obsession with couples like Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie. Although Pickford's star faded with the advent of talking pictures, she was the catalyst for the culture of Hollywood celebrity that enthralls us today."

I was going through the new non-fiction books coming into the library and this book caught my eye. I knew Mary Pickford was from Toronto and a huge star in the silent picture era but really knew nothing else. It was time to find out.

Mary Pickford: Canada's Silent Siren, America's Sweetheart was an enjoyable and easy read. The author, Peggy Dymond Leavey, has been nominated or won many awards for young or juvenile readers. I sensed this in the style as read the book but in no way did this take away from the subject matter.

I could also tell in the way she wrote that she is a huge fan. Once again, there is nothing wrong with that. The more I read, the more I became a fan.

The book told me everything I wanted to know about Mary Pickford. I found out many interesting things about the great lady. I am quite pleased to find that she never forgot her Canadian roots. During both world wars, she was involved in fund raising for the troops, both in the U.S. and in Canada. When Canada finally got its own flag, she made sure she got one as soon as possible to fly at her home nicknamed Pickfair.

Pickfair was the home of Mary Pickford and husband Douglas Fairbanks.

Speaking of Pickfair. Ms Leavey wraps up the book very nice by explaining what happened to her adopted kids, family, friends, her estate and Pickfair. After she passed away, Pickfair was sold to Jerry Buss, the owner of the Los Angeles Lakers in 1981. In 1988, the home was then sold to multimillionaire Meshulam Riklis and his wife, wannabe actress Pia Zadora, who had the home torn down replacing it with a modern mansion. A pox on them!

Whether you are Canadian or American, this is a great read, not only about the life of Mary Pickford but an inside look at the birth of the movie industry.

The Duke of Kent

2011-12-12T18:44:00.004-05:00

Tonight I was at Yonge and Eglinton and saw what looked like a cute little pub on the east side of Yonge, a block north of Eglinton called the Duke of Kent. I peaked inside. It looked good with lots of taps, so in the door I went.

For a Monday night, there was a fair crowd. It seemed many were regulars and I could see why. The bartender was great and knew most by name. I also noticed that the servers also seemed to know everyone too. When I came in, I was wearing a name tag that I had forgotten to take off from a meeting and after a minute or two at the bar took it off and disposed of it. Later, the bartender still remembered my name from it. That's what I call a welcoming pub.

The bar is "J" shaped and the front of the pub has a few booths where the back has tables. There are mostly English brews on tap, some Rickards and a couple of craft beers, Steam Whistle and Mad Tom. I went for the Mad Tom.

If in the area, I would definitely stop back for a couple of pints and something to eat. I loved the atmosphere. It is the type of place that is sadly missing from our neighborhood. It's worth checking out.

Trying Out the Fisheye Setting on My New Camera

2011-12-11T13:33:00.010-05:00

In November, I bought a new camera, a Canon PowerShot SX30 IS.

I am still learning how to use it and want to take a course. One of the settings my camera is a fisheye. The main subject shows correctly but the area around it distorts and bends inward. Yesterday I thought it would be fun to give it a try. Above is the first picture I took with it.

"Originally used for meteorology to study the sky and cloud formations, fisheye’s were originally called “whole-sky lenses.” These lenses quickly became popular in the general photography field because of their fun and unique uses, and of course their incredibly distorted lines. They can be used for many different purposes, both professional and for fun (but mostly for fun"

I tried to use the Christmas tree as the focal point here. Notice how landscape uses the effect much better than portrait.

Here I try focusing on the chimney.

Finally I have always liked the peak on this building, so used it to centre the shot.

There are lots of settings to learn about. Not only do I want to know how to use a setting, but more importantly when to use the setting.

The Richmond Rogue Alehouse

2011-12-10T19:48:00.000-05:00

Every time I come off the Don Valley Parkway to head across Richmond Street to get home, I pass the Richmond Rogue Alehouse.

It always looks like a tempting place to stop in. This evening, after exploring the Toronto Christmas Market, Teena and I sought it out for supper. The picture here is not a great shot as I was frozen when I got there and took the picture in a hurry so I could get inside and get warm.

The Richmond Rogue is a very warm and comfortable place. The bartender was friendly and looked after us well. There were a few TVs around and a private booth with a fireplace and TV.

I am still learning about my new camera so I borrowed these shots of our food from Teena`s post as my shots were horrible. I had wings and rings which were lightly breaded with an excellent sweet chili sauce on the side. I loved it. Teena got the fish and chips. She thought it was just OK and that the fish had too much batter on it.

Not only did they have the usual big brewery beers but also have 6 craft beer on tap.

It`s a nice spot which I will go to whenever in the neighborhood. Going to be hard to drive by it now! Read Teena`s review here.

An Afternoon at the Toronto Christmas Market

2011-12-10T16:28:00.000-05:00

This afternoon Teena and I went to the Toronto Christmas Market at the Distillery District. We were there for the first one last year and really enjoyed ourselves.

Last year it was cold. This year it was even colder with a breeze coming in off the lake. Every beer garden was selling hot mulled wine which seemed to be a big seller. We had some which helped not only to warm our hands but our insides.

It was much more crowded this year and it may be because we were there earlier but also found there were more families. The area was well done up with a huge Christmas tree, lights, a ferris wheel and carousal for the kids plus many booths selling food and items from different European countries

It was a fun afternoon looking around and people watching. Next year we will be back. Teena's view of the afternoon is here.

Here is our day in pictures.

***

The entrance

There were lots of people there and many areas were crowded

We bumped in our friend, Shawna, who was there with her buddy, Rebecca. Here is Rebecca, Shawna and Teena.

There were free samples of Tyskie beer from Poland and Amarula at the Winter Warmer Lounge plus an outside bar selling hot mulled wine. People enjoyed the fires.

I made a new friend

There was a carousel, a Ferris wheel and an angel welcomed kids to the Christmas maze.

The architecture of the the old Gooderham and Worts buildings make for great pictures.

A booth sold chocolate dipped bacon. I passed but many tried it.

Our last stop was at a beer garden by the entrance. There were two singers playing guitars who were quite good. Despite sitting under a heater, they had to take a minute break between songs to warm their fingers. Fire pits were everywhere keeping the crowd warm.

It was an enjoyable afternoon and we'll be back next year.

Book Review - The Art and Mystery of Brewing in Ontario

2011-12-08T18:33:00.003-05:00

A few weeks ago I borrowed The Art and Mystery of Brewing in Ontario from the Toronto Public Library. I found it a very interesting read.

How interesting?

I was supposed to return it yesterday but had not yet finished it. I could not renew it as somebody else had it on hold. To that person, I do apologize.

The book really should be named The History of Brewing in Ontario as it is mainly a look back at brewing through the ages in all the cities and towns of Ontario.

The Canadian thirst for beer is legendary. A national pastime with the same associations as camping, sports, patio weekends and college festivities, a tall foamy beer is just something most Canadians feel passionate about. In The Art and Mystery of Brewing in Ontario, Ian Bowering examines the history of beer production and lore. The book includes a series of anecdotes and brewlore from people continuing to make this province's beer some of the best and most popular in the world. Beer aficionados will love this amusingly written account of the past 200 years of brewing in Ontario.

The book talks about brewing then goes in alphabetical order of city or town and the breweries which existed in each. Surprising today but when you think back to the 1800s when transportation was an issue, it is no wonder every city or town had one or more breweries.

Mr Bowering is a professional historian with a Masters of Museology and History from the University of Toronto. The thesis he did was on brewing in the 19th century in Toronto. Not only is he an expert but also a good writer. I have to love this guy too as the notes at the back say he is a fencer!

I especially enjoyed some of the ads that the breweries did back in the 1800s. Now I do believe that beer is not an unhealthy drink if drank in moderation and made all natural like craft breweries do (I have no idea what chemicals the big breweries use so they may not have the same claim). The ads promoting the "medicinal" properties of beer is hysterical.

Here are a few:

From a 1911 ad for Grants Spring Brewery Ale ... It gratifies the taste, Refreshes the body, Builds bone and sinew. Never knew beer was good for bones and never worried about my sinew before."

From Portsmouth Brewery 1857-1916 ... Recommended by most prominent physicians for invalids....natures own tonic.

Prescott Brewery from an 1859 Prescott newspaper ... perfectly pure and possess the fine tonic properties in a high degree. The Medical Faculty have given their strongest testimony in favour of the above and highly recommend their use to ladies and invalids.

Thunder Bay Brewery 1913 ad ... It would be worth a dollars worth of medicine to you, ask any doctor if there is anything more healthy than a good beer.

I can't give away any more. The book also has interesting stats such as in 1909 the O'Keefe Brewery paid its brewer an annual salary of $500 and his accountant $1,000. Too funny!

Ian Bowering wrote this book back in 1989 and much has changed since then with the amalgamation of big breweries that originated in Ontario and the closing of Northern Breweries and Formosa. I enjoyed the old pictures as much as the histories of all these small forgotten breweries and there are a lot of great pictures, many from the 1800s (right is Carling brewery in London circa 1879; left is Simcoe Steam Brewery in Barrie circa 1890).

How good of a book is this?

It is being returned tomorrow, the fine paid and I'm going to order my own personal copy. That's how good it is.

Well done, Mr Bowering!

The Importance of Stretching and the Knee

2011-12-07T19:02:00.007-05:00

Last spring I tore my meniscus and, as a result, have not fenced since the Can/Am tournament in May.

Instead I have been doing exercises prescribed by Lauren, my physiotherapist, to relieve the pain and strengthen the muscles that help to support the knee. Lauren has been great in applying Active Release Techniques along with other treatment to help my knee along.

The inside and outside of my knee became very sore around the end of September. That was also the time Teena and I had vacation time and I stopped seeing Lauren. I thought my knee was still coming along after I went full tilt into my exercises. Then Saturday I was hustling to the subway and Sunday I woke up with huge pain in my right knee.

Damn! Will it ever be better??

Monday I went in to see Lauren. I was worried that whatever I did, my fencing year was gone. She tried a few tests on my knee and leg and proclaimed that it wasn't a knee issue at all. My hamstring and calf muscles were like rocks. As a result of them being so tight and constricted, the ham strings are pulling up the tendons in my knee, while my calf muscles are contracted and pulling down on those same tendons.

No wonder there is knee pain!

Since the very first time that I saw her, Lauren has been telling me that I should be stretching very regularly. Now that I think of it, so has my massage therapist, Jenn. So has our fencing club's conditioning coach, Crissa. So has my chiropractor, Shannon. I should have listened

As I was concentrating so much on the current knee exercises, I didn't stretch at all in the past 6 months which created new problems.

So now I have hamstring and calf stretches I can do at my desk during the day. I have an email alert set to notify me.

The result? Less than 2 days later, the pain is gone.

On the weekend, I will start again with the strengthening exercises but will always remember to do my stretches at the end. I am going to start yoga again too which I found so helpful in the past. For the rest of this week, though, it will be, rest, stretch and ice.

In a conversation with Crissa once, we were talking about whether it is better to stretch before or after a workout. For me, she said, "You should just stretch all the time!"

She's right!

Beer of the Week - Barley Days Yuletide Cherry Porter

2011-12-04T16:28:00.010-05:00

Prince Edward County lies south of Belleville. Ironically my family lives north of Belleville so that's the direction I head when down that way, so have never visited. The county has become very well known for being the newest wine region in Ontario but there also is a craft brewery there, Barley Days Brewery.

The brewery is aptly named, as I was just reading last week in "Art and Mystery of Brewing in Ontario" about the region's "Barley Days" which ran from 1860-1890. There were there several breweries in the area which sat on a well-protected harbour, as the U.S. was very thirsty, and their industry concentrated on the civil war and not brewing. So to Prince Edward County they came for beer to drink and barley for food stuffs. When the U.S. government decided to protect their own farmers by placing a huge tariff on barley, prices in the region crashed overnight and the Barley Days were done.

Barley Days Brewery was opened in August 2007 by Christopher and Norah Rogers. For the first year, according to a Queens School of Business case study, "employed an ‘academic’ brewmaster who cared little about the quality and consistency of the product that he was brewing." They then hired an experienced head brewer from Germany who made flavourful and consistent tasting beers.

In 2009, they hired Alex Nichols who "has a Bachelors of Science in Microbiology from University of Guelph and a Master of Science in Brewing and Distilling from Heriot-Watt University in Edinburgh, Scotland."

Pretty good credentials!

The same people who own the brewery also own a restaurant and inn close by called the Waring House. Bet I know who's brews they have on tap!

And the Yuletide Cherry Porter?

I admit I am a little nervous. I like cherries but find many times when they are put in something like yogurt, it makes it taste like cough syrup. Hopefully that is not the case here. Barley Days uses fresh cherries from the region and bottles the porter unfiltered.

It pours black in colour with no head. No lacings on the side either. I will have to clean another glass with a fresh pour.

OK, the beer in the picture up top is from the second pour. I definitely did not rinse the glass properly for the first one. . My fault, not the brewers. I write about this as it is a good reminder to myself to always ensure I do this right.

The beer has a nice brownish head and, yes, there is a sheet of lacing down the inside of the glass. There is a definite coffee presence in this which tails off quickly in the end. It has a smooth stout-like mouthfeel to it. I do not detect cherry in this but there is something, another taste that comes through at the end. It might be what removes the porter harshness at the end.

This is a good beer but not a great beer. Good enough that I would like to try some other offerings they have, maybe even on tap in the area.

I'm glad I tried this particular one but would not buy it again.

Beer of the Week Stats

Beers Profiled 139
Countries 27
Breweries 122
Provinces 8

Meeting Cousin Bob at Brydens

2011-12-03T20:28:00.001-05:00

Teena has been doing a lot of research on Ancestry.ca about her family tree and my family tree.

Many of the people she has found on my side have become Facebook friends with me. My cousin, Bob, lives in Etobicoke and thought it would be a good idea to meet up. This evening he and his partner, Frances, met Teena and I at Brydens at Bloor and Jane.

It is interesting to have family living in the same city who I have never met. Bob is actually my first cousin, once removed. I still don't have the "once removed" thing figured out yet. He is my Dad's first cousin.

It was a lot of fun. Bob is a huge fountain of knowledge about my paternal side of the family. He also gave me a copy of my grandfather, Sid's discharge papers from the first World War.

We had a few beers, Bryden's has a great selection of craft beer on draught and in cask. I really enjoyed the Great Lakes Brewery's "The Devil made Me Double Dry Hop it".

We also ate. Teena had hickory medium wings with spicy fries and Cajun mayo, which she enjoyed. I had Nigel Benn's Auntie's Jerk Chicken Wrap with potato salad. The wrap was excellent but the potato salad was bland.

Friday night I was telling Teena of a family member coming to Toronto from Newfoundland way back in the late 60s. He had an accident and punctured his lung. Being family, my dad insisted that he and I go visit even, though we had never met him before. We had to do it as he was family living in a strange city. My dad was a great guy like that.

I told Bob that story. It turns out that that was Bob's brother, Ron!

It was a fun and interesting visit. We'll definitely have to get together again.

The "Eggie" Follies

2011-12-03T11:17:00.012-05:00

There are a lot of schlocky items that are pitched on TV commercials.

Teena and I always laugh at how they first show the hopeless "before" people trying to do something and failing miserably, people who, if they did exist, would not even be able to tie their own shoe laces, and the wonderful product that will make their lives, easy and of course......wonderful!

"Eggies", though, we found intriguing. Of course, the ad shows the "hopeless" before-person trying to take the shell of an egg and totally botching the job, then the happy family, making and eating wonderful eggs, plus how easy it now is to make dozens of deviled eggs.

Teena came home from Christmas shopping at the mall and, low and behold, she had gone to the Showcase store and bought us Eggies!

This morning was the great Eggies trial. Knowing this would happen, Teena bought extra eggs when she was grocery shopping. Good thing too as there were some failures.

They really are quite simple. They have a bottom, top, screw lid and a sealing ring. You crack the egg into the Eggie, seal it up, plop it in warm water, bring it to a boil, set the timer for the type of egg you would like, reduce the water to a medium boil, and happily wait. Once done, unscrew the seal, squeeze the cooked egg on the plate, eat and enjoy!

Simple right?

The first attempt.

I was doing a soft boiled egg and medium boiled egg at the same time. I would bring to a boil, set the timer for the soft boiled egg and, when it went off, pull the Eggie out and set the timer for another couple of minutes. I reduced the boil too low and when I discovered this, raised the heat to the medium boil. I found the soft boiled and medium not cooked and runny so threw them back on. Needless to say they both came out medium but plopped out of the Eggie quite easily and were good.

The commercial said you can even make an omelette in an Eggie so I had to give this a try. After all, children in the commercial were making wonderful little omelettes. This should be as easy and fun, as they say.

They said just mix the ingredients in the Eggie, cook and enjoy. I cracked the egg, added some onion, salt, pepper, and Smoked Paprika (the ingredients for my Sunrise Scrambled Eggs), sealed the lid, shook and cooked.

Only the Eggie came apart and I was left with a cooked egg mess in the pot. One complaint I have is the seal does not always seal right and it is easy to cross thread. That must have been the problem.

My second attempt, I repeated what I did before but ensured the top and ring were sealed properly. It started well but when it came to boil, once again disaster struck.

I figured that maybe I should not shake the egg in the Eggie. Instead I mixed everything in a measuring cup and then poured it into the Eggie. What I discovered was the onion added to the volume (duh!) and I had some egg left when I filled it to the proper line. This likely was the problem, plus shaking the egg in the Eggie, and not venting.

The result?

It came out quite well. My complaint would be that on the commercial and in the instructions they say to add your spices in the Eggie. This does not work because as the egg cooks most of the spice floats up to the top of the egg, so when you eat it, you get a huge concentrated blast of spice.

Not good.

Eggies are easy to use without making much of a mess, although looking at the kitchen once I was done you would say I was lying about the mess part. In the future, there will not be much of a mess.

Future Eggie goals? Make a proper soft boiled egg and, hey, what about those easy to make deviled eggs? I have to do those.

Good thing Teena bought those extra eggs!

Friday Night Beer at Angelo's

2011-12-02T19:55:00.005-05:00

Friday nights I like to stop for a couple of pints on the way home, unwind from my week and read.

Sounds like a boring way to celebrate the work week's end but I enjoy it. My walk to and from work is along King Street W and Teena pointed to me that a new place had opened along my way which had craft beers on tap ... Angelo's on King.

It is opens at 5PM daily, although the sign in front said "now open for lunch". I was there at 4:20 but the door was open, the sign was out so I went in. Angelo, the owner, was sitting at the bar and I took a seat. We chatted and I liked him. He's a nice guy and seems get along well, kibitzing with the staff.

I had a look at the menu which was simple and looked good. It was appetizers, salads, pastas, and sandwiches. I could see through through to the kitchen to the side of the bar and would have no problem with Teena and I enjoying a meal there.

On tap, which is why I was there, were four beers, all Ontario craft beer. I had a Mill Street Tankhouse Ale and a Spearhead Hawaiian Pale Ale plus they also had a Mill Street Organic and a Flying Monkeys Amber Ale.

It is a nice Italian restaurant, very clean and I was well-looked after.

I will be back for more Friday night "reading" and plan to go with Teena for a meal.

I think it is a place worth trying out.

Book Review - An American Prisoner at Fort Malden and Quebec in the War of 1812

2011-12-01T20:38:00.004-05:00

When Teena first gave me my Kobo Vox, I decided to do a search for free books and documents on the War of 1812.

Project Guttenberg has quite a few, although many do not transfer well to the ebook format. One that did come out well was An American Prisoner at Fort Malden and Quebec in the War of 1812.

The diary opens on the first day of the author's capture aboard the Cuyahoga Packet (pictured) in the early months of the war and ends quite abruptly when he receives orders to make ready what would be needed for him and the sick to return to Boston.

The diary's author's name was never recorded on the diary but experts believe with certainty that it was written by surgeon's mate James Reynolds of the Cuyahoga when it was captured on July 2, 1812. The forward, written when the account first was published in Quebec in 1909, gives an excellent argument to support this.

The forward also says that ""A very human document, and not without historical value". I found this to be very true.

It is a very short book but quite enlightening one of being a prisoner of the British in Upper Canada during the War of 1812. I admit that I was a total geek with this book referencing back to the dates in the diary when Reynolds wrote of the goings on outside the ship he was being held prisoner in, but not being able to determine the reasons why. He could only guess whether cannon and musket fire was an American success or not by judging the reaction of the forces and native peoples when they returned to the town where the prisoner boat was docked.

There is also a very good reference at the end of the book explaining what was taking place on the dates in question.

He was especially rattled by all the native peoples being drawn to Fort Malden, their comings and goings and especially when they celebrated long into the night after the British captured Fort Michilimackinac, on an island guarding the straits for the fur trade between Lake Huron, Michigan and Superior. He had quite a rant about that but never knew the reason why or even that they were celebrating and getting ready for next battle. The siege of Detroit.

His rants were great!

After he found out that Hull had surrendered Fort Detroit to an inferior British force (under the command of the Great Issac Brock), "Shame to him, shame to his country, shame to the world!"

Or on July 7th when he heard that "two hundred militia ran from 40 Indians and several of our men was taken. God save the ignorant for they cannot take care of themselves."

A must read, easily obtained from Guttenberg for anyone with an interest in the war of 1812.

Book - The Sisters Brothers

2011-11-29T16:51:00.006-05:00

When I first heard of The Sisters Brothers, I knew this was a book which I wanted to read.

Written by Patrick deWitt, originally from Vancouver, the book has gained great popularity and notoriety by making the short list for the 2011 Giller Prize and winning the Governor Generals Award for Fiction.

"Hermann Kermit Warm is going to die. The enigmatic and powerful man known only as the Commodore has ordered it, and his henchmen, Eli and Charlie Sisters, will make sure of it. Though Eli doesn't share his brother's appetite for whiskey and killing, he's never known anything else. But their prey isn't an easy mark, and on the road from Oregon City to Warm's gold-mining claim outside Sacramento, Eli begins to question what he does for a living–and whom he does it for."

This is a never boring story of two brothers, Charlie and Eli Sisters, hired killers who are off on a long journey to California as ordered by their boss, someone only known as the Commodore. Much of the story is of the adventures they have along the way, with the people they meet. The brothers are hard men with little regard for the lives of others. The story is full of brutality, comedy and tragedy.

The story is told in first person, a style that usually I don't care for, but really works well here. Much if the story is the relationship between the two brothers and Eli's thoughts of the life he has led and where it might be going.

I am a fan of westerns and this one is done quite well. It is an easy read, one which I found it hard to put down. I put it in the same class as Lonesome Dove, which won the Pulitzer Prize in 1985. A great western, and fabulous read.

The Samuel Smith Gift Pack

2011-11-27T16:14:00.007-05:00

I'm not a big fan of Christmas, but one thing about it that I do like is that many breweries world wide put out gift packs. I am a big fan of English ales and this week picked myself up a Samuel Smith gift pack. It comes with 3 beers, a Nut Brown ale, the Celebrated Oatmeal Stout and their India Ale. It also has a Samuel Smith ale glass. Not bad for $17.50

I have written about this brewery before when I tasted their Imperial Stout. In the article I described how this is one of the few breweries to use the Yorkshire Square system in it's process.

Today is about tasting though.

The first one I am trying is the Nut Brown Ale. Their website describes it as "Brewed with well water (the original well at the Old Brewery, sunk in 1758, is still in use, with the hard well water being drawn from 85 feet underground); best barley malt, yeast and aromatic hops; fermented in ‘stone Yorkshire squares’ to create a relatively dry ale with rich nutty colour and palate of beech nuts, almonds and walnuts."

Lets give it a try.

This does pour brown in colour with a brownish head and has a malty aroma. No adjuncts in this as lots of nice lacings line the glass. this beer has lots of taste! It has a creamy mouth feel and yes, there is a slight nuttiness to the flavour. It starts a sweetness, then comes that slight nutty taste, and ends with a bitter finish. Well done but just not my style of ale.

Next up is the Oatmeal Stout which the brewer describes as "an almost opaque, wonderfully silky and smooth textured ale with a complex medium dry palate and bittersweet finish" I checked and yes, there is oatmeal in this.

On the bottle the brewery claims "Celebrated Oatmeal Stout is a style benchmark revived by Samuel Smith and the inspiration for hundreds of commercial oatmeal stouts" Quit the claim.I I love oatmeal stouts and am anxious to give this a try.

The beer pours very black with a creamy brown head. I find very little aroma to this. This is a very creamy stout which rivals any other stout on the market. It is quite smooth with a slight coffee taste to it. It finishes with a slight bitterness, not a hop bitterness but one which would come from the roasted malt.

I like this. I like it a lot!

Lastly it's off to what I think should be the star of the show, the India Ale!
I am a big hop fan and it's the big hop bitterness that defines this style. Described on the website as using the "best malted barley and a generous amount of choicest aroma hops to create an exceptionally full-flavoured complex ale with an abundance of maltiness and fruity hop character."

The beer has a coppery colour with a off white head. There is some floral hops in the aroma. The beer starts slow with a slight hop bitterness but finishes with a more pronounced one. With my first sip, I thought this IPA was quite toned down. That opinion changed on the second sip as I felt the full flavour. A nice hoppy beer not overpowering in bitterness but nicely balanced. My favorite of the lot, which is what I expected.

Christmas gift packs are a great way to try some beers not usually available in Canada. This one is certainly worthwhile!

New Years in Bermuda

2011-11-27T13:31:00.007-05:00

This has taken me a little time to absorb.

When I got home from work Friday night, Teena had a question for me ... was I in the mood for doing something different?

Different in what way?

She had been working on this for a month ... what to do different for New Years?

And her idea?

Bermuda!

Not only that, it is her treat!

Wow! Didn't take me long to say yes!

I have to work the following Wednesday so we leave Saturday morning and arrive at the hotel around noon. Gives us time to settle in and check the place out and that night it's New Years! I don't care if we party or just have some quiet drinks on the beach. Ringing in the New Year in Bermuda, a place neither of us have ever been, will be fabulous!

It is a short trip as we come back on Tuesday afternoon.

I always wondered what a short 4 day mini vacation to someplace warm would be like. This year I get to find out! It's going to be a fabulous time!

Thanks, Teena!

A Night Exploring Downtown Port Credit

2011-11-26T22:45:00.000-05:00

After spending the afternoon exploring the parks of Port Credit, we were hungry and thirsty.

The first place we tried to hit was the Old Stable Pub. It looked like a great spot but it was just before 5:00 and the place was closed. The sign on the door said it opened at 4:00 but nothing was stirring inside so we moved on. I hope we were just too early as it is a place I would like to try next time we're in Port Credit.

Instead we started at Snug Habour Seafood Bar and Grill. Sitting on the harbour, the restaurant has great views and a fancy seafood menu. We really were in a mood for pub grub, though, but had to kill the hunger. Teena had a Keith's and garlic bread with cheese, while I had a Old Credit Pilsner which was pretty good, and the clam chowder which I quite enjoyed.

It's a nice place but had a very old clientele. It was time to move on.

Our next stop was a very busy place, The Pump House Grille Co. I loved the circular bar in the middle of the pub area. There is a restaurant in another separate room. It was surprising the number of families that were sitting at the bar or at tables in the pub area but then the place was always full with people coming and going for the full time we were there. There were also many TVs in the place.

It also had one of the nicest, clean bathroom of any restaurant that I have been in!

We had fun watching a lumberjack competition on the TV above the bar where we sat. It's a place I would go to again. I liked the vibe there. We just had a couple of drinks and left.

Across the road was The Harp Pub. Our friend, Yvette, says you can't go to Port Credit without having a Harp at the Harp. So in we went.

There was a good vibe to this place too. A band was setting up in the back area but we would be long gone before they took the stage. We were looked after well by our server, which was good as the previous snacks had worn off. We both had wings. Teena had hot wings which she really liked. I had a dry Cajun rub, which I asked to be sprinkled on lightly as most places go too heavy. Tonight not enough was put on, which really is my fault as that is what I ordered. They were good sized wings and came with lots of carrots and celery on the side.

I would go back again!

We tried to get into Roc'n Docs but they wanted a cover. They had a cover band there which was starting at 10:30. It was 9:45. We told them we just wanted a drink and would be gone before the band came on as we had to catch the GoTrain. "I just work here and follow orders," we were told, so moved on.

Ten Restaurant & Wine Bar wanted a $5 cover as they had a DJ. Again we said we just wanted one drink and would go and again were told no. Most times in Toronto, they let us in.

We finished the night at The Brogue, an Irish style pub which I've been to a few times. It's a good place to finish as it is just a 5 minute walk from the Go Station and we wanted to catch the 10:43 train. It was busy, with a good vibe and friendly bartender. It was a fun place to finish.

It was a great afternoon and night. It would be nice to do this again in the summer when it is warmer and everything is greener. It's on our "to do" list for next year.

A Day Exploring Port Credit Parks

2011-11-26T16:39:00.000-05:00

For a long while Teena and I have been talking about hopping on a Go Train and heading to Port Credit for a day. It is a cute town located where the Credit River empties in Lake Ontario. Today, that's what we did.

It was a cloudy day but not too cold for November. We figured this might be the last decent day to do this. We arrived just after 3:00 and walked the shoreline to J.C. Saddington Park. After exploring the park, we then explored the town.

Apparently Port Credit got its name from a trading post that was located here which allowed credit to its customers. I don't know how true that is but I like it!

What I found interesting is that the breakwater to the harbour is not a wall but a ship. The Ridgetown was emptied of all its fuel, filled with stone and on June 21, 1974, sunk at the entrance of the harbour. You can still see the cabins and smokestacks.

Friday I bought a new camera so and had a great day getting to know it. You may see some difference in the quality of my shots as I tried different features.

Here is our day in pictures.

***

The shoreline views east if the harbour.

Snug harbour. Now that it's fall, the boats are gone.

Toronto as shot from the west side of the harbour. I had to see what the new camera could do so zoomed in on the restaurant of the CN Tower about 20KM (12 miles) away. It's a little blurry as I should have used a tripod.

Teena enjoying the view

Across the harbour, we could hear accordion music. This fellow played for hours but was in a secluded spot so I think he was playing for his own enjoyment and not for change.

Not a sign one would expect to find in an urban area.

Some other shots of our walk. It was a great afternoon!

Beer of the Week - Spearhead Hawaiian Style Pale Ale

2011-11-25T17:29:00.001-05:00

This week, the Beer of the Week is being done a little different.

I like to research a brewery before trying the beer, hoping the beer will meet or exceed my expectations. Sometimes it does and sometimes it doesn't. I just don’t want my writing of the brewery influenced by what I think of the beer.

That’s what is different this week. I am writing about a beer which I have already tasted.

I first tried Spearhead Hawaiian Style Pale Ale at Session 99 Craft Beer festival. Knowing there is pineapple in it I was quite leery. I like to think of myself open to anything but pineapple in beer?

Spearhead Brewing Company is the brainchild of Dimitri van Kampen who back in 2008 was a financial lawyer working over in London, England. That was until the crash of 2008. According to Globe and Mail Jun. 30, 2011 article, van Kampen explained "I had lost all of my clients overnight. Lehman Brothers, Merrill Lynch all went away and I’m sitting there, with not much to do, and I started thinking what I might’ve done with my life if I had’t gotten into law," he says.

His father also passed away that year but before he did told Dimitri that he had no regrets. He had done everything in life he wanted to do.

So Dimitri thought about what it was that he really wanted to do. In England, he had discovered great ales and decided that’s what he wanted to do. Brew beer.

He did not want his first beer to hit the market place to be an every day beer. He found the Ontario beer marketplace to be crowded and wanted to do something different. He experimented on his stove at home with different recipes and came up with the recipe for a pale ale with pineapple in it. He hired on Tom Schmidt, a brewmaster with 20 years experience, and Spearhead Brewing Company opened with their first beer in June of this year with their Hawaiian Style Pale Ale.

His company of 9 employees works out of Cool Brewery. They do not sell their beer anywhere but in Southern Ontario bars and pubs. It is much cheaper than opening their own brewery although van Kampen admits there are challenges to working out of someone else's kitchen.

So what about the beer?

I enjoy this pale ale and have had a few of them since that first tasting. When I remember back to when I first heard about this beer, I had expected that with pineapple being in it , that it would be a sweet beer. I was wrong!

Instead on using old tasting notes, I am sitting in Tequila Bookworm having fresh one. I like Tequila Bookworm. Their clientele are friendly and Matt, who is always behind the bar when I am there, looks after me well.

As the beer is 6.5% APV, it comes in a 16oz Spearhead stemmed tulip glass instead of a regular 20 oz ale glass. It pours a light coppery colour with a nice white head. The head remains for some time. There are lots of nice lacings that remain behind as the beer is sipped.

I can smell the hops in this and maybe a hint of pineapple, although that could be my imagination knowing it is in there. According to their website, this beer uses Cascade, Centennial, Northern Brewer hops, all which are quite aromatic hops (yes, I am starting to learn about hop style now).

It starts with a nice slight bitterness when sipped but that bitterness increases in the mouth. I can sense the pineapple in it, yet it is a bitter pineapple taste. Pineapple is one of the few fruits I enjoy, which we buy peeled and cored weekly. I enjoy its sweetness but find the bitter pineapple influence in this confusing but quite enjoyable. There is a great long bitter finish to this which I love

Tequila Bookworm has an excellent variety of 10 Ontario craft brews on tap. Tonight, though, I am opting for another Hawaiian Pale Ale as it has become one of my favorite draughts.

Can't wait to see what this brewery comes out with next!

Beer of the Week Stats

Beers Profiled 138
Countries 27
Breweries 121
Provinces 8

New Toy - Canon PowerShot SX30 IS

2011-11-25T14:01:00.002-05:00

Today I decided to buy myself a gift ... a Canon PowerShot SX30 IS.

The PowerShot SX30 IS has got you prepared for your next extreme photo opportunity. This point-and-shoot digital camera comes with a massive 35x Wide-Angle (24-840mm) Optical Zoom lens - a first for any PowerShot! It also comes with a 2.7-inch Vari-angle LCD, 14.1 Megapixels, High Dynamic Range, Zoom Framing Assist and much more.

I was heading down to Blacks in the concourse below where I work to check out a Nikon with a 35x zoom. The zoom intrigued me as well as the fact it has a view finder which I will find handy as when I don't have my glasses on, I see a blurry image on the LCD screen. One thing I read about the Nikon which disturbed me was if the lens cap was left on when turning on the camera, the motor would grind.

Knowing myself as I do, that would happen more than once.

By the time I hit the bottom of the escalator I had talked myself out of it. I would just ensure I always had my good glasses with me and I would save some bucks by not buying new camera.

Looking wouldn't hurt, though.

So I walked into Blacks and just above the Nikon, which was $30 off, was a Canon PowerShot SX30 IS It had the 35x zoom, was the same price as the Nikon and was $130 off! I already own a Canon and love it. It has a 12x zoom. This one has a 35x zoom.

Did I mention that? Did I mention the 35x zoom?

Yes, it came home with me.

I don't usually buy myself new things and am quite good at talking myself out of stuff.

In this case, the 35x lens won out over cheapness.

The Pang of Not Fencing

2011-11-24T17:10:00.011-05:00

Pang: a sharp attack of mental anguish

Last July I wrote how I was sidelined with a knee injury, a slight tear in my meniscus, and had to take some time off of fencing. I had finished the year strong at the Can/Am tournament, knew what I needed to work on and, although disappointed that I basically could not practice during the summer, planned to enjoy the time off.

I wanted to look at this positively.

After all, for the past two years I have ended the season ranked secnd in Canada for Men's Veteran Sabre and last year had missed some events. With a well-rested summer, I would come back refreshed, mended and loaded for bear! This was my year to really go for that number 1 spot!

Lauren, my physiotherapist, told me there was no guarantee that I would be fencing in September. Although I like fencing at Septemberfest in Kitchener, the first tournament of the year, I told myself it would be for the better if I had to miss it if I needed to give my knee more time to heal, but knew inside that hell, I would be ready for it.

Missing that tournament was the first "pang"!

I kept up with my therapy and almost all the exercises Lauren had given me pretty faithfully. I discovered Aquafit at my gym as a great no impact fitness program.

Then came October. Only one tournament that month, the Queen's Open in Kingston. I can't remember what I did that weekend but fencing in Kingston wasn't part of it.

Another pang!

The original injury felt better but I my knee felt weak. Lauren scolded me on not doing a couple of exercises. They seemed rather insignificant to me at the time but were designed to strengthen the ligaments in my knee. I do them faithfully now and notice a huge difference.

October 24th was significant. It was the final day to register for the North American Cup event (NAC) in Kansas City in December. These are huge tournaments which I love and finally I am finishing in the top 16. I had hoped this year to crack the top ten. The knee still was only 50%. though, so the deadline came and went and. alas, I will not see KC.

Damn! Huge Pang!

Yesterday I took a look at the Men's Veteran Sabre rankings for this year. For the first time in many years, my name is not on it.

Although I knew it wouldn't be there, it still hit me rather hard.

There is a points tournament on December 3rd in Newmarket. I have very rarely picked up my sabre since being hurt and definitely am not in fencing shape but did considered entering. Just to get some points. Just to get myself into the rankings.

Due to some vacation time in October and my getting myself into a huge funk about this, I haven't seen Lauren for awhile or been to the gym much. I know that going to the next two practices, or not, and then trying the tournament might be an excellent recipe to either aggravate my current injury, or injure something else.

My knee is stronger but has pain. I tried some light fencing footwork drills at the gym and in an empty hallway at work but find the knee tires and pains easily. Best to suck it up and miss this one too and let my knee heal some more, although that decision is not yet finalized in my little brain.

I know it's time to set up an appointment with Lauren for physio and to get more strengthening exercises. I know it's time to get back training, if not at fencing practice, then in the gym. I know it's time to get out of this funk I'm in.

I miss fencing!

Measuring the Affect of Higher Alcohol Beers

2011-11-22T18:56:00.007-05:00

I have been wondering lately what exactly is the difference between drinking a higher alcohol beer and a lower alcohol one besides the obvious, that there is more alcohol involved. What I mean is ... what is the affect of having a couple of 6% beers versus a couple regular 5% beers.

Each beer has on its label the amount of alcohol by volume (APV). APV is the amount of alcohol contained in the amount of fluid in a bottle. For instance, a 12 oz (355ml) bottle of 5% beer, has 0.6 oz (17.75 ml) of alcohol in it which is 55% of the beer's volume. A 6% beer has 0.72 oz (21.3 ml) of alcohol in it.

OK, so now we know the alcohol increases steadily and not on a graduated scale.

But this does not explain the affect of drinking a higher alcohol beer versus a lower one? To do this, we must bring the amount of alcohol in a drink down to a common denominator.

I researched a few websites that bring about the idea of a "Standard Drink". They determine that a standard drink has 0.5 oz of alcohol in it. Interestingly enough this is the amount of alcohol in a 1.25 ounce shot of regular rum, whiskey or vodka, without mix. Now that we have a standard to measure against, we need a formula to determine how many standard drinks are in various alcohol levels of beer of the same size.

For the formula, we need to multiply the serving size by the amount of alcohol per volume to get the total number of ounces of alcohol in your beer. We then divide this by a standard drink of 0.5 oz of alcohol to see how many standard drinks a serving is.

That is the long version. The formula is a lot more simple. It is (number of ounces served) times APV x 2.

So for a 12 oz bottle of 4.2% alcohol it is 12 oz x .042 x 2 = 1.008 or close enough to call 1 standard drink for beer.

Let's see how the standard number of drinks grows as the alcohol content rises. We'll use the same 12 oz bottle (355 ml)

APV = Standard Drink
4.0% = .96
4.2% = 1
5.0% = 1.2
5.2% = 1.25
5.5% = 1.32
6.0% = 1.44

So if I am sitting at home and having three of Black Oak Brewery's delicious Nutcracker Porters (341ml or 11.5 oz @ 5.8%), it would have the same affect of my having 4 beers at 4.2%, or drinking 3.6 regular 5% beers.

I have some bottles of Grand River Russian Gun Imperial Stout in my fridge. Have to be careful with this one. It comes in a 500 ml bottle (16.9 oz) and weighs in at 8% APV so by the time I finish one bottle of this, it is like having almost 2.75 beers. Don't want to be pounding this one back! Even if they packaged it in a regular 12 oz (355ml) bottle, which they really should do for a potent beer like this, each 12oz bottle would still be like drinking almost 2 beers.

Really, this all makes great sense.

Here are some regular bottle and can sizes broken down from millilitres to ounces in case you wish to play with this formula.

341 ml = 11.5 oz
355 ml = 12.0 oz
473 ml = 16.0 oz (cans)
500 ml = 16.9 oz

The question here, though, is measuring the affect of drinking higher alcoholic beers. We can do this by measuring Blood Alcohol Level (BAL) using this pretty good calculator I found and the Standard Drink formula (a different chart is pictured to the right). You can use this calculator in different ways. What I am doing is feeding in standard drink sizes at 4.2% for a 12 oz bottle.

Lets take a 200 lb (91 KG) male. He has 4 - 4.2% APV 12 oz lagers over a two hour period. This comes to 4 standard drinks. His BAL comes in at .047%

Now, let's say this same person has the same number of 12 oz beers over the same period of time. He starts with a nice 4.2% lager, then has a nice 5% ale, followed by a 5.8% porter then finishes with an excellent 6% IPA. The number of standard drinks here is a little over 5, so really just one more. His BAL jumps to .066% which is 40% higher.

There is the affect! Just the equivalent of one more beer over a two hour period.

So the original question was what is the affect of having a couple of 6% beers vs a couple regular 5% beers? We'll do this over a 1 hour period. The 6% is equal to having 2.88 standard drinks and gives an approximate BAL of .04%. The 5% is like have 2.4 beers gives a BAL of .031%. This person has drank just under a half a standard drink more with the 6% yet the blood alcohol is 22.5% higher!

So as always, don't drink and drive and, if you are sitting at home having a couple of 6% ales and feel a buzz before you expected, that is why.

Beer of the Week - Tusker Lager

2011-11-20T15:12:00.002-05:00

In all my 57+ years, I have never had an African beer. Today that changes as I found a beer from Kenya ... Tusker Lager.

Tusker was started in 1922 by George and Charles Hurst who were two white settlers to the country (original brewery pictured right). When they delivered their first batch of beer to the Stanley Hotel, there was a mixed reaction to exactly how good it was or wasn't.

They must have improved their beer as they are still around.

A year later in 1923, co-founder George Hurst was killed in a hunting accident by an elephant.

I found it interesting that in 1929 they first used malted barley in their brewing process. I wonder what they used before. Maybe that is why they had mixed reaction when the beer was first served at the Stanley Hotel.

The 1930s were a busy time for Kenya breweries. In 1930, they launched their first lager. In 1935, they bought out Tanganyika Breweries and the following year changed their name to East African Breweries Limited. In 1938, the brewery won its first brewing prize won in international competition.

In 1988, the company changed its name back to Kenya Breweries but through corporate restructuring (which I admit that I don't understand), Tusker Breweries today is 80% owned by East African Breweries Limited (EABL). SAB Miller owns the other 20%.

The brewery is very proud that Tusker is brewed from 100% Kenyan ingredients that are all locally sourced. They have their own malting plant which opened in 1942 and all the yeast is developed locally. The cornstarch comes from a local Kenyan company. All the sugar comes from West Kenya.

I love that the company uses all local products which can only help their economy but sugar? Cornstarch? Not too sure what to expect with this beer.

EABL is also an important industry in the country as it employs more than a 1000 people from East Africa and is East Africa's leading branded alcohol beverage business. Not only do they sell their own beer but are major exporters to east Africa for international brands of beers and spirits. EABL has won the awarded of the "Most Respected Company in East Africa" five years in a row (2000, 2001, 2002, 2003 and 2004) and was second in 2009.

The EABL Foundation was founded in 2005 which assists people in Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania with water supply, education and training, health, environment and special projects. I think it's excellent that this company is doing this.

Their brand positioning Sstatement for Tusker? "For consumers who are truly nationalistic, brand TUSKER is the beer that provides an everlasting bond of deep, natural friendship with their countrymen because only TUSKER Lager uniquely represents a true and refreshing spirit of national heritage."

And the beer?

Tusker is another word for elephant and the beer is named in honour of co-founder George Hurst which features an elephant or Tusker on its label. It comes in at 4.2% APV.

The beer pours straw coloured with a short white head which disappears quickly. There are traces of lacings along the inside of the glass but not much. It does not give off much of an aroma.

It is a sweet tasting beer and really not too flavourful. I would put this in a league with North American big brewery beer.

I think it is very impressive what this company has done to build its brand and help its nation but am not really impressed by it's number one beer.

Beer of the Week Stats

Beers Profiled 138
Countries 27
Breweries 120
Provinces 8

The County General

2011-11-18T18:41:00.009-05:00

On Friday nights I like to unwind with a beer and read on my way home.

Tonight I thought it would be nice to try a place in our 'hood. My idea was to try something on Queen between Dovercourt and Gladstone but before I got there I came upon The County General on the north-east corner of Queen and Shaw. I had read reviews about this place before and have been looking forward to trying it.

It is not much to look at from the outside but once inside it has a cozy feeling. The place is quite narrow with a few tables and a long bar. If I have a complaint about the seating is the the bar seating, which is where I like to sit, is a little crowded. One less chair would make everyone a little more comfortable as cooperation is needed with your neighbor to get in and out of a seat. Then again, the bar seats were pretty much full for the time I was there so why would the owners want to lose a paying customer.

As far as that goes, the place had a healthy flow of patrons throughout the time I was there. No sooner was a table empty that there was someone else to take the place. The bartender said it's like that all night.

I did not eat so cannot comment on it but would like to some day. Those that ordered food seemed quite happy.

I was there for a couple of beers and to read. I almost did not go in as I could not see any taps but spotted some at the last moment. There are only four taps, all with Muskoka Brewery beers on tap, (Cream Ale, Mad Tom IPA, Dark Ale and Craft Lager). This is not a bad thing as I love the brewery but a little more variety in brewers would help. As it was, I was delighted to have a couple of Mad Toms.

Although always busy, I did receive very good service and from what I saw the tables did too.

The next time, I want to go with Teena for a meal. I have heard great things about the food and, from the amount of business they get, it must be good.

***
It is a narrow but cozy place with just a few tables

A view from the entrance. Again, a narrow but cozy place.

Instead of the bill coming in an everyday fake leather folder, it instead comes in this unusual way.

Book - Captain James Cook in Atlantic Canada

2011-11-17T16:31:00.003-05:00

I thought it was a coincidence that when Teena and I did a tour of the Fortress of Louisbourg in October and we got back home I saw in Canada's History Magazine that there was a new book out about James Cook, the world famous explorer. The book was not about his famous adventures exploring the Pacific but his early years in Canada.

The coincidence here is that James Cook took part in the British siege of the Fortress of Louisbourg.

"The skills, knowledge and experience that took Captain James Cook to the South Seas and around the world seemed to come out of nowhere. In fact, as author Jerry Lockett has discovered, their foundation was laid during the time he spent in Atlantic Canada. His experiences on Canada's east coast and the naval men he met there shaped him to become one of the most successful explorers of all time.

Cook arrived in Halifax, Nova Scotia in 1758 as a competent but undistinguished warrant officer in Britain's Royal Navy. Over the next nine years he learned the complex skill of navigation and prepared many detailed maps of the coastline and key harbours. He left nine years later with the skills and reputation that made him an obvious choice to lead a voyage of exploration to the far side of the world.

In this absorbing and well-researched biography Jerry Lockett tells us of Cook's experiences as a young man and of the influential men who became his mentors and patrons. He also describes Cook's role in the key British military actions at Louisbourg and Quebec which brought an effective end to the French regime in North America."

I found "Captain James Cook in Atlantic Canada: The adventurer and map maker's for mative years" to be a very interesting book about a little known part of his life. He spent nine of his 51 years in Atlantic Canada. He had the luck during his service in the Louisbourg siege and the siege of Quebec to have had some excellent captains who encouraged and mentored him. The first was Captain Simcoe who had an extensive library on board and encouraged Cook to read and learn about mathematics and the stars. There is a Toronto connection here too as Captain Simcoe was the father of Lord Graves Simcoe, founder of Toronto.

As Cook was a surveyor, the book deals with excellent explanations of sailing, dead reckoning, determining position and other background needed to understand what Cook was undertaking. I even learned what the boat speed "knot" refers to and how it was originally calculated. These explanations could have made the book dull but was written in an entertaining fashion.

Cook became such a great surveyor that many of his charts were not redone for years. In fact, one of his New Zealand charts was not resurveyed until 1996.

One final note on this part of his life comes from famous Cook biographer J.C. Bealehole, "Nothing he did later exceeded in accomplishment his survey of the southern and western sides of Newfoundland from 1763 to 1767."

Wow ... and he is famous for everything he did after!

His map is to the left. A blow-up of it is here.

Beer of the Week - Krombacher Pilsner

2011-11-13T14:24:00.007-05:00

My friend of mine from work, Martin, has been telling me how much he enjoys Krombacher Pilsner. He loves it. It is the only beer he drinks. I have never had one before and thought I should give it a try. I had high expectations for this beer as Germans really know how to make great lagers, pilsners and beer in general.

Krombacher Brauerei is a privately owned brewery located in the scenic town of Krombach. It is the 2nd largest selling German brewery with Krombacher Pilsner being the best selling German Pilsner.

Impressive!

The brewery was launched in 1803 by Johannes Haas whose father owned a tavern in Krombach. The brewery was relocated to its present location sometime between 1858 and 1882. At the site, the brewery created 2 large caverns in which to lager their beer.

In 1890, the brewery started experimenting with brewing Pilsners. The beer style was still fairly new in the beer world as pilsners weren't created until 1842.

In 1896, the Haas family sold the brewery to Otto Eberhardt who turned it into a corporation in 1905. The brewery has continuously produced beer even during the war years. The town and brewery endured heavy bombing in 1945 but still made a limited amount of beer.

Today Krombacher beer is exported to 48 countries including Canada.

Krombacher Brauerei states that it brews Krombacher Pilsner according to the Reinheitsgebot (pronounced "Rine-Hites-gaBoat") also known as the German Purity Law, so there are no additives. Water, hops, barley malt and yeast are the only ingredients allowed in its beers.

The beer pours a golden colour with a nice white head. The head dissipates fairly rapidly. Loads of lacings line the glass as the head disappears and the beer is sipped. There is a very nice aroma to this beer. I love being able to smell hops in my beer!

The beer starts with a bit of a watery mouth feel but then all the flavour kicks in. A very pleasant low bitterness finishes the beer. I have not been disappointed. This is an excellent pilsner, one that would really make its mark on a hot summer afternoon. It's making its mark with me right now as I sip it and watch my Ti-Cats take on the Montreal Alouettes in the eastern Semi finals.

Thanks, Martin. Excellent recommendation! I think I owe you a beer. Let's make it a Krombacher!

Beer of the Week Stats

Beers Profiled 137
Countries 26
Breweries 119
Provinces 8

A Visit to The Royal Agricultural Winter Fair

2011-11-11T22:10:00.035-05:00

Today Teena and I went to the The Royal Agricultural Winter Fair which is held in the Energy Centre, Horse Palace and Coliseum at Exhibition Place. For us, it's just a 15 minute walk.

The Royal is an annual event at the CNE. It biggest indoor show in North America and this is the 87th year for it. I remember going on a few school trips to the fair and haven't been for probably 30 years. Teena has never been and did not know what to expect.

"It is home to world class wines, cheeses, jams, jellies, maple syrup, wool and honey. We are known for pioneering innovations in agriculture, growing the largest and highest quality crops and livestock and for supporting Canadian and international farmers by showcasing their produce for all to see."

Take your small town fair and expand it many times and you have the Royal. My mom won many prizes for her pies and preserves in the fairs around where she lives and those same competitions take place here.

It was a fun day and we plan to go next year. Here's our day in pictures.

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We knew it was a different show when we first walked in. The shops sold different things than the shows we usually attend. We could have come home with a saddle, horse blanket or hoof remedies. There were also food courts and the usual collection of vendors with everyday wares.

There was a horse demonstration explaining what happens to thoroughbreds after their racing career is over. They get new careers! It was quite interesting.

A visit to the Royal is not complete without seeing some livestock judging. We were there in tome for the Junior Champion and Reserve Class 7 Jersey competition. Teena said it reminded her of the movie Best in Show. She was right. Here are the competitors parading around the ring.

The judge.

Decision time. The line on the right have been eliminated. The judge takes one more look before pointing to winner, then 2nd and 3rd place.

The winner!

This was amazing. The giant squash and pumpkin competition. The giant squash at the front on the ground was the winner at 1199.4 lbs. It was grown in Picton.

The biggest pumpkin was 313.4 lbs. This one had a better shape and was 304.6 pounds.

Imagine growing a 1004.8lb squash in your Scarborough back yard and not winning! This is the second place winner.

Proof that I can talk about anything. There was a hay judging competition. The winners were on display. Two other guys came to look and we had a 5 minute conversation on how the hay might be judged. An interesting conversation too. All I know is I have done my fair share of haying in my time.

In the country, "cute chicks" have a different meaning.

The butter sculpting competition.

We hit the cow barn at milking time. Teena had never seen a milking machine in action. I have done this a few thousand times. This cow had won the red ribbon.

I love the pig section. Sadly we missed the main part and only saw a couple. The piglets here were so cute. They were born on October 30.

Sheep before being sheared.

Sheep keeping warm after being sheared.

The wool is judged.

The sheep are judged too.

At the end of the day, we hit the The Royal Brewhouse, sponsored by the Griffin Gastropub in Bracebridge which featured Ontario craft beer and Ontario wine. Teena sampled flights of wine, while I had beer. The Royal Horse Show was being shown live from the arena on the TV and surprisingly Teena and I were great at picking out the winners. The heavy horse competition is shown here.

It's a fun day out that I would recommend to anyone!