Beer in the news

[mr x]

lmfao

[JohnnyMac]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JcRHUOTNobE#t=53" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Pretty funny.....

[chalmers]

He must have been there Saturday, because I see medals around people's necks (were given out Sat morning), but he wasn't there Sat afternoon, so must have been the evening. Just barely missed being on Conan, darn.

[BobbyOK]

SCIENCE!

http://life.nationalpost.com/2013/10/22 ... u-k-study/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

What do one of the oldest beer companies in the world and an Oxford professor of psychology have in common? They both think men need more time together. Drinking beer. And playing sports.

That’s right, gents, put down your phones, shut your laptops and grab a pint with your buddies at the local pub, because science says your health may depend on it. Men need a minimum of two guys nights a week to maintain good health, and it’s a scientific fact, at least according to new research from a U.K. psychologist.

...

Guinness, the makers of the famous Irish stout and stewards of dozens of other worldwide beer brands, commissioned the research, which in turn, not surprisingly, recommends the benefits of drinking a pint or two with the lads.

“When guys get together physically and more frequently with their mates,” Stephen O’Kelly, a spokesperson for Guinness told Daily Mail in the U.K., “their friendships become stronger, better and a richer life results.”

[chicanuck]

I just can't believe they can afford to buy that brewery - the Sleeman's one, I mean. Where in the hell would he get the $? The government?

Craig

They'd be buying the equipment and taking over the lease for the space, rather than buying the building, which cuts the investment down... That all said there isn't a single business our government isn't willing to subsidize, as long as it's not locally owned and currently operating in the province.

I had lunch at Brewdebakers today and asked the barkeep about the sale of the brewery. She claimed they found a buyer, they have not told the staff who it is but they told her it will be announced on Oct-31. She went on to note that the restaurant will stay as is (it is under a separate lease) and they will adjust their marketing to whoever buys it, including the cold beer store, beer on tap, merchandise, etc.

She seemed pretty bright and on top of things, but I have been fooled by a pretty face before.

- chicanuck

[chalmers]

Glad to hear that Brewbakers will remain, and that it sounds like a cold beer store will remain. Sounds promising, hope the sale goes through.

[mr x]

http://m.thechronicleherald.ca/canada/1 ... ew%2Bstory" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Sent from my Nexus 4 using Tapatalk 4

[brufrog]

I agree with Beaumont. Go ahead guys, tear it apart!
http://worldofbeer.wordpress.com/2013/1 ... t-stop-it/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[GAM]

While I do like hoppie beers I prefer low to moderate alcohol content with decent mouth feel. I very much like being able to have more then one beer in a night.

Sandy

[mr x]

I think it's worth doing, as you never know what you'll get until somebody does. But as far as marketing goes, it doesn't do much for me. I think these things are designed to cause outrage. Kinda like that crazy guy who runs Iran. If people would stop going crazy over his nutty comments, he'd have no reason to do it anymore.

Sent from my Nexus 4 using Tapatalk 4

[chalmers]

I don't mind it, and have enjoyed the Brewdog ones I've tried.

[dean2k]

I agree with Beaumont. Go ahead guys, tear it apart!
http://worldofbeer.wordpress.com/2013/1 ... t-stop-it/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Not the first time I've read this sentiment.
http://www.slate.com/articles/life/drin ... ation.html

[brufrog]

I honestly wonder if drinking extreme beers all the time dulls your palate, so that you can't appreciate the relatively subtle differences between everyday beers. I certainly find it very difficult to drink a hop bomb and appreciate a basic pale ale. I bet the same thing happens with wines. Drink big tannic reds all the time and you'll never apprecaite how great Gamay can be. I think someone should research this!

[chicanuck]

http://m.thechronicleherald.ca/canada/1 ... ew%2Bstory

Sent from my Nexus 4 using Tapatalk 4

......."efficiency of the plant has improved". Same old story that has been told hundreds of times since unions lost their productive usefulness 40+ years ago.

[mr x]

Dressed in black: Fall craft beer is better dark than orange

http://life.nationalpost.com/2013/10/25 ... an-orange/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Orange is the most likely colour associated with specialty beers this time of year, with pumpkin brews again choking liquor store shelves with their pie spices or all-too-often washed-out flavours. But given the Post’s death issue theme this weekend, and our preference for darker beer styles in general this time of year, we’d rather black were the new orange, and so we’re reaching for porters, dark and auburn ales, stouts and roggenbiers for our Halloween and Mexican Day of the Dead parties.

In its entry on the historical medieval-era German schwarzbier, or “black beer” style, the Oxford Companion to Beer notes how things have changed: “Many are now made with dehusked roasted malts, allowing the beers to attain a very dark brown color and chocolaty flavor while avoiding the acidic bite usually associated with heavily roasted malts.” Think darker beers can’t be drinkable? Drink again.

porterIn that spirit, Mill St. Brewery’s newest entry, its draught can Vanilla Porter (5%; 440mL; $2.90), is a welcome addition for fall palates that crave full flavoured beers. Built on the back of a smooth as silk (the Guinness-style can widget helps gain the perfect nitrogen-charged pour) English dark ale style that differs quite a bit in body from the lager-based, top-fermented schwarzbiers, it nonetheless maintains in spirit the sense of a malt-forward dark beer that holds back on alcohol to put forward burned notes of toffee, chocolate, coffee, and of course vanilla, which is present here as pure extract added during the brewing process and well integrated. The result is a very drinkable, incredibly smooth and light flavour alongside an interesting, nearly milk-like consistency that finishes nice and dry.

Closer in style, if not temperament, to the black beers of Germany’s middle ages, is Beau’s All Natural’s Wild Oat series No. 14, Mr. Hyde (7%; 600mL), with the perfect blend of rye, Pilsner and Munich malts coming together in this top-fermented Roggenbier (roggen is German for rye). It’s a black, silky, peppery quaff, albeit with a 7% kick that takes it out of the purview of the traditional German porters, and even most roggenbiers, that tend to hover around 5%. If you’re having a Halloween feast this year, it’s a great one to pair with the season’s last barbecue chicken, or even some smoked ribs, as it will stand up nicely to stronger flavours.

Mr. Hyde is available as a foursome along with three other seasonal rarities from the all organic brewers in Vankleek Hill, Ont., as part of the Beau’s Oktoberfest Gift Pack (4x600mL bottles; $24). Two Weeks Notice (6%; 600mL), a German porter that brings its yeast-forward sweetness to bear on chocolate and coffee aromas in its malts, is also in the pack, and would be fun to contrast with Mill St. English-style Vanilla Porter. What’s especially nice for craft drinkers in the west of the province is that many of these aren’t usually available outside of the Ottawa area, so this is a nice chance to impress friends. The labels really pop, too, and will definitely add to any Halloween spread.

OCBFinally, if you’re headed to a party or a dinner in the next week and are looking to convert someone who thinks beer is supposed to be the colour of pale apple juice, year-round, try picking up the Brewmaster’s Choice Discovery Pack (3x355mL; 3x341mL; $13.50) from the Ontario Craft Brewers Association. This fall it includes two of my favourite darker beers in the province, Wellington County Dark Ale (as solid a sessionable dark as you’ll find) and Cameron’s Auburn Ale, a lively and crisp reddish brown brew that will match any October scenery and offers a great entry point for non-craft drinkers to the possibilities inherent in longer roasted malts. At 5% ABV, they’re both perfectly sessionable, because, you know, sometimes we like to have more than a single bottle when we spent nine hours getting that hop monster costume ready. Bring on the winter darkness in our pints!

[BobbyOK]

I just can't believe they can afford to buy that brewery - the Sleeman's one, I mean. Where in the hell would he get the $? The government?

Craig

They'd be buying the equipment and taking over the lease for the space, rather than buying the building, which cuts the investment down... That all said there isn't a single business our government isn't willing to subsidize, as long as it's not locally owned and currently operating in the province.

I had lunch at Brewdebakers today and asked the barkeep about the sale of the brewery. She claimed they found a buyer, they have not told the staff who it is but they told her it will be announced on Oct-31. She went on to note that the restaurant will stay as is (it is under a separate lease) and they will adjust their marketing to whoever buys it, including the cold beer store, beer on tap, merchandise, etc.

She seemed pretty bright and on top of things, but I have been fooled by a pretty face before.

- chicanuck

I wonder, does that apply to both locations of Brewdebakers? If it does, that's basically getting two "tied houses" (partially anyway) along with the brewery. I've had somebody tell me they heard Picaroon's from someone who works at Sleeman, but still having trouble seeing how. If it isn't Picaroon's, I wonder if the rumour started because it's another former CBA Brewer of the Year winner? Mill Street would make sense given they're already in the pub game as well as brewing. Central City has also opened a pub recently, and shipping to Ontario would be closer from here than BC I'd think. Even Pump House makes more sense to me than Picaroon's. But, I guess we'll find out this week...

[GAM]

http://issuu.com/connectionshfx/docs/lo ... umn2013/36" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Sandy

[dexter]

links dead.

[GAM]

It works for me.

Sandy

[dexter]

It seems fine now it was giving me a go to link to the main page oh well it's working for me now!

[mr x]

What is this link supposed to do?

[dexter]

New era in ns craft brew information

[Jimmy]

And it has some snazzy photos at the bottom that include various local beer rockstars such as Brewnoser, Nash, and Todd The Beer Dude.

[mr x]

Kathleen Wynne nixes beer, wine in Ontario corner stores, to protests over Beer Store ‘monopoly’

http://news.nationalpost.com/2013/10/29 ... -monopoly/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

TORONTO — Premier Kathleen Wynne says Ontario’s Liberal government has no plans to allow the sale of beer and wine in corner stores.

The Ontario Convenience Stores Association — which includes Avondale, 7-11 and Mac’s as well as Petro-Canada, Imperial Oil and Canadian Tire — wants to sell local wines and craft beers.

Wynne says the government will expand the availability of Ontario beers and wines in specialty stores, but won’t agree to making them available in convenience stores.

Finance Minister Charles Sousa says the Liberals will also put LCBO outlets in 10 grocery stores as a pilot project.

Sousa says the government-run liquor stores and the foreign-owned Beer Store do a good job of keeping minors from buying booze.

The Progressive Conservatives have released a white paper calling for the expansion of beer and wine sales to privately owned retail outlets.

But the New Democrats say they support the government’s position that the LCBO provides good services and product selection in a socially responsible manner, and there’s no need to expand beer and wine sales to corner stores.

“You look at LCBO stores you have great choice of products, you’ve got affordability and it’s really a service that’s responsible in regards to how you sell alcohol,” said NDP house leader Gilles Bisson. “We have to take our responsibility when it comes to alcohol to make sure that only those people of age are able to buy it.”

The convenience stores association also wants the province to restrict what products the Beer Store can sell, complaining some locations offer “confectionery goods, clothing, gift cards, and barbecue paraphernalia” such as propane tanks

The convenience stores association also wants the province to restrict what products the Beer Store can sell, complaining some locations offer “confectionery goods, clothing, gift cards, and barbecue paraphernalia” such as propane tanks.

“The fact that The Beer Store was granted a monopoly in this province to sell beer products, rightly or wrongly, should be reason enough to limit them from competing with businesses that currently do not have the same government granted ability,” the association said in a submission to Ontario’s Alcohol and Gaming Commission.

“In not prescribing a set list that is considered fair by our sector, The Beer Store will always have the potential to become ‘convenience stores that sell beer’ and put legitimate family run stores out of business.”

There are already 219 LCBO agency stores inside convenience stores in communities that aren’t large enough to support a regular liquor store, and the Liberals plan to put LCBO Express outlets in 10 grocery stores as a pilot project.

The government has also been “investing heavily” to promote the sales of Vintners’ Quality Alliance wines through private stores, added Sousa.

“In fact, we just came out with new boutique stores that highlight home grown wines and local craft beers,” he said.

The Convenience Stores’ Association said it represents 10,000 retailers employing about 75,000 people across Ontario.

[mr x]

Jesse Kline: Proposals to allow wine and beer in grocery stores are long overdue

http://fullcomment.nationalpost.com/201 ... g-overdue/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Regulations on getting a drink in Canada are “just one step from making you stand out in the rain and hold up your arm and shout, ‘Heil Ottawa.’ ” Those were the words of British journalist Noel Monk, who, after being denied a beer at a Vancouver bar in 1945 because he was standing up, whereas the law required him to order sitting down, said Canadians have let themselves “be legislated into a state of adolescence when it comes to the use of alcohol.”

Vancouver clubbers are no longer required to find a table. But anyone thinking of enjoying a cheap pint after work should think again — happy hours remain illegal in British Columbia.

That might be about to change: John Yap, the parliamentary secretary for the B.C. Liquor Policy Review, will release a series of recommendations on how to change the province’s outdated liquor laws on Nov. 25. One of the more interesting recommendations would allow some retail outlets, such as grocery stores, to begin selling beer and wine. The proposal is supported by 80% of British Columbians — and who could blame them?

By maintaining business hours that are rivalled only banks and government offices, and by steadfastly refusing to sell cold beer, shopping at B.C. Liquor Stores has never been a consumer-friendly experience. The private stores have mitigated these problems to some extent, but greater convenience and more competition would be of great benefit to consumers.

Buying alcohol at grocery and convenience stores is common in many other countries, but Canadian provinces have historically maintained strict controls on where we can get our booze. The only province that allows alcohol to be sold directly by grocery stores and the like is Quebec, where stores can sell beer and wine (although many provinces have certain rural exemptions).

Although Alberta privatized liquor sales in the 1990s, grocery stores lost the debate over whether to allow them to stock beer and wine alongside soft drinks and milk. However, many Alberta grocery chains have opened their own liquor stores, conveniently located right next to their grocery stores.

The Ontario Convenience Stores Association has long advocated for its members to be allowed to sell beer and wine. Ontario Premier Kathleen Wynne put the kibosh on that idea Tuesday, saying the government would instead focus on increasing availability through specialty stores, as well as a pilot project that would see government-run LCBO locations open in select grocery stores.

But the fight is far from over. The opposition Progressive Conservatives want more private liquor sales in the province, and the convenience stores association is locked in a war of words with The Beer Store (TBS) over who is better able to accommodate local brewers.

As it stands, the regulations in most provinces, including Ontario and British Columbia, do not benefit consumers or small business owners

In a press release on Tuesday, TBS — which is owned by Anheuser-Busch, Molson Coors and Sapporo, and which has a government-granted quasi-monopoly on beer sales in Ontario — argued that, “Convenience stores will never be equipped to offer the benefits that the Beer Store currently provides to small brewers in Ontario.” This is like saying that 7-11 should be barred from selling laundry detergent, because Walmart offers a better selection.

It is also not true that TBS is a friend of the province’s micro-brewers. Indeed, since it is owned by three of the largest brewers in the country, it has an incentive to promote the products its owners sell, over those of non-owner breweries. Smaller companies often complain that their products don’t receive the same visibility as those produced by the big brewers.

TBS also has high listing fees for non-owner breweries, which act as a barrier to competition. According to a 2012 Fraser Institute report, TBS charges a one-time listing fee of $2,650.14 per product, plus $212.02 for each of the 447 retail outlets the beer will be sold in. To make matters worse, the fees are applied to each bar code, so if a company wants to sell one brand of beer in six, 12 and 24 packs, it has to pay three times. TBS then charges a handling fee for all the beer sold, which can be upwards of $4.15 per case.

As it stands, the regulations in most provinces, including Ontario and British Columbia, do not benefit consumers or small business owners. It’s high time these rules are changed, because navigating the mess of liquor laws in this country is enough to drive one to drink.

National Post
jkline@nationalpost.com