One of the present-day trappings of the holiday season is the ongoing complaint about Christmas music starting too early. I have no interest in wading into that quagmire of a debate, but I will say that I think there is a second, unspoken motivation for the grinching. (Beyond that this is one of the rare intrusions religion makes into the public space these days.) Christmas music is distinctive. It gets into your head and creates a mood more easily than what usually plays over the loudspeakers at your local Canadian Tire. And that can get exhausting. I’m as big a […]
standard Deep Fried Pickles with Bacon and Cheese
Listen, I know I’m treading dangerously close to cliche territory here but deep fried pickles are actually one of those dishes that you either love or you hate. When I let it slip that I was working on a new adaptation of this trashy pub classic a large majority of respondents went all googly-eyed and lost control of their saliva glands. A small but vocal minority (who happen to be some of the wine experts I respect most–coincidence?) were having none of it. Objections tended towards they’re too salty and acidic but my favourite has to be: Who wants a […]
standard Beersplaining with the OCB podcast
I really dig talking about beer – especially with fellow beer writers. So, it’s been a great pleasure to make several guest appearances on this year’s round of OCB podcasts. For the 2015 slate, Mirella Amato, the show’s longtime host, has come up with a format that varies from the previous years’ formula of having two brewmasters on for an interview. Instead she has invited a pair of beer bloggers to join her in the studio each month and we’ve talked about and blind tasted a specific style of craft beer. All four of my trips to podcast land (we […]
standard Breweriana Buy, Sell and Trade with Great Lakes
What: A swap meet for brewery collectibles, plus a double-threat book signing Where: N Great Lakes Brewery, 30 Queen Elizabeth Blvd., Etobicoke When: 28 March 11 a.m. – 2:30 p.m. Other Details: Book signing and more. Tickets: free admission, $5 tall cans of Great Lakes.
standard Beer Dinner at Nick and Nat’s Uptown 21
What: A beer dinner featuring a small plates tasting menu based around the recipes in The Canadian Craft Beer Cookbook. Where: Nick and Nat’s Uptown 21, at 21 King St. N., Waterloo When: 21 January 6:30 p.m. Other Details: A signed copy of my book is included in the ticket price. Tickets: $60, available by calling the restaurant at 519-883-1100.
standard Barley’s Angels Holiday Market
What: Selling and signing my book, The Canadian Craft Beer Cookbook, as part of the Barley’s Angels Holiday Market with lots of other great vendors. Where: The Rhino, 1249 Queen St. W., Parkdale When: 14 December, 4 – 7 PM Other Details: Copies of my cookbook will be for sale and I’m more than happy to sign them. I take cash or credit cards. Tickets: Free. Women are an undeniably important part of craft beer’s success in the slow mission to chip market share away from macro-breweries. There is something about emphasizing quality over crude marketing that seems to bring those who were previously […]
standard Gourmet Food and Wine Expo Ticket Giveaway
The Gourmet Food and Wine Expo is one of Toronto’s grandest opportunities to sample wine, spirits, and beer from around the world, in one place, all over a four-day weekend. It’s held in a hall big enough that you almost see horizons instead of walls, buried deep below Toronto’s convention center. That matters a bit less because this event is conveniently scheduled for the start of the season when we’d much rather be as far away from the elements as possible. The GFWE, especially on Thursday’s VIP night and weekend evenings, is obviously a hot ticket and undeniably popular with those […]
standard Cask Days 2014 Recap
For their annual Cask Days festival, the Moranas seem to find a way to out-do their past year’s performance. Between the showcase region (California this year), the number and variety of interesting beers, and the top-notch food this is the beer event I highlight in my calendar and look forward to for months. It’s also at the end of the beer festival season in Toronto (for the most part) so it makes sense to try and suck every bit of marrow possible from it. I was literally first in the door for session one and will also head back at […]
standard LCBO Winter 2014 Craft Beer Release Prices
I quite enjoyed the process of creating my table of craft beer benchmark prices. There seemed to be a fairly enthusiastic response to it. But, why keep going with this shtick? Well, despite the implication from Garrett Oliver a while back on Facebook that one would have to be a real wet blanket to consider beer based on its price per litre, I think this is something that needs more attention. In Toronto, there are enough beer writers scribbling away that we do a very good job of packing the LCBO’s small tasting room to the brim and yet, I feel like value has […]
standard Book Signing at The Cookery Store
What: Cooking demonstration of a few of the beer-centric recipes from The Canadian Craft Beer Cookbook. Where: The Cookery Store, 303 Roncesvalles Avenue, Toronto When: 1 November, 12:30 PM Other Details: Copies of my cookbook will be for sale and I’m more than happy to sign them. Tickets: Free. I’m thankful that several entrepreneurs have stepped in to fill the void that was created when The Cookbook Store closed earlier this year. Most of these new entries tend to lean in the direction of diversification and sell kitchenwares and cooking equipment as well as cookbooks. Happily, as of just over a month ago, […]