Beer is more than just its buzz. So, it follows that it must be possible, at least in a vague, theoretical way, to create a de-alcoholized beer that is worth drinking. Supermarket-brand near beer proves that theory does not always translate to practice. The stuff is awful; hopped up on artificial flavour and sweeteners. The rest of this week’s First Draught can be found over on Postcity.com.
Post City
standard Wahlburgers
Brothers Paul, Mark, and Donnie Wahlberg have a successful Boston-area burger restaurant, an Emmy-nominated reality show based on it, and as of November 15, a Canadian franchise location. The rest of the Wahlburgers First Look is on the Post City Magazines site.
standard Southern Tier Warlock
Skip the traditional pumpkin beers this Hallowe’en and head straight for this imperial stout from Southern Tier. It does have that most seasonal of gourds in its list of ingredients and the label has a certain honesty about its gimmicky nature. The rest of this week’s First Draught is over on the Post City Magazines website.
standard Mikkeller k:rlek
By choosing Mikkeller, Denmark’s second-best-known brewery, for their current feature, the LCBO seems to have earned a tentative thumbs-up from Ontario’s beer geek community. More than anyone, that’s who the brewery feature is aimed at. These are six unusual, wacky beers that will only be on shelves for a single season. The k:rlek American pale ale is my favourite from the lot. The rest of this week’s First Draught is over on the the Post City Magazines site.
standard Delirium Tremens
This the 117th First Draught column, and for the first time in two and a half years, I’m going to recommend a beer for which The Beer Store is the only retail source. Post City Magazine’s website has the full version of this week’s First Draught beer column.
standard Tempered Room
As of three weeks ago, Bertrand Alépée, one of Toronto’s best known itinerant chefs has a new home. His pâtisserie, The Tempered Room opened in Parkdale in the space on Queen West that used to be The Brown Sugar Bakery. The full First Look on The Tempered Room is available on Post City’s website.
standard Melville’s Ginger Beer
The one recommendation I’ve made in this column that I wish I could take back is from May 2012. Freshly back from visiting London for the first time where our hosts introduced me to it, I was excited to see Crabbie’s finally coming to the Ontario market. As far as ginger beers go, that one is saccharine and fairly one-dimensional, so I’m happy that as the selection has grown it has also improved. This week’s First Draught is on the Post City Magazines site.
standard Chimay White
They seem like news and happen so infrequently so new releases onto LCBO shelves tend to get the majority of the beer coverage in Toronto. Chimay’s tripel is a great example of how some of the best beers, often at great prices, are steady regulars that don’t get press releases or media tastings. This week’s full First Draught is over on PostCity.com.