Tag: Craft Beer
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Microbrasserie Labrosse – The West Island Finally has Beer
An article by Noah Forrest Like so many Montreal “Anglos,” I grew up in the West Island. I lived there for a good portion of my life. As a people, I don’t think we are particularly well-liked by the rest of the city. Many see West Islanders a people who act entitled in some way,…
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Dieu du Ciel! Gives us Two Brand New Spring Beers to Session and Savour
An article by Noah Forrest One of the things I love the most about beer is how versatile it is. There is a beer for any and every occasion. There is also a beer for every season; in fact, there are many beers for any and all types of weather. In the darkest depths of…
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Great Lakes Brewery, Again! Octopus Wants to Fight Robohop
An article by Noah Forrest Every few months — and sometimes not even that long — Mike Lackey and the team at Great Lakes Brewery drops another brilliantly canned IPA on the Ontario beer scene. In the past these Toronto releases were brewery-only, with limited availability. That’s still the case with some of their beers,…
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Immoralité is here! Dieu du Ciel!’s Latest and Most Anticipated Momentum of 2016
An article by Noah Forrest In the past I’ve talked a bit about the IPA scene in Quebec, and how three or four years ago you’d be hard pressed to find a hoppy beer in this province that was particularly exceptional. There were a few one-offs here and there that were solid, but even then…
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Beerism Presents: T.J.’s Holiday Gift Guide for Craft Beer Lovers
Confused as to what to get the craft beer lover in your life for Christmas this year? When it comes to the beer world, there’s even more obstacles than usual in finding the perfect gift. With all the competition, breweries are releasing more clever ways to get noticed with barrel-aged variants, limited edition experiments, and…
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T.J. Does Pub BreWskey – Meet the Distinguished Charm of the Old Port’s New Favorite Place to be
It’s always exciting for beer geeks to hear that a new bar has opened where microbrews are not only welcomed, but are part of the main attraction. The news becomes even more interesting when you also hear that the new watering hole lies outside the usual local spots. Most interested readers of this blog know…
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Beerism does Beerology – A Look Into the New Book by Acclaimed Master Cicerone Mirella Amato
When Appetite (by Random House) approached me to review their new book “Beerology” from acclaimed beer blogger and Master Cicerone Mirella Amato, I was honored, but also kind of nervous, as I tend to read at the pace of a drunken snail. However, the minute I started reading it, I was quickly immersed, and I actually…
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Bellwoods Brewery Part 1- C’mon, Get Hoppy
With my frequent visits to the LCBO over the last few years, I’ve become more and more familiar with Ontario’s craft beer scene. Unlike Quebec, in Ontario alcohol can only really be sold in two establishments: the “LCBO” (Liquor Control Board of Ontario)” or “The Beer Store” (a chain of retail stores owned by multinational…
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Drinking Outside the Box – Beerism Talks Imports, and More Specifically: Nøgne Ø
In Quebec, we have a fantastic number of choices when it comes to drinking local craft beer. And from these choices, there are tons of amazing beers that are consistently available. For a long time, the only thing we were really missing in Quebec was a solid American IPA, and now, thanks to Dieu du…
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Dr. ‘Stange’ Love or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Blonde
Sure it’s been negative 40 degrees Celsius these last few days, but that doesn’t mean you can’t drink something refreshing amongst all those imperial stouts you’ve been sipping. I mean, one can still get thirsty in the cold, no? Every Christmas we pack up our little family and head to Ottawa from Montreal in order…
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T.J.’s Quick Guide to Hefeweizens, and Why You Should Love Them!
Pronounce it: “hay-fuh-veyt-sssenn” and not “Hefe-why-zen” AKA: Weissbier, Weizenbier, Weizen, or Wheat Ale Ever had a white beer? A lot of breweries label their beers as “white,” which is actually a description of both its color and of what you’re drinking. A “white” beer is made predominately with wheat, as opposed to only containing malted…
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Go to Dunham Already! What Are You Waiting For? Beerism Gets Served Food for a Change.
This coming Saturday is the latest Brasserie Dunham bottle release party, and I can tell you that I’m pretty excited to attend (details here). The town of Dunham didn’t really mean anything to me until a few years ago when my girlfriend and I were invited to a folk music and artisanal wine festival located…
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Beerism Does L’exorciste by Dieu du Ciel! – And a Little Craft Beer Ranting as Well…
Dieu Du Ciel’s L’Exorciste can’t be purchased in stores, and actually, it can’t be purchased at all anymore. It was gone as quick as it came. To procure some, I had to drive about 45 minutes to St. Jerome, a city just outside Montreal, where the original Dieu du Ciel brewpub is located. L’Exorciste is…
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Beerism Celebrates Saint-Bock’s 7th: A Q&A with Owner Martin Guimond
“I was the director of communications in marketing. I left everything to pursue this for the world of beer. I am making a fifth of the money that I used to. This passion animates all the brewers in Quebec.[but] it’s not easy. I just want there to be more choices in beer.” – Martin Guimond…
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Heady Topper VS Les Trois Mousquetaires’ Double IPA – A Comparison of Hop Brilliance
You might be asking why I’m covering Heady Topper – one of the most renowned beers in the world – alongside something brand new, unrecognized, and barely tasted by anyone. Well, since Les Trois Mousquetaires’ Double IPA was released a few weeks ago (in very limited quantities), Quebec beer geeks have been losing their minds…
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Debunking the Fruit Beer Myth – Raspberry Beer is Such a Beautiful Thing
I’m particularly excited about this article. For one, I get to talk about my favorite fruit and how it relates to beer, but mainly I’m excited because I got the pleasure to work with a new friend, who provided all the photography that you see throughout this article. Jasen, tu es magnifique! If you had…
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5 Days of IPA’s: Homeland Edition – IPA Day in Quebec!
It’s IPA day!!!! I couldn’t think of a better way to promote the festivities, than to write yet another IPA article! I’m thinking you all might be starting to tire of my endless IPA centric articles. Well, I guess my only defense is the fact that they are best tasted fresh, and therefore end up on…
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Dieu du Ciel’s Herbe a Detourne – A Comparison; How Do Citra Hops Taste After a Year?
So I’m getting more and more excited these days about how beer changes and develops over time in the bottle. Because I’m relatively new to the world of being a beer geek, it’s only now that I can really start doing proper age comparisons. One, because I have a cellar, and two because I’ve learned…
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T.J.’s Guide to Cross-Border Beer Buying
If you are Canadian and are curious about bringing back some of that great American craft beer over the border, this article is for you. For Canadians who want to pick up some craft brews from the States that are not available in their province, the only option is to travel there and pick them…
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Beau’s Winter Warmers – T.J.’s Take on some big Beers
Beau’s Brewery prides itself on being all natural, and has launched a special series of beers to fund its expansion in to clean energy. Just a 30 minute drive from Montreal, Beau’s has collaborated with le Trou du Diable and is at the forefront of experimentation in the Canadian craft brewery scene. Oh, and they…
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Beerism’s Guide to “Festival Mondial de la Biere 2013” – A Day of Drinkin’
Well, it’s that time of year again, where we can all congregate in a giant room and taste beer from all over Quebec, and rest of the world. That’s right, it’s “Festival Mondial de la Biere,” located in downtown Montreal, and the Beerism folks took the day off of work on opening day in order…
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Hopfenstark’s Saison Station – Three Takes on the Same Style
Hopfenstark is a brew pub located in L’assomption, Quebec. It’s about 30 kilometers outside of Montreal. They bottle and distribute an impressive line up of beers, but their availability is not as widespread as most of the other Quebec based craft beers. For those imbedded in the Quebec beer scene, Hopfenstark is certainly a household…
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Beau’s All Natural Belgian Pale Ale Meets My Makeshift Lasagna
So once again I found myself home alone with my son – now about 9 1/2 months old. He had just gone down for a nap, and instead of being a normal person and taking some time to relax, I decided to use what’s lying around in the fridge and cupboard to roll out some…
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Six Days of I.P.A’s – A North American Hop Bomb Comparison
The infamous India Pale Ale has been a staple for many craft breweries since the modern beer revival over the last few decades. Although originating in England, North America has taken this style leaps and bounds, and changed the way the world views hops and bitterness. The idea behind this article was to look at…
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Zesty Risotto Meets Quebec’s Collaborative Saison from Ca Va Brasser!
I’m well aware that my last beer and food article involved risotto, but I just like making it so much that I’m going to have to bore you again with another one. In my defense, the previous review was mostly written several months ago and I just posted last week, because I’m just that slow.…
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Goose Island: Sofie – The Beer Who Masqueraded as a Champagne
Belgian Style Ale 2012, 6.5 % – A Review by T.J. Blinn This review is of a special collection beer with Goose Island, a Chicago craft brewery that recently garnered the attention of macro-brewer Anheuser-Busch. We’ll not fault them for being good at what they do. The bottle reads Belgian Style Ale but the addition…
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Brewed Pancetta #2 – Balancing Smokey Risotto, Propeller’s Double IPA… and a Baby!
So I started writing this entry a while ago. I’m not sure why I dropped it, but for some reason it remained half finished for over four months. I began writing it just before we starting our moving preparations, so that could be why I didn’t have a chance to get back to it. Well,…
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Brasserie Dunham Offers a Tongue-Tantilizing RIS That Doesn’t Disappoint
If you live in Montreal and you ever venture out to the eastern townships, there is great little town called Dunham. I’ve been there a few times and always stop in at “Homei,” a fantastic bistro owned by an old friend of mine. Being in Dunham is relaxing, and Homei definitely keeps up with that…
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The Season for Sour – Boquebiere’s Wild Yeast Saison Punches the Palate
Boquebiere, a microbrewery located in Sherbrooke Quebec, is relatively new to the Quebec scene, but has quickly become one of my favorite craft beer producers in the province. They have quite an extensive list of offerings, ranging from a bunch of IPA’s, to smoked porters, an imperial stout, and a pretty solid line up of…
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Beerism goes… Simple? A “Simple Malt” Scotch Ale Comparison
Les Brasseurs Illimites – a brewery out of St. Eustasche, Quebec – have a line of beer called “Simple Malt.” I have always praised their offerings because of their diversity, quality, and generally reasonable prices. Almost everything that I have tasted from them, I have enjoyed with few exceptions. They are one of the only…
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Beau’s Weiss-O-Lantern Meets Some Homemade Pumpkin Ravioli!
Every time I make my way to Ottawa – which occurs often enough as I have family there – I treat myself to a stop in Vankleek Hill, where there resides a fantastic brewery called Beau’s All Natural Brewing company. On my previous visit I acquired several beers, one of them being a Hefeweizen, called…
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Dogfish Head: Theobroma – An Ancient Ale with a Chocolate Twist
Some of the more eagle-eyed readers of this blog may have noticed that despite being based out of and very interested in the Quebec craft beer scene, there are an awful lot of reviews of imported beer here. In my defence, once I started experimenting with craft beers, my light interest has turned into a…
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Beerism Goes Rogue! Dead Guy Ale & Double Dead Guy Ale Ain’t for the Frail
Rogue Ale was first founded in 1988 in Oregon and for the last 24 years, they have been brewing award wining, big and bold beers for the American public. Until now, I have not had the opportunity to taste what I presume to be some great offerings. Today, I`ll be reviewing both their “Dead Guy…
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Alley Kat – A Fire Breathing Double IPA from Edmonton, Who Would Have Thought!
So my friend Ryan and I – who moved to Calgary several years back – decided to begin trading beer through the mail. As you might be aware (or not), it can be quite difficult getting beer from outside of Quebec; when you are in Quebec that is. Really, our only choices here are either…
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Pit Caribou’s Oxymor Wheat Wine does Something Different
Pit Caribou is a brewery out of Gaspe. I haven’t had too many of their offerings, but the ones I have had were quite good. Their Oxymor series seems to be beers that they are trying out, or at least beers that are a bit off the Beaten path. I couldn’t find too much information online about…
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Boson de Higgs – Hopfenstark’s Hybrid Hits Your Palate in all the Right Places
So until recently, Hopfenstark was kind of a mysterious brewery to me, only having tried their products at Beer festivals, and never seeing their bottles for sale. During the last festival I attended, I made sure to try as much as I could, given that I’ve heard so many good reviews for fellow beer folk. Saison’s are…
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An Imperial Stout Fit for Royalty – St Ambroise does it right!
It seemed about a good time to review this one as I’ve been sitting on it for over a year, patiently waiting to crack it open. Also, I managed to find another bottle from the 2011 vintage, so it helps to have second one to age if I so choose. The 2012’s are just hitting…
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Brewed Pancetta #1 – Steam Beer and Some Basilic Ravioli Sear
So to continue with the notion of using what I have in the fridge, I was able to use my freezer as a primordial garden of Eden. I found a bunch of frozen ricotta cheese ravioli (unfortunately not homemade) and a block of smoked Pancetta that I brought from the cheese shop on the corner…
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Gavroche – The Biere de Garde from France that’s Well Worth the Cash!
At this point there are very few styles of beer that I’ve yet to try, however, this will be my first “Biere de Garde.” This is pretty much the only style of beer I’m aware of that originated in France. The majority of beer styles originally come from Belgium, Germany, and England – but of…