After a couple of years of good intentions and failed attempts, I finally was able to pay a visit to Norsemen Brewing recently. As I reported when it opened (see post here), Norsemen might be the unlikeliest of brewpubs in… Continue Reading →
Then move to Portland. In Portland the jump from homebrewer to commercial brewery is smaller than anywhere else I know. Two cases in point: The Commons Brewery and Green Dragon Brew Crew. I will write in more detail about each… Continue Reading →
A mere months after rule changes permitting nanobrewing in the province (see my analysis here), Alberta is about to get its first operational nano. The Dandy Brewing Company (not much on the website yet, nor is their a logo) is… Continue Reading →
There can be no mistaking that growlers have become a big thing in Alberta. What was at one time a quirky offering to loyal fans of local craft breweries has become a big time trend. Growler filling stations are popping… Continue Reading →
I am a couple of days late on this, as it should have gone up on Tuesday (April 22, Earth Day), but my most recent Planet S column looks at the environmental footprint of beer (read it here). It is… Continue Reading →
Yesterday the Ontario government announced a pilot project to allow liquor to be sold in grocery stores (here is a CBC story on it). Well, sort of. The actual plan is to open 10 LCBO “kiosks” inside select grocery stores…. Continue Reading →
My most recent column in Planet S/Prairie Dog is sparking some controversy in the flat province (you can read it here). A while back my editors asked if I might do a piece on cheap beer (what the producers of… Continue Reading →
As part of my recent visit to Calgary, I made some time to finally swing by Village Brewing. It was my first opportunity to see the young Calgary upstart. I had arranged to meet with co-owner Jim Button, and he… Continue Reading →
My March Beer 101 column heads down a bit of wistful path, as it came on the heels of a bout of contemplative reflection about brewing methods and brewing tradition. The column (which you can read here) anchors around Fuller’s… Continue Reading →
As I have mentioned a couple of times, I was in Calgary recently and did a bit of beer work while there (shocker!). One thing I did is pop into National Beer Hall downtown to check out their offerings. National… Continue Reading →