Ontario Craft Breweries On Untappd

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The Ontario Craft Brewers posted this tweet this afternoon and it got me to wondering how many Ontario breweries have registered their companies on Untappd (not specifically registered with OCB). Some high level statistical analysis was required! I popped over to Mom n Hops’ Ontario Brewers Directory to help get a list of all Ontario breweries. I filtered my list by those currently listed as operating as denoted with a + in the right-most column on the page. There are 90 active breweries as of Sunday, June 16, 2013.

I didn’t explore Untappd to see if there was a regional directory, so I searched Untappd individually for each brewery to see if it had an “official” indicator on the page which would indicate if it is claimed. For any of the below listed breweries who’s wondering why or how to claim their brewery click here for more info.

Untappd

Of the 90 I was unable to find Bamboo Beer Co. and The Griffin Gastropub. Assuming the operational flag was correct, this suggests that no one has checked in a beer for either of these yet (I did not look into whether or not either had beer available). So we’re down to 88.

Here is a list of the breweries who are NOT registered with Untappd (45 in total):

  • Amber Brewery
  • Ashton Brewing Co.
  • Barley Days Brewery
  • Bayside Brewing Co.
  • Big Rig Brewery
  • Bellwoods Brewery
  • Black Creek Historic Brewery
  • Blue Elephant
  • Broadhead Brewing Co.
  • Bush Pilot Brewing Co.
  • Cameron’s Brewing Co.
  • C’est What?
  • Chesire Valley Brewing
  • Clock Tower Brewpub
  • County Durham Brewing Co.
  • Denison’s Brewing Co.
  • Duggan’s Brewing
  • Gananoque Brewing Co.
  • Gateway Brewing Co.
  • Granite Brewery
  • Heady Brew Co.
  • HogsBack Brewing Co.
  • Hogtown Brewers
  • Indie Alehouse Brewing Co.
  • The Kingston Brewing Co.
  • King Brewery
  • Lake on the Mountain Brewing Co.
  • Lion Brewery Restaurant
  • Magnotta Brewery
  • Merchant Ale House Restaurant & Brewpub
  • Neustadt Springs Brewery
  • Niagara College Teaching Brewery
  • Niagara Oast House Brewers
  • Old Credit Brewing Co. Ltd.
  • The Olde Stone Brewing Company
  • Pepperwood Bistro & Brew House
  • The Publican House Brewery
  • Radical Road Brewing Co.
  • The Ship Nanobrewery
  • Skeena Brewing Co.
  • Syndicate Restaurant and Brewery
  • Taps Brewhouse & Grill
  • Tracks Brewpub
  • Trafalgar Brewery
  • Whitewater Brewing Co.

There are a few surprises for me on this list as a number of these breweries participate quite actively in social media circles, most notably Cameron’s.

Here is the list of the breweries who ARE registered with Untappd (43 in total):

  • Amsterdam Brewing Co.
  • Beau’s All Natural Brewing Co.
  • Bell City Brewing
  • Beer Academy
  • Beyond the Pale Brewing Co.
  • Black Oak Brewing Co.
  • Brick Brewing Co.
  • Cassel Brewery Co. Ltd.
  • Church-Key Brewing Co.
  • Cool Beer Brewing Co. Inc.
  • Creemore Springs Brewery Limited
  • Double Trouble Brewing Co.
  • F&M Stonehammer
  • Flying Monkeys Craft Brewery
  • Get Well Nano Brewery
  • Grand River Brewing
  • Great Lakes Brewery
  • Highlander Brewing Co.
  • Hockley Valley Brewing Co.
  • Hop City Brewing Co.
  • House Ales (barVolo)
  • Junction Craft Brewing
  • Kensington Brewing Co.
  • Kichesippi Beer Co.
  • Kilannan Brewing Co.
  • Lake of Bays Brewing Co.
  • Left Field Brewery
  • Liberty Village Brewing Co.
  • MacLean’s Ales
  • Mill St. Brewery
  • Motor Craft Ales
  • Muskoka Brewery
  • Nickel Brook Brewing Co.
  • Railway City Brewing
  • Ramblin’ Road Brewery Farm
  • Sawdust City Brewing Co.
  • Shacklands Brewery
  • Silversmith Brewing
  • Sleeping Giant Brewery
  • Spearhead Brewing Co.
  • Steam Whistle Brewery
  • Wellington Brewery
  • Walkerville Brewery

49% are registered and 51% are not. Most have links to their websites and other social media platforms but many are missing links to their social media platforms – I noticed quite a few breweries (such as Granite) who are active on social but do not have a Twitter account linked. That said, most of the breweries who have claimed their brewery pages have updated their social links (but not all).

Connecting with Untappd is a great way to engage with folks who are currently drinking your beer and get real time feedback. From what I can tell from a quick poke around the Untappd site the registration is free and ongoing maintenance is minimal. Seems like a no brainer to me. If anyone doesn’t want to manage their site let me know – I’m sure I’d be happy to keep an eye on things in exchange for a few cold ones!

ontario craft brewers

Ontario Craft Beer Week Untappd Badge

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I hope most of you are excited about the upcoming Ontario Craft Beer week (OCB week). There are tons of events going on across the province with more beer than you can shake a stick at! Along with the thrill of enjoying everything that your favourite Ontario craft brewer, publican and festival organizer has to offer, there is an added incentive to participate for those who use the beer-tracking social app Untappd. Untappd has announced for the second year it’s OCB week badge! This badge can be earned by checking in at two ‘official’ venues using the Foursquare location functionality between June 14 and 23. Huzzah! Now get to planning your events and earn that badge. (If you’re unfamiliar with Untappd click here for a previous post about the app.)

OCB Week Badge - Untappd

Mapping The Rise Of Craft Beer

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Craft beer analysis

We all hear that craft beer is growing both here in Canada, in the United States and across the world. Typically a few metrics are thrown around without a whole lot of context. Fortunately, New Yorker’s ‘Idea Of The Week’ has provided this interactive map to look analytically at craft beer in the US (based on 2012 data) – including brewery growth, largest breweries, total breweries, breweries per population an a few more interesting metrics. The accompanying article provides a fascinating summary of the key insights. I’d love to see something like this for Canada – does anyone know if anything like this exists?

All of this talk about growth of craft beer is making me thirsty…

Kensington Brewing Company Turns 2!

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Kensington Brewing CompanyThe local beer culture has been going gangbusters over the last few years with 100s of new beers being made, event listings reaching a record high, and new breweries popping up seemingly more frequently than TTC subway delays. It’s hard to believe than the Kensington Brewing Company (KBCo.) is about to celebrate their second anniversary – I feel like I’ve been drinking Augusta Ale for years now (only 2 apparently).

KBCo.’s FishEYE-PA will be hitting the shelves of the LCBO very soon, and their recently debuted Fruit Stand Watermelon Wheat is quenching thirsts all across our  mighty city. All of this, plus they’re hard at work with the planning of their new home in Kensington Market.

A special occasion like this calls for some festivities! Brock, Mike and the rest of the KBCo. crew has planned a party and are inviting all of their friends. They’ve been hard at work with a number of their brewery buddies to create unique beers for this occasion. Full details below!

We’re turning 2!

To celebrate our second anniversary we’re hosting a party at The Rhino featuring our entire line up of beers, including Baldwin FishEYE-PA, Augusta Ale and Fruit Stand Watermelon Wheat. We will also have 5 special one-off collaborations brewed specifically for this event by our Head Brewer Dave Lee, in partnership with 4 amazing Ontario craft breweries.

KBCO x Sawdust City – “The Fundamental”
One Malt, One Hop, One determined Yeast: it’s all about Fundamentals. The first offering in The Mental Series from Sawdust City & Kensington Brewing Company, a series that defies styles and is all about creativity.

Style: uh, Belgian-ish? (single hop, brett fermented, Apricots)
ABV: 6.4%
IBU: 25
Hops: Centennial

KBCo x Indie Ale House – “High Maintenance”
An “involved” brew (long story, ask Jeff & Dave) with Abbey ale flavours complimented by plums and grape must for added flavour and complexity.

Style: Belgian Strong Ale
ABV: 8.5%
IBU: 25
Hops: Fuggle/Sorachi Ace

KBCo x Indie Ale House – “Wit Way Scoo-Tea Go?”
A Belgian Wit with tea added in secondary to add a distinguished touch. This is a tribute to our scooter that we simply lost too soon.

Style: Belgian Wit
ABV: 5%
IBU: 20
Hops: Brambling Cross/Zythos

KBCo x Silversmith Brewing – “Bitterly Rye’teous”
A Bitter Rye/Hefe Hybrid that pushes boundaries of both styles & palates.

Style: Rye PA/Hefe Hybrid (Multi Hop, Hefe Yeast & Lemon Zest)
ABV: 5.9%
IBU: 72
Hops: Centennial/Simcoe/Sorachi Ace/Motueka

KBCo x Bar Hop x Great Lakes Brewery – “Coco Beware 2.0”
An excessively hopped black IPA with shards of roasted coconut added to the boil and hop back.

Style: Black IPA
ABV: 7.5%
IBU: 70
Hops: Sorachi Ace/Galaxy/Simcoe/Centennial

Important Details:

The Rhino – 1249 Queen St. East
Date: Sunday, June 2th 3pm-8pm
No cover charge, no tickets, just beer!
First 25 people get a free KBCo pint glass
Cash bar – ATM available at The Rhino
Limited quantities of one-offs so show up early to avoid disappointment

PLEASE RSVP ON OUR FACEBOOK EVENT PAGE:
https://www.facebook.com/events/155919587913624/?context=create

For more info, please contact mike@kensingtonbrewingcompany.com OR:

www.twitter.com/DrinkGoodBeer
www.facebook.com/kensingtonbrewingcompany
www.kensingtonbrewingcompany.com

Alexander Keith’s Mobile Brewery Rolled Through Toronto

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About a month ago (April 18th) the crew from Alexander Keith’s rolled through Toronto with their mobile brewery setup. Their event brought  ”Canada’s first mobile brewery to a downtown parking lot (near the Duke of Westminster Pub – ~Bay/Adelaide). The brewery itself was a large trailer that had been retrofitted to house a small scale (small for Keiths) brewery to display and educate passers-by on the brewing process. Two brewmasters were on hand to give a play by play walk through as they brewed* beer (*due to legal restrictions the process was taken to the point of adding yeast, which would trigger the fermentation).

KeithsBrewingProcess

Demonstrating the brewing process

Steve Durand proudly gave me a personal walk-through of the impressive setup. All of the key elements of the brewing process were present, including a hand-grinder for preparing the malted grist, hot liqor tank, mash tun, etc. Several varieties of hops were on display including cascade and hallertau hops, which are currently featured in Keith’s new Hop Series. The brewers explained to curious attendees the importance of hops in the brewing process.

KeithsHopGarden

(Picture of a) Hop Garden

I’m sure brewers of major/macro brands get a lot of flack from craft brewers and drinkers alike for selling out, making “crappy” beer, or otherwise not being authentic in what they do. Because large breweries often employ PR folks to represent their brands, an ingenuous perception of the brand can often be exuded. They don’t live and breathe the beer; they simply talk about it and try to sell it. Talking with Steve and watching the brewing staff explain the brewing process brought home the fact that there are very passionate people working at larger beer companies. Steve was as passionate as any established or upstart local craft brewer I’ve met. These guys are often overlooked, and while people will staunchly remain of the opinion that beer should be “craft, only craft”, it still takes an incredible amount of skill to ensure large batches of beer can be produced efficiently and with consistency.

As for the rest of the event, it was a little drab. There was a live band playing, picnic tables setup for hanging out, and a hop wall. Sounds sort of OK, right? Certainly it was due to legal/licencing issues, but there was not a drop of beer to be had on site. The picnic tables were unattended, the band had no audience, and the beautifully crafted bar (in the trailer) was not being used. The lack of beer hurt this event in a major way – imagine you went to a brewery during prohibition to learn how beer was made – what a tease! The brewers were not able to put into context the details about the brewing process, and no social vibe was created in the space as there was no reason to hang around. Guests were informed they could head back to the Duke of Westminster, but the disconnect between the pub and the Keiths setup was a bit too much, and the event lost the opportunity to truly promote their beer and create any buzz (alcoholic or otherwise) and diminished the excitement of seeing beer being made. Otherwise this was an innovative and enjoyable way to showcase the brewing process and get to chat with the brewmaster. I hope they were able to secure liquor licences in other cities/provinces as they toured Canada.

KeithsMobileBreweryBar

(Unused) Bar Setup

Meet Brock From Kensington Brewing Company

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Brock

Photos by Mandeep Flora (Like his Facebook Page, Follow him on Twitter)

This is Brock Shepherd. He lives and breathes Kensington Market. He has owned and operated two restaurants in the Market. At the same time, he has been part of the craft beer scene in Toronto since the early days. Brock owns the Kensington Brewing Company (KBCo.) and he has just announced the opening of KBCo.’s new brewery and retail store in the Market.

Having lived and worked in the area of the Market for over 30 years, Brock is the guy who knows everyone. He knows the histories of all of the buildings and businesses, and knows the stories of the Market’s denizens. He opened Rice Bar at the north end of Augusta Avenue in 2005. The focus was on organic, naturally raised meats and health conscious food. For beer, he decided to stock only local products on the beer draught lines. “The focus was all local, and we had an interesting variety with what was available at the time,” reflects Brock. “After some consideration I started rotating six of my taps to promote a greater variety.” In 2009, Rice Bar underwent a metamorphosis and emerged as Burger Bar. Burgers and beer are natural companions, and it provided the opportunity for Brock to put a greater emphasis on beer. Careful attention to the craft beer selection he offered allowed the humble burger joint to gain notoriety in the local craft beer scene. “As Burger Bar transitioned into a craft beer destination I was becoming more and more immersed in the craft beer scene and wanted to explore the possibility of brewing my own beer,” explains Brock.

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His original plan was to setup a small brewing facility in Burger Bar and turn it into a brewpub. “I stuck with that idea for a while, but I didn’t have the space, and [the plans] never really gelled.” No brewpub is complete without a retail store, and Burger Bar presented challenges with the physical space: “I had the space at the back of the restaurant for the brewery but no space at the front for the retail store. I would have needed to sacrifice part of the dining room to put the retail store in.” After some careful consideration, he decided to put the brewpub dream on the backburner and wait until he could find a suitable space in the neighbourhood.

DSC_9357-X3

In the interim, he decided to establish the KBCo. and have the beer produced via contract brewing. (Contract brewing is the practice of a company having their own branding and recipes but outsourcing the actual production and packaging of beer.) Brock is not a brewer – just a man passionate about making great beer, so he solicited assistance from Paul Dickey, a local brewmaster with a sterling reputation. Brock worked closely with Paul at Black Oak Brewing Company to assist in the creation and production of KBCo.’s flagship brand: Augusta Ale (AA).

“The plan was to establish the brand and get it out on the scene while I figured out logistical considerations of a physical space.” He has done that in spades. Initially, KBCo. was making only one beer; AA ale was available only on draught, and primarily in Toronto’s craft beer bars. Demand rose, and production of AA continued to grow at Black Oak and transitioned to their larger fermenters. Once the time came to package AA for retail sales in the LCBO the operation again moved. This time to Wellington Brewery in Guelph where they were able to brew at an increased capacity, take advantage of their canning equipment, and have AA distributed to the LCBO.

Even though KBCo. continued to experience steady growth, the more Brock waited for his own space the stronger his desire became. “All I could think of was getting out the restaurant business and opening up a physical space in Kensington. “Having a name like ‘Kensington Brewing Company’ it is extremely important to have a brick and mortar location in the Market – we cannot just be another brand on the shelf in bars and stores. We have to be tangible and not just a brand.”

Brock has been patiently waiting for his dream of a brewery to materialize, but the waiting will be over soon. The plans are for KBCo. to move into 299 Augusta Avenue after the property undergoes development; including the creation of their brewery space and the installation of brewing equipment. The location will house the brewery, a bar, and the sought after retail space.

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Brock has confirmed that KBCo. is going to be a brewery for the community. “We want to take input from the clientele who live nearby. We want to collaborate with home-brewers, professionals, or anyone who wants to come by with a recipe.” Speaking excitedly, Brock is brimming with ideas and cannot wait for the first mash-in. “We’ll be able to be nimble – we want to make interesting beers and do them really well!” Looking to the future Brock says: “There are so many things to come, and having a small facility we have the ability to test out these new recipes and styles, and if something goes really well we have the option to make it on a larger scale.”

Connecting with the Market’s community is as important to KBCo. as producing great beer. The identity of Kensington Brewing Company ties them directly to the neighbourhood, and they cannot exist without that intimate connection. To Brock, KBCo. is not just another company moving into the Market, it is a company that will stand proudly as part of the of the community. KBCo. will be an embodiment of the Market’s philosophy. They will be the friendly neighbours who wave to passers-by and help out other neighbours in need. They also happen to be the ones who make and sell fresh, delicious beer.

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2013 Brewers Plate Toronto

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The Brewers Plate Toronto event has been around for six years and celebrates the best in local and sustainable food and drink in Ontario. Celebrity chefs, local breweries, wineries and musicians create a special celebration once a year to raise money and awareness – this year the proceeds will benefit Not Far From The Tree. NFFTT is a unique, local charity which helps to harvest local produce from homeowners in Toronto who grow more than they can consume and distribute it to food banks, shelters, and other like places which share the abundance to those in need. A fantastic cause that emphasizes community and the focus on nutritious food.

NFFTT

The 2013 gala event is being held on April 17, and tickets are $125. Admittedly, the ticket price is somewhat steep; however, the experience will be like no other – rubbing shoulders with Toronto’s hottest chefs, drinking the newest and freshest craft beer, and supporting an incredible local charity. Nearly 20 of Ontario’s top  breweries are participating. So how about it?

Brewers Plate

Local Spring Harvest Supports Toronto Food Charity

Toronto, ON. March 13, 2013 – The Brewer’s Plate returns for its sixth annual celebration of local sustainable food and beer in a spring feast that will benefit Toronto based charity, Not Far From The Tree (http://www.notfarfromthetree.org/) held at CBC (Barbara Frum) Atrium on April 17th. This year’s Patron is celebrity chef Jamie Kennedy, who has been involved with the event since it began in 2008.

Over the years The Brewer’s Plate has built an enviable reputation as one of the first and foremost locavore celebrity events in the city showcasing outstanding Ontario chefs whose dishes are charmingly paired with local craft brews. The event is rooted in slow food principles and uses local sustainable produce created with agricultural methods that promote and enhance biodiversity.  The result is a rich and complex local feast that deliciously demonstrates the viability of import substitution.

This year’s beneficiary, Not Far From The Tree, was the winner of the 2012 Green Toronto Award in the category of Local Food. The nonprofit puts Toronto’s fruit to good use by mobilizing volunteers to pick and share the bounty when homeowners cannot keep up with abundant harvest production. The fresh fruit is shared equally among volunteers, homeowners and food banks. Not Far From The Tree is all about the pleasure of local food. Their volunteers harvest fruit from trees all over Toronto, so it connects agriculture with urban culture. The fresh fruit is share equally among volunteers, homeowners and food banks. “It’s a beautiful organization that can really put our funds to good use,” says Chris Lowry, Founding Director of the charitable event. “Support from this year’s Brewer’s Plate will go directly to expanding their work in a new neighborhood, so that soon every neighborhood in Toronto will benefit from this award-winning program”.

Last year’s beneficiary was local charity, Green Thumbs Growing Kids, an award winning organization which offers food growing and environmental education programs to inner-city schools and park sites reaching over 3,000 children each year as well as youth and adults. Their school gardens are about kids and their grownups, plants and their people – from all over the world!

The Brewer’s Plate features dishes from chefs Brad Long (Cafe Belong/Veritas), Mark Cutrara (Cowbell), Brook Kavanaugh (La Palette), Chris McDonald (Cava), John Robertson (The Big Carrot),Lora Kirk (Ruby Watchco), Matthew Dunbar (Grapevine Catering), and Karen Vaz (Rebel House).

The highly skilled Craft Brewers offer an extraordinary variety of beers, from Beau’s All Natural Brewing Company, Black Oak, Cameron’s, Dennison’s, Great Lakes Mill Street, Nickel Brook, Steam Whistle, Grand River, Muskoka, Neustadt Springs, Amsterdam, Kings Brewery, Granite, Hog’s Back, Barley Days, Spearhead and Wellington.

Guests can also enjoy a glass of wine from Ontario’s first biodynamic Winery, Southbrook Vineyards. Applewood Farm Wines, who offer fruit wines with ingredients from their neighboring Stouffeville fields will also be available, as well as The Country Cider Company, an artisanal cider producer specializing in mouth-watering hard ciders made with 100% pure apple juice. Remarkable local food artisans include Chocosol, Culinarium, Joshna Maharaj, Vert, Lilly’s Italian Eatery, Magical Catering, Ninutik Maple Sugar, Evelyn’s Crackers, Wanda’s Pie InThe Sky, and Daily Apple, Toronto Garlic Festival, Dairy Farmers of Canada, health and wellness chef Andrew Muto, and NP Joshna.

The Brewers plate features several live blues and jazz entertainers such as Saxophonist Neil Brathwaite, jazz pianist Bill Gilliam, strolling percussion artist Jurji Konje, and Chris Lowry on stage throughout the evening.

Where: CBC (Barbara Frum) Atrium, 250 Front Street West Street, Toronto ON M5V 3G5
When: Wednesday April 17th 2013, Doors open at 6:15pm
Ticket price: $125.00 + Service Charge, NO HST

Great Lakes Brewery – My #GLBweek

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Great Lakes Brewery

Last week started as any ordinary week would start. On Monday evening I cracked a can of Devil’s Pale Ale from Great Lakes Brewery. Tuesday evening started with Pompous Ass from Great Lakes. With my Untappd check-in on this beer I noted it was a GLB kind of week. At this time I realized I had enough GLB products in my fridge and cellar to get me through the week, so I decided to have a GLB product each day just for fun. #GLBweek! Why not, right? (Note: I cheated and did a business week – Monday–>Friday.) I have a few other GLB bottles that didn’t get touched but here’s the rundown of my GLB choices for last week:

Monday: Devil’s Pale Ale (American Pale Ale, can)
Tuesday: Pompous Ass (English Pale Ale, can), Belgian Dark Strong Ale (project X bottle)
Wednesday: Lube Job (Baltic Porter, project X bottle)
Thursday: Anniversary Robust Porter Buffalo Trace Barrel Aged (barrel aged porter, project X bottle), Harry Porter and The Fair Grounds Coffee Bean (American Porter, Project X bottle)
Friday: Harry Porter (again!)

Great Lakes Brewery

Each day I enjoyed the beers at home, with the exception of Friday when I visited the Only Cafe. A few years ago I never would have believed I would have been able to sample so many excellent beers from a single, local brewery at home- without going to a specialty bar or  event. Granted many of these were picked up at the brewery and are not part of their regular line up (except for Devil’s Pale) but it wasn’t a great effort to acquire them. (Saving them, in particular the barrel aged porter, was admittedly not so easy.)

Great Lakes Project X

GLB is one of many breweries who continue to push the boundaries in the local brewing scene. While not the only brewery who does this, they were one of the first breweries commit to experimentation and produce new beers on a weekly basis, often with styles not familiar to local taste buds. Many breweries have joined the industry in the last 5 years, and new breweries continue to launch, it’s fun to reflect on one of the pillars of the local, craft beer scene.

Cheers, GLB!

Note: As a nod to the Beau’s tap takeover at The Only Cafe this coming Saturday (appropriately named The Beaunly) I’ve decided to put a dent in small collection of Beau’s beers. Happy #beausweek everyone!

Experimenting With Blending Beers

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Over the past few months I’ve started experimenting with blending beers. It’s end-user experimentation, which has nothing to do with the brewing process, and the beers I use are final products and sourced from cans, bottles, kegs or casks. “But haven’t the brewers put a lot of time, energy and love into creating their final products? You’re bastardizing them!” Yeah, well, that’s just your opinion, man. Even if it does offend them, which I’m not concerned with, I’ve paid my hard-earned dollars for the product so I may do with my fermented beverages as I see fit! In fact, I would not be surprised if this was a common practice in a brewery when pilot/test batches are being brewed!

Brewer 1: I say, old bean, batch #1 of new-super-awesome-brew had a cracking hop profile, but the roasty malts in batch #2 is really top-drawer.
Brewer 2: Hmm, yes, quite.
Brewer 1: How in heavens could I find out what the hops and malts would taste like together….?

Blending beer is certainly not a new trend. Did you ever think of how a black & tan came to be? Blending beer.

Black and Tan

A proprietary representation of a beer blend

There are certainly many ways to blend beers together. At its core it’s as simple as pouring one (or more) beer into another. I recommend that you try (or have tried) each of the beers before blending them. This ensures you understand the flavour profile each beer brings to the mix (literally). Think about the variety of IPAs you’ve had, and if you assumed they were all the same your blend may not taste as expected. (On the other hand it may turn out even better.) I recommend playing it safe at first.

So where to start? A few weeks ago I ordered a (draught) blend at a bar. The bar had an intriguing milk stout on tap that I had my eye on. Milk stouts are delicious but I only like them in small quantities/tasters due to their sweetness. How can I extend the awesome flavour of a milk stout but make it more palatable to my personal preference? It certainly depends what your options are but in this case there was a beautiful, roasty porter available on draught. A 50-50 mix gave my blend a round sweetness of the milk stout accompanied by a dry, roasty finish. This helped to minimize the lingering sweetness on the finish. It was exactly what I wanted. The DDC Rosée D’hibiscus is delicious but too sweet on its own (again, my personal preference). Cutting it with either Beau’s Lug Tread or Black Oak’s Pale Ale creates a refreshing mix with all of the best properties of each beer.

There’s no right or wrong way to do this, it’s all based on personal taste. If you’re having a night in with a few IPAs why not hold a few ounces of the glass you’re finishing up and add in a few ounces of your next beer. If you’re feeling bold try mixing up the styles too! Splash a bit of IPA into your stout and see what happens. Trial and error is the name of the game, and not all blends will be a rousing success, however the options to explore are limitless.