Sunday, September 9 2012
GCBF Wrap Up
| Posted by Timbeer AT 4:24PM | 0 Comments |  |
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Friday, September 7 2012
Great Canadian Beer Festival Day One
We're too sexy for our pants . . . but we've got impressive sporrans
Friday was day one, ground zero for the the 20th Anniversary of the Great Canadian Beer Festival. I'm proud to say I was a part of it. The Friday is always just a wee bit more serious and formal than the Saturday event--for a given value of formal, that is. The industry types (including me and the be-kilted chaps above) are gathering information about new and up-and-coming breweries, new beers, trending styles (black IPA, I'm talking about you) and all the various bits of news that gossipy beer geeks like to know.
With my amanuensis/minder on high alert, I tried as many new beers and breweries as I could. While I can't list everybody's beers (somehow my notes peter out after the thirtieth or fortieth entry) some of the great ones were
| Posted by Beertaculent Tim AT 12:31PM | 1 Comment | |
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Thursday, September 6 2012
Off to the Festival: GCBF 20!
20? You've only been old enough to drink for two years?
It's one of my favorite times of year again: the Great Canadian Beer Festival! I've gone over 15 times out of the last 20 . . . for some reason, my recollection of events is not perfect. Must be old age, or some form of progressive intoxication I can't explain . . .
For those who've never been, it's quite simply the best beer festival in the world--and I've attended a few, over the decades. What sets it apart is that it has been kept small, and as an invitational festival, the invitations only go out to the very deserving. There are no mega-breweries, and there are no second-raters. Every brewer who attends makes delicious beers of integrity and flavour, and is willing to share them and their love of all things beer and brew-y with the public.
| Posted by Big Beery Tim AT 8:54PM | 1 Comment | |
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Saturday, September 1 2012
Happy Labour Day
Workers of the World Unite, Rockwell Kent, 1937
For some folks, the first Monday in September is a date that signifies mainly that summer is over, the kids go back to school on the Tuesday, and the white shoes have to go back into the closet until next spring. But for some of us it's a very important day, one where we take time to contemplate the commitment of the workers who fought for their rights in our (very recent) past.
It's sadly common these days for folks to regard the union movement as an outmoded hive of corruption and sloth, featherbedding and collusion, as though negative characterisations could wipe out all the good that unions and the labour movement have achieved. Corruption isn't the exclusive province of unions, to be sure.
| Posted by Comrade Tim AT 1:42PM | 0 Comments | |
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Comments
Jason T Phelps
Posted 1 year ago
As always a blend of experience and humor. And yes the folks in Quebec are making some great Belgian inspired beers these days. We heading to Montreal for our annual brewpub crawl in early October. Will be looking for the new stuff we haven't enjoyed before!
Thanks Jason: I feel privileged to be able to attend the GCBF--it's a very small event, and probably one of the best (and best-run) in the world. I've missed a couple, but 15 out of 20 ain't bad.
The Quebecois are inspiring: I'm a West Coast guy, and really like my gigantic, hoppy IPA's, but their wacky, delicious, Belgian-inspired beers fill me with happiness. That ought to be a great pub crawl.
Tim