TASTY BREWS

Crane Records launch party: the aftermath

2010-10-18T22:43:00.008-04:00

Sooooooooo last Saturday was a fucking blast, so many people showed up to celebrate the launch of Crane Records. A few reasons why this party ruled: an abundance of babes in attendance, superstar DJs playing the best jams, questionable dancing, good pals, good times and of course staggering amounts of free booze.
Here are some highlights if you missed out:

before the debauchery began

rad mural by Everett

beer guards

bartending at warp speed (sort of)

some goons

check out all these cool people at our cool party

playing the finest slow jams

Thanks goes out to:

-McAuslan brewery for hooking us up with so many brews
-our lovely and generous hostess Jenna
-Louis Lazaris for these sweet pictures (check his site out here)
- YOU if you came out and partied!

See you soon!

TASTY BREWS FREE BEER PARTY #2

2010-10-13T09:02:00.003-04:00

The lovely Jenna Harkness and her roomates have turned part of their huge loft into a recording studio. In order to celebrate and promote it, they're throwing a launch party and asked Tasty Brews to help provide the beers and the people. COME!!

SATURDAY, OCTOBER 16TH

CRANE RECORDS LAUNCH feat. TASTY BREWS

Crane Records

2250 Pitt

#304

(Place Saint Henri metro ---left on Beaudoin at Notre Dame. Walk all the way down, cross the bridge and turn right toward Crane Loft building)

Free Beer!!! Great music thanks to dj's Nick Ball, Jonah and yours truly!

Its that time of year...

2010-10-08T12:28:00.004-04:00

PUMPKIN ALE
(mcauslan.com)

one of the tastiest brews and only for a limited time :(
Just another thing to love about the fall.

Some other epic pumpkin brews:
-Harvest Moon
-Shipyard Brewing Co "Pumpkinhead"

POP Montreal Hockey!

2010-10-08T12:03:00.007-04:00

A HUGE thanks to McAuslan, POP Montreal, Matt Foster and everyone who played on the Tasty Brews team for last weekend's POP Hockey tournament. We lost both games BUT we brought the beer (once again thanks to the amazing people at McAuslan) so we WON the hearts of everyone and at being cool.

TEAM DUMPY!

2010-09-30T16:37:00.004-04:00

HEY Y'ALL!!!

I know we have sucked a lot at posting lately, but rest assured we're busy working on other cool projects involving beer.
I had the pleasure of drinking the Saint Ambroise Raspberry ale all summer and damn that shits tasty.
Living so close to the McAuslan brewery made my summer pretty great. With a week off smack dab in the middle of Montreal's heat-wave, Laura and I spent an afternoon cooling ourselves off under an umbrella with ice cold pitchers by the canal.

Speaking of the Canal and the brewery---
We're throwing another party!!!
FREE BEER!!!!!!!!!!!!
thanks to the absolutely wonderful people at McAuslan. Located right on the Lachine Canal in the Crane Lofts, OCTOBER 16TH, STARTING AT 10PM We will be providing the tunes and the ice cold brews so you can drink, dance and check out a brand new recording studio (sup musicians).
More details to come!

summer forever

2010-09-08T16:06:00.000-04:00

Four Loko Breview: An Open Apology by Jordan A. Smith

2010-09-06T11:11:00.008-04:00

I could never live in the States. There's just something about how god damn free they are that's a little too intoxicating. In short: I lose my mind down there. Years of living in a polite, socialist-lite country have left me with no coping mechanism when presented with the sheer ridiculousness of American excess. Which brings us to the subject of our breview, that high-fructose bastard child of energy drink and malt liquor: Four Loko.

Stef had had the whole range of flavours of these things chilling in her fridge for a long while, a poisoned bounty from a trip long ago. When offered one I was eager to see just how "loko" they really were. I opted for the fruit punch variety. There was no turning back. The taste will haunt me to my grave.

She came so close to spitting it out. Definitely the smarter thing to do. You're first hit with a mean, rotten Kool-Aid flavour, a twisted parody of it that immediately soiled all my fond childhood memories of the drink. Just as you realize you've made a huge mistake, the alcohol aftertaste punches you in the gut. There's no need for hyperbole here: this stuff is 12% alcohol and tastes like it. This one-two punch of awful opposites hits you so quickly that your first sips seem tolerable. Then the sugar kicks in.

I have never felt so completely out of my mind as I did drinking this stuff. Granted, Stef, Laura and I split two more of these abominations (and may have even snuck in a fucking Joose somehow?) but the crazy feeling started when I was a third into my can and didn't leave until 7 am the next day.

I have a bad drunk memory and can usually write off any tomfoolery committed under the influence with my revisionist brain but not this time. I have never woken up so completely sure that I made a huge, giant, throbbing asshole of myself the night before. There's no shame like post-Four Loko shame, people.

Scanning the previous night's voice mails, text messages and BBMs, I was able to deduce that I acted like a full blown douche idiot moron. Girlfriends past and present were berated. Close friends were insulted. Stairs were fallen down. Beers were unsuccessfully hidden down pants. Weed may have been swiped. Fences were hopped. Dudes were unsubtly hit on. This was some dark shit. Manchurian Candidate shit. I'm surprised I didn't wake up in a tub of ice with several organs missing and presumed harvested.

This "brew" can ruin friendships, make your girlfriend dump you and generally have you acting like a full-on idiot. Consumption will result in all of your peers losing respect for you.

I'm so sorry, everyone.

-----------------

editor's note: I got to witness the beginning of this shitshow go down while I was totally sober. After about 20 minutes I was in tears and ran away to a straight edge person's house for consolation. Maybe I'm a pussy, no I'm definitely a pussy, but Four Loco is some mean shit. Unless you want to look like a more sinister version of Bart and Millhouse in that Simpson's episode where they drink the all syrup super Squishy, stay the hell away from this garbage juice.

I hope everyone had an awesome summer. We are planning some sweet brew-related activities for the fall so don't forget about us!

Twist Shandy

2010-05-28T10:26:00.005-04:00

It seems hard to believe but there was a time in my life when I hated the taste of beer. Like most children, I developed a liking for my dad’s when I was something like 8 years old and would try to steal sips of his Labbatt “Twist Shandy”. I’ll never forget the name despite the fact that it hasn’t been around for a very long time. I just found out that it was first introduced by Labatt in 1985 which is fitting as I first introduced that year too! I digress. Those initial sneaky gulps of the pale golden brew were delicious. When I hit my teens and could FINALLY sneak out and drink more than just a taste when heads were turned, I thought it tasted like shit. I didn’t know anything about different brands so all I tried was Labatt Blue or Molson Dry, beer that I still kind of think tastes like shit. I'd force it down anyway but I never truly enjoyed it like I do now. Thankfully, I have matured and my options expanded. I've found so many better beers and have grown to love and adore it again, just like when I was sneaking it from my old man.

All this to say, I would like to thank Twist Shandy, and my dad for introducing me to beer. I wish they would make it again so I could review it here instead of trying to remember what it tasted like when I was a child.
This is the only picture on the internet that I could find :(

Thank you

TASTY BREWS BBQ MAY 23RD

2010-05-24T23:38:00.003-04:00

We would like to extend a great big thank you to McAuslan Breweries for supplying everyone with delicious free beverages at the BBQ on Sunday, and to everyone who helped us at the bar, running the door, delivering beers and performers The Fort and Simcoe Street Mob! You all made for the best party of the year so far (we think)!

Here are some pictures, you can find more on our Facebook page

More photos on our Facebook page!

Montreal Mirror interviews LL about Tasty Brews

2010-05-13T15:57:00.001-04:00

Read Laura's interview with the Montreal Mirror HERE !

beer swamps video

2010-05-10T13:39:00.002-04:00

Our beautiful and hilarious friend (and frequent drinking partner) Kat Stein made a video of our beer swamps experience!

BEER SWAMPS from Kat Stein on Vimeo.

an ode to Labatt 50

2010-05-05T15:19:00.005-04:00

Sometimes, beer is my friend. Maybe that's a scary, alcoholic thing to say but I'm putting it out there. I probably say "I love you, beer" more than I say "I love you, dad" but that's because my dad is an asshole (just kidding dad, I love you). Anyway, I consider a 40 oz of Labatt 50 to be my BFF of beers. I will drink it in king cans and in regular bottle format but my heart just isn't in it in the same way. I have a strong affinity for the 40 oz format in general for several reasons being:

1 - It suits my on-the-the go lifestyle. I can easily balance two 40s on the handle bars of my bicycle and still roll up in style.
2 - Re-sealable cap so I can enjoy it at my leisure.
3 - For the sake of nostalgia
4 - A decent amount of beer, but not too much that it gets warm by the time you finish.

People have called this a hipster beer, something akin to a Canadian version of Pabst Blue Ribbon, but I still love it nonetheless. There's just something about the combination of the particular beer and bottle that makes it taste like magic juice. If I drink two of these bad boys I know the night is off to a good start. Labatt 50 has been the precursor to many drunken misadventures that always seem to turn out OK the morning after. When I drink other beers I fall off my bike or cry about boys who don't like me but when I drink Labatt 50, it's nothing but good times. One night I was at a party with some of my best friends and the Labatt 50's were a-flowing. Everyone was getting stick-and-poke tattoos and Stef and I decided to each get 'tasty brews' on our feet. I wrote tasty brews on her foot and she wrote it on mine so that the tattoos would be in our handwriting. I can't say I remember much about the actual process of getting the tattoo but I don't think it was very painful because I got another one of a little sailboat later that night. The next day when I woke up I was so happy, all I could think about was how much I loved my friends and I loved my life. Now every time I look at my foot I am reminded about fun party times, and tasty brews of course!

Look at this kid, he loves it. Not quite a 40 oz but I'll cut him some slack because he's a toddler.

So in conclusion a couple 40's of Labatt 50 + your friends + the best music = the night of your fucking life, seriously try it.

Beer Events

2010-04-28T11:58:00.009-04:00

With the weather getting nicer (aside from today), I started thinking about some good summer time shit that involves drinking beer.

Saint-Ambroise McAuslan Brewery Terrace:

Located at 5080 Rue Saint-Ambroise in Saint Henri, the MacAuslan brewery terrace is the perfect summer spot for enjoying beers while looking out onto the filthy but somewhat picturesque Lachine Canal. Its open on the weekends from 12pm-9pm, so a great place to work on an afternoon buzz or early evening pre-drinking. They also have some of the best and most tasty brews Montreal has to offer.
http://www.mcauslan.com/en/terrace/index.html

(source: www.mcauslan.com)

La Festival Mondial de la Biere:
We went to this last year and it did not disappoint. Located in Windsor Station and outside of it too! (1160, De la Gauchetière Street West).If you can avoid the massive lines that start around 5pm when everyone is off of work, and hit it up for a crazy daytime buzz and delicious brew tasting, we highly recommend it. 1$ gets you one beer coupon and a lot of booths give a cup of beer for a coupon. If getting drunk is your main goal, we suggest going straight for the cups of 10%-13% beers. If you have some cash and feel like experimenting there are hundreds of different beers to try!
Taking place June 2,3,4,5 and 6.

(google image search)

The Tasty Brews official FREE BEER PARTY:
Yes you read right. We are throwing a free beer party May 23rd at Friendship Cove. A daytime party and BBQ, starting around 3pm and ending whenever. Bands and dj's! More info to come!

Want2Try: Rickard's DARK

2010-04-23T17:07:00.002-04:00

HOLY SHIT this looks delicious!

beers forever

2010-04-19T23:55:00.001-04:00

fuck yeah

Reader Review: Aislinn on Mort Subite - Sudden Death

2010-04-19T18:25:00.001-04:00

Ahoy hoy Tasty Brews gang,

Last Saturday I went to a potluck which turned out to be a surprise birthday party for yours truly, which was totally amazing!!! Even more amazing were all the gifts in the form of alcohol, including many types of beer, champagne, and even a bottle of 10 year porto (so classy!).

The most interesting beer was a bottle of Mort Subite Kriek from Belgium given to me by JTA, who claimed it was the most expensive bottle at the SAQ ($5). I was intrigued as I had never seen this type of brew before.

After the potluck feast, a few brews, busting up a pinata, and a long chat about homemade pads, it was time for the Mort Subite. Mort Subite means Sudden Death,and Kriek means cherry. Despite the tough name, this beer is very much a wimp drink. It looks like a mini bottle of champagne and it is just as carbonated. It tastes like raspberries at first, very sweet and tart, but the aftertaste settles in as more of a dark cherry flavour. It has a very complex flavour, and is more like a soda than a beer.

It is very light in body, which helped because my stomach was full of cupcakes and jumbleberry pie, and I probably would have hurled if I was drinking stout. It took me a while to drink because it was so sweet, and every time I'd take a sip I would salivate like when you put a sour key in your mouth and your jaw kinks up and you gleek all over the place. It goes down great if you're alternating with champagne and chips, and would make a great summer brew. Despite having mixed 4 very sweet drinks in my belly over the course of the evening, my hangover level was at a medium-low. PARTY!

Sexily yours,

Aislinn

Beer Swamps

2010-04-19T17:42:00.005-04:00

Read Kristina's article posted on the Vice blog!

The mysterious BLACK VELVET

2010-04-13T12:15:00.010-04:00

Someone introduced me to black velvet a few years back at Blizzarts. Since I'm all about stouts I was told to try it and thank god I did. That shit is delicious!
In a pint glass, Guiness and cider are mixed, creating a really cool layering effect which makes your drink look more badass. Then people come up to you being all "whats THAT?!". From my experience, not a lot of people are familiar with it and flip out and say "no way that sounds gross can I try it!?" and then the next thing you know your goddamn drink is gone simply because it looks cooler than everything else.
After we all participated in a beer swamp experiment (more to come on that soon), I was researching other beer mixes and came across the description of a black velvet and it said "a mix of Guiness and champagne"!! that sounds way fucking better!
I checked it out on wikipedia and discovered that the cider version is known as THE POOR MAN'S black velvet :(:(
Since I am a poor (wo)man I guess I'll have to settle for the cider versh but now all I'm thinking about is how good champagne and Guiness sounds.

BEER NEWS

2010-04-12T11:56:00.001-04:00

Dean Gunnarson risked drowning a lot more than his sorrows Saturday night.

The world-renowned escape artist was handcuffed and locked in a 240-litre metal drum filled with beer in front of fans at a Winnipeg bar, as part of a fundraising event for local food banks.

The drum spilled over with beer as Gunnarson was submerged in it by helpers. The lid was then chained shut with a combination lock, and a fist-sized hole in the lid was his only route out.

With an emcee working up the crowd and counting the seconds as they passed, the drum started shaking. After two minutes, a hand popped out of the hole in the lid and started frantically working the combination lock. Some 35 seconds later, Gunnarson undid the lock and pushed the lid open.

It was an unusual stunt for a man who doesn't drink.

"I don't drink beer. I don't do drugs or smoke. But I tell you, that (escape) gave me a better high than if I had drank the whole 240 litres of it," the 46-year-old said afterward.

Gunnarson has made a name for himself by staging unusual stunts — escaping from a phone-booth-sized locker filled with wet cement, dangling upside down in a straitjacket 200 metres above a reservoir at the Hoover Dam, and being thrown from a plane with a parachute while in handcuffs and chains.

The beer, he said, presented some unique challenges.

"My fingers are kind of cold from the beer … and I've got beer in my eyes. It was much harder than I thought."

Gunnarson's closest brush with real trouble was in 1983, when he failed to get out of a coffin in a Winnipeg river and had to be resuscitated by paramedics.

He said his parents still worry about him, but sometimes for different reasons.

"My Dad was worried that I was wasting all that good beer," he chuckled. "But my mother, like any mother, is always worried about whatever I do and just said, 'Call me when it's done.'"

The boozy atmosphere of Gunnarson's escape was aided by some of the actors from the Trailer Park Boys — the Halifax-based TV series about a group of perpetually intoxicated residents of a fictional mobile home park.

Read more: http://www.cbc.ca/canada/manitoba/story/2010/04/11/man-gunnarson-escape-cp.html#ixzz0ktyvM8k0

TONIGHT!

2010-04-08T11:27:00.003-04:00

Special TASTY BREWS dj set for TIMES UP! @ Bar Black Jack (Saint Henri) 3814 Notre-Dame Ouest! Cheap ass beer!!!!!!!

Vintage Beers

2010-04-02T13:19:00.002-04:00

I want to try all of these, not the vintage formats though.

I love drinking

2010-04-02T03:52:00.007-04:00

I really love drinking.

In case anyone was wondering. Taylor and I have been keeping a beer bottle "collection" and will return them someday for some $$$$$$. In the mean time, a picture that captures a tiny portion of the collection.

(some info: the wall you see behind me is two cases deep. I am sitting on the second "wall". There is also a 4 bottle deep 40oz collection above me, not to mention the cans and other bottles not visible in this photo.)

Dark Lord Day

2010-03-26T17:24:00.005-04:00

(people attending Dark Lord Day)

Hello Munster, Indiana.

A friend from Chicago recently asked if I had ever heard of the 3Floyds brewery. I had not, so he dropped some knowledge on me. 3Floyds is a brewery located in Munster, Indiana who have what appears to be a great selection of some micro-brews (including his favourite beer ever: Gumballhead).
One day a year, they sell what has been widely rated as the best beer in the world: DARK LORD.
This day is known as Dark Lord Day. "Golden Tickets" can be purchased online which will then grant you with the right to purchase a designated amount of bottles of Dark Lord (past DLDs have been 4 to 6). A festival also takes place where bands play and the brewery's other beers are sold as well.

My friend's band also happens to be playing Dark Lord Day so I feel it to be our DUTY to attend. Its April 24. Anyone want to drive us?! We'll pay for gas and buy you beers.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Three_Floyds_Brewing

a few of my favourite things

2010-03-24T15:31:00.005-04:00

creds:

1. http://www.flickr.com/photos/welcometothedoghouse/2584807556/
2. http://www.flickr.com/photos/rnickell/374998662/
3. http://www.flickr.com/photos/euanwallace/394337519/
4. http://www.flickr.com/photos/vivetmart/1808145858
5. http://www.flickr.com/photos/17763380@N02/1853787155/

Where do I get this?!

2010-03-23T11:52:00.005-04:00

Look at this!!! Goddamn I want to try it. I tried googling it and didn't find anything but information about "beer drinkers and hellraisers" which leads me to believe the brew pictured above is homemade. Regardless, it looks badass.
Also, not to liken the greatness that is Motorhead to the hilarity that is Kid Rock by mentioning their names in the same post...but I still really want to try the Kid Rock beer.

Laura Lloyd drunk cab ride

2010-03-20T09:33:00.002-04:00

Griffon Rousse

2010-03-12T00:07:00.010-05:00

*photo found on google image search

The other night I went to Il Motore and had a tasty treat.

Griffon Rousse isn't a beer I haven't tried before, in fact a lot of bars have it on tap. I just realized that I've never really given it the proper appreciation that it deserves.

Griffon Rousse is a locally brewed beer (a Saint-Ambroise product). Saint-Ambroise has already received a lot of love on this blog and Griffon is not exception.

Actually, I will say that I don't like Griffon blonde at all but I don't normally like any blonde beer so don't necessarily take my word for it.

If you happen to be a rousse fan like myself though, Griffon from a nicely chilled bottle is the shit. If I had the choice between Boreale or Griffon I would pick Boreale but tonight that wasn't an option so I went with the Griffon Rousse and it was delicious. Its like sometimes I'm blinded by my obsession with Boreale that I forget there are other rousse's out there. I need to give all those babes some love.

I hapenned to be really thirsty . I drank the first few sips and it was so smooth and cold my thirst was quenched and then a sassy little aftertaste took over reminding me that this was my favourite thing in the whole world; a brew.
Good job Griffon Rousse. I like you. I will try to buy you more often. I think you're cheap too, and thats a definite plus. Summer!

Built To Spill

2010-03-11T19:30:00.003-05:00

best band, best album cover, I wish this was a real beer.

Beer Fridge

2010-03-11T12:51:00.002-05:00

I hate the fucking winter but this would have been a good idea...

Devassa Beer

2010-03-09T22:22:00.002-05:00

I'm not sure what part of the world Paris Hilton is still considered "sexy" in. I think the general consensus nowadays is that she is about as attractive as an open sore, I guess no one at Devassa brewery got the memo. This beer ad starring Paris Hilton got pulled from Brazilian TV for being “too scandalous”, personally I just find it confusing.

First of all, I highly doubt Paris Hilton drinks beer. We know she drinks other things.

But not beer.

Here she is with a bunch of other blonde women holding beers, but still, no evidence of beer drinking.

Secondly, why would you want a herpes infested woman rubbing your beer can on her body, making your beer all warm and herpes infested? She’s dancing around with the beer can in her money grubbing little claws shaking it and making it all foamy! Oh wait, I get it she wants to make the beer look like it’s ejaculating when she opens it!

Lastly, she never takes a sip of the beer. Devassa if you can’t get Paris Hilton to put your product in her mouth then you’re getting a raw deal. She already does that for free with most things.

In conclusion: Brazil, you crazy!

Later ya’ll!

Songs About Drinking and Driving

2010-03-09T17:57:00.004-05:00

Dear Tasty Brewers,

Don't drink and drive, ever - just like vicariously through these songs.

Kid Cudi feat. MGMT + Ratatat - Pursuit of Happiness

Black Flag - Drinking and Driving

Ludacris - Drinking and Driving

Love,
TB

Did the world just get a little bit better?

2010-03-07T13:05:00.001-05:00

I think this makes up for the failure that is the iPad.

Thoughts?

Weekend Project:

2010-03-05T12:04:00.004-05:00

Make this.

Bolduc

2010-03-03T12:01:00.011-05:00

Last night Meaghan and Mike came over to work on some of my tax stuff and after all the work was over with it was unanimous that we could all use a brew. Everyone is pretty broke right now. It being the Tuesday before payday...my bank account was looking pretty dismal. My go to spot when I'm looking for a tasty and cheap beer is usually the grocery store. You'd be surprised by some of crazy sales they have going on (recall my December 2008 post about the 11.99$ 12 packs of Becks).
We hit up Super C, quite possibly the cheapest grocery store in existence. Their beer prices were outrageous! 8.99 for a 6 pack of Boreale. I pay at most 7.99$ at the local dep, 7.49 at sketchy ones.
Because of the lack of cheap selection, we went for whatever was simply the cheapest. The best deal we could find was a 12 pack of Unibroue's BOLDUC beer for 11.99$.

I've swigged my fair share of what Unibroue has to offer. I am actually from Chambly, from where the Unibroue Brewery hails.

Ew, I just googled Chambly Unibroue to provide some visuals and this is what came up. This picture actually makes me want to gouge my own eyes out but also does kind of sum up Francophone Chambly and the weird Medieval thing Unibroue has going on.

While I'm not a HUGE fan of every Unibroue product, HOLY SHIT was Bolduc awesome. For the price?!?! It was pretty damn good. A sort of no frills lager that just tasted like good beer. No malty, sweet or bitter aftertaste at all. Not too blonde, not too dark, just a good-ass average run of the mill BREW. This beer is so damn average it reminds me of myself. Its not particularly good at anything but its not a total fuck up either. I feel like I can entirely relate with this beer and that we'll get along juuuust fine. Time to stock my fridge.

An Open Letter to Bud Light

2010-03-02T17:32:00.008-05:00

Dear Bud Light,

I realize the statistics are there, you’re the second most drunk beer in the world, and everyone should love you, but people still don’t seem to like you. I was once like the non-Bud Light drinker and shunned you like the ugly child of the beer family. However, I have come to find that the same people that hate you are the same people that judge books by their covers, and I didn’t want to be grounded with those hate mongers - so I took it upon myself to try you. And so I did, but not just once, but for two consecutive weeks.

I came out at the other end a firm believer in you, I saw the light (no pun intended) and I came to realize that there are many reasons to like, love, and to drink you. But lets start with the reasons why people might not like you:

Cons

1- Your name has light in it, I guess people like to look tough while drinking beer

2- People think when they drink you that they grow the urge to go see bull riding or tractor pull

3- You are the beer of choice of the “greatest country in the world”, I guess people just don’t like to be associated with the stars and bars

Pros

1- Hate to say that this is a pro but you are the cheapest beer at the Super C close to my house.

2- Low alcohol seams to be a problem for some but I say why rush to get drunk when you’re drinking a great beer.

3- Life is complicated why drink something complicated at the end of the day, you’re simple and to the point.

All in all, what I’m trying to say here is that you’re a great beer and I wish that more people could come to appreciate you. I live in Canada and every time I walk into a house party with case of bud under my arm people like to call me names and put me down, it’s like I’m carrying nazi-bräu or Summit of the G-10 lager. People HATE what they fear and they fear the unknown and knowing is half the battle.

Dana Lavoie

More pictures after the cut

Outdoor drinking appreciation

2010-03-01T12:29:00.006-05:00

Its that time of year where I sit at work fantasizing about spring and summer. I stare out the window and imagine how truly amazing it would be to be sitting in my backyard with the sun shining down, sipping on a tasty brew.
Its warming up in Montreal and the wet, dirty slush and overwhelming odour of dog shit leaves me longing for slightly sunnier days.
There is something truly wonderful about cracking a brew in the outdoors. Whether it be camping, on a rooftop, in an alley behind a bar, in a park down the street or in your own backyard, I love drinking beers outside.

I especially love pre-drinking outside. Beer in bars can be expensive. Its also really annoying going to a bar knowing that the price you paid for three of your beers could have bought you SIX at your local depanneur. That is why grabbing a 6 pack and meeting your friends in the alley or park next to the bar is so beautiful. You get the best of both worlds: Saving money while getting a great buzz on and also benefiting from seeing a band play or running into friends at a local watering hole.
There have been times when I don't even make it to the bar, I'm having more fun out back behind the place with my friends and sixer of Boreale Rousse.
I can recall one such occasion, behind the old Katacombes. Our friends were in town playing a show and it had been a while since we'd last seen them. It was a warm June evening and we all grabbed cheap 15 packs of Tremblay and hung out next to their van on one of those side streets just off Sainte Catherine. I only went inside once during the entire night and it was simply to watch them play! The party was out back, outside and it was glorious.

Dear outdoor drinking weather, please grace us all with your presence soon. I miss you so.

Kostritzer

2010-02-25T16:03:00.005-05:00

Kostritzer: The Black Beer With a Blonde Soul!

Yes, that's the actual tagline of this beer. Know

n for its proud heritages of beer brewing and forced cultural assimilation, Germany has succeeded in creating a dark, swarthy, stoutish beer that, upon tasting, reveals itself to be a clean, pure blonde in the true Teutonic tradition. Drinking it may actually make you a racist.

Which is a shame, because it's pretty amazing. It starts really stouty, but rather than the deep, chocolatey/coffeeish/oatish followthrough that makes a stout a stout, it quickly effervesces into light, airy blondishness - bubbly and tart and all that. Sorry, that came out kind of racially loaded. Blame it on the Krauts, I say.

It's quite nice, but it also feels like an orphan beer - too blonde for stout, to stout for blonde. The rich earthiness of one and the light refreshment

of the other are both subdued. It'd be perfect if you can't make up your mind, or if you're looking to wean a nonbeliever on to stout, but as it is, I can't help but feel its sitting on the fence, flavourwise.

Of course, this could just be due to the North American lack of black beers - my pallet just hasn't found the spot to file this one under, and is trying to divide it between two tastes that it needn't be compared to. I guess that to actually give it an appraisal, I'd have had to try at least one other black beer, ever. As it is, let Kostritzer stand in for the concept of dark lagers in general, and receive its B - Needs Work. It's an enjoyable bastard, but it could really use an authoritative father figure to guide it to greatness.

Submitted by Edward Petrenko

STEFANIE REVIEWS OLDE ENGLISH

2010-02-16T10:46:00.007-05:00

This one time I went to Vancouver and got fucked off O.E.

In December I went out west to visit the best dudes in the whole world, Cody and Steve.

They visited Montreal in October and Laura and I basically went on a week and a half long bender with them, getting wasted at various fine Montreal establishments such as Reggie's, the Concordia University campus watering hole and SHIT BAR, a nondescript hole in the wall on lower Saint Laurent across the street from the tranny strip club Cafe Cleopatre and right next to SEXOTHEQUE with only a lil neon sign in the widow that reads "BAR". While getting consistently shit faced, they told me all about Olde English. Olde English isn't available in Montreal and I was curious about its powers. Sure I used to be a massive Colt 45 enthusiast and am no stranger to malt liquor, but Olde English seemed gangster and therefore I was intrigued.

When planning my trip to Van, Cody came up with the idea to greet Laura and I (she was supposed to come but then didn't) at the airport with 40's and O.E. instead of those signs that say the person's last name. Despite me going alone, Cody held up his end of the bargain, and greeted me with a 40oz upon my arrival! After a loving embrace between he, Steve and I, a security guard attempted to confiscate the malt liquor and almost ruined everything. We escaped, 40 unscathed and went over to their place for what would turn into a wild party involving a bunch of strangers, a smoke machine and a lazer known as THE GALAXION.

I cracked the 40 with my fellow boozers Cody, Steve and their buddy Dustin. We kept them in the paper bags to keep shit real. Despite the 40 being nice and cold from a little while in the freezer, my first sips were fucking brutal. I was kind of disappointed but I didn't let it stop me. I complained a bit, but only because Cody had promised that it would taste wonderful.

I'd had my fill of small talk and people asking me if I could speak french and I made my way upstairs to "Roseanne Bar(r)", the bar/dancefloor/dj area of the household. My host's friend (and birthday boy) Jado had filled the entire room with smoke from the smoke machine and I could barely see. I was about midway through the 40 and garnering a serious buzz (I had also drank three Caribou beers prior). I made my way through the smoke and found Cody in the middle of the dance floor. We cheers'd our 40's and hugged and I took a swig and something magical had occurred. No longer did OE taste like vile rat-piss. The lazers aligned and the OE tasted like sweet drunk nectar. Right before chugging the rest of the bottle, I managed to snap one majestic photo that kind of summed up everything until that point of the night.

After this was taken, I chugged the rest of the 40 and started spinning out into oblivion. I barely remember sort of dancing and mostly remember slumping onto the couch in Cody's room telling myself to be normal. At that point people started catching on to the fact I was fucked out of my mind from the nasty drink and got Cody to do some damage control. I was informed to go to bed and lock the door. In my drunken slumber someone kicked the door down and passed out on the couch. Then some party people made their way into the room to watch a string ray light contraption. Someone suggested I be woken up to watch and people jumped on me to no avail. I was out cold. Out cold until 8am when I woke up with a sandpaper mouth and the most pounding headache I've ever been doomed with. I barfed a few times and took a mix of tylenol and advil and a whole bunch of water and a cigarette. Jado was on a mission for Midol as he said its the best hangover cure ever. He said it moisturizes the brain but I don't see how that is scientifically valid. I'll take his word for it! Regardless, I WAS FUCKED. I WILL NEVER EVER EVER EVER EVER drink O.E. again. Mark my words faithful readers and beer lovers: YES O.E. gave me a wild party night in Vancouver at Cody and Steve's at Roseanne Bar(r) BUT the hangover WAS NOT WORTH IT! STAY AWAY FROM IT.

THE END!!!

PS I drank 6 Heineken's while writing this review and I'm now drunk.

Love, Stef

Victory Brew

2010-02-10T15:53:00.001-05:00

Nothing tastes better than a nice cold Heineken on a beautiful winter afternoon after handing in the shittiest paper in life only to realize you're in the top 10% of class due to your awesome mid-term exam score and that your average will be ok because the gods up above invented grading on a curve. yeah i'm drunk. so what.

new years resolutions

2010-01-03T21:27:00.001-05:00

#1 drink more beer
#2 learn to knit

Bud Light Challenge pt. 1

2009-10-07T14:23:00.009-04:00

Ok so just for fun I did what I like to call the "Bud Light Challenge". The idea is to basically find water tasting drinks (note: this is usually just water) and compare them to Bud Light. Blindfolded. Then, you have to say which one is the beer, and which one is the water-based liquid. Fun, right?

Upon being blindfolded, I was presented by spectator and judge, Taylor, two glasses. One containing Perrier, another containing the single bottle of Bud Light I had purchased. Let it be known that this particular brew was purchased because I was 30 cents short of whatever other beer I actually wanted. Oh, and cause my friend Dana won't stop talking about how awesome Bud Light is. So, in the sake of second chances and new beginnings, I went for it.

I took a sip of each drink. Unfortunately, it was obvious which drink was what. Mind you, this is not to say that my hypothesis of Bud Light tasting like water/Perrier has been disproved. The reason I could tell the difference is because we were unfortunately a little unprepared for this impromptu Bud Light Challenge, and as a result the Perrier was lukewarm and almost flat, unlike my recently purchased cold Bud Light.

So, in the name of science everywhere, I will not draw a conclusion, and will plan for another challenge. Rest assured, it will come.

Until next time Bud Light Challenge...

Oh... but after this I think I drank some real beer and some shit like this happened, and got yelled at by Stef's neighbors, so that night wasn't a total bust I guess.

My eye is buggin'

xo LL

sorry Stef

2009-09-09T01:30:00.002-04:00

Dennis Hopper knows what's up.

Dos Equis Special Lager

2009-09-09T01:19:00.004-04:00

I’ll admit it. I was a little intrigued when I first saw the commercial for Dos Equis featuring The Most Interesting Man in the World. It’s hard not to pay attention when your boyfriend yells “COOL” at the TV every time it airs, with the gusto of an 11 year old boy watching a wrestling match. The marketing campaign is obviously geared towards men because it worked like a charm on my boyfriend but as I watched it I wondered to myself, what would it be like to fuck The Most Interesting Man in the World? I don’t mean to get all Sex and the City on Tasty Brews but a lot of girls want to know what it’s like to be with a sophisticated older gent; a refined, stylish, well travelled and hopefully rich man of the world. It all looks pretty good in the commercial, he has a sweet beard, a gravelly vaguely Euro accent and other women seem to be into him which is a key factor for female attraction.

I got my hands on a six pack of Dos Equis in Los Angeles which I kept referring to as Dos Ickys because of my crappy Spanish accent, however my mispronunciation turned out to be pretty apt. I expected so much of this beer, I wanted it to fulfill all of my hopes and dreams. I wanted it to taste like a fine cigar mixed with a faint hint of cologne mixed with the smell of a warm leather couch in front of a fireplace in a European ski lodge. I wanted to tell this beer that no one had ever made me feel that way before. As I put that cool green bottle to my lips I savoured the moment before all the hype would be revealed and i’d be admitted to the cool club of those who have sampled The Most Interesting Man in the World’s beverage of choice. And then nothing happened, it was totally underwhelming. As for the slogan 'Stay Thirsty', well I stayed thirsty indeed because this beer provided no satisfaction whatsoever. I take it back, I don’t want to fuck an old dude if it’s anything like this beer. Weak, unflavourful, skunky, no foam, doesn’t get you nearly as drunk as you need to be. No thank you! I’ll come and visit you at the old folk’s home, maybe I’ll give you a sponge bath if you pay me enough but that’s it.

This beer was so distasteful that I gave most of it away to a roving pack of homeless hippies who were living in a dumpster in San Francisco. Just when they thought their lives couldn’t get any worse I unleashed this seemingly well-meaning gift upon them because I hate hippies almost as much as I hate Dos Equis.

2009-08-18T17:56:00.001-04:00

We haven't posted in a while, but I promise we will soon!
DON'T FORGET ABOUT US

mondial de la biere 2009

2009-07-21T17:04:00.002-04:00

I was so overwhelmed when I walked in that I started to tear up a little bit.

Beer # 1

Brooklyn Black Chocolate Stout
10.6%

This beer is called a Russian Imperial Stout, which makes sense because its really dark and heavy. This stuff was ok, kind of disgusting. It was a very rich brown, like melted chocolate but the texture was more like molasses, very syrupy but very bitter with a chocolatey after-taste. It was enjoyable as a taster but I definitely could not drink a whole glass of this

I wrote ‘I am drank’ in my notes so I guess by the end of this guy I was kind of buzzed.

Rating 3/5

Beer # 2

Roseé d’Hibiscus from Dieu Du Ciel breweries.
5%

This stuff was so nice! It was pink like grapefruit juice and tasted like a fizzy juice not a beer. It was really light and summery and I want to drink 10,000 of these on a terrace somewhere in the sunshine. I think this beer was my favourite of the day and I just found it in 6-pack format at depanneur near my friend’s house wheeeeee!

Rating 5/5

Beer # 3

Jackie Brown Beer from Mikkeller Brewery in Denmark
6%

Another dark, chocolatey stout. It had a smoky flavour with hints of caramel, chocolate and coffee. I have a hard time stomaching this beer because it was so damn syrupy.

3/5

Beer # 4

Sparkling Rosé Cider from Les Vergers de la Colline

Although not technically a brew I needed something light to cleanse my palate from all that chocolate stout. This stuff was amazing, it was a light pink sparkling cider which smelled as good as it tasted. It was sparkly like a diamond and after I took a sip I let out a high-pitched ‘ooouuuuuuhhhhh’ because I liked it so much.

4/5

Beer # 5
Maple Cream Ale from Brutopia
5%
This beer was pretty unremarkable, it tasted like a Sleeman from the fridge. Blah.
2/5

Beer # 6
Ålö Ale from Sweden
5.6%
Nothing much to report here, a pretty standard beer, but there were some nice fruity undertones.
Rating 3/5

Beer # 7
Unibroue Éphémère Cassis
5.5%
This beer was similar to the one from Dieu Du Ciel. It had really nice undertones of blackcurrant yum yum yum.
Beer # 8

Cameron’s Brewing Co Auburn Ale
5%

I wrote down that this beer tasted “soooooooooo really very good” I was also pretty much wasted. This beer fell somewhere between a rousse and an IPA but with a nice flavour I could still taste even though everything pretty much tasted the same at this point.

Rating 4/5

The only thing that would have made this day better would be if I somehow got my hands on a press pass. Maybe next year!

LA 11 !

2009-07-21T16:15:00.005-04:00

I found Unibroue's incredibly crappy "Under Construction" website and perused the beers.
I found one called "LA 11" which they don't brew anymore and appears to have been a limited edition 11% brew. It looks so debonair, I want to drink it right now but I can't and that makes me want it even more.
The writing on the front, "Unibroue 11", is done with GOLD engraved lettering. I don't know when they last updated their site, so I have no idea how long this brew has been discontinued but I'd love to know if anyone has tried it!
Only 6,000 cases were sold in Quebec.
Has anyone drank this mystical brew?!

Speaking of higher percent brews, Emma let us drink some of her Cannon beer, from Montreal's "RJ brewery" (Tremblay, Belle Gueule, Cheval Blanc...) the other night on her balcony. Its 7.6% and tasted super mild. Kristina and I were buzzed off one. You could get really shitty with these considering the taste was so normal!
I've never seen this beer around though, I don't know which deps you can get them at.

(for anyone who took the time to look at the Unibroue website in english: please look at the "our beers" section and notice the pronunciations in brackets next to each name)

Reader Review: Meaghan Kelly on WACKO

2009-07-17T11:36:00.004-04:00

Mike and I are here in Morgantown, West Virginia - the first stop on our seven-state-wide road trip through the U.S.A.- and we have made it our mission to keep Tasty Brews up to date on all the fun and "exotic" brews we are able to try along the way!
The first of these taste tests is brought to you by the people over at the Magic Hat breweries in Vermont. We picked up a variety pack of their summer beers to enjoy in our friend Jason's sunny back yard and I chose to review this crazy brew: Wacko! Described on the website as:

"Crisp like the morning, cool like the evening and quenching all day long. It's the beer that dances to the beat of summer. Pop the top and set your summer loose. Wacko is the liquid song of summer."

I can't say I completely agree with this description. While it's true that the beer tasted like summer, "quencing all day long" sounds like a bit of a stretch in my opinion...
I can't provide much in the way of a report on the beer's psychedelic effects -although the packaging leads me to believe that too many of them might have you seeing some cooky stuff! - because it was followed by a few too many glasses of wine, a whisky sour (or three) and several other Magic Hat brews, but I CAN report that my hangover was slim to none! I attribute this, in part, to my diligent water and coffee intake throughout the course of our drinking adventure, as well as the hefty amount of walking we did between Jason's house and downtown Morgantown, but I'm willing to give Wacko a little bit of the credit at least!

I can say this though: whether it be the fact that we're on vacation, how much fun Jason and his buddies are or just the general feeling of a hot July night away from home, this night was fun! Boston singalongs, catching fireflies, shamelessly indulging in greasy food late at night and lots and lots of giggles mean that I hold this beer close to my heart now as it will forever remind me of this wonderful night!

It's worth the time to check out their website if you have the chance. It's got some freaky little graphics and lots of interesting descriptions of their different brews!

Dear Meaghan,
all I have to say is that I love your use of the words "freaky" and "cooky".
Please keep trying new beers!
Love always,

Tasty Brews

Reader Review: Mike Niro on MILLER HIGH LIFE

2009-07-17T11:18:00.004-04:00

Hello Tasty Brews,
Long-time reader, first time writer.

I'm not a beer connaisseur, nor a large consumer of brews but more of the one delicious pint over the cheap six pack kind of guy. I'm currently roadtripring through the southern U.S. with my lady and am in the beautiful state of Tennessee. So now that we have the setting in place, let's get to the review.

It's 90 degrees down here, so I decided to go to the pharmacy down the road to purchase a six-pack of a light summer beer for the evening. I was dreading the selection process for two reasons: firstly, as a general rule, I find American beers to be a little too watery for my liking (Compared to Canadian beer at least). Secondly, the selection I was to be offered at a pharmacy was no doubt only "big name" beers, which are all available in Canada and therefore wouldn’t get to try anything new. But upon browsing the selection, I stumbled across Miller High Life, which I remember enjoying with the ladies of this blog last summer on the Fourth of July and have never seen in Canada. A six-pack cost me $4 and I was on my way to enjoy the apparent champagne of beers... To my extreme satisfaction and surprise, it was the perfect summer beer. Light enough to enjoy on a day this freaking hot, but packing more punch then a Corona or Heine. I felt like I was drinking a beer, not bottle of dirty water with fizz. Aesthetically, it stood apart from the other big names in U.S. beer with its long-neck bottles, which came in handy for the big sips needed in such a climate. I was served such a crisp, refreshing brew that had a surprisingly full taste for what I would consider a light beer. I've had a few and will be off to bed soon, not drunk, but fully relaxed. I foresee no hangover given the lightness of this beer and wish to point this out as another positive characteristic of this beverage. I predict I shall be drinking another tomorrow right when the southern sun tries to impose it's presence on me.

I'm starting to get it, why American beers are so light that is; their main objective is to refresh. I've been personally focusing to hard on body and taste that I prefer in stouts or lagers, and overlooked how refreshing and relaxing beer can be.

So thank you Miller High Life, for being the beer that opened my eyes to a new reason to drink a beer and reduced my prejudice towards the American beer manufacturers. And thank you Tasty Brews for offering the electronic soap box to convey my message.

Y’all take care now.

Mike

Dear Mike
I hate to say it, but God Bless America. When it comes to brews, holy fuck do these guys have the price right. 4$ for a six pack!? FUCK. I remember that July 4th, and it indeed was a blast thanks to the cheapest brew known to man. I think an 18 pack cost us something like 11$?? I ended up drinking too many though, thinking I was enjoying the most refreshing brew on earth and they ended up turning on me. I still remember the disgusting sweet malty taste in my mouth the next morning. Be careful!
Keep enjoying those summer brews.

Love always,
Tasty Brews

Kid Rock Makes Beer

2009-07-16T15:31:00.004-04:00

Kid Rock is making his own brand of beer.

wooooooa I bet this beer will taste so awesome. How could it not? He created one of the best party jams of all time--a song that makes me want to drink literally a thousand brews and throw the empties at walls while party kicking and singing along:

Dos Equis commercials

2009-07-06T12:23:00.005-04:00

have to say, they got my attention. has anyone tried this beer?

E-mail from a reader

2009-07-06T12:13:00.003-04:00

I just checked the Tasty Brews e-mail and we received a great letter from one of our readers:

A few ideas (a little more on the domestic side):

Rickard's White vs. Alexander Keith's White

Dos Equis (million commercials during the playoffs are making people notice this beer. Never thought I'd see it again after vacation in Mexico, now it's haunting the TV waves)

Sleeman's Clear (you mention your beer gut... this beer is super low cal and carb... very little taste, but I'll tell ya this. I've never had a hangover from it, prolly cause it's all water... either way, I can drink 24 and not feel like a bag of shit the next day. Drink on summer days only.)

Standard Lager (only available in Manitoba... not sure where you're located)

Pilsner (or, Vitamin P)

OV

I like the Rickard's white Vs. Keith's white idea!
Thank you so much for the tips. Expect these reviews coming soon!

GAVROCHE

2009-06-19T16:11:00.004-04:00

Maybe I am biased for giving this a favorable review because it is a French beer and from what I know - all good things come from France (hi mom). But I also believe that my taste buds don't lie, and with that being said all other prejudices you held me to can be revoked.

Welcome to the world of Tasty FRENCH Brews, édition: GAVROCHE.

Ok so this awesome beer comes from France (duh) and tastes like heaven (could'a guessed). After a little bit of research I found that it is actually brewed in the North-East region of France known as Calais (not as good as Sud-Ouest (holla!) but I'll let it slide). Anyway - this French red ale is the one of the new reigning kings of tastiness in Laura Lloyd world.

When you pour it into a glass, preferably a tulip shaped glass I was told which not only helps trap the aroma, but also aids in maintaining large heads, creating a visual and olfactory sensation, it pours the nicest fluffiest head that does not look quite as dense as say a frothy Guiness head but a lighter fluffier version - much like Gavroche's personality.

Taste wise Gavroche is very similar to Newcastle (which is one of my top 5 beers) but is a hint lighter in what i like to call the "maltyness". I'm told that what I am tasting is in fact a fruity kind of taste with added spices which is actually very typical of many Belgian beers, I even stumbled across a review of this beer that claimed it was Belgian! Lies! Anyway, this beer goes down like summer: fun and bubbly at first but as the bubbles pop it becomes smooth like a nice relaxing evening on a patio - at least that's what summer is like for me.

You could probably get a serious secret buzz drinking this forgetting it has the ability to get you drunk rather than just taste good. That's always good in my books.

p.s. someone buy me this hat

Yours sincerely,

L. Lloyd

THE CHELADA SAGA by Allie Struzik

2009-06-19T15:49:00.005-04:00

So, for quite some time I have been intrigued by the concept of the Chelada, aka the Michelada. For the uninformed, a Chelada is a concoction that’s popular in Mexico, and consists of beer, tomato juice/Clamato, lime, and a salt rim. Other additives include hot sauce, Worcestershire sauce, and Maggi sauce. I know, it already sounds disgusting, right? Like a Bloody Mary (which I’m quite averse to) gone horribly wrong. But for some reason, the idea of the Chelada kept sticking with me. I guess it’s because they sell Budweiser versions of them at every liquor store near my house. I’d inspect the cans every once in a while, but would eventually decide that it was probably an absolutely terrible idea to try it, but one hot summer day, I arrived home from work, stopped in at the liquor store, and decided that today was the day.

I purchased two cans, one for me, and one for my brave Chelada test partner, Swifty.

Swifty also brought along his bottle of Tums. So, we settled in on my back porch and cracked open our cold brews. We took a sip at the same time…and could barely force it down. It was literally one of the worst things I’ve ever tasted. I kept trying to drink a little bit at a time, as I was determined to finish the thing, but it was just impossible. Imagine a mixture of incredibly shitty beer, fake lime flavor, and cold Clamato juice. Why would anyone ever think that this was a good idea? After continually trying to drink more, and failing/almost vomiting, I decided to pour the rest into a glass, just to see what it looked like. Because of the convection of the carbonation, the sight of the foamy salmon-pink mixture being stirred around by its own bubbles was almost more unappetizing than the taste or smell. Maybe it would have been better with the salt rim? Probably not. I would not advise anyone to taste this brew, at any time, for any reason.

Dear Allie,

WTF. I have seen this everytime I've visited the states, and being a Bloody Cesar lover, thought it could be awesome because it mixes one delicious beverage (bloody cesar) with another (beer). Thank you for this important review or else I could have made a grave error in judgement. This is strike fucking three for Budweiser. They should just stop trying to make anything remotely exotic. P.S-You're beautiful.
Keep drinking,
Love always,
Tasty Brews

BUD LIGHT WITH LIME

2009-06-09T17:43:00.016-04:00

This review should actually be called PERRIER with lime because that is exactly what this brew tasted like.

Bar Black Jack is known for its ridiculously cheap drink specials and I chalk that up to the almost certain fact that their beer is either very, very expired or their taps falsely labeled. Everytime I, or most people I know, drink a fair amount of the "Alexander Keith's rousse" from pitchers they feel like absolute pure shit. Thats not normal. Alexander Keith's is a bit of a fancier beer. Fancy beer never makes you feel like shit.

Anyway, I didn't feel like feeling like shit and was only going to have A beer as I had work the next day so I wanted something with flavour. Something that was a step above the gag-inducing Labatt Blue. Then I saw a poster on the wall.
"New!!!!! Bud Light with LIME!!!!!!"

The picture of the Corona-like beer, all cold looking with water and ice droplets on the neck and body of the bottle was calling out to me. "Try me! In the name of your blog, try me!"Jordan owed me five bucks and that was the exact price of a single bottle of this beer. I made him go buy it for me. He endured ridicule for his pussy-ish choice from the hardened stripper/bar-maid and returned to the table with his tail between his legs as this wasn't the first time Jordan's been made fun of for his wimpy brew purchases. He handed the beer to me and I couldn't have been more ecstatic with my choice!

They even put a little lime wedge in the top! I figured that the beer was simply flavoured with lime and that was that!
I took a swig and swished the brew around inside my mouth for a momment or two.

WTF!!???

I honestly could not tell if this was water or not. It tasted exactly like Perrier. I should have learned from this post, but I guess I didn't. This beer could be cool, and like Corona but instead it fails. I mean, unless you hate the taste of beer and wish you could drink it but absolutely can't get it down. In that case this would be the brew for you.

The Bud Light with lime website even boasts a completely untruthful slogan!

"SUMMER. NOT JUST A SEASON BUT A TASTE".

Evidently, summer tastes like a whole bunch of nothing according to these guys.
At only 4.2% you can barely even harbor any kind of buzz. 5$ a bottle is also basically Corona/Heineken prices!! I'm all for enjoying a light and tasty summer brew in the sun without getting completely slaughtered, but this brew is a rip off if you enjoy just that: TASTE.

Sorry Budweiser and Bud Light, this is strike 2.

better than Christmas

2009-06-03T11:49:00.002-04:00

wtfwtfwtfwtf I am so excited for this!

Beer tasting festival! brews from all over the world!

Mondial de la biere Montreal 2009

June 3rd - 7th

WHERE?

Windsor Station
and Courtyard
Downtown Montréal
1160, De la Gauchetière Street West
(Between Peel and De la montagne)

Free Admission!

Tasting coupons: $1 each
Cost of one tasting: 1 to 5 coupons (for most beers)
Quantity served: 3 to 4 ounces

go get your afternoon buzz on! get drunk in a classy and international way!

Stella Artois Light

2009-05-19T23:50:00.002-04:00

When I knew absolutely nothing about beer Stella Artois was my beer of choice due mostly to an embarrassing obsession/bizarre fascination with British chav culture (this beer is nicknamed “wife beater” in the UK)

as well as an inexplicable infatuation with Lady Sovereign and British ‘garage’ music (it was 2005, whatever). Stella Artois certainly isn’t my current favourite beer it was the one that got me started down the long and pukey road of beer exploration and I mean that in the best way possible.

Since the beginning of this blog I’ve started to develop what can only be described as a beer gut. It doesn’t quite rival my boyfriend’s and I hope it never looks anything like my father’s but it is definitely noticeable; a baby bump of beer guts you might say. I knew this day would come, frankly I’m surprised it took this long to rear it’s ugly head. But I will admit it bummed me out at least a little bit. So I was faced with a choice - give up beer forever or at least reduce the quantity I consume, switch to another kind of alcohol, become straight edge (hahahahahahahahaha) or face the reality of the situation. I love beer, I write a blog about beer therefore I cannot and will not stop drinking beer. I briefly considered switching to light beer in a half-assed attempt at compromise which is what led me to pick up Stella Artois Light at the grocery store. Stella Artois Light is 4% - less alcohol means less calories. It tastes very similar to regular Stella Artois, which I find watery to begin with, but this stuff is even more watery than usual. It’s a regular pilsner, it can be refreshing but no more than any other beer. I doubt I would be able to taste the difference between this and any other standard pilsner. This beer has been around since 1366. That’s a pretty long time to perfect a beer. It tastes good, but it should probably taste better.

Based on Stella Artois Light I’ve decided to turn my back on light beer. I’d rather have a gut and drink real beer instead. I’m embracing my beer gut, I’m going to take pictures of its progress over the summer like an over-eager pregnant women. I might even draw faces and expressions on it with a sharpie if I’m feeling extra festive.

READER REVIEW: Edward Petrenko on LONG TRAIL BLACKBERRY WHEAT

2009-05-14T12:21:00.004-04:00

So you like tasty brews, do you?

First, before we begin, some disclosure. I'm a nice guy, possibly even a sissy. I learned in middle school that sharing was a safe way to avoid fights, and so the sharing impulse in me is strong enough by now that I don't feel like I'm getting a raw deal by giving away something of mine. But some things are so good, so deeply satisfying, that no amount of wussiness can mask my violent, violent desire for them. If I have them, I'll avoid sharing them, and if someone else has them, I'll try to take them away.
Only three things can evoke this primitive, animal rage in me: beef jerky, Pocky, and Blackbeary Wheat beer.

If you go in for actual descriptions of taste, it's comprised of two things: a very clean-tasting wheat beer, and a noticeable, not-too-sweet dash of blackberry, so you don't need to bother with orange slices or anything else that would cover up the taste of a mediocre beer. The blackberry flavour isn't so strong that it obscures the fact that this is a beer, and the beer flavour is good enough that it doesn't rely entirely on the blackberry. Having gotten drunk on it in water-deprived cottage situations, I can say that its hangover rating is Low to Non-Existant. It's a beer that embodies Vermont's love affair with harmonious hangouts.
That said, it's difficult to properly communicate how fantastic this beer really is. It's like a camping trip in a bottle. It's delicious cold, it's delicious at room temperature. Admittedly, my palate is somewhat underdeveloped, as I usually only buy the cheapest beer available (Bowe's, Alberta's Best, etc. ad nauseum), so it doesn't take much in the way of quality to impress me - but seeing as my stupid palate goes hand in hand with my habit of drinking beer only to get drunk, Blackbeary Wheat is amazing for not only making me think twice about spending the extra money for it, but for also making me drink it slow enough that I can actually taste and enjoy it. Getting drunk is incidental, it's so good.
Seeing as I've only found it in the states, it's also got the added benefit of being a premium beer that costs as much as any cheap beer in Canada. Next time you drive down to New England, I recommend picking up a Long Trail sampler pack on the way down so you can try some of their other nice beers (the Hefeweisen is nice), then once you've gotten that out of the way, max your car out with Blackbeary Wheat on the drive back up, and on every subsequent drive to the states you ever make. Careful, though, as having it on hand while driving is the world's strongest argument for pounding down road sodas.

So there. Sorry that this sounds like a paid advertisement, but when you name your blog Tasty Brews, you're going to have to endure some gushing.

Dear Edward,
Seeing as we're going to be roomates soon and all, I think we should crack open a celebratory case of this after the last of your stuff is moved in. I must say, I'm not the BIGGEST fan of fruit flavoured beers, but I'll give it a try in the name of this blog. I am especially drawn to the little to no hangover rating. Me likey.
Take care and keep drinking!
Love always,
Tasty Brews

Am I even buzzed? BUD LIGHT

2009-05-14T11:52:00.005-04:00

Wednesdays are pretty hectic for me. I work all day and then I have to get changed (refuse to be seen in public in my office clothes) and basically speed walk/run to class. I'm always 10 minutes late, who cares. Then I'm in class for an hour and 45, have 15 minutes to power smoke and grab food and some kind of energy drink and run back to class to watch a film for 2 hours.
Yesterday, the movie viewing portion of class was cancelled because the teacher FORGOT the movie (??wtf?? if I didn't have such a crush on him I'd make more fun of him) and I was left with nothing to do. I had set such a tight schedule for myself that when things fell through I was left shaking (too much caffiene) and confused. Times like these call for BREWS. Libby, Laura, Jordan and myself ventured to (for us) unexplored territory: Peel street. I knew Peel Pub has weekday deals on food and brew so we went there. The only special they had were pitchers of Bud Light for 8$. We bought one.

My initials thoughts were "is this water?" and "how does this qualify as beer?". It had a teeny tiny little malty/hoppy/whatever ingredients are in beer that make it beer taste. It was like beer's little baby brother. It reminded me of beer for a small child. Children's beer.
Regardless, I wasn't feeling like getting wasted so we drank it all up and ordered another. Follow this with a plate of ultra spicy nachos and we order ANOTHER. Libby only drank about a glass and a half so we pretty much finished three pitchers between three people. A pitcher each.
I may be an avid beer lover but I have never claimed to not be a lightweight. I will fully and proudly admit I feel tipsy after about 2 1/2-3 beers. How is it that I drank a pitcher to myself and had to ask myself and those around me "am I buzzed?"?
This beer fucking sucks. This beer makes Corona look like a 40oz of Labatt Blue 10.1%.
How do douchebag jocks drink this stuff? I guess all douchebag jocks deep down inside are little beb weiners (SHOCKING!).
I'm trying to look at the bright side of this beer and I guess if you had just ran a few miles in 40 degree celsius weather and absolutely needed something to drink but it HAD to be beer you'd probably want to go with this guy because at the very most it would hydrate you?

We also got a scratch ticket with every pitcher and eventually won a free Bud Light hat. We all tried it on and it transformed the girls into Car Show babes and Jordan into an 11 year old going to NASCAR with his dad.
All in all I have to give this beer a major thumbs down.
Sorry Bud Light, not even if you were the last brew on earth...

2009-05-08T17:23:00.002-04:00

Ok so I really feel like drinking brews tonight. I didn't think I did when I woke up this morning as I drank a few too many CORONA'S last night (is that even physically fucking possible?) and ended up ranting and raving to my roomate about shit that made no sense ("i could never live with my brother, like what the fuck man, who the fuck does that? who lives with their brother? thats so fucking sketchy. thats just wierd"---actually makes no sense).
Anyway, its the magic hour, its 5pm, and I've been cooped up in an office all day, I just want to break free and sip on brews in the company of a few friends.
I'm really craving boreale rousse. Biftek?

Sara Gaudard goes to Brutopia

2009-05-08T17:14:00.000-04:00

A few weeks ago, I had to go to some stupid school function at Brutopia. Since my friend and I know the organizing committee, we got a bunch of free drink tickets and used them to our advantage. Normally I would stick with Raspberry beer, my personal favourite from B'topia, but since I wasn't paying I decided to try the Honey brew. After 2 tangy raspberry pints, the honey went down so smooth and delicious, I sipped about 5 of them. The next thing I knew it was 2:30AM and I had to get up for work in 5 hours.Let me tell you, honey beer (or maybe the mix of raspberry and honey) handed me the WORST heartburn/acid reflux the next morning. I could feel waves of acidity spalshing up into my throat, and I ended up eating 5 Tums for breakfast. Let the record show that my friend had not the benefit of Tums and when we had class at 6 she was STILL suffering. We both felt incredibly revolting and like we might die until the next morning.From past experience I would advise that you stay away from the IPA beer because, well, it tastes a lot like soap. Next time I go I would probably try some of the seasonals... I think they have a maple one and something about apricot which I would try, and maybe one of the wheaty ones.

Reader Review: Meaghan Kelly drinks GUINESS

2009-05-08T17:09:00.002-04:00

BEFORE I POST HER REVIEW, MAY I SAY THAT GUINESS IS THE BEST BREW OF ALL TIME. THANK YOU.

Preface: I was casually perusing through the many tasty brews which have been reviewed on this wonderful blog, hoping to find one to purchase for myself tonight in celebration of being one week closer to freedom. It came to my attention that, while there is a plethora of exotic and interesting brews to choose from, one of the most classic brews - and a personal favourite of one of the founding members of this blog - has never been reviewed!
As a general rule, I tend to be an enjoyer of light beers. I'm a bit of a wuss when it comes to alcohol in general and anything with too much "punch" usually leaves me feeling a little bit too sorry for myself the next day. Corona and white beers have always been my favourites to sip on when I'm craving some down time, that is, until Guinness entered my life!
Before I dive into a wordy review of the "unique Irish stout" (from the website), I should advise you, that I am no expert on the enjoyment and quality of brews, my effects and hangover reports will always leave much to be desired as I tend to avoid hangovers at all costs by enjoying a limited amount of beer at once. Due to this fact however, my ability to remember the feelings evoked when sipping the brew are quite possibly the best this blog has ever seen!
Now onto my review...
I spent a little time on the Guinness website, which, aside from being aesthetically pleasing, offers quite a bit of information and history about the stout! A nifty little time line allows you to follow the many steps mister Guinness took to perfect his beloved product! It offers a web-store and advertising section through which you can view a bunch of their best ads! The "beer" section offers a mouth watering description of the beer and gives instructions on how to properly pour the draught stout. While I could never provide as succulent a description as the website does, I would say this beer reminds me of all things comfort; of snuggies, spooning, baby animals and great nights with good friends! From the sort of coffee flavoured (my personal opinion) frothy top, down to the satisfying last sip, this beer makes for a very enjoyable sipping experience! After years of my leprauchaun-like Father pushing Boston Celtics tee-shirts on me, and forcing me to sing along to "When Irish Eyes are Smiling", you'd think I'd have come to enjoy this traditional Irish beverage a little sooner in my life...but I only really discovered my love for it last year! Needless to say that it is now at the top of the list when deciding what to order at my favourite local watering hole! I don't tend to buy it for myself outside of bars because I don't enjoy beers that come in cans very much, and I've been told it just isn't the same from a bottle!
Sometimes, when I'm alone, I sit and think fondly about the friendly chats and warm snuggly feeling this brew has provided me with, and those are the nights I end up sitting across from a friend at a dimly lit pub somewhere slowly enjoying every sip of a tall, dark glass of Guinness.

Dear Meaghan,
You don't know how proud I am of you right now. I know you're not exactly a lover of beers (dirty martinis are your thing), and to read this right now almost brings a tear to my eye. Guiness is the most delicious brew of all time and I couldn't be happier that you can enjoy it along with me. Its not too bad from a can, you need to pour it into a pint class and then it rules. BEER!
Love always,
Tasty Brews

CINCO DE MAYO + CORONA

2009-05-05T17:26:00.006-04:00

I would love to know what the hell this holiday is. I could probably google it, or check wikipedia out, but I don't feel like opening another window or tab right now so I'm just going to speculate that it has something to do with getting drunk. Off Corona. Or Tecate.
In celebration of Cinco de Mayo, I hit up Carlos and Pepe's for lunch with Andrew and Lib Lib.
I ordered myself a refreshing Corona and was immediately transported back to this time last year. I had surgery to remove a massive cyst from my left ovary (sidenote: cyst may have contained hair and finger nails) and was given 6 weeks off to "recover". I recovered in about 5 days and for the next month and a bit I sat outside everyday drinking those big bottles of Corona. The dep was directly across the street from my old place and I'd get nice and comfy on the stoop and polish off a few bottles of this delicious golden brew, obtaining the perfect afternoon secret-buzz.
Corona may be considered by some to be the drink of pussies or rich douchebags , but I'll have to disagree. Yes its kind of expensive, but that adds to the beauty of feeling pampered when you're drinking it. It doesn't boast a high alcohol percentage either, but that means you can get away with drinking a few of these on your lunch break at work without getting caught.
I'm personally a fan of anything that tastes better with a lime floating in it as well.
When I drink corona, I DONT feel like a degenerate dirt bag piece of shit, even if I'm really drunk and trashing someone's house. No matter what I've ingested prior, put a Corona in my hand and I won't feel anything less than pretty fancy and really classy.
Corona is the perfect summer brew and as soon as I'm finished work I plan on stopping by the dep and grabbing 2 big bottles of it. Who wants to drink some with me in my backyard tonight?

SUMMER OF BREW

2009-04-23T08:50:00.004-04:00

With the pressure of school all semester, I found it very difficult to make time to sit down with new brews and review them. But summer is upon us friends!! This weekend the forecast is calling for 25 degree weather!!! Perfect for not only outdoor brew drinking, but also for new and exotic brew experimentation!!!!
Send your reviews to us:

tastybrews@gmail.com !!!

sendsendsendsendsendsend

HIGHER PLACES VOLUME 2 - NAVIGATOR. by TAYLOR

2009-04-05T19:31:00.004-04:00

hello dear internet booze hounds. i have been toiling away trying to find the gnarliest brews in the world which is why i have not posted any new reviews, or maybe it was because i drank all the gnarly brews and forgot to write a review. anyways, here is my review of the mighty NAVIGATOR 8.4%.

i liked this beer, and have had it since. goes well with a six pack of discount brand beer. it also looks like motor oil.

the end.

Saint Ambroise Oatmeal Stout

2009-04-05T03:48:00.010-04:00

Its no surprise, I love stout beers. So its a given that I fucking adore Saint Ambroise's oatmeal stout.

I've had this delicious brew on a few occasions, although this was my first out of the bottle experience. I was somewhat disappointed. Like Guiness, this is a brew that really tastes best with a mighty head of delicious caramely foam. Guiness in a can boasts a "widget", a little ball guy that hangs around inside the can, and when opened and poured helps create this delicious foam. When its in a bottle, this doesn't really work and I was left with a rather thick brew. Not that I'm complaining, this beer is really delish. Its just that it tasted more syrupy from the bottle.

Regardless, I drank a few of these guys, shoved a few more in my purse and headed off to a party at LBH. Shit got crazy and next thing I know I was gulping these down and even spraying it around the room. Shared a pretty intense moment with Dan when I gave him a sip and he then spat it back into my own mouth. I'd like to think it has more to do with us being buds than him not enjoying the amazing taste.
I'll level with you here--This beer rules, and did contribute to me dancing on a table screaming along to DuHast, BUT:
it is 100% better on tap. I've have it as a pint and even combined with cider in the one and only "Black Velvet" (BEST DRINK) and out of the bottle somewhat pales in comparison. Its also not the best choice of brew for partying and spitting in people's faces when you could do the same with a 6 pack of Boreale rousse that's about 3-4 bucks cheaper. BUT, if you're a true stout fan like myself, I suggest buying it if you feel like being kinda fancy. I wouldn't recommend excessive dancing though, as its thick and my stomach felt all frothy after.

IM BACK

2009-03-19T19:35:00.004-04:00

Ok so I haven't posted in forever and I feel like a dirt bag piece of shit for that. Tasty brews are some of my most favorite things and I cannot believe I have been neglecting the blog like this. I promise this won't happen again. School has really been cutting into my brew drinking but with this beautiful weather we've been having, all I can think about is how much I want to crack brews on a stoop of some sort, or maybe even a park bench. I'm even craving a comfortable alley! Speaking of which, last fall Kristina and I discovered a GREAT drinking alley if you're in the plateau. There is a dep on the southwest corner of Mount Royal at Saint Laurent called Ali Baba or something and right next to it there's an alley. If you squeeze behind the dumpster there are bright lights, CHAIRS and even some metal bins to rest your brew on. Totally hidden, the cops won't bust you.
In other news, GROLSH is on sale at IGA right now. 6 pack for 6.99 or a 12 pack for 14.99$. I was never a huge fan of Grolsh because I couldn't stand the taste of it from the can. Something about the flavor of the beer mixing with the tin left a nasty taste in mouth. I was rather broke last weekend so I opted for whatever was on sale and thoroughly enjoyed the taste of it from a bottle! I also chilled my beer mug in the freezer for a half hour beforehand and that ruled too.
Anyway, I'm just really exited to drink in parks, alleys, porches, stoops and my own backyard this summer! BBQS! WEEE!

can I borrow a feeling?

2009-03-04T14:33:00.002-05:00

A couple of weeks ago I was feeling pretty fancy. I had just started my spring break, was hanging out with my 2 bffs, eating general tao tofu watching the westminster dog show and I believe it was payday too. Talk about the stars aligning. Needless to say I was fiending for a treat and I decided to try some Mystique Light Cider, which i’d had my eye on for a while. My only other experience with cider were a few misadventures in england (strongbow, yikes) but the box was a pretty, non-threatening colour and had nice apples all over it so I purchased it (although at $16 for 6 bottles this shit was no bargain) with high hopes. This beverage is sparkly like 10k gold and it tasted like apple juice mixed with white wine with a little extra pizzazz. Since this is 4.5% I would recommend it for a relaxed drinking environment; I will keep this in mind for the summer because I make a dynamite white sangria, I think that’s about all this stuff is good for. Its a bit bland for party drinking and I would recommend it to the ladies rather than men. This shit made me so emotional, it basically led to a 2 hour argument about Sex and the City (me pro, Jordan con) and then a total sobfest on the couch until about 4am. The box had some promising phrases written on it but I experienced neither “paradise regained” or “new temptation” and if by “taste of celebration” they mean the sugary bile taste of the morning after then I think I’d prefer some other taste from now on.

Fruity Brews Reviews with Jordan

2009-02-20T19:21:00.005-05:00

Hi Tasty Brews!

Long time lurker, first time reviewer. When I was selecting which brews to get for this feature, I first thought it'd be fun to go for gnarly-as-fuck, mega high percentage beers but Taylor beat me to it. I then spotted some of those disgusting cooler drinks that 16 year-olds buy to get a totally sweet buzz-on before they hit up Club Dome, or whatever the hell it is kids do, and decided it'd be equally funny/masochistic to review a couple of these monstrosities. I settled on a big bottle of Hard Ice Vodka Drink, a single bottle of "RumTiki Pineapple" and a 40 of Colt 45 in a vain attempt to keep it reals and not look like a complete puss. It didn't work: the guy at the cash made jokes about Steenz, Stef and I all being queens. I mumbled something about how they were for my little sister and headed for the door, a couple of teenage girls giggling as I shuffled by. I walked back to the apartment, undaunted and excited to get my brew on, loudly singing the Ja Rule song "Livin' It Up".

I started with the RumTiki Pineapple. As you can tell by my face in the pictures, my immediate reaction was, "Urghh argh what?? Ick blech no really wtf ew." This bastard tasted like carbonated corn syrup and melted jolly ranchers. That's bad, FYI. "RumTiki Pineapple: you taste like a butt." Were my exact words. After finishing the bottle, I immediately downed two glasses of water and was still left feeling dehydrated. The worst thing about this brew was that the sugar in it hit me like a ton of bricks: I immediately felt super hyper and "amped" afterwards, which is no fun when you really don't want to be "amped". This stuff made me more twitchy and anxious than any amount of Red Bull ever has. It was going to be a long night.

I went with the Colt next, thinking that I'd need much more liquid confidence before I tackled that giant bottle of vodka stuff (I just shivered at the thought of it). Colt 45 is a malt liquor, comparable in flavour to Olde English. It was consumed and celebrated by early 90's West Coast rappers and it is basically the jam. It is a perfect summer brew because you can drink it all day without ever getting too shitty. It also makes you feel like you're in a Dr Dre video, which is awesome. It is preferably consumed on a roof with friends, at a kick-ass evening barbecue or on your lunch break for the perfect sneaky worktime buzz. I think Billy Dee Williams sums it up best:
.

Caption: "I gotta tell ya something... Baaaaahh, you don't care."

Anyways, this brew tasted like sweet, heavenly freedom after that RumTiki barf. I've never enjoyed it as much as I did in that moment. I drank and watched a dog show with the sound off, blasting Alexisonfire and Andrew W.K. from Dave's laptop and generally having the best time. I also think bumming and blow jays were discussed at length, but it is at this point that my memory gets a little hazy. In short, Colt 45 rules. It will make you want to jump around and laugh about how everyone else is stupid and you and your pals are the coolest, smartest, funniest, handsomest people ever. Some people may say it's not the tastiest of brews but I usually can't hear those people because I'm too busy dancing spastically to G-Unit and making butt sex jokes.

Finally, I drained my 40 and decided to man up and take on the Hard Ice Vodka. What can I say? This stuff is the worst. This stuff is Satan. This stuff is so bad it makes Vietnam look like the Jungle Book. I'm not even kidding. How the hell do girls drink this? This is supposed to be more palatable than beer? It's sweeter than raw sugar, has the consistency of warm molasses and tastes like flat 7-Up mixed with expired cough medicine. Fuck this shit right in it's stupid Hard Ice face. I don't even remember how I finished this bastard. I do, however, remember crying on the couch with Steenz because of it. It even gave me a hangover! I never get hangovers! I spent the next morning in bed, watching this video

over and over, h8n lyfe more than I ever have before, praying for 6 o'clock a.k.a. The Magic Hour to come. Never again.

Bottom line: alcohol is the best!
Love, Jordan.

Reader Review: Louis Dupras on Non-Alcoholic Becks

2009-02-10T19:30:00.003-05:00

xNon-alcoholic Beck'sx

First off, being straight edge makes reviewing a non alcoholic beer quite a feat. The reason is simple: I don't have a carousel of tasty alcohol-free brews at my whim! To my knowledge, Beck's is the only brand that sells a malt beverage that contains less than .5% alcohol by volume. But don't let that fool you; this sweet nectar has the full bodied taste of a fine imported beer, not unlike Heineken I believe.

From what I understand of the manufacturing, they to stop the fermentation before alcohol can form (thanks wikipedia). But not before it achieves the distinctive and delicious aroma of a Beck's, hence its light amber colour and bitter yet sweet taste.

I enjoy drinking "fake Beck's" at parties, get-togethers or wherever (regular?)people drink regular beer. Therefore I don't feel left out and it also serves as a great conversation sparker for socially-awkward people like me (Are you still straight edge? what's new?How have you been? Yes and not much, things have been great.)

I also like to drink it at home sometimes while watching movies. If my roommate Greg's around he'll make fun of me saying it's not "edge"!! 0.0 fucking percent!!!! there's more alcohol in Scope. Keep drinking your protein shakes buddy, I'll be enjoying my refreshing Beck's.

Anyways, non-alcoholic Beck's is nice alternative to soda and highly recommended if you want the great taste of beer without the hangover (or puking in someone's van!)

Dear Louis,
We feel bad that you will never know the exhilaration one feels when attempting to roll down the window of a moving van while projectile vomiting at the same time. On the other hand, you never wake up simultaneously clutching your head and gut feeling like you're about to die. Great review! And please keep us in mind when you (hopefully) start drinking the real thing.
Love always,
TastyBrews

2009-02-10T19:25:00.001-05:00

yep, this is real.

possibly the best beer that has ever been drunk

2009-02-01T18:01:00.001-05:00

Dear tasty brews broads,

This is a review of quite possibly one of the best and definitely one of my favorite beers, Boreale rousse. I have drank this delicious brew for many many years, its always been a staple of my brew selection, but not until recently have I truly embraced my love for this brew. I tried to research this brew but found that the website was not working. What I did find out was that Boreale's rousse, was the first rousse in quebec, which is pretty impressive considering how many rousse's we now have. In any case, I LOVE BOREALE ROUSSE. It has a delicious flavour, it fills you up in the right kind of way, and it goes well with a delicious steak. ( yes I know this reference to steak is not applicable to some of the readers of this blog, but I don’t care cause its awesome!) It also goes really well with chicken or pork chops or pasta, and of course all kinds of snacks. It is the perfect brew for watching hockey, or to enjoy an afternoon BBQ, and most notably for enjoying a band in a small illegal venue. Its amazing to have in back alleys and parks, in the late summer evening. And is not going to casue you to call you banker and tell him to move some money around from you numbered swiss accounts. One of my favorite things about this brew is the logo. Its a majestic POLAR BEAR!!! The logo has a bear so you know its awesome. Now the meat of this review. Rousse is easy to drink and delicious, and it puts you in a party mood. Some of the effects of this brew include but are not limited to; dancing, random dance party break-outs, party kicks, party punches, wacky outfit dress ups, beer thievery, bar glass robbery, shenanigans, tom foolery, tricks, bad news bears, party dives, diving into a bunch of people from a staircase, and also the need to enjoy a delicious snack afterward. Last night i started off with a six pack of rousse, and enjoyed a spirited conversation with some great people. The night then led me to a bar, where i tried to get a larger pitcher but was denied, so i got 2 personal pitchers(one for myself and one for my friend i was set to share a big pitcher with). After we finished those personal pitchers we tried to procure another set of the same but were denied by a shitty bartender who didn't want to serve us even though we had 20 minutes left to buy beer. So we found our way up stairs to another bar and got 2 pints of rousse each. But because of our time constraints we were forced to power drink the first one and this resulted in having a couple of "moments". Having been under pressure form the time constraints I decided to sneak my brew out the front door and onto the street to finish it in a colder but pressure free environment. I then got my snack craving and headed to the main where i managed to sneak my way ahead of a bunch of people and enjoyed the most delicious latke i have ever had. (no joke this thing was the shit!). The aftermath. This morning when I woke up (at 12:30) to go to work I had a slight headache, but nothing that some juice and coffee couldn't handle. Rousse didn't leave me feeling like i had been kicked in the head or stomachache. Also it didn't give me the gut rot that comes with so many other brews, you know that feeling, when you can just tell that you are gonna have some horrible beer shits. I did however have some stinky farts that made the bedroom stink all kinds. But I'm not sure if this was caused by the brew or my diet (thats a mystery for the ages).
In conclusion I LOVE Boreale rousse. Its the shit, it kicks all kinds of beer ass, and if you play your cards right it will get you some too.
Yours truly
A Bear.

Reader Review: Sara Gaudard on DUVEL

2009-01-26T13:09:00.002-05:00

Hello Tasty Brews!
Long time reader, first time reviewer here. I was planning on a cooking BONANZA this weekend (thanks again for the soup pot, Stef!) and since I seemed to have all the ingredients, I decided to make a delicious Irish stew. I had a giftcard for the SAQ, so I ran over to procure some delicious Guinness. Alas, the girl told me I could only get it from a grocery store (LIES!) AND suggested that I take Duvel instead as it was comparable.I ran home and prepared everything, taking a sip of the beer only after I had added it to the pot. I almost dropped the little glass bottle in horror!!! This was NOTHING like my beloved Guinness!!! In fact, it took me back to a time when my mom would buy Fruité fruit punch which would inevitable go bad since it was the crappiest juice ever, and would eventually ferment unnoticed under the sink until someone actually dared to drink some, and then realized it was closer to bad wine than fruit juice. Duvel is neither a stout nor in any way delicious. It tastes like ferment, if you could bottle and drink it, with a bit of an acidic lemon kick. According to their website, Duvel is a top fermented beer, with a second fermentation in the bottle. "Duvel has a fruity dry aroma, owed to the finest hops, that reminds experts like Michael Jackson of Poire William concerning its bouquet and pallet. Its dry but still alcohol-sweet flavour makes the beer an excellent thirst-quencher, with a pronounced hop aroma. Thanks to the balance between a fine aroma and subtle bitterness, this beer occupies a unique position in the rich Belgian Beer tradition. Duvel is the perfect companion for appetisers, digestives and every other occasion."Most of the rest of the site was in Belgian, so I couldn't really get more information on "storing and serving" for example, but there were some recipes, none of which being anything that I would cook (eel? rabbit? asparagus???). However I did get one interesting fact: Duvel is (or was) Belgian for DEVIL. I would tend to agree - but since it was 3.25 for 300ml, I am still going to finish off the bottle! (I will follow it up with my other purchase, Caramel Bailey's.)
PS I don't know how much this review is really worth, since I tend to stick to Keith's and Guinness, with the occasional Molson Dry or Hoegaarden.PPS As most other people do, I took a picture but I don't think everyone needs to see me in my pyjamas, with crazy hair, surrounded by cats, drinking a beer.
Sara

Dear Sara,
Fantastic review! I still can't believe that dunce at the SAQ would liken Duvel to Guiness!! What a crazy ho. I thought you had to work really hard and know a lot to get a job there. WTF. Anyway, she dumb. I'm sorry your stew got screwed up. I'm sorry you didn't like the taste, but hey not all brews are tasty. Keep drinking, we would love to read more from you!
Love always,
TastyBrews
P.S- PLEASE SUBMIT THE PIC

2009-01-23T16:26:00.003-05:00

Lately I've been so busy with school that most of my beer-related activity involves looking at this book before I go to bed:

Dave bought it for me for Christmas and it was published in October 2008 so it's super up to date and very resourceful:

I promise to drink tonight, and tomorrow night so hopefully there will be some new stuff to look at. My problem seems to be that I drink one tasty exotic brew and then follow it up with so much PBR that I forgot what the first one tasted like. I'm going to start writing notes on my hand.

Meaghan Kelly on Samuel Adam's Winter Lager

2009-01-20T23:36:00.003-05:00

I wish to preface this review with a small disclaimer:

In no way am I a connoisseur of brews, nor am I witty or clever and therefore this review may be a little weak at the seams compared to the caliber of charming and well-read reviewers Tasty Brews is used to, but as a casual brew sipper I very much enjoyed this Winter treat and felt it deserved it's own review!

Sam Adams Winter Lager would be best enjoyed in a small pub by a fireplace listening to some live acoustic guitar on a snowy night in a small town. That being said, the experience was just as wonderful when seated at an over crowded University bar in Boston with a Juke Box belting out Johnny Cash.

There is something about the warm, spicy Christmas feel of this brew that makes me want to curl up and take it to bed with me. It's the kind of warmth that could make a first date memorable, or bring two friends closer together.

That being said, it's also the kind of beer that could easily lead to being "creep-up-drunk" which happens to me when a beer is so easy to sip that I don't realize how many I have enjoyed. Unfortunately for this review, my budget limited me to one Winter Lager and I cannot produce a proper "effects report" except for that it made me want to hug people and tell them all my secrets.

As for the hangover, I once again cannot report for several reasons:
1. I enjoyed a few other beverages which could have affected it
2. Libby provided me with abundant amounts of water and advil before bed
3. I only had one

I wouldn't even know what to compare this brew to if I tried. The best I can come up with is that it reminds me of Christmas, Snow days, Best Friends, First Dates, Fireplaces and Cinnamon Apple Cider all at once.

I recommend this brew to anyone at all, particularly to people who, like myself, enjoy a good, tasty beer but wouldn't know one reddish colored, cinnamon flavored brew from the next.

Yay Tasty Brews!

Meaghan

Dear Meaghan,
You have successfully made our mouths actually water. Your descriptions are ever so accurate and I'm certain will convince our readers into going somewhere that isn't Quebec in order to pick themselves up a case of these and drink their winter sorrows away. Or at the very least, embrace winter and give it a "cheers" with a mug full of this tasty brew!
Love always,
TastyBrews

SHUCKS!

2009-01-16T13:52:00.003-05:00

WTFFFFF
Tasty Brews cannot die!
I have been slacking lately due to no batteries for my camera, being poor, going to school, etc.
But I went to Boston and tried new brews! I tried BLUE MOON, which Laura Lloyd reviewed here. We (Steena, Libby and I) actually all tried Blue Moon, Pale Moon and...Half Moon? I forget what the last one was but we tried it. Libby has the pictures so its up to her to send them to us so we can post our reviews.

ALSO: NO ONE sends us reviews anymore. I know for a fact that Meaghan Kelly tried Sam Adam's Winter Lager in Boston and needs to submit something ASAP.
OH AND when we were in Boston we saw the Sam Adam's brewery and I am so so so mad that we didn't take any pictures :(

3 little brews

2009-01-10T00:18:00.006-05:00

I’m sitting in my basement after a very long and productive day of doin’ shit like an adult I decided to reward myself for my hard work and dedication to life by cracking open some assorted brews.

1st guy - Red Stripe lager

This stuff comes from Jamaica originally. it’s a nice light beverage at 4.7% and comes in adorable little bottles called stubbys and has a charmingly retro label. These beers are so adorable you could drink like 10 of them because they are so tiny and inconspicuous and not realize you were wasted. Even if you did drink 10, which I have never done (yet), I guarantee it would be 100% fun.
Red Stripe gets very high marks in my books and also they sponsor the Jamaican bobsled team how cool is that? maybe not. But I think it’s funny that this beer comes from Jamaica because if you lived there why would you need to drink beer?

anyway, on to the next guy - Tsingtao beer from China

THIS SHIT TASTES REALLY BAD. At least I got it for free. It tastes like a shitty version of Grolsch which is already shitty. It also has a weird tinny taste even though it comes from a bottle! Maybe it has lead in it cause I feel like everything that comes from China has some kind of weird shit in it? Is that racist? Sorry. Anyway this stuff is really popular in China and I feel sad for them.

beer 3 - Hockley Dark Ale - proudly crafted in Ontario, Canada

I purchased this at the beer paradise that is the LCBO, this guy is really tasty. It has a nice coffee/chocolatey undertone to it, but maybe I only tasted that because I’m really hungry. It’s not as good as Harpoon Brewery’s chocolate stout but it gives it a run for it’s money, especially since this beer is available forever, unlike the chocolate stout (thanks, dicks at harpoon brewery). I’m definitely going to stock up on this the next time I drive to Ontario, I like it better than Guiness even though they are pretty similar. This beer wins for tonight, maybe cause I’m slightly buzzed and it’s the last one I’m drinking tonight. who knows....

sorry all the pictures are bad and look like they’ve been taken in a mirror fuck you macbook pro.

tasty brews tribute

2009-01-03T13:37:00.003-05:00

This post is dedicated to my father Finn, who has drank an estimated 40,000 beers in his lifetime, possibly even more, we may never know. and he isn't stopping anytime soon.

This is a picture of my Dad holding the "only thing he has ever won in his life" a trophy that says Molson on it which he earned in a beer chugging contest, even though he says he technically cheated cause he barfed so much. As you can see he looks quite proud:

Does this post make my dad seem like an alcoholic? It wasn't supposed to whoops lol. He is just a red-blooded, descended-from-vikings, Danish fun-time-party guy. And I think he deserves a tribute post because I have cultivated my love of beer due to this man's influence.

Reader Review: Andrew Dukaczewski on Holsten

2008-12-31T09:52:00.004-05:00

Dear tasty brews,
long time reader, first time contributor. i picked up this little can prior to Christmas eve dinner. Holsten, founded in 1879 in Germany, makes some serious brews in their six breweries across Germany. they have recently been bought up by Carlsberg, one of the largest beer exporters across the UK. Its biggest-selling product is the premium brand Holsten Pilsener sold on the German market. wow! glad i got this one, also fun fact, Holsten Export brewed under license by Shepherd Neame is also suitable for vegetarians. so does this make this beer all natural? healthy beer drinking is good, for the body and mind. so after a few bottles of wine and a full meal in me, i cracked this can open and let my senses to the judging.
first off smell, it had a light sweet aroma to it, similar to a corona or any other "light" beer. secondly, and most important to the process, taste! well after a first baby sip i found that it left an aftertaste similar to drinking espresso. more of a coffee flavor, looking back i guess it was more bitter but still quite smooth on the pallet. for a 7% alc/vol beer i could surely taste the alcohol in it, and with in fifty percent completion of my brew i could feel a light buzz going on. couldn't tell what the color of it was since i drank out of the can, but after further research it's a "dark brown, with a subtle orange "glow", and opaque". i like my beers to have a "glow" it add's to the adventure of drinking it. it's a cost effective brew, for only 2.80$ plus tax for a half litre. to be quite honest i was sold more on the name and design on the beer. since it's a "festbock" meaning that they only made this type of beer once a year for festival purposes, while the "maibock" is brewed all year round. only had one can, so having two or more would lead to a healthy brew buzz and would be ideal for transport to party's and back alley drinking. i give it a solid one and half high fives

best regards,
Andrew

dailysin.blogspot.com

Dear Andrew,
We at TastyBrews have been very interested in and curious about these "festi beers", beer brewed only once a year, usually with a higher alcohol percentage and released right around the holidays. Thanks for the great review! Keep drinking! P.S Will you ever be submitting your other contribution ("Mah Dranks!") to the blog?
Love always,
TastyBrews

SALE SALE SALE

2008-12-29T11:51:00.002-05:00

IGA is having a pretty good sale for everyone's tastes (until Jan.1):

24 of Alexander Keith's for 22.95$!!
They still have 12 packs of Beck's for 11.99$
6 packs of Hoegaarden for 8.99$ (not super cheap but for a fancier brew not a bad deal)
Big bottles of Unibroue beers, 2 for 9 bucks.

Whenever I see sales or just deps that are cheap as shit in general I will post!

All I want for Christmas is BREW

2008-12-29T11:35:00.002-05:00

and brew I did receive!
I took a picture but I can't upload anything at work. Taylor gave me a big 'ol bunch of awesome looking brews and then we hit up the LCBO on Saturday and I amassed even more gems. I picked myself up a can of Gosser because after reading Casey's review I am extremely curious. Got a few cans of London Porter, some bottles of Sinha and a few other tasty treats. Among the beers that Taylor gave me, a light looking brew from New Zealand def has my interest.
I'm pretty sure I am going to end up drinking all of these on Wednesday night and will prob forget what everything tastes like. I will try my best to jot things down as I go.
Speaking of which, what is everyone doing for New Year's?? I know of a party...it should be good....

Reader Review: Katharine Ann Stein on Bass Amber Ale

2008-12-27T20:29:00.004-05:00

Drunk Off My Bass!
The Story of an Amber Ale that Made Me Stop Being Mean To My Coworkers For a Minute and Instead Get Wasted With Them.

Sup Brews,

Yesterday I woke up with a Christmas hangover (strike 1) and then I spent 11 hours worming my way through throngs of 12 year old girls with nothing in my tummy but 2 rockstars and a donut (Strike 2). Needless to say, by 9:30 mini brew-shaped cataracts were dancing around my eyeballs and I was willing to go anywhere (mckgibbons) with anyone (my coworkers) to satisfy my thirst. And satisfy my thirst I did! Turns out everyone’s favourite overpriced Irish pub has Bass Amber Ale on tap. At 8 bucks a pint I could only afford three but after a few back alley bong hits my extroverted alter ego was patting my male coworkers on the back and giving the females shitty relationship advice! Don’t worry, when I go back to work tomorrow I’m going to play it cool and act like nothing happened!

According to their super comprehensive Wikipedia page, the Bass Brewery opened in Burton upon Trent in 1777 and its red triangle logo (see below) was Britain’s first registered trademark. Other ways Bass made history: saying “Ah, that’s Bass” in Ireland is slang for saying your thirst has successfully been quenched, medical students in a portion of Joyce’s Ulysses are eternally knocking it back, and remember that Manet painting that turned jonesin’ for a brewski a legitimate way to pass the time in your art history class (and should also maybe be modified and turned into a Tasty Brews logo)? Those impressionistic red triangles are unmistakable.

Unfortunately, the bar wench hated me due to previous escapades (another story for another blog) and my Bass had been sitting on the bar for so long before it was brought to my table that it was lukewarm and there was virtually no head. Regardless, the beer tasted better than oasis water and for the next 2 pints I sought the services of a different bartender who served me delicious, ice cold bass with gratuitous amounts of head. I’m not familiar with beer tasting jargon so I’m going to describe it as “smooth and tasty.” It didn’t transport me to the astral plane buzz-wise, but on the mad-dash back to the bathroom to retrieve the wallet I had left on the toilet dispenser, I backhanded a meathead who called me a dyke. If you talk like a bitch, you get smacked like a bitch. And I got my wallet back.

-K.S.

Thank you so much for this informative and hilarious review, Katharine! I have no doubt that you'll be a great contributor to Tasty Brews seeing as I have the pleasure of getting wasted with you like, every weekend.

ALSO,

2008-12-23T11:17:00.001-05:00

No one is submitting reviews anymore!!
Tried a Tasty Brew?? Partied so hard you forgot everything about what you did and where you were and who you were with and what your name is BUT you remember how awesome the drank was and maybe even pissed your pants (Taylor) ?? TELL US ABOUT IT!

TASTYBREWS@GMAIL.COM

UMMMM

2008-12-23T10:25:00.001-05:00

It has been brought to my attention that Dave Harris has a beer making kit. DAVE, LETS MAKE SOME BREWS AND PRAY THEY'RE TASTY!!

HOEGAARDEN

2008-12-19T17:13:00.007-05:00

I had actually never tried this brew until last night. Met up with Kristina and headed over to the Underworld venue to see the Cancer Bats. Before entering a sea of 14 year olds with pink hair ready to "mosh" aka do that stupid motorcycle thing with their hands in the air, we slipped into Saint-Elizabeth for a drink. Kinda bummed when the waitress informed me they don't have pitchers so I went for one of their cheapest pints. One of those happened to be Hoegaarden! I decided to try it in the name of this blog. I was pleasantly surprised when the waitress returned and plunked this down in front of me:

I don't know if you can tell how big this glass was. This picture isn't doing it justice. Here:

It was like a small bucket of beer.

This brew was pretty tasty. I have drank its cheaper alternative, Boréal BLANCHE, before. They taste basically the same although Hoegaarden didn't really have that "Mister Clean" or Pinesol essence that BB does. It also tasted a little grainy. Maybe my glass was dirty but it seemed as though there was a sediment floating around it, but barely noticeable and not unpleasant either.

Found out that Hoegaarden brewery (Belgium) also produces Leffe, Hoegaarden rose (I can't make an accent on this keyboard), Hoegaarden citron, Das, Speciale CRU and something called "Forbidden Fruit". I am pretty interested in trying that one.
Wish I could have ingested like 5 of those big 'ol glasses but I had to work today and I am also pretty poor right now. Probably would have made this post much more interesting.

new layout (for now)

2008-12-16T23:44:00.001-05:00

YES OR NO???
(not permanent, just for now)

2008-12-16T19:18:00.005-05:00

I sampled many, many brews last saturday night but I knew it was time to call it quits when I found myself wrestling with my boyfriend for piss-warm cans of Old Milwaukee’s Best.

Here is what I remember:

Brew 1 - Liefmans Frambozenbier, from Belgium 4%
I’ve only been able to buy this stuff at this one Couche Tard in NDG. I first sampled it a few summers ago and always considered it to be a tasty foreign present, probably because I enjoy unwrapping the purple paper. Sadly, I was wrong. This shit tastes like Ribena, it was really syrupy and you could barely taste the alcohol. The beer is dark and fruity, with little carbonation and it tastes a whole lot like raspberries. I’ve had other so-called “fruit” beers before but this stuff basically tastes like a combination of beer and wine poured together. Needless, to say I was disappointed.

Brew 2 - Belhaven’s Twisted Thistle Pale Ale (whoa) 6%

This beer originates in Scotland and as you might imagine it was quite bitter and skunky but not too unpleasant despite it being 6%. It probably tasted even more bitter due to the fact I drank it right after the raspberry one but whatever. I found that this beer tasted a little bit like pine needles, and I do not consider this an asset.

These beers were pretty interesting but I wouldn’t go out of my way to seek them out.

I later consumed PBR, Budweiser and OMB and by the end of the night I was screaming at my boyfriend “order me a pizza, bitch” seconds before I passed out face down on his bed. The next morning was pretty brutal, but I think it had more to do with the fact that I sampled so many different beers.

Hangover tip: greasy breakfast, if you don’t puke it back up again, is truly the best remedy.

Constructive Criticism

2008-12-15T20:05:00.005-05:00

An anonymous user posted this in response to Casey's blog:

"...there is however no effect report. some of the readers of this blog might be interested in the post party aftermath and also the level of courage that was achieved with said brew.
Just curious.

sincerly, Curious George."

This brings up a good point. When I originally posted that I wanted people to write reviews, I also included that I would love it if people submitted stories of anything that happened after/during drinking a specific brew or even combination of brews. Unfortunately, not EVERY submission can include this because some people write reviews after drinking only one brew. Therefore, not all reviews will contain a drunken story, some form of wasted epiphany, inebriated debauchery....you get the picture. Although, I do agree that an adventure story and aftermath report would make for more well-rounded posts. This lies not only in our hands here at Tasty Brews, but in you, the reader/reviewer as well. Keep the e-mails coming and I promise more thorough blogs to come.

Reader Review: Casey Scheibling on Gösser

2008-12-15T14:46:00.008-05:00

To Perch(Stef) and Steena, here is a review of brew which is very tasty.

I always find it exciting buying beer in Ontario. Their LCBO's usually have an enormous section of domestic and foreign beers, most of which I've never seen in Quebec. In the past 2 years, I've had the chance to go to Ottawa a ton of times to see friends, shows and waste money on shitloads of tasty brews.

Last Wednesday, I took the greyhound to Ottawa to visit my friend Brittany and the first pitstop I made was to the LCBO on King Edward and Rideau. They have those self-serve cardboard 8-pack cases that you can cruise around with and fill up. 8 is so much more awesome than 6. I spent about 20 minutes browsing and then my 8-case was ready to go.

Here I am:In The LCBO

The first brew that I cracked was unexpectedly the best one of the bunch. This was an Austrian lager called Gösser.Gösser claims to be "Austria's Finest Beer" since 1860 and the "most popular beer in the federal state of Styria". After tasting it, I don't doubt it. There were 2 varieties, both of which I tried, 330ml green bottles and tall boy cans.

Upon cracking open the can, the first thing I noticed was the skunky aroma. This beer had a very similar smell to other "green beers" like Germany's Becks and Holland's Grolsch. Like Becks, the taste of the beer was not as skunky as the smell. My first gulp went down very easily and I realized that this was probably one of the most delicious and refreshing beers I've ever tasted. Although being 5.2% alcohol, Gösser tasted very, very light. Going down felt like drinking a fizzy, light pilsner and the aftertaste had a nice sweet and spicy hoppy flavor. The aftertaste was not one that lingers around in your mouth until you take another sip or eat something, it was just a nice tart finish. When poured into a glass, Gösser was light gold in color and had a very white, thin head. The only difference between the bottle and the can that I noticed was the beer in the can being slightly more carbonated.

Tall Can

Bottle

All this said, this is one of those beers that is so good that I could sit down, drink 2 of them with a meal and enjoy every drop OR drink about 10 and not even notice because it is so easy-drinking. I recommend this brew for anyone who is a fan other green bottle euro-beers like Becks, Heineken or even Stella Artois. I will definitely be picking up more of these whenever I have the chance.

Sidenote: My father is down with the Gösser and noted that I actually brought home "decent" beers from Ottawa this time and not "that malt liquor shit".
LOVE,CASEY

Dear Casey,

Great review! Love the photo of you picking out brews. Next time you're in Ottawa pick us up a can or ten! Thanks!!!!

Love always,

TastyBrews

BECK'S

2008-12-15T12:06:00.008-05:00

I know I'm not introducing anyone to a new brew here, but I still had a wonderful time with it on Saturday night.
It all started when I went to IGA to grab a frozen pizza for Libby and I to enjoy. As I was paying at the cash, a giant Christmas tree shaped display of green cases caught my attention. 12 packs of Becks forming a triangle. Cute. Then I looked at the sign taped to one of the cases and saw something that confused me: 12 pack de BECK'S @ 11.99$. ???? Really? I even checked to make sure it wasn't non-alcoholic Beck's, as this is a mistake I've seen a few people make (meaghan). Regularly priced at like 20 bucks I couldn't pass up this deal.

Kristina, Dave, Taylor and Laura came over and we all drank our brews (many exotic ones had by them after a visit to the beer section of the SAQ). Headed over to friendship cove (Happy B-day Dan) and Kat, Steena and myself found a cozy nook upstairs and started drinking some more. I managed to drink about 7 brews, after giving one to Dan that he promptly chugged in 2 seconds, too fast to even capture a photo. I on the other hand, enjoyed the discount Beck's, taking my time with the delightful brew.

Despite the skunky odour, as Beck's is Heineken's lil bro (actually twins I guess since both brewerys date back to 1873), I really love this beer. Super easy to drink, great taste, etc etc. Also, drinking 7 of these resulted in a crazy deep convo about abortion, parenting and human rights. WTF! As much as we were all really into it, Dan lightened the mood by swooping in and chugging that beer I was talking about earlier

Alas, its nothing new that Beck's is considered a tasty brew but I highly suggest getting to an IGA asap and buying yourself a case on sale!

Reader Review: Laura Lloyd on Blue Moon

2008-12-10T12:51:00.006-05:00

Blue Moon - A Beer Review

I was sitting in Don Pedro's, a quiet little bar in Brooklyn just acouple weeks ago, having a nice little chat with the bar man. This little chat was really me just trying to get something rather than PBR with my drink tickets. Anyway, I charmed him enough into getting him to give me his favorite brew at the expense of my drink ticket. The beer: Blue Moon. It was to be my first time.
Mr. Bartender went on to explain to me that it was a white Belgian beer best served with a slice of orange (which I did not have) and that is actually brewed in Toronto. After a little research(wikipedia) I discovered that it is in fact brewed by the Molson Coors Brewing Company, and was launched in 1995. Originally called Bellyslide Belgian White, it was created by Keith Villa, a brewmaster at Coors Field's Sandlot Brewery.
The beer is orange-amber in color with a cloudy appearance because it is unfiltered. It is also spiced with coriander and orange peel in addition to the hops found in most beers. Blue Moon does have a more pronounced orange flavor than many other beers of the style. The grain bill for Blue Moon includes malted barley, white wheat, and oats.
My first sip of this beer was exhilarating. I don't know if it's because it was perfectly chilled, or because it was the first non-crap beer I had gotten for free in a few weeks, or if it's simply because I have a fondness for white beers, but it definitely tasted like heaven to me. Regardless, Blue Moon was aneasy-flowin'-sharply-bubbled-thirst-quenchin'-rollercoaster that had1) no bad smell 2) no bad aftertaste 3) a little hint of orange, but in a good way, not in that gross orange-chocolate type way. One could easily guzzle down six bottles of these and not feel gross, and surprisingly not have a hangover (if you're a light weight like me).
For the record, I did drink six of these and vaguely remember proposing to an American so I could get my citizenship, so if you don't want to do that, just drink 4 or something. I also played a show wearing an Elvis mask I found on the floor.
Sincerely,

laura lloyd

Dear Laura,

Its reviews like these that are exactly what Tasty Brews is all about: introducing the reader to new and awesome brews. The included pictures are truly spectacular. Thank you so much for your submission and keep reading (and drinking).

Love always,

TastyBrews

Brew Party

2008-12-09T23:12:00.010-05:00

Had a get-together Saturday night and many tasty brews were had by all!

First brew: Duchesse de Bourgogne (Belgium)
Initial thoughts: WTF!!!
This beer was incredibly fucked up (pictured above, held by Emma). I have never tasted anything quite like it before. Oh wait, I have: BALSAMIC VINEGAR! This brew tasted exactly like drinking balsamic. First let me start off by saying that I had three of the five brews that Meaghan bought me left, and this was one of them. This beer was so bizarre that I had to do a little research. According to specialtybeer.com, it is a traditional Flemish red ale and supposed to have chocolate and passion fruit flavors. Don't know if I got a bad batch or what but I tasted none of those things although it did have what they called an "acidic finish". The cool thing about this beer was that some people loved it

and others, not so much...

The room was divided (I deemed it undrinkable).
This beer is fermented twice, and does a maturation in oak barrels and shit which is cool I guess but seems more like wine than brew. We drank it right out of the bottle but pictures on the internet show that it produces a foamy head much like a stout although it isn't. Oddly enough it won the gold medal in the 2006 World Beer Championships which brings about an interesting topic of discussion; where are these championships and how do I go there?

Second brew: Hue Beer (Vietnam)
Initial thoughts: Once again, wtf?
Onto the next. A strange looking beer with a weird name and a really crappy label ( photo at the top of the page). I open it up and take a sip, expecting the worst after what I just drank. Nothing. I take another sip. Confusion. Did I get a dud beer? Had someone tricked me and somehow poured Perrier when I wasn't looking? Passed it around and everyone agreed that this beer is virtually flavorless. It makes Corona taste like Colt 45. I can't tell if this is a good or a bad thing. You could honestly get a baby or like a 10 year old or someone who despises the taste of beer drunk off this so easily (Adam Hussain, I'm talking to you). its 4.9% so its not even THAT pussy-ish either. On the other hand, for people who want an awesome flavored and tasty ass brew, this isn't even on the charts because its pretty much water that intoxicates you. I'll have to give this brew a good review because it would be great to drink on a Saturday after you've raged really hard on a Friday and are super hungover and mad at yourself for it because the REAL party is Saturday and you just cannot get any beer down but you still want to party.
I tried to find info but their website is all in Vietnamese and I couldn't find the "english" button thing anywhere so I gave up. All I could find was that it was one of the first things shipped to the states after they lifted their 30 year trade embargo against Hanoi.

Third brew: Sinha (Sri Lanka)
I didn't get a picture of me drinking this awesome thing, but trust me it was magic. An 8% stout from Sri Lanka, this is now rivaling Guiness. It tasted the same, but with a few extra and cooler flavors, was totally easy to drink and is packing a much higher percentage. The bottle is cool and the label boasts a pretty badass looking lion on it.

Anyhow, this beer was incredibly awesome, and I want to drink it all the time but I have no idea how much it costs, and I think it can only be purchased at the SAQ. The bottle says it has "aromes de chocolat, cafe et caramel", holy crap three things I like a lot. It comes from Sri Lanka (like M.I.A). Anyone looking to get me a Christmas gift: six pack of this plz plz. I highly recommend this brew to anyone who loves Guiness and higher percentage beer.

After all this we cracked open the 1.5L bottle of Heineken Kristina got me for my birthday and partied. The End!

Reader Review: Dan Pelissier on Sleeman Honey Brown

2008-12-08T21:58:00.003-05:00

In 1834, sir John Sleeman was not happy with the beers offered for public consumption at the time. The hangovers were bad and the girls didnt get any prettier and beleive me, 1834 had its fair shair of 6s9d's (6 sober 9 drunk on the pretty scale) After watching madmax 3, he decided to invent beer. he mixed all the ingredients and honey and invented the prodcut i am reviewing today, sleemans honey brown. With its bitter than sweet taste, this beer goes down easily when youre playing f.u.b.a.r and the next three cards picked after you are kings, (the dreaded waterfall, look it up) giving you an advantage to the game because this beer is a creeper, youll feel sober and think you can drive and half in on your trip to the hotdog place next to katacombes it hits you and your drunk as fuck, so careful with that. Beer is served in clear bottles meaning it can affect the taste due to the light, try to store in a cold dry place like a fridge for best resutl. once i drank 9 of these in 23 minutes and had the wildest night of my life. thank you John!

Dan,
Were you drunk when you wrote this?
Love always,
TastyBrews

FAXE

2008-12-06T20:24:00.008-05:00

This is one of the exotic and foreign brews that Meggin bought me for my birthday. A danish beer that comes in a cool looking can with a badass viking on the front.

According to Wikipedia, Faxe is a brewery located in the town of Fakse. The Brewery was found in 1901 by Nikoline and Conrad Nielsen and it is best known for its strong export beers. in 1989 Faxe Brygeri merged with Bryggerigruppen which later developed into Royal Unibrew. It is well known around Germany for its 1 litre cans.

I popped open the can and decided to take a sniff and see what my first impressions were:

I initially said that I thought it smelled like Heineken but without the skunky-ness. Meaghan pointed out that it actually smelled exactly like Corona. She was right! That is what it smelled like, but Corona without a lime shoved into it.

The first sips were smooth. I drank it really fast because I had a Heineken keg can waiting in the fridge for me. To be honest there isn't much to say about this brew. It tasted like a better than average beer but nothing remarkable or special.

Higher Places (first edition)

2008-12-03T21:51:00.001-05:00

dear readers of the extraordinary tasty brews blog,

my name is taylor. im a "professional" courrier driver by day, "professional" connoisseur of all beer high percentage by night. my first review will be of a mischevious brew i came across while i was in the united states known simply as JOOSE.

JOOSE is a 9.9% malt liquor energy drink. it comes in four flavours: orange, cranberry, blue(which i believe is along the lines of the same flavours found in a bag of blue skittles) and grape punch, also known as dragon joose. from what what i can tell, its brewed in new jersey and san diego. its very popular with the pi chi fraternity of california since it enables them to "get wild" and "go crazy". according to wikipedia, its also consumed by artists because of its energizing effects which stimulate the creative parts of the brain. im not too sure if i can believe that one but anything is possible. it has not been around for very long so there isnt much history relating to JOOSE.

i first tried the orange one during my final day in the wasteland known as the U.S of A. it is definitely the stronger tasting out of the two. it became more metallic tasting as i got towards the bottom of the can, but was still tasty enough to swill. it definitely tastes better while chilled, as with most high percentage brews.

the superior of the two is the grape. i enjoyed one of those after a black ships set in toronto in november. smooth grapey taste, crazy psychedelic effects and not too much aftertaste. drinking one or two of these will make you feel like youve done a bunch of weird drugs. great way to get some partying going since its gets you feeling all weird and preps you for a night of debauchery. enabled me to be a part of a group that amassed a 140$ bar tab in 40 minutes at sneaky dee's and not pass out.

in conlusion, if you are ever in the USA and find one of these bad boys at a 7-11 or anywhere else, pick one up, slam it behind the dumpster, go back in, buy another one and get ready for a great adventure. from what i recall they were pretty cheap. CAUTION! dont think that JOLT is an equivalent to JOOSE because it is NOT. jolt tastes pretty bad and doesnt fuck you up like joose. also, why would choose jolt over joose? joose was created for people who like to party and juggalos and jolt sounds like volt and reminds me of lame things. also, look at how jOOse is spelled! just think of how wity the marketing people must if thought they were being when they came up with that one!

your high percentage friend and advisor,

taylor

DAB

2008-12-03T10:50:00.001-05:00

My roomate Meaghan who knows me best, purchased me 5 different brews from around the world for my birthday, all of which will be featured in this blog (obvs). Last night I decided to try one out.

A little history first (info stolen from another website): DAB is a German brewery that was founded in 1868 by the businessmen Laurenz Fischer and Heinrich and Friedrich Mauritz together with master brewer Heinrich Herberz. They started exporting their beer in 1879.

My initial thoughts when first looking at the can were that a) this beer looks cool and high quality and b) what the fuck is a "Dortmunder"? and more specifically, what does "The Real Dortmunder", written across the top of the can mean?

After a little research, I found out that Dortmund is a place in Germany and DAB stands for Dortmunder Actien Brauerei (something something brewery whatever I'm sure you get it). A dortmunder is simply a pale lager.

Anyways, on to the brew. This was a pretty nice drink. Very smooth and light. Reminiscent of Grolsh but a LOT better. Virtually no after taste. I could easily slam a 4 pack of these.

As I'm sure you can tell, I'm enjoying my first sip of this fine brew (while Kristina gorges herself on puffed wheat in the background), as it was very cold and right out of the fridge with no delay. Its 12:15pm and I'm at work and I'm kind of day dreaming about drinking one of these with my fabulous chicken parmigiana lean cuisine lunch. Definitely a tasty brew!

Not sure if you can get this at the dep, but it can be purchased from the SAQ. No clue what the price is becuase it was a present, and asking would be rude even if for informative blog purposes.

To Dave RE: Your submission to the blog

2008-12-03T00:34:00.000-05:00

Hi Dave...
Kat Stein pointed something out to me concerning the mysterious "Amsterdam" beer (yes, the Euro version of Navigator) you so kindly introduced us to: she has actually drank it! Not only has she drank it, but she has provided us with photographic evidence

What we see here, clutched in her grubby mitt is in fact the mysterious brew you speak of, in front of the Eiffel Tower no less! She relayed to me that it was the "vilest potion ever", making her fall on her face in front of a bunch of rich people and spill the remaining 1/4 of it all over herself AKA she was wasted. Apparently it tastes pretty much the same as Navigator (for a more thorough understanding of that, please contact Mr. Nick Maturo), which is undrinkable.

Well Dave, there you have it. I think its safe to say, Kat's got more balls than you.

1st ever reader review

2008-12-02T12:11:00.000-05:00

Dear tasty brews,

While on a trip in europe this past month i stumbled across, what i can only assume is, the most powerful and evil brew ever concotted. It is called "Maximator". Yeah i know what your thinking, "this brew already kicks so much ass with a name like that. how could it possibly get more intense?" Well, its imported from Holland, and is 11.6%. Also they boast a sweet looking pirate ship on the can. Not like stupid Molson, who only have a weak ass cargo ship. In any case, i was not fortunate/desparate enough to try this gnarly looking hobo champagne, i was only fortunate enough to stumble across a discarded can at the ferry port exit to dover. Here is a photo of this epic euro relative to the big 10. ( please see attachement)

Sincerly yours,
Dave

Dear Dave,

Cool response, thanks for being the first to write to the tasty brews e-mail. Although, I am rather disappointed. I mean, introducing us all to a new and exotic, even incredibly potent brew is always appreciated. But you didn't try it yourself? We want REVIEWS here. Experiences. Write us something again when you can give us some details on the taste and how fucked up you got!
Love always,
Tasty Brews

OMG!

2008-12-01T14:18:00.000-05:00

Okay so I feel really ashamed here.
Now that I have read THIS, I feel like our reviews are slacking. This website is gold.
We're not reviewing malt liquor but I think we can learn a thing or two from this website. We need to start writing these blogs while drinking. I think it would make for some more entertaining reads.
Also, has anyone tried a new and interesting brew they would like to share with the public, or maybe even had a wild experience directly related to ingesting said brew (must be out of the ordinary) ?? Write to us! tastybrews@gmail.com
Perhaps it will appear in the blog!

reason # 393040404 why Scandinavia is better than Canada

2008-11-28T20:06:00.001-05:00

My dad was kind enough to fly me to Denmark with him so I could do research for this blog (jk to visit my grandma cause she old) a couple weeks ago and as my luck would have it I was struck down with the worst airplane cold of life. Most of my days there were spent curled up on the couch eating haribo candy and watching MTV Europe but I did manage to drag myself to the supermarket and drool over the huge selection of beers the likes of which I have never seen in Canada, and they were all dirt cheap too.

I managed to drink two measly cans of beer while there, I was very disappointed in myself but at least I made some sort of effort. Anyway, they have this thing there called Julebryg, a seasonal Christmas beer that is only available from November-December. Its released on the first Friday of November but they had to change that because basically the entire student population of the country would get so shitfaced that no one would go to school (or so my cousin told me). This day is known as J-day and Carlsberg employees drive around giving out free beers and the whole country rejoices in the holiday spirit of getting wasted.

I copied this from the Carlsberg website cause I am lazy:
Tuborg Julebryg is a bottom-fermented, wiener beer brewed on lager, münchener and caramel malt with English liquorice. The beer is dark-golden with a fresh aroma of caramel, grain, liquorice and blackcurrant. It's excellent with traditional Christmas recipes, smoked fish, grilled/fried herring, smoked ham with curly kale, roast pork and duck.

Its 5.6% and quite tasty with a salami sandwich, which is how I enjoyed it.

my question is, why the fuck doesn't Canada do something about this? My brain is exploding at the thought of merging my favourite holiday and favourite beverage into one. someone needs to get on this pronto.

a faux-foreign treat

2008-11-28T19:14:00.000-05:00

this is my first post, well overdue I know so I need to preface this by saying i'm not going to treat this like a fancy-schmancy wine tasting blog and write about what flavours are infused in what beers unless its really fucking obvious because to be honest, I will drink just about anything thats put in front of me. this blog is about what beers are fun to drink, what beers lead to good times, what beers make you feel like dying the next day etc.

ok so I just finished reading this really fancy beer website where people take their shit so seriously that the idea of beer ceases to be cool or fun. i'm going to ignore what those tards said about my current beer of choice:

I found cheetah beer to be very refreshing and delicious, its nice and light and has no gross skunky after taste. although its pretty cloudy, it isn't heavy at all. I enjoyed this beer with a nice piece of naan bread and a big bowl of chapati dal and was basically floating on a lotus flower, lakshmi-style. maybe this beer just works better with food and thats why everyone else but me is hating on it.

the only weird thing about this beer is that its brewed in Ontario, so I'm not really digging the whole faux-foreign thing. I feel pretty misled, but it has given me a burning desire to sample real indian beers if I can hopefully get my hands on some in the near future. as for right now, I have a 30 pack of PBR calling my name from my closet.