Steam Whistle reps are our trusty source as they are the ones who are out and about. Here are their suggestions for the coldest Pilsner and the hottest food. Check them out.

Toronto
Black Bull
Gretzkys
Vivoli
Against the Grain 
Allen’s  
Combine Eatery
The Only Café
The Duke
AFT Kitchen & Bar
Tibet Kitchen
Oliver and Bonacini Yonge & Front
Jason George
O’Grady’s
Loons

Burlington
IVY Bar & Kitchen

Barrie
Pie Wood Fired Pizza

Gravenhurst
Dock of the Bay

Windermere
Windermere House
Ottawa
The Brig
Malone’s
Clocktower

Scarborough
Stone Cottage 

Peterborough
Kettle Drums
Only Cafe

Oshawa
Riley’s

Golden Horseshoe (Niagara & Area)
Kilt & Clover
Niagara-on-the-Lake GC
Corks in NOTL
Jordan House 

Hamilton & Area

The Phoenix at McMaster
NaRoma Pizza
La Cantina 
Coach & Lantern
Collins Brewhouse
Norfolk Tavern

London & Area
Barney’s
Smackwater Jacks 
The Bruce

Vancouver
The Tap and Barrel
The Local
Five Point
Havanna
Timber
The Whip

Kelowna
Train Station Pub
Streaming cafe

Calgary
Ship and Anchor
Broken City Roof Top Patio
Cilantro 

Is your favourite patio on the list?

Riley founded BetterBeer.com in early 2010.  BetterBeer.com works with breweries, bar owners & bartenders to improve their draught beer quality and profitability through customized training and certification. Each month, they audit and certify bars and restaurants that properly pour fresh, cold beer, through clean lines and taps into clean branded beer glasses. Those who pass are listed on the website and have the BetterBeer.com seal posted on their door.  Always looking for new bars to certify, head to their website to suggest an establishment.

He has also hosted public sessions answering questions such as….

Have you ever had a pint that just didn’t taste right?   Was it from a dirty draught line?

What about a warm, flat pint?

Have you ever wondered how the beer gets into your glass? How the whole system works?

We recently partnered with Steve and BetterBeer for an education session but for those of you who were not able to make it, Steve provided us with tips to pass on to you.

It’s not a secret that beer is on fire right now! Everyone is discovering new beers, learning about beer, pairing food with beer. What is a secret is that most people who enjoy beer don’t know is that there is a huge gap between those establishments who pour great quality beer and those who don’t. I’m not talking about how flavourful the beer is or how much or how many types of hops it’s brewed with when I use the word quality; I’m referring to the quality of the draught system through which the beer is poured.  Enter BetterBeer.com – Canada’s Draught Beer Quality Certification Program.

The Big Three

The three biggest draught problems we find in bars are:

1. Dirty beer glasses – coated with a film of oil and grease, dirty beer glasses will not retain the head of the beer causing it to taste off-flavour and making it go flat quickly. You can tell if a glass is dirty by lack of head retention, no foam lines (lacing), and if you see bubbles stuck to the inside of the glass. 

The four big causes of dirty glasses are:
Fingers inside glasses (oil from fingerprints)
Sugar resin from pop or sweet drinks
Fats from dairy based drinks
Napkins, coasters, cutlery placed into beer glasses

Only beer should go into beer glasses. A regular routine of beer glasses degreasing will ensure clean beer glasses.

2. Line Cleaning – lines need to be cleaned on a regular basis.  Failing to do so will result in off flavours and cloudy beer.  If your beer smells and tastes like butter it is usually due to dirty lines.  It will also have a slick mouthfeel.

3. Improper pour – bartenders submerging the faucet into the glass is not sanitary.   Pouring the beer with no head results in you consuming excessive carbonation making you full and bloated and the pint becomes flat.

The Head

 The head (collar of foam) on the beer should be at least the height of a dime.  This means that some CO2 has been released so the beer will be properly balanced and ensures that you are not ingesting excessive amounts of CO2.

The head on the top of a pint acts like a cap which keeps the CO2 inside the glass all pint long so your pint stays properly carbonated to the last sip.

The Right Glass

Different styles of beer require different glasses to bring out all of the aromas and flavours.  Using the correct branded glass will ensure that your beer tastes as the brew master intended it to taste.

The System

A well maintained beer fridge will be well lit, clean and mould/growth free with clean equipment, and maintained at a temperature of 3C.  Special attention must be paid to rotation and keg shelf life.

At no time is it acceptable to push the beer through the system with an air compressor.  Air makes the beer become oxidized which gives it a papery/wet cardboard taste and makes it flat and cloudy. 

Beer drinkers are becoming better educated and the days of $4 pints are gone.  As the price of beer continues to increase because of rising energy, water, grain, and transportation costs, quality will be even more important.  People are tired of spending good money on bad beer. As the category continues to grow, so will people’s thirst for quality beer.

Cheers!

Steve

Here are suggestions for best late night meals as according to our Steam Whistle beer reps. After all, who else knows the restaurant scene better than the people who spend every day in it?

Source: dispatchmag

Toronto – Danforth

Dangerous Dan’s

Toronto – Downtown
416 Snack Bar - “amazing steamed pork buns, scotch eggs benedict, and beef tartare”

Hawker Bar - Singapore style street food. They also own Poutini’s on Queen W (for late night curd and gravy cravings)

Triple A Bar on Adelaide for smoked brisket and Texas style chilli.

Kitch

Future Bakery  on Bloor St.

Scotland Yard on the Esplande -  late night menu until 2:00 am.

Hamilton & Brantford
The West Town
Hawk & Bell
Harmony Gril
The Ship

Ottawa
Elgin St Diner - open 24 hours

Peterborough
McThirsty’s Pint - keeps their kitchen open real late and has some pretty awesome selections.

Sudbury
Laughing Buddha

North Bay
The Moose

Orillia
Brewery Bay

Calgary
Clive Burger
Tubby Dog 
The CommonWealth Cafeteria

Edmonton
Maki maki – a Vietnamese run sushi place with great pho.
Next Act Pub – Great menu.
The Underground Tap and Grill

Vancouver
Lucy’s Diner
Loose Moose
Lolitas
Cascade
Lamplighter

 Did we miss any? Share your favourite late night food place.

This is bound to be an exciting year for craft beer and with the steady growth in our industry; you’re the ones to thank!

We asked you for your 2013 new year’s craft beer resolutions and based on your answers, we’ve come up with this list. Good luck sticking to them everyone!

Appreciate craft beer.

Learning how to taste beer will deepen your appreciation for the craft of brewing and the attention to detail that goes into perfecting each sample. Appreciating a craft brew will cause you to make attention to the appearances, smells, tastes, and mouthfeels. As a starter, take a look at a previous blog by Trish (Steam Whistle Quality Control Specialist) and her tips on how to guide a beer tasting. Research and attend a beer tasting session in your town or get together with your friends and host your own. Beer tasting is truly a craft that should be appreciated!

Buy local.

At the most basic level, when you buy local more money stays in the community. Canadian craft brewers create 100% of jobs in Canada, helping boost our economy. Try to think next time you make a purchase!

Try your hand at brewing.

One of the best ways to learn an appreciation for craft beer is to try your hand at brewing. Depending on your level of expertise, there are various brewing kits available. There are various starter kits available so take your time to explore the variety of options. As an example, here is Mr. Beer Premium Gold Edition.

Explore different brews.

Experiment with variety of excellent brews from our craft friends. For ideas, browse through the Ontario Craft Brewers Association or explore your province’s offerings. And like David said, “never forget the old ones too”. Your Canadian Czech style Pilsner will be waiting!

Take a brewery tour.

A great way to see how your brew is made and meet the folks who make it happen is to right to where it happens! The Good Beer Folks are open 7 days a week with tours every 30 minutes but different craft breweries may have different operating hours and tours, so make sure to do your research in advance of your visit.

Spread the word of craft beer.

Do your part in educating others about the history of craft beer, different styles and introducing them to the many options available. Help break the myths that can be associated with beer  by bringing some craft to the table or to a party!

Thank you all for supporting our industry!
The Good Beer Folks at Steam Whistle

Holiday parties are just around the corner and here are some suggestions for what you can bring to that beer lover in your group:

Pre-wrapped Steam Whistle

Who doesn’t love receiving the gift beer? Especially when it’s festively pre-wrapped and complete with the “to & from tag”. These personalized seasonal packages are on the shelves across Ontario, BC and Alberta liquor and beer stores until end of December.

Craft Beer Samplers

 
Did you know LCBO’s 2011-12 annual report states that Ontario craft beers led all product segments with almost 45% growth? That’s amazing news in our industry. For those looking to further discover various craft brews that are available, take a look at our friends Ontario Craft Brewers website (or a similar organization in your province). The OCB is dedicated to promoting fresh, natural, quality beer; agreeing on a commitment to excellence that everyone has to live up to. This way, you’re guaranteed quality craft brews!

Craft brewery Tours

If you are looking to give a beer experience, giving brewery tour gift certificates are a perfect fit. Step inside the brew kitchen and see how your favourite brew is made while meet the people that help to make it happen. Steam Whistle offers souvenir, 6 pack and 12 pack brewery tours that can be purchased through our e-store.  See you soon!

Bonus: Old Toronto Beer Tour
If you want to experience a couple of local brewery tours and learn the history of beer in Toronto? Old Toronto Beer Tours are a perfect fit. Visiting Steam Whistle, Mill Street, Amsterdam, Granite Brewery along with some key historical spots in the city. If you want to take it a step further, Oliver also offers organized Oktoberfest and European beer tours.

Growlers

Instead of bringing a bottle of wine to the table, how about bringing a 2L growler filled with craft beer? Earlier this year to meet the  demand for glass Growlers, Steam Whistle created a 2L Steam Whistle original that allows you to take fresh, draught-filled Pilsner home from the Roundhouse.  These are currently only available at the brewery and you can read up more on the history, inspiration and how a growler is properly filled here.

Gift Cards to your Local Restaurants

Source: whatabloom.com

If you have a local craft beer centric restaurant you frequent in your neighbourhood, spread the word. Everyone likes a dinner out and a gift card for your friends to experience your neighbourhood gem will be appreciated. As a side note, many of the restaurant owners are also the ones behind the bar; so they will also appreciate the gesture!

Magazine Subscriptions

For the self-pronounced “beer nerd”, a magazine subscription is a nice gesture. The best Canadian craft beer centric magazine is TAPS which provides great insight into the industry. There are also other North American focused magazines available that provide insight into the craft beer industry such as BeerAdvocate and Beer Connoisseur.

Beer Merchandise

Brewsees

Beer themed merchandise has no limits. Getting creative is easy as there are diverse options available from beer cosmetics (see Prague’s Manufaktura) to craft beer posters (see http://www.zazzle.ca/craft+beer+gifts) to clothing (see shop.steamwhistle.ca), to ShaKoozie  a tool which keeps your beer chilled while safeguarding it from soap and water in the shower. The is also an infinite amount of bottle openers each to fit your interests and life style from wall mounts, rings, flip flops, counting bottle openers and more. The example above is of sunglasses opener called “Brewsees Eyewear”. Get creative!

Beer Tasting Tool Kit

This is a fun way to discover different types of beers from lagers and ales to porters and stouts. The kit comes complete with a tasting profile, breaking down beer into style categories and include information on each variety’s background, flavours, aromas, and unique character. Read more. 

Home Kegerator

Photo: Chuck Skuce.

Who wouldn’t want a draught unit at home? You can customize your beer fridge to however you’d like (see above!), and have craft beer right on tap in the comfort of your home. There are various websites that help you out in acquiring your own kegerator (eg. http://www.kegworks.com/draft-beer-263 / and http://www.kegerator.com ). P.S. Complimentary home delivery from us if you have your own beer fridge!

Want even more ideas? Here’s what you said were your favourite beer related gifts:

Happy Holidays!

“The Church Key is your destination pub whether you’re looking for an impressive selection of craft beers or a pub meal with flair….”

It’s also a term for a bottle opener:

www.churchkey.ca 

If you’re a fan of craft beer and quality pub food in London (Ontario), you most likely have visited the local favourite Church Key.  Meet Vanessa, the owner of this London gem. 

Vanessa chats what it takes to open up a restaurant and get started in the industry, favourite menu items, rewards of being a restaurant owner and what a Church Key really is:

My husband and I own and operate The Church Key together.  We have both spent the better part of our lives working in the bar and restaurant industry.  We both began like a lot of people do – working part time to earn money while in school and figuring  out what we really wanted to do with our lives.  My first job was as a server at a Golden Griddle in Oakville!  Peter began at the infamous (and now gone)  ‘Ox Box’ in London over 30 years ago.  Luckily I think, we figured out pretty early on that we enjoyed the environment very much and chose to try to make a career in the industry.  Peter has been a professional bartender at various establishments in London and I have also worked as a server and manager for almost 20 years.

How did The Church Key get started?

When my husband and I met 10 years ago, we began to develop a dream of starting our own restaurant one day.  We hoped we could combine our experiences to create something that London would appreciate.  In February of 2009, we had the good fortune of being able to occupy the space that now houses The Church Key.

Can you explain the concept behind the name?

A ‘Church Key’ is an old fashioned term for a bottle opener.  In the days before twist off became the norm, you opened your beer bottle with a ‘church key’.  We think they term comes from the fact that bottle openers kind of look like the non-business end of old iron antique keys.  We even had one old timer in the bar once who told us that soldiers used to use found keys from blown out churches in the war to open all sorts of things.  I’ve never bothered to verify this but it sounds cool.

The Church Key has a special place on the menu for local ingredients – where do they come from and why is this of importance?

I wouldn’t say that we focus exclusively on using local ingredients.  I don’t want to mis-represent this out of respect to other restaurants that spend more energy and money on this than we do.  That is not to say that we don’t source locally, we do –  just again, not exclusively.   We are committed to using local ingredients at every reasonable opportunity that presents itself.   We visit farmers markets at least once a week and also have several local farms that deliver products to us fresh from the field/barn.  Specifically whole lambs and pigs that we butcher ourselves, duck eggs, cheeses and seasonal organic vegetables.  We do this for the freshness factor mostly, but also because it is important to support the local economy.  I think that I would say we focus on providing very high quality comfort food and extreme value.

Smoked salmon wrapped scallops with rice wine syrup and togarashi aioli. 

What is your favourite item on the menu?

I don’t know how it is for other restaurateurs but I am finding this question nearly impossible to answer!  It’s like asking someone who their favourite child is.  I know that sounds ridiculously corny but I’m not sure how to describe it.  I guess if I had to pick one dish it would be The Ploughman’s Plate.  It represents everything we are trying to be on a plate and is the one meal that I still eat at least once a week – I love it.

How would you describe Church Key to someone who has never been there?

A comfortable upscale pub that features traditional pub fare and comfort dishes that are prepared in a unique and highly professional manner.  It is cozy, the food is tasty and inexpensive, and the service is friendly.

What is the most rewarding thing about running The Church Key?

There are so many things.  We put everything that we have into our pub and the most rewarding thing is also the thing that surprised me the most – gratitude.  I am overwhelmed on a daily basis by the immense feeling of gratitude that I feel for the support given by all people involved with The Church Key – staff, customers (especially the regulars), others in the restaurant community, suppliers, other local businesses, everyone.  When people I don’t know choose to celebrate huge milestones in their life like an 80^th birthday or an engagement or a shower or retirement or graduation or whatever at our little pub, we are truly honored.  I never expected that.

For more on Church Key, visit http://www.thechurchkey.ca/.

But what really is the craft of brewing a Pilsner?

Erica Graholm, Steam Whistle Brewer, discusses the craftsmanship and dedication she devotes when brewing a batch of Steam Whistle:

I love to meet other brewers and talk about what they are brewing. The craft beer scene is exploding, and it’s an exciting time to be a part of it. Many creative brewers are pushing the boundaries of flavour by working with new ingredients, creating new styles, and using new techniques. While I love tasting their creations, it gives me immense pride to say that I brew a Pilsner. It’s a challenging and unforgiving style to brew; the delicate balance of flavours and crisp finish must be meticulously crafted, and can’t be rushed. To me, a classic Pilsner is refreshing and satisfying at the same time, and it’s a style I come home to again and again. The craft of brewing a Pilsner includes….

Ingredients

Because there are only 4 ingredients used in brewing Steam Whistle Pilsner, each one is a cornerstone of the beer and must therefore be carefully selected. Our 2-row barley is grown and malted right here in Canada, where some of the finest malts the world has to offer are produced. Our hops are from Germany and the Czech Republic, two countries renowned for their traditional approaches to brewing. You should come down to the brewery and smell the floral, somewhat spicy and peppery aromas when I toss the Czech Saaz hops into the brew kettle. Delicious. Our water is sourced from a spring in Caledon, Ontario. The water profile and mineral content are integral to the character of the beer. Our yeast is a bottom-fermenting lager strain from Hungary, specifically chosen to produce the classic clean and crisp character of a Pilsner.

Brewing techniques

What’s more important when brewing a Pilsner, heat or cold? It’s a trick question – both are important. In the brewhouse, heating the crushed malt mixed with water (the mash) to various temperatures will impact the sweetness or dryness of the finished beer. Our state of the art brewhouse can measure temperatures to within one tenth of a degree Celcius to ensure the beer tastes exactly the way we want it to, consistently. During fermentation and aging, cold becomes important. A cold ferment and aging takes longer, but it’s like the tortoise and the hare – slow and steady wins the race. After aging, the beer is cold filtered for clarity and then packaged.

Decoction

In the brewhouse, we use a traditional method called decoction where part of the mash is separated and boiled, then returned and mixed with the rest of the grains. Next time you taste a Steam Whistle Pilsner, see if you can pick out the slight caramelized sweetness that this method produces. Although decoction adds extra time onto every batch we make, the result is a more complex and layered malt profile.

Unpasteurized

Many beers available on the market are pasteurized for a longer shelf life. Pasteurization is a heating process that can destroy some of the subtle flavours in the beer that we’ve worked so hard to create. That’s why Steam Whistle Pilsner is unpasteurized – we believe a fresh, natural beer tastes better.

Time

While some styles of beer can be produced with great results in only a couple of weeks, Pilsners need time. Our Pilsner is slowly fermented and cold aged over 28 days to ensure the flavours reach maturity. Several reactions occur within the beer over this time. Some of the harsh flavours associated with “green” (young) beer are reduced by the yeast, and other flavours develop and meld together to create complexity. Sometimes it’s hard to wait that long…but I think it’s worth it!

Come learn more about the craft of beer this weekend at the  Roundhouse Craft Beer Festival. Cheers!

Ontario Craft Beer Week means a chance to celebrate our province’s craft beers through a series of beer dinners, tap takeovers, pairings, beer fests and themed events. It’s a chance for OCB breweries to reach new audiences and to show why local craft beer is best. My favourite part of OCB Week is trying one-off and collaboration brews. The inspiration for the brews can come from anywhere, and it highlights the diverse, creative, and ever evolving side of brewing.

How did the collaboration brew with Great Lakes & Amsterdam come about?

When the OCB Week organizers announced that one of the key themes this year was collaboration, brewers at Amsterdam and Great Lakes decided to get together and invited other OCB brewers to join. Although at Steam Whistle we do one thing, I’ve always been encouraged to take part in collabs which are lots of fun and a great learning experience for me. We decided to brew the GTA Farmhouse Ale, a Belgian style beer fermented with a saison yeast, and we spiced it with sage, cardamom, and peppercorns. The result was a dry, refreshing beer with a distinctive spicy aroma that I thought paired really well with food.  It was available on draught at various bars throughout the city, and in bottles at the Great Lakes and Amsterdam retail stores. With only one small batch made, you have to seek it out if you want to try it, and that’s part of the appeal. Once it’s gone, it’s gone…until next year maybe?

What events did you attend?

My OCB Week kicked off on Friday with a launch at the Summerhill LCBO where we heard about growth in the craft beer industry while toasting with a glass of GTA Farmhouse Ale. Saturday I went to Wvrst for a Dieu du Ciel Brewery tap-takeover where I tasted some delicious new creations, including 2 collaboration beers. I spent Sunday afternoon at the Brickworks enjoying the Brewers Backyard, which is a series of events showcasing a local brewery in a casual and relaxed setting with top-notch food vendors and live music. By Monday I was a bit tired, but I just could not miss the Amsterdam Brewery vs. Flat Rock Winery dinner at Beast restaurant. Tuesday I went out to one of my favourite bars, Brydens on Bloor St, for their Best of the West event. Several breweries from the west end participated by sending a keg of their best beer, including the GTA Farmhouse, for this collaborative tap takeover. By Wednesday I was ready for a couple of nights off, but I was back at it Friday for Bar Volo’s Belgian night, featuring all local Begian-inspired brews. Saturday was the Session 99 Craft Beer Fest with over 100 beers, food sampling, live music, and I got to catch up with several friends to talk about which OCB week events they liked best. It was a busy but amazing week, I can’t wait to do it all again during Toronto Beer Week in September!

The Amsterdam/Flat Rock dinner at Beast restaurant on Monday was one of my favourites. It was part of the Canadian Beer News dinner series, which brings together top breweries and restaurants to create unique beer and food pairings. The chef paired each of the four courses with a wine and a beer, and the dessert was paired with a special collaborative brew from Amsterdam and Flat Rock Cellars’ head winemaker Ross Wise. Ross was a brewer before getting into wine, and the sour cherry Imperial Stout aged on oak that they produced was spectacular. Overall, the food and pairings were fabulous, the atmosphere was nice and relaxed, and the winery and brewery working together really pushed the collaboration theme to the next level. Congratulations to all involved, it was a great night.

Can you sum up the week in one sentence?

Probably not! There was just way too much good stuff going on.

Cheers to keeping the craft beer industry strong!  

The beer delivery guy.

Meet Ben Taylor from Steam Whistle home delivery. If you’re not familiar with our home delivery program, take a look. We also suggest that you save the number, especially with the summer approaching

Ben helps bring the party to you and delivers fresh beer to your door step, while bringing smiles for all.  Want to learn more about the most popular guy arriving at the party?

Read below.

How did you start working at Steam Whistle?

The year was 2006. I was watching Canada’s men’s Olympic hockey team lose to Switzerland, drinking Steam Whistle. I thought a brewery would be a great place to work (and the beer was getting me through the heartbreak of watching Team Canada come up short) so I applied. A few months later (and few beers during my first interview) I was in.

What’s your favourite thing about working at a brewery?

I love being surrounded by people who share my passion for beer.

Most bizarre Home Delivery story?

I set up a keg and flash cooler in the back yard of a really nice family whose dog repeatedly nipped at my ankles despite the fact that “he’s never normally like this!” Do you think he was after me again when I picked up the keg? You better believe it!

Favourite home delivery moment?

I once delivered a 50 litre keg to four guys on a Saturday, and when I went to pick it up the next day they were still up, and finishing off the last pitcher. What champs! I also set up a kegger for a guy in the metal band Amplitusion which was pretty cool. He showed me a bottle of Japanese liquor that contained a snake and gave me a cd. Moments like these make me love my job.

You asked….

I’m always on call after doing a draught setup. I need to make sure the beer is pouring perfectly. The only problem I can’t solve is if you run out of beer! Chances are I’m at a party of my own.

I bring beer to events our marketing department sponsor in addition to the home deliveries. I’d say 100+ cases and 20+ kegs. And I’m proud to say it was all consumed!

It takes a pretty understanding girl to date an old Home Delivery soldier like myself and I found one through my work as “Mr January” in the limited edition 2009 “Men of Steam Whistle” calendar. She even designed my beer mug tattoo (below)!

See craziest story above and I have to give my “expert opinion” on how the beer tastes, so I will often have a beer at my last delivery of the day. Especially the nearby condos that I deliver on foot. Some of my favourite calls.

A lot of times I’m behind the wheel of one of our vintage vehicles that attracts a lot more attention from nostalgic old men! Although some of my team members are a real hit with housewives and sorority girls.

The 50 litre kegs are 150lbs. But if you ask me I’ll tell you they’re 175! I get quite a workout hauling multiple kegs up stairs. It’s a great way to keep the beer-belly in check!

Cheers!

Being on the road with a truck full of Steam Whistle Pilsner usually never goes unnoticed and our drivers’ road stories are nothing short of exciting.

Here’s one of our drivers, Tim Tormey with his truck, at the 2nd oldest Beer Store (#3253) in Windsor.

Tim shares his favourite road story:

“When I first started at Steam Whistle in 2007, we had yet to send a truck to Thunder Bay and we were having trouble getting our empties back from the great white north.  So I packed up my son and took our maiden voyage around Lake Superior to investigate.

Of course when you’re taking a trip like this, you want to take in as much as you can (I still have the parking ticket from the Michipicoten police in Wawa).  When we came around the elbow of the lake, I had made a last second decision to turn off and visit the beautiful town of Marathon.  Talk about isolated!

We went to visit The Beer Store and LCBO where Steam Whistle was not listed at the time.  Turns out several people caught the truck as we were coming in and followed us.  They were all asking if Steam Whistle was coming to town as some were making the 3 hour drive to T-Bay or the 5 hour drive to the Soo to get their delicious nectar fix.  By the time I made it into The Beer Store, Kelly the manager just looked at me and said “I guess I have no choice but to bring in Steam Whistle now”, and we were listed on the spot.

We concluded our visit to Marathon by visiting a park overlooking beautiful Peninsula Bay.  Again, we were followed to the park and probably had about a dozen locals asking about our scrumptious Pilsner.  It was a scene that I will not soon forget and one of many reasons why I love Northern Ontario!”

Next time you see a Good Beer Folk out on the road – please say hi!

Cheers!