To Michigan, for Easter!

Easter weekend, 2010. In the Great Lakes area, it'll go down in the books as a mostly sunny weekend, weather-wise. Spring seems to have made an early appearance in this part of North America, and the always-iffy prospect of traveling over a long weekend in early April ended up being no problem at all!

I made an early start on Good Friday, and was at the Ontario-Michigan border by 9:30am. By 10:15, I was starting my first Rail Trail walk of the season.

This is the Wadhams to Avoca Rail Trail, and it can be found just west of Port Huron, MI. It was a super walk on a day that topped 70 degrees F (perhaps 22 C). I was very happy to manage 7 miles of walking, although the blisters that were born that day are still visible! I'm hoping to do lots of healthy walking this year, and have mapped out a series of interesting trails to try.

This is the Gallup Park Trail in Ann Arbor. It took me two visits over Easter weekend to complete this one (lots of limping by this point!). This trail goes alongside an active Norfolk Southern line for part of its length, although I sadly missed being able to capture any trains for posterity.

A nice drive, a family visit, some pleasant walks, and ....beer! MICHIGAN beer!

Yes, it's something of a Golden Age for the beer industry in Michigan. And I was eager to find out a little about what our next-door neighbours have been up to. A good place to start my research was a visit to the fine folks at Ratebeer, who have some very nice things to say about Michigan beer, what to try, and where to buy it. That led me to a very fine place indeed, Champane's Wine Cellars.

Yes, that's how it's spelled! Champane's is at 7007 Chicago Road in Warren, MI, just a bit north of Detroit. It proved to be my first-stop shop for a grand introduction to the beers of Michigan. I met up with the manager of the "Beer Department", Michael, who was quick to offer some advice as to what to choose. And there is a lot to choose from! After explaining that I was allowed to bring a total of 24 bottles back to Canada, we quickly went to work. I spotted a newly-arrived Hofbrau Maibock (yes, we get to drink the stuff even before the Muncheners do!), so a 6-pack of that was a MUST. That left eighteen bottles of beer for my wall.

Michael noted that as I was spending a few nights in the state, I really ought to pick up a couple of extras for consumption while in America. He brought out two singles from the fridge with the warning NOT to leave them on a shelf for any length of time. Keep them cool! I did just that, and here are the two in question.
Both are from Bell's, out of Comstock, Michigan, and I should note that most of the beers that Michael recommended came from either Bell's or Founders (from Grand Rapids).

This is Bell's Consecrator Doppelbock, a very dark red beer, smooth and exceptionally easy to drink. It's up there in alcohol content at 8%, but it didn't taste overly strong or bitter. Absolutely delicious!

The "Keep It Cool" Beer #2 was Bell's Lager of the Lakes (referring to the Great Lakes, of course!), a very light-coloured lager of 5% strength. This is one of those perfect backyard BBQ beers. Very pleasant...but I think that Consecrator with those dudes with the horns is our winner!

Well, it's time for a break from all this local brew sampling, so why not head off to Bay City for a Saturday evening? The place seemed mostly closed for the Easter weekend, but here's a find (thank you again, Ratebeer!) It's the Stein Haus at 1108 N. Water Street, and wow-we-wow! Look at all those steins hanging up there! And what's this? Hofbrau helles AND dunkel...ON TAP? Yum!

A friendly chat with patron Beth was a highlight of my visit, and she was quick to suggest I try another Bell's offering, Oberon. "It's like a Michigan summer afternoon", she smiled, and the label on the back of the bottle backed her up! It was also one of the beers that Michael at Champane Cellars chose for me (17 left to go!), and here's what an Oberon looks like. It's a 5.8% wheat ale, a very refreshing cloudy beer with perhaps a hint of orange, or is it just that nice bright label with the sunshine? Whether in a Bay City bar on a Saturday night, or back home on an April Friday night, it was very enjoyable. Even if (at the bar) they serve it with a slice of orange. Is that a sneeze I feel coming on? Ahhh....ahhhh. CORONA!

NEXT: "My Other Beer Is A Stout"!

Peterborough For Beer

Peterborough, Ontario. It's a Junior A Hockey powerhouse, a passionate supporter of its Lacrosse team, and the gateway to the Kawartha Lakes cottage region. I was surprised recently to learn that it's also becoming something of a beer hotspot, both for home-grown craft brewing and for imports. I had a chance to pay a couple of visits to Peterborough (approximately 130 kms. north-east of Toronto) in the past month, and I'm glad I went!

My first stop was 300 Charlotte St., the home of the Publican House Brewery. Not so flashy on the outside, but inside they were sampling and selling three tasty products. A stout and a "west coast style India Pale Ale" were available only in 64 oz. Growlers, or big glass jugs for the uninitiated.

I went home with several cans of a very pleasant House Ale, which I found to be quite robust for a 4.8% light beer. It would find a place of honour on my cottage deck this summer, and now all I need is the cottage and the deck! There's a patio next door to the actual brewery on Charlotte St, so perhaps that'll do once the weather warms up a bit.

Now it was time for the main event, a visit to the St. Veronus Cafe and Tap Bar at 129 Hunter St. West. What a nice building. What a great restaurant! WHAT A SUPER BAR!

It's hard to tell from the photo, but four out of the five draught taps are for Belgian beers, and the fifth is for Stiegl from Austria. This would be big news in Toronto, or any other Canadian city, but is really quite spectacular for Peterborough. The fridge in the background protects at least a dozen Belgian offerings that would be very unusual to find pretty much anywhere in this country.

I met up with my friends Rick and Cathy, and it's thanks to them that I even found out about this wonderful place! (By the way, you Yarning Fans out there may enjoy visiting Cathy's Project Fleece blog.) The food menu is as true to Belgium as the beer list - mussels, frites and stoemp all make an appearance. I opted for a Carbonnades Flamandes, a sandwich featuring a ribeye steak stewed in Leffe Brune beer, in a sourdough bread. One of the finest sandwiches I have ever tasted.

However, for us it was all about the beer, and here's a look at our round. Wow!

A nice Bavarian Weihenstephaner for Rick, a lovely Leffe Brune for me, and a cherry flavoured Mort Subite for Cathy. All served in their appropriate glasses. A Leffe Brune, on tap, in Peterborough! Yum. On that particular day, St. Veronus was offering, as their speciality draught, a Russian Imperial Stout from southwestern Ontario's Wellington brewery. Our server assured me that he was able to sample quite a lot of it!

I was able to sample one more Belgian beer that day, and I liked it so much that I came back two weeks later to try it again! It's a 9% from the Brasserie de l'Abbaye des Rocs, another Brune that seemed a tad more bitter than the Leffe version. Hey, I'm not supposed to even like dark beer much, so what's the deal here?

Here's my other treat from Visit #2, an 8% Gouden Carolus Ambrio. I've never even heard of this, yet there it sits in a fridge in Peterborough. Yum! I found it perhaps a bit more sour to the taste than the l'Abbaye, but it sure grows on you with each mouthful.

I'm told that St. Veronus regularly rotates their selection of Belgian brews; indeed, their "recently acquired" beer menu insert was quite different two weeks after Visit #1. This is all very impressive!

There is yet another Peterborough beer spot to try out, and it'll mean another visit from me, hopefully in the near future. It's the Olde Stone Brewery, just around the corner from St. Veronus, and it will be interesting to try their products and compare them to the Publican. Roll on, summer weather weekends!

NEXT: Meanderings in Michigan!

Getting Down, Downtown

Jeepers! It's been over two months since I've bothered to write anything. As usual, life got in the way. Working, sleeping, and commuting between the two. I meant to write some nonsense way back in January about a new brewpub I visited in Toronto. Most of my memories from the evening at Duggan's Brewery have vanished into the mists, but I'll quickly jot down what I do recall from my visit.

For starters, you may find yourself in Toronto one day and ask yourself "Where can I go to enjoy some really good beer here?"

If I was in an especially snarky frame of mind, I'd offer these wise words:
1. Rent a car
2. Leave town

Oh, I guess it's not all so bad in Toronto The Good. The sidewalks are no longer rolled up at night, you can actually drink on a Sunday, and you needn't flee to Buffalo to have a good time. Although if you do, you no doubt will!

There are a few places here and there in T.O. that are keeping jive alive, and I'll try out a few of them in 2010 to see how they rate. First up is a visit to Duggan's Brewery at 75 Victoria Street.

Duggan's is the child of Toronto brewmaster Mike Duggan who previously worked out of the Mill Street Brewery. He connected with the old Victoria Street location of Denison's Brewery and in December 2009 opened up Duggan's, a proper little bistro with nice food and a nice selection of suds. I wandered in for an evening in mid-January to check the place out.

On the upside, it's a very pretty room. The staff are very nice. There is food, and there is beer, and overall there's a rather upscale, pleasant vibe to the premises.

Is there a downside? Well, not as such, but aren't I the picky one when I feel like it? Duggan's selections are numbered without much of an explanation that I could track down. The #5 is an Asian lager featuring Japanese brewing rice and is described as having a "straw" flavour. Well, it tasted extra-grassy to me, and it just didn't sit too well. It's one of the few beers that I have ever gulped down in order to get to the next one. I have heard very positive comments about it from a trusted colleague, so we'll put this one down to my less than developed beer tastebuds.

I then tried the #13 Weisbeer (sic). Yes, that's how they spelled it. By now, you must be thinking that they've got at least thirteen beers to try. Well, no, they don't. Lots of numbers are missing from the menu, and several that were on the menu were missing in action. One had a problem "with the tap", another had a pressure problem, but the problem was apparently solved within the hour as it was available...within the hour! I suppose another problem was li'l ol' ME. I wasn't wearing a suit, you see. But the table of gents that took up a table next to me were, and although they ordered their Weisbeers well after me, they sure got them served way before me! No matter, it eventually showed up in a nice Weisbier-style glass, looked properly cloudy, and didn't taste too bad at all. I'd trade it in a heartbeat for a can of Denison's Hefe, but it was fine enough.

Friends soon arrived to scope out the rest of the available menu. I should mention that when I arrived, a bit before the Corporations That Employ Suits let out, the staff were bringing in brand new Duggans glasses, complete with the brewpub's logo etched into the glass. Very nice. If you don't mind your large glass holding 0.4 l of beer! There seems to be some sort of problem with folks wanting to shortchange you a mouthful of beer. This kind of thing gets the folks in Prague real mad - they know when they're getting a smaller glass than they bargained for, and they'll support the establishments that offer the full 0.5 l as a result. If you're that proud of the beer that you make for heaven's sake, give us that little extra, please!

Don't get me started on the smaller sizes! Well, OK, get me started. My aforementioned friends decided to give the #Whatever (I've lost my notes!), the Belgian Trappist style with the extra-high alcohol content, a go...well, it's served up in Juice Glasses! Little Juice Glasses! I totally understand, of course. You know what Canadians are like once you've poured 40% of a litre of Belgian-strength brew down their gullets. Oops, I stand corrected. None of us know. Little Juice Glasses. The prices weren't little, however. Meh.

The big calling card at Duggan's is the #9 IPA, a 6.2 % pale ale that is very hoppy, pleasant to drink, and my favourite of the pack. It's the only one I returned to, and the Duggan's that I'd drink again if I found myself back there.

The snacks were pricier than average as well, but very nice. Ribs and poutine showed up with curry as a base for their sauce. They're big on curry here, and it's quite tasty. My order of wings was billed as coming with a stilton flavoured dipping sauce. It didn't, but subsequent orders from my colleagues did, and I gather it was all quite acceptable.

Overall, my impressions of Duggan's are that they are in their own way, quintessentially Toronto. Quite diverse, pleasant and polite, clean, kind of over-priced for what you're getting, and missing something that is hard to put one's finger on, that something that makes you want to come back as soon as you can. I hear this a lot about Toronto. Folks love to come here....ONCE. Perhaps I'll pop back in to Duggan's one day. If you ever do, I'd enjoy hearing what you think.

NEXT: The Peterborough Project!

Happy New Year At Long Last

I just haven't had much incentive to sit down and write anything. I'm not a Winter Person, I guess - I feel like just hibernating and waiting out the cold weather. At any rate, my best wishes to those of you who read this (and to those of you who I'd like to!) for a very happy 2010. Where's my flying car? What a rip-off century.

It's been a special sort of month already in my life. Apart from the start of a brand new decade (even if it technically isn't, I prefer to start it off with a Zero), I've already observed my birthday (the Big 5-2!), the 28th anniversary at my place of employment, an 18th birthday for a niece, and next week, a 10th birthday for another niece. Later this year, a nephew turns 21 - so there are all sorts of momentous numbers flying around. And get this for a January - it's raining outside!

My neck of the woods went through the entire month of November without seeing a single snowflake - unprecedented in our weather records - but December brought us a series of small centimeter or so deliveries of the white stuff, so that we indeed had something of a White Christmas this year. There is still some snow out there, thanks to the below-freezing temperatures we've had through most of January, but this weekend we've shot up to 36 F and yes, it's pouring outside. Usually this would be some sort of significant snowfall, but I guess I'll ditch the boots again tomorrow and head back to work in shoes. No complaints from me.

I very often have travel plans by this time. Not that I'm particularly antsy to get out of town once New Year's Day is over, but January is the month for Air Canada seat sales that stretch into late spring and the summer, so it's generally around NOW that I figure out what I've got planned for holidays. It hasn't happened this time around. There were some hints of sales around Christmas week and late December, but with every announcement of "great deals" from Canada's national airline, the price tags have been higher. And higher.

Here's an example: I was thinking of a flight to Houston sometime in the spring. This would faciliate my long-standing dream of a Texas BBQ tour, taking in some of the best rib joints in the state (and therefore, of course, the world). In late December, there were fares available on Air Canada for $131. Well, $131 EACH WAY, plus taxes and all kinds of add-on fees. Well, by early January, the fare was suddenly up to $161. And the "great deals" seat sale currently on offer, those wonderful annual January specials? Well, it's now up to $198. Goodbye BBQ!

The present security concerns make flying anywhere seem like an arduous and unpleasant experience, or should I say, even more arduous and unpleasant than usual. So I guess travel is sort of on the back-burner for the moment. I'll keep my eyes peeled for specials, though, and who know? Perhaps something will come along. But when China looks like an affordable destination compared to London or Munich, then something isn't quite right.

I'm holding to last year's New Year's Resolution, which I'm happy to say I kept big-time: To drink more High Quality Beer. A return to Munich last summer, and a first-ever visit to Prague helped me keep that promise, and I was very happy to visit several fine brewpub establishments in the United States as well. I've already made my first visit to a brewpub for 2010, which will be the subject of my next bit of written ramblings. Best Wishes to You All!
NEXT: A New Downtown Toronto Brewpub!

A Perfect Munich Beergarden - At Last!

For ages now, I've been prattling on about wonderful beers and wonderful places in which to guzzle them. There are so many! And since I can only praise the lovely liquid so much without a Thesaurus nearby, I tried to attach a numerical rating to the various Beer Experiences. But is there such a thing as a Perfect Beer Experience?
Well, yes, I've decided that there is indeed a Perfect Ten out of Ten on my Yuk/Yummy Scale of Beer Goodness. There is a Perfect Beer for me, and a Perfect Beergarden where I can enjoy it, and yes, it is in Munich, Germany. It's the first beergarden I ever visited, the most recent beergarden I've been to, and if there was only one beergarden left for Mooncattie, this would be the one I'd greet the Afterlife with.It's the Augustiner-Keller, just west of Munich's main railway station, or Hauptbahnhof. Weather permitting, it's a joy to sit outdoors among the chestnut trees and the thousands of happy patrons and enjoy one of Munich's most historic (ie. OLD) beers. Whether you go for the Augustiner Helles, the slightly stronger Edelstoff, or their Weissbier, you are guaranteed a magnificent maß (I hope that's the 'double-s' key). If the clouds are rolling in, you can always duck inside the large adjacent beer hall and join your fellow revellers in toasting the night away.

I won't say there isn't a better place to enjoy a beer, but in my (albeit fairly limited) experience, it's the best I've found. Of course, this means I have to keep traveling and trying out new spots while not forgetting to return to my old favourites. Roll on, 2010, and Prost! to you all.

Augustiner Keller
Arnulf Strasse 52
80335 Munich
Ph# (089) 594393
http://www.augustinerkeller.de/



Take the #17 Tram to Hopfenstr. or any of the main S-Bahn trains to Hackerbrücke and walk one block north to Arnulfstr., then turn right one block to Zirkus-Kronestr. Cheers!

NEXT: The Big 5-0!

A Perfect Munich Beergarden, Part 2

Yikes, I haven't written anything in over a month. Busy at work, and general laziness, I guess. I want to continue my look back at the Summer of 2009 and in particular, a wonderful time spent touring the beergardens of Munich. In an earlier chapter, I recalled a trip to the northern part of the city to visit a Spaten sponsored garden near the River Isar. Today I'm pleased to tell you about another Spaten spot located well to the south of Munich, but easily accessible by S-Bahn and a lovely countryside stroll. It's the historic Kugler Alm Beergarden!
How to get here: from anywhere on the main S-Bahn line of stations in the heart of Munich, grab the S5 in the direction of Furth. That's your destination, and you'll need an upgraded ticket or transit daypass to get there, as it's a bit further beyond the Munich city limits. Once you arrive at Furth, just follow the directions on the various signposts to Kugler Alm. It's less than a 20-minute walk, and a very pleasant one it is.

I arrived just in time for lunch on a Wednesday, and as you can see, there aren't a lot of folks hanging around just yet. I'm sure it's a great spot in the evenings (plenty of parking adjacent) and on weekends (lots of cycling paths leading the way in). That's where the historic nature of Kugler Alm is revealed - this is the home of the Radler, the light-beer mixture of Beer and Lemonade (or anything resembling what we know as 7-Up). Legend has it that the garden's owner, Franz Kugler, came up with the idea in 1922 as a means of keeping the Radlers (cyclists) from getting too tipsy to ride home after a visit. It's now a common low-alcohol alternative in many beergardens and taverns in Germany. Well, I didn't have to worry about driving or cycling, so I went for the mass of Spaten Helles and a plate o' ribs, and was I ever happy afterwards!

This was, for me, very close indeed to the perfect beergarden experience. The BBQ spareribs were the BEST I had tried at any of the Munich gardens, and the beer was fresh, cold, and tasty. The awning above provided shelter from a brief July shower, the loos were clean, and the staff was friendly. What more could I want? Well, not very much actually. I rate the Kugler Alm a hair or two above the previous day's visit to Sankt Emmerams Mühle for the fine location, the superior ribs, and the ever so slightly tastier Spaten. An easy 9.5 on the Yuk/Yummy Scale of Beery Goodness, and maybe, just maybe, touching a wee bit closer to the Perfect Ten. So I'll split hairs and give it a grateful 9.75 and look forward very much to the day I get to return to this wonderful spot. For an easy day trip outside Munich's city center, I cannot think of a better destination to quench one's thirst than this one.

Kugler Alm

Linien Strasse 93

82041 Oberhaching

PH (089) 61390190

Open 10am - 11pm

www.kugleralm.de

NEXT: Yes, there IS a Perfect Ten!

Emergency Creative Writing Chapter, Pt. 2

It's a scene from another one of America's most beloved long-running soap opera comic strips, which will not be identified or mocked in any way, as this is another loving tribute, so please don't sue me, and instead let's all rejoice that this wonderful example of art is with us every day!


I reckon you remember Ol’ Blue?
And with one quick glance at the strange, spotless truck with the insane headlights that Cody had insisted on installing on his own after watching that movie about the cute little alien that everybody was talking about, all the years came rolling back and it was that impossibly long June evening again when it seemed like the sun was never gonna set. And Lu Ann had been saying how this time she really was gonna go to New York City and make it as an artist, and Cody had just better get used to the idea. And Cody was saying that this was fool talk and that she’d be happy to paint her prairie flowers just as much while being his wife and raising his kids while he worked with his older brother Woody and his Pa at the piggery, and it all seemed so wrong to her to hear all this, even if it was the second biggest piggery in the county. And now Cody is working for Daddy, and what’s up with that? And now the sun was finally setting, and Cody knew that she was gonna be on that plane the next morning, and he started to make those sad, snorty crying noises, and she leaned over and kissed him, and knew that he was gonna take that as a big old green light for sliding her into the back seat, and what kind of truck has a back seat anyhow? And she thought, well here goes, as he rolled her sundress up her legs and kind of stumbled on her, and then, like he forgot or something, turned around and switched on the radio and Ol’ Blue’s heater. And with the truck’s engine wheezing like someone whistling really badly, he put on that 1510AM signal out of Mangy Butte and there was that danged Oak Ridge Boys song that they played every half hour and Cody loved so much, and then he kind of fell on her bare legs and undid his belt and everything seemed to go from there in a weird sort of a way, like he was trying to plop down and up, down and up, in time to that song with the stupid words, and it was so hard not to laugh, but she knew that would just ruin everything for him, so she bit her lip and listened to Giddy Up A-Ooom Poppa, Ooom Poppa, Mow Mow. And his breathing started getting real heavy and raspy like the noise of his truck’s heater, and she was thinking how one of her feet still had a shoe on and the other was bare and tucked into a map pocket, and what kind of a truck has a map pocket in the back seat, and there was that hand clapping sound of his little bits slapping against her butt, and she kept thinking that it was sort of like milking a cow backwards for some reason, but then she wondered if maybe he didn’t know that he wasn’t really inside her, and could it be that even though he’s got pigs all over the place, he’s never seen them doing it, and should she grab his pickle and help it in, or would that make him angry? And then those danged words Ooom Poppa, Mow Mow came on again, and Cody went all funny and yelled along with the song Hi-Ho Silver, Away!, and there was an awful mess, but it was mostly over his truck’s back seat and she was thankful for that, and then he kind of fainted on top of her and started making moany noises about how she can’t leave him and there’s nothing but trouble in New York City. And lying there, with her foot still crammed into that map pocket, and the sky getting dark real fast now, Lu Ann thought about how that plane can’t take off fast enough for her and the first thing she’s gonna do tomorrow after arriving at the New York City Airport, is make a telephone call about that apartment that’s up for rent with the two other gals as roommates. And she thought that’ll be just fine, because they can show her the big city, and she can teach them the Ways of the West. And there won’t be anyone or anything wheezing, and there won’t be any danged Oak Ridge Boys.
Oh yeah, Lu Ann remembered Ol’ Blue.

NEXT: Back to Munich for more ravings about Beergardens!