CUBS WEEKEND 2008 - Is There a Spoon Shortage in Canada?

Warning - Long and winding post

Last weekend was circled on my schedule from the first moment last December that I discovered that the Chicago Cubs would be coming to Toronto to play the Blue Jays. To make things even better, big Cub fans Shancho and Maynard were coming up for their second visit to Johnada.

Friday night was relatively calm, after a lovely dinner at Allen's Pub, Maynard and I visited my favourite bar in Toronto - the Only Cafe, then made a quick stop by Jimmy's.

Saturday I woke up early, like a kid on Christmas morning, gleefully awaiting everyone else to get out of bed. We ate breakfast at the First Lady's favourite brunch place Bonjour Brioche. I was nervous the whole time, despite the game not starting for two hours. But we made it in plenty of time. Our seats were pretty far up there, as you can tell:
It was a great game with Cubs scoring a lot of runs off of the "ace" of the Blue Jays, Roy Holiday. The First Lady and Shancho really enjoyed the music that came on before Vernon Wells bats - a little dancy sort of techno number. It was my first game in Toronto; I have to say the stadium is a little boring, and the fans don't get very excited compared to Wrigley Field.

After a bbq at Chez Johnada with an appearance by the Scientorian, we headed out to do some 5 pin bowling. Amazingly, the First Lady (4.5 months pregnant) won the first game. I redeemed myself in the second game and won the series. Maynard, generally the best bowler in the bunch, is not too good at tiny pin bowling, but he looks good tossing the ball:We followed bowling with a trip to Jimmy's for karaoke. It was great, as usual. I sang Alanis Morissette's "Ironic" to much acclaim. I got as close to a standing ovation as you can at Jimmy's. It was a great moment for me. Then Maynard sang "Putting on the Ritz" by Taco. The performance was unbelievable, but slightly disappointing because there was no tap dancing at the end. Over the course of the night, there were many more songs, including a duet by Shancho and the First Lady. The crowd at Jimmy's was nice and creepy, as usual. One particular fellow kept hitting on the First Lady who clearly came with me and, in case you forgot, is OBVIOUSLY 4.5 months pregnant. But Jackie, who owns Jimmy's, was kind as always.

On Sunday, Maymard and I got to the Cubs-Blue Jays game a little earlier as the women stayed behind to shower. It was a beautiful sunny day, so Maynard needed to get some sunglasses. After searching for a while we finally found some. We had much better seats and sat in the shade for about three innings. At the exact moment that the sun was going to hit us and Maynard was jut about to use his sun glasses, the craziest thing happened - the roof of the stadium started to close. It was pretty amazing to watch. We were surprised because it was so nice out, but after twenty minutes of the roof closing you could tell it was about to rain. After the third inning, Shancho and the First Lady finally made it. They even made a sign because the game was going to be on WGN TV in Chicago:It actually says "Go Cubs, Eh?" on the bottom, but the guy who took a picture did not do a very good job of framing it. Anyway, the Cubs won this game after a great pitching performance by former Blue Jay Ted Lilly, so it was a great weekend for Cubs baseball.

We had planned on making it an early night on Sunday after the game, but we headed over to enjoy some drinks at the Drake which has a great rooftop deck. The deck is so nice it was enjoyable even though it rained. At dinner, we had a few too many carafe's of wine and this led us to the Rivoli for more karoake. The Riv had a more serious crowd, and my version of "Ironic" did not go over quite so well. Apparently they don't understand an ironic version of a song called "Ironic" that has no irony in it. I mean why is it ironic to have a bunch of forks when all you need is a spoon? That's just bad planning. After, my lukewarm performance, the Scientorian absolutely ripped through an amazing version of "Let's Go Crazy" by Prince. The crowd seemed confused by the frequent shout outs to Minneapolis, however.

Despite the fact that we clearly didn't want the weekend to end, we had to face reality and headed home in a taxi. The taxi driver was a Croatian immigrant living in Canada who loves Cuba. That's a lot of C's.

Overall, one of the best weekends I've had in a couple of years. And if you read this blog, you know I have good weekends.

Allens - 4 Hortons
The Only Cafe - 4.62 Hortons
Jimmy's - 4 Hortons
brunch at Bonjour Brioche - 4.5 Hortons
The Cubs - 5 Hortons
Rogers Centre - 2 Hortons
5 Pin Bowling - 3.98 Hortons
Rivoli - 3.2 Hortons

HOLLYWOOD KID - Welcome to the Danforth, Biyatch

About three weeks ago, my good friend Mikeanu from LA, who I hadn't seen in quite some time, came to visit Johnada. We were quite excited, because Johnada is not popular with the LA celebrities. We figured paparazzi would be following his every move, so I was dressed in my finest crotchless pants. It turns out, he's not famous. Disappointing to say the least, but I'm sure it won't be long before he's got is own reality show on E!

Anyway, we had quite an exciting time. He got to see a lot of Toronto, including Honest Eds, the Distillery District, Queen West and my office (which he said was the ultimate Toronto tourist destination). We toured the U of Toronto. We drank fancy Scotch. We 5 Pin Bowled. I'm proud to announce that I'm still undefeated (this includes beating Beernada soundly). We also taste tested Molson Canadian vs. Labatt Blue. I don't remember which beer won, but it's not my job to decide which is best.

And I talked Mikeanu into a trip to Jimmys; my first time there since November of last year. (The First Lady isn't so keen on Johnada annexing Jimmys all alone, so I can only go when there's another sucker around.) I have to admit the clientèle was a little on the freaky side that night. But like true inebriated soldiers, we persevered. We each got in two karaoke songs and a pitcher of Amber. The songs went well, but who knew "Walk the Line" was so fast and awkwardly paced? Apparently not Mikeanu.

The trip was capped with an early morning trip to Tim Hortons just before we dropped him off at the airport. This is a great way to send people off ... as the bad aftertaste of Timmie's coffee lingers, the memories of Johnada remain strong.

POUTINE IN MINNEAPOLIS?

It's Canada Month at one of my favourite bars in Minneapolis, the Triple Rock Social Club. (The city I lived in before we moved to Toronto.) According to someone named Honey Bunny, they're selling poutine and Labatts. From the pictures on her site, it looks like pretty standard poutine. I can't figure out what else makes it Canada Month there. But I hope they are selling donuts laced with the same addictive additive they put in Tim Horton's batches.

She also mentions that Wednesday is free bacon night. Is this just during Canada Month? If so, what kind of bacon? Is it standard "American" bacon? Regular back bacon? Peameal bacon?

So what's the deal with the Canada envy, Minnesota? Trying to make a run at becoming Canada's 11th province too? I'm sure some Canadians would be very surprised to find out about all this love south of the border. Mostly they think Americans don't care about Canada. Mostly they're right. But some care, and they appear to be the dirty punk rockers that frequent the Triple Rock.

FYI, so far the Wife's favourite poutine came at a super fancy restaurant by one of Toronto's "hot" chefs, Jamie Kennedy. It was made with braised lamb. I liked it too (3.5 Hortons). But I reserve final judgement until I've had poutine in a small town in Quebec.

Did I mention the Wife is a bit of a foodie? Between her, Beernada and Beernada's significant other (the Scientorian) things can get a little bourgeoisie. I'm more petite bourgeoisie myself.

Thanks to my MN friend Chanayka for the tip on the Triple Rock!

THE PUB PRIMARY - Voting While Abroad

Disclaimer: I have never voted in a primary before because I don't consider myself a true Democrat. On many issues, I'm left of the Dems and on a couple, I'm probably right. In general, I detest big political parties and all the corruption that spews from them. But I had to vote this year. . .

Last night the wife and I had the pleasure of voting for the Democratic nomination for President. (I'm not going to tell you who I voted for, but I'll give a clue that the person's name rhymes with Smarek Smobama.) We voted in the Democrats Abroad voting block. Democrats Abroad gets 11 voting delegates at the national convention. That's slightly less than Wyoming, but more than Samoa. And this year those 11 delegate votes could actually mean something.

The Democrats Abroad polling location in Toronto was at the Elephant & Castle Pub. It was a madhouse in there. There were tons of people, television reporters and televisions blaring CNN. I was featured prominently on the local Global newscast. They were at the pub filming because Canadians are fascinated by the fact that, not only do we get to directly vote for our leader, but we actually get to help decide who runs. Crazy Americans! (Though we here at Johnada have a strict policy against self-promotion, I will post a link to the video should it come up on their website.)

As for the results, most of the coverage I've seen says it's muddled but they talk up Hillary's big win in California. Nobody talks about how big of lead she had a couple weeks ago, and how much that dwindled. Okay, Texas, Ohio and Pennsylvania, let's give this thing to Mr. Smobama.

JOHNADA'S CHRISTMAS VACATION

After hearing that I have not put enough pictures of myself on the blog (mostly from my family), I am putting two up today. Enjoy these, you won't get another shot of me until 2009.

It was quite an excellent trip to the states. Here are some of the highlights:

- Johnada ate at five Mexican restaurants -- all superior to any Mexican food he’s had in Toronto.

- Johnada spent Chistmas Eve at a super crazy insane Whole Foods in St. Louis, and New Year’s Eve at a super crazy insane Whole Foods in Chicago. He now knows that he doesn’t really enjoy super crazy insane Whole Foods. The customers tend to be a little on the moody side. (However, the workers were all delightful.)

- Johnada started a 10-minute band with a Bourbonnais John. We were called Moses Pudding. We rocked.

- Somewhat relatedly, Johnada got schooled at Guitar Hero by his 11-year-old nephew.

- Johnada went shopping a lot. He bought some new running shoes. They have gold on the bottom and make him run super fast.

- Johnada got kicked out of a Mexican bar in Chicago because he didn’t have a picture ID. (He is still waiting for his official Ontario license with a picture to come in the mail.) When Johnada handed the bartender his temporary paper license, she claimed he was offering her a check. Chicago has lots of bars; Johnada does not need to bribe bartenders.

- Johnada lifted several of his nieces and nephews above his head and spun them around like he just didn’t care. This has led to lower back pain that will not go away. Johnada is old.

- Johnada saw Detroit for the first time. Umm, hooray for Detroit?

- Upon re-entering Canada, Johnada and the wife got zero hassle from the Canadian Border Patrol. In stark contrast to the U.S. Border Patrol, they didn't even check our passports. And with apologies to the wife, I've got to say the Canadian BPA was pretty hot. She could search my cat food any day.

- Johnada also had an excellent time on New Year’s Eve. There was dancing, food and old friends. I took lots of pictures, but most people probably don't want their pictures on this blog.
You can't tell because of the wig, but this is really Jean Claude Van Damme. He really likes Cut/Copy, and now so do I.

The elusive Shancho didn't make her famous Shanchos, but did make her killer Shancho cheese dip. Some say the secret ingredient is love, but I think it might be something else:
The Hangover Special:
At New Year's Day breakfast, I ordered the Hangover Special, which was Chilaquiles with eggs. Apparently, I was the only person who ordered the special, because the owner and several waitresses repeatedly asked me about it. It was alright, but not excellent. As you can see, it was very white. I give it 2.75 Hortons.

JOHNADA vs. BEERNADA (Round III and IV)

PLUS JOHNADA GETS AN AWARD!

So Saturday night, Beernada and Johnada just happened to be in a bar that had a game involving a real feat of strength . . . it was called Boxer.

The game was simple: put in a Loonie and punch a bag. The options were speed or strength. Having looked in the mirror recently, I quickly chose speed. Then a punching bag fell from the sky, and I immediately started punching the bag in the rapid fire style seen in so many Rocky montages (38 seconds into this clip, for example). But the game quickly stopped and only five points appeared on the board. I stared in dismay at the score board; my technique had been flawless. Then a guy behind us said, "You just hit it once hard, dude, the speed option don't work." Since Johnada's cheap and didn't want to waste another Loonie, I graciously gave Beernada his turn. Knowing how the game worked, Beernada reared back for his shot while pretending the bag was being used for beechwood aging. Needless to say, he won.

J vs. B Round IV was pinball . . . surely Johnada would dominate pinball. I spent the summers of my youth at a house with its own pinball machine. Beernada went first, and he did not fare well. He kept the ball going for a few minutes each time, but he got no bonuses or fun things. Final score: 300,000.

Next, it was Johnda's turn. On the first ball, I slowly reared back with the plunger, measuring the perfect amount to shoot the ball right into Bonusland. I let go ever so gently, like I was making the final knit on a chorded winter sweater for Balki. Then I realized that I avoid things like knitting because I'm horrible with my hands. The ball caramed right off the back of the machine, shot straight down the middle and split the two flippers . . . 0 points. Ball two yielded the exact same result. The third plunge was so bad that the machine actually felt bad for Johnada and gave me a bonus shot. The bonus shot came out of the tube like a ball on a mission, and as if in slow motion, plummeted straight to the right bumper for 100 points. It then ran straight across to the the left, hitting two more bumpers at 200 points each. At this point, I was so excited about actually doing something, I forgot to hit the flipper button. The ball actually seemed to taunt me as it giddily spun down the the drain, signalling the game's end. Final result: 400 points.

Unfortunately, the current feats of strength score is Beernada 3, Johnada 1. I'm going to have to start making up games that I know I can win, like "Name a Baseball Player Not Named Barry Bonds".

Earlier in the day, we went to Bar Volo for casks of Fullers. With three different fresh casks of fine English beer, everyone was a winner (except for our pocket books):Last, but certainly not least, we've been given a Citizen of the World award by fellow blogger Zhu at Correr Es Mi Destino. (As a Citizen of the World, we would like to request the award money in Euros.) You can see the award if you scroll down the right side of this page. It's quite an honour, so anyone who knows Johnada in real life, please don't comment with all the obvious reasons why we clearly don't qualify.

As for a certain commenter on Zhu's Citizen of the World post, Johnada's not actually from Chicago. We're from Bourbonnais, which is quite worldly. Check out that French name! And we're the summer of home of the Chicago Bears. They've even got a Canadian on their roster. Bourbonnais also has one of the highest per capita rates of ninjas in the world, but we'll have to save that for another post.

BEERNADA - Wellington Iron Duke Strong Ale

Well, it's been longer than we hoped, but here's the second "official" Beernada column by Zach Aromyces. The opinions expressed in this column are solely those of Dr. Aromyces and do not represent the views of Johnada or our parent corporation, TimeWarnerNikeMolsonRBC Inc. Of course, if you want to offer free beer or merchandise because of what is said, then the views definitely represent our opinion.First of all, my sincerest apologies to all of you who have been waiting patiently for a second Beernada review. As Johnada explained, I had to undertake a courageous stand against the Esplanade Meat Market’s ostentatious list of Belgian beers by launching a Beerpeace strike against the Markt’s fawning of corporate Big Beer, ultimately resulting in my solo voyage in the Hoegaarden cooler down the St. Lawrence River. Alas, before reaching the open ocean, I was run ashore when my vessel sprang a leak after pounding into the side of a 1000-foot ( approximately 400 Canadian meters) Portuguese ship carrying 10,000 cases (approximately 120,000 Canadian bottles) of red Douro bound for Montreal. For those of you who don’t know, Beerpeace is modeled on Greenpeace. (N.B. as much as I condone the use of violence as a form of social dissent--or, actually, for any reason--Beernada and his associates are in no way associated with Greenpeace).

Before I launch into my review of Wellington Iron Duke, I need to clarify one important item. Johnada has not been entirely earnest with his “fair and balanced” approach to covering our competition for excelling at worthless activities. Although Johnada’s poor performance at darts is a disappointment to some, I will be the first to commend his form (though he could probably stand to put on 10 pounds of muscle). More preposterous is Johnada’s characterization of my absence at Jimmy’s karaoke as “too scared.” This is blatantly untrue and slanderous (no doubt, a shocking realization for most blog readers): I WAS IN THE ST. LAWRENCE RIVER WHEN YOU WENT TO JIMMY’S!* Let’s try to maintain the high standards of honesty and factuality that this blog was founded on. To see how, read on.

Brewed in Guelph, Ontario at the Wellington County Brewery, Wellington Iron Duke Strong Ale is, as the name suggests, an ale. Beers can be classified into two broad categories depending on the type of yeast used in the fermentation process: lagers use yeasts that settle to the bottom during fermentation (bottom-fermenters), while ales use yeasts that rise to the top during fermentation (top-fermenters). Although the line between ales and lagers is blurring with modern brewing technologies, ales tend to be fruitier and lagers tend to be cleaner in taste. (I recommend double-checking all of Beernada’s facts with Charles Bamforth.)

The brawny, tawny Iron Duke pours like a proud admiral of the Wellington Army. It is dark, but not opaque, with amber highlights in a rich, clear tamarind-brown liquid matrix. (For the love of god, people, pour this beer into a goblet! – use a red wine glass if you don’t have a Duvel or Chimay goblet handy). It is lightly carbonated, letting the bitterness of the hops, the carbonized bitterness from roasted malts, and the delicate effervescence-like tickle from the mineral water frame the complex body. Partly as a result of the low carbonation, there is a dearth of foam that survives long after pouring. (There is actually a complex molecular explanation involving proteins and alcohol that better explains the foam phenomenon – check with Chuck B.) Most traditional British-style beers are lightly carbonated, so this seems in-line with the brewery’s apparent emphasis on styles from the homeland. Iron Duke weighs in at 6.5% alcohol by volume, a respectable but by no means beefy beverage. This ale’s aroma is best when it is warmed slightly (cellar temp is traditional, but I really prefer it at room temp), and it is surprisingly subtle. Do I detect the famed calcium-induced Bass Ale aroma of pear? I was expecting (perhaps wanting) there to be a pronounced raisin-like aroma, the signature fragrance of the noble Fuggles and East Kent Goldings hops that are characteristic of many British beers, but I can only detect a mild dried fruit flavours (raisins, prunes) in the middle and back of the mouth. Perhaps they opted for colonial hops instead. What this beer tastes like, to me, is a gourmet s’more doused in single malt scotch whiskey (perhaps one from Speyside) and set afire: graham cracker flavours stand out at the front of the mouth, followed by the warmth of alcohol that heralds in the rich, malty body (but not marshmallow-sweet…in fact, it is quite a dry beer), and ends with roasted, chocolaty notes. It is very slightly smoky and salty, plus there is a very subtle hint of ginger. This is a beer for a cold Ontario night in front of a dysfunctional fireplace that billows smoke into the entire apartment. I would know.

I would much rather save Iron Duke than Hoegaarden from the throes of the clientèle at the Esplanade. Luckily, I didn’t need to because they don’t carry it (…maybe they do, I was too blinded by the gigantic TV screen to read the menu). This is one of the best native Canadian beers I’ve had. I give it four Molsons, a new record! If there were a bigger emphasis on the noble hops aroma (and a slightly fruitier fermentation), this would be a contender for Beernada’s Beer Hall of Fame (not to be confused with Toronto’s Hockey Hall of Fame, though considering the BBHF’s popularity as a tourist destination, it would be easy to do). America, seek this beer out, even if it means canoeing into Canada.

Questions? Comments? Hatemail? Email Zach at beernada@gmail.com.

*While we highly encourage our employees to be active outside of Johnada, when a required event takes place and an employee has not been granted prior permission to be absent, all absences will be recorded as fear. It's in the handbook.

BEERNADA DELAYED

Promises are just like the Wife's favourite glassware; they're made to be broken by Johnada at the worst possible time. So we have to apologize to any Johnadians who were eagerly awaiting a new Beernada column this week. It appears you will have to wait until Monday. However, we do have a good explanation.

Two weeks ago when we were hanging out with Beernada, he kept mumbling something about freeing Hoegaarden from the "evil, frat-like clutches of the Esplanade." Johnada ignored these comments because Beernada says these type of things at almost every bar we go to. Unfortunately, this time the threats proved all too real. This is the last picture we have of him from that night:We later got reports from the Toronto Harbour Patrol that they saw someone fitting Beernada's description paddling some sort of refrigeration device out into Lake Ontario. That was the last anyone heard from him until today when he was fished out the St. Lawrence River by some very thirsty Quebecois. Unfortunately, the Hoegaarden cooler boat could not be saved. Beernada is currently suffering from starvation and extreme hypothermia, so we extended his deadline until Monday.

OVER THE TOP AT JIMMY'S

This week Johnada had some very special visitors up from the States. To protect their identities, we'll call them Shancho and Maymard. Because it was Grey Cup weekend, we had to take it over the top. And there's no better place to take it over the top than Jimmy's.

Jimmy's is owned and run by Jackie (it's a long story). It's located very close to Johnada. They have karaoke on Friday and Saturday night. Though it has a bad reputation on one blog, I've found it a nice place with a friendly, if not trendy, clientele. Yes, it's blue collar. And yes, people probably drink too much. But everyone was happy and encouraging us to sing on Friday night. Well, except for the woman who screamed at her husband for twenty minutes straight, but it didn't seem to bother him as he happily sang along to a rousing version of "Bohemian Rhapsody." Jackie is especially nice, though I suspect he's not fulfilling a lifelong dream by owning Jimmy's.

Setlist:
Johnada - My Generation, Chicago (Toronto version)
The Wife and Shancho - Sweet Child O' Mine, Something Else
Maymard - Give It Away, Rag Doll
Beernada - Too scared of Jimmy's to show up (Round II to Johnada)

The comic highlight was definitely Rag Doll mainly due to the improvisational skat that comes at the end. Let's just say Maymard could use a little practise. Overall, karaoke at Jimmy's was a very good time. Maymard and I even went back on Sunday to watch the final minutes of the Grey Cup.

Jimmy's gets 4 Hortons for being a neighbourhood bar that tries to be nothing else. Lenny Kravitz Grey Cup halftime performance gets 1.5 Hortons (see Prince last year if you want the only halftime show that will ever get 5), the Saskatchawan Roughriders get 4.7 Hortons for winning the Grey Cup and providing Johnada with a rare victory in gambling. And though Maymard owes me a "keg" since he lost the bet, I think posting the following picture will make us even.

Over the top, indeed!

CRITICALLY BITTER - Menomena

Critically Bitter disdains all the kids with their hipping and their hopping. Critically Bitter loves the Archers of Loaf and wishes it was still 1997. Critically Bitter dreams of rockin' in small clubs throughout North America. (Maybe he should have learned to play an instrument?) Instead, he has a blog.

The other night CB went to see Menomena and Illinois at the Mod Club. First off, let me say that I really liked the Mod Club. Great sight lines, easy access to beers, good lighting and the doorperson actually let the Wife in with zero hassle. In a twist of irony that would have delighted Sybil Taylor, the only non-Molsen/Miller item available was Steam Whistle. I will wait for Zach's trip to Steam Whistle before I comment further on the actual beer, but I'm not afraid to admit that I had two.

I liked what I had heard from the opening band Illinois, so we arrived early to catch their set. Illinois certainly had their moments, "Alone Again" and "Screen Door" stood out, but the music was generally all over the place. One minute they're My Bloody Valentine, one minute they're Beck, one minute they're a rockier Ben Folds and then suddenly a sixties psychedelic pop band. I like bands that don't conform to one sound, but it's nice to have some sort of base. I still think these guys have a lot of potential, but they should stick to one sound and evolve from there. I tend to agree with the Wife, the psychedelics sixties pop band suits them best, plus I recommend more banjo.

Menomena was great! These are three unassuming lads who seem to authentically enjoy what they do. The band obviously has great sonic ambition, but absolutely no pretencion about it. They recreate the layering of their albums so well it seems impossible only three people are playing. They switch between glockenspiel, guitar, saxophone, keyboard, guitar and bass with ease. The band's live vocal harmonizing brought an unexpected intimacy to many of the songs, especially "Rotten Hell". Finally, I really love drummers who pound away, and Menomena's drummer, Danny Seim, is one of the best I've seen in a while. During concert highlight "Twenty Cell Revolt" it felt like the whole song would have totally fallen apart if Seim didn't keep pummelling the kit as hard as possible. Having now seen them at a festival and a club, I've got to say that, like most bands, a small venue is the only way to go.

Bitter Comments - What happened to going to a concert and just enjoying the show? Why do half the people in the audience have to hold their digital cameras/cell phones over their head filming the whole damn thing? I really don't mind people snapping the occasional photo, but take the picture and put those things away. There is nothing that kills a rocking song faster than looking up to see some rock and seeing the band in tiny form on an Olympus display screen instead. Stupid kids and their blogs!

I give the Mod Club 4 Hortons, Illinois 2.49 for their potential and Menomena 4.5 for a great set.

If anyone wants to see a fantastic/sad Menomena video, go here.

BEERNADA - Letter from Steam Whistle

The following letter comes directly from Steam Whistle. How will Zach respond? Stay tuned tomorrow, as I will definitely see him tonight at the Mod Club for a Menomena concert.

Hi Zach ,

We just had the opportunity to read your first review, that being of Steam Whistle Pilsner. We are sorry to hear that you had such a poor first experience and are taking this opportunity to invite you down to the brewery for a second try. Our Brewmaster, Marek Mikunda, is actually over in the Czech Republic for the next week or so surveying some new equipment slated to arrive in January, and to take in a Beer Conference. You could wait until his return to meet or you are welcome to come in and meet one of our founders, Cam or Greg. Hopefully a second taste of our Pilsner will be more appealing to you.

You should know that we don’t use Lake Ontario water in our beer, but truck in Canadian Springs water (CanadianSprings.com) several times a week by tanker load from the Caledon Hills. This water was specifically selected for its Ph balance and mineral content. Although we do use a green bottle which you caution is a problem for mercaptan, we are careful to sell our beer in sealed, thick cardboard cases, where other green-bottled import beers commonly use basket carriers, open to the light. I do not know from where you got your first sample of Steam Whistle Pilsner, but we will certainly follow up with the bar, Beer Store or LCBO Outlet from where it came if you can identify its origin. Perhaps there was some storage issue with the beer. On every bottle of Steam Whistle Pilsner is a packaged on date code, somewhere on the neck. It reads PKGD MMM DD YYYY HH MM. If you still have the bottle and could provide this code, we can track that production date through our lab results and also in the trade. We have several dedicated service representatives that clean draught lines, rotate bottled product in bars and double check date codes in stores.
Looking forward to the chance to meet with you and discuss Pilsners. All the best.

Cheers,
Sybil Taylor
Marketing Communications
Steam Whistle Brewing
The Roundhouse, 255 Bremner Blvd
Toronto, ON M5V 3M9

BEERNADA - Steam Whistle Responds!

The kind people at Steam Whistle Brewery sent Zach an email earlier today (we hope to put it up, with their permission, in the near future), inviting him to meet one of the owners and try Steam Whistle for a second time. We're still trying to get a response from Dr. Aromyces, (last we knew he was heading to Bar Volo), but we will let you know if he accepts or declines (which we highly discourage if he wants to get paid).

Will he or won't he? While you wait for the answer, we encourage everyone to try Steam Whistle for themselves. (Johnada loves free t-shirts, and we're willing to take it all back for a green one.)

Johnada, despite our beer review, has no problem giving the Steam Whistle Brewery 5 Hortons as an organization, especially for their astute PR department. (We wear medium, unless they shrink, then better make it a large.)

S-A-T-U-R-D-A-Y NIGHT (Part II - Solo Battles)

Battles at Lee’s Palace was next on the agenda for yours truly and the Wife. I’ve been anticipating this concert for a long time, but things started out on a sour note. The people at the door rejected the Wife, because she “only” had the receipt for her Ontario Driver’s License and a photo ID, which was not enough to get in (somehow they had no problem with my expired MN license). They were not very nice about the situation either. My wife probably looks younger than she is, but she certainly does not look under 19. What a joke! Since my wife couldn’t get in and I am a gentleman, I walked her to the subway and said, “Don’t forget to let the dog out.”

In the hundreds of concerts I’ve gone to over the last sixteen years, I don’t think I’d ever been to one by myself before. It was a unique experience, especially since I was surprisingly older than most of the crowd. Somewhere between my fourteen-year-old self and now, I became that one “leerer” dude. Matters where made worse by the fact the concert started about an hour later than I expected. So I leered with a beer until the opening act, White Williams, started.

Anyway White Williams was the second most horrible thing I saw this weekend after Spiderman 3 (wow, that was bad). He really had a lame 80’s revival thing going on, which is strike one. I don’t know if it was just last night or what, but he also had zero charisma onstage, strike two. And I saw the cover of his album today, strike three.

Battles were great, as I expected, but I didn’t enjoy it as much I thought I would. Unfortunately, in my old age, I don’t like bands that clearly have a routine and do things the same way for every show. I know it’s tough keeping things fresh for 200 days in a row, but a band like Battles should not start every show with the bassist/guitarist coming out and doing the same layered-bass-through-delay routine. Switch it up a little boys. It’s probably just me, but I remember the second time I saw the Blues Explosion back in the nineties, and it destroyed me when I realized it was all just a choreographed thing that was basically the same every night. How hard is it to change a set list? Despite the lack of freshness in the set, it's hard not to get excited at the height of "Tonto" when everyone is going nuts on stage and in the crowd. Well worth the price of admission for that alone.

The door man at Lee’s Palace gets 0 Hortons, White Williams gets 1 , Battles gets 4 – but if they give it the same routine the next time, that might drop to a 3. Spiderman 3, one of the worst movies I've seen in a long time, gets 0 Hortons.