Dave & Busters

This week I had the great pleasure of hosting a 2 day Prud'homme Beer Certification course with The Beer Store at Dave & Busters in Vaughan and I was duly impressed with the way we were treated.

To start with, nothing was a problem.  We had to change a couple of things along the way and all changes were received well.  Both days were amazing!  I see a lot of customer service faux pas in my everyday exploration of the hospitality industry but Dave & Busters' staff went over and above the call of duty.

I arrived at 7:50am on the Tuesday and found my way into the Showroom for our workshop.  As I was setting up, the day manager Ryan Kossen arrived with a big smile and 'Can Do' attitude.  He set up the AV for me and arranged for extra water jugs for each table.  The two servers, Angela and Daniel, took great care of us on Day 1 and even arranged to have the lunch brought in earlier than requested.  At the end of the day, my glassware was washed and stored for the next day's seminar.

Day 2 - nothing changed - Ryan again, was very accomodating and asked if I needed anything else.  We were in another room and I needed a display table which was brought immediately.  Without going into too much boring detail - Daniel was totally dedicated to delivering an outstanding customer service experience.

If you are looking to host a corporate meeting, get together or just a social event, I would strongly recommend Dave & Busters.  They are true professionals and make an extraordinary effort to satisfy their customers.  Well Done!

Toronto Wine & Cheese Show

It's been a while since I've been at the Toronto Wine & Cheese show at the International Centre.  Last time I was there, I was working for Oland Specialty Beer Company and not as a consumer.  This time, I wanted to check it out with my wife and a couple of friends.  Actually, I was intrigued by an ad I saw for a Beer School at the show hosted by Mill Street.  I had trademarked The Beer School quite a few years ago and was eager to see what this one was all about.  More about that shortly.  Overall, I was quite impressed with the show itself.  We had a great time and enjoyed quite a few nice wines and some great beers.

My 3 favourite things about the show were:

1. Mill Streets Beer School - cohosts Joel Manning (Brew Master at Mill St.) and Joe Levesque (executive chef at the International Centre) were excellent.  Joel is an excellent speaker as well as an outstanding brewer.  He had some great stories which I had not known about before - so if you don't mind Joel, I will be more than happy to use them in my sessions.  Joe Levesque is an excellent chef and provided us with some great food - easy to make at home.  I had met Joe previously at the Fairmont Royal York in Toronto when I was doing Beer events there.  The cost was $15 and included samples of 5 great Mill Street beers and two substantial portions of food.  Great value and tons of fun.  My only comment is that the beers were poured too full for the cups and that was a lot of beer to have in such a short time
2. Beau's All Natural Brewing were there and I got a chance to talk to Steve Beaushene.  These guys are great brewers and nice people to boot.  Lugtread is a fantastic example of a Kolsch beer, something you will not get readily in Canada as it hails from Cologne, Germany.  The very cool thing about Beau's was that I got to try their Belgian Imperial Stout - outstanding flavours, well balanced and 8% alcohol by volume - I actually carried it around a little and let it warm up and then had it with a dessert crepe with nutello, bananas and strawberries - OMG!  Nice job on the beer gents!.  I also tried their IPA which was tremendously nicely balanced and did not have the signature west coast hopping that we've become accustomed to.  Beau's use New Zealand hops which are citrusy but not in your face
3. Amsterdam Brewery have an excellent Bock beer.  Jamie Mistry,the master brewer, allowed me to sample and quite frankly am looking forward to gettting some more shorlty.  Really malty, subtle sweetness and a nice finish.

Great evening was had by all and I'm already planning for next year but this time with a tasting strategy and a longer amount of time

Cheers

Denison's

I met Michael Hancock almost 5 years ago.  Michael is a genuinely nice man who wants nothing but the best.  He is a dedicated brewer and beer ambassador and has, for quite a while, been working diligently at producing a world class Hefeweissen in Toronto.  Having met Michael on numerous occasions (most recently - last year at a filming of an LCBO training video), I have always been impressed with his dedication and attention to detail.  He is a stickler for doing it right and refuses to compromise.

I was thrilled to find his 'Denison's Weissbier' at the LCBO the other day.  I have been hoping that he would allow the folks in Toronto to share in his passion.  Denison's is beautifully packaged in a 473 ml can that reeks of quality and craftsmanship.  It is a blue and gold can that even has the Bavarian flag incorporated.  Nice touch!  The font is also old world and is fitting for such a beer.  Now for the beer....

Denison's Weissbier pours with a beautiful orange, dark amber colour.  It is cloudy and rich and the foam is a stunning dense white cap.  The nose is definitely spicy - cloves to be more specific and there is also a hint of banana. The body of the beer is fairly crisp with some soft underlying wheat textures.  The finish is clean with very little aftertaste.

Michael, did speak with me the other day as I was urging him to enter this wonderful brew into the Ontario Brewing Awards.  He confided that he was not 100% satisfied with the CO2 content of the beer and wished that it would be a little more effervescent.  Again, the perfectionist shows himself.  In all honesty, I agree - it could use a bit more spritz and I'm sure that we will soon be treated to Mr. Hancock's perfection.

All in all, this is probably the best Hefeweissen outside of Bavaria.  I really urge you to try this beer - you will not be disappointed.

Prosit

Spaten ze Deutsch?

The Esplanade Biermarkt has always been a favourite of mine.  Right from when it opened in 2001, it has always held a special place in my heart.  Great beer, great staff and great food!  The General Manager, Robert Medal is totally focused on the best beer experience and he fully understand the importance of a great chef to create the food to match the great beer line up.  Enter Michael Cipollo.  I love the food at the Biermarkt and more than that am even more impressed with Chef Mike than ever before.  Why you ask?  Read on....!

On Thursday, March 4, 2010, I had the pleasure of hosting the media launch of a fantastic German beer named Spaten.  Quick tasting notes - (Helles style - means it will be light golden in colour and this particular beer has a bready, malty nose with a hint of citrus, the body is crisp with a bit more malt in the form of biscuit.  The finish is crisp and full with some decent bitterness to help cleanse the palate.)

Chef Mike brought out 3 courses - the first was a charcutiere which featured some pork belly, weisswurst, sauerkraut (just like my Mom made it) and some warm potato salad.  The second course was a fantastic schnitzel with a side of asparagus and a yukon gold mash. The final course was Granny Smith apple fritters that were a perfect portion - single bites dusted with a bit of cinnamon.  Now Mike named it an Apfelkuchen but I and the other German guests know that a Kuchen is a cake not a morsel.

Amazingly, all three courses were well matched with Spaten.  I say that because I would normally not pair a lager with a dessert - just not a thing I do.  But I concede and bow to Chef Mike.  Excellent pairing!!!  The other thing I learned that day was that we often look at the the three C's of food pairing - Cut, Complement and Contrast.  Mike taught me that he has added one more - Contradict.  Now this is very cool and that to me means you should always test the boundaries.  Nice lesson to learn for me and a big thanks to Mike, Rob and of course Erin McHattie who put the event on.  I love beer and food but more than that, I love learning from others.

Get  yourselves down to the Biermarkt and enjoy Spaten - an exclusive to the Biermarkt starting in a couple of weeks.  Available for a limited time, Spaten will make you want to visit Germany and enjoy the splendours of one of the great brewing nations.  Also, you will be able to enjoy the mastery of culinary cuisine as directed by Chef Michael Cipollo.

Prosit

What's Next?

I always find the world of beer to be an interesting place.  It is always changing, evolving and innovating.  Brands change...it's as simple as that.  Most beers shift their recipes over time.  Why?  Sometimes, it's the brewer who decides that there are some flaws that need to be ironed out.  Other times, the brewer decides to make a beer more drinkable or more relevant to a greater number of consumers.  Change is afterall the only constant.  C'est La Vie!

Here are some issues in the global beer market to make you go hmmmmmm.

• Heineken recently bought Femsa (really a share swap) - Femsa brands include Sol and Dos Equis
• Heineken is distributed in Canada by Molson who by the way also distributes Corona - a direct competitor of Sol
• Corona is brewed by Groupo Modelo.  Guess who has a 50% stake in Modelo - Anheuser Busch -InBev (the largerst brewer in the world) who also owns Labatt
• Corona is the largest import brand in Canada. Why does AB-InBev allow its major competitor to distribute and sell Corona in Canada?
• The distribution partnership in the U.S between SAB Miller (the second largest brewer in the world) and Molson-Coors (6th on a global scale) is working very well. When does SAB Miller decide that partnerships are not as good as ownership?

If you thought globalization and consolidation were over, think again.  I fully expect some fireworks in the next year or so.  It should be fun to watch where this all nets out.  On top of all this, there are some major micro brewers in Canada who are setting themselves up for purchase.  The big question is who really wants them.  If these smaller, quality brewers offer some unique value proposition or better yet, a larger, more diverse beer portfolio, then they become a good acquisition.  Otherwise, they will get bought and dismantled.  It's an easy way to narrow the playing field.

The good thing in all of this is that the beer industry continues to grow in small steps - more craft brewers than in the past 100 years. Now, if we could only convince the Ontario governent to provide a vehicle for these small Ontario brewers to showcase their goods, we would all win (and I don't mean independent variety stores).  Let's consider the same stores as some of the vintners have.  What most people lose sight of is that we need competition - we need both large and small brewers.  They make each other better and therefore, we as beer drinkers can only benefit

Cheers

Halifax Gastonomic Delights

On Thursday, February 11, I once again found myself in the wonderful city of Halifax and in Brussels Restaurant and Brasserie for yet another beer dinner.  Brussels is owned and operated by Boris and Ken and managed by Ivan Nickerson and boasts the wonderful culinary skills of Chef Garwin. I thought I share both the menu and my comments with you.

1st Course - Tri-coloured Belgian beet salad, tossed in a light Chimay honey lime dressing and served with Chimay White. Not a bad match overall.  There was some goat cheese in the salad that was cut beautifully by the Chimay but I found the bitterness of the field greens to linger just a touch too long.
2nd Course - Beer Braised duck confit crostini served with black currant Cumberland sauce served with Hobgoblin.  This to me was an outstanding pairing.  The duck was soft and not overly rich.  The crostini brought a little more malt body in the Hobgoblin and sweetness of the black currant sauce was fully complemented by the subtle sweetness of the beer.
3rd Course - Leg of Rabbit braised in Erdinger and served with Potato Squash gratin, seasonal vegie bundles topped with a smoked tomato sauce.  The rabbit was excellent and tender.  Well seasoned and complemented the Erdinger Weissbier perfectly.  There was absolutely no contrasting flavours.  The side dishes were also matched well with the beer.
4th Course - Gaufre Brussels - Homemade Belgian waffle served with a Fruli strawberry gelato and drizzled with chocolate sauce.  We paired this one with Garrison's Winter Warmer.  A beautiful way to wrap up the evening.  The waffle was fairly light and was a delight to eat.  The Garrison's Winter Ale was outstanding - a little higher in alcohol which cut the coldness of the weather.  Spiced nicely with cinnamon and nutmeg, it warmed you ever so slightly.  The finish was surprisingly smooth and easy to drink.  Well done Garrison!

Another fantastic night put on by the Hamachi Group of Restaurants.  Thanks to everyone who attended.

Cheers

Oh..What a Night!

I recently had a night to remember.  There's a fantastic spot in Pickering at the base of Liverpool Rd, called Port.  Dining there is something to behold - great ambiance, great food and drink and a fantastic staff.  But I digress... Todd and Darryl, the two fellas who reside over this great place, Chris Rendell from Sleeman and myself got together last week to celebrate our love of beer.  I brought Corne de Diable from Dieu de Ciel in Quebec and also a gift of Simco SMaSH that I received from Greg Nash, one of the great brewers from Halifax.  Chris brought two bottles of Terrible from Unibroue - one from 2009 and one from 2002.

We started with the Corne de Diable which was wonderful.  The appearance was slightly cloudy with a rosee, reddish tinge accompanied by a thick ecru foam.  The nose was citrusy and grassy and had a gentle dose of darker breads and caramel.  The body had hints of nuts (filberts), with a dash of herbs - sage and rosemary.  The finish was full with some nice lingering bitterness and just when you thought it was gone, it slowly crept back warming you on the way

The Terrrible 2009 (10.5% ABV) was extremely dark with garnet edges.  The foam unfortunately dissipated a touch to quick.  Bouquets of spice (pepper) and dark fruits (plums and prunes) were augmented by a sweet and fruity body.  The finish was smooth and warming .

The Terrible 2002 (10.5% ABV) was like angels dancing on your tongue.  Visually, we were treated to exactly the same as the 2009.  That's where the similarities ended.  Now, we had aromas of port and sherry with soft waves of malt in the form of molasses.  There was also hints of rum and pineapple.  The body even more complex than before provided us with caramel, demmarra sugar, chocolate, mocha, almonds and some nice sultana raisins.  The finish was soft and gentle providing the warmth of a great fireplace.

Our final forray that night was to give way to Greg Nash's creation.  He had given it to me back in November while I was in Halifax and I was saving it for the right occasion.  He did tell me recently that he had thought it might have lost some oomph over the winter.  Let me tell you, if it did - it was still outstanding.
Simcoe SMaSH (single malt, single hops) is a high alcohol, heavily hopped beer (rated somewhere over 200 IBU's).  The colour was beautiful - reddish orange with a nice, thick off white foam.  The aromas were perfumy - piney and sweet with some layered hints of citrus, peach and apricot.  The body was great - lots of malt and also a good portion of pine needles.  The finish was long, mouthcoating and hung around in the back of my throat for a decent length of time.  Expecting my taste buds to be overwhelmed by such a big beer, I was pleasantly surprised by the wonderful balance of this beer.  Well Done Greg!

I hope you too get to enjoy the splendours of beer with your friends - pick up something you don't know and explore.  The secret is take time and share your comments.

Cheers