Beer Travel: Rochester, New York

This post comes from Matt, the Beer Baron. Follow him at @geekcanuck

We were recently planning  a weekend getaway and mulling over our go-to list of favourite cities in driving distance, including Lexington, Chicago, Montreal, Detroit and Toronto. However, we’d recently been to most of them and were itching for a new adventure, so the Clockwatching Tart had the bright idea to visit the Finger Lakes region of New York state, specifically Rochester.

It didn’t take much online research for me to realize that Rochester has a very good craft beer scene and where there is craft beer, there is good food (as well as bearded dudes, pun-named beers, and sparsely decorated concrete tap rooms with friendly vibes). Just like that, we were off to Rochester!

The drive from London, Ontario to Rochester, New York is really only about three-and-a-half hours but with the border crossing, it was more like four hours -- which meant we were ready for lunch! Our first stop on the way in was the Rohrbach Brewing Co. Buffalo Road Brewpub.

The atmosphere inside was a bit of a throwback - less the aforementioned concrete tap room and more the wood-paneled, dimly lit and comforting bar you might remember from decades past. The service was friendly and the portion sizes were more than generous.

I tried their Space Kitty Citra Double IPA and found it a little underwhelming. The most interesting beer I tried at Rohrbach was definitely their Rainbow Street IPA, which was meant to evoke rainbow sorbet through the use of milk sugar, raspberry puree, lime concentrate as well as tangerine and vanilla extracts. There was a lot going on and it was only lightly carbonated but the raspberry and lime came through clearly and it was a nice way to start our adventures in Rochester.
Final score: 2.5/5

Our next stop was AJ’s Beer Warehouse, which was the mostly highly rated local bottle shop on ratebeer.com - and for good reason. The shop itself was spacious, which isn’t as common as you might expect - some stores make you feel like you are going to knock something over any time you turn around. The staff also took the time to show me around and point out a lot of the most popular options from local breweries, which was a nice touch. They also had a very good craft cider selection, much to the delight of the Clockwatching Tart.

I focused on choosing mostly local beer from New York State, which also meant I was able to stick to my guns and not buy any Founders KBS. While KBS (and especially CBS) stouts are lovely, there is enough great beer in the world not to have to buy beer from companies who might not treat their employees particularly well. Of interesting note to Ontario beer nerds, there was a really prominent display of Collective Arts gose with guava, which was further proof of their goal to expand into the U.S. market.

I was more than happy with the little collection of local cans we left with. The only exception to the local can rule was a bottle of B.O.R.I.S. the Crusher, an absolutely wonderful oatmeal imperial stout from Hoppin’ Frog in Akron, Ohio that I discovered back during our early trips to Chicago. Final score: 4/5

After we checked into our hotel (the Hilton Garden Inn, which we chose for its pool and downtown location, but also had inexpensive parking and brightly lit hallways thanks to a large atrium), we walked to Fifth Frame Brewing Co., which immediately made us feel at home. It is the type of taproom you’ve encountered countless times if you visit many newer craft breweries. You feel relaxed but also excited at the possibility of finding just the right thing from the draft list. Thankfully, Fifth Frame didn’t disappoint in that regard. There was cider for the Clockwatching Tart and I had Bounce House, a triple-fruited gose with guava, mango and pineapple that was just wonderfully aromatic and alluring.

I followed that up with Pull Out Couch, a petite pastry stout with cocoa nibs and coffee that was really nicely balanced with lots of coffee up front. The coffee aspect was an important part of Fifth Frame, as they have lovely coffee bar and breakfast menu that tempted us to go back for breakfast (and cans of Bounce House to take home with us) the morning after. My only tiny complaint about Fifth Frame was that I couldn’t really figure out what their evening food menu was without looking at their website but overall it was fantastic.
Final score: 4.5/5

Dinner was proof of why the Clockwatching Tart and I travel so well together. She loves to map out places on Google Maps and make spreadsheets and itineraries; I just tend to just check out Ratebeer and be more spontaneous about things - but you definitely need both mentalities to have success. In this case, I think I just Googled “unique dining Rochester” and stumbled upon Nosh. A quick Lyft ride later, we were seated and had (very good) cocktails on the way.

I don’t normally show photos of myself in these posts, but this one is fitting as I feel the dish is absolutely perfect. As you might remember, I’ve become an absolute nut for sushi-grade tuna and especially poke bowls so it should come as no surprise that I ordered the Ahi Noshos, which were a take on nachos using wontons instead of tortillas and covered with ahi tuna, cucumber daikon, salsa, seaweed and tobiko (fish eggs). It was only $14 and it seems to me that it should be on every menu in North America (albeit in smaller portion sizes) in the coming years.
Final score: 4/5

A few years back, we discovered our first retro arcade / craft beer bar in Lexington, Kentucky and ever since then, I look for them whenever we travel. Thankfully, Rochester once again came through, this time with The Playhouse. There was a combination of older fare like Frogger and Donkey Kong and more modern titles. The place was swarming with kids but made up for it by having Caffe Americano, a double stout with coffee and vanilla from Cigar City Brewing, on tap.

We ended up spending most of our time at a sit-down racing game before retiring back to the hotel for a well-deserved swim.
Final score: 3/5

Before leaving Rochester, there was one last place I wanted to check out, the Genesee Brew House, which was equal parts museum, restaurant, pilot brewery, and tasting room. While not exactly a craft brewery, it was still an incredibly fun place to visit. We learned about the history of brewing in Rochester and checked out all the artwork on their cans and bottles over the years.

We also had a flight at the tasting room where we discovered something the locals clearly already knew: that the Genesee Ruby Red Kölsch is absolutely wonderful. The ruby red grapefruit was fresh and strong on the nose and the beer itself was just really light and balanced and approachable, earning it’s “beer of summer” moniker. They had only recently released it and we’d seen people with the little, yellow cans around town, but this was our first chance to grab some for ourselves.

The cans were sold out, but the next best thing was amazing deal on a filled growler along with two pint glasses for only $20, which I happily said yes to.

The Brew House itself is located right on the Genesee River and its High Falls, which made the stop all the more worthwhile.
Final score: 4/5

To cap off our trip, we were in a Wegman’s picking up a few things for friends and I stumbled upon 12-packs of the highly sought-after Ruby Red Kölsch. Given its close proximity to home, ease of getting around the city, emerging craft beer scene, good food, and location at the heart of the Finger Lakes region (spoiler alert: nearby Geneva, New York is adorable and awesome too), Rochester has now been added to my list of go-to cities.
Final score: 5/5  

  

  

10 Craft Beer Questions with Storm Stayed’s Justin Bélanger

This post comes from Matt Brown, the Beer Baron. Follow him at @geekcanuck

Opened in late 2017, Storm Stayed Brewing Company has quickly become one of my favourite craft beer spots in the city thanks to its modern but welcoming beer hall vibe, friendly and knowledgeable staff, unique location (169 Wharncliffe Road South in London’s Old South, whereas all the other breweries in the city are currently in the east end) and, of course, great craft beer. Aside from their own broad selection of craft beer, they also have a couple of rotating guest taps and a selection of wine and cider, which makes it an ideal stop for the Clockwatching Tart too.

I’m proud to kick off my new 10 Craft Beer Questions feature with Justin Bélanger, brewer and co-owner of Storm Stayed Brewing Company.

1. What was the first beer you tried that really opened up your mind to the idea that beer could be special? When did you first have it and how did you discover it?

The first beer that really got me to enjoy beer as a drink was probably Tankhouse by Mill Street. It was the first flavourful beer that seemed like it was brewed to be enjoyed and not just consumed quickly while cold. I first had this beer while looking for something to drink while grading lab reports, a job that needed liquid support.


2. What was your go-to style of beer five years ago? And what is it now?

Five years ago, my go-to style would have been an IPA everyday. Hops and more of it! That was probably one the reasons that made me brew more often, so that I could get those great fresh hop aromatics. Today, my beer of choice would be an Irish Red or a Pilsner, great beers with subtle flavour that compliment food instead of overpowering it.

3. How did you get into brewing?

I got into brewing because I thought the science behind it was interesting, and I think that the science has been what has kept me interested in it as a hobby and now as a career. What I love about it is how small tweaks in the water chemistry or fermentation temperature can drastically change a recipe.


4. What was your most epic fail as you were learning to brew and what did you learn from it?

During my early homebrewing experiments, I thought it would be a great idea to use brown sugar (in large quantities) to help boost the alcohol content. Well, the brown sugar didn’t fully ferment out and had a sickly sweetness that stopped you from drinking more than a sip or two. I learned that if you want to brew good beer, you need healthy yeast.

5. When did you decide to open Storm Stayed and what made you decide to choose Old South as a location?

Back in 2010, I did a bike trip across Canada and I would visit pubs and breweries as I biked along. I just loved the atmosphere and camaraderie, and that has followed through to today. The beer scene is such a supportive environment, brewers helping others whether for ingredients or questions. Storm Stayed was my effort to join a great group of people (I was tired of the grind of working for a large organization). While planning our brewery, we wanted to have a community-oriented business and to do that, we needed to be in one of the neighbourhoods. We considered Old East, which already houses most of London’s beer scene, Old North, and Byron; but the location that really drew us was Wortley Village. Unfortunately, there weren’t any buildings available in the village that would have been suitable for a brewery but in the process, we found our great location (still in Old South, but now located in The Coves).


6. What Storm Stayed beer are you most proud of and why?

I’m really proud of Sunburst and Patina. Sunburst is our New England-style Pale Ale and it has a low bitterness which makes it smooth and easy to drink but also has nice grapefruit aromatics. Our Patina is my version of an Irish Red and it has a nice caramel and slight roast character -- it makes for a great campfire drink.


7. If you could have created any specific beer from the past 20 years, what would you choose and why?

Right now, I’m really digging pilsners and have been looking for them everytime I’m out. Both Vim and Vigor by Tooth and Nail and Bellweiser by Bellwoods are ones that if I see it on tap, it’ll be the first and last beers of the evening. Who knows, maybe we’ll see a pils on tap at Storm Stayed in the future.


8. Is there anything specific about Storm Stayed that you think makes it appealing to different demographics?

The great thing about Old South, Wortley, and The Coves area is the great diversity in our population. We want our space to feel safe and welcoming and we’ve tried to make an accommodating environment that everyone could enjoy.


9. What is your favourite thing about the London craft beer scene?

What I love most about the London craft beer scene is how close knit it is and how much everyone supports everyone. We’ve worked together on bulk-buys to help with costs, we’ve taken part in festivals together (Forked Fest, Anderson Anniversary, etc.), and we’ve even competed against each other (congratulations Equals on your bowling win, we’ll bring our A-game next time).


10. Do you have any special beers planned for the winter? Anything exciting craft beer lovers in London should be looking forward to from Storm Stayed?

If you look into the brewery the next time you’re visiting the taproom, you’ll notice a couple of stacked barrels off to the side. I am super excited about them! Experimentation was a key factor in wanting to open my own brewery and being able to use wood of different origins (red or white wine, bourbon, brandy, etc.) is a further extension of our experimental goals. Look forward to those releases around our anniversary (early January).

I’m also looking forward to doing small batch tinctures. This is something that you’ve already seen in the past (e.g. Coffeebreak), but we’ve now acquired some new equipment that’ll allow us to work on a larger scale than our pilot system.

Thanks, Justin!  

If you have any suggestions for who you’d like to see from the London craft beer scene in the next 10 Craft Beer Questions column, let us know @geekcanuck

Short & Sweet Sunday - Chicago-Style Hot Dogs

This post is by Matt, the Beer Baron who also loves hot dogs! 

I admit to getting weirdly obsessive about odd things sometimes. It happens mostly with movies and food - both things I absolutely love. If I get a certain movie (like Aliens or L.A. Confidential, for example) in my head, I will obsess about it until I get the chance to see it again. The same thing goes for food. If I crave a certain food, it becomes a matter of when and not if I will eat it next.

Yesterday, for some odd reason, I wanted a Chicago-style hot dog, which we discovered on our first trip to Chicago a decade ago and then had again on a visit in 2013. Rather than drive the 640 kilometres to get a real one (which I briefly considered), I decided to make my own.

A Chicago-style hot dog is an all-beef wiener put on a poppy seed bun, then topped (in this order) with yellow mustard, sweet green pickle relish, onions, tomatoes, pickle spears, sport peppers (pickled peppers), and celery salt. 

Most of the ingredients are pretty easy to come by except for the poppy seed bun, so I had to improvise by using a basting brush to brush melted butter on the tops of my normal hot dog buns so I could then coat them with poppy seeds.

The end result was absolutely delicious. The mix of flavours and textures is really what makes it special. While I never liked Chicago-style deep-dish pizza, I think Chicago nailed it when it comes to hot dogs. Cheers!

The Beer Baron Presents - Craft Beer Road Trip: The Big Dipper

On the advice of a friend from the fabulous Milos’ Craft Beer Emporium, the Clockwatching Tart and I decided to check out Arabella Park Beer Bar in nearby Kitchener, Ontario. Rather than just blasting down the 401 and making a quick trip of it, we fired up our faithful Subaru and took to the country roads in search of food, drink and adventure.

Being the crafty Google Maps user, researcher and spreadsheet planner she is, the Clockwatching Tart planned a route taking us to breweries and bars both new and familiar and in the process created a route I’ve christened “The Big Dipper”. Basically a smaller version of the Waterloo Region Craft Ale Trail with some local sights thrown in for good measure, The Big Dipper started off with the Bitte Schön Brauhaus, a lovely little microbrewery in the comically lovely little hamlet of New Hamburg.

Bitte Schön was small but inviting with a nice set up and friendly staff. Having never tried their beer, we settled on a flight of four tasters and were impressed with their Alder Creek Altbier (which was dark and smooth and had kind of a lightly spiced caramel apple thing going on) and their Huron Street Hefeweizen (which was light and floral with wonderful citrus notes). We picked up some to share with friends and continued on our merry way.

Our next stop was one of those pleasant surprises that happens when you are out exploring. We noticed a park as we were crossing the bridge into New Hamburg so we went to check it out. Not only did we discover a stone pathway across the Nith River in Scott Park, we also stumbled upon the New Hamburg Heritage Waterwheel. Billed as the largest working waterwheel in North America and built in 1990, the waterwheel was awesome to see and made the day all the more special.

Next up was Arabella Park Beer Bar for lunch. With 18 taps primarily focused on regional craft beers and ciders, an impressive bottle list and locally sourced food rooted in Canadian cuisine, Arabella Park was perfect for us.

The Clockwatching Tart and I both found something unique to try from their tap list, with Revel Violent Delights (a spontaneously fermented cider with cherries and vanilla from the always wonderful Revel Cider Co.) and Left Field Brewery’s Lolly Mango Lassi IPA (a cloudy, creamy IPA brewed with mango, lactose sugar, cardamom and bright, citrus-forward hops). 

I had a hot dog and some fantastic fresh-cut fries...

And the Clockwatching Tart had fish and chips with a funky Vermont cider. The service, drinks and food were all fantastic, so I suppose the moral of the story is that when someone from Milos’ Craft Beer Emporium recommends a place, do yourself a favour and go.

Next up was Abe Erb Brewing Company, a more traditional looking dark wood and brass brewpub that was a nice place to get out of the summer heat. I had a Canada Day IPA with a nice balance of Red X malt and Citra and Centennial hops.

Our next stop was Descendants Beer & Beverage Co., where we made another fun, unplanned discovery. This time, it wasn’t a waterwheel but something equally unexpected:

A great folk band! Specifically, Onion Honey, who were having a CD-release party and were absolutely fantastic, talented and fun; so much so that we bought their CD to listen to on the drive home, making for a wonderful end to a wonderful day.

P.S. There is also a shuffleboard table at Grand River Brewing, in case you like things that are awesome.

This post comes from Matt, the Beer Baron. Follow him on Instagram and Twitter @geekcanuck 

The Beer Baron - St. Patrick’s Day Showdown

This post comes from Matt, the Beer Baron. Follow him on Instagram and Twitter @geekcanuck 

When Oskar Blue Brewery released their Ten Fidy imperial stout in Ontario for the first time, I was pretty excited and wrote a pretty glowing review, calling it the Chewbacca of beers -- high praise, indeed.

I had squirreled some away and was planning on having one for St. Patrick’s Day, since I have long espoused the enjoyment of Russian imperial stouts rather than merely dry Irish stouts on St. Patrick’s Day. Just before the big day, I noticed that the LCBO had another treat in store: Dieu du Ciel’s Grande Noirceur.

Both beers rate a perfect 100 overall on Ratebeer, with Grande Noirceur taking a 95 for the style and Ten Fidy besting it with a 98. Both beers clearly kick ass and at 9.0% abv for Grande Noirceur and a whopping 10.5% for Ten Fidy, both would no doubt kick my ass too. Clearly, no cars or heavy machinery were operated during this showdown.

Dieu du Ciel in Montreal makes some truly incredible stouts, including Peche Mortel and Aphrodisiaque, which has earned them some pretty awesome bragging rights. As for Grand Noirceur, it is more of a pure imperial stout and isn’t brewed with cocoa beans or vanilla or coffee like Dieu du Ciel’s more famous stouts. That said, it still has strong notes of chocolate on the nose, followed by almost bracingly bitter dark coffee once you take your first sip. It hides its alcohol level well but lacks the oily and sticky mouth feel I tend to associate with my favourite imperial stouts.

When they say let the wookie win, it is because they are known to rip your arms off if they lose. In this case, it wasn’t such a clear cut victory, but Ten Fidy still pulled it off. Ten Fidy actually smelled a bit more bitter and couldn’t mask its higher alcohol content, but once you tasted it, it was sweeter, sticky and while there was still a dark coffee bitterness, it was balanced by dark fruit and notes of sweeter chocolate.

Regardless of which beer won, I was obviously the real winner, as I got to enjoy two wonderful imperial stouts for St. Patrick’s Day. I hope you were just as lucky this St. Patrick’s Day. Cheers!  

The Beer Baron’s Day Out

Thanks to the grand opening of London Brewing Co-op’s new space on Saturday, February 25th and a special Winter Pop Up Bar presented by Forest City Beer Fest over the weekend, it was a special weekend for craft beer fans in London.

To celebrate, we decided to make a day of it and the unofficial Forest City Craft Beer Day was born. We started the day in the newly trendy Old East Village and enjoyed a flight from London Brewing Co-op (including their robust Tolpuddle Porter, which I’ve always enjoyed) while marvelling at their expansive new space and equipment. They’ve come a long way since their pop-up shops!  

Our next stop was literally right around the corner at Anderson Craft Ales. I’d tried their beers at various craft beer festivals but am embarrassed to say I hadn’t visited their brewery before. Both the space itself and the beer were better than I was expecting, so I’m glad to have taken that visit off my to-do list.

As luck would have it, Anderson had been releasing one Belgian-style beer each weekend in February, saving the strongest - a 10.6% ABV Dark Strong that was similar to a Belgian quadrupel - for last. It was an unexpected and special treat, boozy but balanced and enticing. Sadly, I couldn’t bring any of the limited-quantities Dark Strong home but happily brought home some IPA in a fancy new growler approved by the Clockwatching Tart.   

After hitting up both London Brewing Co-op and Anderson, it felt right to pop over to Forked River Brewing to complete the trifecta. We were rewarded with the availability of two of my favourite Forked River brews: Reforest Kelly, a sour, barrel-aged imperial stout brewed with black cherries, and Hansel and Brett’el, a farmhouse blonde aged in chardonnay barrels. They are both tart and complex and will ensure that my unofficial Forest City Craft Beer Day is still appreciated in a few weeks when I crack them open.

We stopped in to Museum London to check out their amazing Brian Jones exhibit and lo and behold, the beer-related fun with “Canadian Eh? A History of the Nation’s Signs and Symbols”.

Even though it was unofficially Forest City Craft Beer Day, we are still just human, and besides, a friend from the best craft beer bar in the city, Milos’ Craft Beer Emporium, recommended Ritual Cafe, so who were we to argue? Both the dark roast coffee and Mexican mocha were excellent, so we repaid the favour by heading to have dinner and drinks at the aforementioned Milos’.

Presented by the Forest City Beer Fest, the Winter Pop Up Bar was held in a nice spot around the corner from Milos’ at the Hassan Law Gallery and featured a selection of carefully selected bottles and cans to sample from and a larger selection of 20 draft taps. As soon as we walked in, we were faced with bottles of Bellwoods Brewery’s 3 Minutes to Midnight, an imperial stout brewed with cherries, and Bounty Hunter, an imperial coconut porter, which is a wonderful way to start an evening.

On the draft side, we started off with a selection of Paradise Lost sour ales from Blood Brothers Brewing, sampled a new imperial stout from Cowbell Brewing, worked out way through a barrel-aged cherry sour and a sour brett porter from Indie Ale House, then finished the night with a sticky sweet, intense and unique “chewy imperial stout” brewed by Sweden’s Omnipollo while visiting Toronto’s Brunswick Bierworks. Any beer that is described as “deep-fried graham cracker chocolate chunk caramel bar” seems like a fitting end to a day of craft beer adventures. Cheers!

This post is my Matt, the Beer Baron. Follow him on Instagram and Twitter @geekcanuck