February 2012
11 posts
Clowns to the left....
Last week, I had a great conversation with one of my students at Humber. It turns out that her internship was at a local wing joint and she was asking a lot of questions of the owner and explaining what we had been discussing in class.
Sounds good so far, right? Not so quick! This guy had the audacity to tell her that while those principles are great in theory, they have no place in the...
Innis & Gunn Irish Whisky Cask
I’m always amazed when beer shows up at my front door. The nice people over at Innis & Gunn sent over the newest release - Irish Whisky Cask which is a stout that has been aged in Irish whisky barrels for 60 days. This high alcohol stout (7.4% ABV) is very smooth and does not really show the intensity of the alcohol.
It is truly almost black in colour with just a whisper of garnet...
Beer Slushies
More great ways of ruining beer!
The colder beer gets, the more people drink? At first but not for long!
I heard last week about beer slushies - this is where you freeze the beer, swirl it around like the local 7-11 or Mac’s. The machine then pours your beer slushie. Who in their right mind thinks this is OK?
First of all, ice cold beer has lower apparent initial levels of...
The Growler
The second installment of innovation or gimmick includes the ever popular Growler. Another trend/fad in the U.S that is somehow finding some interest up here.
These large vessels have been a part of the beer industry for a long time and I can understand their use to some extent. For a brewpub who is a) brewing British styles of beer and b) is interested in allowing consumers to buy their beer...
It's just wrong
Read this article that was shown in the Huffington Post.
http://www.huffingtonpost.ca/david-menzies/minhas-brewery_b_1270464.html
There is something seriously wrong with this picture. This company has been in my sights for a long time. I have never been a fan of what they do and now I fully understand why. It’s one thing to produce a substandard beer and try to get mass acceptance in...
Innovation or Gimmick?
Everyone in the beer industry is looking for an edge. Some smaller brewers are creating extreme beers looking to entice the beer enthusiast in the crowd. Most brewers are also designing fascinating labels and brand names. Most of this innovative strategy is coming from the U.S.
The other big part of creating interest lies in the pouring and serving of beer. Over the next few posts,...
Wild Wild West
Before I get into why I chose this image, I was in Calgary and Vancouver this week doing some training, a couple of beer dinners and took a few days for some free time.
Both the Rose and Crown in Calgary and The Granville Room were incredible hosts for the training and the dinners.
In Ontario, we are constantly hearing about the dynamic micro market in BC and in Quebec. There are a variety of...
Spreading the news
I’ve had quite a few people starting to show interest in learning more about beer and have attended Prud’homme Beer Certification. Steam Whistle has been a great supporter by allowing me to use their wonderful space to host Level 2 and they’ve also seen fit to send quite a few of their employees through the course.
Here’s a post from Marina Arnout at Steam Whistle.
...
I was sitting at the wood in a pub in Toronto the other day (for a meeting with a colleague) and while we were talking, couldn’t help but notice all of the problems the bartender was having with pouring beer. To give it some background, I have already been working in the background to fix some of the history of problems at this location. Most of the bad issues have been rectified but it...
Reunion at the Victory
it’s been almost a year since the inaugural class of Prud’homme Level 3 Beer Sommelier began. Five people went through the program and successfully graduated.
Thanks to the efforts of Sanya Persaud, who also just started a beer blog called Ninkasi Toronto, the 6 of us got together last night at The Victory Cafe. Never having been to the Victory, I was looking forward to visiting one...
Nice gesture
It’s a tough job but someone has to do it. Spreading the word about beer is one of the pleasures I take in my life. Aside from sharing information and passion, I really enjoy meeting new people. Every once in a while, the kindness in human nature shines through.
This post is a month overdue but now is as good a time as any. For the past year, I and some of my Prud’homme grads...
January 2012
11 posts
A gentle reminder
Every once in a while, we need a gentle reminder of what quality looks like. I’m in the midst of taking the entire Diageo sales force through Prud’homme Beer Certification online. What this has done for me is forced me to take a good hard look at the Diageo beer portfolio which includes Guinness, Smithwicks, Harp and Kilkenny, not to mention a very sound little Imperial Stout...
When will we learn?
I’m feeling a little rant right now and it has nothing to do with beer.
Today, I spent way too long in cyber hell with the ‘good’ customer service department of Hewlett Packard in India.
In all honesty, I really don’t care where your call centre is but can you please make sure they can actually help. I spent a good deal of time explaining my issues with a laptop and...
Guinness Beer Dinners
This past week, I had the pleasure of hosting two fabulous beer dinners. The first was at the Irish Harp in Niagara-on-the-Lake and the second was at the Celtic Corner in Dartmouth, Nova Scotia.
The Irish Harp
My first thoughts on this dinner was to say thank you to the staff - they were very professional and efficient. Every one of the beers that was served was done perfectly - badge...
Innovation?
check this out AMAZING AUTOMATIC BEER POURING MACHINE
Now - let’s think about it.
This is very cool from my perspective. I love thinking how some engineer figured this out. In a society where beer is not taboo, this is in the Tokyo Internation Airport.
My only concern is the last step - the pour seemed like it was going well anyway, why the switch to the foam only shot at the end? ...
Reality check- part 2
Let’s take a good hard look at the beer industry. There has been massive growth in the amount of brewers who have entered the world of beer in Canada. In BC and Quebec, the brewers there are leading the creative push on style development. Ontario is getting there but welcome to the world of conservatism.
You’ll notice I said brewers, not breweries. It is extremely expensive to...
Reality check -part 1
We are being inundated with information about beer and brewing industry. ‘Craft’ beers are growing in leaps and bounds. New brewers are opening up at a pace we’ve never seen before. Consumers are getting tired of the same old brands. Cask beers are all the rage etc, etc, etc.
The issue that I have with all of this is simple. The information is coming from all directions and there is not one...
Sad News
I was very sad to hear the news of the passing of an old friend and colleague, Richard Culley.
Rich was a wonderful, larger than life personality who I had the pleasure of working with at Oland Specialty Beer Co. He was one of the 14 inaugural members of OSBC and his wonderful sense of humour always brought a smile to my face.
As sometimes happens, we lost touch afte he left the business but we...
Winds of Change
I’m sure by now, you’ve heard some rumblings about Six Pints Specialty Beer Company. This is the specialty division that holds the Creemore and Granville Island brands. They have been building very quickly to something that is stirring some great memories for me personally - Oland Specialty Beer Company. The naysayers will comment that there is nothing new about this concept but I...
Giving beer it's due
These are wonderful times in the world of beer. Over the past 15 years, I’ve seen massive change - the introduction of decent, style appropriate glassware, the broadening of the category through inventive small brewers, the desire for more beer education by both the industry and the consumer and so on.
What I am currently fascinated by is the newest advertisements by several brewers. Of...
Social Media?
I’ve been thinking for quite some time about the value of social media and thought I would share my personal views on this growing phenomenon.
Twitter - this is a great medium for broadcasting information. I use it to send my blogs out to anyone who cares. My issue with this and any other form of communication is that too many posts lead to irrelevancy. After a while, most tweets...
Happy New Year
I trust you all had a good holiday season and got the opportunity to celebrate with loved ones, friends and colleagues.
As always, change is inevitable and I’m really looking forward to 2012.
I got some great advice from one of my Prud’homme students recently about my website - so….I made some big changes and tried to make it easier to navigate. What you will see is that there...
December 2011
10 posts
Holiday Cheer
Have a wonderful Holiday season with your family and friends.
Tis the season to enjoy good company, great food and fantastic beer!
Cheers and all the best for 2012
Distillery Christmas Market
On Sunday, we ventured down to Toronto’s Historic Distillery District for the second annual Christmas Market. Once again, it was fantastic. The weather cooperated beautifully - it was cold but not frigid, the wind was subdued and there was drifts of snow to maneuver through. Although a little snow would have been a bit more festive.
There was lots to see and do with a ton of vendor set...
The Theories of Pairing
A little while ago, I was discussing some of the aspects of my program with a local chef and bar owner. The topic of beer and food pairings came up and he respectfully disagreed my one of the concepts that I use. The discussion made me stop and wonder whether I really had it right, so I started doing a bunch of research.
The three theories that I use in all of my beer dinners and pairings is...
When the light goes on....
As a teacher, I’ve come to the conclusion that I get a massive lift when I see the lights go on in a student. In the field of beer and hospitality, this sometimes takes a good amount of time. Most of my students at Humber, come to my class with a good portion of either disinterest or disbelief that beer is anything but a volume method of getting a good buzz going.
Thankfully, I save the...
What's the rush?
I suppose I am uniquely aware of the abundance of poor customer service experiences in the hospitality industry. On top of teaching this subject at Humber College, I am what some may perceive a hawk for great beer experiences.
When I go out - for lunch, for dinner or just for a beer, I expect a lot from the restaunteur. After all, it’s my hard earned money and my time that I am investing...
Biermarkt at the Shops at Don Mills
The newest Biermarkt opened up officially this past week and what an opening it was. This beautiful beercentric establishment has taken the original concept to a new high. The layout is stunning along with the signature glassed-in cooler right behind what may be one of the most expensive draught towers in the world. The beautiful copper Paulaner tower is a signature piece that is unique to...
Ontario laws change
If you get a chance today, check out Jordan St. John’s column in the Sun. Apparently, very quietly, the laws about alcohol distribution changed this week. I really don’t want to get into the details why - that’s Jordan’s gig.
What ultimately transpired is this - now, it is possible for third party distribution parties to exist. That means that smaller brewers can now...
Prud'homme evolution
One of the things I love about being the creator of this program, is that I get to watch the evolution from both sides of the fence. I believe strongly in listening to the participants through feedback and I also believe fiercely that all educational programs need to have the learner at the centre.
I am also situated in a perfect position to see how this program has changed since inception and...
2012
As the year comes to an end, I thought I would post some of the dates and times of Thirst For Knowledge events.
Prud’homme Beer Certification
Level 2 starts on January 3rd. Right now, there are still lots of spaces left for this class.
Level 1 - there are 4 of these throughout the year. 2 weekend versions and 2 weekday. These begin in February and run throughout the year.
Level 3 -...
More stupidity
Check this link out and then read the post.
http://futureoftech.msnbc.msn.com/_news/2011/12/01/9147500-german-pilsner-spanish-lager-test-has-answer
My thoughts on this is -is someone actually getting paid to do this research? Here’s the thing. Breweries do not need to be close to most of the raw ingredients. Yes, water can be purified and - as in Burtonization. It is possible to isolate...
November 2011
13 posts
3 steps forward and 1 back
I was facilitating a Prud’homme session and during many different discussions, I was informed that Toronto based independent bars and restaurants are starting to change the process for delivering beer.
No longer will it be the norm to see branded draught towers, tap handles and glassware. It seems that some of these ‘progressively’ minded publicans are moving toward no...
Finally, the ball starts rolling
It honestly seems like such a long time ago that I began my journey to create a world class beer education program. This year, I saw the creation of the online version of Prud’homme start to take hold with lots of interest. Now, we are starting to see interest turn into actual registration.
Earlier this year, Prime Pubs (Fionn Maccools) were the first to put a series of staff/bar manager...
Import or Local?
We had a great discussion about this article the other day in Prud’homme. Read this article first and then follow the train of thought below.
http://m.adage.com/article?articleSection=news&articleSectionName=News&articleid=http%3A%2F%2Fadage.com%2Farticle%3Farticle_id%3D230982
Now, that you’ve read this, consider the following:
it really doesn’t matter whether the...
Aging Gracefully
Last Thursday, I hosted my last Beer School event of the year. My gracious host was Great Lakes Brewery and we took all 14 of the beer enthusiasts on a brewery tour. My theme was Aging Gracefully and I featured beers that had been aging in my cellar for the past year.
I did want people to also see what the difference is between new and aged beers so I picked up a few of the brands to compare. ...
Bella Notte
I always feel like I’m a fortunate soul when I get to host a beer dinner. Honestly, to be able to enjoy fantastic food, great beers and good company is to die for. This private event last Friday night was fantastic and I thought I share the menu and some comments.
1st course
Fennel and black pepper crusted sea scallop with braised pork belly on a celery root and parsnip puree
Peroni Nastro...
It's been quite a week...
Let’s take a look at this past week - we’ll start with the earliest memory first - Saturday night at The Gourmet Food and Wine Show.
It’s been at least 10 years since I’ve been to the GFWE. I used to run the booth for Interbrew back in those days and the show was excellent.
After this show, I’m not sure I’ll ever go back. My reason for going was simple - I...
Movember Beer Dinner
I was invited recently to host the first Annual Movember Beer Dinner at St. Boniface Golf Club in Winnipeg.
This fantastic cause featured a menu designed by Chef Peter Watson and was sponsored by Sleeman. Here’s a look at the menu.
Rosemary crusted rack of lamb with a dark chocolate sauce and marinated vegetables that was paired amazingly with John Sleeman Fine Porter
Bacon wrapped...
Something to consider
I’ve been spending a lot of time talking with large and small brewers alike and there’s a few things we should all take the time to look at.
Canada is largely a retail market for beer. Approximately 80% of all beer sold in Canada is sold for home consumption.
The weird thing is that most brewers spend the majority of their time competing in the 20% on-premise market (bars, pubs...
If a tree falls in the forest....
The existentialist argument has been going for quite a long time. What if we turn this into a beer discussion.
If you get a lousy beer and you don’t know any better, does it matter?
This is the battle I’ve been fighting for a long time. Way back when (1997), when Interbrew launched the Oland Specialty Beer Company, there was virtually no-one talking about beer, beer styles and...
Buckling under pressure
Facial hair is not a friend to me. Never has been, never will. Despite intentions of testing the waters, the itch just gets to me.
However, I may have to reconsider for the month of November or ‘Movember’. Why now? Well, it seems that I committed to a beer dinner in Winnipeg next Wednesday without fully understanding that this is a Movember event. Imagine the host of beer dinner...
Stuff
It’s been a quiet week for me in beerdom. Here’s a few things that are going on in my world.
My son, Dan is collecting my entire tasting note catalog and is in the midst of creating a data base that I will post on the website.
The president of Molson, Dave Perkins, just emailed me with a huge complement on the Prud’homme Online program. I’m also glad to report that...
Who's minding the store?
This image was sent to me by a friend who knows how much I love this stuff.
First of all…WTF?
Oh, where to start? Well, at least the amount of foam is right. However, thanks for sticking the bacteria laden faucet so deep into the beer that one could only imagine some pain associated with it. Why don’t we just let people come up to the bar, open the tap and allow them to just...
What's happening...
The next little while is a busy one over here. I’ve got a another Prud’homme level 1 session starting on Saturday and there’s still a few spots left for anyone wanting a little more beer knowledge. I will also be looking for a new home for level 1 in 2012 as the Cannery Room has been rented to a new tenant. So, I’m open to suggestions..
I’m also looking forward to...
October 2011
19 posts
Delta Grandview
I haven’t been to the Grandview Resort in quite some time and quite honestly, the drive up is enough to satisfy me. Winding up the highway through the picturesque Muskoka landscape is and always has been stunning.
My reason for the visit was a corporate beer dinner for Standard Life. The dinner portion was amazing and our servers Jeff and Danna were great. Here’s a quick look at the...
The Gift of Beer
I am truly fortunate to do what I do for a living. I get to travel the country, talk about beer and more importantly meet lots of interesting people along the way. Also, since most people who know me understand that I do have an unwavering thirst for knowledge and that means trying new beers.
One of my friends Rob always is on the prowl for new beers and every once in while, he brings one to...
7 Layer Pigcake
Every year, I have a bunch of friends up to my cottage. The deal is we have a little male bonding, do some chores around the property (mainly cutting up trees and burning them) and play some cards etc. My end of the deal is to provide beer and food.
This year, the beer included Pabst Blue Ribbon (the volume beer of the weekend), Black Oak Pale Ale, Waterloo Dark, Muskoka Harvest Ale and a few...
When is enough, enough?
OK…I’m good with the advancement of technology although I’ve been slow to adapt. Still don’t have a Mac, Iphone or Ipad but I’m getting there. It’s been over the past few weeks that I am starting to wish for simpler times. I love going to my cottage - there’s no phone, no cell service, no Internet and it allows me time to stop and appreciate all that...
What's happening...
The beer industry is always evolving and changing which I find to be a fascinating part of my job.
I’ve been asked to consult with a brewer on various fronts but one specifically came up last week and now I’m throwing this out there - they need a sales representative in the Ottawa area! If you are interested, email me at rmittag@thirstforknowledge.ca
Secondly, look for more...