Saturday, August 5, 2017

How did you spend International Beer Day?

Since 2008, International Beer Day has been observed on the first Friday of every August by over 200 cities worldwide. I like International Beer Day (IBD hereafter), because here in Ontario it also kicks off the Civic Holiday. This year in particular, I'm also starting a week of vacation, so I'm going to make a weekend of it. Here are my plans:

  1. Work on a Wild Brew Yonder beer appreciation class.
  2. Swing by a few breweries to see what's fresh on the market.
  3. Do some "beertography" to test out my new off-camera flash.
  4. Bottle some of my Irish Blond dubbed "The Quiet Man", after the John Wayne movie.
  5. Taste and review a local brew to post up here.
It seems like a lot for one weekend, but the best part of International Beer Day for me was the fact that I didn't get drunk. I tasted some good beers (Broadhead Bodacious Blueberry Blond, Gahan Iron Bridge Brown, Muskoka Shinnicked Stout, to name a few), and had some lively discussion about different styles and types with some budding craft beer enthusiasts, but didn't overdo it. Which means no hangover. Which means productivity!

How did you spend International Beer Day, and - if you're in Ontario - how are you spending this civic weekend?

Mikkeller Bar San Francisco: A Mecca of Sorts

I am writing to you from 36,000 feet in the air, on the long road home from San Francisco to Ottawa, with a brief layover in Toronto. Dur...