Monthly Archives: March 2020

20 BEERS BETTER THAN CORONA: 15. Sam Roberts Band Ale

Now, I’m not a huge Sam Roberts Band fan — there were a couple songs on their first album that I liked, but I haven’t listened to much of them since. However, drinking their beer is probably the closest thing I’ll come to seeing Sam Roberts, or any other band, in the flesh for the next little while…

15. Sam Roberts Band Ale

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Now, this beer might be as close to an English pub ale as Sam Roberts is to Pete Shelley (RIP), but it’s still got a pretty decent finish. I pounded a couple of these at the Black Bull, a legendary Toronto dive with a massive patio…that currently sits empty, like every other bar in the city. 😦 😦 😦

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20 BEERS BETTER THAN CORONA: 14. Tropical Mango Pale Ale

Dude, I wish I was off on vacation somewhere on a beach, on an island in the sun…not cooped up in the Catucci Cave with nothing but takeout to tide me over! That’s why today we’re looking back at a craft brewery and brewpub straight outta the Caribbean!!!

14. Tropical Mango Pale Ale

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St. John, in the U.S. Virgin Islands, is mostly beaches, forests and national park. But not too far from the ferry dock, there’s this funky little brewpub where they’re making their own beer — and this here’s the in-house special, Tropical Mango Pale Ale. Not too heavy or too hoppy, it’s brewed with real mangoes for a nice, fruity finish. Man, I think I’m starting to forget what fresh fruit even tastes like…

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20 BEERS BETTER THAN CORONA: 13. Farmer’s Daughter

With no end to the Ontario restaurant shutdown in sight, we’re celebrating unlucky Day 13 with this tall, cool blonde from the Ottawa Valley…

13. Farmer’s Daughter

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It doesn’t get much more country than this, bro! (Except for maybe Pickup Truck Pilsner…) This blonde ale from Whitewater Brewing Co. with a rootin’, tootin’ cowgirl on the can doesn’t need more cowbell when it’s got locally farmed hops for a light, easy-drinking finish!!!

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20 BEERS BETTER THAN CORONA: 12. Life in the Clouds

So, up to this point, we’ve been thinking about mostly lighter, summer beers — but as this shutdown cancels its second weekend, I think it’s time to start hitting the harder stuff…like this New England style double dry hopped IPA.

12. Life in the Clouds

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This hazy, hoppy, juicy brew from Collective Arts could sure drown a lotta sorrows right now, bro! Believe it or not, but the first time I had it wasn’t at some funky craft brewpub, but rather at Canoe, the fancy, 54th story restaurant offering elevated cuisine…like Kentucky fried sweetbreads in a smoky glass dome!!!

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20 BEERS BETTER THAN CORONA: 11. SeaQuench Ale

Dogfish Head might be one of the best craft breweries whose beers I’ve never, ever seen in Canada. And with Trump ‘n Trudeau shutting down all non-essential travel between our two countries, it looks like I won’t be making a south-of-the-border beer run anytime soon. So my chances of drinking this beer anytime before summertime seem pretty slim…

11. SeaQuench Ale

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This light, citrusy beer is a cross between a kolsch, a gose and a Berlinerweiss, which makes it pretty much the perfect summer slammer. I had a few of these on the rooftop patio at Blake Shelton’s bar in Nashville a couple years back — there’s no tears in this beer, bro!!!

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20 BEERS BETTER THAN CORONA: 10. Black Sow’r Stout

I had this beer just a couple months ago, back when the world seemed normal… But there’s nothing normal about a beer that’s both a sour AND a stout, bro!!!

10. Black Sow’r Stout

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Oast House, this funky little brewery from Niagara-on-the-Lake, has come up with this crazy concoction that combines the sourness of a sour with the rich, chocolatey finish of a stout. This had to be one of the craziest things I’ve ever seen…until the world shut down over a virus with a 98% survival rate. 😦 😦 😦

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20 BEERS BETTER THAN CORONA: 9. Hail Saison

If there’s one local craft brewery that’s making the most evil, blasphemous, unholy beers in town, it’s gotta be Blood Brothers. Whether it’s the deception of their White Lies sour, the darkness of their Black Hand stout, or their awesomely named light beer — Blood Light! — they’ve definitely made a deal with the devil or something. Hey, if that’s what it takes to get us out of this mess…

9. Hail Saison

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Now, this hazy beer is brewed with the most evil of melons — honeydew — which means it’s pretty much a black mass in a glass. Not as sour or bitter as many saisons, it goes down nice ‘n easy…

I had this beer on draught at this funky little Parkdale dive called Escape Goat — which probably won’t have reopened by the time you read this. 😦

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20 BEERS BETTER THAN CORONA: 8. Peachy Keen Milkshake IPA

Right now, my milkshake isn’t bringing any boys to the yard — Ontario has banned all large gatherings of over 50 people. And isn’t that just peachy… But who’s to say we can’t enjoy a milkshake IPA from Lake of Bays?

8. Peachy Keen Milkshake IPA

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Milkshake IPAs are one of the few non-vegan beers…which makes me wanna drink them even more? This particular one packed a lotta peaches and some hops into a nice, creamy finish. And speaking of non-vegan, I slammed a couple of these while polishing off the notorious 20 Napkin Burger at Craft Beer Market, bro!!!

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20 BEERS BETTER THAN CORONA: 7. Iron City Light Mango

I had this beer one time at an airport in Pittsburgh. You know airports, those things we used to travel from, back when people were still allowed to get on a plane? OK, so this beer wasn’t very good…but it still tasted better than Corona!

7. Iron City Light Mango

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Remember when Bud Light was rolling out all those silly fruit-flavoured beers, before it switched to seltzer? Well, it looks like they had some competition in Pennsylvania, where all liquor stores are now closed, from this local brew by the Pittsburgh Brewing Company. I’ve had I.C. Light at a baseball game before, and it wasn’t very good — adding mango to the mix didn’t make it taste much better. But, if you’re a fan of Orange Crush…this might be the light beer for you.

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20 BEERS BETTER THAN CORONA: 6. Rainbow in the Dark

At a time like this, I find myself asking WWDD — “What would Dio do?” Would he stand up and shout, or be the last in line? After all, the world is full of kings and queens, who blind your eyes and steal your dreams… It’s Heaven and Hell!

But with everyone left on their own like a rainbow in the dark, I think this is the beer he probably would drink.

6. Rainbow in the Dark

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This winter rye IPA from Barrie’s Redline Brewhouse (best known for its Clutch APA) has an evil 6.66% ABV, but still packs enough hops for a nice, fruity finish. It may not be in season, but if you’re in the area, you can still grab cans to go and even order food from their takeout menu.

Unfortunately, I don’t think I’ll be able to go back to Beerocracy, the funky craft beer bar where me ‘n the Triple B Krew drank all their Rainbows, until this shutdown comes to an end — and there’s no sign of that morning coming. 😦 😦 😦

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