Tag Archives: Better Than Corona

20 BEERS BETTER THAN CORONA: 20. Dos Equis

So, it’s come down to this. 20 days into Ontario’s restaurant and bar shutdown, with no end in site. Is it gonna be May before you cash me outside, or are we stuck in here until July? Either way, I know when this is over, I’m gonna need a beer — or 20, bro!!!!

20. Dos Equis

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I don’t always drink Mexican beer, but when I do…I’ll take Dos Equis over Corona any day of the week! The ol’ Double-X helped me wash down a carne asada burrito with carne asada fries at The Taco Stand when I was in Miami last year!!!

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20 BEERS BETTER THAN CORONA: 19. Menabrea Bionda

Y’know, I kinda blame Italy for getting us into this mess. When the Coronavirus came, they did nothing — and now their hospitals are overloaded, they’ve got the highest COVID-19 death rate in the world, and every other country is in lockdown, too. But even if I wouldn’t wanna visit Italy anytime soon…I’d still chug this Italian beer before taking a single sip of Corona.

19. Menabrea Bionda

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You know those European beers that all kinda taste the same, whether they’re from Poland, Portugal or Greece? This is also one of those beers. It’s tastier than, say, Molson Canadian, but you don’t remember much about it the next day. It does go pretty good with pizza, though — and I ain’t talkin’ bout Delissio, bro!

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20 BEERS BETTER THAN CORONA: 18. Dead Rise Old Bay Gose

Now, this has gotta be one of the crazy, zaniest, what-the-funk-where-they-thinking beers I’ve ever chugged — I’m glad I didn’t drink more than a sample cup! But you know what? I’d still rather drink this beer than Corona, which just shut down production today due to Coronavirus. It’s like raiiiiin on yer wedding day, Alanis Bro-risette!!!

18. Dead Rise Old Bay Gose

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Don’t get me wrong, I enjoyed my tour of Flying Dog Brewery in Frederick, Maryland last summer. I got to see where all the magic happens, then, at the end, there was a free flight waiting for me in the tap room! Now, I actually like a lot of their beers — Doggie Style, Raging Bitch, Brut Reynolds IPA…but when I tried the Dead Rise Old Bay Gose, I got a little bit more than I bargained for!

Y’see in Maryland, they put Old Bay on everything — crab cakes, crab dip, crab fries…I even had it on chicken wings. But brewing a beer with Old Bay seasoning in it, where you actually taste the saltiness, was no bueno, bro! Next time, I think I’ll stick with their Ain’t Nothing But a G Thang hazy IPA!!!!!

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20 BEERS BETTER THAN CORONA: 17. Hazed and Confused

Man, if Dazed and Confused, my favourite Matthew McConaughey movie, happened today, it would totally suck! They’d be like “Parties at the Moontower are cancelled until further notice. Aerosmith’s concert this summer will be rescheduled for next year.” It would be a lot cooler if you didn’t, bro!!!

But what doesn’t totally suck is this hazy Vermont-style IPA, which happens to be named after my favourite Matthew McConaughey movie…

17. Hazed and Confused

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This hazy, juicy beer has a whole lotta hops, with a nice, citrusy finish. They had it on tap two summers ago at Poor Romeo, this funky 70’s rock bar in Gerrones that has a portrait of Phil Lynott right next to its beer list! Man, I really hope that place reopens before the end of summer…

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20 BEERS BETTER THAN CORONA: 16. Alberta Genuine Draft

Are you running out of beer, but don’t want to leave your home due to social distancing? Here’s the solution you’ve been looking for! Last night, I ordered some beer online from Big Rock, one of Canada’s OG craft breweries, and they delivered it — for free — right to my door!!!

OK, so this is the part when I mention that free delivery is only available in Toronto, Vancouver, Calgary and Edmonton, and they only deliver twice a week, on Wednesdays and Saturdays (in the GTA, anyways). I just happened to luck out by placing my order on a Tuesday night…

16. Alberta Genuine Draft

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Man, the last time I had this beer, I was probably in Calgary! Sure, I couldda gone with one of their other beers, like Rhinestone Cowboy or Citradelic, or the Alberta staples Grasshopper and Traditional Ale…but those beers only come in four-packs. This here’s a 15-pack, bro!!!

And, at $27.75, it’s a lot cheaper than a dozen tallboys, too! Even after adding HST, cuz this ain’t The Beer Store, it’s still just over two bucks a can. Hey, it’s not Buck a Beer, but that still ain’t bad!

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Cheers Lanny!!!

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: 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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