That Lovely Smarch Weather

It hung around longer than usual but the dreary month of February has finally moved on.  March here we come!  And with March here we have two big events on the horizon, St. Patty's Day and the First Day of Spring.  Hazzah! One is the unofficial kick off to the drinking season, the other one is an Irish holiday.  Zing, pow...see what I did there. You thought I was gonna say...but then I didn't.... and now it's funny.  Okay, maybe not that funny.

Moving on.

With St.Patrick's Day just a few weeks away it's a good thing we have our Skinny Dipping Stout out there in bars.  While a certain big brewery is saying that there maybe a shortage of their stout floating around for one of the biggest drinking days of the year, I say, damn the torpedos and drink something local!  Something local and chances are, something way more tasty too!  Now, I'm not gonna toot my own horn, but the Skinny Dipping Stout is mighty tasty brew and it's just one of many great stouts that you can find here in Ontario.  I've recently had the new Railway City Stout and it's a darn tasty beer.  Amsterdam has a fne stout in the "Two Fisted Stout" and "O'Keef's Stout" from Granite Brewery is great as well.  I also used to work for a pretty well known brewery in Toronto that happens put out a fantastic stout with their "Cobblestone Stout".

Now I'm not just gonna sit here and list off stout after stout, but just be comfortable in knowing that Ontario is not left wanting when it comes to the stout.  We no longer must depend on the kindness of the Irish to inebriate us on the 17th of March.  We can handle it just fine on our own Thank You Very Much!

So this year, when you find yourself stumbling from pub to pub looking for your next sip of delicious black gold, ask the kindly Publican for a taste of something local.  You may just find the next love of your life.
Ah and oh my, the 17th just happens to fall on a Saturday this year.  Dangerous.  But dangerous in a good way.  So remember to enjoy responsibly. But responsibly in a good way.

And what of the vernal equinox?  The burgeoning of a new season.  The waning of Winter and the sprouting of Spring?  I for one could not not be happier that Old Man Winter is finally packing his crusty ol' bags and heading down South for another year.  Spring is my favourite time of year.  Well favourite next to Summer.  I think it's just a timing thing right now.  I'll be so happy to see Winter leave that anything by comparison is just so much better.

With Spring just around the corner and so much to celebrate its a good thing that our Gateway Kolsch is out there in bars.  While a certain big brewery is saying.....wait, I've done this already.  And I'm almost certain there is no big brewery floating Kolschs around Ontario....really it's just us and Beau's (and Lugtread is an awesome Kolsch).

So what was I saying? Yes, it's a good thing our Kolsch is out there in bars.  Cause, it's a perfect beer for this time of year.   A time of year when the mercury starts to rise and patrons start to trickle out of doors.  Patios are in full bloom and drinkers are looking for something a little less heavy and little more drinkable.  Welcome Gateway Kolsch!  At 4.8% abv, a pretty simple malt bill and with enough hops to keep you coming back for more, this is most certainly a Spring session ale.

The last of our 5 Mainstay brands, Gateway Kolsch was released last week at the Gravenhurst Winter Carnival but you can now find it all the way from Bracebridge and Barrie to the Big Smoke.  So keep an eye on our Facebook and Twitter pages to know which bars will be carrying the Kolsch.

Anyhoo, that just about does it for now.  Until next time, keep the beer in your mugs and the sawdust beneath your feet.