The Benefit of Friends

So Spring sprung and then it shrunk.  Then it sprung up again.  Now it seems to have shriveled back down once again.  And no this isn't a slick segue into the fact that we just brewed our second batch of Ol'Woody Alt, cause that would be down right crass...although we did just brew it last week.  So yeah, I'll take the crassness and move on (also, keep an eye out for Ol'Woody, he should be springing up in awesome beer pubs early next month!).

Truth is I'm just bemoaning the lack of consistent, solid weather.  Mother Nature has been down right bi-polar this year. But this is Canada and really, we should kinda expect it.  Or at least just shut up and take it.  And take it we shall. Cause rain or shine or wind or snow, it's the Spring Fest at The Only Cafe this weekend!  So grab your shorts and sandals, or possibly Kodiaks and snow pants, cause either way, we be drinkin'!

There is a fantastic list of breweries lined up for this years event.  For further information check out the link I  done just posted right down there -

http://www.theonlycafe.com/theonly/fest.html

And if that list of awesome craft breweries is not enough to entice you to come, well listen up.  Sawdust City is going to be releasing their 2nd seasonal at this here Spring Fest.  That's right, The Princess Wears Girlpants will be making it's first appearance.  Well, actually 2nd appearance.  We did release a cask of it for last weekends wonderful IPA Cask challenge at barVolo (which woulda been a whole bunch more wonderful had our cask of Lone Pine not exploded! Cursed casks!) as part of Friday's fun night of festivities.  But honestly, this is a Belgian Golden Ale and it needs to be drank in it's proper fully carbonated form.  All dolled up and dressed to kill, The Princess Wears Girl Pants is an 8.5% Belgian Golden, loaded with Motueka, Galaxy and Nelson Sauvin hops.  Don't believe me.  Well check out this here poster and see for yourself.

Now before you go gettin' any cockimamy ideas about the origins of this beer handle, lemme just tell you, this beer done come by it's handsome moniker quite honestly.  Named after two of my very dear friends, Princess & Girlpants, this here ale is somewhat of a hybrid beer.  A special brew, I believe would be enjoyed by both equally.  You see Princess ain't too fond of big, hoppy beers, he like his pints to be easy drinkin' and not too harsh.  But Girlpants on the other hand, he done love his hops.  He want an aggressive, in yo' face, gut punchin' pint.  So I figure the best way to give them both what they want was to create an easy drinking 8.5% dry hopped Belgian, usin' only the juiciest varieties of New Zealand hops.  Don't believe me.  Well read this here back label a see for yourself.

So yeah, maybe at first blush the names of our seasonal and one-off beers at the Sawdust City Brewing Co., may seem silly and outlandish, cause well...hey they are.  But there is method to our collective madness.  Each of our beers, each of our names, and each of our labels, has in it, important details from the lives we live.  Be it intimate details about the town we live in, the family and friends that populate our lives or just the books and artwork that have been important to us over the years.  We want to honour all those things and the best way we know how, is to make a beer with a silly name about them.   Cause in the end, it's just beer folks and it should be fun.

Well that's that.  So what else is new?  Well lots, but that's gonna have to wait.  It's a busy time for the Sawdust City Brewing Co., as we're all off to wild south west. We're all headin' down to San Diego for the Craft Brewer's Conference next week.  A great event that may or may not prove to be my own personal Waterloo.  Last years conference in San Fran almost did me in and this year my brother is going.  Not good.  Wish me luck.

If I do make it out alive, I promise to bring back tales of beer glory and wonder.  Until then, everything will have to wait.

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

Post v. Brew

Ladies and Gentleman of the jury, I know it has been some time since I last posted on this here internet, but over the course of this blog post I will prove BEYOND a shadow of a doubt that I was in fact, extremely busy and was by no means neglecting my duties as your guide to Sawdust City.
If it pleases the court, I would like to offer in to evidence, Exhibit A -

The logo and label for Sawdust City's next and second seasonal release of 2012.  Proof, that while I haven't been updating the blog as much as I ought too, I have most certainly been hard at work creating new brands of beer for our burgeoning brewery.

Brewed with three new and exciting hop varieties from New Zealand (Moteuka, Galaxy and Nelson Sauvin), "The Princess Wears Girlpants" is also Sawdust City's first attempt at a Belgian style ale.  Not quite a Golden Ale.  Not quite a Tripel.  And not really a Belgian IPA, this unique beer is a little of everything.  A beautiful golden hue, easy to drink even at 8.5% abv and with a hop forward profile, this ale has it all.  And too top it all off, half of the batch is going to be aged in oak blueberry wine barrels...donated to us by the good folks at Muskoka Winery (http://www.cranberry.ca/) .

So, as you can plainly see, Ladies and Gentleman, that with this new beer there is definitely good reason for my internet tardiness.  Internet tardiness?  Umm...on second thought, can I have that last statement stricken from the record?

Moving on.  Next I would like to offer into evidence, Exhibit B -

The poster for barVolo's 4th annual IPA Cask Challenge.  Now although Sawdust City is very new and is just getting it's proverbial feet wet, we are by no means going to back down from a challenge.  So in order to prepare for this single elimination, brewery throw down, we decided to hike up our socks and work a little harder to prepare something special for this fantastic event.

With so many great breweries filling up the brackets of this hotly contested competition, we knew that we would have to be at our absolute best if we would have even a Mynocks chance on Hoth in taking home the hardware. Good people of the Jury, please excuse my obscure Star Wars reference. I may have gotten a little excited just there.  But I assure you, my resolve has never been stronger...crap, I did it again!.

Now where were we.  Oh yes...so again, as you can see, my time has been taken up by not only creating new beers, but also by brewing beer for this competition.  With only so many hours in a day good Jury, you must understand why I may have slacked a little in my posting duties.

And lastly kind Jury, Exhibit C -

The label and logo of Sawdust City's Lone Pine IPA.  The first of our "Mainstay" brands to be brewed for a second time. I felt, as head brewer, that I had to make sure that this batch was hoppy-er, piny-er and bitterer-er, than the first.  So while I enjoyed the first batch quite thoroughly, I decided to dedicate more time and effort to making this IPA the best it could be.

Brewed at the beginning of March, this ale needed extra time and care with loads of late and dry hopping.  So instead of chaining myself to the laptop, I tethered myself to the brew house.  And upon it's release, I had to make sure it got into the hands of some of Ontario's finest beer joints.  No easy task I assure you dear Jury.  All of this demands time!

So there you have it Ladies and Gentleman, I hope that I have proved to you that there has been good reason for my lack of posts.  And although yes, I have neglected to post over the past few weeks, it is my intention to return to a more regular schedule.  And to be more prompt with upcoming information.

I thank you for your time and I rest my case.

Anyhoo, I think that's about it for now.  Until next time, keep the beer in your mugs and the sawdust beneath your feet.