With Your Naval to Contemplate

Perusing the past posts, I done noticed that I start many of my posts by discussin' the weather or with terrible alliteration. Fer the life-a me, I have no idea why.  Maybe it`s 'cause I`m somewhat obsessed wit both'em.  Or maybe it's 'cause I'm terrible at small talk but really good at poor literary techniques. Eitherwhich, I done elected to start this here post off wit both'em.  If you don't like it...hit the highway Jack.  So how about the Spring eh?  A few weeks back, the Vernal Equinox done came and with it a renewed sense of hope and optimism for the upcoming year...that and aboot 3 inches of snow. See for yer self -

Seriously? I know we done live in Canada, but Old Man Winter just keeps shakin' his crusty ol'fist at us down here in the Great White North and I swear, I done just aboot had enough of it consarnit!  Bring on them April showers.  Bring on them May flowers.  I'm ready gadnammit.  I'm ready! (weeping openly into my hands as I fall unto my knees and sob).

Where was I? Yes, renewed hope and optimism for the upcoming year! Well it done been a while since I last posted on this here blog and I gotta tell ya, it ain't from lack of want.  We done been sitting on a few things and I just had to wait for the right time to let it all out.  And it looks like now is just aboot the right time, so yes, my friends there is good reason for optimism.  Things round here done been moving and things done been shakin' and I gots lots to share with all y'all.

First off, just a mere 48 hours ago, our newest team member joined us.  He's a brewer and his name is Spinney.  Here is a picture of Spinney -

Spinney has a beard. Spinney has a red truck. Spinney has an imagination.  Spinney makes beer. Spinney makes really good beer.  Welcome to the team Spinney!
So with a fresh new pair of them there Welly's running around the brew house there is definitely a feeling of renewed optimism around Sawdust City.

Secondly, our newest release has hit the shelves at select bars in and around Ontario, Red Rocket Stout. And thanks to Ol'Man Winter and his crotchety ways, he's kept the cold 'round longer and kept all y'all in a stouty state of mind.

BAM!

Made in conjunction with our good friends at Red Rocket Coffee in Toronto's East End, Red Rocket Stout is a down right delicious blend of stout, coffee and spices! Using our stout as the base, we added healthy dose of Red Rocket coffee, cinnamon, vanilla and cayenne pepper.  Based on Red Rocket's signature drink, this stout is certainly unique, but dang if it also most certainly drinkable!  We're working on doing a release party in the near future, but until then look for it and ask for it, at wicked ass beer pubs and restaurants near you.

I know, I know, I keep sayin' that all our beers only be available at pubs and restaurants, but guess what y'all.  Not no mo'.  No no mo'!  Now don't go around mishearin' me, ain't nothin' wrong with pubs and restaurants  but sometimes you just wanna drink at home. Which is exactly where y'all be able to take our beer in just a few short weeks. That's right folks, as mentioned a few posts back, our Lone Pine IPA is coming to the LCBO!  We done brewed the batch about two week back, and it done been dry-hopped and is all but ready to be bottled.  If all goes accordin' to Hoyle, the beer'll leave the brewery on April 15th and be on the them there shelves of your local LCBO by early May.  Now if all y'all could snap a few pics when you see it on the shelves and send it to yours truly, I'd love to get them up either on this here blog or on our Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/pages/Sawdust-City-Brewery/139064472841673. I haven't added a lot of people to the ol'City-zen page in quite some time. So if you happen to find yer self at an LCBO in early May (and let's be honest, y'all know you will) and you happen to see our Lone Pine IPA on the shelf...if you don't remember what it looks like, here's a reminder -

Now the label may have been updated a little, but y'all gets the point, but if y'all happen to spot it on the shelf, please snap a pic and send it to us.  Much obliged.

And to account for this new mess a beer we done gotta make, we ponied up and added two, count'em two  more fermenters to Black Oak.  Now take a look at them there shiny tanks, dang but if they ain't beautiful

So that's certainly enough reasons for optimism right? But wait...there's more!  You see, just last week, yours truly and the rest of the Sawdust City team (ie Rob) went down to Washington DC for this years Craft Brewers Conference. And like every year, the conference is a chest swellin' good time.  It's good news all around let me tell you what.  Craft beer is boomin' and all y'all keep drinkin' up our delicious products.  So thanks to y'all for that.  But this year there was a new twist.  The good folks at TAPS Canada's Beer Magazine (ie my brother Jed and Rob) threw together a little soiree at the Canadian Embassy. Swanky, right? We gathered as many Canadians and as much Canadian Craft beer as we could find and we done got down with our bad selves. Hey look, there's a Canadian brewer, enjoying himself responsibly -

And here's what he enjoyed, responsibly...

Magic mirror, tell me today, have all my friends had fun at play....I see Denison's, Kensington, Indie Alehouse, Chesire Valley, Sawdust City (that's us), Grand River, RJ Brewing, Great Lakes, Muskoka and Spearhead...and that was just one beer table...trust me, there was a lot more there.  The main thing was, it was great to have all the Canadian's in one room celebrating great Canadian beer!  It was uplifting and gratifying to see just how far Canadian craft beer has come.  Thanks to the hard work from the TAPS team (Jed & Rob) and a special thanks to Jennifer, Stephen and Micheal from the Canadian Embassy for making this event happen.  Hopefully this will become an annual event and hopefully we'll see all our friends next year.

So what else we got? Oh yeah, lean on in and listen to this. For this years Session Craft Beer Festival (http://sessiontoronto.ca/) they done have a new event, Collaboration Nation and we're going to be doing a collaboration with none other than Fearless Fred from the Edge 102.  Now we done handed the reigns over to Fred on this one and asked him what kinda beer he be wantin' to brew and you know what he said, check this out...he done said he wanted to brew a Saison aged on Raspberries...which was awesome.  But what made it awesomerer was that he said that it had to be named after Alison Brie.  Now we done be pretty big fans of Community, so we just done fell off our chairs when we heard that.  We're gonna be brewin' this soon, so keep checkin' back for more information!

And I have just one more thing to be optimistic about, but unfortunately I can't tell you today. I was hoping to get the green light on spillin' the beans, but it looks like it's gonna have to wait until next time.  And let me tell you...it's big y'all.  It's REALLY big. Psst...it's about our building!

But it will have to wait until next time!

We gots lots comin' up in the next few weeks y'all so stay tuned to our twitter feed and our Facebook page for all the updates...events aplenty in the coming week folks. APLENTY!

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