Family Day! 'Tis the Season to Blog

Happy Family Day everyone!  Who doesn't love a totally fabricated but very much welcomed holiday in the middle of the dreariest of all months?  Not I good readers, not I.  If they want to give all us hard working stiffs a much deserved break, then hey, who am I too complain?

Well again, another week has passed and more good news from the Sawdust City Brewing Co!  Last Friday, friend of Sawdust City and all around good guy, Chris Schryer went into the Edge 102.1 studios with host Fearless Fred and did an on-air tasting of our latest release; Long, Dark Voyage to Uranus - Uranal Imperial Stout. The results were good dear readers, oh yes, the results were good.  But don't take it from me, take a listen to the full interview right here -

http://www.edge.ca/Blogs/FearlessFred/BlogEntry.aspx?BlogEntryID=10350213

So hot on the heals of this great review, Sawdust City is set to release it's next two beers.  As mentioned last week, Skinny Dipping Stout and Gateway Kolsch will both be making their debuts this weekend at the Gravenhurst Winter Carnival ( http://www.gravenhurstoperahouse.com/the-opera-house-will-be-host-to-many-events-for-the-gravenhurst-winter-carnival-february-24-25-26%20to%202048 ).  But for those of you wanting a sneak peek, try popping by a few of our regular joints in Toronto as you might be able to find it on tap.  WVRTS Sausage and Beer Hall and Dominion on Queen, a few new bars serving Sawdust City brands will be carrying it as well.  So pop in for a pint, sample some new beer and enjoy a few of Toronto's finest beer bars.

And what of Long, Dark Voyage to Uranus?  Well you can still find it at a few places. Of course The Griffin in Bracebridge has it, although as I type this, only a scant few pints remain.  Sarah's Cafe on the Danforth may still have a few pints as well.  And a few bottles are floating around some of the better beer bars in the Toronto area.  But if you do want to try it on draught before it's gone and you are in the Toronto area (well, at least gone until next year) barVolo on Yonge St will be tapping the last remaining keg of our Uranal Imperial Stout this Tuesday!  After that, only a single Firkin cask will be left on this here third planet from the sun and that cask belongs to Milos Kral and the rest of the crew at the Gambrinus Cafe & Bistro in lovely London, ON ( http://www.gambrinusbistro.com/ ).  This is the first time Sawdust City has ventured outside of Muskoka and the Toronto areas, so head out and try it before the long, dark drought begins.  'Cause you won't see this massive stout again until next winter.

So after we launch the two remaining "Mainstay" brands in the Sawdust City stable, what next?  Well, as we approach a new season, you can expect to see another seasonal release.  Right now it's looking like a barrel aged saison...but who knows, changes can and have been known to happen.  But what you can expect is a return of Lone Pine IPA.  Next up on the brew schedule and the first brand to be brewed for a second time, Lone Pine IPA should be ready by mid to late March.  I really liked the results from the first batch, but I'm a little nitpickey so I've made a few minor tweaks to the recipe.  It will still be distinctly piney and hop forward, I've just made a few adjustments to the hopping schedule, hoping to bring about even more hop flavour and aroma.

Well, it's going to be a big week for us this week folks.  We're super excited about not only launching the last two brands, but we're very much looking forward to spending some quality time in our home town of Gravenhurst during the upcoming Winter Carnival.  Rob, myself and the rest of the crew will be at the Opera House throughout the entire event, pouring pints and introducing ourselves to as many people as possible, so please stop by our booth, try some of our beer and say hello, we're happy to chat!

If you happen to be around Gravenhurst this week and want to have an early taste of our beer, try stopping by Regatta ( http://www.davezak.com/regatta/ ) for a glass of our Ol'Woody Alt.  They put us on tap last week so there may not be much left, but it's worth the trip down to the wharf and this fine restaurant any ways right?

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

Skokie Meet Sawdust City. Sawdust City, Meet Skokie

Well it's been a few years since I've seen the iconic image of Skokie the Otter (well, iconic at least in the mind of a boy who grew up in Muskoka in the early '80s), but I'm glad to say that he's aged very well, doesn't look a day over 30.  I gotta say, seeing Skokie does bring back memories of my youth and Winter Carnivals of yore;  snow sculpture contests, speed hammering nails into logs, matinee movies and hot chocolate. Oh, those heady days of my youth.  For not thinking about it for almost a quarter century, the images are still pretty clear in my mind.

Yes, its been about 25 years since I've taken part in the Winter Carnival but I'm excited to announce that once again I'm going to be taking part in this fantastic annual event.  The Winter Carnival did go on hiatus for a few years and coincidentally, I also left the comfy confines of the Muskoka borders, but now we're both back. Skokie rides again! This time I'll be bringing a few friends with me, The Sawdust City Brewery.  Rob "The Big Kahuna" Engman and myself, along with the rest of the Sawdust City team, will be bringing a few of our new beers along with us to pour at the Gravenhurst Opera House throughout the duration of the festival.  Skinny Dipping Stout and Gateway Kolsch will be making their debut's in our home town.  So when you come out for some great music, why not grab yourself some great craft beer too!

They've put together a poster for the event, here it is -

And for more information of our beers, check these labels, they'll give you an idea what you're in store for.

We've got a little something for everyone with these two brews.  A dark, rich stout for those of you who like bolder beers.  And an easy drinking, more mellow kolsch, for those of you who like the lighter brews.  Both are packed with flavour so for those of you who just wanna try great beer, have a little of both!

We've had beer in Muskoka before, at the Mighty Griffin Gastropub,  but neither of these brews have been here before.  In fact, they've never been any where before, this is the first time we've brewed both of these and I'm really excited to be showcasing them on our home turf!

 They both been brewed and are patiently aging away in their respective fermenters, biding their time until they are unleashed upon the thirsty public.  Skinny Dipping Stout is a hardy brew, perfect for this time of year. Loaded with chocolate forward flavours of roasted malts this is a fantastic winter beater.  Gateway Kolsch on the other hand is drinker!  Designed after the Kolsch beers of Koln Germany, this light lagered ale is a session beer by design.  At 4.5% abv and made with soft German pilsner malt, you may find yourself having more than a few of these!

Sawdust City won't be the only brewery there though, Lake Of Bays and Muskoka Brewery will also be pouring at the event, which is fantastic.  We're so proud to be a part of this event and we're even more proud that we get to be standing beside our brewery brethren.  Both Lake of Bays and Muskoka make great beer, so we're going to have to bring our A game if we plan on standing next to them.

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

 

The 5th Annual Easter Seals Chili and Beerfest Wasn't The Only Fest This Weekend

A long and unnecessary title, I know, but after the whirlwind weekend we had at Sawdust City, it's going to have to do.  I'm tired.

So this is what happened on Friday -

We launched the Long, Dark Voyage to Uranus upon the unsuspecting crowd at The Only Cafe's Winterbeer Fest this past Friday night and I'm glad to report that it went over exceedingly well.  Along with it's good friends Ol'Woody Alt and Lone Pine IPA, Uranus was sucked dry in a mere matter of hours.  A good problem to have if you're a beer company.  Not so good if your a gas giant.

The Winterbeer Fest was put together by the good people at the legendary The Only Cafe in Toronto's Eastend.  Situated on Danforth Ave, The Only's Winterbeer Fest brought together brewers and beer fans for an outdoor celebration of all things beer.

As I mentioned, the festival itself was held outdoors on The Only's ample back patio.  And with temperatures running just above the freezing mark, you could not have asked for a better night to kick off the patio season...well in February. Just above freezing in February is fine, March not so much!  As soon as the gates opened at 5p the patio started to fill -

And with more brewers and imbibers dropping in throughout the night, that ample patio was packed to the brim in no time.  Along with us, there were a slew of other great craft breweries from across Ontario and the rest of Canada

Black Oak

McAuslan

And King Brewery

Just to name a few.  Railway City, Cameron's Brewing, Steamwhistle, Wellington, Flying Monkey's, Creemore and Beau's were all in attendance too.  There may have been others, but after a few of the Flying Monkey's Imperial Stout...well let's just say I may have forgotten.  And Flying Monkey's weren't the only ones that brought special beers just for this occasion.  Steamwhistle had an unfiltered, dry-hopped version of their massively successful Pilsner on hand, a rare treat indeed.  Wellington brought a one off cask of IPA, Black Oak had a cask of Hop Bomb Pale Ale and Beau's had their Beaver River IP'eh there too, a day before it's release none the less.

And while I was out exploring the fantastic wares of the festival, The Great Nodini and KR manned the Sawdust booth...you can't buy friends like that.  Unless you have an ample supply of beer.  Then yes, yes you can buy friends like that.

It was a beer festival so of course Troy Burtch from TAPS The Beer Magazine was there.  This time though he wasn't just there to represent Canada's only national beer publication, but apparently Scandinavian ingenuity as well...check out the awesome "skoozi"(sp?), a must for any outdoor beer enthusiast.

All and all, it was a fantastic time at The Only Cafe, but with so many breweries and so much fantastic beer, how could it not be.  Just ask Jaime, she seemed pretty happy to be there -

Friday was a good night for Sawdust City, but that wasn't all that was going on this weekend.  On Saturday and Sunday up in Barrie, Ontario, it was the 5th annual Easter Seals Beer & Chili Festival and Sawdust City was proud to be there serving our Ol'Woody Alt and Lone Pine IPA.

Representing Sawdust City at the Beer & Chili Fest was chef Sean.

Sporting the Sawdust colours, Sean doled and poured until he could dole and pour no more!  The crowds came early and often and Sean did his darndest to not only sate their thirst for beer but also for their thirst for information about our new brewery

He got the beer out and he got the word out.  By the end of the festival the good people of Barrie knew what Sawdust City was all about.

The Easter Seals Chili and Beer Fest was a wonderful event for a great cause and Sawdust City was just happy they could be a part of it.  And just like The Only Cafe's Winterfest, we ran out of beer in Barrie too!  So although I maybe tired, it was a successful weekend all around.  Thanks to Noddy and Kevy for manning the booth at The Only.  Thanks to Chef Sean for manning the booth in Barrie.  Thanks to Jaime and Steph for snapping some sweet pics.  And thanks to everyone that came out and tried out beer at these two awesome events.  We really do appreciate it.

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

All Aboard! Next Stop Uranus!

As January wraps up a new month beckons as does Sawdust City's next beer release!  That's right folks our first seasonal has been packaged into cask, keg and bottle and is ready for it's maiden voyage.  Long, Dark Voyage to Uranus is all set to hit the streets, so get it while you can cause there isn't much of it to go around.  We made a very small batch, only 500L of this luscious Imperial Stout was created, so keep your eyes out for it as it will soon be gone and it might be a while before it makes it's return.  It's a long way to Uranus don't you know.

8.5%, 85 IBU and 2.57billion SRM, this decadent treat is loaded with rich, sinful flavours of chocolate and espresso. It has a big bitter kick though, so approach with caution...this is not for the faint of heart.
Long, Dark Voyage will be at awesome beer bars around Toronto starting next week.  Look for it at barVolo, Burger Bar, Smokeless Joe's to name a few.  We're also branching out to the further reaches of the province as we will be sending our first few kegs out London way to be put on tap at the Gambrinus Bistro & Cafe.  A great beer bar, Sawdust City is happy to be able to find another home away from home, so thanks to Milo's and the rest of the crew at Gambrinus.  Of course, you'll also be able to find Long, Dark Voyage at our second home...the mighty Griffin Gastropub in Bracebridge, ON.  Re-opening on the 26th of January, the Griffin will be sporting a new look for the new year.  So come out and see what's changed and try a few pints while your ate it!

Other than that, Sawdust City is also pleased to announce that we will be a part of the 5th Annual Easter Seals Chili and Beer Fest in Barrie this year.  There is going to be great food, great beer and it's all for a great cause, so come on out and try some thing new Februrary 4th and 5th at the Southshore Community Center in lovely Barrie, ON.  Check out the website -

http://www.facebook.com/events/298907923492584/

And that's not all folks, that same weekend Sawdust City will also be taking part in another festival, the legendary The Only Cafe's Winter Beer Fest on the Danforth in Toronto.  Along with a slew of other great craft breweries from across Ontario and the rest of the country, Sawdust City will be sampling some of it's beers, some come out and beat the winter blah's with a good ol'fashioned beer fest.  Who know's, Uranus might even make an appearance! Check out the website -

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

So even as we enter the dead of winter, Sawdust City is very much alive and kicking!  And we're only getting started folks, 2012 is going to be a big year for us, so we're going to try to keep up the momentum, releasing a few more of our Mainstay brands and maybe even another seasonal or two.  So keep an eye on this here blog, or follow us on our facebook page or our twitter account....heck you can follow us on untappd.com, a new social website for beer lovers...check it out and then check in next time you're drinking a Sawdust City pint -

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

The Winter Blahs

Well we're staunchly ensconced in the dreaded and dreary Winter Blahs.  The Holidays have come and gone, the New Year has kicked off and we've all gone back to the insipid minutia of the day to day.  Trudging through the early morning ice and snow, we scrape the overnight frost off our car windows.   Then we sit in a half frozen car fighting slowed traffic all the way to work, our only prize is hopefully getting that sweet parking spot right next to the front door.  Yes, Old Man Winter has us firmly in his icy grip and I fear he has no plans of letting us go until the Spring thaw is upon us.  He's a greedy and lonely fellow my dear readers.  And he'll squeeze every drop of joy and optimism out of us like some demonic python that only feeds on our hopes and dreams. Luckily we have beer.

Yep, there is no shortage of great craft beer out there folks.  The craft beer industry in Ontario and across this great Country of ours is booming with new brands, new breweries and new beers seemingly coming out everyday.  We maybe entrenched in the Winter Blahs, but its certainly a good time to be a beer drinker here in Ontario!

And we here at the Sawdust City Brewing Co. are just glad to be a part of this exploding scene.  We've pumped out a few beers over our short existence and we've go no plans to slow down.  As mentioned in my last post, up next we have our Uranal Imperial Stout, "Long, Dark Voyage to Uranus".  Loaded with robust flavours of espresso, chocolate, vanilla and roasted malt this massive stout is most definitely a winter beater.  Coming in at a mere 8.5% abv, this ale is as black as Satan's blood and will warm every nook and cockle of your heart.

So if the Winter Blahs have got you down, head out to your favourite local beer bar and set out on a Long, Dark Voyage to Uranus. It may just be the escape that your looking for!  And hey, we know you got it tough, so we're going to make it easy for you to take this trip too.  We're going to bottle, keg and cask this ale.  So which ever way you like to travel, we got the vessel for you.

Now, I tried Uranus just this past week in the fermenter and I have to say it's pretty darn close to being finished.   Just a little more mellowing and it'll be ready for it's maiden voyage.  ETA is week of January 23rd...probably the 25th or 26th.  So like I said, look for it at your favourite beer bar in the GTA and Muskoka.

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

A New Year!

It's been a while folks, but we've been pretty busy here in Sawdust City.  Sorry for the prolonged absence and gaps between posts, but so it goes.  It was a great Holiday season and we're excited to start in on the New Year.  As our tag line says, "The Dust Will Fly in 2012!" and here we are, 2012 already.  The dust has already to started to fly....well moderately at least.  Here's a recap on said moderate flying dust!

2011 saw Sawdust City kick off with our collaboration brew Great Weiss North.  Brewed with the Niagara Teaching Brewery and featured at the CNE, Great Weiss North featured an ingredient from every province and territory in the country.  Not a bad way to start if you ask me.  Later we brewed a few one-off beers for some events across the province which were again received well, like our "I Swear Sugarpants it was Your Idea".  A lactose brown ale brewed with masala spices was a fun little brew that we put together for VoloCaskDays.  Intended to be only an experimental one off, I ended up really liking the results though and you just may see this one again in the future!

After those one-offs, we finally received our Manufacturer's License from the AGCO on October 31st...this was a big day for Sawdust City, we could finally sell our beer!  Starting on November 18th with the release of our Golden Beach Pale Wheat (which saw two simultaneous parties.  One at The Griffin Gastropub in Muskoka and one at The Only Cafe in Toronto) we've been selling beer at some of the provinces best beer bars non-stop. 

We followed up the Golden Beach release party with a party for our Ol'Woody Alt (at The Monk's Kettle in Etobicoke) and hot on it's heals our Lone Pine IPA got the same treatment (at The Burger Bar in Toronto).  All three events were attended very well and we'd very much like to thank all those that made the trip out to try our beers.  We'd also like to say a very big thank you to the bar owners that hosted our events.  Again, we really appreciate all the support you've given us.  If it weren't for you guys, we'd have to where to sell our beer, so thanks again! And I know it's only been just under two months, but the reception has been great and we're very excited about the future.

So speaking about the future, what's up for 2012?   Well most importantly, we're hopefully going to be starting our building soon.  So keep an eye on the Muskoka Wharf over the next few months cause there should be some developments soon.  But on the beer front, we are going to be releasing our first "seasonal" beer in late January, early February.  "Long, Dark Voyage to Uranus", should be ready and packaged by the end of this month.  It started off at just under 22 plato and when I left for the Holidays it was down to about 6 plato.  Hopefully it crept a bit lower and the extra time in the fermenter should mellow out some of the big coffee, chocolate and roasted flavours.  This is a big stout folks, in fact it's a Uranal Stout of the highest order....take a read on the label -

This was a recipe I put together for the Iron Brewer last year but I liked it so much that I decided to brew it again.  I made a few changes, mainly taking out the star anise and oak spirals, deciding instead to focus on the intense chocolate and coffee flavours.

Like I said, this should be ready in about a month so keep an eye out for it at better beer bars across Toronto.  I've already got a few orders for casks of it, the remainder will be bottled with only a few kegs being made.

After Long, Dark Voyage, we are going to be brewing our regular stout, "Skinny Dipping Stout" which should be ready to go by early to mid-February depending on the brew schedule at the college.  An oatmeal stout with tons of chocolate malt (I also err on the side of chocolate...a good moto to live by if there ever was one), this ale is perfect for the cold winter months.  As soon as we brew it, I'll let y'all know so you can get appropriately excited.  After we did our first round of test batches at the school, this was my favourite of the four I brewed. It's hard to pick favourites, I mean, I loved them all in there own way.  But this one just stood out.

As we move into the spring we'll be finishing off the last of our mainstay brands with Gateway Kolsch, which should be brewed and packaged by March.  A traditional German style Kolsch, this ale will be brewed using only German malt and hops.  That will be followed by our second seasonal, which will remain a surprise until we release it.  Ohhh, a teaser!

Thanks again for all the support in 2011, we really do appreciate all the kind words and more importantly, we thank you for drinking (and selling) our beer.

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

Let's Celebrate the Shortest Day of the Year!

So you say you need a reason to celebrate this time of year.  The Holiday's aren't doing it for you.  A beer release party isn't good enough.  Great food and a wonderful atmosphere isn't footing the bill.  Well hows about the shortest day of the year?  Cause you know what happens after the shortest day of the year?  Everyday for the next 6 months gets longer!  That's right folks, once the Solstice hits, we have 6 months of better lighting ahead.  And I don't know about you, but moving past this 430p sundown is reason enough to party.

So throw in the aforementioned beer release (Sawdust City's Lone Pine IPA), the great food and wonderful atmosphere (The Burger Bar @ College and Augusta) and you have a solid list of reasons to come out and celebrate.  Read this poster and tell me you don't want to join us for a night of fun -

I heard Randal the Enamel Animal may even make an appearance.  Good time folks, good times!  Take a look at some of the photos from our last release party at The Monk's Kettle.  A great new addition to the Toronto beer scene, The Monk's Kettle offers wonderful food in a warm, cozy atmosphere.  Did I mention they have a bottle list 70 beers deep and a tap list that would make anyone envious.  If you haven't made the trip out to the West end, I highly recommend it.  Here's a few shots from the Ol'Woody release party last week.

A good time was had by all.  Thanks again to Michael and Guy from The Monk's Kettle for hosting and taking a chance on us.  It's folks like those from the Monk's Kettle that help us craft brewers out and give us a chance to get our foot in the door.

Photo dump.  More random shots of lovely Golden Beach Pale Wheat!

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