Thank YOU for snagging our 10th Beer Squad Mystery Box. We love curating these top secret boxes for you – dig in and ENJOY. We feature FIFTEEN different tasty drinks and tossed in a few funky products made from local small businesses across Ontario. Finally, we finish it off with a sweet piece of Society of Beer Drinking Ladies swag. Make sure to tag us in the pics and videos of you squealing with delight at our latest box.
Nickel Brook Non Alcoholic Root Beer 0 %
Naughty Nick’s Ginger Beer is brewed using a time-honoured recipe using all-natural and pure ingredients. All that is used to produce this tasty soda is fresh chopped ginger, lemon juice and natural sugar.
Wilda Dry-Hopped Honey Session Mead 5.6%
Unlike beer, often made with barley, Wilda’s Honey Brew is made simply with honey and a blend of Citra, Rakau and Cascade hops. The result is an uncommon delight: fresh, crisp and crushable.
Sawdust City Two Pad Stack DIPA 9%
An old school west coast style IIPA, it pours an off-clear golden yellow with a fluffy white head. A sturdy but uncomplicated malt body that allows the hops to shine and be the center of attention. Dank, citrusy hops lead the way with plenty of both hops aroma and flavour. A full mouthfeel with a sticky, oily hop character, it’s bitter without being overpowering. Drinks way to easy for it’s elevated ABV.
Avling Morning Mist Chamomile-Sage Sour w/ Honey, 5.1%
The spicy snap of white sage leads the aroma, softened by the sweet and earthy tones of chamomile. Notes of baked apple, yellow plum, and cedar smoke follow on the palate, the marriage of sweet and savory bringing a delicate tension. Its bright acidity and long herbal finish add the final touches to a complex and intriguing beer.
OR…
Kinsman Bohemian Lager, 3.8%
Czech-inspired lager made with a German twist. Low ABV, high flavour, beautiful texture. Crackery and crisp. Perfect for the sun.
Harmons Bump Start IPA Non-Alc Beer, 0.5%
Harmon’s latest seasonal IPA is jam-packed with Cascade and Citra hops for a big citrus punch & thirst-quenching tropical flavour…cause bump starting old motorbikes can make you pretty thirsty!
Beyond the Pale Midnight Edition Dark Lager 3.8%
This exciting beer is made from German Pilsner and Munich malts, paired with Tettnanger and Hersbrucker hops, giving it a nice clean, crisp base. If that wasn’t enough to excite you, the brewers then added Midnight wheat and Pale Chocolate malts, creating a unique colour to the beer when you pour it and a subtle roasty chocolate flavour on the palate.
Collective Arts White Peach & Cardamom Botany. 0%
Sweet, tangy white peach pairs perfectly with warming cardamom in this sparkling botanical water. Juicy and bursting with flavour, fresh peach on the nose gives way to a mildly spicy finish in this refreshingly fruity soda.
Perpetual Paloma mocktail, 0%
A blissed-out citrus bomb! This zero proof cocktail slaps, with a deliciously dreamy combination of grapefruit and lime. Enjoy our Perpetual Paloma with anyone and everyone, anywhere, any time and unlock infinite possibilities.ᅠ
High Park Root Beer Float Stout 6%
Root Beer Float Stout is a smooth big bodied lactose stout finished with sarsaparilla and vanilla for a powerful kick of old school root beer and vanilla ice cream.
Lost Craft Pink Gin Fuzz 5%
Our Pink Gin Fizz blends our Local Spirit Gin with fresh sparkling water and a splash of real raspberry & lemon juice with natural flavours, creating a light refreshing canned cocktail. Real Fruit. Not Overly Sweet. Refreshing. Distilled & Packaged in Ontario.
Second Wedge Rainmarker Porter 6%
A deep roast character with loads of dark chocolate and espresso flavour make Rain Maker a rich indulgence. But its alter ego is a playful pal to all things barbecue with a refreshing, brisk edge and a dry, never-cloying finish.
Rainhard Classic Lager 5%
This German style Munich lager is our go-to beer. It’s everything we wanted it to be. Brewed using traditional German brewing techniques, this Helles lager displays a crisp dry finish, paired with a subtle malt profile.
Big Rig Brugazi Non-Alcoholic Beer 0.4%
Brugazi IPA is a craft non-alcoholic beer. Citra and Tropical hop varieties kick this IPA to the next level. If you’re a fan of hoppy beers, and don’t want the alcohol, this is a beer worth trying!
Spearhead X Society Peppermint Stout 5.5%
This interesting dry stout is brimming with notes of rich bittersweet chocolate and pumpernickel bread due to the specialty dark malt additions. We added heaps of natural peppermint oil yielding an enjoyable minty aroma and flavour that isn’t overpowering.
We love all things gingerbread AND dark beers SO we merged them together to yield this easy drinking, flavourful porter. You’ll enjoy the smooth drinkability of a light porter alongside some pleasantly balanced spice notes of cardamom, ginger, nutmeg and cinnamon.
From 2-7pm on Saturday October 28th, join us at our Society Clubhouse space (967 College St in TORONTO) as we feature dozens of amazing beers and wines coming out of Ontario from women identified makers.
Your ticket gets you a unique festival tasting glass and an unlimited tasting experience. Please drink responsibly and don’t drink and drive.
This is a 19+ event, open to everyone!
Food available for purchase.
Costumes HIGHLY encouraged – C’est l’Halloween!
Music, entertainment and artisan vendors TBD!
Tickets are limited, so act quick!
Whip up your own buttercream icing and learn beginner piping techniques!
Each ticket includes:
A BEER, 4 CUPCAKES BAKED WITH CRAFT BEER, YOUR OWN PIPING TIPS TO KEEP, PIPING BAGS, FRESHLY WHIPPED ICING, A LIVE DEMO & RECIPE CARD.
OPEN TO EVERYONE | 19+ | $50 PER PERSON
We’ll be demonstrating a simple way to whip up your own buttercream icing, and teaching some beginner piping techniques.
Enjoy some great brews, while learning how to get creative with your buttercream recipe, and practice some elegant cupcake piping designs.
Then take home some of your treats, and piping tips to continue the creativity on a later date.
This is a 19+ event.
Each ticket includes:
– A step by step live demo
– A take away box with 4 cupcakes (that have been baked with Ontario craft beer)
– 3 piping tips (for you to keep)
– piping bags
– icing to ice your cupcakes
– recipe card
– drink token (that can be used to enjoy a beer during the workshop)
We’ll supply all the tools required for the duration of the workshop (clean aprons, bowls, spatulas, napkins etc.). We take care of the mess, so you can focus on the fun.
Must be 19 years of age or older to purchase a ticket.
Join us at Society Clubhouse for an event curated by the Betty Comedy Show for a Beer Brunch full of beer and giggles.
Take the vibe of a chill Beerfest, the comedic talent this city offers, all happening in a swish new clubhouse… you have The Betty! Now imagine it’s Sunday and you’re seated with your besties about to be served a beer-soaked brunch catered by Phancy Catering. Now you have the Betty’s Beer Brunch!
Includes 4 10 oz limited seasonal beers, a family-style brunch and all the laughs.
THE LINE UP
We brewed up VALIANT, a New England IPA that will be ready just in time for International Women’s Day! With label art created by local women artist @briannedonut, 50 cents a can and 50 cents a pint will go directly to the important work of Sistering a multi-purpose agency, drop-in and shelter for women, girls and non-binary folks in West Toronto.
To launch this beer and celebrate International Women’s Day, ALL our welcome to our beer launch event! Join us anytime after 6:30pm, come solo or bring some pals! And please bring TOILETRY DONATIONS FOR SISTERING…we’ll be collecting them and dropping off post-event.
This juicy Vermont IPA was brewed in collaboration with the Granite Brewery for International Women’s Day. It’s named after the Valiant Five, who were Canadian suffragists who advocated for women and children in the 1920’s. One dollar from every pint sold will be donated to Sistering.
Available in 473ml cans at the Granite Bottle Shop, their online store and the 4th & 7 Bottle Shop.
Pay what you can / Suggested $10 Donation in support of Sistering. Women identified and all abilities welcome. RSVP to erica@ladiesdrinkbeer.com
Thank YOU for snagging our 8th Beer Squad Mystery Box. We love curating these top secret boxes for you – dig in and ENJOY. We feature a whole buncha tasty drinks and funky products made from local small businesses across Ontario. Finally, we finish it off with not one but TWO Society of Beer Drinking Ladies swag pieces. Make sure to tag us in the pics and videos of you squealing with delight at our latest box.
There’s still a few more of this Beer Squad Mystery Boxes left so we’re giving you a secret $10 off code if you buy a second box…
Use code MYSTERYGIFT at checkout to apply the discount.
As always, a portion of Mystery Box profits go to the good work of the Canadian Women’s Foundation.
Make sure to take pics or videos of how much you love this box! Tag us @ladiesdrinkbeer on Instagram & Facebook so we can see all the good times!
A hybrid IPA combining the haze and juiciness of the East Coast with a West Coast hoppy bite of grapefruit and pine. Heavily hopped with Amarillo and Simcoe.
Bursting with tropical aromas and juicy fruit flavors from Mosaic and Amarillo hops, this golden IPA is perfectly bitter with a refreshing, sublime finish.
Pours pale straw gold. Barley and wheat contribute light cereal malt flavour. German Huell Melon hops dollop-in delicate floral and fruity aromas. This lager is smooth and light-bodied, with medium effervescence and a crisp, clean finish.
Steam Whistle is one of the only remaining breweries in the world that still adheres to the strict standards of the Bavarian Purity Act of 1516, using only pure spring water, malted barley, hops and yeast. Brew Master Erica McOustra is a nine year veteran of the Steam Whistle family and the brains and taste buds behind this award-winning beer. It’s her job to make sure that everything that goes into Steam Whistle Pilsner is of the best quality, to make the best brew.
A lager brewed with all Vienna malt and European hops. Aromas and flavours of sticky honey, melba toast and Twizzlers, with some spicy and floral hop aromas. Full malt character with a balancing bitterness and dry finish.
Bold and hoppy, this El Dorado single hop IPA has heaps of fruity character and rich malt notes to back it up, imparting bold tropical fruit flavours of pineapple and mango. On the nose, experience hints of pear, watermelon, stone fruits and even candy.
Brewed with single Pilsner malt and single organic Hallertau hops, Philsner has a flavourful, bready malt character, pours a bright pale yellow and finishes crisp and assertively bittered. Two months in tank, this year-round lager is a refreshing, easy-drinking staff favourite.
We used FOUR different types of Mosaic hops for a beer that showcases everything we love about one of the craft beer world’s go-to hops. Regular Mosaic combines with Mosaic CRYO, Mosaic INCOGNITO and Mosaic SPECTRUM for aromas of tropical fruits, with flavours of juicy mangoes, guava and ripe berries.
A refreshingly dry modern cider crafted from a proprietary blend of heirloom apples and cold fermented with a specifically chosen white wine yeast in stainless steel tanks. This ultra-premium cider can be either enjoyed on its own or has a great acidity backbone to pair well with a meal.
An Ontario locally created craft seltzer that has the same quality, passion and ingredients as its sister brand Fancy Sparking Water but with a 4% boost of alcohol. Currently they have Pineapple, Lemon Lime and Bumbleberry as flavour options.
A delicious and crushable West Coast IPA. Slightly hazy and beautifully aromatic, with flavours of juicy tropical fruits. A perfect beer for a Hop-Head!
Hatch is a Pale Ale that packs in a lot of the hop flavour and aroma you would expect from an IPA, without all the alcohol. It has a very soft and fruity aroma that leads into a fresh citrusy taste and finishes dry with a moderate bitterness. Brewed with 100% Ontario malts.
The juiciest, ripe cantaloupe and punchy herbaceous mint. We dare you not to love this combo! Fibre? 5 delightful grams. Calories? 15. Sugar? NONE. Artificial sweeteners? NOPE. Just bubbly water, our super blend of prebiotic plant-based fibres and natural flavours.
Tej Essentials Hand Remedy made with rich, dense organic and natural ingredients. It nourishes, moisturizes, and protects your hands.
Coconut butter prevents the skin from drying and reduces the signs of mature skin and maintains the skin’s supple look. Shea Butter penetrates deep into the skin. Beeswax helps to seal in moisture and is rich in vitamins which support and nourish skin cells. Argan oil is naturally rich in vitamin E and antioxidants that help neutralize free radicals and prevent skin damage and loss of moisture from the skin.
Apricot Kernel oil is very high in both vitamins and minerals and is suitable for all skin types, especially dry and aging skin. Sweet Orange essential oil supports the immune system, and its uplifting aroma helps to create emotional and spiritual balance as it relieves tension in the body’s muscles. Cedarwood essential oil brightens, tones and rejuvenates skin and calms the muscles of the hand. Rosehip extract is rich in vitamin C which helps the skin retain its elasticity.
Ingredients: Coconut Butter (Cocos Nucifera)*, Shea Butter (Butyrospermum parkii)*, Beeswax (Cera alba), Argan Oil (Argania Spinosa)*, Sweet Almond Oil (Prunus dulcis), Apricot Kernel (Prunus Armeniaca), Cedarwood (Cedrus)*, Sweet Orange (Citrus sinensis)* Essential Ol, Rosehip extract (Rosa canina)* and Vitamin E Oil (Tocopherol). *certified organic
Directions: Take desired amount in your palm and apply on your clean hands, elbows, knees and feet.
Caution: For external use only. Keep out of reach of children. Contains Nut Oils.
Black garlic is a type of “caramelized” garlic.
During the caramelization process, the garlic flavour gets softened. As a result, there is a beautiful balance of sweet and savoury yield notes of molasses, chocolate, and dried fruit, coupled with tangy hints of balsamic vinegar, soy sauce, tamarin, and hearty mushroom/umami flavours.
We have decided to pair this beauty with the iconic Imperial Russian Stout from Wellington Brewery. Why?
The Imperial Russian Stout from Wellington has a rich and complex prune- and date-like sweetness; chocolate and coffee notes are also present. There is a lot of flavour in this beer, and the taste is influenced by the aroma – dark/dried fruits, chocolate, caramel, vanilla, and molasses.
This beer style is the perfect pairing for black garlic; they create a savoury, complex, and flavourful jelly.This Beer Jelly is the perfect pairing for Italian-style charcuterie, rillette, terrine, foie gras and game meat. It is also a great pairing with salty feta or creamy blue cheese, Parmigiano-Reggiano, pecorino, and other hard cheeses like aged Gouda.
Think aioli, mayonnaise and use it as a spread for your sandwich (steak sandwich, prosciutto sandwich, etc.) or try a new version of the deviled eggs.
And why not enjoy this delicacy with a dark chocolate mousse for a “Je ne sais quoi!”
Vegan and low sugar (containing 1.4 grams sugar per tsp)
Contains Gluten & Sulphite
May contain other food allergens and traces of alcohol
Refrigerate after opening
We are so excited to bring you a variety of our zero-waste Confetti Bars! Made with leftover soap scraps from beveled soap edges, misshapen bars, extra custom soaps — all made with the same beautiful, high-quality & all-natural ingredients found in our regular artisanal soaps — these bars are nourishing to our skin in addition to eliminating soap waste! These soaps also help us with our mission to give back to our community: for each bar of Confetti soap sold, Sage & Thistle donates one full bar to various Toronto-based organizations which provide essential services to marginalized communities. Thank you for partnering with us to help give back & support our communities!
Each bar of Confetti Soaps is unique! No two will look exactly alike. Please note that these bars are not vegan: they may contain animal byproducts including raw Ontario honey, organic Ontario goat milk, and lard or tallow from ethically-raised & fully pastured animals raised in Ontario on regenerative-practicing farms owned by our friends.
To prolong the life of your handmade soap, allow it to dry completely between uses.
Natural Ingredients:
May contain: *Virgin Coconut (cocos nucifera) oil, *Sunflower (Helianthus annuus) oil, *Mango (mangifera indica) butter, +Shea (Butyrospermum parkii) butter, *Virgin Castor (ricinus communis) oil, Apricot (Prunus armeniaca) oil, *Hemp (cannabis sativa) seed oil, *Sweet Almond (prunus dulcis) oil, *Rose Hip (Rosa rubiginosa), Lard (lardate), Tallow (tallowate), Canadian Rapeseed (Brassica campestris) oil, organic & foraged botanicals (including many from the Sage & Thistle pesticide-free uneven garden), natural clays, pure essential oils.
*organic +fair trade
Find Chloe’s art on the walls of the Society Clubhouse!
Healthy lips starts here, our Organic Lip Balm is formulated to provide maximum hydration to your lips with moisturizers like Shea Butter, Cocoa Butter and vitamin E oil to seal in moisture and provide hydration without excessive shine.
To make this creamy and flavorful risotto, all you need is simmering broth! Never fuss about having all the right ingredients to make this classic Italian dish.
Heat 4-6 cups broth + keep at a simmer. In a medium pan, heat oil or butter over medium heat. Add contents of jar. Stir rice approx 2 mins. Add ½ cup of simmering broth to the rice and cook over medium/low heat stirring constantly, until rice has absorbed all liquid. Add another ½ cup of broth and repeat. Continue adding broth and cooking until all the broth has been absorbed. This should take about 25 minutes. Optional: Stir in a bit of butter or truffle oil and serve with grated Parmesan
Makes 4 Servings.
Ingredients: Dried mushrooms (various), green split peas, garlic, onion, thyme, basil, oregano, kosher salt, arborio rice
All natural salt and sugar products for your at-home spa experience. Grab a fancy beer, jump in the tub and treat yourself!
Quite possibly the most epic piece of swag to grace our Mystery Boxes, this cooler bag will hold a ton of beer cans! And we won’t tell anyone if you sneak a couple bottles of wine in there, too! Plus everyone will know where your loyalties lies with the bold Society of Beer Drinking Ladies logo front and centre. The handy front pocket is a great spot to store a bottle or can opener.
Join Jacquie of Baker’s Bar for a beginners piping workshop! Space is limited. Ticket includes a pint of beer, 4 cupcakes baked with craft beer, your own piping tips to keep, piping bags, freshly whipped icing, a live demo and recipe card.
Open to everyone 19+
Come one, come all to the first ever Society of Beer Drinking Ladies event in Thunder Bay!
We can’t wait to build a community of beer loving women in the North! Join us at Bevy0001 NWO (Northwestern Ontario) Outpost, Saturday January 28th from 3-6pm at Lakehead Beer Co.
Here’s the Scoop:
Your ticket gets you:
Add-ons:
Backstage Brewery Tour
Come hang at the Society Clubhouse for a holiday celebration! Admission is PWYC to Canadian Women’s Foundation and/or bring items to stock up our Personal Care Box! Suggested donation: $10
Don your tackiest holiday gear for a chance to win prizes!
First 50 people through the door get a free holiday cupcake from Baker’s Bar
Handmade Jungle Crafty Collage Corner on site
Tarot Readings by Aerin Fogel
Beast Pizza available by the slice.
Open to women-identified and non-binary folks.
The Betty is a monthly live stand-up comedy show at the Society Clubhouse. We know Toronto is one of the BEST comedy cities in the world and this stage will feature curated, pro lineups that reflect the sometimes overlooked diversity within the comedy community.
Show begins at 7:00pm and we encourage you to enjoy the welcoming atmosphere of the Society Clubhouse before and after the show with beer, cider or non-alc bevies because The Betty isn’t just a show, it’s a NIGHT!
These shows are relaxed and open to everyone of all genders. A little earlier but with longer sets so comedians can stretch out in a supportive environment . The Society Clubhouse is wheelchair accessible with bathrooms on the main floor.
We are in a large, bright space, and we do recommend wearing a mask when moving about the Clubhouse. If you are feeling unwell, please stay home.
We released this Chocolate Peppermint Stout to the LCBO in a holiday pack with our Gingerbread Porter and our SOBDL branded mason jar glass. Enjoy for a limited time. Find it at LCBO.
We released this Gingerbread Porter to the LCBO in a holiday pack with our Peppermint Stout and our SOBDL branded mason jar glass. Enjoy for a limited time. Find it at LCBO.
Enjoy a 1 hour yoga class followed up with a pint of Muskoka Brewery’s NEW seasonal release and a guided Muskoka beer tasting!
-Open to everyone!
-We welcome all experience levels!
-Instructor Christel Bartelse
-Includes beer and guided tasting by Muskoka Brewery
-The Society Clubhouse is wheelchair accessible
-Street parking available and right on the College Streetcar line
Join us at the Society Clubhouse! All are invited to a 5-course beer dinner hosted by Society of Beer Drinking Ladies with food by Phancy Catering. Each course will be paired with a different delicious craft beer thoughtfully curated by our beer experts.
What makes this dinner fancy? YOU! Whatever you consider fancy…a gown? a tux? a tiara? That parts up to you!
Jacquie from Baker’s Bar will be demonstrating a simple way to whip up your own buttercream icing, and teaching some beginner piping techniques.
Enjoy some great brews, while learning how to get creative with your buttercream recipe, and practice some elegant cupcake piping designs.
Then take home some of your treats, and piping tips to continue the creativity on a later date.
This is a 19+ event.
Each ticket includes:
– A step by step live demo
– A take away box with 4 cupcakes (that have been baked with Ontario craft beer)
– 3 piping tips (for you to keep)
– piping bags
– icing to ice your cupcakes
– recipe card
– drink token (that can be used to enjoy a beer during the workshop)
We’ll supply all the tools required for the duration of the workshop (clean aprons, bowls, spatulas, napkins etc.). We take care of the mess, so you can focus on the fun.
Must be 19 years of age or older to purchase a ticket.
Thank YOU for snagging our 8th Beer Squad Mystery Box. We love curating these top secret boxes for you – dig in and ENJOY. We feature a whole buncha tasty drinks and funky products made from local small businesses across Ontario. Finally, we finish it off with not one but TWO Society of Beer Drinking Ladies swag pieces. Make sure to tag us in the pics and videos of you squealing with delight at our latest box.
There’s still a few more of this Beer Squad Mystery Boxes left so we’re giving you a secret $10 off code if you buy a second box…AND we’ll toss in an extra mystery gift…could be beer, could be swag, could be an artisan good…it’s a MYSTERY!
Use code MYSTERYGIFT at checkout to apply the discount.
As always, a portion of Mystery Box profits go to the good work of the Canadian Women’s Foundation.
Make sure to take pics or videos of how much you love this box! Tag us @ladiesdrinkbeer on Instagram & Facebook so we can see all the good times!
An easy drinking golden ale with sweet and spice notes to basically create a liquid ginger snap cookie!” Brewed in collaboration with our friends at Spearhead Brewing, this is a perfect beer to enjoy on a crisp fall day.
SOBDL teamed up with Niagara Cider to launch a series of unique seasonal cider batches. Our first one is the Dry Hopped Tropical Cider, which has three added tropical fruits to amplify the characteristics of the Citra and Galaxy hops.
A dreamlike pairing with buckets of juicy oranges and lush pineapples. Tangy and sweet fruity flavors rounded with milk sugar and rock salt make the perfect fruity refreshment.
Juicy IPA is packed with pineapple, which is nicely balanced with notes of citrus and a hint of fig. Beating out 130 NA Beer’s, The Golden Lager was selected as the best Non-Alcoholic beer at the 2022 World Beer Cup. Gruvi Golden is a classic take on an American-style lager. It goes through the traditional lagering process creating a light and crisp brew that is also gluten reduced.
A hybrid IPA combining the haze and juiciness of the East Coast with a West Coast hoppy bite of grapefruit and pine. Heavily hopped with Amarillo and Simcoe.
This West Coast pale ale is bold and hoppy, brewed with pineapple for a crisp and citrusy character.
Vienna Lager is a radiant, honey-golden coloured beer is the first from our family owned brewery. A product of traditional 8° C cold fermentation, with nut and honey notes, play perfectly against its pleasant touch of bitterness. 5%
Bohemian Pilsner is a locally brewed beer elevated by using a world renowned Bohemian pilsner malt to perfect a clean, crisp pale – lager. 4.2%
1882 Oktoberfest is a rich with sweet, malty flavours and balanced hop aroma. With notes of bread and toasted malts this amber coloured brew. 6%
Unlike beer, often made with barley, Wilda’s Honey Brew is made simply with honey and a blend of Citra, Rakau and Cascade hops. The result is an uncommon delight: fresh, crisp and crushable. What does it taste like? A gently dry-hopped beer, with subtle florality and honey notes. This honey brew is a perfect match for a charcuterie board, with sharp cheese, grapes and some spicy nuts on the side. Gluten free. 140 calories.
A delicious and crushable West Coast IPA. Slightly hazy and beautifully aromatic, with flavours of juicy tropical fruits. Perfect beer for a hop-head!
This dark and tart Gose uses our award winning Prophets & Nomads brew as the base, the pour is a cloudy shade of midnight. This beer is refreshing, with berries that add a surprising punch of sour on your first sip, with low hop bitterness. Coriander and Himalayan salt adds spice and just a touch of sharpness to the beer to finish.
Organic Ontario elderberries blended with Egyptian hibiscus – it doesn’t get more refreshing than this! This tea is one of the top sellers in the summer. It has a delicate sweetness and a beautiful tartness that make it comforting in the colder months and a phenomenal refreshment in the warmer months.
An elegant, malty German lager with a clean, rich, and toasty malt flavour, restrained bitterness and a dry finish that encourages another drink. Perfect for those fall sunsets, crisp trail hikes and bonfires with your best crew. Pröst!
The calming properties of these oils induce and encourages peaceful sleep. Lavender helps to reduce anxiety and calms the body. Ylang Ylang relaxes the muscles and quiets the mind. Sweet Orange eases stress and fosters and promotes restful sleep.
Enjoy your new coaster designed and handmade by Naturally Sassy. Each coaster is poured and hand stamped making each one unique like you! The coaster is water sealed, so you can use it to protect your surfaces or as a trinket tray.
Holiday mornings call for pancakes! Brodflour’s stone milled red fife flour with a hint of cinnamon and guaranteed fluffiness. Phancy’s special pancake mix is available at Phancy Bodega with all the fixins’.
Indulge in our latest vegan bark studded with banana, mango, coconut, and pistachios. Made using sustainably sourced cocoa from Ivory Coast, Ghana, and Ecuador.
Our latest release is an easy drinking golden ale with savoury and spice notes to basically create a liquid Ginger Snap cookie! Perfectly balanced for Autumn. Enjoy for a limited time. Find at your local LCBO.
Say HELLO to our NEW beer fest!
Taking place at our magical HQ – the Society Clubhouse at 967 College St in downtown Toronto!
This is a BEER BATTLE! Hamilton VS Ottawa. Beers and breweries from each city – taste ’em all and vote for your fave!
TWO sessions – the afternoon session will be open to EVERYONE while the evening session will stay open to our women-identified friends.
Your ticket gets you your first beer and 10oz glass for the event which you can return to us when you leave OR buy it for $5.
We’re stoked to have Racquel of El Cevichonn Catering for the first time serving up kick ass SEAFOOD 🦞 (veggie and vegan options too!)
A portion of event profits support the Canadian Women’s Foundation!
We’ve been brewing collaboration beers for years and are thrilled to begin this next chapter of partnering with the good dudes at Niagara Cider Co to launch a series of seasonal ciders! Our ciders bring in elements of the beer world and are meant to be enjoyed by both cider and beer drinkers alike. Our first release is a dry-hopped tropical cider where we’ve added Citra and Galaxy hops to create bright pine hop aromatics and loads of tropical fruits for a tangy sweet mouthfeel. A zippy and dry backbone with sweet tropical fruit notes. Highly satisfying…highly crushable. Find it at the LCBO
We were thrilled to reconvene our Inclusivity Committee at the end of March to continue our work to prioritize inclusivity and equity in all aspects of SOBDL. The biggest shift since we last met: we have an official home for the Society Clubhouse! We updated the committee on new inclusivity and accessibility initiatives at the space, many of which grew from previous meetings and conversations. We had an engaging discussion about other areas to focus on and went over our new Code of Conduct. Huge thanks to our committee for their valuable time and input! We appreciate your support as we continue on this journey.
Read on for the minutes from our meeting, and the next steps we’re engaging in going forward.
Join us at the Society Clubhouse at 967 College Street with women co-owned Ontario craft brewery MUDDY YORK from East York..
Your ticket gets you your first beer, a Morning After bag on your way out, a chance to win dope prizes and of course, all those good good bevy vibes.
Our events are open to women and our gender-diverse friends:) This space is fully wheelchair accessible and TTC accessible. As always, we donate a portion of event profits to the Canadian Women’s Foundation cider and non-alcoholic options available.
We will be checking vaccine passports and ID at the door. Please have your proof of vaccination ready at the door.
Accessibility needs? Email erica@ladiesdrinkbeer.com and let us know.
Cheers and see you at the Society Clubhouse!
Erica Campbell felt a bit isolated back in 2013, while working her first full-time job in the beer industry. “I was working with all men, which isn’t uncommon in the brewing industry,” she says. So, she approached four beer-loving women she knew in Jaime Dobbs, Renee Navarro, Jen Reinhardt, and Magenta Suzanne and pitched them the idea of hosting a sort of small, intimate event for women to network and meet new people over great beer.
Appearance: Deep pink, cloudy with a pink tinged head. Aroma: Bright raspberry, citrus, herbal, peppery yeast, white grapes, apples. Taste: Tart raspberry, crackery malt, apples, citrus, herbal hops, mixed berries. Mouthfeel: Light bodied with a lively carbonation and tart finish. Overall: A big, tart glass of raspberry with notes of citrus and herbs
Join us at the Society Clubhouse at 967 College Street with women co-owned Ontario craft brewery SECOND WEDGE from Uxbridge, Ontario.
Your ticket gets you your first beer, a Morning After bag on your way out, a chance to win dope prizes and of course, all those good good bevy vibes.
Our events are open to women and our gender-diverse friends:) This space is fully wheelchair accessible and TTC accessible. As always, we donate a portion of event profits to the Canadian Women’s Foundation cider and non-alcoholic options available.
We will be checking vaccine passprts and ID at the door. Please have your proof of vaccination ready at the door.
Accessibility needs? Email erica@ladiesdrinkbeer.com and let us know.
Cheers and see you at the Society Clubhouse!
Thank you SO SO much for joining us tonight for BEVY 0050 at our new Clubhouse space. Here are some things about the night!
DRINK: We have a full tap takeover from Second Wedge Brewery, a women-owned brewery in the adorbs town of Uxbridge, Ontario. Owner Joanne and her crew are here hanging out for the night so make sure to meet them and ask them all of your burning questions!
On a beer break? You’ll find cider from Niagara Cider Co. and non-alcoholic drinks at the bar as well.
EAT: Get your snack on with Courage Cookies, we’ve got a FIVE insanely yummy flavours, Pretzel Twists from Spent Goods and savoury buns from Phancy’s Bodega.
BEER TICKETS: Additional beer tickets are available for purchase in the front room. $3.00/5oz. All tips go directly to the Canadian Women’s Foundation, so toss in your change (or your bills!) and support this great organization!
SHOP: Find the SOBDL Swag Shop in the front room and head to the Community Room in the back to check out tonight’s Maker’s Market. Have a shop, treat yourself and support these women-owned businesses: Gracie Klutz, Naturally Sassy Soy Candles & Products, Jadionn Organic Skincare and Sage & Thistle Handmade Goods.
PRIZES: We’ll be raffling off a bunch of prizes, so stick around to win and hold on to your raffle ticket!
ATM: We have one on site now for all your cash grabbing needs. YAY!
TWELVE: We’re accepting donations at the door of menstrual products OR cash for their great work.
GLASSWARE: Use your glass for the night and then hand it back to us on your way out or purchase it for $5! In exchange, you’ll get one of our sweet sweet Morning After Bags!
We’re now back to doing chill bevies the last Friday of every month. Join us Friday April 29th!
The Second Wedge Brewing Co.
Niagara Cider Co.
Non-Alcoholic
$5
$3
$5
Welcome to the Society Clubhouse Sneak Peek and our 8th birthday celebration! We’re so thrilled to welcome you as our first guests to our new brick and mortar space in the heart of Toronto!
Grab a beer (or three!) and enjoy a tour of the space from co-founders Jaime and Erica. All the beer on tonight’s menu is either women-owned or women-brewed! Additional beer tickets are available for purchase at the SOBDL Swag Shop. All tips go directly to the Canadian Women’s Foundation, so toss in your change (or your bills!) and support this great organization!
Be sure to visit Jane at Chau to sample her menu of tasty snacks. And don’t forget dessert! Jacquie from Baker’s Bar is here with a selection of her sweet cupcakes, and more! Both are available to go, so support these women-owned businesses and take the party home with you!
DJ Jane Blaze is “virtually” spinning ALL of your fave tracks in the back Community Room and we’ve got the SOBDL swag shop open for business as well as a line up of artisans at the Maker’s Market.
We’ll be raffling off a prize before the end of each session, so stick around to win!
Don’t forget to snag a Morning After bag on your way out. Keep the party going at home and we’ll see you soon!
· Bystander training that Drea is holding – can we share resources with the committee? Invite the committee to be part of the training?
· Is there a way to share our learning resources in Instagram or Podcast or Newsletter? Blog post that lives on the website/is updated? Send the “homework” to our community? Give others a chance to participate in the learning and education piece as well.
· Should we look into having a “safe team” for events – identify them in a certain way, that they’ve completed the training and have agreed to take on this role. Team of people that are open to taking on that responsibility. Need to make sure the role is clear, and then if folks need help they know who to approach?
· Brought up personal safety when discussing training – need to make sure it includes conversations on when not to intervene. When not to put yourself into a situation that is not safe for you. Drea confirmed that will be an important aspect of our training. Dandelion initiative comes from a place that safety looks different for everyone and works with that information and prioritizes folks safety.
· Feel that in person might be more effective for the training. Ability to do an environmental scan. Hopefully at the new space. More info to come!
· Erica mentioned the difficulty of finding female brokers in commercial real estate in the city of Toronto. A couple people are going to reach out to folks they know.
· Discussed the Living Wage certification: a few breweries have been certified, interested in learning more. Ro knows someone who is certified and can reach out to get more info on the process.
· Discussed looking into is who we are renting to – ensure that people we are working with share our values. Similarly supplies – look into who we are working with to stock us. I.e. ULINE has some questionable donation history, look into Canadian made companies where we can.
· Should we look into a co-op program? Potential to subsidize people who can’t afford the space, could pitch in or do an in kind program that can help support other folks events.
· For the shop part of the space: a monthly spotlight on a BIPOC business, or queer business to stock their products.
· When talking to landlords – make sure to ask how much will we be able to modify the space. Some places won’t let you make changes that are adding accessibility. Make sure it’s in the offer where you want them to make these improvements.
· StopGap program – is it free? Think it’s a mix of both. They’re not actually that great, they’re a good step but if we can just have it built in it makes a lot more sense. You can access grants from federal and provincial government to help pay for accessibility improvements. If the changes are to an owned building then the landlords often have to apply for those grants.
· When looking at accessibility – try to avoid things that people have to ask for re: accessibility. Just have them there and not have folks have to request them.
· Craigs Cookies – at the front door there’s a piece of art that’s the land acknowledgement. Patrick Hunter is the artist that did it. Could we have someone create a work of art that is the land acknowledgement similarly? Have to be careful and ensure the artist we are approaching is alcohol friendly. Chief Lady Bird, Star Horn were mentioned.
· Discussed looking into some Indigenous stories and original names of places from that area to incorporate into the space as artwork and some education. Incorporating certain ways of being that feel inclusive like round tables instead of square.
· Want to offer a different rate or sliding scale to new Canadians for rentals. For newcomers specifically, suggested going into the community centers/ immigration centers and encourage folks to come into the space rather than waiting for them to come to you. Would have to make a concerted effort to welcome folks in. Can we give them a night where it’s just for them and their community? Can be direct and think about that as an offering. Maybe do some community outreach together with folks from the committee alongside to these specific places once we’re open.
· Discussed that a lot of businesses will have a pride flag and then the people that work there are gendering folks and the behaviour of the staff doesn’t match putting out the flag. So we need to ensure that what we’re presenting to the outside is what we are doing inside and our staff is all trained. Feel Left Field is a good model – they practice what they preach. Make sure the implicit bias training is mandatory for all new staff.
· Dawn has offered to help with HR policies and manuals and training for the space.
· Esther recommended a book called Invisible Women – it’s about women and women identified folks in the workplaces and identifies blind spots
· Artisan women maker’s market at the front and a monthly spotlight
Sanitizing stations
Planning to have sanitizer at the swag shop, at the 2 bars, at the food station. Make sure they’re in the washrooms too. Look into it at the site visit. Have it at the welcome. Discussed having individual hand sanitizers for everyone that they can take home – put the sticker on? Or print a specific label. Everyone gets a glass, then hand them the sanitizer. If not for 45 can plan going forward.
Menus
Not doing paper menus, going to do a couple big ones on the wall in addition to QR codes available for the details. Have a laminated one at each bar?
Beer Serving
Don’t want bartenders to have to touch everyone’s glass. Can we just pour the beer from the can into the glass. Have a fun sign saying ‘place beer here,’ they put the glass own and we pour in. Also have disposable cups available just in case someone needs one.
At the door
Have a waiver to ensure people are signing off on their vaccine status without needing proof. Set up a google doc that people have to fill out before they get access including this sign off.
Bathrooms
Have period stuff available in the washrooms for folks who menstruate. Future Events:
Sensory Packages
Some concerts are offering sensory packages – including ear plugs, sunglasses, fidget spinners etc. to help folks who struggle existing in loud spaces. Put in the bevy deets that these things are available. Even having a quiet space where folks can go sit for a moment and then go back when they’re ready. Could also sell them at the shop and have proceeds go towards tickets for an underrepresented person? How to communicate that we have this stuff available and make sure that folks know its available? Add it as an add on in Eventbrite – have it as part of the welcome? Could we add ideas like this to the resource library and help build awareness of practices like this.
Nametags
Maybe have a table where people can make nametags if they want and include their pronouns. Be mindful of the security thing, may not want folks leaving with their nametag on. Cover the safety side of things – have someone remind folks to take their nametags off? Have all of the staff and vendors wear nametags/with pronouns? Want to normalize it so it’s not just folks who want to indicate their pronouns but everyone. Can also help also designate who is volunbeer and who is staff.
Accessibility
Going forward need to be more specific and mindful of spaces being accessible. Lots of folks have issues with stairs, not just an issue for those in a wheelchair – invisible disabilities. Sometimes saying no to a venue is a way of pushing change. Will be easier once we have our own space to host events.
Tickets for larger events
Should we implement a sliding scale? Pay extra to buy someone else’s ticket? Is it levels on Eventbrite? You can pay a bit extra to pay for a BIPOC or Queer person’s entry. Then have folks reach out or email to access those tickets. Set aside a few tickets ourselves and then the ‘fund’ pays for the rest. Could do it as a fundraiser at the event for the next event – add it as a donation to the next event’s ticket fund. Revisit that in place of the $1 for CWF add on at the Swag Shop. Find that it’s not so common for people to abuse it. Set aside say five tickets from us to give away and then can offer more if those funds are available.
Morning After Bags
Looking into having something in the morning after bag about the traditional territory the land took place on? Something to take home that has that education piece.
Next Meeting
Discussed booking our next meeting when we have the space. So we can put it all into reality.
Training manuals
Sarah said she could help with this.
AUGUST-OCTOBER
Join us at our new space “Society Clubhouse” at 967 College St in Toronto. We’ll have beer from a variety of craft breweries available for sampling. Admission includes a 10oz branded glass, four 5oz beer samples and snacks
*Early Bird sale on until February 10th at midnight. Save $5!*
Due to the pandemic, tickets will be timed and admission will be for one hour. Come tour the space, shop, chat to founders Jaime and Erica, have a snack and a couple drinks, and celebrate the opening of our very first brick and mortar space!
A mini Artisan women’s market and our SOBDL swag shop all your shopping needs.
Non-alcoholic tickets and drinks available.
As always, we donate a portion of event profits to The Canadian Women’s Foundation.
Podcasts were always this mysterious world to me. For years, I wrote things down in agendas and notebooks like “DOWNLOAD PODCASTS” or “GET INTO PODCASTS.” I’ve scoured “BEST PODCAST LISTS” in magazines and jotted down ones that sounded incredible. When friends and colleagues have raved about their fave pods, I noted those too. But I just never took the plunge.
I guess I could blame general busyness? A lack of media consumption in general as a full-time job mixed with owning an organization really leaves me with little down time to kick back? Probably both those factors mixed in with being a semi-luddite when it comes to learning and caring about technology AND my podcasting just wasn’t happening.
That was UNTIL maternity leave + pandemic! Yes, after birthing a tiny human you go from GO GO GO to slowing it WAY down and hanging out and caring round the clock for said tiny human. It was/is a very different pace for me and really forced me to adopt a whole new mindset. Pretty much every afternoon for the entire year that I was on mat leave, I would get us outside for some fresh air and to run errands or walk around our neighborhood. It started with 1km, then 2km and pretty soon I was doing upwards of 4-5km a day. Not only was it great exercise, but it allowed me to pop in my earbuds (errr, actually earBUD. Always keep one ear open to hear the babe and the general noise situation. Mom hack, ya know!?) and FINALLY begin to delve into the wonderful world of podcasts.
Now the babe is 18 months old but my love for podcasts has not waned. While the walks have ceased a bit as I’m back to work and she’s at preschool, I now throw on podcasts in the car to get my weekly fix. There’s always at least a dozen more I would love to listen to on a weekly basis…I’ve joked with people that my dream job would be to be a professional podcast listener. I’m seriously not joking. Well that and a professional student…just getting arts degrees in all the subjects – ah, like linguistics! And Anthropology! What can I say, I like learning stuff.
Not only did I get mega into LISTENING to podcasts, but I went so far as to start my OWN podcast. With the help of Lead Podcasting and now our dear friend/tech whiz Anthony Addario, Jaime and I record a 45 minute (ish) episode of our ETERNAL HOPTIMIST podcast every 2nd Tuesday at 8pm and then release it out into the world 10 days later. These little audio nuggets contain industry chatter, SOBDL updates, digging into our archives and reminiscing about the last wild 8 years building this organization and then rocking a Q&A with some incredible women in our world. From brewers to artisan candle makers to the VP of Philanthropy at the charity we support, it’s been so lovely to connect and converse.
And now, in no particular order, here are some of the things I’m loving so far from hosting our own podcast:
-If you didn’t work at ______ what would you be doing?
-What’s the one brewery you’d LOVE to check out next?
-What’s the 1 beer you would want to drink if stranded on a desert island?
We ask for short and sweet responses and I LOVE the responses we get. From Karyn who responded to Question 1 without skipping a beat “I would either open a sex shop or be a kindergarten teacher” to the folks who HAVE to choose more than 1 beer for their desert island…based on length of time on the island, whether or not there’s food on the island, what the weather is like. The sheet contemplation and analysis some people put in this question is hilarious and heartwarming.
That’s it for now. Make sure to give our trusty podcast a listen on Apple Podcasts, Spotify or wherever you get your podcasts. And like/subscribe too and if you could also take 2 minutes to leave us a (glowing not scathing) review, I would truly love you forever.
We’ll have over 12 Woodhouse brews on tap (tons not in LCBO, only available at the pub!), and an amazing snack menu straight from the Woodhouse kitchen!
Also, find a mini Artisan women’s market and our SOBDL swag shop for your last minute holiday shopping needs.
Don your TACKY/FABULOUS HOLIDAY GARB too to win prizes!
Non-alcoholic tickets and drinks are available.
As always, we donate a portion of event profits to The Canadian Women’s Foundation.
The countdown is ON to the holidays, and if you’re anything like us you have a bunch of beer lovers on your list! We’re always on the hunt for the most unique beer gifts for friends and family. But what do beer lovers really want?
Sure, you can grab them a case of their favourite beer, or that coveted new release, but if you want to gift something really unique, we’ve got a few ideas. Think beyond glassware and bottle openers with this top ten roundup of our favourite out of the box gifts for beer lovers this holiday season!
And why not snag something for yourself while you’re at it?
Call us biased but we are lowkey obsessed with our Hazy Days sweatpants! They are comfy cozy while still looking stylish with a thick high waistband and tapered leg. Oh, and POCKETS! Your recipient can show off their status as a Beer Drinking Lady in a subtle way with a cute little logo on the thigh.
High Gravity Supply Co. is known for small batch craft beer focused streetwear, and have tons of cool designs featuring mash paddles, regulators & more brewing geekery. We love all the fun details in the card on the back of this tee, and that it doesn’t immediately scream ‘beer merch!’ Yet it’s perfect for sparking conversations with your fellow beer nerds – if ya know, ya know!
We are not above the emotional pull of nostalgia, which is why we are such fans of Town Brewing’s new retro inspired merch! Town (based in Whitby ON) have really nailed it with these adorable tees bringing to mind old school cartoon characters with a beer-y twist. If you’re scooping up this tee, why not add on some of their awesome brews? Outside Jokes is a personal fave.
We fell in love with Meaty and Mae (named for artist Meagan & her adorable cat Meatball) and her artwork over Instagram. The colour palate & cozy vibes bring to mind that fashionable friend of yours who has an apartment full of plants and always has an excellent brew to share. We included this sweet print in one of our Mystery Boxes, and this and all of her designs make a great gift for someone whose New Year goal is to re-decorate their place in style.
Collective Arts has always been known for featuring tons of amazing work from independent artists on their cans, but did you know you can also purchase prints of those pieces? Choose from a high quality print, or upgrade to canvas for something a little fancier. With over 100 pieces in many different styles, there truly is something for everyone. Plus how fun would it be to gift the artwork alongside the beer it appears on?
Colourful polymer clay earrings are all the rage right now and these cute studs combine that trend with your love of beer. The Hoppiest Shop is a one woman operation by Sabrina whose cheeky designs are made for women & femme folks who love beer. She handmakes these hop inspired earrings so each pair is unique! But don’t stop there, the shop has tons of other adorable designs on apparel, accessories and more. We mayyyyy have ordered the Bad Bitch Beer Club keychains for our whole crew.
Designer and Metalsmith Hilary (@prettypennie on Instagram) creates beautiful, wearable artwork, crafting each piece by hand at her bench. One of her first projects was the Pretty Hoppy line, featuring jewelry inspired by hops, growlers and beer bottles. There are tons of fans of these pieces throughout the industry, and you may have seen her at our events. She is retiring these designs, so this is your last chance to snag one of her beautiful pieces. Plus they’re on for 10% off, and 5% of your purchase will support Sea Shepherd Global, fighting to conserve our oceans. But once they’re gone, they’re gone, so don’t wait!
If there’s someone on your list who is ALL about self care, you need to introduce them to Sage & Thistle Handmade Goods! Mikael has popped up with her artisanal soaps and natural body & home goods at a number of our events and made fans of all of us. She’s crafted (get it?) some awesome soaps with our collab brews – they happen to make great stocking stuffers!
Jacquie of The Bakers Bar is another mainstay at our events. If you haven’t tried her incredible cupcakes made with local craft beer you are missing out! The only thing we love more than beer are sweets, so order some treats based around your favourite beer style. Or if you prefer to do your own baking, you can grab her cupcake mix in our swag shop. Just BYOB!
For something more savory, grab Malty & Hoppy Delicacy’s beer jellies, made from local craft beers with a French twist. Made with quality ingredients with rich flavours that also happen to be low in sugar. They go great on sandwiches or with a festive charcuterie platter.
If all these options are making your head spin, pop over to the Value Pack section of our swag shop! We’ve pulled together our favourite swag pieces to make gift giving a breeze. Plus, you get a sweet deal when you buy everything together – win-win!
Join us for Ottawa Bevy0005! We can’t wait to road trip out there and hang out with YOU! We’ll have a kick-ass women food business and a mini Women’s Artisan market popped up along with our SOBDL swag shop for all your holiday shopping needs. Join us at Orange Art Gallery.
We’re rocking a FULL Muskoka Brewery Takeover- complete with heaters and blankets and Muskoka chairs and a TON of their drinks…so we can all stay warm, cozy and live our best beer-drinking lives in the heart of the city:)
We’ll have tasty food (vegan options available), a mini Women Artisan Market area, our SOBDL swag shop, great tunes, killer entertainment….and TONS of beer and spirit drinks from Muskoka cider to enjoy. Non-alcoholic drinks will also be available.
Join us indoor and out on the patio at Black Lab Brewing from 6-11pm. We’ll have a gorgeous line up of Black Lab beers available and come hungry because Sausage Party is popping up with a great menu. We’re putting together a fun and spooky playlist, we’ll be popping up our swag shop, a mini Women Artisan Market will be on site and we’ve got some fun entertainment and activities planned throughout the night including drag performances, a magician, and a tarot card reader.
So, come solo or grab your beer drinking buds and join in! Very limted tickets available, so act quick!
Costumes encouraged and there will be prizes!
There’s a chill in the air which means it’s almost time to release our latest LCBO Beer! Brew 0006 is a Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Porter and we are stoked to share it with you. It’s hitting shelves by the end of October so keep an eye out. A new beer means a funky new label and we were thrilled to work with Dani Ellis on this one. Dani is a frontline worker at Ross Memorial Hospital and lives in Port Perry Ontario who is reclaiming her love of art this year. We loved the cheerful artwork that Dani put together for the label, and thought we’d find out a bit more about her and her art. Read on for our Q&A with Dani, and follow her on Instagram at @d.ellis.art
I have been drawing and painting since I was a little kid. For as long as I can remember, I was able to draw well before I could even legibly or correctly write my own name. I liked to draw NHL hockey logos, hockey players and I honed my skills by drawing real-life objects while I was at home or visiting with my Nana & Papa. I tried to replicate those objects as accurately as I could and with as much detail as possible. This led to my love for art where I would continue my studies in Visual Arts at York University from 2006 – 2010.
I don’t have a particular style as I like to dabble in many different styles of art. In my final year at school I was focusing on Surrealism. I do prefer using graphite as my medium of choice when it comes to working on paper. If I were creating digital art like the cookies I created for Brew 0006 then I would typically use vector brushes on my iPad in Adobe Fresco or Illustrator.
While I was in school, I worked with many different styles and mediums within the drawing, painting, sculpture and digital photography streams. York University’s Visual Art & Art History program is very interdisciplinary which creates well-rounded artists. It is important as an artist not to limit yourself and to be as open-minded as possible. Sometimes we may have to depart from what feels comfortable to us to fulfill the needs of a project. Sometimes we have to get comfortable with the uncomfortable in order to grow. As the saying goes, “a jack of all trades is a master of none, but oftentimes better than a master of one.” I would say I definitely live my life in this manner and in multiple
facets.
The inspiration behind this design comes from the idea of paying respect to the process and honouring the evolution of a product. It is important to understand that you can’t get from step A to step Z without going through all the other steps that are in between. Brewing beer and baking is a science. If you miss a step or are careless then you will inevitably fall short on quality and the anticipated outcome will be lost.
The evolution of the cookie changes throughout the design giving a little bit more life and diversity to the artwork. I wanted to capture visual imagery that reflects the making of the dough, to the formation of the final product, to the consumption and lastly, the crumbs when nothing is left. I also didn’t want to stray too far away from previous designs that were accepted by SOBDL. I think keeping consistency in branding is key, but at the same time, I tried to emulate that similarity with my own little twist.
Yes, it absolutely is my first label! I couldn’t be more grateful and humbled to have had this opportunity. I think the best part of seeing my artwork on a beer can is that it can reach a pretty far and wide audience. It isn’t limited to just hanging on a wall somewhere in a gallery for only a select few to see. Everyone who enjoys beer, anyone who shops at an LCBO will have a chance to buy Brew 0006. I couldn’t be happier. It was such a fun experience.
Oh man! This is difficult as I love so many styles of beer. I would say my main go to beer I usually stick to is a lager. I am a huge fan of the Red Vienna Lager at Old Flame Brewery in Port Perry, ON. Another brew of theirs that is my all-time favourite, best enjoyed in the fall and near a fire of course, is the Raven Black Lager. I would say it looks similar and tastes just like a stout, but it doesn’t sit heavy like a stout. If you can’t make it to Port Perry, ON or you can’t find it in your local LCBO, then I highly suggest trying Hop City Brewing Co. 8th Sin Black Lager. If you can get your hands on either brew, you’re winning.
I have no idea! During the pandemic it has been extremely uncertain for so many of us. I am literally a leaf blowing in the wind. I am more open to change right now than I ever have been in my entire life. I am honestly trying to become the best version of myself every day. Embracing the unknown has been a huge game changer for me. I am not so worried about not having all the answers anymore. A goal for 2022 is sharing amore true, authentic me with the world. My hope when it comes down to art is that this could be a step in the right direction. If I get to create more beer can artwork, I am all for it.
You can find me on Instagram @d.ellis.art, it’s where you’ll find some of my latest work. Feel free to message me if you have any inquiries. Thank you SOBDL for all your support. It is greatly appreciated!
A lovely malt-forward brew, with enjoyable caramel notes, a touch of citrus from the late hop additions and a really enjoyable Rooibos tea character which gives off earthy yet sweet aromas and flavours of berry, lavender and rose hips.
After a few months away, we recently reconvened our fantastic Inclusivity Committee to share some updates on our progress, and brainstorm ideas for our soon to come brick and mortar headquarters, and our return to in person events. Thanks so much to all of our committee members who participated, we value your support and input greatly. We are excited about so many of the ideas raised and will look at implementing the various suggestions as we continue on our journey to be the most inclusive organization we can be.
Read on for the minutes from our meeting, including some excellent resources the committee shared.
We’re on the hunt for a brick and mortar location to establish a Society HQ and event space! (If you want to support our endeavors you can support our crowdfunding campaign here!) We asked our committee for input as we continue to look for a space, and for ideas that we should be considering once we’re up and running.
Packed with cocoa nibs, vanilla and graham cracker extract, this is truly a liquid cookie in beer form. Notes of chocolate, sweet vanilla and molasses make way for a lingering, roasted coffee finish. Perfect for dessert on a chilly, Fall or Winter evening. Find it at you nearest LCBO.
Yippee! We’re FINALLY ready to host you. This will be our first Toronto bevy back since Feb 2020 and we’re pumped! Join us on the COVERED OUTDOOR PATIO at Rorschach Brewing from 7-10pm. We’ll have over a DOZEN Rorschach beers available and come hungry because Rorschach has a great snack menu. We’re dusting off our kick ass Bevy Playlist, our swag shop will be popped up, a mini Women Artisan Market will be on site and we’ve got some fun entertainment and activities planned throughout the night.
So, come solo or grab your beer drinking buds and join in! Only 50 tickets available, so act quick! This event is 19+ and open to non-binary and those identifying as a woman.
Over the last seven years, SO many amazing women have come into our orbit through events, working with breweries, partnering with artisans, entrepreneurs and more. Erica and Jaime have always wanted to get to know them a little better and hear their stories, but small biz life doesn’t often leave time for leisurely chats. We also wanted to find a new way to connect with our beer loving community, as we aren’t able to get back to large scale events quiiiite yet.
So, we launched the Eternal Hoptimist Podcast!
Every episode is hosted by SOBDL co-founders Erica and Jaime and includes fun chats about craft beer, insight into what we’re cooking up behind the scenes at the Society, and an interview with an awesome woman in our world. Each episode is only around 30mins, making it the perfect listen on your commute, while you squeeze in a workout, or on a walk around the neighbourhood. New episodes drop every second Friday.
Need a little more convincing before tuning in? Here are a few can’t miss moments from the first two episodes.
Jaime & Erica open the first episode with a bit of a recap on the history of SOBDL which is worth a listen if you’re new to the crew. But even if you’ve been around since day one, there are some fun behind the scenes tidbits. Jaime shares a hilarious scenario from the planning of Bevy 0001 where they considered asking her neighbour to open up her space to let attendees use her washroom and hosting the whole thing between the two apartments! Can you imagine?
One of the most interesting things about the craft beer industry is that people come to the job from literally everywhere! On the first episode with Avery Jennekens-Meron of Royal City Brewery, the ladies all reveal their ‘past lives’ before getting into beer. Erica got her start as an educator, Jaime went to school for photography and Avery has a degree in Philosophy, aka bullshitting (her words, not ours!) Avery also talks about pursuing a career in firefighting which she plans to balance with her work in beer. Coolest first guest ever!
Who decides which beers end up on LCBO shelves? Do the folks at LCBO HQ actually sample the product? What does NISS mean and why does it involve so much paperwork??? The second episode with Karen Carter answers these Qs and offers some fascinating industry insight from her perspective as a Category Administrator for Beer and Cider at the LCBO. The trio talk about the process of working with the LCBO and Karen offers some advice to breweries looking to get their beer on shelves.
Whether it’s bonding with Karen over their mutual love of Beau’s Lug Tread, reminiscing with Avery over Royal City’s original branding or Jaime revealing her obsession with West Avenue Cider’s Cherriostiy, so many of the province’s top craft breweries get a shoutout. Erica and Jaime sample a beer (or two!) every episode, so listen for recommendations of new brews to try, or be reminded of an old favourite.
If nothing else, the pod is worth a listen for the comedy gold of Erica’s mental block around the expression ‘keep your eyes peeled.’ Check out not one but both episodes for her creative interpretations of the phrase. It’s all in reference to some exciting news coming down the pipeline – podcast listeners get an exclusive sneak peek at what’s coming up in the SOBDL world, including our first event since Jan 2020. So don’t miss an episode if you want to stay in the loop!
Thanks to everyone who’s listened so far, we love you! Are you loving the podcast? Leave us a review to help more folks find us. And don’t forget to subscribe so you don’t miss an episode.
Find the Eternal Hoptimist Podcast on Apple Podcasts, Spotify and Amazon Music.
By Erica Campbell
Hope you’re as excited as I am for another exciting rendition of WOMEN BREWER SPOTLIGHT! In today’s riveting piece, I check in with Catherine St.John (She/Her) – brewer extraordinaire at Common Good Brewery in Scarborough.
The first time I met Catherine (I think) was at Black Oak about 3 years ago, where she was brewing full-time and we did a collaboration beer there with SOBDL (fun fact: Black Oak was where I first worked full-time in the Ontario craft beer industry).
Since then, she moved East to Common Good where she’s taken on the challenge of brewing not only Common Good brands but a plethora of different brands for contract beer companies across the province.
I respect Catherine’s work ethic, calm energy and her dedication to brewing – a (heavily male-dominated) profession that can be incredibly tiring and stressful. I admittedly didn’t know Catherine very well, so it’s been great to chat with her and get to know her a bit better.
Hope you enjoy the interview! If you have any questions for her, you can connect with her on Instagram @beercatshockey.
After I completed my MA in English Lit and realized I did not want to put myself through another 4-10 years of graduate school in order to have an extremely slim chance at employment I’d enjoy, so I took some time to evaluate what I actually wanted to do. A chance visit to the Niagara College Teaching Brewery, with their boasts of 98% of graduates being employed in the field, raised the possibility of a career in beer. I was looking for a job that would be creative, physical, not customer service related, and based in Toronto (a city I love living in), and figured I could pivot my experience homebrewing and passion for craft beer into something at least borderline financially viable with good job security. Seems to have mostly worked out so far.
I’m the Senior Brewer at the Common Good Brewing Co., so I spend 3-5 days a week running the brewhouse. This keeps me busy for 7-8 hours and results in around 33-35hL of wort. On days when we’re not brewing, I’ll do some cellaring tasks (tank CIP, yeast and fermentation management, scrubbing the floors, etc), do some research, and chat with our head brewer Mike about upcoming projects.
I was prepared for the physical labour, and the amount of cleaning, and the basic but essential STEM skills required, but I was perhaps naively caught off guard by how frequently I would have to justify my existence as a brewer. I’ve faced scrutiny, questions, a lack of advancement opportunities, and outright incredulity from clients, suppliers, customers, and employers (potential or otherwise) which my male coworkers have not been subjected to. Before entering this industry, I did not realize how frequently I would have to assert my qualifications and right to be here.
I was also wholly unprepared for the fact that my entire body is constantly somewhere on the scale from “damp” to “fully soaked and dripping.” Between sweat, constant humidity, steam, errant bursts from the hoses, rinsing off random caustic splatters and other spills, random drips and leaks, and washing off malt dust or other debris, staying dry is surprisingly impossible. At no point during multiple years of homebrewing or 4 semesters of beer school did anyone warn me that working while constantly wet is apparently a requirement.
As part of my workday, I would love to have the time to develop a robust and ongoing program for further engaging in and supporting social and political causes as a Scarborough institution. The Common Good is one of the only breweries located in this richly diverse part of the GTA, and so we are uniquely positioned to directly make an impact on issues that are important to the members of our community. We’ve done some good work in the past, but I would love to have an official policy in place. If I had more time at the brewery, I would encourage and map out our increased involvement as a supporter of social justice movements and causes.
If I had more time in my personal life, I’d definitely resume (and maybe even complete!) the D&D campaign I participate in that got COVID-postponed. Reconnecting with friends I haven’t seen in far too long would be a priority as well. I’d also love to travel more, and see what breweries outside of Ontario have been up to. Otherwise, I would 100% just spend more time chilling in my backyard with my cats.
As a recovering academic, I absolutely adore that I get to create a tangible product that is accessible and enjoyable by so many people. I also really enjoy that brewing keeps me active, and that there’s enough day to day variety in tasks and processes to prevent monotony, but also that my work stays at work and my time at home is my own. Further, in my current position at Common Good, my coworkers are absolute delights. We also do some contract brewing, which is always interesting and allows me to experience and learn from recipes developed by other brewers.
For me, the worst part of being a brewer is seeing and experiencing exhausting amounts of sexism and other forms of discrimination within our industry, and being faced with ignorance, indifference, or denial from many individuals and institutions who have the power and privilege to help us try to rectify these problems.
On a professional level, I’m excited to continue working with the team here at Common Good to expand our offerings and keep improving existing products. I’m always looking to increase the scope of my skill set, and we’ve got a lot of things in the works that’ll help me further develop and diversify my beverage production abilities. As I mentioned above, I’d also love to increase our engagement with local BIPOC, LBGTQ2S+, and feminist organizations.
Personally, I am so so excited to finally be able to properly explore all the great bars and restaurants in my neighbourhood – my partner and I moved into our current place in March 2020 and haven’t had a chance to become regulars at any of our locals. I’m also already making plans for next summer’s vegetable garden (an ongoing project) and how to improve it over this year’s.
For people who are looking to open their own brewery and act as the head brewer, I would strongly recommend working at at least one existing brewery prior. Homebrewing experience is great and valuable, but a lot of it doesn’t scale up and there are many aspects of running a commercial brewery that it doesn’t cover. You’ll save yourself and your staff a tonne of headaches if you get in some reps with a full scale production brewery before trying it yourself.
For those looking to become brewers, I’d mention that starting in an introductory position (such as packaging, FOH, or sales) can be a viable way of starting a career, provided you’re willing to self-advocate. Many breweries are happy to train and promote staff who express an interesting in advancing. On the other hand, I can say from personal experience that it can be quite beneficial to switch companies if it becomes clear there is no room for you to advance or learn further, and that there is a great deal of knowledge to be gained by working for several different breweries and seeing a variety of systems and processes. And as far as a brewing education goes, it’s a good way to network but certainly not essential to becoming a great brewer.
In general, like any industry, try to work for companies that value you and treat you with respect, don’t be afraid to speak up for yourselves or others, and hold underperforming employers accountable in whatever ways you’re able.
For women, or other minorities, be prepared to have to work harder and be more knowledgeable than your cis hetero white male peers. Try to find the people and spaces that welcome you, support you, and make you feel safe. I’d also encourage women to join the Pink Boots Society, which is a valuable resource both practically and ideologically.
Something low ABV and probably dry-ish. Lighter-bodied lagers, malty or otherwise, pale ales, or session IPAs are definitely go-to styles for me.
I always have my earbuds on me, if only to act as earplugs when needed, but I do sometimes get to use them to listen to things as well. Right now I’m in a Grateful Dead phase, thanks in part to my coworker Graeme soundtracking the commute when I’m lucky enough to hitch a ride with him, and thanks in part to stumbling across The War on Drugs’ excellent cover of Touch of Grey. I’ve also been spending time with the recent releases from Flying Lotus, Vince Staples, Iceage, Burial, Tyler the Creator, Cold Cave, The Mountain Goats, and Doja Cat, among assorted others.
As far as podcasts go, as a pretty serious hockey fan I fairly frequently listen to The Athletic Hockey Show, 31 Thoughts, The Hockey PDOcast, Puck Soup, Too Many Men, and The Leaf Report. Outside of hockey, it gets a bit random. I’ve been binging You’re Wrong About, and also have time for American Hysteria, Conan O’Brien Needs a Friend, Blank Check, Welcome to Nightvale, You’re Dead to Me, and every once in a while I’ll dip into the archives of Toronto’s own Somebody Date Us.
by Erica Campbell
In my opinion, in the province there is so much emphasis on local and Ontario craft beers (which is totally not a bad thing!) BUT that means that often times, I feel us craft beer drinkers sometimes forget about all the incredible imported beers available to us! I will admit it, when I DO buy beer at LCBO’s, Beer Stores, grocery stores or private bottle shops I often skim past the Belgian beer section. Instead reaching for the latest guava-this, or pineapple-that but I really do need to remember to not fall prey to the latest kitchy fad, but to #respectyourelders, ya know?!
When it comes to imported craft beers, as much as I love crushing a couple German lagers and Czech pilsners, I have a soft spot for the complexity and flavour profiles of Belgian beers. My love for these magical brews developed when I lived in Montreal – where Belgian beers were aplenty at a plethora of craft-friendly depanneurs and many local micro breweries also took much inspiration from Belgian recipes. I drank many of Quebec’s finest Belgian-inspired beers from the likes of Dieu de Ciel, Unibroue and Trou De Diable. From dubbels to tripels to Quadrupels, my mind was blown at how rich they were, how smooth they were and how well they paired with food. Apart from imbibing on these beautifully made nectars, I also became fascinated with learning about about the rich history behind many Belgian beers and the significance Belgium has had in the international craft beer scene.
Now enter into the picture Aram Ettibaryan – owner and operator of Ontario licenced agency, PolyBEER, importing Belgian beers! He reached out looking for ways to work together with us over here at Society of Beer Drinking Ladies HQ. He has a portfolio of over a dozen Belgian beers available for private orders and licensee sales. Recently they have entered to the Beer Store with Brugse Zot Blond (https://www.thebeerstore.ca/beers/brugse-zot-blond), which is also becoming available in select Groceries (e.g. Coppas, Cousins Market, Galati, Marcheleos, StarSky, Village Grocer, Yummy Market etc.). Aram’s love for Belgian beers is truly INFECTIOUS. He is mega passionate and hella knowledgeable about all things Belgian Beers. He’s lived in the Toronto area for over a decade now but fun fact: he lived in Belgium prior to coming to Canada, where he ran BEER PLANET aka a mecca bottle shop selling the largest 1000+ selection of Belgian brews.
He popped over on a lazy Sunday afternoon with a TON of samples to which I immediately called up the SOBDL crew aka Jessica, Michelle and Jaime to help me sample through these.
We started with a refreshing, spritzy Belgian Blonde ale and continued right up to a boozy, complex Quadrupels. Let’s just say we were not sober by the end of our sample sesh and very happy with discovering all these lovely beers.
Long story short, Belgian beers are the BOMB and to further expand your beer palette, I urge you to head to https://www.polybeer.com and order through Aram’s online shop! Within a week, your order will be available at your closest LCBO store for pick-up. Or, if it’s just Brugse Zot Blond that you’re after, find it at The Beer Store at these locations. Easy peasy. Proost op onze lever!
Thanks, Friend!! Here’s what you get for helping us out:
Thanks, Friend!! Here’s what you get for helping us out:
Thanks, Friend!! Here’s what you get for helping us out:
Thanks, Friend!! Here’s what you get for helping us out:
Thanks, Friend!! Here’s what you get for helping us out:
Thanks, Friend!! Here’s what you get for helping us out:
Thanks, Friend!! Here’s what you get for helping us out! Your name will appear on our website, in our newsletter and framed at our new Headquarters.
We’re ALL about the craft beer over here at SOBDL, BUT we love love love ciders and have always poured them at our events. New for Summer 2021, we’ve partnered with Shiny out in Niagara-on-the-Lake, Ontario to create this delicious summer sipper! This refreshing cider pours a vibrant hot pink, is semi-dry and bursting with both sweet apple flavours and tart lemon-y goodness. You’re welcome!
By: Michelle Hempstock
June is Pride Month, and while we celebrate our vibrant LGBTQ+ community year round, there’s always something special about Pride celebrations in June. However you are marking this month, we hope you’re taking the time to celebrate the visibility, accomplishments and joy of the LGBTQ+ community! At the same time, it’s also important to recognize how far we as a society still have to go, particularly as conversations continue around the unique struggles of Black, Indigenous and other people of colour.
It’s important for us to recognize and acknowledge history as well. We can’t forget that Pride began as a protest against police brutality at the Stonewall Inn, and the resulting riots were led by a black trans woman, Marsha P. Johnson. #BlackLivesMatter this month and always. 🖤 Support for the LGBTQ+ community needs to be prioritized year round. To get you started, we’ve compiled a short list of organizations and businesses to support, follow and get educated. Let’s all commit to ongoing learning and keeping up our support!
BLACK WOMEN IN MOTION (Toronto based)
https://blackwomeninmotion.org/
BWIM are a gender-based Violence and Mental Health Education, Advocacy and Support organization for Black Women (Trans, Cis, Femmes), Non-Binary and Gender non-conforming folx.
CENTER FOR BLACK EQUITY (Washington, DC based)
https://centerforblackequity.org/
This organization is committed to supporting leaders, institutions and programs for social, economic and health equity for LGBTQ+ people of African descent
DANDELION INITIATIVE (Toronto based)
https://www.dandelioninitiative.ca/
Preventing and Responding to Gender-Based Violence with Survivor Centric Education and Supports, Dandelion is a grassroots intersectional feminist organization, by survivors for survivors.
THE GET REAL MOVEMENT (Toronto based)
https://www.thegetrealmovement.com/
A Canadian non-profit focused on combatting #2SLGBTQ+ discrimination & racism in schools, summer camps, and workplaces. Their programming aims to break down prejudice, promote unity, and foster compassion in our world.
RAINBOW RAILROAD (Toronto & NYC based, worldwide reach)
https://www.rainbowrailroad.org/
Rainbow Railroad helps LGBTQI people escape persecution and violence around the world.
GLAAD
GLAAD rewrites the script for LGBTQ acceptance. As a dynamic media force, GLAAD tackles tough issues to shape the narrative and provoke dialogue that leads to cultural change.
THE GLAD DAY LIT FUND (Toronto based)
Run by Glad Day Bookshop, they are committed to making sure funds circulate back directly to LGBT2S community members affected by the pandemic.
OUTRIGHT ACTION INTERNATIONAL
https://outrightinternational.org/
They are dedicated to fighting for the human rights of LGBTIQ people everywhere.
THE TREVOR PROJECT (US based; NYC & LA)
https://www.thetrevorproject.org/
The leading national US organization providing crisis intervention and suicide prevention services to LGBTQ youth!
FLAMINGO MARKET (online)
Connecting our community with LGBTQ2SIA+ Artists & Entrepreneurs across Canada and worldwide! If you’re a fan of our artisan markets, you’ll love what’s on offer at Flamingo Market.
GLAD DAY BOOKSHOP (Toronto, ON)
Glad Day Bookshop is the first queer-focused Canadian bookstore, and the oldest queer bookstore worldwide. Serving the LGBTQ community since 1970, they offer the widest possible selection of lesbian, gay, bisexual, trans, two-spirit, and queer literature. Plus they are home to tons of amazing virtual and (when restrictions are lifted!) in person events.
LAVENDER MENACE (Toronto, ON)
Opening JUST last week, Lavender Menace is a lesbian owned & operated LGBTQ+ retro gathering place for anyone who wants good drinks, good food, and good company at a cocktail bar & restaurant. Whether it’s a patio party, cozy lounge night, or loud night on the town, they’ve got a space for you. They have an open and inclusive policy for their space: Everyone is welcome. Except bigots.
LITTLE JO BERRYS (Ottawa, ON)
https://www.littlejoberrys.com
Little Jo Berry’s is a bakery and coffeeshop built on community and friendship. You might remember them from one of our Ottawa bevys! #memories
LUCKY LITTLE QUEER (Ottawa, ON)
https://www.luckylittlequeer.com/
Lucky Little Queer is a non-binary freelance artist based in Ottawa, Canada named KJ Forman. They create visual art speaking to their LGBTQ experience that has a feminist and sex-positive focus. Lucky Little Queer’s goal is to create affirmative pieces that can be used as a tool to connect and bond marginalized people together in a way that celebrates shared experiences and identities.
MISS PIPPA’S (Toronto, ON)
Homey space with comfy seating hosting a flower shop & combination cafe & wine bar. Their sangria is incredible!
SAUSAGE PARTY (Toronto, ON)
https://sausagepartytoronto.com/
Owner & operator, Emily, has been serving up vegan comfort food at breweries, festivals and farmers markets for the past few years all over Ontario, and has been a vendor at many of our events. Sausage Party is known for their crazy themed vegan hot dawgs and other veganized comfort food (… like vegan pepperettes!) Many of their items are available at vegan shops/grocers all over the province!
STUDIO LEEZOU (Toronto, ON)
https://www.etsy.com/ca/shop/StudioLeezou
So, it all started with a laser cutter. Well, not really. Leezou consists of two queer souls who are lookin’ to bring some LGBTQ+ welcoming-energy into the world.
TONI MARLOW (Toronto, ON)
Toni Marlow is a statement undergarment brand founded in Toronto, Canada. Produced locally, they put universal comfort at the forefront. High-quality fabrics that meet detailed construction means they create products with your body and needs in mind.
WATSON & LOU (Peterborough, ON)
Their mission is to host a dynamic, beautiful, creative hub that helps local artists and makers reach a wider audience year-round; that invites people to try out new artsy skills; and helps everyone find the perfect, special, unique something right when they need it. They are beyond fortunate to have access to such a wonderful spread of local talent, with over half of their makers producing right in Nogojiwanong/Peterborough.
By: Leah Kitagawa
I recently tried a tasty ‘new’ brew, a Roggenbier, which of course, is not a new beer style at all and has actually existed for hundreds of years. Like many other German brews, Roggenbier all but vanished for half a century and managed to rise from obscurity against all odds. Read on for some geeky beer facts and brief history of Roggenbier.
What is a Roggenbier?
Roggenbier, directly translated from German to mean ‘rye beer’ is an ale made with large portions of malted rye rather than barley or wheat. In modern versions, rye often represents the majority of the beer’s grain bill, but it may make up as little as one quarter to one third of the total grain. Rye is known for being the most assertive of all the cereal grains and infuses beer with a spicy, peppery flavor, reminiscent of rye or pumpernickel bread. During the brewing process, rye absorbs more water than other grains and higher proportions of rye results in a more viscous beer. As a result, Roggenbier tends to be medium or medium-full bodied.
Weizen yeast is the yeast used almost exclusively in Roggenbier to impart characteristics of banana, clove and sometimes citrus. Hops play a subtle role in this beer by adding a light, clean character and allowing for an initial malt sweetness before giving way to peppery rye and weizen yeast flavours. A traditional Roggenbier has an ABV between 4.5.-6% and is often brewed as a seasonal beer released in summer and fall.
A Brief History of Roggenbier
Roggenbier is a medieval style that originated in Bavaria, Germany. Until the 15th century, it was common practice to breweries to produce beer from whatever grain grew best in their particular region. During the middle ages, rye was the popular grain for brewing beer in cooler climates such as Bavaria and in other parts of northern Europe. Although it was commonly used for brewing beer, rye was also considered the best grain for making bread.
After a number of bad harvests, the Duke of Bavaria, William IV famously enacted the Bavarian Purity Law of 1516, in part to ensure the availability of rye and wheat for bakers to produce affordable bread, and decreed that beer was only allowed to be made with water, hops and barley. As a direct result of the 1516 purity laws and later the Reinheitsgebot, Roggenbier disappeared from German beermaking for nearly 500 years.
It wasn’t until 1987 that the European Court intervened resulting in a significant loosening of German purity laws that allowed once again for a wider variety of malted grains, hop extracts, sugars and colouring agents to be used in brewing. Around this time, the roggen style was brought back to life by a brewery in eastern Bavaria where it had been born centuries earlier.
In recent years, the roggenbier has gained some popularity outside of central Europe, as more craft breweries experiment with rye. This unique beer is well worth checking out – the peppery spiciness from the rye is balanced by the mild sweetness of the weizen yeast with a light, crisp finish. A perfect mild weather brew.
By Leah Kitagawa
This year there are more ready-to-drink options than ever before with locally produced hard seltzers, hard teas and distilled spirits-based cocktails. Craft brewers entering into the RTD market are making quality products with all-natural ingredients – a welcome change from mass-produced, artificially-flavoured cocktails. For craft drinkers looking for a thirst-quenching alternative to beer, here are some great local options:
In 2019, Collective Arts announced their expansion into distilling and launched their Artisanal Dry Gin and Rhubarb & Hibiscus Gin. Since then they have created a line of mixologist-driven sparkling gin-cocktails and a collection of sparkling hard teas from all-natural tea blends and botanicals. Both the gin cocktails and hard teas are thoughtfully crafted and delightfully refreshing. Their new flavours include an Elderberry & Yuzu with Juniper & Lavender Gin cocktail and a Raspberry & Lemon Verbena Hard Tea.
All Collective Arts gin cocktails & hard teas are available through both brewery locations and online at https://collectiveartsontario.com/collections/spirts-cocktails. You can also find the Pink Gin & Soda with Raspberry & Bitter Orange cocktail at various LCBO locations.
In January, Godspeed entered the RTD cocktail scene in authentic Godspeed style (no it’s not a smoked seltzer!) by launching a product that’s both innovative and true to their brand. Godspeed’s first hard seltzer is made with all-natural ingredients including green tea & Japanese citrus. Using green tea from brewmaster Luc Lafontaine’s field in Japan and an exquisite blend of Japanese citrus, their seltzer showcases notes of peppery citrus pith, Bartlett pear, and a balanced helping of green tea. At 2% ABV, this is a low-alcohol hard seltzer is perfect for quenching your thirst on a hot summer day. Godspeed Seltzer is available from the brewery and online at https://godspeedbrewery.com/shop.
Kensington started their seltzer program in 2019 with a very specific vision for producing super playful, creative fruit combinations. Kensington’s seltzers are around 5% and are made from a perfectly clear and neutral malt base. Last month Kensington launched two new flavour combinations – Lavender & Peach and Mango & Lychee.
Right now, their plan is simply to meet the demand for their seltzers that is currently outpacing most of their beer brands. Keep an eye out for future releases, as they’re busy working on a dry-hopped seltzer and dreaming up more innovative fruit combinations. Kensington seltzers are available at their two brewery locations, online at https://kensington-brewing.myshopify.com/collections/craft-hard-seltzers. They are also available at numerous Beer Store locations across Ontario.
At the end of 2020, Left Field achieved a pretty amazing milestone by reaching their 300th brew in a single year. In February, Left Field decided to try something new and released a Lemon-Lime and Grapefruit-Tangerine seltzer under the name .300 Seltzers to celebrate their accomplishment. Recently rebranded as 7th inning seltzers, Left Field has their two OG flavours and have added Blue Raspberry as the newest (and super tasty) flavour to their roster.
Left Field’s seltzers are made with a dextrose base fermented with a special yeast and finished with all-natural flavours. They are subtly flavoured, fresh and super crushable – a perfect drink for any occasion, but especially outdoors on a warm sunny afternoon. You can find Left Field’s hard seltzers at the brewery and online at https://www.leftfieldbrewery.ca.
Brewed in collaboration with Refined Fool Brewing in Sarnia, this full-flavoured IPA blends hoppy bitterness and subtle malt sweetness with rich cinnamon heart spicy warmth. Proceeds will be donated to the Sarnia-Lambton Native Friendship Centre and the Canadian Women’s Foundation.
By Erica Campbell
I can’t quite pinpoint exactly where and when Mary Beth and I first met. It could have been at the first Barley’s Angels event I attended in Toronto back in 2010. As a brand new Torontoian, I was excited to meet other women in beer and I vividly remember we went on an excellent walking beer tour of Old Toronto! OR it could have been a little later down the road at the inaugural ‘Beer for Boobs’ event in 2012 that Mary Beth helped to organize (an great one-off beer event where proceeds went to Breast Cancer research). Either way, we’ve both been doing our things in the Toronto beer scene for quite a while.
Mary Beth is a seriously talented brewer. She’s got this incredible work ethnic and this calm, quiet demeanor and is such a joy to be around. She works full-time as the head brewer alongside her family at the OG brewpub her father started in midtown Toronto in the early nineties, called Granite Brewery. If you’ve never been to Granite, it’s a very special place. There are SO many cookie-cutter bars and restaurants that all ooze with a sort of generic ‘trendiness’ but Granite just IS. It’s homey, welcoming and comfortable. You can just hang out, eat a great meal, chat with the lovely staff and down some pints of classic recipes. They stick to mostly British recipes, from ESB’s to British Pale Ales to stouts. It’s not pretentious. It’s not hip. It feels like home, ya know?
ALSO, just wanted to say nothing but RESPECT that Mary Beth can work her ass off as a brewer all day and then rock mom life with her two young boys. It’s inspiring and proof that although tough and stressful, you can do it all:)
And now, without further ado, I bring you my interview with the one & only Mary Beth Keefe. Enjoy!
What got you interested in brewing?
My father started the Granite in 1991 when I was 9 years old. Early on, when I was about 11, he would have me come in on a Saturday morning to help him fill casks and do other odd jobs around the brewery. Craft beer wasn’t a thing back then and I was hardly interested in beer at that age, but I still thought that what my dad was doing was awesome. I saw the hard work and the passion that went into it first hand and knew that this was something I could get in to. I started full time in the brew house when I was 26 after going to university, travelling for two years and in between all that holding almost every job title at the Granite.
What is your day-to-day like at Granite?
I usually brew one to two times a week. On those days I come in at 7am and stay til about 4-4:30pm. That’s how long the whole process takes including clean up. When everyone else on my team comes in at 9, we have a brief talk about how the day is going to go.
On days that I am not brewing, I can be found in the office catching up on orders and emails, in the cellar packaging or doing transfers, cleaning growlers/kegs or else monitoring things in the brewhouse. As we are such a small brewery and completely hands on, I do a little bit of everything.
What is something you didn’t realize you would have to do so much of as a brewer?
As of late, I would have to say public speaking! This is by no means a complaint. I feel so very lucky that there is interest in what we do here at the Granite. Speaking in front of people used to give me major anxiety, but the fact that I have been doing this job for so long makes me that much more comfortable speaking about it in front of others these days.
If you had more time in the day you would…..
Between motherhood and work, I barely have any time to myself. The list of things I need to get done is so long I don’t even know where to begin! Read, clean, sew missing buttons on some of my favourite clothes, RELAX.. to name a few!
What’s the most enjoyable part of your job?
I still get such a thrill from coming up with new recipes. Since getting my closed fermenter (FVX) a couple of years ago, I have been able to experiment with styles that I was unable to make in our open fermentation brewhouse. Prior to FVX, I made almost every English style ale imaginable (that would work with our Ringwood yeast) and a few hybrids to boot. As a result, I felt that I had no outlet for being creative anymore. Now, I love that I am able to make a New England or West Coast IPA which are two of my favourite styles. We also brewed a Belgian series (saison, brut ipa and autumn saison) which was so much fun and so different from what I was used to (also scary, having diastatic yeast in the brewhouse. Fortunately, no issues were to be had). I love making the recipe, brewing that beer and dealing with whatever challenges may come up on the brew day then waiting for it to be finished to see how it turns out. I am always my own worst critic. Sometimes, the smallest thing will cause major disappointment, but other times, I am so stoked on the final product, and that is the best feeling in the world.
What is the WORST part of your job!?
The only time I have hated my job, has been a couple of times during COVID, specifically, during the first lockdown. While it was a good problem to have, in April 2020 we brewed 22 times which remains a Granite record. We were understaffed; only three of us were working full time and we had to make the switch from a draft-focused brew pub, to solely packaging our product. The days were long, overwhelming and stressful. But the silver lining was that our customers were supporting us and with delivery being an option, we were reaching a wider market. The Granite is one of the most important things in my life, after family and friends, and that can cause a wide range of emotions; oftentimes stress being the most prominent. But on the other side of the coin, there is a huge sense of pride for what we do and gratitude for all the support we have.
Any personal and/or professional goals for 2021?
Making a rock solid 30th anniversary ale using our Ringwood yeast!
For women and folks looking to get into brewing, what advice can you give?
Experience is great, but everybody needs to start somewhere. Educating yourself in whatever way you can is huge. The one thing I look for the most in a potential hire though, is passion. Passion goes hand in hand with working hard and bettering yourself which is how you get ahead in life. I have worked with so many people now who have had little to no experience in a commercial brewery, let alone homebrewing, and they have been the best people to work with because of their drive to do better and learn more. A few of them have gone on to high positions at other breweries which always makes me so happy.
After a long day at the brewery, what style of beer do you typically reach for?
As of late, if I will be having a couple of beers, I’ll usually start with a pilsner and then move on to an IPA (NEIPA or Westy now that there are so many more options out there). I only recently began to appreciate lagers but I am and forever will be, a hop head.
Do you listen to music or podcasts while you’re working? If so, what are you into right now?
When I’m working, I’m always focused on one task or another and prefer some music in the background. Most often I go for upbeat: I’ve been listening to a lot of 90’s and early 2000 rap and dance as of late. Other times, I listen to anything from classic rock to indie, to stomp and holler. There isn’t much time for listening to music at home, so I take full advantage at work. I need to make more of an effort to listen to podcasts in the car. When I do, they are either ones like Ontario Craft Beer Guide, Four Elements or Beer and Bullshit or else, MBAA technical podcasts.
After over a year now of not doing events, we totally MISS YOU! So, WE’RE GOING VIRTUAL BABY! That’s right, we’re throwing the greatest online beer fest ever.
Music! Comedy! Performances! Beer Tastings! DJ DANCE PARTY…and more TBA!
Enjoy the fest from the comfort of your couch. Throw on your sweats and your fave SOBDL tee and settle in for the show!
We’re drinkin’ for a cause! Just like our bevies, this event will support the Canadian Women’s Foundation.
Buy either JUST our Virtual Fest Pass (for all our friends out of province!) OR our Fest Pass PLUS Official Party Box featuring 4 special collab drinks, 4 artisan snacks and more!
By Leah Kitagawa
A few weeks back, I contacted Escarpment Labs to ask permission to use a couple of photos for this article. I was pleasantly surprised to hear back from the laboratories’ co-founder Richard Preiss, asking how he could help and offering to answer any questions I had. Before I dive into the Q&A, here’s a bit of background info on Escarpment Labs and what they do.
Escarpment Laboratories is an Ontario-based yeast lab that offers a wide range of liquid yeasts for craft brewers and homebrewers. Lab co-founders Richard Preiss, Angus Ross and Nate Ferguson initially met while working in a wine yeast lab at the University of Guelph. They soon realized there was a void for domestically produced liquid yeasts and in 2014 they opened Escarpment Labs – the first yeast lab of its kind in Canada.
Yeast has a huge impact on the overall flavour of beer, so high-grade healthy yeast is incredibly important to creating a tasty brew. Escarpment Labs has worked hard to create an Ontario terroir by producing high quality, locally derived yeasts. These uniquely Ontario yeast strains are in high demand, especially from craft brewers striving to use majority local ingredients.
The team at Escarpment Labs has earned their place as industry leaders because they are knowledgeable, innovative and also offer unparalleled customer support. So, without further ado, meet Escarpment Laboratories co-founder Richard Preiss.
Back in 2014, we saw an opportunity to be a Canadian source for liquid yeasts, since no one else was doing it and the border presented some barriers to shipping costs and timelines. Moving forward, we’re inspired by the science of microbes to create amazing flavour combinations in our fermented foods and drinks. We’re excited to get to know fermentation better, and share what we learn so that fermented products (beer and beyond) can continue to evolve.
There are a few advantages to liquid yeast! The first is freshness. It’s possible to make a batch of yeast, QC [quality control] it, and get it to customers within a week of the batch being harvested. This means it is at peak performance for brewers. Also, the quality control standards for liquid yeast tend to be higher, as there are less steps involved in the manufacturing process. Finally, but maybe most importantly, liquid yeast can be produced at any scale, which means we are able to offer a wide range of different yeasts that produce different flavours, and are able to produce the right amount of each yeast for brewers!
Practically speaking, brewers in Canada benefit from having lower shipping costs and buying in Canadian dollars when purchasing from us. But it’s so much more than that – we create strong connections and relationships with our brewery partners, helping them to innovate, learn, and improve their processes so that they can in turn create resilient, sustainable businesses that play a critical role in their local communities.
We’ve always got some aces up our sleeves! Recently, we’ve been really excited about our first hybrid yeast strain JÖTUNN, which is a genetic hybrid of saison and kveik yeast strains. It offers the best of both worlds to brewers looking to try something new in their farmhouse ales. We have also been recently dipping our toes into fermentations beyond beer, and launched a Sourdough Starter culture. This year you can expect more innovative products from us!
We expect a very busy summer for craft breweries during the summer and fall of 2021. As a result, the biggest trend will be keeping beer on tap! We see solutions in our catalog such as KRISPY, which is a kveik yeast that brewers can use to make clean, lager-like beers in a fraction of the time. This will help brewers keep beer on tap during what is sure to be a busy summer season. We also think the trend toward healthier choices, including low and no-alcohol beer will remain strong.
I personally am a sucker for great lagers, but I’ll try to remain agnostic:
By Erica Campbell & Jessica Shadlock
We may be the Society of Beer Drinking Ladies, but our events have never been just about beer! You don’t need to be a beer drinker to enjoy the spectacular performances, tasty food and awesome vibes of a Bevy, and that’s equally true of our first ever Virtual Beer Fest. While our Party Boxes come chock full of boozy goodies, we figured we’d round up five of our favourite suggestions for folks who are choosing not to partake. Pick up a few of these, or your favourite non-alcoholic drinks, grab a link only ticket, and we’ll see you at the fest!
If you’re a Kombucha fan, Moore Kombucha should be top of your list. We love that they’re super local, made in East Toronto, and are focused on hand-crafted small batches. They have a ton of great flavours and even offer a mixed crate so you can try them all! You can order for shipping, home delivery or pickup in Toronto. Click here to order!
We love seeing breweries get into the 0% alcohol game, and Burdock has concocted a booze free treat they describe as “the most refreshing thing to ever come out of the brewery.” This sparkling water drinks like high-end fresh squeezed La Croix and is made with fresh Moroccan mint and Toronto’s finest tap water. They offer Ontario wide shipping, next day delivery in Toronto, or curbside pickup at their Bloordale brewery. Click here to order!
Want to get your hop fix without beer? Grab some of Spearhead Brewing’s Akwa – a fresh hop-infused sparkling water. It’s got floral notes of Citra and Cascade hops and hints of grapefruit, tropical fruit and lemon. All natural flavours make this a crisp and refreshing alternative! Spearhead ships across Ontario, or offers free local delivery in the Kingston area. Click here to order!
Sometimes, even if you don’t want the alcohol you still want a beer that tastes like beer. This brew was one of Erica’s faves while she was pregnant which is pretty high praise! It comes in a crushable short can, has a fun label and is super flavourful for a booze-free beer. You can order through Craft Brand Co. for curbside delivery to M postal codes, or shipping across Ontario. It’s also available in the LCBO. Click here to order!
There are quite a few non-alcoholic beer brands out there, but Gruvi in particular have really pushed the limits with the variety of styles they’ve got on offer. From an IPA to a Stout to a Berliner Weisse they’ve got enough for a proper tasting. And if you’re feeling fancy, they’ve got non-alcoholic bubbly too! You can get Gruvi delivered in Toronto through Fresh City Farms, or Canada wide through Well.ca. They’re also available in a number of retail locations across Ontario. Click here to order!
Whatever’s in your glass, we can’t wait to celebrate with everyone on May 14th at the Eternal Hoptimist Festival. See ya then!
After more than a year of ‘unprecedented times’ we’ve all gotten pretty good at shifting our hangouts and celebrations online. Zoom birthday parties, virtual weddings, housewarmings over FaceTime, trivia night on Twitch – we’ve done it all. And now it’s time for our famous Lady Beer Fest to make the jump to the digital space! With the Eternal Hoptimist Fest on May 14th, we’ve brought our favourite elements from our in person events (Comedy! Burlesque! Tasty craft beers! DJ Dance party!) and shifted it to a Zoom extravaganza. Everyone is welcome at this party – dudes too!
Not sure how to bring that beer fest energy to an online event? Check out our suggestions below for some ideas to bring your beer squad together while staying safe.
Who needs the outside world? A fun Friday night together just might be the perfect way to reconnect with the people you’ve been stuck with for over a year you live with. Has date night gotten a little stale? Family game night not what it used to be? Grab tickets to the fest and try something new! Hot Tip: Order a Party Box for everyone in your household so you’re not fighting over the snacks.
If you don’t live with your #1 beer buddy, you can still experience the fest together while staying apart. Set your laptops up to watch the festival, and use your phones to hit each other up on FaceTime, Facebook video, or the video chat app of your choice. You can lean them up against your screen or on a tripod (fancy!) and chat throughout the fest. Only drawback is not getting to taste each other’s beers.
Is your beer squad a little bigger? Our festival is running on Zoom, so take advantage of another video chat app to get the gang together, and keep both windows open on your desktop. Discord and Google Hangouts for example have options for video and written chat. Multitasking! The best part? You don’t have to dress up, or put on pants (unless you want to!) and if you grab our Party Box, you don’t even have to BYOB.
If you live somewhere without a stay at home order in effect, first of all please don’t brag 😉 Second of all, this is a perfect opportunity to throw a socially distanced backyard viewing party! Invite over a pal or two, or get to know your neighbours. Grab an extension cord, pop your laptop on a side table on the deck and set your lawn chairs six feet apart. Crack a couple cold ones and enjoy the show!
However you’re planning to enjoy the fest, we can’t wait to (safely!) party with all of you on May 14th. If you want to get in on our sweet Party Box, the shipping deadline is April 30th at 5pm. Post that date, pickup is available in Toronto, or grab a link only ticket and curate your own beer list for the evening. See you on Zoom!
Taking inspiration from Horchata, the Mexican rice milk drink traditionally flavoured with cinnamon, vanilla & sometimes chocolate, this is a mild brown ale with aromas of milk chocolate and cinnamon that give way to a silky texture and flavours of fresh vanilla cream, cinnamon and a hint of cola nut. Get this and many other great beers at the brewery at 90 Cawthra unit 101 in Toronto’s Junction neighbourhood or order online at People’s Pint Brewery.
Written by: Jessica Shadlock
You know the saying: Save the Earth; it’s the only planet with beer! However, from the amount of water used in the brewing process to the packaging, to transporting ingredients and product, unfortunately brewing is not the most sustainable industry. But there are some creative ways breweries are working around or offsetting these issues. In honour of Earth Day, we checked in with a few Ontario breweries doing their part to make craft beer a little more green. Big thanks to Jenn at Beau’s, Stephen and Teddy at Karbon Brewing, Kyle and Kristen at Half Hours on Earth and Max, Micheline and Lindsay at Avling for chatting with us!
Though Avling has been open less than two years, it’s quickly become a staple in Leslieville in Toronto for exceptional and experimental food and beer showcasing Canadian flavours and locally farmed ingredients.
Our rooftop is a 4000 square foot green roof, and it’s unique because it grows food crops that are used for both our kitchen and brewery. It uses green roof technology and is equipped with a special membrane and a unique growing medium that is lightweight and allows water drainage.
The rooftop uses the principles of organic and sustainable agriculture like crop rotation, cover crops, compost and low-till growing methods with a focus on soil health and biodiversity.
We have 2 dedicated farmers, Micheline Lalonde and Lindsay Sangster, who manage the roof to ensure a bountiful harvest from May to October. Carrots, salad greens, tomatoes, hot peppers, garlic, squash, cucumbers and zucchini are grown and used in the kitchen and are made available through sale in the bottle shop and at pop-up markets. We also grow a selection of crops for the brewery including marigolds and pineapple sage, and even some hops.
We host a variety of workshops throughout the season, everything from planning a garden to seed saving, with the goal of teaching and empowering as many people as possible to grow more of their own food themselves.
The roof farm was a part of the plan for the brewery from very early on. It represented a massive opportunity to create unique, on-site circularity. From the brewery in the basement to the kitchen on the ground floor and farm on the roof, each department is able to make use of waste from another area of the business. We are constantly looking for more ways to grow and deepen those connections.
The American chef, Dan Barber once pointed out that the ingredient grown or raised in the most responsible, sustainable way, is, necessarily, the most delicious. I have to admit, as someone who loves eating and drinking, one of the main reasons to focus on sustainability is because we want to serve the best food and drink possible. However, flavour, pleasure, and the act of sharing a meal are powerful forces that, if harnessed, could be very impactful tools for educating, promoting and growing a more equitable, circular food economy.
There are lots of different ways that we’re pursuing sustainability day-to-day and we’re always looking for ways to build on them. For example, all of our take-out containers, cups, and even cutlery, are completely compostable products; we are Bullfrog Power certified; and we’ve partnered with Re-think Resource to help divert all of the waste from the brewery and restaurant.
We have several exciting plans on the horizon, too. One project involves harnessing the excess heat from the brewery to extend the growing season on our roof, possibly year-round. There is also a more ambitious Phase 2 plan that involves largely expanding our beer and agricultural production at a second site. But let’s not get ahead of ourselves…
Orpheus! It was aged in French oak barrels with orange wine skins from our friends at Trail Estate Winery in PEC, and marigolds that were harvested from our own rooftop last summer. It’s a beautiful pale orange in colour, light and tart on the palate, and truly a perfect beer for Spring and Summer.
Orpheus is available for local home delivery and shipping across Ontario on Avling’s website.
Beau’s has been a leader in the industry for more than a decade and was the first brewery in Canada to be certified as a B Corp (a certification for businesses who prioritize social responsibility.) Though they’ve expanded considerably, they’re still based in the adorable small town of Vankleek Hill, just outside Ottawa.
Local Organic is the only beer in Canada that is both certified organic and certified carbon neutral. Additionally, it’s made with 100% local Ontario hops and 100% local Quebec malts, and is brewed with green electricity. We have taken a holistic approach to sustainability, looking at the entire lifecycle of this beer, and taking care to reduce its carbon footprint wherever possible at each step of the way.
For example:
Because certain carbon emissions are unavoidable in the process of brewing, packaging and delivering beer, Beau’s will be investing in Canadian carbon offset projects equal to all carbon emissions associated with the lifecycle of this beer.
Sustainability has been on our minds from day one. But sustainability is always a journey, not an end goal. We have been working with local organic hop and malt suppliers off and on with our seasonals for many years, and this beer grew out of those great relationships. Certifying the beer carbon neutral was the last element to come into the mix, and we knew doing a life cycle analysis would be a huge effort. Having a great partner like Carbonzero made it feel manageable to approach, so we went for it.
In addition to being a sustainability-minded business just being the right thing to do, you need a healthy planet and healthy communities to have a healthy craft brewery. At Beau’s, we recognize that the current climate crisis is one of the most significant threats of our lifetime. Climate change is not inevitable – each of us can make personal choices to lead to collective action. Personally, I have been very inspired by David Attenborough and his message that things are super bad right now, but there is still hope if we can all just do our part. I know my co-workers all have their personal reasons to care about climate change, and working on bringing this beer to life was an awesome way to live our values out loud.
We do – the great thing about a life cycle analysis on a product is that it shows you very clearly where you can try to do better. By next spring we will have a year’s worth of data on what elements of making Local Organic are having the most carbon impact, which lets us dig into why. Going carbon negative requires you to offset double the carbon you create, so that might be a lofty goal, but at Beau’s you never say never. We will also be looking forward to seeing the reforestation carbon offset projects we are investing in take root and grow … literally!
Well Local Organic, of course! Here’s the neat thing – it’s got the sustainability angle, but Local Organic is an interesting beer in and of itself, because it’s a truly local beer that can only be made right here. We started with the Quebec malts and Ontario hops, and then tasting those and playing around with them, we built the beer backwards from there. There are some interesting phenolics (fruit and a hint of spice) that come part and parcel with the beer, and I think our brewing team did an amazing job of building a recipe that accommodates and even highlights these characteristics.
You can find Local Organic at LCBOs across Ontario, or on the Beau’s Website
Located in the little town of Seaforth Ontario, Half Hours on Earth is a small, two person operation that is synonymous with incredibly unique funky and sour beers.
Ideally carbon neutral would be not producing any greenhouse gases or emissions. However, that’s a challenge for any small business as far as costs go. So, the best we can do at the moment is take gradual steps in reducing emissions, while at the same time offsetting any emissions by planting trees through Tree Canada’s Grow Clean Air program, where we have our certification.
We’ve always been mindful of the environment and the importance of doing what we can to reduce energy waste, using recyclable materials when possible, etc. It was sort of a natural progression. We started our initiatives by partnering with One Percent for the Planet in 2019, where we donate 1% of our annual sales to environmental non-profits. From there, we wanted to commit ourselves to being carbon neutral. While we are currently planting trees to offset our small environmental footprint, the end goal is to be completely carbon neutral without the use of offsets. But we’ll continue to plant additional trees regardless.
Runaway loss of polar ice, overheating and acidification of oceans, soil erosion, biodiversity collapse, the extinction of species, etc, etc. No beer on a dead planet.
Our latest initiative for 2021 is to reduce delivery emissions, a growing issue as more and more beer is now being shipped. So far this year we have delivered over 40% of our beer with our zero-emissions electric vehicle, our goal is to hit 50% by year end. For every order we can’t personally deliver, we will plant one tree.
While not entirely brewery related, we also opened an environmentally focused eco-store side project last year, worldlet.ca. The goal of Worldlet is to be a convenient shop for low-waste everyday items, and this has been a large focus for us as well this year. Here’s hoping for reduced solar energy costs in 2022 for next year’s initiative!
Our latest releases, Polar Lightning Strike & Fleet Awakening, are a couple of tart, dessert-style pale ales. Comfort beers for climate anxiety.
Both of these beers are available for local delivery and Ontario-wide shipping at Half Hours on Earth’s website.
Founded in 2020, Karbon Brewing is looking to shake things up in the industry by looking for new ways to make brewing more sustainable, one beer at a time. Their goal is to be fully carbon negative by 2024.
Karbon Brewing is looking at sustainability and brewing from a different perspective. We are viewing things from an emissions standpoint; creating the technological innovations needed to build a truly sustainable brewery and business. While planting trees and using carbon offset initiatives are great (we are planting over 2000 Trees this year in Sudbury Ontario as part of Tree Canada’s National Greening Program), we want to truly get to the root of the problems and find solutions.
Carbon Negative is when you not only reduce your emissions, but you also actually remove more Co2 from the atmosphere than you produce.
It is one step farther than Carbon Neutral and requires some interesting innovations and offsets to achieve. To be fully Carbon Negative, you must get to scope 3 emissions mapping, which includes everything from agriculture, transportation, manufacturing and end of life cycles.
Sustainability and becoming Carbon Negative was the core foundation of our business. So much so that we called ourselves Karbon Brewing to draw a line in the sand. The team started to look at the solutions that were needed to impact climate change and combined that perspective with their background in hospitality/brewing. Everything aligned to start us on our journey. We feel that a lot of communities are built, and conversations are had over a few beers, so if we can get people talking about some of these hard topics, that is what is most important to us.
We think that sustainability should be important to everyone at this point. We have seen the science and what impact we are having on our planet/people. Instead of waiting until 2030 or 2050 goals implemented by most firms and governments, we decided to try to solve some of these things sooner, and then share that with not only our Ontario Brewing industry, but the international community.
We also want to show that you can build a successful business while caring about social and environmental values, and that a small business can have an impact. This should be the future of business and brewing; we are trying to push that boundary. It is important to note that marginalized communities are generally much more affected by climate change. Therefore, we also need to care about the social impacts, and we have some exciting projects in the work around the topics of clean drinking water, equity, diversity etc.
Our plans are to build out a fully Carbon Negative facility in the next few years, convince consumers that “Green Beer” is important and continue to find innovative solutions to the problems every brewery is facing (packaging, transportation, supply chain etc.). We also plan to work with the other industry leaders likely featured in this blog to share and allocate resources to make Ontario/Canada the leader in sustainable brewing. We will continue to work with our partners such as One Percent for the Planet, Tree Canada, Bullfrog Power, Persefoni and many others to track, offset energy consumption, donate for impact and plant trees.
Of course! We can’t forget about the delicious beer. For all the science and sustainability talk, we also equally love a good beer. Bernardo our Brewmaster has brewed in 3 continents, trained in Germany, and has been working on creating some exciting styles for us. I would highly recommend our One World Wit. Wheat beers are an underrated category of crushable fruity beers and will be worth checking out this summer. One World is a Belgian style with notes of orange and coriander, and sits at 5%, with an IBU of 6.
Check out Karbon Brewing’s website to find the bars/bottle shops currently carrying One World Wit.
We couldn’t resist highlighting a few more of our favourite green innovations in craft brewing – every little bit helps!
Cowbell has a number of sustainability initiatives at their brewery in Blythe, Ontario, but their brewing system in particular was built with sustainability in mind. They use a Rectification Boil System (a first in North America!) that increases the efficiency of the brew kettle by 80%. This means more beer can be brewed in less time using less energy. They also have a closed loop brewing system, where waste water from the brewery is treated and released back into the ground on-site.
Elora Brewing Company in Elora, ON has made a small change that makes a huge impact. Plastic six pack rings/snap holders are everywhere, but to help cut down on these Elora has switched to biodegradable rings from E6prs. They are fully compostable and are not toxic if animals happen to ingest them.
Henderson Brewing have come up with an environmentally friendly alternative to the cardboard/plastic on your standard beer case: milk crates! If you’re in their local delivery area, you can order your case of beer from Henderson in a returnable crate. Plus the crate fits four more cans than your standard 2-4!
By Leah Kitagawa
As the weather heats up, we find ourselves looking for lighter, thirst-quenching bevvies that don’t pack the punch of a double IPA or imperial stout. Over the past few years ready-to-drink (RTD) cocktail market has gained incredible momentum and craft brewers are getting in on the action too. The days of the super sweet canned cocktails are over as hard seltzers take center stage in the ready-made cocktail market.
What are hard seltzers?
A hard seltzer is a light refreshing drink that combines alcohol, sparkling water and flavouring. The term hard seltzer encompasses alcoholic beverages made with a clear malt base, as well as those with a brewed sugar base where all fermentable sugars are from a non-malt base. Hard sparkling water that uses a separately distilled spirit as its base may also be marketed as a hard seltzer. For the purposes of this mini article, I’m focusing on craft hard seltzers made from a brewed sugar base.
White Claw
It’s almost impossible to deny the massive impact the macro seltzer market has had on the beer industry. Since the launch of White Claw Hard Seltzer in 2016, its sales have increased from one million cases to a projected 150 million cases in 2020. White Claw’s creator, Anthony von Mandl, has predicted its annual sales in Canada to grow up to 25 million cases, or roughly 10% of the Canadian beer market share.
So Why Now?
As we all are all acutely aware, the pandemic has forced businesses to consider alternative revenue sources. Entering the RTD market has been a logical next step for a lot of craft breweries as they already have the license and most of the equipment necessary to produce craft hard seltzers. Brewers already have the production knowledge required to develop seltzers and they can be made relatively quickly compared to beer.
Craft Seltzers may sound easy BUT…
On the surface, brewing a seltzer is a simple endeavor, and is made using a sugar base that is fermented with yeast and carbonated. Managing yeast health and fermentation can be challenging, as the sugars used in seltzers lacks sufficient amounts nutrients and minerals for the yeast to feast on. The water used in seltzers is often treated with carbonates and bicarbonates need to bring the pH high enough to release minerals that will counteract the acidity.
Hard Seltzer Brewing Basics
After fermenting the sugar mixture with yeast, it is diluted down to the desired strength and filtered for clarity. The sugar mixture is fermented with yeast, converting the sugars to alcohol, leaving behind little to no residual sweetness. Sweeteners are often added at the final stage of the brewing process.
As opposed to their macro counterparts, craft hard seltzer producers are invested in making a quality product with all-natural ingredients and real fruit. Entering the hard seltzer market allows brewers to explore different methods of beverage production, as well as using various sugar, yeast and fruit combinations. For craft drinkers looking for a refreshing and sessionable alternative to beer, craft hard seltzers may just the perfect bevvy for a summer’s day.
By Erica Campbell
For my latest installment of Women Brewer Spotlight, say hello to Erin Broadfoot!
Erin’s the owner and head brewer over at Little Beasts Brewing in Whitby. For years now, Little Beasts has produced excellent, mostly Belgian inspired brews in Whitby, Ontario. (For all our non-Ontario friends, it’s about 45 minutes East of Toronto sans traffic, of course.)
They are relatively small scale, staying away from retail sales and instead having complete control over their product by selling it direct from their brewery to the consumer and select licensee accounts.
Erin’s one of those people I wish I was around more. She’s so enjoyable to be around and her energy is calm and positive. We both ‘grew up’ together in the industry and I’ve always admired her lady boss vibes from afar. Way before I had a kid of my own, I remember being very impressed that she was a full-time brewer (at the time at 5 Paddles Brewing in Whitby) while also having 3 children. Although as a working parent finding that work/family balance is a constant struggle, I respect that she rocks mom life while also making sure she’s moving her career forward.
Erin is one of those quiet leaders; she works hard, gets %*$& done and isn’t flashy about it. What’s really cool is Little Beasts is one of the few breweries in Canada that is solely owned by a woman AND has a woman head brewer! Her husband Keir is the artist and designer behind all their beer labels. They feature mystical characters and unique names. I like that she doesn’t fall prey to kitschy beer trends and is super focused on quality – opting to brew interesting, daring styles that she is interested in producing and bottling them in 500mL bottles (in a province where cans are everything at the moment.)
I’m definitely one to try anything (especially that she brews!) and while I love Erin’s high octane offerings, her dare-I-say flagship ‘Pinion’ American Pale Ale is my favourite. I’m a sucker for pale ales and it’s a goodie.
Enjoy my conversation with Erin – one of the women brewing leaders in Ontario! I particularly love her response to question 7, how she’s constantly looking to grow, learn and improve.
And if you ever find yourself in Durham region, make sure to pay her a visit. Or place an order for province-wide shipping. You won’t be disappointed…her beers are top notch!
I loved baking, and my background was in microbiology and chemistry. My friend who was homebrewing (and had *just* started brewing professionally) came by my place with some killer homebrew, I was blown away by the stuff he was creating! It dawned on me pretty quickly that brewing was like baking, but with more chemistry and microbiology – and I rapidly fell in love.
My day-to-day is busy, to the point of where it often feels like one big long day. My husband, Keir Broadfoot (who is responsible for our label art and branding) has just left his job to work with me, and I have the best cellarman in the world in my team-mate Mark Kalinsky, but we’re a fairly lean team right now! I’ve been working as a jack of all trades up until now, but am slowly shifting to 75% brewing, lab work and cellaring work. I’ll still be doing those taxes, tending to social media and answering those emails, but I’m thrilled to be shifting over to a more focused role in the production side. There are some new and exciting things coming!
Taxes, so many hours of doing taxes. So many different types of taxes.
If I had more time I’d spend it with my kids. I have them around all the time, but I constantly worry about the amount of time I spend mentally and physically engaged with the brewery.
The most enjoyable part of my job is definitely creating. I absolutely love the process of development and creation. The hours spent writing the recipe, sorting out the chemistry, trying to picture the final product. And then the peaceful mornings mashing in, the smell in the brewery, everything right down to playing with my tri clamps. (Why are tri clamps so satisfying?) The whole process is like meditation for me. I feel so lucky to be able to spend my time doing something I love in a place I love being.
I never thought about the whole cleaning of public bathrooms thing. Quite literally, the absolute worst.
My personal goals are to do better. To keep growing, advocating, putting myself outside of my comfort zone. I’m hoping I can get back to racing and challenge myself physically again as well. Professionally I’m looking forward to getting past COVID and GROWING the business back up. I’m incredibly excited about the new beer lines we have coming out and I feel like we have a hugely positive future ahead of us at Little Beasts!
Be realistic, know what you’re getting into. I love what I do, I love my job and I have zero regrets – but I feel like I had a realistic view of what I was getting into when I got into this industry. Beer is wonderful and the industry is full of amazing people, but it’s a lot of incredibly hard work for what is often not a whole lot of money. Always demand your worth, expect to be paid when you work. (Volunteering for not for profit and advocacy organizations = good, doing free “volunteer” work for breweries when you should really be getting paid = bad.)
And for women, BIPOC and 2SLGBTQ folk in particular, don’t take sh%t. If it feels wrong it probably is. Reach out to your communities and don’t tolerate oppressive/discriminatory behaviours. If you feel like your environment is unsafe and you’re unable to speak up for yourself, reach out to those around you. Even if that person is me!
Saison, saison, saison! I love all styles (except possibly barleywines, they just don’t do it for me) but I will always have a soft spot for saisons. Lagers are really hitting the spot right now too! Especially a good czech style pils or rauchbier.
When I’m working at the brewery it’s music. Metal, punk (especially femme punk) and some 90’s stuff when I’d like to chill out. Podcasts are a big thing when I’m doing deliveries. I like the voices to keep me thinking while I drive. I listen to all the usual beer podcasts, but I also like to use podcasts to zone out of beer life once in a while. Right now that means OCR podcasts and all of the 40K/Warhammer podcasts (don’t judge me!)
Being a safe, welcoming and inclusive space has always been at the heart of what we do here at the Society of Beer Drinking Ladies, and as we continue to grow we want to make sure we are continuing as leaders in this regard. A few months ago, we put out a call for our brand new Inclusivity Committee, looking for input from folks in our community and outside of it to share their perspectives. We had a fantastic response, and brought on twelve incredible people. Visit our Inclusivity page to check out their bios and learn more!
Fittingly, our first Inclusivity Committee meeting took place March 8th, International Women’s Day, and as Drea shared in her opening remarks, this year’s theme was “Feminist Recovery: Achieving an equal future in a COVID 19 world”. We want to thank all of our committee members for their time and input as we challenge ourselves to be the most inclusive organization we can be.
Read on for the meeting minutes to see what we discussed, our next steps, and some links to resources.
We kicked off our meeting with a Land Acknowledgement presented by Rachel, who talked about the importance of not simply reciting the acknowledgement, but ensuring there is something further to provoke thought and action. We discussed this more in depth later on in the meeting.
Drea provided our Call to Action:
“We must open doors and we must see to it that they remain open, so that others can pass through” – Rosemary Brown
Our call to action aligned perfectly with Rosemary Brown’s Quotes and this year’s International Women’s Day theme of Achieving an equal future in a COVID-19 world, by ensuring that marginalized women are a part of the recovery and decision making process so that resources, power and knowledge are distributed equally.
We then broke off into smaller groups to discuss a variety of topics that we flagged as initial priorities. After chatting in their groups the committee came back together to share lots of meaningful and exciting ideas, which we’ve summarized below.
We have worked with a number of charitable organizations large and small, including Canadian Women’s Foundation, Black Women in Motion, Supporting our Youth (SOY) and Sistering. We asked our committee for ideas on other orgs we could reach out to for partnerships:
We are always looking for ways to grow our amazing beer loving community, and wanted to discuss some ideas on expanding our outreach to further diversify our attendees.
We love collaborating with local breweries on special one-off brews, and looked to our committee for suggestions on future collabs.
We don’t currently have an accessibility policy, but it’s an area that we want to continue to expand on in our events (both in person & online) our social media and our newsletter. We discussed steps we could take in all of these areas with the committee.
We have been including Land Acknowledgements at our events for about a year but are aware that simply reciting the acknowledgement is not the end of our work towards reconciliation. We talked about ideas for moving beyond just the words.
In our pursuit to ensure our organization is as inclusive as possible, we are investigating training for our staff and leadership. We asked for suggestions regarding specific educators as well as areas the training should focus on.
Our committee was full of fantastic suggestions for further reading and research – here is a non-exhaustive list of these resources!
Following the meeting, here are the first few plans we are putting in motion. We’re looking forward to checking in with the committee on our progress at our next meeting and having more meaningful and compelling conversations about Inclusivity!
Special thanks to Meoshi, Gurpreet, Ren and Drea for sharing their notes with us as we put our summary together! Stay tuned for the next Inclusivity meeting which will be held in June.
I’m absolutely delighted that I had the opportunity to interview Chef Tara Lee for this week’s broadviews article. Anyone who has met Tara knows that she is dedicated, passionate and an overall super awesome human.
Tara has been cooking for 17 years and has been the chef at Eastbound Brewing (eastboundbeer.com) since it opened in 2017. This month, Eastbound is turning 4! For those who don’t already know, Eastbound is located in Riverside, 700 Queen Street East, and has a great selection of amazing food and tasty brews.
To provide a little background, Tara’s Instagram handle @picklegirl, reveals one of her true passions for pickling ALL the things – dill pickles, carrots, onions, peppers… the list goes on. Honestly, I never really liked pickles before I tried Tara’s pickles and now I’m kind of obsessed with them.
I met Tara several years ago when I worked as a server in a restaurant where she was running the kitchen. It was the first time I witnessed how a kitchen is actually supposed to run. As a leader, Tara showed compassion, patience and respect for the staff. On the busiest nights, she would calmly call out food orders and delegate tasks, while cooking and correcting more than a few server errors (sorry Tara!). No one was yelling or breaking plates, and the staff actually worked together as a team.
So, without further ado, meet Chef Tara Lee!
I definitely took the long way to get into this industry. After graduating university, I moved to St. Catharines to live with my best friend, really having no plan for a future career at that point. It was moving to the Niagara region that made me fall in love with ingredients and an interest in the wine region and how those fit together. I spent the first part of my career working at On the Twenty (Cave Spring Winery) and Peller Estates.
My favourite part of my job is that I constantly get to learn. Being a chef has so many avenues that it can lead you down. I get to learn about the people that I hire in the kitchen, their backgrounds, how they learn, what gets them excited to cook. I get to learn about business, something especially in this last year, has been particularly challenging. And I get to learn about our guests, they ask great questions, give great feedback, and we get to learn about the community we are in.
The hospitality industry has changed immensely since I started cooking. We are finally getting to a place where mental health, fair wages, sexism, and racism, are being called out. There are groups advocating for the voices that have been underrepresented in this industry. More conversations are being had about inclusion. More women chefs are being showcased. We were always here, but people are actually learning about us. There are also a lot of chefs showing that for as many bad examples that there are out there are lots of great working environments. We need these people to help change the conversation and keep new cooks entering this industry.
This last year has had no shortage of challenges, that’s for sure. I’ve really struggled with the disconnect between the food and the guests. We have such an open kitchen at Eastbound and I could have conversations, see reactions, see people talking and enjoying themselves. It feels very empty. As well as not being able to have the kitchen crew around. Before we had to close last year I was really starting to feel everything click. We have a solid crew, they had all been there for at least a year (another big challenge I had before Covid hit) and we were humming along. I can’t wait to have us all back in the kitchen again.
Cooking and pairing with beer is always so fun. We use to do a great special on Tuesday where we cooked 3 different mussel bowls using different beers to compliment the sauces. It’s such a great way to showcase our beer list and it was fun to get the cooks into learning the different flavours in all our beers.
When you are pairing food and beer try to pick out 1 or 2 prominent ingredients in what you’re using. if there are things like blue cheese or your dish is particularly spicy, focus on those. It’s impossible to hit all the parts of one dish.
When I first starting cooking I was working at a restaurant in St. Catharines and a guest said they were allergic to foods that end in “O”. I haven’t had too many strange requests…but now that you asked I’m sure I’ll get something. hahahah (I’ll keep you posted!)
Written by Jessica Shadlock
International Women’s Day is always a celebration with our SOBDL crew and though this year looked quite a bit different, some things never change. So of course we toasted the day with a few delicious beers!
We love seeing our favourite breweries put their support behind International Women’s Day by recognizing the contributions of women on their staff, featuring female artists and supporting women focused charities. The theme of IWD this year was “Choose to Challenge,” calling on all of us to do what we can to challenge the status quo and call out inequality when we see it.
We’ll drink to that!
Read on for a roundup of five beers brewed by some of our favourite Ontario spots.
Brewed by the women of Amsterdam in honour of International Women’s Day, this fruited German-style Gose is made with pink himilayan sea salt, freshly crushed coriander and blackberry.
The first thing I loved about this beer was the funky label art. The illustration is really gorgeous and detailed featuring a badass illustration of the titular huntress sporting some serious hair goals. The beer poured a beautiful pink grapefruit colour. I am not much of a Gose fan personally, but the sweetness of the blackberry cut through the saltiness and really balanced it out. Super smooth and refreshing, at a crushable 4.3% this was a perfect one for drinking in the sunshine! Unfortunately this limited brew sold out pretty quickly, but can’t wait to see what they whip up next year.
Brewed in celebration of International Women’s Day, Pink Boots is a deliciously funky Saison with captivating herbal, citrus, and earthy aromas. A collaboration beer to the core, Pink Boots was hopped with the official 2021 Pink Boots Hop Blend, and brewed by women of Nickel Brook. Plus, they’re drinking for a cause! Nickel Brook are donating twenty-five cents from every can to a local women’s shelter and crisis centre, Halton Women’s Place.
This is another label I immediately loved! Nickel Brook teamed up with local artist Laura Forbes for the design, which was inspired by the queen Dolly Parton. It’s cute, light and fun which felt like it fit the beer to a T. Nickel Brook brewed this with the official Pink Boots hop blend, created by the Pink Boots Society, a global nonprofit organization dedicated to women in the brewing profession. It consists of Cashmere, Ahtanum®, Citra®, Loral® & Sabro® hops, creating a blend with tropical, herbal, citrus & woody aromatic qualities. A portion of the proceeds from the blend benefit the Pink Boots Scholarship funds. The beer poured a hazy pale yellow with a fluffy white head. It had a lot of complexity while being super light on the ABV. The funky character came through but wasn’t overpowering making it a great little sipper.
Order Pink Boots from Nickel Brook here!
Brewed in honour of International Women’s day, IPA No.16 is a refreshing blend of juicy and floral. The complex hop blend was designed by the Pink Boots Society and lends a subtle floral sweetness. The beer finishes with an effervescent pop of pithy grapefruit.
Collective Arts is known for their unique labels featuring a rotation of talented artists. This brew features artwork by Amber Vittoria, a Forbes 30 Under 30 artist working in New York City whose work focuses on the portrayal of women within art. The pinks, turquoise blues and greens really pop on the white background, and I love that the design varies from can to can, but all within this colour palette. Collective Arts used the Pink Boots hop blend, so it was cool to see it featured in a very different style from Nickel Brook’s. The beer poured nice and hazy with lots of floral and hoppy aromatics. Juicy but balanced with a bit of a bite from the grapefruit, this is another in a long line of tasty IPAs from Collective.
Order IPA No 16 from Collective Arts here!
While not officially an IWD beer, I had to include this beer brewed especially for the Queen of Craft online programming that took place this month. It’s a fresh, delicate witbier with flowers to celebrate the season of renewal – Spring! Queen of Craft is a group of passionate women who use their diverse talents to teach others about beer. They hold bold, fun and informative events annually that keep beer education approachable, build and support community, empower and celebrate women on their beer journeys, and create lasting impressions and friendships! Profit’s from this year’s events supported Guelph-Wellington Women in Crisis.
The stunning label for this brew (and their merch) is by Alanah Astehtsi Otsistohkwa (Morningstar) Jewell, a mixed French and bear clan artist from Oneida Nation of the Thames, currently residing in Kitchener, ON. Her passion is promoting Indigenous art and culture in urban spaces. The art is simple but so evocative and the florals echo all of the floral additions in the brew. This brew poured pale and hazy, and went down really smoothly. The herbal, floral notes were prominent and balanced out some of the astringent character from the tea. Lovely and definitely a beer that evokes Spring. Big thanks to the Queen of Craft folks for sending this beer our way!
Learn more about Queen of Craft here!
Elora Brewing Company also got in on the Queen of Craft fun and brewed up this Pale Ale! A green tea latte pale ale, it’s brewed with lactose, and a high-percentage of oats round out its sweet, creamy texture. Elora are also supporting Guelph-Wellington Women in Crisis with $0.10 of every can purchase going towards this great cause.
This label is a bit simpler, but I loved the brewer references with the boots and mash paddle! The beer pours golden and hazy and has a bit of sweetness to it. While the green tea character was subtle, the lactose really brought the creamy ‘latte’ vibes. As a huge fan of Elora’s Citra Pale Ale Elora Borealis it was fun to try a different take on the style from them.
Order Queen of the Quarry from Elora Brewing Company here!
Tart and fruity with notes of vanilla and berries and a tasty malt middle, this sipper will put you in the mood for Spring and sunshine! Available at Henderson Brewery, the LCBO and for online delivery right to your door.
Appearance: Orangey pink with a slight haze, thin white head
Aroma: Hibiscus flowers and pithy orange up front with a sweet biscuit malt base supporting, some notes of vanilla and coconut mixed with fruity esters
Taste: Tart and fruity hibiscus to start, a smooth and toasty malt middle with a pithy citrus bitterness to end, notes of vanilla and berries round out the flavour
Mouthfeel: Tart with a tingly carbonation, round maltiness with a lingering dry bitterness
Overall impression: A tart and fruity pale ale with a toasty malt backbone supporting the floral and citrus highlights
Written by Leah Kitagawa
A while back I was doing research for an article on the history of Reinheitsgebot and wondered how gose, a beer seemingly in violation of so many purity laws, has managed to survive over time. Well, it turns out there’s a pretty great story behind this ancient brew.
What is a Gose?
A gose, pronounced go-suh, is a top-fermented German wheat beer soured through lactic fermentation and flavoured with coriander and salt. The sourness and salinity should be noticeable but not overwhelming, as a gose should have a lively thirst-quenching acidity. Hops work in the background to provide a hint of bitterness without contributing to the overall flavour.
According to beer blogger Lars Marius Garshol, gose was first documented in 1470 but he believes the style is likely much older. Some beer experts speculate that this beer style has actually existed for over 1000 years.
Goslar Gose
The origin of gose is tied to Goslar, a town in Eastern Germany named for the Goslar River flowing through it. Although it’s unclear whether the beer was named for the town or the river, its roots are inextricably tied to the river and its natural salinity.
Originally gose was spontaneously fermented with naturally-occurring yeasts and delivered to local taverns in casks. As the initial fermentation started to slow, the beer was transferred into the traditional long-necked bottles. Secondary fermentation pushed yeast into the long neck where a natural yeast cork formed, indicating it was ready to drink.
Leipziger Gose
It wasn’t until 1738 when Goslar’s brewers discovered a larger market in nearby cities of Leipzig and Halle, that gose got its foothold in the beer industry. Goslar’s gose production couldn’t keep up with its rise in popularity, and the Leipziger Gose was born as a result. Leipzigers could not get enough of this tasty brew and by the 19th century, the city was home to over 80 Gose taverns. In the 1880s, brewers abandoned the spontaneous fermentation process, and found they could achieve similar results using cultured, top-fermenting yeast and lactic acid bacteria.
The Rise of Lagers
During World War II, the production of gose along with many other German beers ceased for a multitude of reasons, including rationing resources and increased taxation. As breweries reopened after the war, lagers which could be stored and transported much more easily, started taking the place of local top-fermenting wheat beers. Gose enjoyed a brief renaissance in 1949, but it died out again in 1966.
Revival of Gose
Gose was resurrected again in 1986 when Lothar Goldhahn purchased of one of Leipzig’s most famous Gose taverns, in hopes of reviving the historical style. Interest in the Leipziger gose beer began to grow in the late 1990s and has gained international attention in more recent years.
What about the Purity Laws?
German purity laws have been modified several times since the now famous 1516 Bavarian purity laws were introduced. In 1993 beer laws were amended allowing brewers to use other malted grains such as wheat in their beer. Although coriander is not permitted in German brews, gose gets an exemption on the basis of being a regional specialty and because it predates the original purity laws.
Over the past several years gose has gained popularity particularly in North America, where the style continues to change and evolve. If you’re looking for a light-bodied, tart and refreshing beer, this may just be the brew for you.
By Erica Campbell
I’m back with another riveting edition of Women Brewer’s Spotlight!
I’m thrilled today to check in with longtime SOBDL superfan and all-around wonderful human, Esther Farias (she/her). Simply put, Esther is a delight. I first met this hilarious ball of energy at one of our early Society of Beer Drinking Ladies bevies in Toronto. Digging through our photo album archives, I BELIEVE Bevy0011 at Propeller Coffee in November of 2014 was one of the first bevies Esther attended.
I’ll never forget, at this venue we grossly underestimated the number of washrooms needed for the number of attendees (women drinking beer all night, ya know!?). The bathroom line-up became very long early on in the night and stayed that way, winding around the room. Esther was volunteering at one of our pop-up beer bars, slinging beers out of our finicky draught units into compostable cups for bevy goers. She clearly saw that the line was not dwindling down any time soon, so then proceeded to get crafty and walk two full pitchers of beer over to the bathroom line and yell “WHO NEEDS BEER WHILE YOU’RE WAITING TO PEE?!”
Women were overjoyed they could have another brew whilst waiting for the bathroom, throwing their beer tickets at Esther in exchange for the unidentified foamy pitcher beer. Esther multi-tasked like a pro, stuffing beer tickets in her pockets, filling cups with beer and then running back to the bar to refill and drop off the tickets! This went on for most of the night and although she had left her volunbeer post, her bartending skills were put to good use and her rogue entrepreneurial spirit was the highlight of my night.
Flash forward to present day, and I am really proud of Esther who is now employed full-time as a brewer at one of Canada’s most influential and iconic craft breweries, Steam Whistle. Her confidence and work ethic have paid off and I love seeing her shine in this role. I would hope that all the beer she drank, connections she made and beer she slung at our bevies over the years also played some sort of a role too 🙂
So without further ado, meet Esther!
Drinking beer of course! I moved to Canada from Mexico for a business management program. As a student, I needed a part time gig, so I started bartending at a fancy place downtown, with quite a broad selection of craft beer, which I discovered I liked a lot. I finished school and I started working for the LCBO, focused in the craft beer area of the business. That was a fun job. Getting samples brewery-fresh and then having to decide if we could sell it in the store? Heck yeah!
I am the kind of person that researches every thing that catches my interest. Deeply. When I discovered that beer could be made at home, it was a game changer for me. All of this exposure to craft beer made me eager to broaden my horizons in the industry, which led me to apply for a job at Steam Whistle. I knew I still wanted to gig in beer – but in a fun, more laid-back environment.
I have to say that I found a home thanks to my friends there: Max (taproom supervisor) and Jen and Joyce (fellow brewers.) It is these ladies who motivated me and kept me happy to show up to work every day. Jen and Joyce were patient enough with me to teach me all they know about the brewery and its quirks! Max made every hangout at work (and after) amazing and fun. I also have to give a big shout out to Jeff Pearson. He is retired now, but he is my mentor and one of my coolest friends. These people changed my life, trained me and motivated me to come to work with a huge smile and disposition to learn.
It’s pretty steady with the occasional surprise! On a regular basis I take care of filtration and filter shut-down, tank monitoring, cellaring tasks, and tank CIPs (cleaning). There is always the tank CIP after we are done filtering the beer in it. In such a busy facility, especially with all the new brands we are working with, turning the tanks around is fundamental to keep the production’s synergy.
When in the cellar, the most important part of the job is making sure the beer and the yeast are happy and stable. Yeast management as well as fermentation and aging monitoring are very important to us. And of course, I participate in the super important sensory test before releasing a tank for packaging. It’s a responsibility I bear with joy. All I’m saying is we are always busy and I love it!
I literally just asked. I was working as a bartender and tour guide at the time. One day I ran into the Brewmaster, Erica, and I asked her if it was cool for me to apply for a brewer job (I was a couple of beers in, as one does). I mentioned that I had a bunch of training provided by the LCBO as well as some schooling on my own, in addition to home brewing. She said it was cool and encouraged me to apply, since hiring internally is a big value for the company. I got an interview with a bunch of dudes, and at the end only two other guys from outside made it, and myself. I was the only girl that applied for that job and I got it. I will always be proud of that.
In my opinion, the most important trait of a brewer is our capacity to troubleshoot on the fly. There is no room for error in a facility as big as Steam Whistle, so we have to do everything possible for things to run smoothly. That is a big chunk of my job. I find it extremely satisfying to analyze where things got stuck and “MacGyver” my way out of it.
In addition Steam Whistle, along with many craft breweries, is an excellent place for personal development. If you want to get trained on a new process and/or machine, there is always an opportunity for us working on the floor. I feel I am a constant work in progress and I find that very fulfilling.
Overall, working in any craft brewery is a happy experience. The craft beer is a community where everybody is welcome and I love that.
Also, did I mention the free beer? That’s a cool perk to have.
Surviving this apocalypse is key. It has been keeping me pretty busy so far. Personally and professionally I want to continue learning and developing my brewing skills, but I am also interested in following how the industry is adapting to meet the needs and demands of these weird and uncertain times.
If you want the job, go for it. If you have the knowledge and the skills, the only thing you have to tell the people who say you can’t do it is “watch me.”
I love bitters and English ales. They are my go-to on any given day. That being said, I also love visiting a local brewery every time I travel and just sampling what they have to offer. It’s a great way to find delightful surprises.
No matter where I am, I need music in the background. My playlists are all over the place and my range can go from Folk to the deep corners of the 80’s. The more synth the better. I will say there is always a fair amount of Fleetwood Mac in there, the brewer soul I have needs to keep things witchy.
I don’t like pizza. Gave it a try many, many times. I just don’t get it.
Written by Leah Kitagawa
I met Joan many years ago when I was new to the restaurant industry with a lot to learn. Over the years she’s offered many words of encouragement with a few bits of unsolicited advice too.
Joan has worked in the craft beer industry for 30 years and is truly one of the OG badass women in beer. She’s kind, compassionate, the queen of quippy banter and a cryptic crossword master. Over the years she has played an instrumental role in cultivating a warm, welcoming and inclusive environment at C’est What. So without further ado, meet the legendary JOAN!
I started selling craft beer at C’est What in January, 1991. The industry at that time was relatively new and I knew very little about it. I had sold Creemore at a couple of bars in the mid-eighties but so did everyone else who’s old enough to remember! George had a vision of what this bar would look like and I was inadvertently along for what turned out to be quite a ride. The interest in micro-brews grew rapidly and it was great to be a part of it.
Back then it wasn’t always easy to sell these fine beers. For many customers even Sleeman Lager was too exotic, so it certainly wasn’t without its challenges. There was a loyal following of beer lovers at the time but they were definitely in the minority. I remember a couple of instances where there were people that actually left because they couldn’t get a Blue or a Canadian. Secretly I was glad to see them go and sometimes not so secretly at all.
I am sure there are many reasons for the success that C’est What has enjoyed over the years. The quality of what goes across the bar or out of the kitchen has always been a priority. This sentiment has continually manifested itself among the staff. It instilled a sense of pride and loyalty that created an environment where customers have felt comfortably at home time after time. We have always felt like family and this is apparent in our relationships with not only customers but delivery people, sales reps and anyone else who walks down those stairs.
I have a lot of advice for customers as they well know – sometimes they listen, other times they do not. I’ve known a few of them for half of my life. Some of them I see every other day, others religiously once a year and a few I actually see far too often. Truth be told I miss them all right now. I’m sure they’re having a nice little break. Hopefully it won’t be for too much longer.
I’ve had a few favourite beers over the years. Connors Bitter, Hart Amber Ale, Dragons Breath, Mild Brown Ale and King Pilsner to name a few. As a few people might know, once I find one that I like I tend to stick with it until it’s not available anymore. It gives me something valid to complain about at the very least. The breweries have always been represented to me by the people who work for them. My relationship with these people has even become more important than the product itself at times. It has been my pleasure and a lot of fun to help them flog their beer. So, there are no favourite breweries. There are just favourite people.