brewers CRAP

This small backlog of consumed items is best displayed in a beer and book paring.

"The Maze" by Monica Hughes .... Each chapter of this made me want more....at a certain point I had to just finish it. An extreme case of high school bullying with some crazy magic twists.  Monica Hughes has always been a fav of mine, she did not disappoint with this one.    "Belvidere Big IPA"  by Rock Art ..... Each sip of this beer was as enticing as the last.... at a certain point my beer man just had to finished it.....

  

Polly Horvath has great stories, each so different from the last.  Each book I read is a surprise.  "The Canning Season" tells us about two old ladies who live deep in the woods in Maine and a little girl that comes to live with them.  With a telephone that only has incoming calls, bears, blueberries and a crazy set of people showing up..... hey it's a Polly Horvath, plot hilarity and unpredictable..... read this book........ "Red Racer" brewed in Surrey, BC.....did I mention that Polly (we are on first basis) lives in BC.... "Red Racer"  I love the graphics.  Girl with wild red hair riding a bike with her pumps...... NO helmet ..... Crazy Fun... I actually didn't drink this one yet but the ladies of the woods in "The Canning Season" seemed to be drinking a lot.... it reminded me of this can.

    

Mustard and Beer are a classic combo.  In this case I used Wellington's (one of my locals) Silver Wheat Ale in a Course Grain Mustard.  It takes at least 3 weeks for the flavor to develop.  The Mustard Party is tomorrow, I have resisted tasting it for three long weeks..... the mustard not the beer...... the beer smooth, lovely, just as every wheat should be, I have it now and then..... it's one of my locals but not the Beer Man's Brewery....... THE MUSTARD.... will be sampled tomorrow along with several others and I'll get back to you on how it goes....... H

Blonde Ale that is.  Last night my beer man and I tried Railway City's Iron Spike Blonde Ale.  I would buy this again. With a Bright and Cheerful finish and  a lovely amber color, it left me wishing I had bought more than one........ Beer man reviled that he had, had the Dead Elephant from Railway City and was a fan.  It would seem that Jumbo the Elephant had died in Saint Thomas and is now remember in the form of a IPA.  (I'm told that they have a Coffee Porter and somthing about a double IPA.)    H

 

 "Grease Town" is a junior fiction novel by Ann Towell.  Set in Oil Springs, Ontario during the oil boom in 1850's.  Ontario....oil boom....yes...... I checked online.......Some how I either missed this bit of Ontario history or have forgot this bit of history.   Non the less, this novel was interesting (historically) AND well written.  Grease Town.....Railway City........ while online I noticed that Oil Springs is quite close Railway City brewery in St Thomas.  I haven't yet tried any Railway City nor been to Oil Springs.......I'm thinking road trip.

H

Last week the boys and I went on a road trip.  As we were sorely unprepared for every possible outcome, I found that I was stranded with 5 bottles of Mcleans Pale Ale and a copy of Evan Marshall's "Toasting Tina".   I drank the Pale Ale but have not yet, read "Toasting Tina". I should mention that we were stranded in Southampton, Ontario, at a friends cottage.  Stranded in this case would be a grave over exaggeration as we spent three days lazing on the beach..... eating  large pieces of beef and drinking Mcleans Pale Ale.  The book was ..... for show.  A library discard.  There is a cat on the cover.  I like cats.  Perhaps one day I will read "Toasting Tina". NON the less..... A large Thank-you shout out to our friends that invited us to stay at their cottage and enjoy all that Southampton has to offer. Cheers H

 

BEER

Regal.....Spell it backwards...... I found that slogan on the front of a book that George bought today at the CCBA (Collectors of Canadian Brewery Advertising) 31st annual convention in Kitchener.  What a fun bunch.  Everyone was so friendly.  Thank-you so much for including us.  AND Extra Thanks to George Vine for sharing some Les Trois Mousquetaires....Looking forward to trying that later.

BOOK

I have finished "if you live like me" by Lori Weber.  READ this book.....if you are 15 read this book.....if you are 45 read this book.  I was captivated from start to finish.  Cheryl, the main character, is forced to move every year for her father's job.  She just wants to go home and is so focused on wanting to go home, that she doesn't realize there are some pretty cool things going on in Newfoundland.  A crazy incident gives her a new outlook on "the rock".   Again read this book.

H

 Don't get me wrong.  I do enjoy drinking beer.  Trying new beer.   Toronto Beer Festival is coming up this weekend and with CASKapalooza at the event..... Let just say I'm looking forward to "Does This Muumuu Make me Look Hefe?".  I enjoy being marketed to with interesting labels. I enjoy watching my partner's beer passion.  I enjoy eating ridiculously large steaks with our friends from Toronto and sampling selections of ridiculously hopped beers.  I enjoy sampling different kinds of sausages with different mustards while drinking one of my favorite beers. 

I have been struggling with this BLOG thing.  I really want to write it, but felt I should write about beer....as not my passion....it felt forced.  My passion books. 

I recently met a girl.  She is lovely.  My son wants to be just like her (he wants her job).  She works for Simon and Schuster.  I met her at Hillside Music Fest and immediately noticed her Bill Pete body art.  They (her boyfriend and her)  came over for sausages and mustard..... and brought the above mentioned favorite beer.  We talked books, the boys talked beer..... the evening was perfect.  

Last night.....early this morning, I decided that I shall BLOG about books.... Two things A.... I love Young Adult.....B I read mostly Canadian authors.  I'm about halfway through "if you live like me" by Lori Weber.  The back cover boasts Lori to be a masterful story teller.  The book doesn't disappoint.  The main character is unlikable, and yet I like her.  The setting Newfoundland.....and now I want to move there......... Lori even worked in a brewery reference.   Cheers Lori....I can't wait to see how it ends.    H

Hillside Festival starts tomorrow!!!!  brewersCRAP will there all weekend selling our CRAP...... 

This crazy ass photo is actually the Strawberries used to make their Strawberry Light.  Soooo. Yummy. 

 Hillside in four and half weeks...........

 Although we are still in Guelph.  George and I have spent the last while "movin' shop".  We've only gone two doors over but the box and unbox procedure remains the same.  AND I'm proud to say that most of the box from one house to the other was done via cycle and trailer!!!

Roving CRAP rep (and FM brewer) George is on his way to Niagara College to check out the new Brewmaster & Brewery Operations program.

Mr Brewerscrap…..aka George is now on route to the Craft Brewers Conference in Chicago.

Our friend at Knot so Beautiful has come through with this awsome game board for us. It is made from skid wood, comes with Free Trade Coffee Beans as play pieces and a snappy carrying bag. AND Pete (the worker of wood) hand rubbed on the finish of milk paint and shellac(which turns out to be bug poo…..aka CRAP…now I love it even more. Not only is Shellac fun to say, it’s bug poo!!!) I think this game would look great on your coffee table so that it’s ready to play ALWAYS…. : ) H

He waited up for us. As we celebrated our first year at the Wooly, Mr Pickles watched for us at the window. With his unblinking eyes, staring into the darkness, waited. While we hung out with our Friends John ,Helen, Michelle, Matt, Spencer, the rest of the F&M crew and all our friend, Mr Pickles waited. He waited unknowing that George was giving a George speach. He waited while someone made some cool salt and pepper art.

Mr Pickle waited while I showed off our stuff….

and while “The Beer Delivery Guy” spread the Stonehammer word.

He was waiting for us to come home……so that he could walk around on us all night…..He is sleeping now…purr-haps I shall wake him up.

H

But here goes anyway…….and people were telling me that they actually read this…..SOooo Thanks for reading this AND Thank-you thank-you to Everyone that came out the Wooly tonight……(Photos to follow in the morning)…. and thanks to the Wooly for having us……and Thanks to Mr Pickles for waiting up (and bunching up all the rugs).

George and I are getting ready for our party tomorrow. We hope to see everyone there!!!

It’s a JPEG…….not a PDF.

Looking down the right side of this website……. instead of the wrong side (unfinished). We are celebrating our first year as brewersCRAP and this website in Guelph on the 23rd of March…. At the Wooly…..6 till cpm. There will be free CRAP for the first 20 people….. food AND for reason I can not upload the flyer….. will make future attempts.

H