Paired with Third Moon Brewing’s Rise Granite Brewery’s chef Uthayan created these jerk chicken wings—some of the best in the city. Supplied photo As the leaves start to change colours and Ontario slides into sweater weather, know that this Jerk Chicken Wing recipe will keep your spirits high all season long.  The Granite Brewery has been operating at the corner of Mount Pleasant and Eglinton in midtown Toronto since 1991. Chef Uthayan joined the company 21 years ago as a dishwasher, worked his way up the chain through years of dedication and hard work.  The thyme and numerous spices ..read more

(or how I learned to stop being a hater and just enjoy the damn beer) Staff photo illustration Ontario’s beer market is in the midst of a monumental change when it comes to craft beer and the companies that make it. Consolidation and contraction have seen regional players sell off or band together in an effort to combat shrinking margins and unpredictable market forces. The pressure to follow trend has brewers jumping on America’s newest beer trend: Cold IPA.  Pioneered by Kevin Davey, Brewmaster at Wayfinder Brewing in Seattle, Cold IPA follows the same objective as its much-maligned pre ..read more

University of Guelph students are enthusiastic, eager to learn and highly teachable—they’re ideal candidates to work in the craft beer industry during peak months. Photo courtesy of University of Guelph Even in the depths of winter, it’s important not to lose sight of the challenges that breweries face during the busier months. With warmer weather comes increased sales, increased traffic through your taproom, and an entire season of festivals and farmers markets that you’re going to require staff for.  “The summer of 2023 is going to look a lot more like the summer of 2019 than last year ..read more

Meuse Brewing’s Mischa Geven overseeing the beginnings of a protein break. Supplied photo While the province of Ontario is up to nearly 400 breweries, many of them make beers in similar styles. The near total dominance of the IPA category and the use of aromatic hop additions has resulted in a situation where a genericness has crept into the scene. It’s only amongst the iconoclasts of the province, those who are based in tradition or determined to be different, that one finds truly unique beer.  In this case, I’m talking about Belgian styles. Historically, these have been more relevant to ..read more

This month we’re going Kingston-centric, Junior Rangers. We’ve got a couple of beer loving individuals who help make the beer scene in that great city what it is.  Kathy Yan Li. Supplied photo Name: Kathy Yan Li Occupation: Day job in emergency services, but I help run Canadian Homebrewers Association and Canuck Cider Cup in my free time.  Beer of the Moment: R-100 IPA from Muddy York The last time I stopped by a GTA Brews homebrew club meeting in 2019, I was on maternity leave and visiting from out of province. Lots has changed since then, including one more kid and a move back to O ..read more

Capital beers in the capital city Situated in Chinatown, Spark Beer is a great spot for adventurous sour beer. Supplied photo Our nation’s capital usually plays second fiddle as a tourist destination to Montreal and Toronto but it’s a great place for anyone, let alone a beer hound, to stop in for a few nights. Ottawa’s craft beer scene has been growing steadily in size and reputation in the last few years even with all the challenges breweries have had to face during the course of the pandemic. In addition to being the capital, Ottawa is also famous for sharing a border with Quebec with the ci ..read more

Getty Images photo This past summer was a particularly humid one and paired with work ramping up, I quite often had a drink in my hand. Sometimes it would be an iced coffee or the odd hefeweizen (it’s my favourite summer beer), but lately the drink I’ve been turning to in my quiet moments alone is one that would cause a particular kind of craft beer nerd to raise their presumably bushy eyebrow. I’ve been drinking mass-produced lager. Now, let’s get this out of the way. Idealistic arguments aside, there really isn’t anything wrong with that. I know at least two or three people featured in this ..read more

Here at The Growler, we love to pair our beer with the seasons. Here are three we think you should try, with handy links to purchase too. Cheers! Supplied photoBlack Gold Brewery’s Angry Redhead 22 IBU / 5.3% ABV Angry Redhead is an Irish Red with rich caramel maltiness with notes of roasted barley and fresh baguette. It has a low hop presence with a smooth creamy finish for a taste of the Emerald Isle. 22 IBU and 5.3% ABV Buy it here or in person at the brewery. Supplied photoWellington Imperial Stout 8% ABV This bold, full-bodied stout is jet black with a deep tan head and an inviting aroma ..read more

High Park’s Across the Pond ESB. Supplied photoWHAT IS IT? A top fermented ale just that little bit stronger and darker than a typical pub strength English Bitter, among the stronger offerings from English breweries, but average for American craft beer. DANGER LEVEL Expensive pub session possible GLASS Nonic pint STYLE STATS ABV: 4.6-6.2% IBU: 30-50 Colour: Gold to dark amber Body: Medium full Bubbles: Somewhat sedate (on cask) ORIGIN STORY In the 1970s, Fullers wanted to break out and make something Special. Extra Special. Their ESB, the progenitor of the style, was nearly a full percent stro ..read more

You’re buying gifts for people? In this economy?! Well, that’s awfully nice of you. You’re clearly a stand up type with a penchant for selflessness. If Santa leaves coal in your stocking, it will probably be to help keep your energy costs down. It’s a bit difficult finding gifts for beer fans that they haven’t seen already. For one thing, beer people are notoriously impulse buyers. A trip to the LCBO in November for a six pack might result in the purchase of a number of holiday gift packs. Besides which, most of the beer people have been paying attention for a while. They probably already hav ..read more