Beer Festivals in Toronto – Different Strokes for Different Folks

We start with a philosophical question: can you love the same thing for different, and in some ways conflicting, reasons? That’s the question I’ve been asking myself since attending two major beer festivals in Toronto over the past few weeks: the Toronto Festival of Beer and the Roundhouse Craft Beer Festival.

The Toronto Festival of Beer – big, loud, glorious

What do you get when you mix 120 beer brands, loud music and pub food with uncertain weather, a sprawling outdoor venue and 30,000 thirsty Ontarians? The answer is a raucous, sticky mess of good ol’ fashioned fun.

What’s true is that you can’t call this a beer connoisseur event. It’s simply too impersonal (not many brew masters or owners/founders to be seen), too generalized (cider, coolers, mixers, you can find them all) and just too big to gain that distinction.

But here’s the thing: the Toronto Festival of Beer is not trying to be a beer connoisseur event. Sure they have some offerings to attract beer enthusiasts - an impressive number of international brewers, some interesting teaching events and a solid selection of cask and seasonal beer – but the core of this event is really about the party and offering a chance to try a huge selection of beers, in a fun environment, with like-minded people. 

And that’s where it delivers. The selection is enormous and extremely diverse. The music, fast paced and easy to enjoy. The food, plentiful enough to sop up any over indulgence. And the vast majority of people, there for the sole purpose of having a great time.

A few detractors:

• Long lines: for everything. Bathrooms, sampling tokens, samples, food. You do a fair bit of waiting around. 
• Cost inconsistency: does a sample cost one, two or three tokens? Does that get you a full sample or half a sample? CONFUSED!
• Beer inconsistency: we found some warm beer and some that just tasted off. To be expected considering the environment and volume. 

The highlight of the festival was chatting with Nathan from Double Trouble Brewing Co., makers of the fantastic IPA Hops & Robbers and the newer Prison Break Pilsner. These guys embody the independent spirit on Ontario craft brewing and are pretty hilarious on Twitter. Give them a follow.

The Roundhouse Craft Beer Festival – local, quaint, social

Hosted at one of Toronto’s most iconic breweries, the Steam Whistle Roundhouse, this hyper-local festival features only registered Ontario Craft Brewers. Fifteen of OCB’s 31 member breweries were in attendance along with 8 food trucks and a smattering of talented local musicians covering a gamut of genres from punk and rock to one lone guy on a ukulele.

Entering Roundhouse Park we instantly felt the pride. Under the shadow of the Roundhouse you see banners of familiar local breweries and the scene just oozes with the camaraderie and fellowship that makes the Ontario brewing industry so special. There is a complete freedom from competition and great respect between the breweries (as seen when they recommend each other’s brews).

The atmosphere is beautifully laid back and welcoming. No lines or the animosity they create. People leaning against trees or sitting on the grass. We were thrilled to get the chance to chat with brew masters and owners, including the great folks from Grand River Brewing and Neustadt Springs Brewery (home of the very approachable 10w30 Dark Ale, which, when mixed with their Sour Krautlager, forms the delicious Black Raspberry). 

The food selection was stellar. We enjoyed pulled brisket poutine, veal sandwiches, ravioli and fish tacos while just missing out on wood fired pizza. And these gourmet dishes rolled in on wheels.

The similar issue of cost inconsistency found at the Toronto Festival of Beer was also present here. The selection also left something to be desired, as even some local favourites were missing. Amsterdam’s Oranje Weisse was a noted absence despite being one of their more promoted seasonals.

With it’s personal feel and great focus, the Roundhouse festival is an awesome celebration of Ontario beer.

Final ramblings:

For me, the answer to our philosophical question is yes. Depending on what you are looking for you might prefer the hot mess that is the Toronto Festival or Beer or you may be attracted to the local celebration of the Roundhouse Craft Beer Festival. If you’re like me, I can show love for both, and am a happy man knowing that beer culture in Toronto is alive and well.

Follow Scott F. on Twitter at https://twitter.com/SFRealManTravel

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Chimay Rouge

*The lads from Real Man Travels are at Toronto's Festival of Beer this weekend. Send us a Tweet to let us know you're there.  

Since my visit to Brewery Ommegang I have developed a fascination for Belgian beers. I’ve been scouring LCBOs (Ontario’s sole proprietor of liquor, and one of only two outlets authorized to sell beer) in search of these unique brews. Finding some of the more publicized Belgian and Belgian-style beers has proven quite a task; as while the LCBO is the regulating body for beer, each store has a different selection based on its size and the community it serves.

One brand that seems synonymous with Belgium’s Trappist brewing tradition is Chimay; and Chimay’s pride and joy is their Premiere ale (or Rouge or Red Cap, depending on who you ask).

Good beers and good views go hand in hand.

Chimay celebrated their 150th anniversary last year and has a great story, making it a really cool party and conversation beer. You hear those proud tradition claims a lot in the beer industry, but Chimay is one of few that stick this close to their roots and original recipe - though they have a bit of an unfair advantage. That’s because Chimay is, and always has been, brewed by monks in a monastery in the Belgian countryside. No jokes. I suppose when you live a devoted and solitary lifestyle, keeping your brewing traditions alive is a little easier. I’m sure celibacy, relative sobriety and other monk-ish customs don’t hurt either.

One of the things that make Trappist beers so incredible is that the profits from the beers are used strictly to maintain the monasteries that brew the beer. For breweries like Chimay, whose international beer brings in much more that just what is required to upkeep brew kettles, stables and halls, all the excess profits are used to support charities and fund good works. A brewery that makes an incredibly delicious beer and has a sincere dedication to faith, tradition and charity - you can’t go wrong.

Belgians are crazy for ales, in fact, it’s pretty much all they do. And they do them nothing like the ales we’ve become accustomed to in North America. For example, Trappist beers are usually bottle conditioned, meaning they go through a second or third fermentation in the bottle, allowing them to carbonated naturally as opposed to being force carbonated by adding CO2. This also gives Trappist beers a cloudy appearance.
Rouge is considered a dubbel, which, at 7% ABV, is on the milder side as Trappist brews go. To go stronger, look for a tripel or even the non-traditional quadrupel.

Chimay Rouge is a deliciously delicate beer. Everyone agrees you should drink this beer from a glass, and not chilled, just cool, to experience all the flavours. One sniff and you’ll be hit by fruit and the first sip will confirm it on your pallet. Definitely a brew to be savoured and enjoyed; after all, it’s 150 years in the making.

Life goal #1: find my way to Belgium and visit this monastery. They even have beer cheese!

User the LCBO Product Search to find Chimay at an LCBO near you. Drink responsibly, and enjoy the good life.

Scott F, (@SFRealManTravel) formally of the Ontario-focussed travel blog http://ontarioisms.wordpress.com/, is passionate about all things that make up a good life. Beer, friends, travel, sports, food, beer... he believes that the good life does not come to you, you must pursue it and make it conscious. Scott is in the process of returning to blogging and will be sure to stop by Real Man Travels whenever possible.  

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