I quite enjoyed the process of creating my table of craft beer benchmark prices. There seemed to be a fairly enthusiastic response to it. But, why keep going with this shtick? Well, despite the implication from Garrett Oliver a while back on Facebook that one would have to be a real wet blanket to consider beer based on its price per litre, I think this is something that needs more attention. In Toronto, there are enough beer writers scribbling away that we do a very good job of packing the LCBO’s small tasting room to the brim and yet, I feel like value has […]
David Ort
standard Book Signing at The Cookery Store
What: Cooking demonstration of a few of the beer-centric recipes from The Canadian Craft Beer Cookbook. Where: The Cookery Store, 303 Roncesvalles Avenue, Toronto When: 1 November, 12:30 PM Other Details: Copies of my cookbook will be for sale and I’m more than happy to sign them. Tickets: Free. I’m thankful that several entrepreneurs have stepped in to fill the void that was created when The Cookbook Store closed earlier this year. Most of these new entries tend to lean in the direction of diversification and sell kitchenwares and cooking equipment as well as cookbooks. Happily, as of just over a month ago, […]
standard Banned Beer Words and Usage
UPDATE: I’ve started to add in suggestions from others and have separated out the words that aren’t banned, but need to be used with caution. This post draws inspiration from a few separate, but related sources. Several weeks ago, Raphael Brion left his long-held post as the Eater National editor. As well, I’ve been thinking about the post that Stephen Beaumont published a while ago dealing with when it is and is not okay to append the “Belgian” descriptor in front of a beer or beer style. Brion did a lot of great things for Eater, but many (even most) of […]
standard Craft Beer with Caledon Public Library
What: Talk and demonstration of a few of the beer-centric recipes from The Canadian Craft Beer Cookbook. Where: Albion Bolton Branch, Ena Badger Room When: 30 October, 7 – 8 PM Other Details: Copies of my cookbook will be for sale and I’m more than happy to sign them. Tickets: Free. As I mentioned last month, library events are a favourite of mine. So, I was definitely happy to be invited to Bolton by the folks from Forster’s Book Garden and the Caledon Library Cookbook Club to introduce the group to a few of the recipes from my cookbook, offer some tips about […]
standard Taste Canada Cooks the Books
What: On-stage cooking competition Where: Delicious Food Show, Direct Energy Centre, Toronto When: 19 October, 4 – 5 PM Tickets: Ticket to DFS required. More info about purchasing them here. As part of their mission to raise the profile for Canada’s cookbook awards, Taste Canada is bringing back their Cooks the Books competition for a second year. Cookbook authors who were nominated for an award will be paired with separate teams of culinary students who will prepare one of the recipes from the book as part of an onstage, judged competition at the Delicious Food Show. The chefs-to-be from St. Pius […]
standard Grocery Innovations Canada
I really like being asked to sit on judging panels. Maybe I’m just judgmental by nature or maybe I appreciate the reminder of those high school classes when the teacher ceded the conch to the boys and let us mark each other. Either way, I was pleased when the folks at Butter PR asked if I would be part of the group tasked with picking the most innovative product of this year’s Grocery Innovations Canada show. Follow the link to Spotlight Toronto for the rest of my story about the Grocery Innovations Canada show.
standard Ontario Craft Beer Benchmark Prices
Just like every other system, the LCBO and Beer Store duopoly has its pluses and minuses. It’s worth noting that getting Ontarians a comparatively good price on certain craft beers – especially classic, but high production Belgians like Rochefort 8 and Chimay Blue – is one of the appreciated up-sides. It’s also clear from sales data, conversations I’ve had with employees, and rough observation that the LCBO has devoted a big chunk of its selection of the past couple years to new Ontario beers. If “supporting local” is a priority for you, then this should make you smile, at least begrudgingly. As […]
standard A Pint’s a Pint
Chris Conway, a Canadian beer blogger whose stuff I read, posted this week about the beer angle to the recent Fairness at the Pumps Act and the resulting newspaper stories. I commented on the post, talked about it on Facebook, and considered writing more in those places, but that’s usually a signal that I’m interested enough to publish a blog post of my own. I think it’s important to say that Chris makes some excellent points. Namely: Foam is an integral part of a well-poured pint. It improves the beer’s appearance and savour. If I had to choose one or the other, […]
standard Beer Dinner: Innis & Gunn at The Bristol
I didn’t have to wait long for someone to take me up on my offer to help promote an upcoming beer dinner in Toronto. On 30 September, Dougal Sharp the founder of Innis & Gunn will be at The Bristol on Queen West for a four-course special event. Happily, Innis & Gunn PR reps here in Toronto were good sports about answering the standard questions I set out, which I hope will help you decide whether this dinner is worth your while. Here are their answers: Roughly, how much of the beer menu is limited edition or one-off beers? There will be […]
standard New Home, New List
I started writing about food and drink in one place on the Internet. It is a blog called Food With Legs and since early 2009 it has been the easiest place to find my geeky, curious, rant-filled thoughts about the very best things to eat and drink. The challenge inherent to starting with the blog and then moving to freelance writing is that like dandelions in a suburban subdivision your writing can spread quickly and sometimes beyond your control. I think there are still at least a few people who share my eclectic set of interests and want to read […]