Thinking, Drinking, Eating Beer

I'm sure it's fairly obvious by now, that here at Bellwoods Brewery we're very passionate about making great, flavourful beer. And as is often the case with passionate endeavours, you can sometimes lose hold of that delicate life/work balance and begin to think only of beer. To speak about yeast viability at dinner. To, upon waking, brainstorm ways to keep our sour starter at the optimal temperature. The good thing about being a brewer is that thinking about beer day-in and day-out is my job. If, however, you are an accountant, lawyer, or veterinarian, thinking of beer 24/7 could become quite detrimental to the ol' career. What can I say, life isn't exactly fair. 

But every job has its pros and cons, this is not enlightening information -- so because I can't come to your desk directly to share the beer on my brain, I figured I would do it in recipe form. A beer-inspired recipe from a beer-obsessed mind, a little something to warm you up in this Never Ending Winter. 

Grognard Chili Recipe (based on this one here)

This sort of recipe, one that doesn't need exact measurements, is my favourite kind to make. With room for improvisation (ie, substituting ingredients because I'm too lazy to trudge through ice and slush to get to the grocery store), you can generally use what you have and still come up with a delicious meal. 

Your ingredients: 

- 1kg(ish) of stewing beef, cut into cubes

- 2-4 cans of various beans (I used kidney, chickpeas, pinto, and black)

- 3 teaspoons salt (yes, I'm partially using American measurements. You could totally just weigh all these, but I'm assuming not everyone has a handy hop scale).

- 1-2 tablespoons oil (preferably something that can handle high temps, like grapeseed)

- 4 cloves garlic, minced   

- 2 onions, chopped finely

- chiles (this is where things get flexible. I used dried Guajillo chiles and they turned out relatively mild. You could try Ancho or Arbol for more of a kick. Use 3 or 4 dried, rehydrated in hot water, or 1 fresh, minced)

- spices: 2tsp dried oregano, 2tsp cumin, 1tsp paprika, 3tsp red chile powder)

- 2 cups (500ml) Bellwoods Brewery Grognard Session Stout (minus enough for a small tipple)

- 2 X 200g can of crushed/diced tomatoes

- 2oz (55g) unsweetened chocolate, chopped

- juice of a few limes

The directions really aren't too complicated, and are based on some pretty standard rules of cooking. I say this to encourage yous guys!

1. Heat your oil around medium, and brown your beef. This step is fairly important, so let the meat sit there and don't move it around. You want it to get good carmelization on the surface so remember, patience is a virtue! Let the beef take turns if the pan is small. 

You also want to boil a tiny bit of water and rehydrate your chiles at this point. Use scissors to cut up the chile, which will help you to avoid too much contact with your hands (that will inevitably reach for your vulnerable eyeballs, causing fiery lightning bolts of pain).

2. Throw, like literally, just huck the chopped onions in there and let them get translucent.  

3. Mix all your spices, garlic, and salt in until you can really smell them, mixing frequently. 

4. Now comes the fun part! Pour that bottle of beer in the pot, adding the tomatoes, beans, rehydrated chiles, and chocolate as well. And if you must, repeat after me: "This one's for my homies!"

5. Now all you have to do is simmer the mixture on the lowest heat possible, for somewhere around an hour (or until the meat is tender). Right before serving, mix in the lime juice. 

The unsweetened chocolate and Grognard really add a roasted depth of flavour here, that I find other chiles don't quite nail. In keeping with the quasi-Mexican theme, I dressed the bowls of chili with avocado slices, sour cream, and green onions, but you can do whatever you like. You're the boss of you, after all. Enjoy!

500ml bottles of Grognard can be purchased at our Bottle Shop (126 Ossington, beside the brewpub) for $4.50.

Common Threads

I'm not too skilled in the ways of tarot cards or crystal balls, but the fortune cookie I ate last week with some spicy szechuan beef predicted that I would have "a pleasant surprise in my future" and I can only assume it's referring to next week's beer releases (which are plentiful). 

But perhaps that somewhat stale, if not strangely delectable, cookie may have been hinting at more immediate surprises -- like the new and improved Brettal Head that we kegged just this morning and swiftly put on draft for its modest re-release tonight. Refined and renewed, this simple pale ale showcases all the complex fruity notes you can hope to attain through an all-Brett fermentation. With lots of hoppy aromatics bordering on blueberry and tangerine and a light refreshing flavour that skirts bitterness in favour of a crisp zestiness, we definitely know what we'll be drinking tonight. 

And yet, it's tough to interpret everything that cookie was trying to tell me, if for no other reason than the fact that cookies don't talk. So it's possible that cookie was referring to a different surprise, the much bigger, more obvious surprise that we've been aging for the past 3 months, the surprise that I can't even be modest about because it blew my mind doors right off the hinges. Esteemed citizens of Toronto, I'm ridiculously excited to introduce you to the 2 beers that have sky-rocketed to the top of our favourites (ever!) list: Warp & Weft, and Weft & Warp.

Huh? Let me explain.

In the dead of winter last year we filled two sets of barrels, tequila and white wine, with a sour berliner as an experiment of sorts. Unsure of how the flavours would mingle but excited to monitor the results, it wasn't long before we realized that we had created something exceptional. 

But what do those words even mean? Good question.

Warp refers to the lengthwise threads that run north-south in fabric, while Weft refers to the widthwise threads that run east-west. They are woven together to create cloth, something altogether greater than the sum of its parts. You could say these two beers share common threads, or are cut from the same cloth, and yet, their two personalities are distinctly different.

Warp & Weft is our tequila barrel-aged berliner weisse. Sour, citrusy, and taking on all the complex flavours of tequila without the harsh alcohol heat, this intense beer is strangely like a margarita. Subtle flavours of aloe, grapefruit, lime juice and salt vie for a background role. 

Weft & Warp is our white wine barrel-aged berliner weisse. Sour, with a bright floral bouquet and intense peach flavours not unlike those present in a Sauvignon Blanc or Chardonnay, this version too has taken on a lot of barrel characteristics. A great foil for the tequila barrel version. 

In our humblest, down home opinions, these two beers are every conceivable metaphor you could make about home runs. I can't force you to buy them in a pair, but it would be silly to miss out on either. So let's get to the big question, WHEN?! Here's what our next week of releases looks like: 

Monday (Jan 27th): Roman released in bottles! Yay for IPAs!

Tuesday (Jan 28th): Drink Roman. Rejoice.

Wednesday (Jan 29th): Wizard Wolf released in bottles. Fist pump!

Thursday (Jan 30th): WARP & WEFT/ WEFT & WARP BOTTLES RELEASED. THANK ALL THAT IS HOLY IN THIS WORLD!

Friday (Jan 31): All of the above.

Witchshark Gone Wild

Greetings fellow earthlings. We have survived into yet another year past the scheduled apocalypse, and somehow (thankfully) Youtube is still free. So there is a God after all.

I'm not too rigid about making lots of New Year's Resolutions, but I polled the staff and here are some good ones (if perhaps, you're still searching): swear less (couldn't we all?), stop eating so many fries (easier said than done), be more diabolical (ha!), and last but not least, try not to wake up disoriented in my dog's bed while Love Actually plays on TV in the background. All valid goals. 

In the name of the new year, the year of the horse (says Wikipedia), we wanted to take care of a bit of housekeeping before we gallop off into the sunset of 2014. 

In the latter half of December 2013 we asked you to take a picture of the Witchshark flying around in his natural habitat, keeping in mind that no location was too ridiculous -- we learned that this guy gets around. Some of our favourite submissions:

Witchshark in Amurica, basking in the natural beauty of the Grand Canyon and Big Sur. 

But then he flew half way around the world to be a tourist in the Czech Republic. 

But did you know the Witchshark is cultured?! He likes to appreciate fine paintings and drink mulled wine, gingerly, of course. 

The Witchshark runs into a sad imposter, stews angrily about it so much that he exhausts himself. 

Trapped in a terrarium. Can't say he loved this...

Celebrity edition: Keith Haring, and Yeezus(!). 

Would you look at that! He managed to find a brewery while in Newfoundland. He likes beer, but he loves the ladies...

Never one to pass up an opportunity, the Witchshark goes on a romantic date and ignores our calls. 

We enlisted the help of a highly qualified eclectic judging panel, and have decided that the winner is...

Witchshark looking for love in the alleyways! Great job @jesse_powell, but also thanks @naTASHaPK for inspiring us with the original, Witchshark in India. The two of you are both winners in our mind, and can pick up your free 4 pack and poster after this Friday in the Retail Store.

Thanks to everyone for participating, and helping us to find that wandering Witchshark!

2013: A Year In Review

Whether or not we want to entertain the thoughts, December is a time for reflection. As one year draws to a close and another begins, we stop for a moment to look past the day-to-day and evaluate the changes, progress, and inevitable failures of the year that was -- though I would like to say that the President's Choice Hamburger flavour chips were really more of a folly than a failure. Failure is just too harsh. The question now, for us and for the future of esoteric potato chip flavours is of course, what next?

A wise woman once told me, there are no right or wrong decisions, we simply make choices and deal with the ramifications of such. And I think this is a good mantra for a craft brewery because we're constantly working hard, taking risks and experimenting, always hoping that the 50lbs of de-pitted plums we just added to the fermentor will produce a delicious beer. Because to be honest, that de-pitting sure did take a while...

For some, it was the year of finally deciding to buy a god foresaken protective case for their cell phone. For others, it was the year of microwavable chimichangas, or new heights in caffeine addiction.

And for us at Bellwoods, among other big developments, it truly was The Year Of Barreling. Though I would love to tell you that I mean that metaphorically as in, "we really came barreling into the hearts of people everywhere", my usage is much more literal, as in, we worked to brew enough beer to supply the brewpub, booming Bottle Shop, and then fill over 130 barrels. We ordered cognac barrels from France and port barrels from Portugal, we picked up red and white wine barrels from Norman Hardy in Prince Edward County and Tawse in the nearby Niagara region, we acquired tequila barrels from Mexico and ordered rum barrels from Jamaica. Then we reordered those same rum barrels from Jamaica after they got sawed open at US customs for posing a 'national security risk'. At least their God Blessed country remains safe!

Aside from barrels, there were a lot of highlights this year. In February the Retail Store went from a small operation of bi-monthly pop-ups to a serious full-time store (open everyday until 11pm!). On paper that statement takes up a mere sentence, but in real life this shift was probably the single most significant event that changed the way we brew. The new 6 head bottler was also a huge determining factor, not just in how much beer we could package quickly, but in delivering us back to the world of the sane (the world where bottling a skid of beer doesn't take 50 hours). Of course, I don't think any of us could have anticipated the extent to which demand would grow. Between the pained tweets and aggressively inquisitive emails, you'd think that Roman Candle was a loved one we had kidnapped and threatened to keep in our possession forever. We want to take this chance to say, fear not! Roman Candle will return, Wizard Wolf and Witchshark will return. It's a matter of when, not if. 

This would also be a good time to extend a humungous thank you to Matt and Andrew at Doublenaut, the incredibly creative duo behind all our beer labels. Their work continues to impress and delight both our staff and patrons, and we're always excitedly anticipating the next amazing design. The launching of the Retail Store would not have been the same without their massive contribution.

March saw the major overhaul of our kitchen and menu, as we moved the entire operation into a bigger space, and finally upgraded to a commercial range. This allowed for more substantial dinner options, and of course, the highly-addictive, deity-like frie. All praise the frie!

In April we participated in the breast cancer fundraiser Beer 4 Boobs with Omerta, our blood orange pale ale brewed with hibiscus (so popular we brewed it again, and then again once more!), and celebrated our 1st anniversary with the release of Bring Out Your Dead (Imperial stout aged in cognac barrels) and then later Motley Cru (annual barrel-blend). We think the results were successful, if not stupidly delectable. 

Of course no beery year would be complete without a trip to the Canadian Brewing Awards. In May we traveled to Victoria and were lucky enough to scoot around the island with our hands in the air attend some great seminars about barrel-aging from both our friends at Trou Du Diable and Matt Brynildson, the brewmaster at Firestone Walker. We managed to snag a bronze for our Lost River Baltic Porter and Wizard Wolf, a silver for Hellwoods, and a gold for Blitzen! We were so proud to see fellow Toronto brewery Great Lakes win Best Canadian Brewery of the Year!

We would meet with the wonderful team from Trou Du Diable soon after, for a collaborative raspberry Saison we named Frambizzle. This jewel red beer was perfect for the hot weather, as it was fruity and refreshing while still maintaining a strong Belgian yeast character. We were so happy to host the guys here in Toronto and even more delighted to brew Frambizzle a second time, later in the summer at Trou Du Diable's brewery in Shawinigan. It was a real honour to work with and learn from Andre, and we know this is just the beginning of all the collaboration beers we're bound to brew together in the future.

And on the topic of collaborations, we have to say that our second with Jeppe of Evil Twin Brewing (Denmark/Brooklyn), was really something delicious. No Sleep Till Brooklyn, the stout aged with Brett in wine barrels for over 6 months, was served simultaneously here in our brewpub and at Tørst in Brooklyn! The happy marriage of malty and tart inspired us to attempt such a combination again, and informed our decisions to put the porter (that would later become Donkey Venom) into barrels. 

The summer came and went, as it often does, in a blur of back to back to back brews. We finally got that awning (that we bought a year ago), and shouted with glee when the first rainfall hit and we were dry beneath it on the patio, sipping our Witchsharks nonchalantly. We finished off the sunny season with the ambitious tap takeover, "Sunsplash", at Bar Volo, a fun event that featured 34 (!) of our beers and [delicious food prepared by Matthew Duffy and Aiden Galligan of Cafe Boulud. Alongside some of the old favourites of the past year, we also pulled two kegs from our barrel room, debuting a Brett barrel-aged Saison with cherries, and a Brett barrel-aged Quad (both knocked our socks off). 

September could only be summed up with two words: Brewing Man. This was the month in which we closed down the whole Bellwoods operation for two days, in order to go deep into the wilderness and set on fire a man we constructed entirely from brewery pallets. Part spirit quest, part druid fest, and part inner MacGyver soul-seeking mission, we returned to the city forever changed. 

And as summer turned into our 5 minute fall, and fall into the frozen ice shield we call winter, there were a few new beers released late in the year that brightened our days and stood out as clear winners of 2013.

- 3 Minutes to Midnight: This imperial stout barrel-aged with cherries and cocoa nibs is all about no brainer combinations.

- Farmageddon: Tart and funky barrel-aged Saison.

- Donkey Venom: Brett barrel-aged porter. Perfect mix of tart, cherry, vinous, chocolatey, and Brett flavours.

I would say, that if we learned anything this year it's that with great risk comes great reward, and we really did take some huge ones. New tanks, new bottler, new (100+) barrels, and new bizarre beer styles that we weren't sure anyone would necessarily like. These have all been commonplace for us in 2013, and the reward was an outpouring of support from all of you. And we feel the significance of this support shouldn't be downplayed because it's about more than 'just beer'. It's about grassroots craft industries, and voting with your purchase. It's about unabashedly establishing Canada as a space where quality craft beer is both produced and valued. And we think that's important -- it's why we wake up each morning excited to do what we do.

So above all when we look at the past year in review, we are overwhelmingly grateful of this amazing support from our patrons. And in return you have our promise that we'll continue to be risk takers. 

With all this reflection behind us we're looking to 2014 with excitement and tons of new ideas. Stay tuned, and we leave you with the friendly reminder that Robert-f&!king-Plant wears a Wizard Wolf t-shirt, and you should too.

Cheers from your friends at Bellwoods Brewery!

PS -- Our new and improved website is coming very soon in the new year!

Non Year's Eve

Now that's a classy looking bottle!

If you're like me and just broke your phone for the 3rd time in the past 4 months, you might be wondering: What day is it anyways? With your precious technological beast safely in the hands of a qualified technician and no feasible way to tell time, you might have forgotten that tomorrow is actually New Year's Eve. 

And I know, I know, why won't it stop? I feel that the chaos (excessive calories) of Christmas is still very present in my mind (muffin top) and yet now society is telling me to get suited up and enjoy the heckaroo out of yet another festive night! 

So if you're like us and prefer to forego the elaborate plans and bizarre in-flux of glitter (seriously, why so much glitter?) we offer our humble brewpub as literal grounds for solidarity. We'll be serving delicious beer as usual, and sharing a complimentary toast (poppin' bottles) of rare beer from our reserves at midnight. As for food, our chef is busy preparing a one-night-only menu (in addition to our regular!) that features oysters with fermented radish mignonette, pan seared BC scallops, braised pork belly with lentils and bok choy, and dessert crepes filled with chocolate ganache and topped with strawberry syrup. Special menu goes until 11pm, with snacks being offered afterwards.

And for the record, we do solemnly swear not to:

- yell or spray confetti

- mention Dick Clark's New Year's Rockin' Eve

- play Prince's 1999 

- serve the most hangover-inducing beverage known to man (sham-pain, amiright?)

So come on down to the ol' tank farm for a pint of the good stuff and the company of some fellow non-sentimentalists this New Year's Eve.

Holiday Hours

It's two days before Christmas. Two! Luckily we've got beers and toques and t-shirts and sweatshirts and patches and totes and gift cards to cover you. And no one needs to know if you pick up a bottle (or two) of beer for yourself while you're here. It's our little secret.

For those of you who are planning to come down in the next few days, here are our holiday hours you should know about, because they differ slightly from our norm! 

Brewpub:

24th and 25th (closed)

26th (5pm-1am)

Jan 1 (closed)

Retail Store:

24th (11am-6pm)

25th (closed)

26th (11am-6pm)

Jan 1 (closed)

Witchshark Contest!

Inspired by the awesome 'Witchshark in India' picture sent to us by @naTASHaPK on twitter, we've decided to hold a small contest! Though we're annoyed that the Witchshark hasn't shown up to work in a few weeks, we're excited to receive pictures of him gallivanting around town (and the world, it seems). We're telling ourselves this is just his rebellious phase, and when he finally tires of breaking our hearts, he'll return to the brewery.

In the meantime, and this is where the contest begins, we'd love it if you could post a picture of the Witchshark (we sell these patches in the retail store!) out and about in the world, to Instagram, Facebook, or Twitter and include the hashtag: #wanderingwitchshark. Be creative and don't worry if you don't have a chance to get to Nepal anytime soon, caught in Toronto pictures are great too. We'll compare all the entries (including Natasha's!) posted until December 31st at midnight, and announce the winner in the first week of January. (Must be legal drinking age to participate).

Of course, aside from the honour of looking very strange while capturing such a photo, there is a prize! The winner (decided by a diverse panel of esteemed judges) will get to bring home a lovely four-pack of Witchshark along with a Doublenaut designed, Kid Icarus screen-printed Witchshark poster! 

So take some pictures, tell your friends, and let us worried parents know that our Witchshark is doing just fine. May the games begin! 

Weekend Update

We don't need to dwell on this, but I'm just gonna put it out there that the day of Santa's reckoning is inching ever nearer and perhaps, PERHAPS, you might still need to buy gifts.

Or maybe you're really organized and did all your shopping in September and now you get to sit back, relax, and watch Netflix while the rest of us scramble. If that's the case, get lost. 

If it's not, we can totally help you. Here's a short guide, and it's mostly pictures, so you hardly have to employ the use of your brain! And because we know that everyone on your list fits within a clearly defined, somewhat stereotypical demographic, here are our suggestions (clockwise from the top left):

1. For the thirsty person on your list: Stay Classy. Our newest beer to hit the retail store is a Light India Session Ale, weighing in at a whopping 2.3% with tons of Nelson Sauvin hop aroma. Delicious, refreshing, and light enough that you can still clean house in a friendly game of Risk. Buy in bulk!

2. For the person who has everything: Gift Cards. This one's easy and universally appealing. It says I-have-no-bloody-clue-what-it-is-you-even-like-even-though-we've-been-together-forever, so that you don't have to. Do it!

3. For anyone on your list who isn't a nudist: Sweatshirts. You've seen our awesome crewnecks, but we just added hoodies to the mix! Monogamy, Witchshark, Wizard Wolf designs in tons of sizes. Stuff it in a friggin' stocking!

4. And finally, for the people you know who like to collect their cat's hair and knit sweaters out of it: Cat Lady Poster. This beautiful poster communicates low to extreme levels of mental instability, and also doubles as art. Hang that thing on a wall!

Okay, alright, stop hyperventilating. Use these suggestions and you'll look like a great girlfriend/boyfriend/mother/father/cousin/cat lover/etc.

Merry Shopping!

Triple Threat

I can't say for sure if it was that magically delicious beer nog that chef created for us last night, or an uncharacteristic spell of holiday cheer, but we're feeling particularly jolly at Bellwoods this week. And why should you care about our (somewhat arbitrary) jolly dispositions? Well my brethren and sistren, because it has spurred on the decision to release not one, not two, but three beers this Friday.

THAT IS TOMORROW FYI!

Because it brings me disproportionate joy to keep the insufferable Christmas references going, I will tell you gleefully to ready your sleighs and hold onto your sugar plums, because the Bellwoods brewers elves have been working overtime. On the shelves of the retail store tomorrow, for all your drinking pleasure, we will have:

1. The 2013 edition of our holiday beer Blitzen. This Imperial Saison with lemon and plum is far better than a lump of coal!

2. Our Brett Barrel-Aged Porter Donkey Venom is in bottles for the first time ever! Reliable sources claim it's tastier than a rotten potato!

3. And back by popular demand, Cat Lady IPA with its fancy new label will be here to delight your hoppy cravings. Eight out of nine reindeers prefer it to Pinot Noir. 

As always, our retail store (126 Ossington beside the brewpub) will be open from 11am-11pm. We hope to see you then!

Dog's Life

New embroidered patches just hit the retail store! Now you can pimp your ride/dog/jacket/stroller with awesome Bellwoods images. 

Right now we have four different styles, at $5 a pop: Wizard Wolf, Witchshark, the green hop leaf, and a grey Bellwoods bell. Sold exclusively in our retail store alongside a delightful assortment of bottles. 

And if the pictures aren't whispering thousands of sweet nothings into your ears, let it be known that Ziggy always looked regal before we sewed a patch on her coat, but now she looks like she's on her way to an exclusive dog tea party where she'll be sniffing caviar off other dog's butts. What can we say, she's livin' da lyfe. 

With our patches, you too can look this cool!

It's no secret that weekends can be a drag. You probably don't have to work, so there's all that free-time just hanging around, then on top of that you can sleep in, and everyone knows sleeping in is BO-RING. So if you're looking at the days ahead with more than a little trepidation, rest assured, we've got you covered.

First of all, we have lots o' beer. Second, starting this Sunday and going forward we'll have Michael Louis Johnson's awesome band serenading the likes of you lucky folk from 2-5pm in the afternoon with jazz, swing, and jump blues.

So there you have it. Weekend plans. Boom!

[If you're looking for a bit more info about Michael check out his recent award for best bartender in Toronto's Now, or this article on the Ossington Village blog about his band Rambunctious].

Meow!

If you're a Toronto resident tuning into the Bellwoods show this afternoon, you've probably only stumbled upon this blog by accident, arriving from what was probably a hilarious string of Ford related GIFs depicting the 'mayor' in a red-faced 'stupor'. But if, perhaps, you're from outside the country, or happen to be a cro-magnon man and have just traveled in a time capsule from 43,000 years ago -- boy, have we got some news for you!

Bellwoods has a new IPA!!! Yes, true dat. It's clear we have quite the affinity for hoppy brews, and for the past few weeks we've been fermenting an exciting new ale in lucky tank number 9. Our early sips from the fermenter were very promising, and just yesterday we bottled as the muffled rants of Doug and Robbie on CBC could be heard in the background. We quietly released the first kegs and bottles around 5pm last night, and by this morning Twitter was bumpin'. So we owe y'all a run down of this delectable libation.

We love our Roman Candle (and so do all our lovely patrons!), but RoCan requires lots of Citra, and without going into extreme detail about the politics of hop availability (shortages), I will just say that this particular one is more popular than crack and our dealer is all sold out. Because we didn't want the Witchshark to get lonely, we devised a new recipe that was all about utilizing the pungent citrusy kick of two hops we call favourites here: Summit and Simcoe. The malt body is extremely light, which allows the focus to stay on the hops, both in aroma and bitterness. The resulting brew presents fresh aromatics of resiny hops, orange zest, and late summer peach with a bold bitterness on the palate and delectable spicy finish. We don't mean to be immodest, but in our very humblest of opinions, this is the best IPA we've ever made. We think it will be yours too.

So then, without further adieu, we present to you: Cat Lady IPA. A serious contender for our favourite hoppy beer of the year as we hit the homestretch of 2013.

We see a new love affair in your future. 

[Our new and improved website is coming soon so keep an eye out for its launch in the next month! If you're looking for the retail store availability check here. And our hours of operation are here].

Heat Rays For Days

Perhaps you've noticed that the great ball of fire in the sky has taken a hike. Moved onto greener pastures. Said "see you never" to us Toronto-folk. I've certainly sensed that my morning bike ride down to the brewery is a little more fun, and by 'fun' I of course mean the opposite of fun, but today I'm using sarcasm as a coping mechanism. 

Here's the thing though, and I'm gonna give it to you straight -- our patio is still toasty and comfortable, thanks to some futuristic NASA level technology we've managed to harness. And let's be honest, our motto in at the brewery has always been, "If it's good enough for outer space, it's good enough for Bellwoods". 

So what the hell am I talking about? Infrared heaters that emit safe, clean wavelengths of light that are only absorbed by solid objects, transferring heat directly to a person, table or floor rather than heating the air. How do I know this? Because I copied and pasted it from the manufacturer's website. 

But wait, you exclaim, what does all this mean in plain English?! Well my friends, it means that gone are the days when patio heaters could singe your eyebrows off and heat your pints of beer to a piping hot 462˚C (the temperature of Venus' atmosphere) while the person next to you freezes, sitting just out of range of that familiar fiery embrace. Simply put, our heaters are fun-loving, peace supporting, egalitarians. 

Although we don't have an infinity pool like the picture above (again, that's something I stole from the Infratech website) we do have a comfortable patio even in these chilly months, so your penchant for outdoor drinking need not hibernate. Expect this cozy amenity from now on, or until the death grip of global warming eventually sinks its razor sharp teeth into our collective being.

So we'll see you soon then?!

Hellwoods Brewery

After suffering the blow that was discovering Santa's non-existence last year, I now look to Halloween as the only holiday I can enjoy as an adult. Sure, you don't get a day off from work and nobody wraps you a present -- and yet Halloween is the one day of the year that you can dress up as a literal fruit bowl and nobody will ask questions. Maybe you were going for the Chiquita Banana Lady look. Maybe you just like grapes. Maybe, shut up. 

Because we would love to share all this mushy sentimentality with all of you, we invite you to come down to the brewpub this October 31st and feast on a special line up of beers! To honour the spooky night we'll be offering an exclusively dark draft list that includes all of the following:

Grognard (Session Stout) 3.8%

Grizzly Beer (American Brown Ale) 6.2%

Sails of Charon (Dunkel Weizenbock) 7.3%

Toil and Trouble (Belgian Dubbel) 8.2%

Lost River (Baltic Porter) 7.7%

Hellwoods (Russian Imperial Stout) 10%

Bring Out Your Dead (1st Anniversary Cognac Barrel-Aged Imperial Stout) 10%

Three Minutes to Midnight (Barrel-Aged Imperial Stout with Cherries) 10%

Donkey Venom (Brett Barrel-Aged Sour Baltic Porter) TBA%

The beers range in colour from chestnut brown to black-as-the-inside-of-a-coffin-at-midnight, and span alcohol content from 3.8% to 10%. Though we'll still be serving cider and imported bottles, this is a dark beer event so expect bold roasted flavours, strong malt bodies, and tonnes of barrel-aging. 

We will also be awarding a $50 Bellwoods gift certificate to the best costume in the room (we'll announce this around 9:30pm) so start crafting your epic witchsharks, wizard wolfs, and grizzly beers now! 

We hope to see all your gory faces next Thursday night when we perform satanic rituals to enjoy some deliciously dark beers at our second Halloween celebration. And hopefully we'll also see a whole whack of you out this weekend at Cask Days! We'll be pouring Brett Barrel-Aged Quad, partial sour mash Imperial Saison with lemon, and Brett Barrel-Aged Sour Baltic Porter to name a few!

Suddenly The Impending Doom Of Winter Doesn't Seem So Bad

There are, of course, the usual things to be thankful for as we approach this fall holiday jam-packed with decorative gourds and exorbitant calories. Off the top of my head I can think of, wifi, our staff coffee maker, and celebrity twitter accounts -- though if you were thinking beer or cup holder armrests, I completely agree. 

And speaking of beer, which we often do around here, the bottle availability in the retail store right now is seriously caliente. The fact of the matter is that with Fall comes a slightly less chaotic patio scene, which in turn gives us a chance to catch up and replenish the stores. So if you're looking for the perfect gift to present at your Thanksgiving dinner party, stop by the retail store and grab a selection. 

But I have even better news! As of Monday morning when you're sweating out pumpkin pie, a new seasonal promotion will be in effect. Thirsty minds, I introduce to you, The Witching Hours.

This magical event emits warm fuzzy sunshine rays that feel like teddy bear hugs, but if that doesn't sum it up for you, the sign says it all:

For the first two hours of service, every day of the week (October - April), the majority of our beer will be sold at $5 - $6 TAXES INCLUDED. For example, a Wizard Wolf will be $5 instead of $6.50, and Witchshark will be $6 instead of $7.50. So put that in your cornucopia and, I don't know, do whatever it is you do with a cornucopia...

And as the icing on this good news cake, starting October 14th we'll also be selling some of our nicer bottled beers in the restaurant too -- Motley Cru, Blitzen (2012 gold medal winning version), Bring Out Your Dead, and No Sleep Till Brooklyn. If you didn't have a chance to buy a bottle when they were released (or, perhaps, you already drank the ones you bought) you can enjoy them in the restaurant alongside a giant pork chop!

Many thanks from Bellwoods to all you beer lovers this festive weekend, and we'll see you on Monday with the beginning of The Witching Hours!

Some (Strong) Considerations For The Weekend

If all this dreary rain in Toronto is signalling the opening ceremonies to the Seasonal Affective Disorder parade in your brain, then we've got just the thing for you! Stop watching all those HBO dramas that cause your anxiety to sky rocket and make your way to the brewery because today we release 3 MINUTES TO MIDNIGHT!!!

Our celebrated imperial stout barrel-aged with cherries is on sale for the first time (in bottles and on draft) since Cask Days 2012! What originated as an experimental cask has blossomed (much like a cherry tree, no?) into a favourite around these parts. Rich, fruity, and so so smooth, 3 Minutes to Midnight is the perfect night cap on these cooler evenings. Pair it with chocolate [anything] for guests and you'll have everyone thinking you're some kind of gourmet magician. It's like a facelift for food. And we don't even put MSG in the grain bill!

And if that doesn't do it for you, we have an awesome variety of bottled beers in the retail store right now. In addition to 3 Minutes, there's also Wizard Wolf (Dry Hopped Session Ale), White Picket Fence (Bottle Conditioned Belgian Wit), Farmageddon (Barrel-Aged Farmhouse Classic), Witchshark (Imperial IPA), Grizzly Beer (American Brown Ale), and Hellwoods (Russian Imperial Stout). 

Now go on and have yourself a weekend!

Brewing Man 2013

There comes a day in the life of every employee at Bellwoods, when they must venture into the great unknown (rural Burlington) and stand before the great edifice of a nameless creature (a crudely fashioned, barely anatomically correct 'man' built from leftover wooden pallets) and watch as it's covered in gasoline before being burnt to the ground. Last night was the official pagan ceremony, and all that remained this morning was a smouldering pile of coals with not even the faintest semblance of The Brewing Man.

We plan to make Brewing Man an annual tradition, in part because we're pyromaniacs, in part because, well, we've never been too sure how the hell to deal with all those extra pallets, and also for the that whole "team building" aspect too. Because nothing facilitates harmonious working relationships better than lighting stuff on fire. 

For now, we return to civilization, prepare for our Toil and Touble (dubbel) brew tomorrow, and acclimatize poorly to all these situations in which holding lighters to things and yelling "BURN, BABY, BURN!" is deemed inappropriate. 

The restaurant and retail store are back open as per usual today at 5pm. The small rendezvous was great, but we're eager to get back to serving you all sorts of delicious brews. You could even say we've got a fire in our hearts...