Bartender Blues: The Unwritten Code

I've wanted to rant about this for a little while now.

This is a message to all of the bar owners and general managers out there as a reminder.  There is an unwritten code for the end of night protocol: give each of your staff one complimentary drink.

Even if its not free make it a dollar or something.  This may sound ludicrous to some, but rewarding your hard working staff with a pint and some co-worker bonding time does wonders.  Why you ask?  Hanging out with your co-workers at the end of a long shift fosters team bonding and workplace loyalty.  These two factors are an essential part of creating an environment that people actually want to work in and lets them feel rewarded for their studious efforts.  It also makes the boss look like a decent human being.  Just imagine how it would feel if your boss took your team out for a beer every night after work?  Feels good doesn't it?  Your boss ain't such a jerk anymore now is he?

The reason that I bring this up is because I recently left a bartending job, at a big name brewhouse (that shall remain nameless), that did nothing for the staff at the end of the night.  This sent a message to us, that when you're done your cash out, pack up your crap and get out the door.  There was no complimentary round and we weren't even allowed to pay for an after hours pint.  Ridiculous!  IT'S A BREWHOUSE!!!

This really is a rarity in the industry and it's honestly the first time that I've ever experienced it. At the end of every shift I was pretty let down to know that there were no late night suds and camaraderie.  I worked with people that felt like smiles and faces but not much substance.  We never spent any time getting to know each other and figuring out better ways to improve our bar to maximize workflow.  I loved the brand, I loved the brewhouse, but they made zero effort to build even an ounce of loyalty.  I just didn't look forward to going to work.  So I quit.

The morale of the story is that a simple act goes a long way. A bartender is an usher of good times, so look after him and he'll keep your clientele happy.  Treat him like garbage and expect that you'll have quality people heading for the door.


Tip your bartender!

Chris

Hogtown Brewers: Hogtown Ale

  
I first came across Hogtowns Kolsch ale at The Banknote. This chance encounter turned out to be my first and only run in with Hogtowns Ale for quite some time. This tasty brew won big points with me on style and palette alone. It's a very different beer, and honestly, anything that celebrates my hometown with pride wins my respect. Have you tried Hogtowns Ale yet?

If you aren't very familiar with Kolsch style beer, it's heritage runs deep in the German city of Cologne. This beer is specially characterized with a hybrid of techniques that borrows a bit of aging from ales as well as cold conditioning techniques similar to lagers.

This really is a unique beer that stands out from the rest based on style alone. It tastes like an ale but it's smooth like a lager. Hogtown ale has a straw like yellow colour with excellent clarity. The aroma has hints of grain and cereal. The head has a light white colour with good retention.

Hogtown ale's taste is smooth and pleasant. It's easy mouthfeel is chased by a light hoppiness and a creamy aftertaste that has hints of honey. Style wise, this beer is not going to taste familiar to you. What this beer may lack in punch it more than makes up for in uniqueness.

I love the hometown spirit and style of this ale. It may not win a lot points with the average beer cynic, but the true craft lover will appreciate the stray from the beaten path that this beer has to offer.  I salute you Hogtown Ale with a B-(74) rating.

Railway City Brewing: Dead Elephant

   

     This review has genuinely been a very long time coming.  Dead Elephant is a beer that I often seek out to ensure that it makes an appearance in my fridge every single weekend.  This is a very bold beer that has a very bold story.  A friend of mine named Heather (@heation), a former resident of St. Thomas, explained to me the true story behind what inspired this epic IPA.  I'm not going to waste your  time by reinterpreting the story, instead I'm going to borrow an except from the St. Thomas Public Library to bring you up to speed.



"September 15, 1885 - The circus stops in St. Thomas after a performance in Chatham. St. Thomas is a booming railroad town and its position on the railroad facilitates the circus stop here. The St. Thomas show is another success with large crowds coming to see the spectacle.

After the show, the elephants are being moved from the circus grounds to their train. It is 9:30, but the elephants are meant to have been loaded after 9:55. Along the Grand Trunk railroad track, Special Freight train #151 is travelling with its engineer, William Burnip.  Several hundred yards down the track Jumbo and the little elephant Tom Thumb are the last elephants being loaded in. They are walking along the tracks to reach their train cars. Burnip sees the elephants but it is too late. He sounds the warning horn and puts the train in reverse. It screeches to a halt and strikes Tom Thumb first. He is struck by the cowcatcher and is thrown into the ravine. Jumbo is struck on his hind end, causing the train to derail. His trunk is impacted and his injuries are fatal. Scott manages to leap free of the incident, but now tends to the mortally wounded Jumbo, weeping as he strokes his head. Eyewitnesses would relate how Jumbo reached out and gently clasped his trainer with his trunk. Jumbo dies in a few minutes."



   
     Dead Elephant IPA.  This is a very bold beer that hops lovers will cherish for a long time.  It pours a perfectly clear golden hue with a foamy head and citrus infused hop aroma.  At first smell, this beer is curious and inviting.  The taste is a little bit convoluted.  Don't get me wrong, theres just a lot going on here.

     Its a strong beer that packs 6.5% and nearly 50 ibu's of bitterness.  This beer doesn't have a straight forward bitterness though, it has a complex hop texture that takes time to dissect.  The flavour is mainly citrus based with what I can only describe as possibly apricot or peach, and it includes a mild grapefruit undertone.  I would LOVE to know what hops they used and the process that achieved this exclusive blend.  If you haven't tried this IPA yet then stop wasting your time reading this and go get one already.

     As a man who absolutely loves IPA beers, this is a crown jewel.  This beer is unparalleled in style, intricate in its layers, and has a legen.... wait for it... DARY story to boot.  Larger then life in every dimension is how this brew lives.  I adore this beer and I'll confidently rate it an A+ (91).  If you love IPA's like I do (Spearhead Hawaiian Style IPA, Hop City Tap Room IPA, Amsterdam Brewery Boneshaker, etc.) you are going to keep this beer close to your heart.  Simply put, its awesome!  If it turns out that you happen to like this beer, keep an eye out for Delirium Tremens by Brouwerij Huyghe.  You'll thank me for it later.


Check out more from Railway City Brewing 




Support Your Local Brewery!


Chris

Kensington Brewery: Augusta Ale

Tonight I'm watching hockey.

Its game 7, anxiety is high and The Toronto Maple Leafs are deep in a clinch battle with the Boston Bruins.  I take my dog for a quick walk, pick up 3 beers and a pizza, and I'm set for the game.  Luckily, my local LCBO has got tall boys of Kensington Brewery's Augusta Ale right near the cash. I make a quick purchase and then escape back to my couch.

I've got a SUPER soft spot for this young brewery.  I used to live just north of Kensington and I spent a ton of time in the market.  Places like Patty King, Big Fat Burrito, Freshmart, Kos, and Oishi Kada were just a few of my regulars.  Kensington Market has a special place in my heart; I even played a few shows on the streets of Kensington with my good friend @locnesbeats during Pedestrian Sundays.  For those who don't know, Kensington Market is the last of a dying breed of independent small business neighbourhoods in Toronto.  There's a unique kind of autonomous vibe and culture that could only belong to a place like Kensington.  I expect nothing less then these core values from the Kensington Brewing Company.

Let's talk about Augusta Ale.  Aptly named after Augusta Avenue (a road that is the backbone of Kensington Market) this Pale Ale is the first beer I've tried from The Kensington Brewery.  It pours a rusty golden copper hue with a subtle head.  It has an inviting aroma of mellow notes of spice and grassy hints.

This hybrid Ale is a delicious blend with layers of grassy tones and nutty inklings.  It has a medium bitterness, I'm guessing around 30 ibu's, which is enough to keep the hop head in me interested without  overpowering me with bitterness.  Its a tastefully done Ale with a unique and flavourful palette.  This is a great beer.  This Ale is different and it offers something that is both unconventional and familiar at the same time.

My first adventure into the beers of The Kensington Brewery is a success.  Augusta Ale is a hit in my books, I'll rate it a B+ (78) for its favourable combination of style and select choice of bittering hops. I'm interested in learning more about these guys and what the future of this young brewery has to offer.  There's also an extra hopped version of Augusta Ale that I'd like to get to know as well!  Let me see if I can hunt down their Watermelon Wheat beer for my next review.



Support Your Local Brewery!


Learn more about the Kensington Brewing Company at http://www.kensingtonbrewingcompany.com/the-beer/