january 10, 2011

King Brewery Acquisition

Today, Beer Barons announced the acquisition of the award-winning King Brewery. Based in Nobleton Ontario, King Brewery has been in operation since 2002. The Brewery operates a state of the art decoction brew house...

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Five Beers to toast the New Year

King Pilsner (LCBO and The Beer Store, $12.95/six-pack)
If you like slurping back some oysters on your festive occasions, this is a great drink to pair them with. While some beer traditionalists prefer stout with their oysters, this match allows the bivalves’ character to shine through. While many so-called pilsners are bland brews, this one is full of character, with a bit of malty sweetness, a spicy aroma from the Saaz hops, and a bitter finish. When Petr Janik, brewmaster of Pilsner Urquell (the granddaddy of ’em all) was in town, this was his preferred Pilsner in a selection of local attempts at the style. - Josh Rubin

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Beer of the Week – Weihenstephaner Hefeweissbier

It's a bit of a mystery how it happened, but in the last few years, German wheat beer (aka Weissbier or Weizen) has become one of the most popular specialty beer styles in Ontario. Imported versions from German brewers including Paulaner, Schneider, Erdinger and Hacker Pschorr are available year-round at the LCBO, additional imports often appear as seasonal releases, and several Ontario breweries have taken cracks at the style, including the renowned version from Denison's which is considered the best Weissbier in the world (according to RateBeer, at least).

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Beer Barons To Launch Weihenstephan

Although the beer is not Canadian, and the Bier Markt is not a pub, I am posting this because I am a huge fan of Weihenstephan and Weissbier's in general. Denison's Weiss, need I say more. Many German wheats have modeled themselves after this iconic brewery and I know I am thankful for that.

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Beer Advocate: Weihenstephan Hefeweissbier

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Novel beers a rarity at this festival

It was a pleasant surprise to see the hefeweissen (a Bavarian style of wheat beer) from Weihenstephan at the show, since it hasn't been available anywhere in town. Weihenstephan – a Bavarian brewery that claims to be the world's oldest (it's got the year 1040 on the bottle) – makes several beers. But it's best known for its cloudy, refreshing hefeweissen, which has aromas and flavours of banana and cloves, and a slight citrusy zing. It was brought to the festival by Beer Barons, the brewery's new Ontario representative...

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Two From Weihenstephan And Four Of Us

It does no good to write about beer and be alone. One has to cultivate a group, at least, who will share the wonderment when the good stuff is at hand.So it was then when the twelve from Weihenstephan were delivered from Sean of the brewery's the new Ontario importers, Beer Barons, there had to be a gathering to give it justice now six months before it is due to hit the LCBO shelves...

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“My hat goes off to Beer Barons.

My hat goes off to Beer Barons. This relatively newcomer to the Canadian beer market is intent on making a huge impact immediately. Not only do they have great brands, but they are investing heavily in their people. Before they actually went to market with their new portfolio, they made the decision to take the entire company through Prud'homme Beer Certification. I personally feel that the commitment to knowledge, history and passion will only serve to create a competitive advantage for Beer Barons. They are truly leaders in the industry and only the second brewer to embrace Prud'homme.

I designed Prud'homme to bring a level of interest to consumers that would help them to embrace the 'gift of the gods'. I also hoped to drive this 'thirst for knowledge' into the industry from a brewer's perspective and also for the retail sector. I can't be more excited to be able to partner with Beer Barons to bring a higher level of beer appreciation to you. Furthermore, Prud'homme Beer Certification is now available around the world as an online program."

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“I really enjoyed all three of them.

The Weihenstephan Dunkel is really nice and out of the ordinary offering for the Ontario Market. Also, I thought that all of the beers traveled well. Wheat beers are great in Germany, but they are often stale tasting by the time they get here. I thought that all of the beers tasted as fresh as they would if you bought them at a store in Munich. I am a giant wheat beer fan, and I would say that both are the best I've tasted. The Mild was also great, and another really out of the ordinary offering for Ontario (in fact, I don't think I have ever seen a German Mild here before)."

– Doug Hyatt, Professor Rotman School of Business

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“I found it as unique a beer as I have ever tasted.

The taste of Weihenstephan Wheat Beer starts with what I could only pinpoint as a gingeresque or clove spice flavour with the ideal bitterness on the follow-through! Smooth, complex and wonderfully different!"

– Robert Nelson, Bosley Real Estate

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“The beer was great!

Weihenstephan Wheat made my usual Heineken seem totally boring by comparison. I want more and am prepared to pay!"

– Robert Allair, BMO Capital Markets

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