Beer Session 2011

The life of a food obsessive is never easy especially if they are a list maker as well. Later this afternoon, I am off to Session 99, a craft beer festival held at 99 Sudbury in Toronto (hence the moniker).  I am as giddy as schoolgirl waiting for Bieber or as manic as a middle aged man waiting for beer. 

There will be 37 craft breweries, some of which I had not heard of today who collectively brew enough beer lines that it would take days to taste them all and not get snockered.  I started by making a short list of brews that I would like to try.  The magic number for those is 67.  So, from that I have a short list of 12.  This seems doable but there is a surprise element here.  The brewers often bring special casks for the event.  Of 37 breweries, you can bet that a good third of them are bringing something special...

I feel like a kid in a candy store or a hipster at the Drake.  Too much choice... But here is my shortlist, in no order...

Phillips - Skookum Cascadian Brown Ale

Howe Sound - King Heffy Imperial Hefeweizen

Mill St. - Helles Bock

Beau's - Festivale Altbier

Le Trou du Diable - Saison Tongka or Tracteur or whatever saison they have

Trois Mousquetaires - Maibock

Railway City - Sham Bock

Nickelbrook - Special Edition Uniek Sour Cherry Ale

Garrison - Jalapeno Ale

Garrison - Spruce Beer

Spirit Tree - Crabapple Blush Cider

Now that the list is up, I will change my mind.  Hopefully (Hopfully) I will be able to remember the beers I drank and some of the flavours but it is a long event and I have short arms.  It means that I can drink quicker because the bend at the elbow is shorter ... ah, never mind.

Update: So, after all the list making, most of the brews that I wanted to try were not there.  However, I found some new favourite breweries and the possibility of getting hard to get beers in Toronto through K6.  The one off beers need to be tried and that a great reason to go to one of these.  These experimental brews included Saisons from Flying Monkeys, an awesome Maibock from Duggans, and an anniversary Festivale from Beau's.  Places that did not have product in the LCBO but are definitely worth finding include Granite Brewery from Toronto and anything that K6 is pumping...mainly Quebec breweries like Dieu du Ciel and Trou du Diable.  The short takeaway is support fresh beer, go to a craft festival and if you don't like it, at least you will have tried it.