Friday, October 16, 2009

The Ceili Cottage


An eagerly awaited newcomer to the Toronto pub scene. This truly is as close to a pub in Ireland as you’ll get outside the Emerald Isle. From the 2 million year old bar made from granite from Ireland, to the oyster shells embedded in the concrete on the patio, this truly is a taste of home for me. The owner Patrick McMurray has done a fine job of this place, the food is all made in house (even the sausages!) and they have fresh oysters from Canada and Ireland.

There are 12 taps, 4 Irish and the rest are rotating Ontario brews and a real ale cask. The staff are a fantastic bunch and certainly always friendly and willing to help. There’s different events each evening from live Irish trad music sessions, match making evenings to shuck your own oyster nights. This has become my favourite pub in Toronto by far and is a home away from home, right down to the Irish turf burner that scents the place evoking memories of home. This is a must visit in Toronto.

www.ceilicottage.com

Sunday, October 11, 2009

Stop - Pumpkin time!


It's probably my favourite beer time of year - yes, Pumpkin Ale time. Right now as I type this I'm having a Wolavers Will Stevens Pumpkin Ale.

It's certainly not my favourite pumpkin ale but it really is a delicious example of what a pumpkin ale can be.

My rating is as follows:

Appearance: Golden Orange, no visible carbonation, small off white spiderweb head. Aroma: Pumpkin spice, cinnamon, malt, yeast, orange peel and bread. Aroma: Bitter orange peel, malt, spice, cinnamon, it’s a strange balance between orange peel and malt. It works, but just barely.

Aroma: 6
Appearance: 3
Flavour: 6
Palate: 3
Overall: 14

Score out of 5 is 3.2

Himself

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Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Beer lover, Loving Husband and Dad :-) - oh and I'm an expert recruiter