Craft Beer Lifestyle Blog

Category: Uncategorized (Page 2 of 9)

Beer Delivery during COVID-19

Henderson Brewing Company is one of numerous local, Ontario breweries offering beer delivery during COVID-19.
Henderson Brewing Company is one of numerous local, Ontario breweries offering beer delivery during COVID-19.

Ontario Craft Beer Delivery During COVID-19: Support Local

With a pandemic, it’s time to hunker down, maintain social-distancing, and wash our hands thoroughly and regularly. It’s time to STAY HOME. And, while we’re home, there’s thankfully many Ontario craft breweries offering beer delivery during COVID-19.

It’s convenient to take advantage of, for sure, but it’s also important to note how difficult these times are for small, independent businesses. Your purchase will be one that helps the brewery through turbulent waters.

We’re only at the beginning here, and I, for one, am already missing places like local breweries, places where we can get together with friends and family, unwind in the atmosphere, and enjoy a pint. Certainly, we’ll need these places more than ever when we get through to the other side of this.

So, take advantage of beer delivery during COVID-19, and support your local, craft brewery, while, most importantly, staying safe and healthy in the comfort of your home.

NOTE: While many breweries are shipping beer deliveries across the province, not all are, so be sure to check the brewery’s delivery area before ordering your local craft beer.


If you’re an Ontario brewery offering beer delivery during COVID-19 and you do not find yourself listed here, please contact me, and I will happily add your brewery to the list!

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Granite Brewery

Welcome to Granite Brewery, established in 1991, making it one of Toronto's original craft breweries.
Welcome to Granite Brewery, established in 1991, making it one of Toronto’s original craft breweries.

From one family’s love…

When I sat down with Mary Beth Keefe, head brewer at Granite Brewery, I asked her whether she believed there was a ‘craft beer lifestyle,’ and, if so, what that might mean to her. Being a part of a family business with a history, like Granite Brewery, means that she’s been on payroll since she was 11 years old. If anyone might have a hint at what a craft beer lifestyle is then, it’s got to be Mary.

“The way that I’m interpreting that question is – well, I pretty much only exclusively drink Ontario craft beer. I just love the idea of supporting local and the people in my local industry.

“And that’s something that I’m blown away by on a daily basis almost: if you need help from another brewery, like Amsterdam for instance, I’ve gone to them many times, because I’m known for being last minute,” which we chuckle together about before she continues, “And, so – I’m going to brew a beer tomorrow, and I’m like, ‘Oh my God, I don’t have any of this grain!’ There’s no way of getting it in time, so I’ll ask Ian at Amsterdam if he happens to have any. He’s always like, ‘Oh ya, for sure – just take it.’ And he’ll just give me the grain.

“Or hops – that’s happened before – I couldn’t find Azacca hops, and Great Lakes just gave me the hops. It’s always like this. Just everyone always willing to help; if you have any questions, they’re always willing to give you the answers or give you their advice or whatever. So just being like that, as well, being helpful and doing what you can for the people – that’s the craft beer industry…

“I don’t know – just, I love my job… I don’t know, it’s just such a great industry to be a part of.”

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Craft Beer Christmas Gifts

The Christmas gifts the craft beer lover in your family really wants.
The Christmas gifts the craft beer lover in your family really wants.

A PairingwithBeer Wishlist: Craft Beer Christmas Gifts

As a craft beer lover, approaching Christmas produces visions of wonderment about what craft beer Santa might be bringing for under the tree, but when family and friends ask me what I want for Christmas, “Beer,” of course, is not always the most acceptable response – nor is craft beer the easiest for them to figure out what beer to purchase for me that I’m most excited for.

Rather, to answer their question and provide a good answer, I need to ask myself what I really want for Christmas if it can’t be beer – “What are the most appealing craft beer Christmas gifts this year?”

Here, I dive deep into my craft beer desire to bring you all the trendiest, hippest, hoppiest, and to-die-for craft beer Christmas gifts that I’d like to find under my tree.

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People’s Pint Brewing Company

The People's Pint Brewing Company logo, printed on their front door.
The People’s Pint Brewing Company logo, printed on their front door.

Having the vision and passion…

Across from Peter Caira, co-owner and head brewer for People’s Pint Brewing Company, sitting at a high top table in the middle of the taproom, we enjoyed a pair of pints together. I asked him what he thought a “craft beer lifestyle” might be.

“For me it’s just knowing that somebody put a lot of effort into this – into this thing that you’re drinking. This thing that you’re hopefully tasting, rather than [begins laughing] just guzzling it…

“One extreme is being dedicated to going to every craft brewery no matter what you’ve heard of it, what you’ve been told, and trying the beer oneself… That’s one extreme of the culture.

“The other is just simply being able to go to your own, local craft brewery – the joy and pride to have someone in your own neighbourhood who decided that this neighbourhood can use and deserves a craft brewery. And then you supporting that vision and passion.

“And that’s the only way that a craft brewery is ever going to work, because if the taproom and retail shop aren’t supported, then you need to shift to a sort of beer factory, which isn’t the same, communal thing. If a taproom is supported though, then creativity can really flourish.

“And that’s what’s needed too, because when people visit a taproom, they really want to see something different every time they come in – and to do that, you really need that local support.”

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