Disappointed with my local LCBO

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gclay

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The wife and I went to the LCBO today (liquor store) so I could pick up a few new beers for the weekend. First time I was in this particular store and I was disappointed, they had a local craft brew section but only 3 types on the shelves. I had to go to the imports section to find locals, I spoke with management and they said that they had to put them there because the shelf space was needed for the big 3. Once I found the craft brews though I got a few nice ones....

Muskoka Summer Weiss
Highlander Brew Co. Pale Ale
Waterloo Dark
Great Lakes Brewery 666 Devil's Pale Ale
Nickle Brook Green Apple Pilsner

And for the wife Fruli Strawberry Beer, they said they get a ton of orders for this stuff for summer.

I'll start a new thread on how these taste.

But for the LCBO to "hide" these beers with the imports is just wrong. I'm going for a trip to the muskoka brewery soon and I'll let them know.

Gerald
 
Yeah, the selection varies wildly from store to store. Living in Orillia, you can probably get Flying Monkeys beer from Barrie, their Hoptical Illusion is a pretty good IPA. As for the rest of those, I look forward to hearing about them. I had Waterloo Dark a few times in university (of Waterloo), and remember it being surprisingly light for a dark beer, but that was before I really developed a beer palate.

And Great Lakes is on my way to work, but for some reason have yet to try any of their beers :confused: Heard good things about the Devil's Pale Ale, though.
 
I posted in another thread on the hefe, it was too much flavor for me, too much clove and fruit. I can get the Flying Monkeys but I was trying to keep the costs down so I can try different styles. Next time I get some it'll be Flying Monkey. I'm used to drinking "wait for it" Laker.

Off topic - We'll be touring Muskoka breweries and Flying Monkeys sometime soon.

Gerald
 
I've drained many pitchers of Waterloo Dark at a pub in Georgetown (Milton/Brampton area) and my buddy tried a muskoka summer weisse a couple days ago and said it was really good. Let us know how the others were!
 
I'm going to have to try different Hefe's cause I can't see all hefe's being that potent.

Off topic. I grew up in Scarborough, moved to Orillia 12 years ago.
 
Flying Monkey's is relatively cheap. $12/6. Their Netherworld Cascadian Dark Ale is quite tasty too. The 666 Devil's IPA is nice too, they recently changed the hops.

Creemore Kellerbier is awesome too if you can get it.

I personally refuse to shop at the LCBO, especially after their stunt with Flying Monkey's and Smashbomb IPA. I don't really buy much commercial beer anymore, since the styles I like I can brew tastier, fresher, cheaper. If I do, I'll try and buy right from the brewery.
 
What were their "big three"? let me guess... Blue Moon was one, right?

****ing distributors.
 
What were their "big three"? let me guess... Blue Moon was one, right?

****ing distributors.

The Big 3 are Molson, Labatt, and Sleeman. Who between them own The Beer Store, which is why we often have to shop at the LCBO, which is government-run, to get more interesting craft brews. I don't recall ever seeing Blue Moon for sale in Canada :)
 
The Big 3 are Molson, Labatt, and Sleeman. Who between them own The Beer Store, which is why we often have to shop at the LCBO, which is government-run, to get more interesting craft brews. I don't recall ever seeing Blue Moon for sale in Canada :)


yup those are the three, I hate to say this but what's Blue Moon?
 
It isn't the best wit out there but it isn't bad. It's a bit of non-threatening flavor for bmc drinkers.
Instead of dogging it or bmc understand that everyone has taste preferences. More then 90 of the beer market lands where we would consider lacking any depth of flavor. Throwing insults their way only makes us sound like a pompous jackass. The make exactly what they intend to every single time.

Instead of turning your nose up and always seeing the negative in bmc look at what they do well and learn something.

No on
 
I'm not being a pompous jackass, I called it swamp water because you can close your eyes taste each one and think they're the same beer.
 
gclay, if blue moon and swamp water taste the same to you I would suggest seeing a medical professional. :fro:

I actually kinda like Blue moon for a different BMC. Granted it's not a micro, specialty or anything. But for a coors product you have to see it for what it is, an entry into a different flavor for them.

I agree with what was posted above, you have to see the good that these people do, and not hurl insults at them for what they don't do. I don't see many of us selling billions of bottles every year, each one tasting nearly EXACTLY the same. I would like to see most of us try to make the same beer taste the same three times in a row......off soap box....sorrrrryyyyyyy
 
Since Molson owns Coors, I am really surprised they don't have Blue Moon in Canada. I should call their marketing dept. and see if they have openings. If they don't I will get hired and fire the worthless one in charge of Canada. ;)
 
I never said I tried Blue Moon, I actually said I didn't know what it was. The main point I was trying to get across is that the "big three" are so close to each other and don't have an explosive flavor profile like I'm seeing in craft brews.
 
Blue Moon is a wheat beer, right? I have a vague recollection of it from the one time I had it while in Indiana, but those memories aren't reliable, as we'd been drinking ;) .

If so, then there are a few Canadian brews filling that space of pseudo-craft brew. Rickard's (Molson) and Keith's (I forget at the moment, but probably Labatt) both introduced a "white" beer in the last few years. Enough different from the macro-lagers that it's interesting, but still a friendly label, so people buy it. Good gateway beers :)
 
Rickards white is pretty good. Their version of an unfiltered wheat beer.
 
I think I saw tha tone in the LCBO, looks like a bottle of champagne.
 
I've drained many pitchers of Waterloo Dark at a pub in Georgetown (Milton/Brampton area) and my buddy tried a muskoka summer weisse a couple days ago and said it was really good. Let us know how the others were!

Which pub was it? I live in Georgetown and we only have a few bars let alone pubs. I'm guessin either the George or Sheppards Crook
 
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