Sam Corbeil spends 2007 drinking a different beer a day.
LAST-MINUTE PANIC! SIX NO-SHIP GIFT IDEAS
Buy a GamePass for a friend |
 Beer of the month club membership |
 Full Tilt Poker gift certificates |
 Amazon.com gift card |
 Give a better life with Heifer.org |
  Brew Your Own magazine subscription |
A Beer a Day in 2007
Submitted by Sam
Corbeil
In 2007 (minus the first four days of
2007, which were picked up on
the first four days of 2008), I drank a different beer a day.
I didn't think that it would be a particularly difficult task and in some respects it wasn't, in fact it was quite a joy. But in other respects, it sucked major ball sack.
Firstly, in Ontario we are pretty much relegated to buying whatever The Beer Store and LCBO has on stock at the time. The Beer Store may tout the fact that they have 300-and-some-odd different types of beer for sale, but for the most part that's just a bunch of hogwash.
Mostly because, of those 300-and-some-odd "different" beers, 295 of them are the same tasteless fizzy lager-style beers. How much fun would it be to drink the same goddamn style of beer, a beer a day, every day for a year? Not much, I'm afraid.
And truthfully, I
despise that particular style of beer. Lagers can be great. They can be
refreshing and they can be full-bodied, they can be bitter and they can
have a delicious wisp
of hops across the nose. But sadly this is not the case for many of the
lagers available at the beer store. Because many of them are the lowly
"buck-a-beer" dealies
that frankly taste like
the underside of a donkey's cock.
And another thing about The Beer Store! I can't count how many times I walked into different beers stores across the city, took my time scouring the wall of labels looking for something different, something new and exciting, finally find one, only to be told that they don't have it in stock.
Many times I had
to revert to my third and fourth choices!
What
kind of way is that to run a business? But what does it matter to The
Beer Store? They are a fucking monopoly! And since they have no real
competition, they don't really care. It's ridiculous. It's pathetic.
It's Ontario.
The LCBO has done a good job this year picking up the
slack. They seem genuinely interested in supplying different beers from
around the world to the beer consumers of Ontario.
Their
shelves seem, more and more, to be stocked with some interesting beers
from fascinating places around the globe, with new releases
seemingly popping up each month. They still have a long way to go: for
evidence, just pop into any LCBO and see how many of the imports are
again just lagers from other parts of the world... but at least they
are
trying.
The price point may be different from The Beer Store, which maybe part of the reason that The Beer Store doesn't stock to many imports or Micros, but again that is just our wonderful government at work.
Now don't
quote me on this, but I've been told that on a percentage basis, Canada
is the second highest taxed country in the world when it comes to beer
and liquor. WTF?
I can see the argument in that I would gladly pay a little more for
beer and liquor if it means I get free health care, but come on. It's
getting ridiculous.
Anyhoo,
enough of the ranting and raving. Truth is, if you want to find good
beer there are many options available to you. Especially here in
Toronto.
You can visit many of the local Craft and Micros across the
GTA
and purchase directly from them. Mill Street, Magnotta, Great Lakes
Brewing, Steamwhistle, Black Oak, Cameron's, Trafalgar Ales &
Meads, Old Credit Brewing... and the list goes on. There are a lot of
great beers to be had if you just go out and take a look.
There are also many great beer bars across the
GTA. Cafe Volo,
C'est
What?, The Rhino, Victory Cafe, The Beer Bistro, Michelle's
Brasserie,
the Mill Street Brew Pub, The Granite Brewery and Pub, just to name a
few. And many of these bars offer great events throughout the year.
Cafe Volo hosts a cask day each year. C'est What? has spring
and
fall craft brewing festivals. The Granite has Robbie Burns day and
other brewing focused dinners.
And if you really feel the need to try something different,
take a drive down the QEW,
pop across the border and just Stateside, there is a great
little place in Buffalo called The
Premier Gourmet. They have an
extensive beer list, many of which are unavailable to us in Canada. And
with a strong dollar it maybe worth the trip.
So I may complain about the beer selection, but truthfully there are
many options, case in point, my 365 different beers.
Now
I also had many friends who just happened to be travelling last year
bring me back beers from the many locales they were travelling too, and
I picked up some great beers from my West Coast visit this year,
but for the most part, the beers were purchased here in Ontario.
So with out further adieu, here is the break down of the beers
I enjoyed over the past year.
Oh, and one more thing. This list is in no way the only beer I drank over the last year. Many times I would have two or more different beers in a day, but these are just the ones I wrote down, or at least remembered. (Where we have reviews on the site, we've hyperlinked to the page. Ed.)
Click here to review any of the beers on the list!
Beer a Day January '07
Belle-Vue - Kriek
Wellington Brewery - Imperial Russian Stout
St. Peter's - English Ale
Heineken - Lager
Glenora Springs - Triple Chin Irish Ale
Mill Street - Tankhouse Ale
Robert Simpson - Confederation Ale
County Durham - ESB
Scotch Irish - Sgt. Major IPA
Brick - Waterloo Dark
Macauslan's - St Ambroise Pale Ale
Shiner - Hefeweizen
Moosehead - Lager
Molson - Canadian
Maclean's - Scotch Ale
Blue Moon - Wit
Widmer Bros - Hefeweizen
Duvel - Belgian Ale
Redhook - ESB
Shiner - Bock
Armadillo Restaurant - Armadillo Red
Sleeman - Bard's Ale
Upper Canada - Red Ale
Boddingtons - Cream Ale
Redhook - IPA
Hockley Valley - Dark Ale
Click here to review any of the beers on the
list!
Beer a Day February '07
Molson - Rickard's Red
Granite Brewing - Dry Hopped Best Bitter
Great Lakes Brewing - Black Jack Lager
Sam Adams - Boston Lager
Pilsner Urquell - Pilsner
Niagra Brewing - Eisbock
Headstrong - Pale Ale
Molson - Rickard's Pale Ale
Labatts - 50 Ale
Wellington Brewing - County Ale
Schneider & Sohns - Weissbier
Guinness Stout
Tiger - Lager
DeKonink - Belgian Ale
Brick - J.R. Brickman Amber Lager
Steamwhistle - Pilsner
Staropramen - Pilsner
Fuller's - London Porter
Macauslan's - Apricot Wheat
Brooklyn Brewing - Brooklyn Lager
Okocim - Porter
Warsteiner - Pilsner
Paulaner - Salvator Bock
Upper Canada - Dark Ale
Great Lakes Brewing - Winter Ale
Schneider & Sohns - Aventinus
Wychwood - Fiddler's Elbow
Sheperd's Neame - Bishop's Finger
Click here to review any of the beers on the
list!
Beer a Day March '07
Wychwood - Hobgoblin
County Durham - Sweet Stout
Rogue - Dead Guy Ale
Fuller's - London Pride Ale
Sapparo - Lager
DAB - Dortmunder
Kronenbourg - 1664 Lager
Coors - Coor's Light
Faxe - Lager
Labatt's - Old Mick's Red Lager
Denison's - Dunkel
Heather's Ale - Alba Scots Pine Ale
Heather's Ale - Fraoch Ale
Heather's Ale - Grozet Gooseberry Wheat
Tecate - Cerveza
Heather's Ale - Ebulum Elderberry Black Ale
Durham County - Signature Ale
Newcastle - Brown
Ale
Zywiec - Lager
Becks - Lager
Zlatorog - Lager
Wychwood - Black Witch Stout
Wolaver's - Organic Nut Brown
Harpoon - UFO Weizen
Harpoon - IPA
Ringwood - Old Thumper Extra Special Ale
Upper Canada - Lager
Otter Creek - Stove Pipe Porter
Golden Phesant - Lager
Unibroue - Blanche De Chambly
Mill St. - Helles Bock
Click here to review any of the beers on the
list!
Beer a Day April '07
Otter Creek - Pale Ale
Cafe Diplimatico - House Stout
Robert Simpson - Sugarbush Lager
Long Trail - Hibernator Winter Ale
Molson - Old Vienna
Trailhead - Lager
Tsing Tao - Lager
Sagres - Lager
Wellington Brewery - Strong Ale
Shipyard - Export
Otter Creek - Copper Ale
Shipyard - IPA
Sierra Nevada - Pale Ale
Cafe Diplimatico - House Lager
Great Lakes Brewing - Orange Peel Ale
Amsterdam Brewing - Dutch Amber
Long Trail - IPA
Long Trail - Hefeweizen
Molson - Canadian Light
Amsterdam Brewing - Spring Bock
Denison's - Weissbier
Trafalgar Ales & Meads - Irish Celtic Ale
Long Trail - Alt
Saporoni - Lager
Kilkenny - Irish Red Ale
Corona
Molson - Rickard's White
Murphy's - Irish Stout
Amstel - Amstel Light
Zubr - Lager
Click here to review any of the beers on the
list!
Beer a Day May '07
Lezajsk - Lager
Well's - Bombardier Ale
Cameron's - Auburn Ale
Niagra Falls Brewing - Gristone Ale
Mill St. - 175 Anniversay Ale
True North - Blonde Lager
Charles Well's - IPA
Saku - Original Lager
Sleeman - Honey Brown
Lech - Lager
Leffe - Blonde Ale
Rogue - Imperial Pilsner
Foggy Dew - Foggy Dew House Ale
Red Horse - Lager
Greene King - Abbot Ale
Anchor Brewing - Liberty Ale
Caledonian - 80/- Scotch Ale
Nickelbrook Brewing- Maple Porter
Stratford Brewing - IPA
Niagra Brewing - Angel's Lager
Brasserie Des Gabariers - Atlantic Beer au Pineau
Sheperd's Neame - Spitfire Kentish Ale
Heritage Brewing - Maplebush Lager
San Miguel - Pale Pilsner
Black Oak Brewing - Lemon Pepper Ale
La Chouffre - Blonde
Fuller's - ESB
Sinha - Stout
Affligem - Blonde Ale
Creemore - Pilsner
Cooper's - Sparkling Ale
Click here to review any of the beers on the
list!
Beer a Day June '07
Wadworth - 6X Premium Ale
Maclean's - Pale Ale
Trafalgar Ales & Meads - Paddy's Irish Red Ale
Charles Wells - John Bull Ale
Saigon - Export
Trafalger Ales & Meads - Maple Bock
Old Credit - Amber Ale
Stonehammer - Pilsner
Old Mill Brewery - Irish Ale
Warka - Strong Lager
Fischer - Blonde
Lakes of Muskoka - Cream Ale
Hacker Pschorr - Edel Helle
Marston's - Pedigree Ale
Sierra Nevada - Summerfest Lager
Lakefront Brewing - New Grist Sorghum & Rice Beer
Brooklyn Brewing - 55' Pennant Lager
He'Brew - Massiah Blonde
Duckstien - Alt
True North - Cream Ale
Banks - Stout
Lakes Of Muskoka - Dark Ale
Lakes of Muskoka - Weissbier
Erdinger - Weissbier
Rogue - Uberfest Pilsner
Ommegang - Witte
Big Rock - Grass Hopper Wheat Ale
True North - Wunderweisse
True North - Alt
Merchant Ale House - ESB
Click here to review any of the beers on the
list!
Beer a Day July '07
Pearl Street Bar & Grille - Trainwreck
Alt
Dogfish Head - 90 minute IPA
La Chouffre - Mc Chouffre Brown Ale
J.W. Dundee - American Pale Ale
Paulaner - Weissbier
Sarnac - Pale Ale
Pabst - Blue Ribbon
Bass - Pale Ale
Ayinger - Dopplebock
Rogue - Brutal Bitter
Magic Hat - Circus Boy weissbier
Forst - Premium Lager
Southern Tier - IPA
Grand River Brewing - Plowman's Ale
O'Hanlan's - Port Stout
Ommegang - Belgian Abbey Ale
Ellicotville Brewing - American Pale Ale
Sierra Nevada - Bigfoot 2007
Magic Hat - Hocus Pocus Summerwheat Ale
Harpoon - Nut Brown
Two Brothers Brewing - Hop Juice
Labatt - Labatt Ice
Orval - Trappist Ale
Stonehammer - Dark Ale
Edelweiss - Weissbier Hefe Trub
Samuel Smith - Old Brewery Pale Ale
St. Pauli Girl - Dark Lager
Cuvee De Trull - Belgian Ale
The Ithica Brewing Co. - Cascazilla Red Ale
Chimay - White Triple
Unibroue - La Fin De Monde Triple
Click here to review any of the beers on the
list!
Beer a Day August '07
True North - IPA
True North - Strong Ale
Grand River Brewing - Old Stlyle Galt Knife Lager
St. Andre - Great Eastern IPA
Patagonia - Lager
Amsterdam - Nut Brown
Left Hand Brewing - Milk Stout
Mackeson - Stout
Caffery's - Irish Ale
North Coast Brewing - Old Rasputin Russian Imperial Stout
Mill Street - Belgian Wit
Red Stripe - Lager
Fuller's - Organic Honey Beer
Christoffel - Blonde Pilsner
Taps - Cream Ale
Boris - Lager
Holstein - Festbock
Hockley - Gold Premium Draught
Konings Hueven - Belgian Ale
Radeberger - Pils
Kostritzer - Schwartzbier
Holstien - Maibock
Wernesgruner - Pils
Walkerville - Lager
Yuengling - Amber Lager
Mill Street - IPA
Macauslan's - Scotch Ale
Mill Street - Organic Lager
Old Credit - Pale Pilsner
Okocim - Mocne
Triple Karmeliet - Triple
Click here to review any of the beers on the
list!
Beer a Day September '07
Elora Mills - Grand Lager
Unibroue - Maudite
Mythos - Pilsner
Tusker - Lager
Trafalgar Ales & Meads - Portside Amber
Salva Vida - Lager
Great Lakes Brewing - 666 Devil's Pale Ale
J.R. Brickman - Brick Pilsner
Barena - Lager
St. Peter's - Best Bitter
Port Royal - Export Pilsner
Kozel - Pilsner
Trafalger Ales & Meads - Smoked Oatmeal Stout
Anchor Brewing - Porter
Tyskie - Lager
Zelta - Lager
Mill Street - Coffee Porter
Fuller's - 1845 Bottle Conditioned Ale
Deuchar's - IPA
Burton Bridge Brewery - Burton Porter
Carib - Lager
Brooklyn Brewing - Monster Ale
Jever - Pils
Scotch Irish - Black Irish Plain Porter
Pinkus - Organic UrPils
Great Divide - DPA Pale Ale
DogFish Head - Indian Brown Ale
Taps - Vanilla Wheat
Stone Brewing - Arrogant Bastard Ale
Click here to review any of the beers on the
list!
Beer a Day October '07
Sierra Nevada - Anniversay Ale
Black Sheep Brewing - Monty Python Holy Ale
Belhaven - Twisted Thistle IPA
Schlenkerla - Marzen Rauchbier
Pinkus - Organic Weissbier
Southern Tier - Imperial Pumpkin Ale
Great Lakes Brewing - Pumpkin Ale
Granville Island - Weizen
Steamworks Brewing - Raven Brown Ale
Canoe Brewpub - Pale Ale
Tree Brewing - Hop Head IPA
Tree Brewing - Spy Porter
Yale Town Brewpub - Sling Stout
Ommegang - Hennepin Saison Ale
Sam Adam's - Imperial Pilsner
Swan's Brewing - Pandora's Pale Ale
Philip's Brewing - Longboat Double Chocolate Porter
Great Divide - Tital IPA
Spinnaker's - Unsinkable Molly Brown Ale
Westmalle - Dubbel
Nickelbrook - Left Hook Barley Wine
Lindeman's - Lambic Gueze
Marcardles - Traditional Ale
Swan's Brewing - Riley's Scotch Ale
Spinnaker's - Mitchel's ESB
Spinnaker's - IPA
Swan's - Pumpkin Ale
O'Hara's - Wheat Ale
The Greenwich Brewery - Meantime IPA
O'Hara's - Molings Traditional Irish Red
Abbey de Rock - Belgian Ale
Click here to review any of the beers on the
list!
Beer a Day November '07
Stone Brewing - Stone IPA
Jenalin - Ambree Biere de Gaurde
Pirrat - Belgian Ale
Swan's Brewing - Oatmeal Stout
Liefman's - Kriek
Sleeman - Original Draught
Brooklyn Brewing - Nut Brown Ale
Rogue - Chocolate Stout
O'Hara's - Celtic Stout
Mill Street - Stock Ale
Holstien - Pils
Lagunitas - Maximus IPA
Harviestoun - Bitter & Twisted
Mayabe - Cerveza
Brakspear - Organic
Grand River Brewing - Mill Race Mild
Crystal - Cerveza
Moretti - Pilsner
Southern Tier - Unearthly Imperial IPA
O'Hanlan's - Thomas Hardy 2006
Great Lakes Brewing (US) - Dortmunder Gold
Harvey's - 1859 Porter
Black Oak - Nut Cracker Porter
Macaulan's - St. Ambroise Oatmeal Stout
Bucanero - Fuente Lager
Great Lakes Brewing (US) - Burning River Pale Ale
Mill Street - Frambrozen
Lagunitas - IPA
Mill Street - Barley Wine 2007
Dominc's Restaurant - Amber Canadian House Lager
Click here to review any of the beers on the
list!
Beer a Day December '07
Lakes of Muskoka - Muskoka Lager
Faxe - Amber Lager
Stone Brewing - Smoked Porter
Warstiener - Dunkel
Brooklyn Brewing - Black Chocolate Stout
Bucenaro - Max Lager
Garrison Brewing - IPA
Grand River Brewing - Jubilation Spiced Ale
Anchor Brewing - Our Special Ale
Schneider & Sohn - Aventinus Eisbock
Royal Oak - Traditional Bitter
Southern Tier - Big Red Imperial Red Ale
Mill Street - Barley Wine 2004
Hockley Valley - Irish Stout
Black Sheep - Riggwelter Yorkshire Strong Ale
St. Peter's - Winter Ale
Wychwood - Bah Humbug Christmas Ale
Trafalgar Ales & Meads - Belgian Abbey Spiced Ale
Ommegang - Rare Vos Amber Ale
Petrus - Old Bruin
Brakspear - Triple
Flying Dog - Double Dog Double Pale Ale
Real Rock - Lager
Great Divide - Yeti Oak Aged Imperial Stout
Southern Tier - Blackwater Imperial Coffee Stout
John Evan's Home Brew - Winter Ale 2007
Great Divide - Old Ruffian Barley Wine
Pearl Street Bar & Grille - Saber's Edge Double IPA
De Konink - Blonde Ale
Samuel Smith - Old Brewery Taddy Porter
Brooklyn Brewing - Local 1 Saison
Click here to review any of the beers on the
list!
Beer a Day January '08
Brooklyn Brewing - East IPA
Mahr's - Der Wiesse Bock
Sierra Nevada - Celebration Ale
Red Hook - Winter Hook Winter Ale
So
there it is. The beer list from my past year. Click here to review any of the beers on the
list!
Now before anyone gets all huffy about it, I know that some of the beers are actually the same. Not in name, but in brew. Amsterdam Dutch Amber is the same as Cafe Diplimatico's House Amber. Blue Moon is the same as Rickard's White.
But to be fair, I didn't know this when I drank them and only learned it after. So the spirit of my quest was still there. To my knowlege I was drinking a different beer, so I'm cool with that.
My
main objective was to try as many beers as I could this year and I did
that. There are 365 days in a year and 365 chances to try a beer a day.
I believe I held true to that.
So what did I learn from
drinking 365 beers in 365 days, a beer a day? Well... there
are certainly a lot of
good beers out there. Only twice did I dump the beer out. Golden
Pheasant, because it was skunky and Monty's Python's Holy Ale,
because it was
ass. Other than that I made it through each beer.
Obviously some days were harder than others. Choking down a beer after a kick-in-the-head hangover can be tough, but sometimes it's just what the doctor ordered.
Oh, I learned that buying a beer a day starts to wear on the wallet. It can get pretty pricey. I just took a trip to Buffalo to buy a few beers... $80 for 15 beers! Ouch. But what are you going to do?
I also learned that there are lot of breweries out there doing their very best to put out some crazy ass beers just to keep us crazy ass beer drinkers happy and sated. It's wonderful. It's impossible to get bored if you just look around!
But mostly I learned that pairing beer and food is absolutely fan-fucking-tastic. I started out just having the beer by itself, but as time wore on it became more and more difficult to find the time to just drink a beer. So naturally the beer made its way into dinner.
By the end of the year, I could scarcely have dinner without my beer a day brew. Not everything went together like Bogie and Bacall, but when it did, let me tell you what! A medium rare, blue cheese burger and Irish Stout... orgasmic. Pad Thai and weissbier... outstanding. Vindaloo and IPA... awesome. Porter and Chocolate... get me a kleenex!
Lastly, I learned that having a beer a day makes it extremely difficult to stop drinking a beer a day. Around 3pm I start thinking about what beer I'm going to have that night and what I'm going to eat it with. Sometimes I'd call my wife and ask her what we were having for dinner and then I'd just start thinking of the beers I had in my fridge and which of my beer a day stock would go best with our grub.
Beer, addictive? No way. Impossible!
GET INVOLVED!
usa
canada
world
LATEST UPDATES
LINKS
"Where does he get all those wonderful toys?"
ThinkGeek: launch rockets from your PC, send digital insults to drivers and own a REAL light sabre!
Guinness Product HQ
We've rounded up the greatest collection of Guinness gear on the planet! Shirts, hats, glasses, home bar products, giftware, tin signs... all official! Guinness Product HQ
