Looking for local artists to design tap handles for local beers

Over past two years Chancey Smith's grew to be a place to find a decent selection of beers in London. We built a list of some great imported beers from Belgium, U.S.A and rest of the world.
However, the one segment of our beer selection, I am most proud of, is an ever changing list of Ontario draught beers. Supporting and showcasing incredible talent and diversity of our local brewers has become a passion of mine. I truly believe that Flying Monkeys' Netherworld, Black Oak 10 Bitter Years, Beau's Festivale, Dennison's Wessbier, Lakes of Muskoka Harvest Ale to name just few are just as good as some of the highly renowned foreign beers.
Supporting community, local product, business, artists is beneficial to all of us. It means supporting people, knowing their names and feeling like normal human beings rather than a number in corporate financial statements. It hopefully means we will have more thriving small businesses rather than more Godzilla like conglomerates too big to fail.
So if you are an artist who feels the same way, we would like to invite you to enter a contest to design tap handles for some of the local beers and breweries we feature in Chancey Smith's. We are not looking for expensive piece of art and we do not have a large budget to pay for these either. There would be most likely a combination of  "perks" from brewery and a credit toward goods & services in Chancey Smith's and in some cases some cash. And of course the bragging rights. The medium you choose does not matter; wood, metal. ceramic or anything else is fine, as long as the handle can function well and last.
One brewer I recently spoke to about the project expressed an interest in potentially ordering larger number of handles or buying the design. Initially we are looking for sketches only. Once we select designs, we can discuss the rest with each artist.

So if you are interested, contact me directly in Chancey Smith's or via my email miloskral@gmailcom for more information.
I would like to meet with you in person, discuss the ideas and answer any questions you might have.

Love beer will travel...how far is too far???

It has been a tradition of mine to visit places with good beer to offer.Few years ago it meant driving from Prague to Brussels to savour as much lambics as possible before they disappear.Earlier this week, it was just a little road trip to visit few Ontario craft brewers. My friend Adil became an integral part of these trips over last little while, too.So we got in a borrowed Buick and took off for Toronto. First stop Black Oak Brewery. We arrived mid morning to find Ken, Adrian and Paul getting ready to start the day. Of course one of the first things that came up in conversation was the legendary "10 Bitter Years" ale. Adrian poured some of the bright tank and while we sampled this heavenly liquid we learned that perhaps sometimes next week the second batch should be bottled and kegged!!! I can only imagine the mayhem when it will finally be released. 

They are all excited about newly acquired bottling station which should speed up bottling and make it easier.Great little visit. You need to stop by and visit, too. And while visiting, buy some beer! 

All of their beers are on my list of top beers in Ontario. If you can have just one, get some Pale Ale!

Great Lakes Brewery just around the corner was our second stop. Ever since Simon brought the project X to Chancey Smith's, we wanted to visit and see where all those great casks and beers are coming from. Simon's little test kit is quite simple, yet impressinve. This tiny little thing has brought so much pleasure to so many. No, we're still talking beer you dirty people!! In business since 1987, you can almost hear the heartbeat of the place ticking away in a steady marathon pace. The building, the brew-house and people all seem to emanate confidence and peace of mind.
Pay them a visit, you will be glad you did. Buy some beer, support local, and if you're lucky, there might be some of the Project X ales available in bottles, too. The new version of 666 Devil's Ale will make you want some more. Stay tuned for an off center summer draught one off coming to Chancey Smith's soon. Great visit. Thanks for the tour Simon.

Next off to Bracebridge to visit Lakes of Muskoka Cottage Brewery. It is not a short little trip to make. According to Google maps, from my house to the brewery covers 388 kilometers. As we are heading north on #11 the question keeps popping up in my mind: Are we mad? Are we really driving almost 400 km to have a sip of new beer and visit the brewery?

We parked in front and eagerly entered. Warm welcome from Mike, Gary, Aleksandra (sp?) and many other people. Something in their eyes changed slightly after learning we did drive that distance just to try their beer and perhaps buy some for our tap.

"Are you really putting those kegs in that little Buick? Hmm...I wonder if those guys from London got a little "breeze" going under the shingles? Let's get them out of here before anybody gets hurt!!" I am sure some thought like that were going through their minds. We picked up a keg of Hefe Weisse and Cream Ale. They are both worth drinking.

Since it was lunch time,  Mike was able to lure us safely away from the premises to The Griffin. Local Gastropub owned by Curt an Jed. Two guys with a great passion for everything local. We had a great lunch, fresh beer and most of all we met Jed. If you are anywhere close to Bracebridge, make a point of checking them out. You will be glad you did!! Mike was good enough to give us a quick tour of the brewery before we had to leave.
It would be so great to stay right there! Relax, have few more brews, meet locals, talk some more with Mike and Jed, share the passion.
Reality is, we have to get going back. One more stop before heading home.

To our surprise Flying Monkeys Brewery is right in the middle of busy downtown street with a magnificent lake view.
This is our fourth brewery visit today. Each one totally different from the other three. To say that "Monkey brew-house" took us by a surprise would be an understatement. Sample of freshly bottled new batch of Netherworld was heavenly and the view of brewery added to the feeling of awe. Add Peter to the mix, stir in Adil, step back and observe. That's more less what happened. Those two were like two long lost lovers reunited. While they are deeply in conversation about intricacies of dry-hoping and other parts of brewers life, I am being the "proper" visitor, snapping pictures, checking it all out.
Every vessel, every piece of equipment  in house is named. When you look at Peter in his denims and ball cap, you'd never guess hi might be a mad scientist. Once you listen to him, you can almost picture his features transforming: shoulder lenght unruly hair, long white coat with many mysterious stains and burn holes, humongous thick glassed held together with wire twist or cloth pin.
His vision of great new beers and unwavering pursuit to bring them to us is remarkable. While those two are deeply in their debate about different hops, grains and visions of new beer styles, one could easily miss what is to me as important. Under all of the facade resides good humble man.

If I were aspiring to enter the world of literary giants, I would speak about feeling a sense of foreboding. Years later this might the one the chance moments that changed lives.
The truth is, I do not dream about being a literary giant nor I presume foresee the future. I will just try to do my part and support Flying Monkeys by buying their brews and spreading their message

So if you missed it: get out of bed, come down to Chancey Smith's and drink few of the beers from these remarkable breweries.
We are getting in the car now to return home. We left  before 7am this morning and by the time we get home to London, it will be 9:30pm and the car trip meter will add up to close to 900 km.  It will take few cups of strong black coffe and a chocolate bar to stay awake.
We did travel quite a bit today and tasted some great beer and brought a couple of kegs back to London for you to try. Was if worth the travel? Was it too far? Was it a day in our life we will never get back? If it was just for the beer, I would tend to agree. We had a chance to meet so many interesting people and spent some time with them (not enough time if you ask me!) while enjoying good food and beer.
My life has been enriched by meeting all these great people. And for that it would not be too far if I had to go to the end of the world!!!

So many beers and so little time!

More pictures from the trip

Milos' So Many Beers So Little Time: Women just do not appreciate beer...or do they?

Milos' So Many Beers So Little Time: Women just do not appreciate beer...or do they?

Women just do not appreciate beer...or do they?

And if they do, it has to be some kind of girly lemonade. Yeah, you heard right. Over past twenty plus years of living in Canada I heard this so many times with just slight variations!
I love it! There are two "tough" 230 lbs. guys sitting on one end of the bar watching three girls in their mid twenties. What is it they're drinking? Oh, that is Koningshoeven Quadrupel. Yeah, looks like a proper girly drinks in those pretty little glasses, the other one replies and takes really big gulp of his Bud Light.
And what is the other one having? Oh, that is  Maredsous 10.
...Never heard of it!...
...It is another beer from Belgium...
....Oh, man I heard about those Belgian beers... different... fruity..I tried this one last year and it was just like a piss.. can I have another Coors Light? And can you put a couple of them on ice for me.. this one isn't cold enough... I though you were the beer bar!!
I am sure you all heard at least once some parts of this conversation.
All the serious manufactures of carbonated alcoholic liquid are sitting in their oversized boardrooms trying to figure out how to appeal to a female part of population. The beers, packaging and ads do not seem to work for ladies, it is really puzzling. It is a great commercial: countless young women either scantily clad or stuffed in extra short and tight clothing hop around in a state of total elation while they are trying to please all the guys. What's not to like about it?
So they go and roll out a new beer for a modern female. It must have a sexy bottle with wild colour label and some exotic tasting fruit flavour because them women do not like the real taste of the beer.
Fine that's enough, stop hurling heavy sharp objects at me!!!
All the italic text is here to get your attention. Why? Well because all you girls who just t do not appreciate good beer are heroines in my little tale of fermentable starches.
Having been on a crusade to convert infidels to the gospel of taste and personality in their beverages for past twenty some years, I find it intriguing how many women are willing to be converted or already are carrying a cross with a chalice of great beer on top of it! Perhaps there is something wrong with me.. no I mean even more than the usual, but I find it extremely sexy when a female ask for our beer list and proceeds to order beers like Southern Tier Imperials, Belgian Quads or other more interesting beers we have to offer.
Let me spell it out for you:
Women perhaps are not as smart as all the "guys" who figured a long time ago that all the ads on billboards, magazines, TV and interweb are true because there is no way big brewers would choose to spend money on brainwashing people in media rather than brew something worth drinking.
So if you want to appeal to them, try the archaic idea of offering some kind of real taste instead.
So here is to all feeble minded gals. Let us all raise a glass to toast  your silly feminine refusal to drink crap just because!!

Cheers


Milos
So many beers and so little time!

Lambics...are they doomed?

Several years ago while in Europe, I decided to check one more item from my bucket list and drive to Belgium to sample lambics in their home fearing these beers might be soon s subject of Beers that fell victim to ignorance and E.U.

There are many realities of European Union.  One is the ease of traveling from one country to another. No borders, no customs and in most of the member countries same currency is used. 

Hold on, I don't want to start a discussion on this topic.

Another angle is EU's  bureaucracy push to unify and standardize every little aspect of its members' lives. Imagine McDonald's establishing their own country and you get the picture. Everything looking and tasting the same, mediocre at best. No space for local traditions, culture of preferences. Don't tell boss somewhere in HQ not all diners go crazy over his idea of cardboard taste! You get the message. That's how some parts of what's happening over there seem to me.

What does it have to do with lambics you ask?

Well, if rumour has it right, EU is pushing really hard to get all the lambic brewers to clean up. Not their act! Their breweries! It means dusting every corner of premises, taking down  all the cobwebs, making the places as clean ad possible. That is exactly what you want you will argue. No bacteria other than your own yeast, no contamination. It seems to be a gospel even home brewers are religiously reciting.

Not so fast, my little friend. If you are a lambic brew master, you worship the "devil" himself. The crazy and wild bacteria and yeast are omnipresent in every lambic brewery. Little less than hundred different "bugs' live here according to some sources. They are present in the air, wood structures and every other welcoming place they can find to live long and prosper The two most worshiped ones are Brettanomyces bruxellensis and  Brettanomyces lambicus.

So if you clean up really well,  you are going to wipe out the entire family of meanies and nasties including Beelzebub himself. The downside to that is that you will send to oblivion one of the oldest preserved brewing traditions and deny future generations chance to fall in love with this unique member of family of beers so dominated by multinational bottom line hostage monstrosities producing megagigazilions of gallons of bland tasteless carbonated liquid so many are hypnotized into believing to be beer.we desire.

We should meniton that on of the main reasons lambics are still produced is total fascination with everything from Belgium on North American continent. 

Lambics are not the most popular when it comes to beer styles. 

Perhaps we should learn from the big brewers: When I snap my fingers, you will wake up and head over to the nearest liquor or party store and ask for lambic. You will repeat this routine once a month. ......SNAP!!! 

Did it work Do you have an urge to go out and try some lambic?

Good! You might be the one to make them stay for all the future beer lovers.

SNAP!! if it did not work, why not give it try anyway. 

Cheers

Milos

So many beers and so little time!!

My Canada includes craft beer

Hello there is beerland.

We (myself and my girlfriend Lisa) want to know where almost everything we use of buy comes from, always trying to find label that says: produce of Ontario, made in Ontario or at least Canada. We live and shop downtown London as much as we can. Lisa designs and makes her own ladies clothing and accessories known as Weezi, I manage Chancey Smith's bar and restaurant. We both try to support local independent businesses and appreciate the same in return.

While there is good beer brewed all around the world and I really enjoy finding and sampling every good example of well made brew, it gives me always the greatest pleasure to find something new and exciting brewed here in Ontario. Here is one example:

When Shortly after I started working in Chancey Smith's I met Bob Hanenberg owner of Grand River Brewing in Cambridge, Ontario and eventually met Rob Creighton the brewmaster and great craft beer enthusiast extraordinaire and Jane Southgate who makes sure there is money left to pay taxman!

We sampled Grand River Beers with few beer loving friends and fell in love wiht them!! Chancey Smith's added a permanent draught live featuring at present Galt Knife Old Style. It is probably the best and closest beer to my beloved Pilsner Urquell found locally.And it is much fresher tasting. The entire line of Grand River beers is a powerhouse of well made beers with superb ballanced taste and flavour without excessively high alcohol content, so your  can enjoy more than one, two or three glasses.  Russian Gun Imperial Stout is one of the finest examples of the style in Ontario with 8.4% abv is offering an opportunity to sample with lower alcohol presence than many of it's cousins.

Ratebeer reviews of Grand River Beers

Don't just take my word for it. Next time you want to do something fun, get in the car and head to Cambridge to visit the brewery and try if for your self, you will be glad you did. You can buy supplies for home, too! 

And if you don't want to drive, come to Chancey Smith's and try it there.

Cheers

Milos

So many beer and so little time