Craft Beer

The Craft Beer Appreciation Group has been formed as a forum for exploring the increasingly popular world of craft beer. This group is geared towards entertainment and camaraderie with the faint hope that we just might increase our knowledge and develop some sensual appreciation along the way. You don’t have to be a beer expert…..it is important to note that you don’t have to know anything about beer or to even to like it to enjoy this experience. This group is about fun and developing new tastes and pleasures. Please join us!
We meet from time to time as opportunities for novel gatherings are developed. Where possible, we try to ensure that all who want to come can be accommodated. The best way to ensure your place at outings which interest you, is to be included on our roster. To be included, or to get more information, please use the link on our web page to contact the Convenor David Litner.

July 05, 2023 Gathering

Wednesday JULY 5 was a lazy, hot, humid, muggy day; just perfect for an Applewood Craft Beer Group tasting and backyard BBQ. JOE REID’S backyard provided the consummate amount of shade. Eleven of us (a reasonably small turnout) tasted a variety of beers, many of them uncharacteristically dark (sorry GARRY) given the season. The beers (personally sourced by JOHN MARK and YOURS TRULY) were from Caledon Hills Brewery in Palgrave and GoodLot Farmstead Brewery, northeast of Alton. The beers were accompanied by giant sausages on crispy baguette, masterfully grilled by JOHN MARK, as well as potato salad, sauerkraut, and a delicious bean salad, prepared by JOE….and OH!!!! those tarts for dessert. YOURS TRULY provided the beer commentary and the requisite trivia quiz.
Here is what we tasted, in order of preference:

-- GoodLot Country Dark (rich, toasty, malt forward)
-- GoodLot Nit Wit (Belgian wheat beer with coriander and orange peel)--
-- Caledon Hills Summer Solstice (light, subtle fruitiness)--Caledon Hills Lagered Oatmeal Stout (nutty, fruity, Smooth with some hop bitterness)
-- GoodLot Hop Bin Black (hoppy, hoppy, hoppy West coast IPA)
-- Goodlot Top of the Morning (toasty, roasty, in your face Irish stout)

Cheers,
David Litner

November 2022 Meeting

Applewood Probians met at Nicklebrook's craft beer facility on The Queensway in Etobicoke.
This is now their primary brewing location.

David Litner introduced the owner who welcomed us and brought in his brewmaster to describe each of the 6 beers in our tasting.

We tasted 6 beers ranging from light crisp lagers, continuing through tasty Oktoberfest and mildly hoppy IPA and finishing with two distinctive stouts. One aged in Bourbon barrels and one aged in Pinot Noir barrels that gave it a somewhat funky flavour. Both were very smooth but deadly at over 11% in ABV.

A chucuterie board was available to the group just in case the beer sipping brought on hunger pains. After our group passed by, only 2 grapes and a broken cracker remained.

During the tasting David conducted a trivia contest for prizes of beer to a few lucky winners. This contest resulted in much howls of laughter and jeering at our beloved contest leader. All in fun!

At the conclusion all attendees were invited to take home a can of beer of their choice.

This concludes our Craft Beer tasting events of 2022 and next year the Beer Team is planning for more exciting spots to visit. Stay tuned for the 2023 season.

David & John