Tuesday 18 December 2012

If We're Goin' Down, We're Goin' Down Swiggin'

Well it's been a while since I last posted on these here internets, but you gots to believe me when I tells y'all that we've been busy, real busy.  We've been movin', we've been shakin' and we've been pretty much just tryin' to keep our pretty little heads above water.  Peoples been drinkin' like sumpin' big 'bout to go down.  In fact I can barely hear myself think over the sound of that big ol' rumour mill churnin'.  Seems there been some talk as to whether or not the end of the world is coming...we're pretty sure it isn't.  Buuut, pretty sure ain't cuttin' it...so we're hedging our bets and throwin' a little End of the World Eve Party just in case!
On Thursday, December 20th at the Mighty Griffin Gastropub in lovely Bracebridge, Ontario, Sawdust City will be taking over all 10 taps that the Griffin has to offer.  Cause like the title says, if we're goin' down, we're goin' down swiggin'!


Now 10 taps is a lot and even at Sawdust City, we'd have a hard time comin' up with 10 new beers right away, so some these here taps will be filled with some ol' friends you might already know. Gateway Kolsch, Ol' Woody Alt, Lone Pine IPA and Skinny Dippin' Stout are all comin' along for the ride.  Now you prolly already sampled them before, but they're part of the family and gosh darn it, if the world gonna be endin' I want my family there with me to watch as those four ol'horseman come a ramblin' in.  And besides, I kinda like'em!

So along with our good ol'friends we gonna have a few new members of the Sawdust City family comin' along for the ride, 6 in fact.  And to get your better acquainted with these here new members of our little family, I'll spin y'all a little yarn about each of'em.

Skinny Dippin' With Friends - Now this here beer is the half brother of our beloved Skinny Dippin' Stout.  And seein' as they be comin' from the same stock, you'll be sure to find the same lovely roasted character and loads of chocolate and coffee flavours runnin' around in there.  But as I said they be brothers, not twins! Skinny Dippin' with Friends has a few extra ingredients added in to give it a big ol'kick of flavour.  We done added a heapin' pile of cinnamon and vanilla to this hear brew to make sumpin' new and excitin'.    
So like the sayin' goes, "Skinny Dippin' is good.  Skinny Dippin' with friends is gooderer!"

Highway 118 Porter - Now Highway 118 is a rugged road that cuts through the rough and tumble wilderness that is our Northern Ontario.  Weaving and winding it's way through lakes and trees, a day spent on this highway can leave a man darn near in awe of the majesty of Mother Nature.  And this here beer was born on just such a day.  Brewed this fall at the Hastings Beer Festival in Sterling, ON this Porter came to life after I spent the morning navigating this lovely road.  Stoppin' every few minutes just to take a slow look around.  And like this road, this beer is rough and raw.  It's black as coal and loaded with roasted flavour, but with a smooth, silky body that will make you slow down, stop and contemplate yer next sip.

Skinny Dippin' at XXX-Mas - Now we all know Christmas done be a Holy time o'the year, but we here at Sawdust City, don't think that means you can't still have a little fun with it!  So we made this here ale to let y'all know that it's cool to relax a little, even 'round this here Holy time.  Now Skinny Dippin' at XXX-Mas ain't no stout, in fact it's a porter, but it's still a distant cousin of our Skinny Dippin' family.  You'll still find their trademark chocolate and coffee flavours but this time you'll find a new twist, mint!  Cool and refreshing the mint compliments the heavy chocolate flavours of beer, while the taste reminds us of those good ol'days when Ma and Pa used to bust out that good chocolate around the Holidays...you know the one's I mean? The After Eights, the one's they used to buy down at the pharmacy on the corner. Dang, those were good.  

The Two Pump Chump - Now before y'all get yer backs up and say you don't know what in tarnation we be talkin' about...I know y'all been there before.  Sometimes things go a little quicker than you might first planned.  Who knows why really?  Could be the lights.  Could be the weather.  Could be the angle of the floor.  Like I said, who knows? It's all speculation really and it don't do no one no good to go off and start a speculatin'. But it's time we all stop pretendin' he don't exist and just embrace him.  So we brewed this hear Belgian Style Pumpkin Ale to celebrate the that simple bastard The Two Pump Chump.  A Belgian Dubbel ale with a good dose of pumpkin and spices, we guarantee this one's got flavour to last!

The Pale Mexican Rides Again - Now this hear ale was a collaboration we did with Chris Burek of the website Mom'n'Hops. Coverin' all the goins on in the Ontario craft beer circuit, Mom'n'Hops is new to the scene but they be tryin' to get out there and let y'all know that they mean business.  Now me and Chris we sat down, drank a few pints and came up with a beer that would use the wildly aromatic Mexican Cream Guava.  The Pale Mexican is an American style Pale Ale hopped with Motueka, Sorachi Ace, Summit and Galaxy hops. Floral and citrus, it should be a drinker.  But there ain't much of it, so get it before it's gone.

Perched upon his majestic white steed, the Pale Mexican stands atop the dusty mountain. The wind whips the cold desert dust across his face.  His poncho ruffles quietly as a hand slowly emerges.  He pulls his hat down to cover his eyes.  Then like a flash of lightning, he snaps his reigns across the back of his mighty beast and the massive steed rears back onto it's hind legs.  It swings it's front hooves wildly in the air then brings them crashing back down to earth.  And with that The Pale Mexican runs off into the distance, leaving as quickly as he rode in. A dusty cloud of desert sand is all that remains of our hero. Via con Dios, Pale Mexican. Via con Dios!  

Ingo Der Christmas Goat in - "aBOCKalypse 2012: The Wreck-n-ing!" - Well this here maybe our most bumbling, convoluted name yet. I'm scratchin' my head just tryin' to wrap my noggin' around it! But it does make sense, trust me.  Ya see this here beer is our take on a German style weizenbock.  And as tradition goes,  ya tend to see randy, drunken goats on the labels of bock beers.  Hence our hero, Ingo!  And seein' as it's Christmas time, well I'm guessin' you can figure that part out.  As for the aBOCKalypse 2012...I think you can put that together too, if not, see the poster.  And the "Wreck-n-ing"...well that's just a simple play on words.  Take all those little parts and smash'em up and you got yer self a pretty good movie title...and a darn good beer too! But seriously folks, wouldn't you want to see a moving about a Chirstmas Goat saving the world? Ah, ah...don't tell me, I think I already know the answer to that question.

Well there you have it folks the 10 beers that will be rounding out our tap takeover at the Griffin on Thursday night. So if yer sittin' at home on the 20th wonderin' what to do as yer final hours on this here planet slowly tick away, or if yer at home and it's Thursday and ain't nothin' on the boob toob cause it's all ol'timey Rankin & Bass animated Christmas specials....come on down to the Griffin and try some Sawdust City!

Anyhoo, that just about does it for now.  Until next time, keep the beer in your mugs and the sawdust beneath your feet.