Hours: Sun & Mon 4 pm - midnight | Tue & Wed noon to midnight | Thu to Sat noon to 1 am | Beer Garden Tue to Sat 4 pm - 10 pm
Location 67 Front Street East
67 Front Street East
Toronto, ON M5E1B5

Beer School

Beer School, October 2023 E-News

Leah’s Beer School: Lesson 58

What is a Hefeweizen? Hefeweizens are a type of weissbier or white beer, also commonly referred to as weizenbier, or wheat beer. Translated from German, hefeweizen means “yeast wheat,” an apt description as they are the two defining ingredients for the style. Malted wheat contains higher levels of protein, contributing to hefeweizen’s trademark cloudy appearance, creamy texture and pillowy head, though the true essence of this style comes from the addition of yeast, imparting notes of banana, clove, bubblegum, vanilla and black pepper. This beer does not showcase hops, and hop presence should be very minimal. Sumerian records reveal that …
Beer School, September 2023 E-News

Leah’s Beer School: Lesson 57

What is Zoigl Beer?  Brewed for over 500 years, Zoigl is a style of beer made in accordance with traditional methods in five towns in the Oberpfalz, a region in eastern Bavaria that borders Czech Republic. Traditional Zoigl beer bottom-fermented beer, unpasteurized and unfiltered, brewed in the community brewhouse in the small towns of Eslarn, Falkenberg, Mitterteich, Neuhaus, and Windischeschenbach. Zoigl Brewhouses   Some traditional brewhouses are owned by the local community, while others are owned and operated by a group of brewers. Only those who own the brewing right, often historically linked to a specific property, are allowed to brew …
Beer School, July 2023 E-News

Leah’s Beer School: Lesson 56

History of Grisette  In the late 1800s, Southern Belgium’s Hainaut province became an industrial mecca, moving away from agriculture, into coal and stone mining. With industrialization on the rise, local brewers began producing beer for growing population of local miners. Saison was the brew of farmhands, and grisette became the brew of miners. The term grisette, or little grey, is often attributed to the young female factory workers dressed in distinctive grey smocks, who would pass out beer to fortify miners at the end of the work day.  Saison & Grisette  The history of grisette is largely based on that …
Beer School, June 2023 E-News

Leah’s Beer School: Lesson 55

What is a Czech Pilsner? The origins of pilsner beer dates back to 1842, named after the ancient city of Plzen, now part of Western Czech Republic, where the beer was first brewed. Prior to the advent of pilsner, beer drinkers were only accustomed to dark, heavy, cloudy beers. This Plzen brew is renowned for being the first fully pale beer in central Europe, light-bodied, golden and brilliantly clear. According to modern standards, Czech pilsners should be more malt-forward than their German counterpart, crisp and clean, with a pronounced bitterness. Yeast & Fermentation By the early 19th century, brewers knew …
Beer School, May 2023 E-News

Leah’s Beer School: Lesson 54

What is Nitro Beer?  Most beer is carbonated through CO2, both naturally through fermentation and additionally through forced carbonation. To achieve peak effervescence, carbon dioxide is injected into the beer, pressurizing bottles, cans, or kegs.  Nitro beer differs in that it contains a mixture of nitrogen and carbon dioxide, where nitrogen accounts for 70-75% of the mix, and carbon dioxide the remaining 25-30%. Nitrogenated beer was originally developed to replicate traditional cask ale, which is naturally carbonated through fermentation, and naturally nitrogenated from the exposure to air when a pint is drawn from the cask. History of Nitro Beer  In …
April 2023 E-News, Beer School

C’est… What Is Cask Beer All About?

What makes beer like Al’s Cask Ale so special? Read on. Definition of “Cask Ale” Cask ale is unfiltered and unpasteurized. Traditionally cask ale is also cask-conditioned, undergoing a secondary fermentation in the cask. This contrasts with “keg beer” which is generally filtered and carbonated. Cask-conditioned beers are also referred to as “real ales”. Beer Delivery Systems It took until the 17th century for bottled beer to become commonplace. Up until that time most beer was consumed by pouring it directly out of a cask. Along with advances in science in the later 19th century such as pasteurization and mechanical …
April 2023 E-News, Beer School

Leah’s Beer School: Lesson 53

History of Tequila & Mezcal The origin of fermenting agave began somewhere between 1000 B.C. and 200 A.D., where pulque, a drink made from fermented sap of the agave plant, was first documented on a stone carving from 200A.D. A prized drink among the Aztecs communities, it is thought that pulque may have existed as far back as 1000 B.C., initially developed by Olmec civilization in the lowlands of Mexico.  There are many competing narratives regarding tequila’s origins, though one dominant narrative describes the Spanish building primitive mud stills to make agave wine, in response to dwindling brandy supplies during …
Beer School, March 2023 E-News

Leah’s Beer School: Lesson 52

What is an English bitter? A modern bitter describes a subset of English pale ales that are gold to dark amber in colour, ranging in strength from 3% to 7%. The description of bitter is fairly vague, mostly because regional differences and variation between breweries make it difficult to precisely define. Historical Bitter In the early 19th century, the term “bitter” was used to describe a pale ale, especially those brewed in Burton-upon-Trent, in Staffordshire, England. This small-town brew was relatively light-coloured, with a clean, clear appearance and a strong hop presence. The quality of bitter beer improved drastically around this time, with increased …
Beer School, February 2023 E-News

Leah’s Beer School: Lesson 51

Non-Alcoholic Beer  Low alcoholic brews have been around for centuries, and can be traced back at least to medieval Europe, where beer was commonly brewed with an alcoholic strength falling between 0.5% to 2.8%. This low alcohol beer, or small beer, was often produced as fortifying beverage for labourers and farmhands.  Non-alcoholic beer has a more specific origin, dating back to 1919 when United States Congress passed the Volstead Act, banning the production and sale of alcoholic beverages. This now-defunct law, still serves as basis for alcohol-free brews in North America today, where a drink containing up to 0.5% ABV …
Beer School, January 2023 E-News

Leah’s Beer School: Lesson 50

History of Scotch Ale Scotch ale, also known as Wee Heavy, originated in Edinburgh, Scotland during the 1800s. Part of the strong ale family, this Scottish beer style was based on English Strong ales, specifically inspired by English barleywine. Like an English barleywine, the original Scotch ale was rich, strong and dark amber in colour, but with its own unique twist. Much of what sets Scotch ale apart from English Barleywine can be attributed to geographical differences between Scotland and England. Due to Scotland’s cooler northern climate, local beers were generally fermented at lower temperatures, therefore displaying less of the …