Nickel Brook, Cameron's and Kate Upton

Courtesy of CBC, a shot of John Romano, right, and his brother, Peter
at the Hamilton Port Authority this week, announcing the official launch of
the Art & Science Brewing Company in the old Lakeport Brewery building.

This past Wednesday was a pretty big one for craft beer lovers in Hamilton, Burlington... and yes, even the centre of the Canadian Universe, Toronto. Nickel Brook owner John Romano took to the podium at the Hamilton Port Authority and announced that his Burlington brewery and Collective Arts Brewing out of Toronto had joined forces to lease the old Lakeport Brewery on Burlington Street East, effective immediately. The new collaborative craft brewery will be called Arts & Science Brewing Company.

The 50,000-square-foot facility, which used to house Lakeport and prior to them Amstel Canada, is a nifty boost to the area as it will instantly create 20 jobs and then even more employment after the new brewery creates a 10,000-square-foot retail and hospitality area within the building, which will be a venue for live music and art exhibitions. There is absolutely nothing about this that doesn't rock on an AC/DC-level...

Matt Johnston of Collective Arts Brewing addresses the
crowd while John quaffs a pint at the press conference

I caught up with John at Nickel Brook on Friday and he happily noted that yes, "I have signed away my life!" First into the building will be a clean-up crew who have a July deadline to pretty the old gal up. Then they will be hauling in and setting up all the brewing equipment they bought when Sleeman shut down its Maritime operation last year. "We will be up and running by winter," John told me. And creating even more new beers, not to mention continuing the strong lines they already have. Beer Musketeer Glenn lives and dies by Collective Arts' Rhyme & Reason Pale Ale while I always have growlers of my favoured Nickel Brook Headstock IPA in the fridge at Donny's Bar and Grill. So by happy coincidence, what's good for the Beer Musketeers is also good for the craft beer community-at-large and hell, society itself, right? (It's a little frightening that I actually believe that...) Ahem, moving on...

Late last month, Cameron's Brewing in Oakville added
growlers to their arsenal. When I can't get to Oakville
to refill mine, the boys at Nickel Brook have no issue
refilling it with their fresh brew. I get the feeling that not
every brewery would do that. Hence, Nickel Brook rocks

When I wrote a Christmas Wish List blog last December, one of my wishes was that Cameron's Brewery would start filling growlers. The brewery, just down the street from my Mom's house, has a retail component but never had growlers. On the last Thursday of every month, Cameron's hosts a Cask Night with live music and, well... ♫ fun, fun, fun 'til her Daddy takes her T-Bird away...♫ (Oh, for crap's sake, just Google it...) Anyway, at their April 24 Cask Night, Cameron's unveiled their growlers. Within the week I was there, getting one filled with their outstanding Rye Pale Ale. Well, after I fertilized my Mom's front lawn. I will be refilling it today after wishing my Mom a Happy Mother's Day. That my growler is empty and needs refilling is simply a happy coincidence. While I would be happy to take credit, I'm gonna assume the monthly Cask Night revellers have also been making the same request of the brewery - "Please get growlers." So they finally did. As it's straight from the brewery's tap, you will never get fresher beer than you do in growlers. And before I get to the beers, a personal milestone...

Is Kate Upton responsible for the success of Brew Ha Ha?

Sometime while I was at work on Friday, Brew Ha Ha got its 10,000th hit. I honestly don't know if that's a lot for a beer blog. I mean, I gotta think beer is a pretty highly Googled thing. (The blog tracker also tells you entry points - my Big Three? Facebook, Google and Twitter...) Doesn't mean the hammered frat-boy in Kentucky actually read it - just means he drunkenly clicked on it, right? And then woke up in the morning and realized it wasn't porn. I have cranked out, on average, one of these a week. In fact, this is the 46th one in what may be 46 weeks since I started on June 22... if my Math is right. (Note to self, increase blog output - still a kazillion beers to try.) However, as I pointed out to Beer Musketeer Stevil St Evil, at least 100 of those hits are me going back into a blog to clean up typos and grammar errors.

But my eagle-eyed buddy Joe pointed something out to me recently on Facebook. If you Google Image "Kate Upton and beer", the second image is the one you see above here to the right. It is also directly linked to my blog written last summer "Drinking Guinness with my Brother", which used this picture. Twice.

Kate Upton playing Flip Cup on the Late Night
with Jimmy Fallon Show. She won handily...
And hey, yet another picture of Kate Upton!

Every week or so, I review the blog stats and while the most recent ones are always at the top of the list, that Guinness blog is, week in and week out, on the list usually in 7th or 8th place. In all honesty, I had forgotten the Upton pic was in it - twice, did I say that? - and assumed the word "Guinness" was getting all those Google hits. So actually, the world's foremost swimsuit model has artificially inflated this blog's hit numbers which isn't fair because her stunning beauty aside (there ain't nuthin' artificially inflated about Kate Upton), that has nothing to do with beer... so I should be ashamed of myself.

Let me just say this then. Justin Bieber is a dick. Sofia Vergera naked. Free beer. Free craft beer. Kate Upton and beer. Kate Upton naked. Kate Upton swimsuit. How to make Meth at home. Free money. Brazilian beach volleyball women.

There. That should keep this blog Google-buzzing for a while and get me a fresh batch of hits. And yes, I would be ashamed except my shame gland never fully formed as an infant and was replaced instead with a "don't give a damn" gland. Don't hate me - I'm an anomaly of modern Medical Science. *Chugs beer, belches loudly and shrugs* It would also appear I have a stainless-steel liver. You are welcome to hate me for that. I expect that.

Our Muskoka's Detour IPA gets a big challenge from the
Founder's All Day IPA. But I have to give this the edge

Okay, as mentioned last blog, Beer Musketeers Glenn and Cat crash-landed (quite literally in Glenn's case) at Donny's Bar and Grill on Easter Monday for an afternoon of debauchery of the highest order. Glenn, who had just returned from a Florida vacation with his son, The J Man, brought us a whole bunch of hard-to-find-here American craft beers. My first offering: Founder's Brewing All Day IPA, which at 4.7% is a session IPA, designed not to send you to an alcohol-induced IPA Nap-Time. Pine and grapefruit on the nose, it hits the tongue with more pine and grassy goodness. It was a beautiful warm day on the patio and I could quite literally see myself drinking this well into the evening. Founders, out of Grand Rapids, Michigan, has brewed up this stunning winner.

Holy crap on a stick! Stone's Ruination
IPA is one of the best I've ever had...

Although Nickel Brook's Immodest Imperial IPA was unanimously declared "Best Of Show" by the Beer Musketeers, Stone Brewery out of Escondido, California brews one called Ruination IPA that was, in my opinion, its equal. Tropical fruit and yet no pine, citrus or grapefruit on the nose (an IPA rarity), all of those come through in the mouth. At 100+ IBUs (international bitterness units) and 8.2%, this does not dance on the tongue - it goes full Mixed Martial Arts on it. Hell, I think I lost a tooth. In fact, here's Stone's own commercial description of their Ruination IPA...

"We would say that no hops were injured in the brewing of this beer but that would be a massive lie. In fact, the words 'Stone Ruination IPA' are what older hop vines use to cause little hop vines to quiver with fright and lose sleep at night. We at Stone honor the brutal massacre of countless hops with this 'Liquid poem to the glory of the hop!' Paganism at its best!" On the back label, Stone's clever copywriter basically disses you as not being worthy to hold such an outstanding beer in your ape-like hand while making you feel like you've joined some special Secret Society. What can I say - the 100 on RateBeer says it better than I can.

Once called "perhaps the best IPA in America" by
Esquire magazine, I suspect others have caught up

One more big winner before we get to a few "Hmmm, that was interesting" ones. Straight from Dogfish Head Brewery in Milton, Delaware came the 90 Minute Imperial IPA. Another 100 on RateBeer, this comes close to Ruination... but not quite. Don't get me wrong - it's damn good but had the misfortune of following Ruination in the batting circle. At 9% and 90 IBUs, its aroma is both citrus and (oddly) malt while the taste is hops, malts and citrus. Glenn also had their 120 Minute IPA in Florida (99 on RateBeer) and said it was even better. I suspect I would flip the scores between the two but either way, neither is a slouch. Like I said, big winner here. And a very cool brewery name. Full props, boys!

He'Brew Bittersweet Lenny Rye IPA (Lenny is a nod to comedian Lenny Bruce) out of Schmaltz (I kid you not) Brewing Company in Clifton Park, NY, was an interesting one but I think good interesting. Both spicy and malty on the nose, the taste is strong citrus hops but all of us preferred the Cameron's Rye Pale Ale. Still pretty decent though.

Kate Upton! Kate Upton! Kate Upton!
(Blatant blog hit ploy on my end...)

The final American entry was New Belgium Brewing Company's (Fort Collins, Colorado) Ranger IPA. Although a solid 95 on RateBeer, to hopheads such as the Beer Musketeers, it was the second weakest of the day. Pinecones and citrus on the nose, this 6.5%, 70 IBU was sort of malty and lightly fruity on the tongue. Good but not good enough to share a table with Ruination and Immodest.

Finally, out of Glenn's own 5 Paddles Brewing Company in Whitby came The Hipster IPA. Trying to find the right words here... ummm, okay, how about: WTF, guys? As a IPA lover who has drank a tanker-trailer full of both good and less good ones over the year, I remain staggered by this one. Who on Earth told you to use dirty dishwater in the brewing process? This is the "Two Girls, One Cup" of IPAs. Sorry, that's all I got...

Okay, I wanted to include the Walkerville IPA that co-worker Marie brought me home from Windsor, as well as the Honest Lager she brought for former co-worker Louise but Nickel Brook, Cameron's and Kate Upton, Kate Upton and Kate Upton bounced the Walkerville brews to the next one, as well as countless other goodies like Flying Monkeys The Matador Version 2.0 Imperial Dark Rye Ale, Hop City's Big Mouth Pale Ale, Arch's Dinner Jacket O'Red IPA, Hopus Strong Blonde Ale from Belgium, as well as something called Vulcan Ale which may be better suited to poisoning the Romulan hordes.

Okay, ladies and germs, that's it, that's all and I am outta here!!! Until next time, I remain...