Cranky Review

1690 Reviews

Reflecting on a Sun Dog

Reflecting on a Sun Dog

After before the dawn, now I am reflecting and refracting on a Sun Dog. * Coincidentally another Muskoka based brewer, Canvas has me seeing and drinking double. Although not uncommon, ** sun dogs are a rare and impressive display of multiple suns that no degree of...

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Long Before the Dawn

Long Before the Dawn

When it comes to " before the dawn"  no problem. I sampled this dark, dry and mysterious porter about 10 hours before the dawn. If Lake of Bays is implying "just before the dawn" * that's a bit early for me to blow off some froth, the only thing I'm doing then is...

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What Did that Cat Do in the Weeds?

What Did that Cat Do in the Weeds?

Way back in the day, as kids we used to catch catfish in the cat tails in the swamp under the railroad tracks. Cats in the weeds.* They call a muskie an ugly pike, but if you want to see an ugly fish take a mug shot of a mud cat with those bullhead whiskers moving...

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What’s Not To Love

What’s Not To Love

Back in the day I was quaffing quarts at the Ports. These days I’m a one and done pint partaker in the Port. As in Port Dalhousie. A lunchtime retreat to Lock Street to check out a new brew to review. In complete defiance or maybe just indifference to the calendar or...

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A Local Libation

A Local Libation

Not our first Local Lager but this one is plural, not possessive, and from a different locale. As in Clear Lake, home of….. (drum roll please) THE LARGEST BEER SPA IN THE WORLD! The Muskoka Beer Spa has it all. Pools, glamping cabins, a dump bucket, saunas, fire pits,...

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IV Times the Charm

IV Times the Charm

When I first saw an IV IPA I thought to myself that I’d rather drink it than take it intravenously. Ah, but it’s a Four Father’s IV so it appears some translation from Roman is required. They say three times the charm, although I wouldn’t count on that. Led Zeppelin’s...

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The One Thing We Know is That There Is No Way of Knowing

The One Thing We Know is That There Is No Way of Knowing

According to Sawdust City this is the season of the Saison, and this beer is the Saison of the season. As in spring. They also feel there is no way of knowing what comes next so we might just as well seize the day and smell the roses, and expound other trite clichés...

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Time for a Paddlin’ On the Double

Time for a Paddlin’ On the Double

I’ve been around the lake once or twice and did my fair share of gunnel bobbing as a kid. I hauled some of those fat bass-tards on a ten pound test into the old canoe. But I’m no white water warrior and never portaged, I’m just a catch and release canoeist, but I do...

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A Regal Beagle

A Regal Beagle

How about that beer pic! Three beagle bitters with three beagles at Dr. B’s Beleaguered but not Bashful Beagle Boarding house. If you are thinking to yourself “enough with the alliterations” unfortunately that wasn’t the “b” all or end all. It appears that the three...

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A Whale of a Pale Ale?

A Whale of a Pale Ale?

Another 5’oclock somewhere but not here on the thirsty Thursday Crownsmen Show and the featured brew is a Vancouver based Steam Works hazy pale. On the can is a rendering of Vancouver Bay, with a couple of Orcas cavorting like peas in a pod, having a whale of a time.*...

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