A pretty quick turnaround I guess - from writing my summer 'to do' list last week, to crossing one off come Saturday - I'm on a good pace so far.

Anyway, I've been dying to try out the new Amsterdam brewhouse since it was announced; not just because of the location, not just because of the beer, it was a collective excitement. I'd recently tried the new Mill Street Beer Hall - and although a very unique experience, it wasn't a place I KNEW I'd go to again. On top of that, I've been an avid visitor to the 'Three Brewers' location on Yonge and Dundas - it's one of those 'take visitors to Toronto to eat and drink' places - beer brewed in house, tons of beer cocktails - overall, a great beer experience.

So that's kind of what I was expecting at the Brewhouse, nothing more, nothing less. Let me tell you though - it's something WAY more...

The front looks beautiful, but doesn't do it justice...

The decor is great - it feels very Torontonian: murals of streetcars on the wall, historical photos of the old brewery locations, etc. The place is immaculate. The location is obviously amazing - Michelle and I sat on the back patio, and literally felt like we were eating lunch on a dock - it has a very cottage-like vibe to it.

Michelle...but also, you can see how close we are to the water

The bar and mural you see when you walk in

The menu is obviously very beer-lover friendly, every dish recommends a beer choice - and every beer has a history. On top of all the usual Amsterdam offerings - the Brewhouse brews a TON of microbrews in house, that you won't find elsewhere. The price of a sampler (4 x 5oz glasses) is only 8 bucks, which I find better than Mill St., 3 Brewers, and BierMarkt (to name a few). There are so many choices, that it makes getting drunk almost an inevitability. (Not to mention the on-site retail store, so you can re-create the experience when you get home)

The menu comes with a 'Beer Newsletter' that explains
all the beers

The food during our first visit was probably the least impressive - not to say it was terrible - but it was over-priced for what it was. Michelle's chicken flatbread was dry and tasted like leftovers, and my brisket burger was, well....just a burger. If the prices were 3-4 dollars cheaper per dish, I think it'd be more on par with what you get. However, with so many choices, I'm willing to keep trying for all of the good this place does.

My overall impression is that the Amsterdam Brewhouse (in my mind), is a place that all Torontonians should bring out of town guests, and definitely frequent if you're a beer-lover. With tons of room to sit (inside and out), lots to do around it (steps to the water, harbourfront centre, Rogers centre, CN tower, union station, etc.), this is an EASY place to visit. We did, and I already have my next visit planned.

Consider this number 2 of 5 on my recently posted "Things to do in Toronto this spring" post. I've been waiting a long while for this beer to arrive in Toronto, ever since BlogTO gave us all a heads up a little while back. It's imported from Chicago, and has a great reputation for being great beer - and the first time it's been in Ontario.

After checking stock, for literally 2 weeks straight, every day, on the (actually pretty well designed) LCBO app, I finally saw Goose Island's 'Matilda' belgian ale, and 'Sofie' farmhouse ale start popping up at locations. Unfortunately, there were like 2 bottles in Sudbury, 1 bottle in Brampton, and 1 at the Summerhill location (which I was always told has the best selection). One day though, out of nowhere - there were 80 or so of each at the Front/Jarvis LCBO (the one that's pretty much built into St. Lawrence Market. So I hopped on it.

***Side note: Like I mentioned - a lot of people say the Summerhill LCBO has the best selection all around, and I can't disagree with that beauty of a store - but after talking to some of the guys down at the Front/Jarvis location, they told me how the ordering for each location is done by individuals. Apparently, the guy down there is a beer 'connoisseur' and is always on top of ordering what's new and what he'd want to try. So, if you're a beer person - check there from time to time.*** 

I took the King car down, and picked up a bottle of what I thought would be the most unique - the Farmhouse ale.

For $9.95 it feels expensive for a beer - but keep in mind that it comes in 765 mL bottle (like wine), and is strong (at 6.5%), so it's pretty fair.

I read up on this beer before trying it, and if there's one thing I'll pass along, it's that this beer is meant to be treated like a wine, in the way it's bottled, and in the way it's drunk.

The first thing I noticed, was the quality of the bottle and the label. You know when you just feel like something is expensive, but worth every penny? This had that quality. I don't know if you can see it in the photos, but if you're in an LCBO that has this - pick it up, and feel it (that sounds creepy).

The beer itself is extremely carbonated - and you can chalk that up to the fact that the beer is "developed in the bottle for up to 5 years". From making beer at home myself, I know that the carbonation from naturally carbonated beer (which most big places don't do now - that's right, they add in the bubbles), comes after you bottle it. In fact, if you don't have the right amount of sugars and yeast inside, the bottle could shatter (it's why they tell you to use plastic bottles the first time you home brew). Anyway, this beer had more bubbles than Sprite (which I find way too bubbly).

It tasted wheaty, yeasty, and very...craft brewed. To be honest, all I can say is that it tastes like a homemade beer. Not in a bad way - I think that's what they were going for - but because I know first hand, it tasted that way.

I finished a whole bottle in one night (albeit, the Leafs game was on...), so I must have liked it enough - but to be honest, I was a little underwhelmed. The experience of it was great - but the taste? Nothing as exciting as I'd hoped. Verdict: I say try it out - it might not be often that you see this stuff. At the very least, the label feels nice against your face (maybe I did drink too much that night...)

The Royal York then...

Growing up in the GTA - we've all (or most of us) walked out of Union Station's Front Street doors to look at the Royal York. Almost a throwback to what you see in movies about old hotels, like 1408, or the 13th Floor - with the bellhops in red, and the doors trimmed in gold - a current photo resembles those of the early 1900's in Toronto.

...and now...no difference right? Well except, there's no blimp now...

So imagine me, admiring it from afar, having the chance to stay there for a company offsite conference. Add in the fact that I could grab a quick subway home if I forgot something, and I completely forgot about the trip to Ottawa I got for the same event last year.

Let me start by saying - as exclusive as it looks - there is literally open access to the hotel lobby via the underground PATH, not to mention free-use elevators (meaning no swiping of cards to go up), so I suggest you go in and take a look around.

See those stairs? Yeah, this is dead in the middle of the
lobby and goes down to the PATH. No doors, or staff...

Some of the things that stood out to me...

"Is it haunted?", "I heard someone killed themselves on the 19h floor". Sure, I started the circulation of these stories after a quick Google search, but half the fun of an old building is being scared of its history. The people who work at he hotel will be very open with the stories they've heard, so long as you're not asking at he wrong time.

Do these hallways look scary to you? They're so long that
it looks like there COULD be something at the end, but you're
not sure, so you just piss yourself anyway...

The room...nothing special, which
somehow made it more special

The rooms are what you should expect from a century old hotel. You're not getting the brand new design of the Trump tower, it's all about the experience. It kind of reminded me of going to a really expensive restaurant and getting the tiniest portion. It's all about saying "yeah, I ate there".

The lobby bar was like a scene out of madmen - a bunch of old white dudes wearing what I called smoking jackets ordering scotch and reading the stock portion of the globe - at 11 o'clock at night. I felt uncomfortable, but how could I say no to company paid for gin and Tonic, where the gin was from England and the tonic from India (seriously)

I think I had that server...

Overall, what the experience made me realize is that you really can have a vacation close to home. The whole week I forgot that I was in Toronto - and even walking to the streetcar to go home on Thursday, I felt like a tourist. Well worth the lost feeling though, because the Royal York? "Yeah, I ate there"

Cheers,

Deric