Beers Rotarians Enjoy Worldwide (BREW) Fellowship of Niagara at Oast House Brewers
On August 25 at 5 PM, BREW Fellowhip members Gary Chard, Jonas Martin, and Dan Toppari, held a 'meeting' at Oast in Niagara On The Lake, Canada. Gary is a member of the RC of St. Catharines Downtown; Jonas and Dan the RC of St. Catharines South. Also enjoying the event was Patrick MacNeill, a member of the RC of Niagara on the Lake, whose son Cian is the principal owner of Oast. And Jim Craig of RC Niagara Falls. And Martin Quick of RC Niagara on the Lake with his grand daughter. And several friends who just wanted to sip with us. Oast is a "must" for any BREW member who by definition enjoys great beer. They have been brewing for about 10 years and have become very popular in the Niagara area and southern Ontario. Their Barnraiser Country Ale can be found in many taverns on tap, and cans for sale in retail stores. Great aromas and flavours. Oast brews many other different varieties as well, depending on the time of the year. There's the Farmhouse Ale Collection; Rural Route Series; Offshoot Series; even wheat beers. But my favourite is their Pitchfork Porter, and that's what I sloshed with my chicken tacos on their patio August 25. It's very dark, and wonderfully flavourful with suggestions of cherry and expresso; at least that's how I would describe the taste. So much more character than that Irish cousin. Patrick gave us a tour of the brew house, which is amazingly small for the quantity and variety of brews they produce. Not sure if we were supposed to carry on any BREW business, as this was the first BREW gathering in Niagara, but we didn't do any of that. Despite that, I'm thinking that the success of this 'meeting' will encourage more of the same. In the meantime, I'm off to Munich and Oktoberfest in a couple of weeks. "Prost!" Dan Toppari
