FMGC 2013 - Planning, Roster, Suggestions, Invites

@Young:

@djensen

If I knew you were a beer writer, I would never have recomended an Alexander Kieth when we were at Jack Asters, but in my defense they didn’t have a great selection. Even though small micro breweries here in Canada make great beer, you can’t find it easily, and comercial Canadian domestic beer is only great when compared to American beer. The Germans make the best comercial beer, however, Canadian rye wiskey is better than Russian Vodka, American brandy or even French wine.

If you consider the fact that the Boston Beer Company is now the largest American owned brewery, I like to consider that “American beer” is now only craft beer (aka microbrews). Therefore, American beer is now the best in the world. :wink: It’s high quality, innovative, aggressive, delicate. American breweries make traditional beer and also create brand new styles: Double IPA, Black IPA, White IPA, Belgo-IPA (there’s a trend here). Some of the sour beer by American breweries rival even those made in Belgium.

Now my whole argument falls apart the minute you add Bud, Miller, Coors into the equation. And I think we were talking about large commercial breweries. In that case, yes, there is a lot of great German beer that might be considered commercial. I don’t like Becks but I do think Steigel [sic] is fantastic.

As for Canada, I was very impressed by the growing movement in Toronto to advocate cask beer.

Who knew? Our founder is a true renaissance man. We’ve got a pretty good craft brewery here in Niagara Falls called Taps (22 cent wings on Wednesdays) Big commercial places in Canada are almost as bland as they are in the States and I think the whole CDN vs. US beer debate refers to those ones, our shitty beer is better than your shitty beer, basically The only big namer in the States I like better than any of our biggies is Sam Adams. As far as whiskey goes, taking Celtic stuff out, I’ll take Makers Mark over every Canadian whisky but then it’s a long list of Canadians with Crown Royal being at the bottom. Anyone saying it’s a good whisky instantly loses credibility with me. Junk. Jim Beam is at the very bottom and second worst is Crown.

Thank you for the renaissance man compliment.

Its not gay if its under the desk.

Most Holy, love Tapps!  My buddy Dave the Dog man has his dog training academy near Tapps and he’s taken me there a few times, make a GREAT burger there too, wings sounds rather affordable will have to check them out too!  As for Rye, yeah, Crown was the big thing when you were a kid.  I was drinking Gibsons but switched to Forty Creek, well, technically mostly to water but that is only for awhile and there are exceptions to the rule!  I’m going to try to drag John the Brewmaster up, perhaps now its a summer venue he might take a break from the collage brewing program.  He seems to know a thing or two about everything and just about everything to do with beer!

DJ- My wife drinks her share of beer, but despises IPA’s!  So if that’s the direction in American small beer culture, then she’s in trouble.

If I come down to the Spring Gathering, I will bring you some Bell’s.  That is some good craft beer out of Kalamazoo, MI.  But you probably already know that.

When I go out to WBC each year, I am drinking Yuengling.  A very good basic beer.  I used to bootleg ten to fifteen cases back each time, but it is now sold in Ohio so I don’t have to bring a bunch back at that time.  Just run down to Toledo and grab a small supply.

Beyond that, I am usually a stout man.  The darker the better! :wink:

@Craig:

DJ- My wife drinks her share of beer, but despises IPA’s!  So if that’s the direction in American small beer culture, then she’s in trouble.

If I come down to the Spring Gathering, I will bring you some Bell’s.  That is some good craft beer out of Kalamazoo, MI.  But you probably already know that.

When I go out to WBC each year, I am drinking Yuengling.  A very good basic beer.  I used to bootleg ten to fifteen cases back each time, but it is now sold in Ohio so I don’t have to bring a bunch back at that time.  Just run down to Toledo and grab a small supply.

Beyond that, I am usually a stout man.  The darker the better! :wink:

Yope is near Toledo? … Me too.

@LHoffman:

Yope is near Toledo? … Me too.

No, I just visit there occasionally. :-o

There are a couple of very good A&A players in the Toledo area that meet up with once in a while, though it has been a bit since that has happened.

I can make it down to the border in approx. 1.5 hours from my “compound” in the Blue Water area.  All depends on the traffic in the city though. :roll:

@Gargantua:

YOPE IS BACK!

Like a stubborn case of crotch rot!

@Gargantua:

Compound?

Is that where [redacted] has been keeping you for forum violations all these years? :P

Actually, I was setting up my fields of fire and anti-personal mines for the day he tried to show up at my door. :-P

@Gargantua:

Sounds like quite a game of A&A.  :)

More like whack-a-mole, but replace the last part with a more appropriate term that rhymes with it. :wink:

@Craig:

@Gargantua:

Sounds like quite a game of A&A.  :)

More like whack-a-mole, but replace the last part with a more appropriate term that rhymes with it. :wink:

Craig,
  Been a Looooooooong time.  I hope you make it to FMGC this year.  You can be my guest of Honor!

Jeremy

Thanks, but as I stated before I am not a big fan of the US border authorities.

I have looked at hopping the VIA rail from Sarnia to Toronto and then jumping on the GO out to Oshawa.  Then I’ll make you come pick me up at the station. :wink:

@Craig:

Thanks, but as I stated before I am not a big fan of the US border authorities.

I have looked at hopping the VIA rail from Sarnia to Toronto and then jumping on the GO out to Oshawa.  Then I’ll make you come pick me up at the station. :wink:

If you will actualy come to Oshawa…  I will come and get you!  And you are more than welcome to stay at my house.

It would also depend on the date.  As I said in the other thread, the first week of August is WBC out in Lancaster, PA.

Going to another event in August is problematical.  Plus, it will be tough for Djensen to make your event if you end up picking the weekend of August 15-18.  That is when Gen Con Indy 2013 happens and he has already stated that he is going to it.

I would also think that anything near that would be tough for him unless you go the weekend prior and he just makes it an east coast, week-long roadie.

I know my suggestion of an October weekend has issues too, specifically Canadian Thanksgiving.  I have always thought that Fall A&A Gathering would work around the Columbus Day weekend here in the states, but I do realize that it would then exclude the Canadian participation.

Maybe a late September date (riding on the coattails of and/or working in conjunction with an Oktoberfest festival) would work better.  Just spitballing.

@Craig:

It would also depend on the date.   As I said in the other thread, the first week of August is WBC out in Lancaster, PA.

Going to another event in August is problematical.  Plus, it will be tough for Djensen to make your event if you end up picking the weekend of August 15-18.  That is when Gen Con Indy 2013 happens and he has already stated that he is going to it.

I would also think that anything near that would be tough for him unless you go the weekend prior and he just makes it an east coast, week-long roadie.

I know my suggestion of an October weekend has issues too, specifically Canadian Thanksgiving.  I have always thought that Fall A&A Gathering would work around the Columbus Day weekend here in the states, but I do realize that it would then exclude the Canadian participation.

Maybe a late September date (riding on the coattails of and/or working in conjunction with an Oktoberfest festival) would work better.  Just spitballing.

We shall consider all this.  THANKS!