The Bent Elbow, Kitchener, Ontario.

It's my 42'nd birthday and both myself and my buddies are looking for a place to have beers that isn't either and Irish themed pub, a poser beer themed pub, or a total dive where we have to go to the clinic afterwards to get a shot...............

Somehow I get a notification on Facebook that there is a new beer bar in Kitchener.  So I check out their photos and I can spy some bottle of Westmalle Trappist beer in the background.  That was my first indication that this may be a cool place.  I email them and reserve a spot for about 10 or 12 people.  They are happy to oblige (spellcheck just corrected my spelling of abilge, who knew?).

We get there and we get seated.  I'm instantly thinking that this isn't your usual  themed beer pub.  Not a 'Hey we sell neat beers, let's celebrate!!!' style bar.  It's not fancy.  No gigantic neon signs, not 14 big screen TV's, no 23 yr old servers who smile too much and flirt just so they can get a big tip........it's just  bar.  Laminate tables, non-fancy but comfortable chairs, and one TV.  The one striking gold medal  was that they had a pretty deadly beer menu, of which I sampled many tasty treats.

Before I get into the beer I need to touch on the manager.  I like him.  Calm , cool and present.  He seems to care about the bar, what's going on and what people are drinking.  Throughout the night I see him walking over to tables to check on the patrons.  That's a great thing to do.   He's huge.  You wouldn't want to fight him.  He's probably the owner, the bartender, and the bouncer all rolled into one.  Cameron Heights Secondary School  seems to have a way with producing tough guys.....Lennox Lewis......Slavko Ilic........etc etc....If anyone says Mark Duke I'm going to vomit.

See how his elbow is kinda bent?

I order my first beer. Westmalle Triple.  As I expected it was (and is) probably the finest of all the Trappist beers,  and therefore making it possibly the finest beer on the planet.  Occasionally it comes into a LCBO store, my advice is to buy everything they have in stock.  I have......I bought the fuck out of their stock and never looked back.  Whilst some of my pals are at home drinking swill like Steam Whistle, or LaBatts 50, I'm drinking the bathwater of Jesus Christ.  My Next few drinks are of a similar caliber.  I think I grab a Chimay blue, and a few UniBrowe beers, maybe La Fin Du Monde, Three Pistoles and Maudite.  For those reading this from overseas UniBrowe is a Canadian brewery once purchased by by the laughable Sleeman Brewery and then bought out by the slightly less laughable Sapporo brewery.  Whatever.....the French-Canadian Trappist style beer is better than some true Trappist beers.  For realsies.

When  I went to the bathroom I noticed the cleanliness of both the bathroom and the bar overall, but when I walked out of the bathroom I sort of peeked into the kitchen and , to my surprise, it looked like an emergency room.  Sparking.  You could have eaten their delicious chicken wings right there off the counter. Seriously that shit was clean!!!!  and I'm not joking, the wings were top notch.  (In Southern Ontario I know the best wing establishments, The Paladium in London, Duffs in Toronto, Wing Emporium in Etobicoke, and now The Bent Elbow in Kitchener.  Those Bent Elbows don't even boast about their 'religious experience' style wings.  Big Mistake.  I heard fromm the ladies at our table that the nachos were out of this world.  This place isn't going to get a show on the Food Netowrk , but what it does make it does well.  I give my wings a 9.5/10.

Anyways, beer selection is pretty good.  Chimay, Westmalle, Affligem, and UniBrowe beers, and a host of Ontario Craft beers (not my taste),  food was top notch, service was as good as it gets and the atmosphere was bang on.  Easily taking the title for best bar in Kitchener/ Waterloo.

I know a few buddies are going back this week.  I imagine I will meet them.  I don't even live in damn KW anymore.  But this bar has some sort of magnetic attraction.  I love it there.  You will too.

Westmalle Tripel

Coming soon......

Achel

We go into the BierMarkt.  The new one on the west end of Torotnto, across from Sherway Gardens.  First thing I notice is that nearly every waitress is gorgeous.  Not good looking.  Gorgeous.

I scrutinize their beer menu.  It's not bad.  It's not stellar either.  Ok, It's pretty good because they do advertise 7 of the 8 Trappist brews in the world.  No Gregorios yet.  Their Belgian selection is reasonable for guys who rely solely on the LCBO for their beer selection.

The Achel is pure Trappist, spicey and perfectly chewy.  A massive head, and not super carbonated.  Goes really well with a thick ass burger.  It has that caramel chewy taste that a lot of trappist beer has, and I mean that in a good way.  You know is brewed by a monk as soon as you smell it.

I'm just rambling now.  Order a case if you are able.  You won't go to work that week.

TD

9/10
Not sold in LCBO stores
Awesome with steak, even if money is too tight for steak.
You need the glass.

Chimay White Cap (aka White Power)

For those of you who have read or are familiar with my other inane, yet defunkt  blog 'Strong beer , strong legs' you will know that I don't really think there is any beer out there that rivals much from those that boast the AUTHENTIC TRAPPIST PRODUCT family logo.  This night I have been inhaling Chimay White Cap.  I'm rarely prone to hyperbole but I have to say Chimay may be my favorite.  I love the Chimay Grande Reserve blue label, and I have more experience on my corked amigo Chimay Premiere Red than any other Trappist beer, but I gots to illustrate here and on this night that it is Chimay White Power that gives me the finest arousal.

It was a night not unlike tonight.  Not  a celebratory nor sensational night.  Just a night where a simple man, with simple ideas and a simple vision took to the stage.  He would drink more than his share of a special beer.  This was his call to arms, to take up the fight against the less than magnificent  beers from the huge multi-national breweries like Anheuser-Busch, Labatt, and Molson.
He wouldn't kill people.  Not his enemies.....oh no.....they wouldn't be given clemency quite so easily. They would be made to suffer.  One by one they would pay.  Oh, don't think they won't pay.

My night of cracking caps off this, one of the finest strong beers ever, underline my commitment to drinking only fine beers and not shit beer.  A designation that should be worn with pride and not the shame that surely comes with shopping for beers at a  purveyor properly called  THE BEER STORE.

On the second night in as many weeks I was able to buy, all of or at least, the last of the Chimays at a large Liquor establishment in a huge Toronto store.  The first time I was ever to experience this awesome glory was with Westmalle Trappist where the store I stumbled upon had about 20 bottles in stock.  I took them all and had a shitload (my favorite unit of measure) of fun nights that week.

Chimay White Cap is a Trappist beer for the people.  A beer that needs no introduction.  No warning.  No "wait till you get used to it", it's simply a beer that has it all.  A pungent beery aroma, a fine longstanding head, and a taste you would step over Kate Beckinsale for.  I recommmend eating anything with cheese or meat with Chimay White Cap.  Tacos? Bingo.  Nachos? Why the fuck not?
Some type of lunchtime concoction of meat and cheese , with lettuce and tomatoe tucked tightly between 2 slices of bread, or better yet a crusty bun, sliced in half?  Goddamnit, you eat the shit out of that sammich. 

Then you look at that Chimay and you say 'That's how we're gonna beat 'em Scotty, those Monks make a good beer'.

Ace out.

Food Pairing: Enormous Snadwiches, or heavily salted peanuts
Cpmparable to?  Orval Trappst
Ingredients avaialble> Yes
Purchased at the LCBO

Augustijn Blond

 I arrived at the Liquor store yesterday I think.  It was an LCBO location that I have never been to.  Fairway Road, Kitchener.  They had a reasonable selection of beer for an LCBO, but still somewhat embarrassing for a city that boasts (and hosts) the second largest Oktoberfest celebration on the planet.

Anyways, I picked up a box of beer that represents the best of the Van Steenberge Brouwerij.  I have sampled this once last year and maybe once or twice the year prior.  Each year I have found the ales are more to my liking.

If it has an Abbey window or balding Monk on the label it's a good indicator
of its awesomeness.

 Augustijn Blond. They should have called this the  Blond Bombshell, because when I poured this one I was definately overwhelmed by a  BAM!!!! CODE X!!!!  It looked great and it smelled even greater.  It poured much like every other beer would, very liquidy and wet.  My folly was, like a rookie, and in my enthusiasm I let the head roll right over the glass.  Luckily, I was drinking alone, something that occurs with amazing frequency.
After I dove in face first and wiped away my awesome foam mustache (Movember remember......) I thought "Man Alive, this reminds me of something'.   It was smooth.  smooth but spicy. It had notes of fruit, but the fruit combinations were playing tricks on my mouth or they were fruits I have never heard of.  I don't ask questions.  The label says 7%, although you wouldn't know it.  Not boozy at all.  Still, probably enough to kill most Americans.

If you have ever tried a fantastic Belgian brew called Margriet, and don't quote me here but I think it's brewed by the Het Anker Brouwerij.  It smelled like  that, (even though I kind of think that the Margriet was a pale ale).  It tasted not unlike it either, a  bit spicier, and with a bit more bite......but my awesome brain brought me back to the Margriet limited edition.   Both are  great beers. Only, the Augustijn is available in Ontario . For now anyway.  If you are familiar enough with Rochfort 8.  I would say this is a dumbed down version of that,  but hidden in a different colour.

Obviously not a real Monk beer but I was pretty into it around Christmas .

Food Pairing: Genoa Salami sandwich, with real cheddar and spinach. Drowned in home brewed hot sauce.
Comparable to: Rochfort 8
Ingredients listed: Yes
Purchased at LCBO stores in Ontario, Canada
7/10
TD