March 21, 2016

54/1639) Cloak and Dagger:  Sextant Pale Ale by Sextant Craft Brewing of Ontario:  **;  fruity nose with a sharp hop edge;

The Cloak and Dagger is a fun place.  It is filled with old regulars during the day and young hipsters at night.  The one time I took my wife it was the point in the day when the numbers were about equal.  She commented that it had "character", "and characters", I added.

During this visit I am perhaps the youngest, most fashionable individual here who is not standing behind the bar.  One demerit for listing a drink called an Irish Car Bomb.  Do U.K. pubs serve drinks called American school massacres?

My note here reads, "I wish I could stay" and it turns out I could have stayed and still been on time for St. Thomas' Anglican Church's Baroque Music by Candle Light for Holy Week.  The slightly disheveled man selling used books in front of the Brunswick House confirmed for me that it was indeed closed on a Monday.  It would have been sporting to have mentioned as much when I added my name to the guest for one last visit list last week.  He went on to add that it was no longer the "centre" it used to be which was something that wasn't covered in all those dewy eyed newspaper articles clearly by "journalists" who had only vaguely heard of the place.  He also said they got it wrong about it becoming a Boston Pizza.  It is going to become a Rexall Pharma Plus because the location won't be allowed to have a patio.  In his words, "just what this neighbourhood needs - another drug dealer"

55/1640) Monk's Kettle:  Bourbon Coffee Stout by Oast House Brewers of Ontario:  **1/2;  7.2%;  very strong, bitter, dark coffee nose with hints of bourbon;  oaky bourbon and dark coffee notes with a very mild touch of vanilla;