It was a beautiful summer day, my family and I ventured to downtown Kingston, Ontario for lunch. I have heard, on the radio, that the Merchant Taphouse boasts more than 20 beers on tap. Time to check it out, I thought. So, we sat down at a shaded table outside. The waitress handed us the drink menu. To my surprise, no beer list. Confused I asked the waitress for a list. She said that there wasn’t a list because it changed to often. So I asked if she could tell me what was on tap. And I kid you not, her response was.
“We have 28 different beers on tap. I can’t list them all.”
Remember now, this place is called TAPHOUSE…lots of beer on tap, that’s part of their business model. And the waitress can’t list the beer on tap? I’ve been in similar style establishments and the staff can always recite the list. They may stumble or forget one or two, but always give the list verbally.
She asked what was I in the mood for and perhaps she could suggest something. I told her I wasn’t sure what I was in the mood for. She proceeded to mention 4 or 5, all beers ultimate owned by the Big Beer Empires. I asked what they had in the way of craft beer. To my shock, she informed me that they only had 1, that’s right, 1 craft beer on tap (MacKinnon Brothers, Crosscut pale ale) and one in a bottle (Beau’s, Lug Tread). I have nothing against either craft breweries I just listed. I live a mere 20min from the village of Bath and MacKinnon Brothers brewery and I am a big fan of almost everything Beau’s brewery makes. But I was in search of something I haven’t had before, and I have no interest in making the Big Breweries richer. Not when there are small brewers that deserve the dollars for their hard work and quality products. Disappointed, we left the Merchant Taphouse.
Hoping for better luck a few blocks away, the Red House was another craft beer and lunch possibility. The Red Houses craft selection was much better consisting of the following:
Mill St. Organic Lager, Mill St. Cobblestone Stout, St. Ambroise Cream Ale, Griffon Red, Nickle Brook Headstock IPA, Les Trois Mousquetaires Gose, Big Rig Hefeweizen, Steam Whistle Pilsner, Pilsner Urquell, Labatt 50, Wapoos Cider
(In the interest of fairness I have linked all the brands listed above all their respective websites)
I decided to begin with a glass of Les Trois Mousquetaires Gose while I waited for my lunch to arrive. It opens with a crisp, bright citrus notes upfront. The sour qualities emerge in the middle with a tart lemon quality. That tartness fills the palette momentarily, but diminishes rather quickly as it finishes dry with a thin and slightly tannic mouthfeel. A nice summer beer, when lager and IPA have overstayed their welcome. Though it’s not the type of flavour that lends itself to an entire afternoon of indulging, it is a great apéritif, opening up the palette and appetite.
For lunch I chose the Crispy Pork Belly Sandwich (soy glaze, daikon slaw, iceberg lettuce, spicy basil aioli, Navajo roll) with a glass of Big Rig Hefeweizen. This is a very nice example of Hefeweizen, carrying notes of citrus and subtle banana with a well-balanced hop character of spruce and herbs. A great pairing for the sweet/salty crispy pork sandwich, very tasty.
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