Our
$40 tickets gained us passage on the party barge, as well as five
tokens good for 4 oz. samples and a tiny plastic "commemorative mug". Additional
tokens were also available on board for $1 a pop.
The
missus and I were initially wary, since the weather forecast was
calling for rain and gloom, but we actually lucked into a lovely crisp
fall evening.
On board the ship was a pretty
sizable crowd of craft beer enthusiasts. It was a relatively diverse bunch
of folks (at least in terms of age and gender), though the majority
seemed to be in their thirties.
There were
representatives from 11 Ontario breweries as well as one cidery on board the Gambler. Some of
the province's bigger microbreweries like Beau's, Great Lakes, and
Wellington were on hand, as were some of the brighter lights amongst
smaller brewers like Oast House, Kensington, and Side Launch, and new
guys such as Underdog's and Barnstormer.
As for
beers, the offerings available skewed pretty hard toward pale ales.
There weren't a lot of things that I hadn't tried, though there were new
to me pale ales from Junction and Left Field that really hit the spot,
and a vanilla stout from Double Trouble that was absolutely delicious.
The
boat was comfortable, though a bit cramped, and restroom facilities
and chairs could have been more plentiful. Those of us lucky enough to
be on board were treated to gorgeous views of Canada's largest city lit
up at night. I've done a T.O. harbour cruise before, but never in the dark,
and it added a pretty cool element.
The Toronto Craft Brew Cruise was a fantastic event. If it's offered again next year, get yourself on the boat.
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