The Jolly Inebriate

On my way home, I was biking up Yonge St. to get to Gerrard when I passed a new pub just south of the Hard Rock Cafe near the Yonge-Dundas Square.

The front was open to the street, it was pleasantly-packed with guests and at first sight, came across as a different take on the mass-market pubs we’re so used to in Toronto.

After going over the menu and finding out they brewed their beer on-site, I couldn’t resist it’s obviously carefully-designed siren call; I simply had to go in and have a beer. Score one for Gerry Kakaroubus (one of the owners as I was soon to find out)!

What really sold me on giving the place a try was the tasting flight of their beers for a measly $6.75! I can’t think of a better way of getting people who might be stuck in their usual beer-buying patterns to try something new.

After taking a seat at the bar (I only ever go where the action is, tables are for parties) I was pleased to discover that all of the beers were above-average; they didn’t knock my socks off but I wasn’t disappointed either and having 5 new beers to try (you can add a couple dollars and get a bit of their special brew) was totally worthwhile.

The first one I sampled was their bi-monthly brew, a red ale called Indian Ocean. It wasn’t so much like an IPA but it was definitely crisp with clove and vanilla undertones and a slightly-bitter finish. I enjoyed it quite a bit and I ended up going back for some more after my tasting was done.

Next up was the blonde which reminded me of a pilsner with a bit of a grassy taste. It wasn’t very crisp but it was well-balanced; I would’ve liked a little more bite though. The wheat was quite delicate and next to the Rickard’s and Keith’s offerings, more than holds its own. Think of it like a Hoegaarden but more spicy and you’ll be on the right track. I wouldn’t go out of my way to order it but it was lighter than a Paulaner, for example, which might be right up some people’s alley. It’s definitely refreshing and I imagine it’d do pretty well as a component in one of their beer cocktails. (Yes, they mix beer with liqueurs which can be a whole lot of fun. I have fond memories of Hoegaardens with a liberal dose of Chambord at Jack Astor’s on Front St. They mix their wheat beer with either banana liqueur or peach schnapps but I’d imagine they’d substitute whatever if you asked nicely.)

The amber ale had quite a bit more bitterness from the hops, more so than the special brew, with some caramel undertones and a wee bit of grassiness. The dark ale was rather predictable with some chocolately-maltiness but I would’ve liked a bit more oomph. I was expecting more of a stout and I got something akin to Cool Brew’s Doublefist Stout except not as good.

(One beer I didn’t get around to trying was La Belle Province, a bottled brew brought in from Quebec City that apparently has a “hint of maple syrup”. It seemed to be a largish portion so I imagine it’d be best shared with a couple of friends.)

To accompany my beer I ordered some mussel’s on the bartender’s recommendation but they didn’t impress me. We’ve got some great mussels in this city (Smokeless Joes, Starfish, BeerBistro, etc.) and there’s no way these can even compare. The broth was supposedly made with beer and tomatoes but it was bland and not even the occasional piece of celery and onion could salvage it. You know you’re in trouble when sopping up the broth with the de riguer bread is a chore.

Where’s the spice? Where’s the fucking flavour??

There was also way too much of it… I actually had trouble finding all of my mussels. Complaints aside, the portion was very generous and the side of fries was crisp and tasty. The house-made mayo dip was particularly nice with a tartaresque quality that left me recalling some pleasant memories at Deep Blue Fish & Chips.

Normally, I do pretty well with picking the best dish to have on any menu but I was led astray by an obviously-inexperienced staff-member. Next time I’ll go with one of their flamms which seem to be very close to a thin-crust pizza. The menu is quite large with a lot of items in place to ensure there’s something for everyone. It’s not my bag but I can see why they’d do it.

Despite not being able to recommend something decent for me, the staff were relatively friendly and not overbearing. I’d definitely go back with friends if I was in the area and with Yonge St. being a relatively bereft of decent dining options, you could do far worse than spend some time with the 3 Brewers.

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(Image blatantly stolen from Urbanspoon.)