6th Annual Spring Festival Of Craft Breweries

Event report

The normally relaxed Spring Festival Of Craft Breweries was filled to overflowing with beer lovers of all ages and tastes. By the official start time of five o'clock both of our bars were packed with eager tasters. Against our usual "drop-in" philosophy we we forced to institute a line-up for the better part of three hours. We managed to serve about four hundred and fifty people at the event.

Even though the axiom "there is no accounting for taste" was never more true than at this event, we will still attempt a numerical summary. We were featuring forty-three brews from thirty-two producers including 12 cask beers and two ciders. Two finished with top honours and median scores of eight: Black Oak's Ten Bitter Years and Wellington Russian Imperial Stout. Both of these clocked in at a whopping 8.0% alcohol and made as big an impression on festival goers.

In all seventeen beers were deemed purchase worthy by the majority with median scores of seven or more. Many of the brews received both perfect tens and extremely imperfect zeros from different raters with decidedly different tastes. The most sampled beer was the cask dispensed Flying Monkeys Smash-Bomb Atomic IPA. Many top finishers from past festivals were just about ignored with St. Ambroise Oatmeal Stout, Durham Hop Addict, and C'est What Al's Cask Ale not even making the minimum number of samples rated to be in the running.

For the third festival in a row we can claim that it was our busiest festival ever: we sold 5915 samples. That amounts to about one sample served every three seconds. There have been many requests to make C'est What beer festivals two day events so that we can accommodate the growing number of craft beer aficionados in our fair city. We will consider this for the fall festival - stay tuned for details....

The full table of scores can be found here.

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A Year Of Beer

Best year yet for variety

Long gone are the days that you could age-date someone by what brand of beer they drank. Anyone old enough to remember the geezers who seemed to be the only people ordering the stubbies of Red Cap? There are probably still some cougars out there asking for Dry beer and I'm sure there will be a Lime generation as well but more and more people are choosing not to pigeon-hole themselves into a single beer existence.

In the spirit of a different-beer-for-each-occasion, I have tallied up what C'est What has had on offer over the past year. The totals are astonishing: 25 different bottled beers, 57 cask brews, and 110 draughts and ciders; 192 in total.

We will be open during the G-20 offering 53 selections for that occasion. It may just be the best choice we have that weekend...

Picture-Of-The-Month

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Get Real, Get It Live

NXNE Music Festival 2010

Now in its 16th year, The North by Northeast Music & Film Festival and Conference (NXNE) is Canada's #1 showcase for the best new music and music-related films. The music festival gives over 650 local, national and international artists the chance to showcase for thousands of fans, agents, talent buyers, media, promoters, labels and management companies at a variety of essential downtown venues.

NXNE Thursday June 17

8PM | Sara Kamin

Sara Kamin's powerful voice has been compared to incredible female artists like Jann Arden, Patty Griffin, Adele, India.Arie, Nina Simone, and Bessie Smith. According to acclaimed Canadian artist Ron Sexsmith, Kamin "has a very natural way with a song and a voice that is lovely and pure."

9PM | Mark Mandeville with Raianne Richards

Since 2006, Mark Mandeville and Raianne Richards have been recording and touring as members of chamber folk trio "The Accident That Led Me To The World". During a brief hiatus from the group, Mandeville and Richards will be promoting respective solo releases out on Nobody’s Favorite Records.

10PM | Kathryn Rose

Stepping back into the spotlight after having two babies in the past few years, Kathryn Rose has just released "Something I Can Use", a compilation culling from her three solo albums with new, live and reworked tracks. Kathryn is known for her artful, cerebral brand of sexy-sad-funny cinematic pop.

11PM | Sunbear

Sunbear is a folk three-piece consisting of Kate Boothman, Ian Russell and Michelle Josef. Their first full length CD, entitled "Sun Streaming In" received national acclaim. They've played roughly 80 shows throughout North America in support of it.They've just completed their second CD "Moonbath".

12AM | Praise the Twilight Sparrow

Raw bone, emotional and dreamy, reminiscent of moonlit sourthern woods or days gone by in silent fury and speechless awe, PTTS defends a minimalistic approach and a firm rooting in folk music twisted as mad love or untold dreams. Played at SXSW 2007. Debut album out in February!

1AM | hopeful monster

Hopeful Monster has been the musical brainstorm of Halifax native Jason Ball, now living in Toronto, with an evolving cast of collaborators in both cities, since 2000. Pyschedelic chamber pop.

Doors 7:00 p.m., Show time 8:00 p.m. Advance tickets are available for $10.00 or purchase an all-access pass from nxne.

NXNE Friday June 18

8PM | Ben Wilkins

Born in Ontario and currently living in Montreal, where he recorded his unreleased self-titled album, a lineup of brilliantly-arranged, soul-caressing, contemplative or foot-stomping, neck bone-shaking original songs. There is undeniable maturity, and effortless lushness to his songs.

9PM | Paper Thick Walls

Paper Thick Walls started with two songwriters with a passion for stories. The freshman album, "A Thousand Novels", is a powerful use of music and words to create an orchestral folk novel. NXNE comes off the tails of their latest showcase at SXSW. The album is being released through ECG Records.

10PM | Chasing Pandora

Chasing Pandora 'This is what real music should sound like' Classic Rock Mag. Canadian born Melissa Portelli and Keith Anthony are a singer-songwriting duo from Gozo, Malta. They write beautiful, poignant songs currently making waves in the UK BBC Radio 2.

11PM | Gold Lake

Carlos and Lua moved to NY from Spain last summer after having played there with former band We Are Balboa. Since playing their first show in October, Gold Lake have recorded and EP with A. Hammond Jr's producer, played SXSW, been invited on to the Guilt By Association CD and opened for Nada Surf.

12AM | Ghost Bees

Ghost Bees are telepathic twin sisters Romy and Sari Lightman. Over antique mandolin, guitar and various ethereal accompaniment, they weave intricate vocal harmonies, dispensing dramatic tales and sorrowful lament like a two-headed, female balladeer.

1AM | Henry

Cirque du Soliel preimere chanteuse Elise Velle and 6 Degrees Records recording artist Michael Emenau strive to reinvigorate and electrify the compositions of England first great composer Henry Purcell(1659-1695). Timeless songs of love, death, angst, sex, and wine are reactivated and electrified.

Doors 7:00 p.m., Show time 8:00 p.m. Advance tickets are available for $10.00 or purchase an all-access pass from nxne.

NXNE Saturday June 19

Manitoba Music Showcase

9PM | Oh My Darling

To label Oh My Darling as 'sweet country music' is an understatement. These four young women are some of the hottest players on the Canadian roots scene. They can shred, they can holler, they can make you dance, they can make you weep, when these gals are on stage your heart is in their hands.

10PM | The Paperbacks

The Paperbacks (Winnipeg, est.2001), have toured Canada, Europe and the UK. Releases include: "An Episode of Sparrows"(2003), "An Illusion Against Death"(2007 produced by Weakerthans frontman John K. Samson), and the new double album, "Lit From Within"(2010). Currently on a cross Canada Tour.

11PM | Imaginary Cities

Imaginary Cities are a Winnipeg-based band, featuring Marti Sarbit and Rusty Matyas.Imaginary Cities are the music they love, at once sounding like ethereal vintage R&B records and synth-driven, raucous pop rock. Lush, hook-laden choruses and driving verses power Imaginary Cities.

12AM | The Details

The Details are back with their sophomore album, Lost Art, produced by Brandon Reid (The National) and Stephen Carroll (of The Weakerthans), featuring guest appearances by Jenn Grant and members of Hey Rosetta!, The Waking Eyes and The Weakerthans. The Details hope to see its release in late 2010.

1AM | Abstract Artform

Dirt roads, old ghettoblasters, beer drinking and of course tailgate parties. Abstract Artform is a little rock, a smidgen hip-hop, a dash of funk mixed with a sampling of jazz (we even have a DJ too!) Hailing from the prairies these boys just want to have funk it up. Back porch rap at its finest!

Doors 8:00 p.m., Show time 9:00 p.m. Advance tickets are available for $15.00 or purchase an all-access pass from nxne.

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