A week off and I wanted to do another run into Syracuse for some important research. My inquiries with the Homebrewers Digest had let me know that the two spots to check out for micro-brew selection were the Galeville Grocery and Party Source. Both are located on decent strips, the Old Liverpool Road and Erie Blvd Easy respectively, which should not pose as a drag for anyone if you were just running in while others waited in the car. Both have a good but somewhat different selection, Galeville having perhaps more US and NY micros while Party Source has a better Belgians section. Both have decent prices for US micros running at 7 bucks USD a six-pack and twelves for 13.49 USD. Even with the currency exchange, US tax, US deposit, Canadian Federal sales tax, Canadian duty, Canadian Provincial sale tax and LCBO mark-up, a six ends up at around 12 bucks Canadian which is what you would pay for a US micro if the LCBO would sell it to you...which it won't. I focused on Smuttynose from New Hampshire as well as New York's Brooklyn and Cooperstown. On thing that Party Source does that is nice is that it breaks up cases so you can mix your own 12-pack from any number of brewerys' products. Maybe next time. Ontario's amazingly accurately named Beer Store actually had this service ten years ago in a separate serve yourself cooler called the mixed six or so but ditched it soon after. The Galeville Grocery, on the other hand will cut and sell you a steak. Gotta like that.
Expect reviews. The last review of Labatt 50 has put me in a bad frame of mind so hopefully a Smuttynose Old Dog will put me back in shape.
Comments
Alan - September 4, 2005 1:30 pm
I visited the Party Source yesterday, picked up some interesting ales but found it a little less fully stocked. It may just be the shipping cycle between summer and fall purchasing. I should be able to pop in again mid-October so we will see how it is.
Alan - February 5, 2007 7:28 pm
I stopped in at the Party Source before the CNY Brewfest the other day and it was in really great shape. I picked up 24 beer I had not seen before - nice to see.
david culm - September 1, 2007 6:31 pm
Until the beer drinking cogniscenti of the U.S. visit, and experience beer drinking (where beer was orignally "designed"), in Europe, they will not really appreciate the true delights that Anglo Saxon, and Flemish taditional brewing methods bring to ones palate.
Having been State-side and in Canada recently, I was struck by the blandness of the beers that were on offer. Malt based brews do not need to chilled to banality , but need to be savoured at about 54 deg F, as original cellar (what's a cellar you ask?) hand drawn ales used to be.
Cask conditioned ale in the States and Canada is impossible to find. Cellar craft I have not discovered. Please advise where in the vastness of the North American land mass, can one find this skill?
Your beers are all to "clean", and "fizzy".
You by by sight and not by taste perhaps?
A contentious issue, which will no doubt draw forth some discussion!!
Mike - December 18, 2007 11:06 pm
Yeah-
The only thing is the price is not labeled well on all the beer and when you ask the price or check out the employees and or owners aren't the friendliest to say the least.
David Culm (The one and only) - January 13, 2008 5:58 pm
Not a comment since my crit of N.American beer? Come on, there must be someone out there who has something positive to add about N.American beers.
By the way, the best recommended cellar temperature for hand -drawn (no top pressure)"real ale" is 51F-not 54F.
Keep suppin'.