When I have a chance, I grab a beer off the LCBO shelf that I have not yet tried.  More often then not, it’s not worth mentioning.

Devil’s Pale Ale is worth speaking of.

The marketing lingo is dead on:

The wonderful hoppy aroma is revealed even before your first sip, followed by a hearty malty body, and culminating with a pronounced bitterness.

I would sum up the taste as a “Jr” Indian Pale Ale, perhaps only “Jr” in the context of the imprint left in my memory from the Pike Street Brewery’s IPA.

Ah the weekend!

Got up early and purchased my bike, ending weeks of speculation and research.  I was taking possession Monday night, so I decided to meander down King street. To my surprise, the Bier Markt has a location on the corner of King and Portland.
The terrace was open and empty, the sun playing hide-and-go-seek with clouds. I was hungry, but what really got me to walk up and as for a table ? Bolleke !
Antwerp is home to Brouwerij De Koninck, makers of the mothers-milk-goodness amber ale simply called Bolleke by locals. The nickname comes from the name of the “bowl shaped” drinking glass, which is code to mean “breast shaped”. Indeed!

I found myself explaining this information to the staff, who mistook me for a photographer?!  I ordered the Markt burger with “frites” and the amber ale of goodness.  Other folks began to stop and read the posted menu and shortly I was no longer the only patron on the terrace.  I really didn’t notice that much, the food was just to my taste and I felt pretty good.  My waitress and I chatted about the amount of appreciation this ale gets, and she provided a sampler of another for my opinion.  The other bier left so little in positive impression, I have even failed to note it’s name.
After this nice meal, I proceeded to walk home, familiarizing myself with the path I would take if biking. A prudent scouting maneuver, given the Monday deluge. But that was the future.
Along the way I spotted the most obvious reason all squirrels are hyper… coffee!