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Beauty Vixen

Last week I went to the launch of the Bier Markt's Oktoberfest Menu which runs until October 4th.

My husband used to work in a German restaurant and I am half German in ancestry (my grandparents speak and write German), so it is natural that we love German food. Oktoberfest is one of the few times of the year we really get to go all out and enjoy it in a joyous fashion.

Last year we went to Kitchener for their famous fest and had a great time, since we couldn't go this year we were so happy to go to the Bier Markt for their celebrations.
First off we had some yummy yummy Bavarian Pretzels. So soft and salty, I want more right now. It is served with a homemade mustard that I really liked (I like vinegary mustard).
 Next we had a Currywurst Poutine. I have heard so much about currywurst over the years but never had it. Traditionally it is a knackwurst served with a warmed up ketchup with curry in it next to potatoes so the idea of making poutine out of it sounded perfect and it pretty much was.
I was completely blown away with the ketchup. I don't really love ketchup from stores, but this homemade sauce with its curry was just so tasty.
 I was officially full but the husband wanted more and got the Chicken schnitzel and subbed out the sauteed green beans for the sauteed red cabbage (he loves cabbage). When it showed up I was in shock it was a massive plate and enough schnitzel to feed at least two. I ended up eating about 1/3 of it since the hubby got full.
Everything about this dish was perfect, I mean lingonberry jam with schnitzel, yum yum.
Finally I decided after a sampling of the Paulander's Oktoberfest beer that I should get a pint, but I somehow got talked into a stein, which was too heavy to hold with just one of my hands.

This is now my favourite beer, and I hope to get lots more while the season is on.
the hubby with the beer I thought was just too big for me.
I already have plans to go to the Don Mills location with a friend and the hubby has already gone back twice for a pint and pretzel since he works near the Esplanade location.
To make the season even more festive, every on Thursday, Friday and Saturday nights during the festival there will be live Oompah Oompah bands playing. I found the one at the Esplanade very entertaining, I'm sure my grandfather would have loved it.

I highly recommend if you love a good beer and some German food to check out a Bier Markt near you for some Oktoberfest festivities before the 4th and it all ends. Check out the full menu at thebiermarkt.com





*I was not paid or compensated for this post, just invited to an event where I got to sample a some of the menu items, all other items were paid for by myself.

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A few weeks ago a friend and I went to the Amsterdam Brewery for one of their free Saturday tours. We learned a lot, got to drink a bunch of beer and it was all for free. 

Not that I know much about beer, but I do like free things and hanging out with my friends.
 The brewery moved last year to its new location in Leaside. The updated brewery also features a great store (open until 11 pm monday - saturday by the way, which is fantastic), a tasting area and saturday tours. As you can see by the group of people, the tour and tasting is quite popular.
 Our tour guide explained the long history of the brewery, that they were established in 1986 as a brewpub down on John st, then moved to then moved to King Street, then Bathurst and now its new home in Leaside. They also explained that last year they bought out the Kawartha Lakes Brewing Co, which makes some pretty fantastic beers...but just in Leaside now.

We got to taste some hops (not sure if it was the best idea actually) and look around at the whole process of beer making.

We saw the four tanks needed to make beer and learned all the steps and the canning/bottling process. It was all very interesting and educational. But then the tasting happened and I got to drink beer for an hour and forgot most of it.
the empty mashing tank
The wort tank, filled with warm wort (yep it is a stage of making beer)
another tank, not sure which one, but it was empty
I do remember that ale takes about 15 days to ferment while lagers take 30- 45, below are the tanks they are stored in.
We also got to freeze along with the beer in a fridge, which was kind of nice in the 30+ degree heat.
 Finally we got some tasting in, which let's be honest, is why I went. I like beer, and like wine know nothing about why I like what I like, and so a tasting I went.
 So there are six flavours being served every Saturday, right now being the summer, their seasonal summer beers are being featured. The Orange Weisse was a particularly interesting one, I liked the spicy clove taste, but apparently others will taste bubble gum. the KLB Nut Brown and Raspberry Wheat were my favourite.
 The store features some neat "Adventure Brews" that are only available in their store. They are limited edition brews that are aged in casks. Right now there is one done in a chardonnay cask, and it is tasty.

They also have Growlers, which are big 2 L bottles of beer. You buy the refillable and fully refundable bottle and it becomes a reusable vessel for their beer. A great eco friendly option.
a growler
So if all that beer drinking wasn't enough, my friend and I (hey it was Mel from Melissa's Musings by the way) decided to check out the new Amsterdam BrewHouse down on the Queens Quay.
 While there we had some more yummy refreshments and some darn tasty bee (served with a wort reduction that I wanted to take home). She had that tasty Chardonnay aged beer (The Mavrick and Goose as they call it ) and I had some more KLB Raspberry Wheat beer. Oh yeah and donuts with Nutella and peanut butter.

Brewery info:

Amsterdam Brewery
45 Esandar Dr, Toronto, ON
Store is open Mon - Sat 11 -11 Sun 11-6
Tasting are Saturdays on the hour 1 - 5
Web - Twitter - Facebook -Instagram

Amsterdam BrewHouse
245 Queens Quay West, Toronto, ON
Web - Twitter - Facebook - Instagram
(not sure about its store hours, but there is a store there)


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Jill Oliver-Fox is a Toronto based beauty blogger with a love for beauty, food, and pets. She began the blog in 2009 and hasn't stopped since. To read more about Jill and the Blog, click here.

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