Frog’s Pad

[here] Beer, Booze and Bars,
Issue: April 16, 2009
Title: Taking the Train to Hali for Cali
by Craig Pinhey

Maybe I’m the only one who has taken to calling Halifax “Hali,” much the way some people shorten California to Cali. It’s all part of my mental image of a coastal town that is surely not the same place I went to University two decades ago. With its myriad of fine dining restos, good coffee shops, beer choice, sushi bars and other ethnic restaurants, you’d almost think you were in California, or Seattle, at least. When I lived in Halifax it was mostly known for beer swilling in the multitude of taverns. It still is, but these watering holes are now nicely complimented by other options.

I headed to Halifax this week for the 2nd time in a month, this time for the annual California Wine Fair, which didn’t hit New Brunswick this year after its first visit here last year in Moncton. We got bumped for Winnipeg, I think.

Feeling all wild and crazy, I decided on alternate transport this time, choosing the train. Well, not exactly. You see, in this age of green thinking, Saint John left itself in the lurch by canceling our passenger train service years ago, ripping down one of the more beautiful historic buildings in Canada in the process. Common sense would dictate that our status as a tourism hotbed and energy hub, with a burgeoning business relationship with Maine and the rest of the eastern seaboard of the US would mean that we can take the train to Bar Harbor, Portland, Boston, and continue on to New York, Washington and, eventually, Florida. And shouldn’t we be able to take the train to Fredericton, continuing on up to Quebec, Montreal and the rest of our country? Nope. We can’t even take the train to Moncton and Halifax. Who made this bonehead call, exactly? Someone driving a large gas-guzzler, probably. Will we ever be able to again? Right now it looks doubtful.

So I had to take the 6:45 am (!) SMT bus to Moncton, walk to the VIA station, then wait a couple hours before connecting on the noon train. Why not take the bus all the way? I love trains. Taking the train is a relaxing experience; watching the views out the window (the train is much more scenic than the highway, plus you can watch to the sides if you are not driving…), reading my book, having a nice lunch, and going to a roomy washroom as needed. I headed immediately to the dining car and was served a tasty Greek salad and bowl of homemade minestrone alongside glasses of very good Nova Scotia wine: Gaspereau’s fruity and crisp L’Acadie Blanc, and Domaine De Grand Pre’s fresh and floral Ortega. I lingered over a Garrison Red Ale and read my book, occasionally glancing at the muddy Peticodiac riverbanks. 4 hours later I was checking into the Westin, attached to the Halifax train station, getting a room with views to the harbour islands.

Another hour later and I was enjoying a wonderful meal at Pier 21 as part of the California event. They hold an annual charity dinner to support Pier 21, this year featuring the excellent wines of Clos de Bois matched to cuisine from the Chef at Onyx restaurant. I particularly enjoyed the Pinot Noir tasted with an Asian influenced duck confit.

The next day I was back at Pier 21 for the Wine Fair. I noticed a change, in that many of the wines were quite reasonably priced. This has been a gradual change, as California has responded to the demand in Canada for more reasonable wine prices. We are their second largest export market, so they care what we think!

I first tasted a bunch of whites, enjoying some of the finer Chardonnays, like Sonoma-Cutrer (~$30 at the show), 2007 Calera Central Coast ($27.99 in NB), 2007 Sebastiani Russian River and 2006 Buena Vista Carneros. Then I started randomly sampling reds, noting the elegant Waterstone Pinot Noir ($30.79 at Premier in Halifax), 2006 Calera Central Coast Pinot Noir ($41.29 at ANBL), 2007 Hahn Cycles Gladiator Syrah (< $20 at the show), 2006 Ravenswood Lodi Zinfandel, and a 2004 vintage of Bonny Doon’s iconic Le Cigare Volant Rhone blend.

The reds from the Magnanimus Wine Group were particularly interesting; I had tried them on a recent Cali trip. This group deals only with sustainably farmed, organic and biodynamic grapes, yet their prices are good: their 2005 Ukiah Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon comes in at around $25, with a pleasant herbal and berry nose and good acidic structure for food matching, while their 2005 Old River Road Cabernet Sauvignon has lots of spicy sweet fruit, with balancing tannins, for $28.

Old River Road Cab

I picked up a few bottles of wine at the onsite store, as many of these wines were only available on this day, brought in very small lots, as low as 1 case.

Coming out of the Cali wine show I knew I had a great night ahead of me in Hali, with too many choices for dining and drinking. I enthusiastically recommend a train and hotel weekend holiday here for New Brunswickers, at least those of you lucky enough to be able to do it…

Craig Pinhey remembers how, when he moved to Saint John, some locals called it the San Francisco of Canada. Well, there are hills. Visit Craig at www.frogspad.ca.

[here] Culture Schlock, April 16, 2009
by Craig Pinhey
Making A Skeptical Of Himself
Getting Used to Elvis Costello as a TV Host

Last Friday was a relief for me, as I finally got to see the new Elvis Costello music interview show: Spectacle (CTV TV, Friday nights at 8 pm, replayed on Bravo and other CTV networks if you have time-shifting). OK, I admit to watching some of them illegally on the interweb in advance, but it is much nicer to see them in high quality video and sound.

If you are already a serious Costello fan, then this is a no brainer; of course you are going to watch and like this show, just as you bought his album of Nashville country covers, his jazz and classical albums, and you maybe even got a hold of a bootleg copy of Secret Songs, the opera he wrote about Hans Christian Andersen.

But, if you don’t know Elvis from Adam, or are not a fan of his music, I can imagine you are a bit skeptical of Spectacle, even if you saw his nice turn as a guest host on David Letterman. I urge you to give it a shot, though, because Spectacle is unlike any music show I’ve ever seen, at least those made in North America. It is not all that far off from Jools Holland’s British music show, but I doubt you’ve seen that.

Each episode starts with Costello covering one of the guest artist’s songs, or a song inspired by them. He sang Elton John’s Border Song, with legendary Allain Touissant on piano, for episode 1. The rest of the show is mostly talking, with Costello asking the questions working from his crib notes, and is largely unstructured. Elton John spoke at length about his early days in music and his somewhat obscure musical influences, such as Laura Nyro, David Ackles and southern US pianist Leon Russell.

Most of the shows are filmed at the famed Apollo Theatre in New York, which adds to the ambiance.

Elton does a few short turns at the piano, illustrating where he learned certain moves, and you really get a feel for him as a person. I doubt that Elton John fans have ever heard Elton be more open than he is on Spectacle (just wait for the Rufus Wainwright episode!)
This is either due to his newfound friendship with Costello, or just the nature of the show. Elton John and his husband David Furnish are executive producers, after all.

The show finishes with Elton and Elvis duetting on Down River by David Ackles. I’ve never heard this song before, but hearing them sing it together is quite remarkable. I’m not a huge Elton John fan, but I enjoyed every second of this show and it made me go back and listen to his early catalogue.

Spectacle is the perfect program for people obsessed with music, but I think others would like it too, because musicians are interesting, at least the ones of the calibre featured on this series.

The next episode featured The Police (with both individual and group interviews, and a smoking mash-up of Watching The Detectives and Walking On The Moon) and upcoming guests include Rufus Wainwright, Smokey Robinson, Lou Reed, James Taylor, and, believe it or don’t, Bill Clinton (!) I’ve watched some of these online, and there are some amazing performances. His duet with Lou Reed on Perfect Day is quite moving. Don’t miss it.

If you are a Costello-hater, you will probably be annoyed by the way he emotes during the musical performances. He can be a little over the top sometimes when he is performing, which is partly why I love him live, but he is a gracious and knowledgeable interviewer; you have to give him that. There are times when he could have easily interrupted to brag, but he defers to the guest. One example in the Elton John episode was where Elton was talking about Georgie Fame, an influential British jazz/R&B singer famous from the 60’s and 70’s. Now, I know Costello wrote a song for Georgie (That’s What Friends Are For) that he performed and recorded, but there was nary a peep from Elvis. Or perhaps they edited it out…

Costello is arguably overexposed in the media right now, with his royal relationship with Diana Krall, the Spectacle show, and his upcoming acoustic bluegrass tour and new album (Secret, Profane and Sugarcane), but even his dissenters will have to admit that this is good TV.

For more information go to CTV.ca and find Spectacle under the show list.

(NOTE: Sundance Channel recently announced that Spectacle has been renewed for a second season)

Craig Pinhey is already making a list of potential guests for Season 2, including Madonna, Ron Sexsmith, and Margaret Trudeau. Visit Craig at frogspad.ca.

[here] Culture Schlock, April 9, 2009
by Craig Pinhey
Must See Kiwi TV
The Flight of the Conchords Took TV Musical Comedy to New Level

Many fans are wondering what will fill the hole in their lives left now that Jermaine Clement and Bret (pronounced Brit) Mackenzie have finished the second season of The Flight of the Conchords (FOTC), broadcast by HBO, on The Movie Network here in Canada.

It is reputedly the last season, and, if so, it is a sad day in television, because this is the funniest musical comedy I have ever seen. I say this knowing that others will disagree, of course. I was and am a huge fan of the Monty Python brand of musical comedy that popped up occasionally in their ground breaking TV series, and also in their comedy albums and movies. Who can forget “Every Sperm Is Sacred” and “The Universe Song” from “The Meaning of Life”? Pick up the “Monty Python Sings” CD for a primer on some of their best stuff, and “Contractual Obligations” for the funniest comedy record ever.

Weird Al Yankovic has made a career of musical parody, and he does a damn fine job. He can grate on the nerves sometimes, but I’ll forgive everything bad he’s done, just because of “The Saga Begins,” his brilliant Star Wars parody of American Pie

In recent times Tenacious D have found a cult following for their hilarious, often raunchy parodies of hard rock and heavy metal, best illustrated on their debut CD, but their TV spots and movie “The Pick Of Destiny” have their moments too. Still, there is only so much of Jack Black that anyone can take…

I love all this stuff, but I firmly believe that Flight of the Conchords have mastered the genre.

If you, like me, got into the series bit late, then you’ve probably, like me, been catching up on the old shows, meanwhile following weekly episodes as Season 2 led to its hilarious finale, in which <SPOILER ALERT> Brett, Jermaine and their hapless manager Murray end up back on the farm in New Zealand.

The series revolves (revolved, if it is truly over) around two mediocre New Zealand musicians who come to New York seeking to make it big. They end up with Murray as a manager, a guy with no music experience (he doesn’t know who any famous musicians are, including Les Zeppelin and R. Kelly) who works in the New Zealand consulate office.

Hijinx ensue. That’s FOTC in a nutshell, really, but it is much more than that. This is one of those shows that grow on you. Like mould, perhaps, but it really does get under your skin. Watching episodes twice or three times makes them funnier, which is a true sign of comic skill. I’ve read reviews by people who just don’t get it, generally Americans who probably didn’t or wouldn’t get Monty Python or SCTV either, and that’s fine. Who cares? I know that this has been the best comedy show on TV over the past two years, as do you (you know who you are, you funny, perceptive people).

Although the dialogue and comic performances are excellent on the show, especially Rhys Darby as Murray, the most compelling aspect of the show is the music. Their videos are varied and brilliant, and far more professional, in-tune, and perfectly made than these guys could ever accomplish live, based on the performances I’ve watched on Youtube. Don’t get me wrong, as I’d pay a lot of money to see them live (they are touring North America as I write), but they aren’t exactly virtuoso musicians or technically great vocalists. What they are, though, are brilliant writers of musical parody. Any critic who doesn’t acknowledge that is irrelevant.

It is worthwhile owning both seasons on DVD (Season 1 is already available), but if you are looking to catch a few examples of why I think FOTC rule, then check out this short list:

Craig’s top 5 favourite Flight of The Conchords Youtube experiences

1. If You’re Into It
Season 1, Episode 4
- A love song from Bret to his girl Coco, with memorable accompaniment from Jermaine, “How ’bout him in the nude? If that’s what you’re into. In the nude in front of you. Is that what you’d wanna view?”

2. Hiphopopotamus vs the Rhymenocerous:
Season 1 Episode 3
- The best ever rap from non-rappers. “They call me the Hiphopopotamus, My lyrics are bottomless”

3. Too Many Dicks on The Dance Floor
Season 2 Episode 5
- Lyrical genius, but you have to watch the video to truly appreciate it. “I need better odds, more broads, less rods. I came to do battle. Skedaddle with the cattle prods.”

4. Bret’s Angry Dance
Season 1 Episode 12
- Not a music video per se, but one of the best FOTC moments.

5. Frodo, Don’t Wear The Ring
Season 1, Episode 11
- The episode in which Murray gets duped into spending his money on a high quality music video. “I don’t rap about bitches and ho’s, I rap about witches and trolls.”

If FOTC is truly done as a half hour TV musical comedy, I hope that their next project is a musical, either a movie or live show that tours the continent. We have definitely not seen enough of Bret and Jermaine.

Craig Pinhey thinks that Jermaine is a better rapper than Eminem. Visit Craig at frogspad.ca.

[here] Culture Schlock, Feb 13, 2009
by Craig Pinhey

Having just finished watching hour 2:00-3:00 pm of the latest season of 24 on tape (yes, I still use my VHS), I find myself increasingly interested in the story, and a large part of that feeling is due to Janeane Garofolo, who plays techno nerd Janis Gold.

I was a bit worried that this season would be a dud after that brutally bad prequel (Redemption) they ran a couple of months ago, but, what do you know, they’ve done it again. I’m hooked.

There’s not just one new important female character this year; there are three. The new President, Allison Taylor plays a major role, and she is a very strong personality, with more guts than all her cabinet combined.

Then there’s Jack Bauer’s femme fatale/alter-ego, Agent Renee Walker, a freckle-faced beauty apparently enamoured with Jack, so much so that she starts torturing people after a brief encounter with him. They’ll be snogging before the last bomb explodes.

Maybe this is a conspiracy, and the show’s writers are intent on women ruling the airwaves. After all, the best character since the beginning has been Mary Lynn Rajskub as Agent Chloe O’Brian. She is back in a limited role thus far in season 7 (can this really be the 7th season?)  but I expect she will be relied upon to save the day before the 24 hours are up.

In the meantime, Janis Gold has been playing a key role, doing the things Chloe has done in past shows.  In the last episode (SPOILER ALERT) she talked a factory worker through a procedure that potentially saved thousands of lives.  I suspect that she and Chloe will end up working together to save the good old US of A from terrorists. Maybe they should invest in some Wonder Woman outfits.

The odd thing about all this is Garofalo playing straight in a fairly serious drama. I think of her as a stand-up comedian, one of the better ones, a cynical, black humour kind of girl. Sure, she has played other roles, such as the “cute nerdy girl looking for a guy” stereotype in movies like “The Truth About Cats and Dogs” (seriously cute), “The Matchmaker” (chick flick warning, filmed in Ireland, no less), and “Reality Bites” (which really launched Ben Stiller, for better or worse).

Garofolo first did TV on Ben Stiller’s short lived sketch show starting in 1992, and did her best work as Paula on what I think is the best US TV show ever, The Larry Sanders Show. She garnered two Emmy Award nominations for her work there, in 1996 and 1997. She also did her time on Saturday Night Live, in their “dark period” (1994-95), but she really functioned best as a stand up comic, considered one of the best female stand-ups of all time. But she is not exactly knocking us dead with comedy in 24.

I am a fan of her work, and I scoff at the internet TV bloggers who are dissing her new role in 24.  She is a great addition to the show, and her character will grow, at least up until they bump her off. That’s the great thing about 24. You never know who might get killed. No one except Jack is untouchable, and someday, when you least expect it, he might die too.

Then they’ll replace him with a woman.

Craig Pinhey watched SNL though their dark, darker and darkest periods, and he’s got MacGruber to thank for it. Visit Craig at frogspad.ca.

[here] Culture Schlock, Mar 5, 2009
by Craig Pinhey

I am a Conan O’Brien lover from way back, so I’m pretty excited about his move to an earlier time slot. Conan ended his Late Night run February 20, after almost 16 years as host. It is hard to believe it has been that long.

On June 1st Conan is taking over from Captain Chin (a.k.a. Jay Leno) as the host of The Tonight Show, showing at 12:35 here in Atlantic Canada on NBC and Global. Jimmy Fallon, ex of Saturday Night Live, will replace Conan on Late Night in March, and I will probably stop staying up late.

Any of you who were big fans of Johnny Carson’s brilliant turn at that illustrious position are probably aware that Conan O’Brien is a much more appropriate host than Leno. Although Conan’s brand of humour is clearly more juvenile (um…masturbating bear…vomiting Kermit?) than Carson’s, and set in a different time in terms of what people deem offensive, he is naturally funny, which was Carson’s strength. Leno, while a decent deliverer of clichéd one-liners, always seems forced and too often unfunny in comparison.

Conan is even starting to look and move more like Johnny as he ages and matures, but don’t worry, he has not REALLY matured. He has some of the same physical humour, and, although Carson’s show was rarely as gross or off-colour, for its time it was pretty radical, just like Conan’s reshaping of Late Night. He also has a touch, or even a dollop, of Carson’s class, even if it’s well hidden sometimes.

Much like Carson, Conan has this silly streak, a friendly goofiness and naïve modesty making him completely unlike most of the celebrities who appear on his show. Celebrities behave differently around him. It is less of the sell job they try to ply on talk shows, and more of a “I’m gonna get silly with Conan” vibe, which is far more entertaining.

The hottest news about Conan’s next career phase is that his original Late Night sidekick Andy Richter will be back full time, playing the Ed McMahon role, except that Andy is entertaining, and funny on purpose. He will be the announcer and participate in comedy bits, hopefully with his clothes on. I guess this means that Conan’s regular announcer Joel Goddard is retiring. He has earned it.

I’m glad, though, that Conan is bringing along most of his writers as well as the Max Weinberg 7. Some of my favourite bits on Conan involve Max’s deadpan psycho-killer glare, and how could they do “The Year 2000″ without La Bamba?

Conan celebrated the last week of his show by showing favourite clips from over the years, and by auctioning off parts of the set and other show memorabilia, such as the masturbating bear, who won’t be making the trip to LA to “perform” on the Tonight Show. You can watch these recent episodes, including his heartfelt goodbye speech to New York, on the last show, on the NBC.com site:
www.nbc.com/Late_Night_with_Conan_O’Brien/video/episodes/.

You will need some sort of trickery to fake your ISP address, though, because no one outside the US is allowed to watch.

There was some talk, exacerbated by Norm Macdonald’s appearance in the last week, about how Jay Leno’s move to a new, earlier, show on NBC could hurt the potential numbers of The Tonight Show. I don’t think it will, because they have a very different audience. I believe the media predicting this just don’t get Conan, and no doubt laugh at Leno’s lamest efforts. I’m a huge Conan fan, but I have zero interest in Leno, unless he has a great music act or stand-up comedian on. I think most Conanophiles would agree.

In any case, I’ll be watching Conan and Andy when they debut in June, and I’ll be loving it.

Craig Pinhey wishes he could get his hair to stand up like Conan O’Brien’s. Visit Craig at frogspad.ca

[here] Culture Schlock, Mar 5, 2009
by Craig Pinhey

Not many people in TV-land have as dedicated a fan base as Joss Whedon, he of Buffy the Vampire Slayer, its spin-offs, and the cancelled-much-too-early Firefly. His waves of influence are felt throughout TV-land, especially where comedy and sci-fi meet.  His diehard fans will follow his work pretty much everywhere it goes; they trust his instincts. Which is why I waited a few episodes before writing a Culture Schlock feature on his latest show, Dollhouse, now halfway through season 1, broadcasting Friday nights at 10 pm on Fox and Global.

I’ve been following reviews on line at places like TV.com, Whedonesque.com (a major fan site), and discussing the show with other Whedon fans in New Brunswick.  The consensus is that the show had a slow start but is building…smoldering, if you will.

Dollhouse is a one-hour drama about Echo (Eliza Dushku of Buffy and Tru Calling) and the rest of a team of “Actives” that are programmed to complete specific tasks for a mysterious company. After each task, their memories are wiped and they become docile, compliant dolls, until they are loaded with real memories and skills for their next mission.

The show is frustrating in the early episodes, in that we don’t yet know how Echo and her co-workers ended up at the Dollhouse, so there is this itch that wants scratching.  I suspect this will be gradually revealed to us, but for now the plot revolves around how Echo seems to be recalling aspects of her missions, when they are supposed to be totally wiped clean. It also seems someone wants her dead.  Of course there is an evil conspiracy.

The key side-plot revolves around Agent Paul Ballard, played compellingly by Tahmoh Penikett (Helo from Battlestar Galactica), an intense FBI agent determined to find the secret of Dollhouse, whether by the book or not.

Harry Lennix, a talented stage actor whose biggest TV moment before Dollhouse was probably a character on season 6 of 24, is fantastic as Boyd Langdon, Echo’s sympathetic handler. He’s an ex-cop who really smells something fishy about the Dollhouse.

Early reviews of Dollhouse have been good but not stellar. There have been some rather annoying moments, including the Britneyesque music parts of Episode 3: Stage Fright, where Echo is the back-up singer and secret bodyguard of a famous pop singer.

The main aspect lacking from Dollhouse compared to Whedon’s previous work is his trademark quirky sense of humour, perhaps best illustrated on Firefly and Dr. Horrible’s Sing-Along Blog. There have been flashes of It, mainly from Topher Brink (played by new face Fran Kranz), who is the guy with the brainwashing/uploading other people’s memories technology, but in general this show is more serious that typical Whedon fare.

Whedon himself chimed in with comments to the media on March 18, trying to spark more interest in the show, urging fans to keep watching.  “If people are feeling like it’s too serious,” Whedon said, “then either their expectation has to be changed, or we have to lighten up a little.”

TV critics are buzzing about Whedon’s promise that the best is yet to come. This comes from an article by Tim Surrette for TV.com: Those who haven’t seen Dollhouse or tuned out after the first few episodes won’t have a problem getting a grip of what’s going on in “Man on the Street,” according to Whedon. Everything gets explained in the episode, because the major emphasis of the episode is… to explain everything.

Man On The Street, (Episode 6, aired March 20), definitely marked a change in pace for the show.  There’s more humour, and a lot more is revealed.  A nice job by comedian Patton Oswalt, as a rich guy who pays for Echo’s services, didn’t hurt either.

Although Dollhouse had a slow start, I’m going to trust Whedon and stick with it. If you want to catch-up, there are ways to watch TV shows online, some legal, such as streaming from the networks or on Hulu.com (use Hotspot Shield to get a VPN IP address) but it might be choppy and thus hard to watch. In the US you can buy episodes on Amazon or Itunes. You can also download bittorrents: easy to do, if you are OK with the ethics. If you don’t know how, try an Internet search for “Watch Dollhouse online.”

Another new show worth checking out with a Whedon connection is the new mystery/comedy Castle, Monday nights at 11 pm on ABC, perfect timing for watching after 24! Whedon has nothing to do with the show, but it stars Alberta born actor Nathan Fillion, who Whedon made famous as the cheeky & charming Captain in Firefly, and as the egotistical Captain Hammer in Dr. Horrible’s Sing-Along Blog, an internet only musical comedy (now on DVD) that I think was the best thing on the screen last year, and Fillion was a big reason why.

Formerly a soap star on One Life To Live, Fillion has a natural comic talent, but he can do the serious stuff. Castle is lighthearted fare, for sure, but Fillion’s character Richard Castle has some depth. He is a loving father, but also a cool father, and his smart, cocky mystery writer turned part-time cop persona is both eminently likeable and annoying at the same time, which is very difficult to pull off. He does it better than Bruce Willis ever did on Moonlighting, and look how famous that guy got. We are only 3 episodes in, and Fillion is destined for superstardom, so I suggest you give Castle a try now.

Craig Pinhey still pines over Firefly, but a new Dr. Horrible would help console him. Visit Craig at frogspad.ca.

This is an unedited version of my column that appeared in [Here] Magazine, March 19, 2009

Photo is by noted Saint John photographer and beer lover Dan Culberson. Click the beer pic to go to [here]’s site.

photo by Dan Culberson

I’ve heard of Government Cheese, but how would you like to wash it down with some Government Beer?

Too much media attention has already been paid to the ANBL’s decision to release their “own” beer, but I’ve fielded so many questions about it the past week, and been involved in so many discussions about it over a pint of beer (something with heft, unlike their Sélection Lager or Light), that I felt I needed to summarize the lot in what is hopefully the last article about the subject.

Many have been asking why the ANBL would want to compete with their own customers. Many others have wondered why Molson and Labatt have not expressed outrage over Moosehead getting the contract to brew both brands. Most everyone is curious about how they can sell the beer for less money than other mainstream beers and still pay Moosehead enough for it to make it worth their while. And some have even inquired about the taste of the brands.

I tasted it for the first time live on CBC Radio, during The Current, on the beer release day March 12 (you can listen to that show online in the show archives at http://www.cbc.ca/thecurrent).

My conclusion was essentially that these are fizzy mass-market beers, slightly vegetal, and hard to tell apart. The initial taste is very bland and soft with no noticeable bitterness. Like their competitors, there’s way too much carbonation. These are very light smelling and tasting beers that would appeal to people who enjoy the lighter tasting Moosehead brands, as well as Budweiser. I re-tasted them blind in a flight alongside Budweiser, Moosehead Green, Coors Light, Moosehead Light and Cold Filtered Light. The only two in the flight that stood out were Moose Green and Coors Light, both of which have more hop flavour. I could have sworn Cold Filtered Light and Sélection Light were the same beer. No matter.

The original web-site for the beer (http://www.selectionlager.ca) had the following statement on The Ingredients & Process section: “We use only four ingredients to brew Selection Lager and Selection Light: malt (barley), hops, water and yeast.” After tasting the beer, and knowing a bit about how Moosehead makes beer, I emailed ANBL and informed them that this brew no doubt used lots of corn, making the website incorrect. Not long after, the website was edited to include corn syrup in the ingredients.

In case you think this is irrelevant, you should know that corn is used to make beer lighter bodied, easier to brew, and cheaper. Most craft beer uses 100% barley as the source of sugar, and this is part of the reason they are more expensive. Why didn’t they know what their beer was made of?

As for the reason to make these discount beers at all, there is some confusion. The ANBL initially said that it was to stem the flow of beer from across the Quebec border, but everyone quickly pointed out that three or four dollars off the regular price would not be enough. I asked Nora Lacey, ANBL’s Manager, Corporate Services & Communications, about this.

“It was never NB Liquor’s intention that this beer would stem the cross border issue, ” explains Lacey, “The opportunity in launching these beers is to stimulate activity in the domestic beer category which we believe will help stem/reverse the volume loss.”

The ANBL met with the four major brewers (Moosehead, Molson, Labatt, Sleeman) about the volume loss issue some time ago, and came up with the plan to make discount beer. They asked for bids from these brewers, without including the smaller Northampton and Pump House breweries. Both Shaun Fraser of Pump House and Sean Dunbar of Northampton had bad reactions to this whole business. I asked Dunbar what it feels like to have his client compete with him.

“They can bring in all the cheap crappy beer in the world and it will not cross over into our tiny sector of the market, ” answers Dunbar. ” I wish that, instead of pursuing this sort of thing, ANBL would take their beer category more seriously, from a beer perspective. I wish they would treat it like the wine category and endeavor to create, in our little province, the most interesting and progressive beer jurisdiction in Canada.”

That makes sense, but even if it doesn’t affect their sales by direct competition, there might be an impact on Northampton’s presence in the stores. Right now the ANBL brands are front and centre, but what about after this launch? Will the beer take the best spot in the cold room, or will it go to the back of the cooler with other marginal brands? Floor space is very important to breweries.

Shaun Fraser complained in the media about why Pump House was not given a chance to bid on brewing. Lacey explains that “NB Liquor consulted with the 4 major domestic brewers on the beer volume issue. From those discussions, NB Liquor chose to start with one option, that of launching two everyday low-cost, high quality ‘value’ brands. NB Liquor continues to work with the other 3 brewers on their proposals to tackle the volume issue. The issue is not a micro/imported beer issue. ”

When asked why they don’t just open the borders, Lacey has a quick response, saying, “Opening the borders would be a federal decision. NB Liquor and the Nova Scotia Liquor Commission currently have very good bi-lateral relations in place i.e. Maritime Beer Accord.”

Others have speculated that this new beer is a sweetheart deal for Moosehead. It drives their volume preferentially, with the ANBL doing the marketing and putting the beer front and centre in stores, with its lower price. Keeping their brewery at or close to capacity is very important for Moosehead, and any brewery. Meanwhile Moosehead makes good money on it, as they are not doing the costly marketing, such as in-store promotions, giveaways, TV and print ads. Why haven’t Molson and Labatt been squawking about unfair treatment in the media? Could it be that they don’t want to damage relations with the ANBL, a huge client? Maybe they have a payback coming of their own.

All these issues and the nebulous answers to the questions point to a mess. Although the new beers were moving quickly on launch day, one wonders how many people will be buying them in the heat of summer, when beer sales peak, other beers take their turns on sale, and the breweries start to think about really making money. If it’s only Moosehead smiling among the breweries at that time, then we’ll know that at least they believe in Government beer.