Celebrate the holidays at Toboggan (Here's the scoop.)

It's officially time to get in the festive mood. This Wednesday, November 22nd, come check out Chef's BRAND NEW Holiday Feature Menu!

For Our Celiac Friends

If you or someone you know has Celiac, we've got you! There are many gluten free options on our menu. We also prepare Gluten Free items in a separate section of the kitchen that's away from any potential contaminates.

We take all food allergies and sensitivities seriously so you can come on in with confidence and peace of mind.

Your NYE Plans

Ever notice when you leave NYE plans to the last minute they tend to, well, kinda flop?

This year, we'd like to help you prevent that by getting your plans sorted today!

Here's what we have in store for you this year:

Cocktails: Start the night off right with a selection of expertly crafted cocktails available from 6pm onwards.

Dinner Service: Indulge in a dinner experience Chef's carefully thought through starting at 7pm.

Jazz Show: Enchanting tunes of the Nicole Tan Combo from 8pm to 11pm. Born in Malaysia, Nicole Tan brings her unique blend of jazz and Bossa Nova.

NYE Countdown: Bid farewell to the old and welcome the new with your favourite hits at midnight, surrounded by good company.

Free Gift: As a token of our appreciation, you'll receive a complimentary gift to take home.

Ticket Details:

Price: $150 per person

Group Packages: For groups of 8 or more, enjoy a special rate of $125 per person.

And here's the menu

IT'S A TRAP

Remember a while back when we talked about a mystery beer that would be coming out? Well it's finally finished, and it's glorious. This one seeks inspiration from the Belgian Trappist Ale, a complex beer that been brewed by monks in Belgian Abbeys for centuries. 

Any real beer enthusiast knows what I'm talking about. Trappists have some of the most devout followings a drink can accrue, and love 'em or hate 'em, there's no denying the reputation of such a beautiful brew. Our Toboggan Trappist-style Abbey Ale follows closely in the footsteps of the beers of legend. A pleasantly yeasty flavour gives off notes of banana which complement the complex fruity profile of figs and raisins. These open up to a deep roasted caramel draw with a lasting finish - and a punch. Whoa. What a punch.

Wanna try it? Come give it a shot. (Real beer drinkers only - you've been warned)

Hopy Weekend

Welcome back beer loving friends. Thanks to everybody who made it out last night to The Bungalow for our official Tap Takeover! I hope everybody got a chance to try some great craft beers and delicious grub; it's what we're all about really. I also hope you (whoever you are who is reading this) have had a chance to try the new Autumn Mosaic beer and get a chance to experience the delectable complexity of the Mosaic hop. These tantalizing tropical-citrus brune-esque pints have been selling like hotcakes (despite being cold beers) so taste while you can!

Now, if I've somehow accrued any following of loyal readers here, you'll perhaps remember there was another Mosaic potion in the works. For all the session enthusiasts around who've been missing IPA-Nema, your prayers are answered. Though IPA-Nema was a straight Citra hop session IPA, our new breed favours a blend with New Zealand's Mosaic flavours. A powerful floral aroma precedes the complex tropical flavours. A touch of bitterness cuts through leaving a crisp, light finish. Here's the fun part - it's out on Monday. That's right, you don't need to just read about how delicious it is, you can put it to the test. And maybe put it to the test again after. And maybe again and again and... well, you get the point. So come down to try our new Mosaic beers - if you like hoppy, you'll be happy.

Autumn Mosaic and Tap Take Over!

Look around. Smell the air for that confusing and indescribable smell of wet leaves. Everywhere your head turns a new mosaic of autumn colours hops into your vision. Autumn, mosaic... hops... OK I guess I'm just thinking about craft beer again - force of habit. Speaking of autumn, mosaics, hops and delicious small brew craft goodness, Toboggan is happy to announce the release of our Autumn Mosaic Ale! A beautiful seasonal with a deep red-brown hue and mosaic hops to bring out a tangy citrus flavour. The name comes not only from the season it's crafted for, but for what can only be described as a true mosaic of flavours. Tongue art. A palette for your palate. Wondering if those two words might have the same roots now? So are we.

In other fun news, Toboggan Brewing Co. is partnering up with our friends at The Bungalow to do our first ever Tap Takeover. Join us next Thursday and Friday at The Bungalow to try a wide range of our microbrews to accompany the wondrous menu The Bungalow maintains. With that kind of great food and great beer, you won't want to miss it. Hope to see you there and have a happy weekend.

New Beer Alert!

Greetings to everyone. Those of you who are with me in mourning the end of Oktoberfest (though this is the weekend to let it go out with a bang), hear my words of consolation: there there. There's always next year. Anyway, moving on from all that, there's great news in the works. That's right, we're brewing up craft beer recipes faster than Donald Trump can say "China", and that's no easy feat. The microbrewery love never ends.

On the dock now are a specialty Amber Ale and a specialty Session IPA (after the success of IPA-Nema, it only seemed right to keep the session brews going). Both beers will include generous proportions of Mosaic hops, which lend a herbal aroma and a tropical citrus taste, and as with all Toboggan craft beers, they're carefully balanced out by our master brewers to let all the complexities of the beer stand out alongside the distinctive crisp hop. More news to come on these, but expect them soon. I'm already over Oktoberfest. Oh, and I should mention, there's another mysterious beer in the tanks, but we wouldn't want to ruin all the surprises now, would we?

Don't Cask Me No Questions

Now that Thanksgiving has passed, and hoping everyone had a great weekend full of great food, Oktoberfest madness continues! That's right, I'm not done blogging about this one yet (I only get this once a year to be fair). Come join us at Toboggan tomorrow at 5:00pm for our special Oktoberfest Casking Event! We've been preparing a cask (for those who don't know, essentially a special beer barrel) full of our Oktoberfest Keller Lager that we'll be tapping today and having a special celebration to accompany. Those of you who attended last year know just how much fun is in store. 

Casked Oktoberfest Lager will be available in 1L stein mugs for the event to celebrate in proper Bavarian style (and yes, you can get refills and also half-refills at a lower price after initial purchase). On top of that we'll be debuting our Oktober food specials: the wiener schnitzel and local sausage charcuterie board. This is one you're not going to want to miss, so we hope to see you down at Toboggan tomorrow enjoying your fill - and refill - of local craft beer and food and spreading around some German love.

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Happy Thanksgiver

Hello all, and happy (Canadian) Thanksgiving! I hope everybody’s looking forward to the long weekend and getting ready to feast, which is what Thanksgiving is really all about. Well, that and giving thanks, which I guess is also important. So take a moment sometime this weekend to contemplate all the things you're thankful to have (don’t say turkey, that’s cheating. So is vanilla stout).

Speaking of things to be thankful for, the Oktoberfest specials just keep coming. Do you love amazing Bavarian foods and comically oversized steins full of beer? Be thankful for the international reach of Oktoberfest – it’s a good time to be alive. Toboggan is celebrating with some new food specials to go along with our delightful Oktoberfest Keller Lager. Starting this week until the end of the month, come down to try out some wiener schnitzel or our sausage charcuterie board, made with 3 different locally made sausages and local Mennonite sauerkraut. You'll soon find that schnitzel and kellerbier as a combination are the true key to happiness. Enjoy the long weekend and happy Thanksgiving to everybody.

BACK 2 BACK BEER BLOG

Hurdling towards October, there's a steady stream of good news coming on the way. Most of all with today, as the Oktoberfest Lager is striking the taps again (the year of waiting is over for many), and UWO and Fanshawe College are both hosting Beer Festivals that we're happy to be at. Quick tip for the Oktoberfest - really let this one wash over your tongue and try to savour all the sweet notes. These complex sweet flavours at the onset yield quickly to the lingering grain/hop flavour, so if you gulp it back too quickly you might miss them!

Students, be sure to join us at UWO Concrete Beach's Beerfest or at the Fanshawe Student Union's Craft Beer Festival today. There will be plenty of awesome beer vendors we're excited to serve alongside, and definitely great times to be had.

We'll also be at the Ilderton Fair this weekend, so if you get the chance try to head out to enjoy the fair. Happy weekend and cheers to all! Oh, and happy (almost) Oktober.

A very German October awaits.

Hello to all. I hope everybody's been enjoying the gentle transition into fall. Here at Toboggan, we've been loving the changes (and the eternal summer heat) and pumping out all the best fall craft beers that we can. With September almost up and everybody well adjusted, we can turn our attention to what's coming. October is nigh, and that means a few important things: leaves are going to look really cool soon, Tom Cochrane is coming to the Western Fair (we're hoping he sings Lunatic Fridge instead of "fringe") and Toboggan's Oktoberfest Lager is coming back.

That's right. Oktoberfest is around the corner. Prepare to see plenty of intoxicated youngsters pretending to know what being German is like, and get ready for a proper German style Lager while we're on the topic. It's not too often I like to give personal testimonies or make this blog about my own drinking experiences, but all I can say is I tried a sip and got shivers down my spine. No word of a lie, it's that good. So stay excited for October and stay tuned for more delicious news (can news be delicious? Food for thought). Cheers.

A Craft hip, local hop, monday hooray for our Black IPA

The city seems more lively by the day. With the CCMA's and the first week of classes, it's been a wild week. Sounds like it's already time to relax. Relax and drink beer that is (which are both one and the same if you really think about it - or drink about it). For those who don't drink, you're not forgotten about or unappreciated, and also, why are you reading a beer blog?

Now that we're on the topic, the home base brewery is keeping up with the liveliness, and the all new Black IPA is ready to rock this Monday. Made with locally sourced Cascade hops fresh off the vine from VQA farms, this beer has a deep roasted scent and creamy head that covers a deceptively light body. A clean and slightly sweet malty onset yields quickly to the hops, imparting a mild bitterness that's smooth like black velvet.

We'll stop there so as not to spoil the experience. Come on down for your own taste and as always, enjoy another beautiful weekend!

Enjoy the craft beer ride

We hope everybody had a great Labour Day weekend, it's time to get back in the swing of things again now! With all the excitement happening this week, it's hard to say where to start. It almost seems fitting to tell craft beer fanatics (especially IPA drinkers) to celebrate summer's end, as horrifying as that sounds. Now dawns a fall unlike any other before. Why, you might ask? Because beer, that's why.

For starters, the Spoke Ale has made it to the Spoke & Rim Pub. This Session IPA has a tantalizing exotic flavour and light palatable character that sets it apart from any other. Head down to give it a try. On top of that, can production of two Toboggan favourites has begun. We'd like to welcome Double IPA and Amber to our can line - you should see both in our retail store by early next week. Finally, the all new Toboggan Black IPA will be making its way to our draft taps next week. More notes and details (and drool) to come!

The reign of fall craft beer has begun at Toboggan. It's time to jump on board and enjoy the ride while you can. Cheers.

Summer is finally coming to an end.

It's happened. Summer is almost over - though it sure doesn't feel like it with the beautiful summer weather still with us. We want to give all of London's returning students a warm welcome back with a cold glass of beer (or several). With another school year starting, there's a whole new excitement mounting, if not for school itself, at least for the liveliness downtown is going to see.

Let's not kid around though. There's nothing to be more excited about than new fall craft beers coming through. And stout. So much more stout. Make sure to come in and get your last tastes of Climate Change Belgian Wheat and IPA-Nema Session IPA while they're still around and pay one last tribute to a great summer while the weather's still warm. Happy long weekend!

Blackberry Blues

Summer's coming to a close - there I said it - and while many of us are trying to deny it, at least we can look forward to a fall full of great fall craft beers. We've had some great brews over summer, and though we're sad to say goodbye to Strawberry Rhubarb Cider, Blackberry Cider is in now to help our cider drinkers feel better.

A delicious sweet cider with fermented blackberries and a deep colour, this one packs a punch as well at 6.7%ABV. Thank the cider gods for the talents that made it.

On the topic of local talent, London's Bluesfest is making a return this weekend! From Friday to Sunday, Victoria park will be home to some of the finest blues musicians from far around, which blues fans know plainly means some of the finest musicians. Period. Stop by Toboggan on your way in or out, and have a great weekend!

Thank you Forest City Beer Festival

    This last Saturday was London's annual Forest City Beer Fest and what a show! It was great to see so many Ontario craft brewers out sharing the fruits of their labour and a great honour and pleasure to have  the opportunity to connect with all the craft beer enthusiasts of London.  

    Though we would have thought the torrential downpour would have hurt the turnout, London beer fans aren't deterred so easily. It was awesome to see people tough out the rain to explore all the different breweries and to see vendors sharing their tents with patrons to keep dry and bond over a cold one.

This year we shared our new Session IPA: IPA-Nema, a lighter tasting IPA boasting a complex exotic fruit flavour with citrus undertones and a refreshing floral aroma. In addition, we brought out our Dry Cider, a light and crisp cider made with fresh local apples with a nice tart twist, as well as two Toboggan staples - our Amber and Mr. Insurance Man Blonde.  All our reps had an amazing time and were very grateful for all the love shown for our products.

   Overall we had a great time at the event and loved meeting and chatting with everybody who made it by the Toboggan Brewing Co. booth. A huge thanks goes out to the organizers of the event, and of course the biggest thanks goes to everybody who made it out to the show to enjoy all the delicious nectars available and show appreciation for all the hard working people at the show. We'll see you all next year!

www.forestcitybeer.com

www.facebook.com/forestcitybeerfest

Forest City Beer Festival

This Saturday August 13th, the Forest City Beer Fest will be making its annual return to Covent Garden Market. Every year, the Beer Fest is held to showcase some of Ontario's finest craft brewers, and we at Toboggan are honoured to have a spot this weekend amongst some other great breweries.

Admission to the event is free, and there will be over 20 vendors set up in Rotary Square outside the market. Come between 3pm-11pm to have a chance to try out some great craft beer and support your Ontario brewers who work so hard to bring a little liquid joy into everyone's lives.

The Beer from Ipanema

"Tall and tan and young and lovely, the beer from Ipanema goes bubbling. When they drink it, each one who drinks it goes, ahhhhh"
- Astrud Gilberto, 1964

Time for a nice refreshing IPA! I know, "refreshing" isn't usually what comes to mind with IPAs, but this one is the exception. Named after the area in southern Rio de Janeiro, Toboggan's new IPA-nema is going to be the perfect drink to sip on while watching the games in Rio this year.

Loads of citra hops give this one a powerful tropical fruit flavour with a subtle citrus finish and floral aroma from cascade hops. For all of you feeling the Olympic spirit, this one's for you.
 

The Spoke Session IPA and Vanilla Stout

The day is off to a fun start, having just gotten to taste a new delicious Session IPA. A crisp citrus flavour with a distinct hop edge compliments the lighter body of the Spoke Ale Session IPA. Waiting upon release, the Spoke Ale will be available exclusively at The Spoke and Rim Tavern at Western University - stay tuned for details!

To add to the joy, a fresh batch of Vanilla Stout has completed its brew journey and found its home in kegs. Cue my drooling...

Home County, Pride and Hop Force

Greetings once more from Toboggan! We want to give a big thanks to the organizers of last weekend's Home County Folk & Art Festival for hosting us there to share our beer while enjoying some great music and great times. A big shout out as well to everybody taking part in Pride week! What a time to be alive where diversity and unity can be celebrated together so freely.

Finally, a message for our hop-headed craft beer fans - Hop Force Trauma is being discontinued. We hope to see this ultra-hopped brew return to our taps one day, but for now grab it while you can before supplies run out!

Brexit Porter on Tap!

We promised, we delivered. Toboggan is proud to have a new craft beer on tap today: the Brexit Porter. The name is a humourous shout-out to our friends across the pond who invented the porter, but don't get it wrong, nobody's calling this Brexit a bad idea (or the number of harsher words we've all heard now at some point). 

So what does a "Brexit Porter" taste like? Think stout. Full body, robust flavour. Now dial back some of the power and imagine how the flavours open up. A special malt blend gets plenty of room in the flavour profile to shine through bold, yet smooth as ever, mixing tantalizing notes of black coffee, dark chocolate and roasted barley. The perfect hop selection compliments really plays up the malt profile while adding just the faintest kick at the end. Top it off with a gorgeous, creamy, caramel-colour head and you have the Brexit Porter. Feeling a little weak in the knees reading this? Sit yourself down and ask one of our bartenders to pour one out for you, but just remember, this one won't last forever! Grab one soon and enjoy while it lasts!

New Cider Alert

The long weekend is right on our doorstep and here at Toboggan we can feel the excitement mounting, so we're calling out to all cider lovers (don't worry beer lovers, we haven't forgotten about you) to try our new Strawberry Rhubarb Cider. With the tartness of the rhubarbs to match the sweet strawberries, this one truly is a match made in heaven, and with only the freshest local ingredients used, what's not to love? Hint: the answer is nothing. Come find out for yourself!

From the Toboggan family to all fans of beer, cider, good times, great food and love for our locals, we want to wish you all a happy Canada Day. Hope to see some happy faces here to enjoy the beautiful weather and the well-deserved work break.