The Tuesday Taste - Wvrst (Godspeed Brewery)

 

While you're walking away

and I'm trying to get through

But you've got to know the lies

from the lies they've told you

If you try to do it all

it all will leave you

If you try to steal the beat

the beat will steal you 

 

Another Tuesday... another Taste!

Bit of an interesting week in these parts. Skipping the details... the right side of my body is indeed still in considerable pain as I write this on Sunday. But! Not painful: discovering Wvrst has a kitchen at Godspeed Brewery... which as an east-ender seems fairly lacksadasical on my part to not know that (it seems relatively new that Wvrst is there), but whatever! Hitting your head on hard things makes you more aware of things? (Please, no. That is obviously not true, don't try it). 

Wvrst has been a success for well over a decade now, starting out at their King West/Portland location (a large upstairs spot only featuring an ordering counter and very long benches for groups to sit at... take a number and chat while your order is being made). Chef Aldo Lanzillotta maintains, through every interview I've been able to find over that decade-span, that the intention of Wvrst was to bring Toronto something unique that the city did not yet have: a beer hall dedicated both to high end sausages of especially different varieties and local beer brewed with love and passion, and perhaps particulars that would match with these sausages cuisine-wise.

The timing could not have been more ideal. There are so many craft breweries in Toronto now that even I cannot keep track of them. I've never ever been to Red Tape! And it's a ten minute walk from my house! (stupid hill). 

Regardless, go back fifteen years and the craft beer scene in Toronto was yet to emerge from its infancy. Mill Street was still independent (and also still good), Amsterdam has sneakily been around even longer (also now owned by an international thingy) and Granite Brewery has been doing their thing in the Midtown area even longer longer (not a typo fyi) than that! But at the time, say 2009... "craft beer" in Toronto just wasn't a common thing you'd find. By 2014? You get Left Field Brewery, Bellwoods, Blood Brothers (possibly slightly later), Henderson's (also probably slightly later) just to name a few. As these older ones* got bought out by the conglomerates (and lost their creative mojo), these wonderful little ones sprouted up to fill that space and continue to produce interesting high quality suds. 

A craft beer renaissance here in Toronto, and not only here but pretty much everywhere in Canada. The market for interesting (tasty) smaller batch beer emerged in the early 2010s/late 2000s and now it's gotten to the point of being overwhelming. In a good way! 

*for the record, Moosehead is actually the oldest independent brewery in Canada. 1867 I believe! Moosehead is what it is (a very good reliable lager in my opinion) but it's funny to know that yeah! They aren't owned by any international/corporation whatever. Fuckin' good on them. I remember doing a staff tour at Mill Street right around after Labatt's had bought them out, and the guide explaining how this was "actually a good thing, allowing us to expand our reach and ideas". Naturally, all of their good ideas (Tankhouse, the Coffee Porter, Belgian Wit, the Lemon Tea, that wonderful Blueberry wheat beer I'll never forget ugh it was so damn good) faded away as they focused on pushing forgettable IPAs instead. 

Long way of saying (do I have any other way): Wvrst emerged at the perfect time to emphasize high quality food and local beer, opening their first location at King and Portland within that half-decade window I mentioned. I'd indeed been there quite a few times well before writing about this kind of stuff: they really take their beer selection seriously and that has always been appealing to me. It's absolutely not a surprise they would team up with a place like Godspeed. 

I know I know, I'll get to the actual 'food reviewing' of this food review soon, but allow me to quickly talk about Godspeed Brewery. I'd fit them into, lets call it the 'Second Wave' of the Toronto craft beer boon: not super new but they opened up at Coxwell and Gerrard sometime in the past six years, and have been extremely well regarded since their inception. The head of Godspeed, Luc "Bim" Lafontaine, worked as a brewer in Montreal and also previously lived several years in Japan... that particular overseas experience very much lending an influence into the unique flavours, ingredients (and names) of the beers Godspeed produces. 

 

 

They are a large open space (kinda has to be if everything is brewed on site) and by the sounds of it the ambition to expand is not a priority. Lafontaine seems to prefer this singular space where the quality of their offerings can be as precise and small batch as possible. This isn't a brewery you find in many LCBOs either, if any. You gotta go down to the place itself (they do have a retail shop) to sample it... but it is worth the trip (more on that later). 

 

 

Okay! How about the food. As I probably said about a century earlier in this article, Wvrst mostly focuses on German style sausages and thick Belgian-style fries. So, I got both of these things! Lets start with their well-known duck fat fries.

 

 

Duck fat fries! So... I'm not exactly sure why duck fat is considered a delicacy of sorts. I can taste an extra layer of something, so as an accentuation it's rather nice. Flavour-wise? Perhaps it serves to enhance what's already there? There's a thickness to the texture, not (thankfully) to the point of caking the mouth like a cheap fish and chips place. I can't really describe it: certainly something there, helping the overall experience, but to give it a look of precision? It's an enhancer, that's all I've got.

Certainly it works. These fries would be fine without it, but with? This is the good stuff. Excellent texture (delicate crisp on the outside, soft wonderful middle) and they wisely keep the skins on. The seasoning is likewise on point: nothing crazy beyond a slight dusting of salt. Long answer short: terrific fries. 

 

 

Time for the sausage party! Ugh, why did I make that joke... and why have I kept it in? 

Getting the excitement out of the way... Wvrst offers an intriguing variety of options, consisting of different meats (and vegetarian also) with bizarre mixes I thought impossible. The kitchen at Godspeed is more limited I suspect (breweries are big) but there are enough intriguing options nonetheless. I went for their bison sausage, blended with blueberry and maple according to their menu, and elected for the Currywvrst style rather than on a standard bun.

Normally I don't much care for whole grain bread, but in this particular circumstance... with a sausage this damn tasty... I'll make the exception. Perfectly toasted as well. In the bison, I definitely get more of a blueberry taste than maple, along with a slight herbal tea hint... and it's completely delicious. Perfectly fatty without being greasy, about as light tasting as a sausage can be. So much genuine flavour, and none of it resembling that classic oily grill taste. Thumbs up to the moon. Wicked good.

 

 

As for the sides: wasn't too blown away by the sauerkraut. Indeed very sour, with an odd beer-like flavour to it... entirely fine in terms of quality but just not my thing. The currywvrst sauce, however... much like a looser ketchup with an earthy kick to it. Great stuff, and quite nice with the fries.

 

 

Might as well review a Godspeed beer, while we're here (pardon the rhyme time). 

This 'Ochame' (which roughly translates as "playful mischief") is a green tea IPA and is unbelievably light, despite clocking in at six percent ABV. You get a bit of hoppiness in the smell and the initial taste, but the flavour of that fades nicely into a slightly bitter green tea aftertaste... all while the lightness of the body makes the whole thing very drinkable. Very interesting beer and while my enthusiasm for IPAs isn't what it once was, this is a terrifically unique one. Neat flavour and not obnoxious or assertive either. Strong recommendation.  

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Overall! While I can't vouch for the Liberty Village or Union Station locations, I can definitely tell you the original on King Street and this particular one in Godspeed Brewery are indeed worth your time. Excellent stuff and I certainly recommend them. By comparison, the fries were merely quite good but that bison sausage... yowza. One of the best of those I've ever had, no doubt. Combine that with excellent beer... you've got a real winner. It's obviously a very specific (and at Godspeed more limited) menu so you'd have to be in the mood for this particular cuisine... but the beer itself at Godspeed alone is worthy of a visit.   

 

Dear Doug

I loved the Science Centre. Memories of it, as a child, illuminated my imagination and soul. A friend of mine is bringing his wife to Canada for the first time this summer, and I was considering a trip to the Science Centre as an excellent place to them to visit. Such a unique building and attraction. Oh well, lets get more dumberer. 

Back in the initial run of the TT, there was a segment every week wherein I'd justifiably lambaste our Premier of Ontario for his many egregious sins. Both for being an obvious fucking idiot, but also for just blatantly serving his own interests and not even being remotely clever enough to try hiding it. Apparently nobody cared! Eventually things in my life got better, the outward rage subsided into quiet grumbling disapproval. Hoo boy, it's time to unleash. Avert the eyes of the children. Still very few people care! But I do.  

All you caring about "culture wars" and drag queens being bad for children... can you open your fucking eyes and instead of some weird twisted fantasy see and react to the actual blatant corruption happening??? This province is going to hell and yeah, that's their intention. They WANT things to get worse, our public services to crumble, so that they can then say "here's a private option that's better (also owned by our political donors)" for you to pay for it! 

I'm obviously a left-leaning dude (if you've read my work this should be no shock) but political alignment aside... isn't accessible free healthcare, or well funded schools, or just accessible venues you can plan a day and bring your family to (aka: not a fucking spa for rich people) just generally acceptable and beloved? We can all agree on that, yeah?  

This... this piece of shit you'd find under your shoe... this motherfucker Doug Ford is so corrupt and so confident he's getting away with whatever he wants to do... his government is barely even trying to hide it anymore. Almost a billion dollars of OUR MONEY for a private spa nobody wants? Noooooobody! Criminally underfunding public assets so they depreciate to the point of "oh this is broken, privatize it!" Closing the wonderful Science Centre overnight with the flimsiest of excuses or notice (yeah get ready for another empty condo there, exactly what Toronto needs)... this isn't the work of a great leader. It's what a sloppy gangster does. 

To anybody who ever says "elections don't matter, they're all the same"... yeah well you can also go fuck yourself. Less than 50 percent of people voted in the last provincial election and this is what you get. Look, I've pretty much hated every Ontario premier in my adult life (and for the record I've voted in every election and never voted for any of those other morons) and even this is a new actively low painful thing to behold. 

Fuck Doug Ford. He doesn't give a shit about you, unless you're a wealthy developer happy to give him cash underneath some kind of fuckable table. Go to hell. A just universe would fire him into the sun, slowly.      

B-Rock

Now that the venom is out of my system, here's something much more positive. A buddy of mine from softball is legitimately doing good, inspirational work in sporting circles and I'm happy to share this featured story about him on Sportsnet. Genuinely a good dude, hilariously dry with his wit, and most importantly a darn good ballplayer heh and teammate. 

It's a hell of a story.  

https://www.sportsnet.ca/nhl/article/brock-mcgillis-isnt-afraid-to-have-the-conversations-hockey-needs/

 

Tuesday Tune

I'm glad this was the episode to completely dunk Doug Ford's stupid face in the toilet because, despite a tough week personally... everything else here you've read is glowing happiness. And here is one of my favourite songs* by one of my favourite bands... yeah at 36 years old I think I've accepted I'm indeed a hipster. But wait! I mean... yeah I ride a bike everywhere, I like wearing band shirts, have long hair and a beard, am a bassist, write a food blog, and... uh what were we talking about?

Anyhow, this song rules. The drums and bass on this track... good lord it brings a tear to my cold, injured eye. Not even gonna do the usual goodbye! Just listen to the song and don't, like I did, spill that mustard.  

 

 

 

 

 

*ugh and yes I know that isn't Feist (like on the studio recording) it's... I don't know. Probably Ariel Engle? I'm 98 percent certain of that. She sings it beautifully on this live version regardless. BSS rules, as does KEXP).