Manifesto

Brief Biography

Anthony and Gatlin are both currently law students at Queen’s University in Kingston, Ontario. Despite coming from entirely different backgrounds (Anthony from the bustling metropolis of Toronto and Gatlin from the rural climes of Owen Sound), this unlikely duo share a common bond in their passion for good beer.

Mission Statement

The genesis of this blog owes its existence to a conversation that occurred on a frigid winter night in the early days of 2009. Between sips of Trois Pistole, both Anthony and Gatlin observed that they remain fond of those discount brands they’d consumed earlier on in their youth. Lamenting over the tendency of “beer snobs” to bash cheaper brews in favor of their pricier and more dynamic counterparts, an idea was born: a blog that provides nuanced beer reviews that take into consideration tangible and intangible factors, like price and drinking experience, relevant to those drinking them.

Ultimately, it is our shared belief that good beer can be and should be accessible to one and all. And a good beer is not necessarily the most expensive and complex available, but rather the one that is both right for the moment and befitting of your circumstances in general. Indeed, whether you are heading out to a raucous party, meeting a date for dinner or simply staying home enjoying the company of none, there is a good beer for every moment. Likewise, whether you are a novice beer enthusiast with only a couple bucks in your pocket, or an experienced hop-head with money to spend, we believe that there is a beer for everybody.

Our Guiding Principles

The slogan “A Beer for Everybody” reflects our conviction that, regardless of one’s economic situation and drinking experience, good beer can be made accessible to all. These are the principles that guide us in our reviews:

• Price– Cheaper discount brands will almost always be written off when measured against premium imports and craft brews. Therefore, we review our beers specifically within their general price range. Cheap beer can be good beer too: being light in the wallet shouldn’t prevent you from drinking a decent brew.

• Experience– The world of beer can be just as dizzyingly complex as those of fine wine, cigars and scotch whiskey. Some good beers have subtle qualities that are hard to detect in the absence of a discerning pallet, while others can be big, bold and downright daunting for the uninitiated. We review our beers with the knowledge that some are better suited for the experienced beer drinker, while others may hold greater appeal to the less well versed. A Beer for Everybody means the right beer for you, and that takes into account that not all are equally comfortable with appreciating the nuances of good beer.

• Circumstance– You probably wouldn’t bring a casserole to a barbecue or whip up a cool refreshing mojito in the middle of the winter. So then why would you drink a rich malty porter on a hot summer day or bring pricey trappist beers to a pal’s house party? A large part of appreciating good beers involves knowing in which situations they are best enjoyed.

• Beer Snobs– Before we were beer enthusiasts we were just plain old beer drinkers. And guess what, we still are! While we may call out a bad beer where we see one, it isn’t our intention to scoff at your favorite brew or look down our noses at the less experienced beer lover. Don’t agree with one of our reviews? We encourage you to comment, participate and leave feedback; make your voice heard and persuade us otherwise.