From 1920 to 1924, Nobel Prize-winning author Ernest Hemingway worked for the Toronto Star and lived, on and off, in an $85/month apartment on Bathurst St north of St Clair. Truth be told, he found the city’s squeaky-clean puritanical ways more than a little stifling, and despised his editor but he got by with “the occasional” scotch & soda and the company of his polydactyl cats. He did appreciate a few things about early 20s Toronto, however; Papa (as he was already known in his youth) was a fan of the local hockey squad, the St Patricks who would later be renamed the Maple Leafs, and he once wrote that “No city in the world has a better-run and more comfortable streetcar system than Toronto.”
Perhaps most importantly, though, the relative lack of distraction in Toronto, provided Hemingway the opportunity to hone his craft and become a truly great writer. Scholars agree that this period was hugely important in shaping the writing style that would earn him his place in history.
In honour of Hemingway’s go-to Scotch & Soda, we have brewed our own ‘scotch’ – a warming scotch ale that showcases complex malt character of hearty bread, dark fruits and dark caramel. With a full body and notes of molasses, light roasted cocoa, plums, toasted bread crusts and a lingering sweetness, this beer is perfect accompaniment to sitting around a warm fire on a chilly evening. For full effect, drink in the company of a polydactyl cat.
