Foodaholic!: The Addisons Residence

Guinness originated in Dublin, Ireland, and has since grown to become one of the most successful beer brands in the world. It is estimated that over 10 million glasses of Guinness beer are enjoyed by people daily around the world, and 1.8 billion pints are sold every year. The Guinness Blonde American Lager is brought to you by the makers of the iconic Guinness Stout. The new beer is rather different from their stout beers, as it uses the properties of American hops and Guinness’ world famous 125-year-old Guinness yeast. I was invited to attend the official Toronto launch of the Guinness Blonde American Lager, and was treated to a tasting of the new beer. The event was held at one of Toronto’s newest lounges in the city, The Addisons Residence. This was a great space to launch the latest addition to the Guinness family, as it was both spacious, and trendy. It should also be noted that The Food Dudes are the official food partners of The Addisons, and provided the hors d'oeuvres that guests got to sample that night with their beer.

According to Joel Mallard, Marketing Director for Beer, Wine and PABs at Diageo Canada, “From sports bars to backyard barbeques to trendy bars, Guinness® Blonde™ American Lager brings the taste, colour and character of great American beers and fuses them with the heritage and artistry of the Guinness tradition begun in 1759 by Arthur Guinness.” The lager is one of the preferred styles in America, but it has continued to gain favour among beer drinkers in Canada in recent years. So, I can definitely see why Guinness expanded its market to target lager drinkers here.

To create a distinct taste in American lagers; Guinness Master Brewers in Dublin collaborated with the brewing experts in the United States. The flavour profile of the new Guinness Blonde American Lager is a combination of Mosaic, Willamette and Mount Hood hops.The new beer shows that Guinness has the ability to go beyond what they're mainly known for, which is the traditional dark stout of their original Guinness.

The Guinness Blonde American Lager pours a rich golden-yellow color, and has a lower level of carbonation, as the head dissipates fairly quickly. The beer has a slight sweet citrus taste with a light yet lively palate that is crisp and refreshing. Overall, it was an enjoyable lager that was perfectly balanced, and the combination of Mosaic, Willamette and Mount Hood hops show through in the aroma, and mouth-feel. Additionally, the Guinness Blonde American Lager is the first of the new Guinness Brewers Project, that will feature an array of beers that will be crafted with different brewing styles and techniques. You can definitely expect newer beers under the Guinness brand in the future.

Guinness® Blonde™ American Lager is now available in all LCBO, and bars across Ontario. They're sold in 473ml single cans with a suggested retail price of $2.55. Go, and enjoy one today!

More Information:

Guinness® Blonde™ American Lager is the first edition in the brand’s new Brewers Project. Celebrating GUINNESS’ artistry and brewing tradition, the GUINNESS Brewers Project is a range of ’fusion brew’ beers combining more than 255 years of European brewing expertise with global brewing experience in 55 countries. This series of beers offers more style, taste, and flavour to beer drinkers in Canada.

Appearance: The dense head and foam formation settle into a golden amber coloured beer
Ingredients: Unique GUINNESS yeast, crystal malt, Mosaic Hops, Willamette Hops, Mount Hood Hops. Contains no GMO, additives or isinglass.
ABV: 5% ABV
Format: 473ml single cans (and 24 pack) in Ontario
Serve: best enjoyed cold and straight from the can or served in a 16 oz. Guinness branded glass

** Photographs provided courtesy of Guinness **

Social Media:

Website: http://www.guinness.com/
Instagram: https://instagram.com/guinness/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/GuinnessIreland

Disclaimer: The alcohol, and food provided in this post was complimentary. However, all of the opinions expressed in this review are of my own.

The Addisons Residence launched about 2 weeks ago, and I had the pleasure of attending their launch party. The new lounge now occupies the space that used to house C-Lounge on Wellington Street. From the outside, it was difficult to gauge that this was a lounge, as there was no signage at the front. Rather, the building looked quite unassuming, but there was a number clearly displaying #456, and a tongue-in-cheek doormat at the front.

"EVERYONE KNOWS THE ADDISONS
THROW THE BEST PARTIES."

Upon entering The Addisons Residence, I was pleasantly surprised with the design of the interior, which was designed by Lisa Ho. The newly renovated space was inspired by a retro home in Beverley Hills, and Lisa did a great job of emulating that. The first part of the house/lounge that I explored was the foyer, which was tastefully decorated with plenty of greenery, mirror, and a nicely contrasting white-and-black checkered floor. As I continued to walk past the foyer, I was greeted by a large kitchen space with a full-service bar. The food served that night was catered by The Food Dudes, and guests were treated to comfort food such as: fried chicken, chicken wings, pierogi, and variations of different salads. It should be noted that The Food Dudes are the official food partners of The Addisons Residence, and will be providing the food during dinner services

The nightlife experience at The Addisons Residence offers a unique form of entertainment, as there are three different rooms at the location. I have already touched upon the kitchen, but the recreation room probably stood out the most to me. In addition to plush seating, the rec room was equipped with a foosball table, shuffleboard, and several television screen for guests to entertain themselves. In addition to the rooms, there was also a 5,000 square foot backyard patio. The patio is scheduled to open later this summer.

The concept behind The Addisons Residence is that it's the home of a fictional family called The Addisons, who were known to throw spectacular parties. There were plenty of photographs of the family displayed near the main entrance to play into the concept. I definitely do think that this idea sets them apart from other lounges in the area, as they brought something different to the table. Overall, I really enjoyed the ambiance, and space of The Addisons Residence. I'd say that it's a great place to drink, dine, and connect with new and old friends.