Beer and Brawn at The Bar and Bench

When we met with Adam Grant and Melissa Curcumelli-Rodostamo back in March to profile their midtown pub The Abbot on the Hill, our interview was long and wide-ranging (which will come as no surprise to anyone who has met Grant in particular). Among the many topics we discussed but didn't mention in the article was Grant's dream of organizing a large beer-themed benefit event in support of Olympic athletes, a cause that has been the recipient of donations from smaller fund-raisers held at the pub over the years, including a weekly Olympic Pint Club each Wednesday.

In the subsequent months, there were some big changes at the Abbot on the Hill, as a not-so-amicable split with the original Abbot pub further north on Yonge left Grant and Curcumelli-Rodostamo as the only owners of the Hill location, leading to piles of stress and a name change to The Monk's Table. But despite the upheaval, Grant went ahead with his plans for a gala charity bash, and after a spring and summer of hard work, those plans will come to fruition at Campbell House this coming Friday, October 2nd at an event intriguingly named The Bar and Bench.

The name and theme of the event were inspired by Grant's discovery of the Cotswold Games, an annual athletic and cultural event in England that has roots leading back almost 400 years. First held in 1612 as the "Olimpick Games", the event was organized by an influential lawyer named Robert Dover who founded the Games as a protest against the Puritanism movement of the time. As the first "Olimpicks" ever held outside of Greece, the Games are considered by many to be a precursor to the modern Olympics.

While the event here likely won't have the same scope and spectacle of the Cotswold Games, Grant still plans to bring some of the spirit of the original to Toronto, with athletes recreating some of the classic "Olimpick" events on the grounds of Campbell House. Once inside, attendees will be offered an array of gourmet food and drink, with UK ales fittingly being the main attraction. Thanks to the sponsorship of beer importers Premier Brands, a range of brews from Fullers will be poured, including Gale's Best Bitter, a rarity in their portfolio that has only recently arrived in Canada.

While beer is a big part of the event, there will also be wine available for those who prefer the grape over the grain, courtesy of Stem Wine Group, and food will be prepared for the guests by chef Kevin Beall and his team from The Monk's Table. There will be pairings of beer and food, wine and food, and in a unique twist, beer and spirits writer Stephen Beaumont will be presenting some complementary beer and whisky pairings. Judging the various pairings will be a panel that includes Beaumont; wine expert Tony Aspler; Kevin Brauch of The Thirsty Traveler; Olympic skater Josee Chouinard; and The Honourable Coulter A. A. Osborne, former Associate Chief Justice of Ontario and member of the 1956 Canadian Olympic Basketball Team.

Rounding out the evening will be a silent auction for a variety of items donated by athletes, celebrities and Monk's Table regulars. All proceeds from ticket sales and the auction will go to The Canadian Athletes Now Fund, a not-for-profit organization founded in 1997 with the sole goal of funding and supporting Canada's amateur athletes as they prepare for international competitions including the Olympic Games.

The Bar and Bench takes place on Friday, October 2nd, 2009 from 5pm to 1am at Campbell House (160 Queen Street West). Tickets range in price from $160 to $200, and are available at the bar and bench event website.