// UXBRIDGE LIVING //
A Trail of One Brewery and Two Cideries The Second Wedge, Slabtown Cider, and Banjo Cider BY LESLEY KENNY
This summer the Uxbridge Beer and Cider Trail invites you to experience unique, handcrafted beer and ciders on generous patios, surrounded by historic fields.
The Second Wedge’s inviting and accessible beer garden. Photo courtsey of The Second Wedge Brewery.
THE SECOND WEDGE It’s a hot day in July so let’s start with a cold pint at The Second Wedge brewery, tucked beside a brook, in downtown Uxbridge. Named after the second wedge of the nearby Oak Ridges Moraine, owners Joanne Richter and Rob Garrard recently celebrated their microbrewery’s fifth anniversary. The couple moved to Uxbridge in 2004 to raise their family in this small Ontario town, the trail capital of Canada. Tired of all the driving necessary for their big city jobs, they decided to pursue their passion for making great beer. “We threw ourselves into planning in January of 2013 and opened at the end of December, 2015, almost three years later,” says Joanne. “We’re lucky to have such a great local partner team.”
And they do keep it local. The Second Wedge has used cacao from DesBarres, a chocolate maker in Uxbridge, hops and herbs from local farmers, and even the cherries growing on the bushes around their own beer garden, a welcoming venue strung with lights and open to dogs and kids. Their own pup, Echo, a nine-month-old black lab, is a greeter in training. In 2017, The Second Wedge invited the local Uxbridge farmers’ market to set up in their parking lot and now the Sunday market is so popular vendors and customers spill into the street. The Second Wedge doesn’t have a kitchen but they do serve snacks and you can order in from local restaurants. New this summer, another dream come true for Joanne and Rob: friends Steven Lovisa and Meaghan O’Hara, of Foundry Kitchen and Bar, have set a renovated shipping container on the grounds of The Second Wedge. >>
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