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O N TA R I O REGIONS COVERED IN THIS ISSUE EASTERN ONTARIO & OTTAWA
PUBLISHER Gail Nugent gnugent@thegrowler.ca EDITOR David Ort david@thegrowler.ca CONTRIBUTING EDITOR Crystal Luxmore
KAWARTHAS & NORTHUMBERLAND // KINGSTON & PEC
CENTRAL WEST & TRI-CITIES
SOUTHWEST & WINDSOR
CONTRIBUTING WRITERS Jordan Duff Ben Johnson Robin Leblanc Jon Sufrin PRODUCTION & DESIGN MANAGER Tara Rafiq tara@thegrowler.ca PHOTOGRAPHY David Ort COVER ILLUSTRATION Cai Sepulis SOCIAL MEDIA David Ort ADVERTISING Krysta Frederick krysta@thegrowler.ca DISTRIBUTION Craig Sweetman (Newsstand) Debbie Tang (Direct) orders@thegrowler.ca SUBSCRIPTIONS on.thegrowler.ca/subscribe © The Growler 2018
No part of this publication may be reproduced in any form without the written permission of the publisher. Every effort is made to avoid errors and omissions. If you notice an error, please accept our apologies and notify us. Published by Glacier Media Group thegrowler.ca @thegrowleron
NORTH & EAST GTA TORONTO HAMILTON, BRANT & WEST GTA NIAGARA
Contents
06 DO YOU REALLY DRINK BEER? 08 THE ADVENT OF GOOD BEER 11 WIT'S THIS ALL A-STOUT? 12 BREWER VS BREWER: THE CASK DAYS EDITION 16 BEER & BRINY BIVALVES 19 TRAVEL: TOUR LES BIERES IN MONTREAL 22 BEER GIMMICKS 24 FROM GRAFT TO GLASS 28 RECIPE: ROASTED BUTTERNUT SQUASH GNUDI 110 BEER TO THE GROUND
Breweries by Region
30 49 54 60 64 78 88 97
LEGEND GROWLER-APPROVED BADGE Keep an eye out for our 10 favourite beers this winter!
TORONTO NORTH & EAST GTA
Brewery Details
HAMILTON, BRANT & WEST GTA
GROWLER FILLS
NIAGARA
BOTTLES / CANS
CENTRAL WEST & TRI-CITIES
KEGS
SOUTH WEST & WINDSOR
TASTING ROOM
KAWARTHAS & NORTHUMBERLAND // KINGSTON & PEC EASTERN ONTARIO & OTTAWA
Editor’s Note Autumn is my favourite season. I mean proper autumn, not that leaves falling on a 25-degree day fakery in late September. I’m even part of a group of friends who formed a Fall Patio Appreciation Club. For sustenance, everyone focusses on apples, squash and root vegetables. Cold weather is also the time for oysters and we have your guide to pairing them with craft beer (pg. 16). And speaking of squash, we lined up a recipe for homemade pasta made with it (pg. 28). Can't wait for Christmas? Make an advent calendar (pg. 8). Have a cousin who still hasn't tried craft? Might be because big breweries buy the tap lines in the sports bars they frequent. Maybe we can do something about this illegal practice (pg. 24). If that all sounds like a lot to handle and you need a break, join us on a long weekend beer excursion to Montreal (pg. 19). On the way there, you’ll pass dozens of breweries in Eastern Ontario. Their details are listed in our new directory sections (pgs. 88-109) along with descriptions by Jordan Duff. In the spring 2019 issue, we’ll add the northern parts for full-province coverage. Also, it turns out that 99.5% of breweries are kid-friendly, so we’re switching that icon out for one that tells you whether you can bring your pup along for a taproom visit. May the rest of your autumn be pleasant and packed with porters, and your winter short and full of stout. Cheers!
ON-SITE KITCHEN OR FOOD TRUCK TOURS DOG FRIENDLY GLUTEN-FREE BOOZE OPTIONS
Suggested Glassware STANGE Kolsch Alt Gose
PILSNER Lager Pilsner Witbier
NONIC PINT
Pale ale Stout and porter Most ales, actually
WEIZEN
Hefeweizen Weizenbock American wheat
TULIP
Saison Double IPA Strong ales
GOBLET
Dubbel Belgian strong Tripel
SNIFTER
Barley wine Quad Anything funky
Do you really drink beer? YES!
A discussion with Renee Navarro about diversity in Ontario’s craft beer industry by David Ort
“I
f I had a dollar for every guy who asked me ‘do you really drink beer?’ we’d be on my private island right now,“ Renee Navarro says as we sit down on my local patio to talk about diversity in craft beer. It’s that sort of slanted question and closed-door mentality that helped pull the longtime craft brewery sales rep into her current role as an advocate for more diversity. The turning point for adding “diversity champion” to her day job came around the time when Navarro helped found the Society of Beer Drinking Ladies. “The Society, with the way they did it, got people to think a bit differently and at that time I was their mouthpiece—and the accidental mouthpiece for the lack of diversity in craft beer.” Part of the focus for her message is definitely on beer marketing, a body of work that has lagged behind on keeping up with current norms on being progressive and inclusive. That’s especially the case for advertising, where Navarro notes that the point is to get customers to identify with a character in a magazine or TV ad. “When I see me, I’m draped over Billy D. Williams [in an ad for Colt 45] with the tagline ‘works every time’, which means I get raped when he finishes his beer. That’s disgusting.” “I talk about a 40 being marketed to black people and everyone laughs,” says Navarro about addressing audiences that are predominantly white
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Renee Navarro is committed to getting the industry she loves to do better on diversity. Racheal McCaig photo.
and female. “But I follow it up with that Colt 45 example and everyone gets super quiet. And that surprise is because that’s not what their beer life has ever been.” The problematic behaviour isn’t just a big-brewery thing from a bygone time. (And there are some giant breweries that have done well like Guinness with their “Sapeurs” ad.) “You don’t see us as sales reps in large numbers,” she says of the current industry “and when you watch something from a craft brewery, you don’t see a multitude of colours.” Navarro points out that diversity is not just a big-city idea. To a white male brewery employee in northern Ontario who wonders what he can do given the local demographics, she points out “I hear women also live there. Not to mention an indigenous community.” She consults for restaurants and bars with beer list and education services and obviously loves her job. I can tell she plans to keep working passionately from the inside to make Ontario’s beer industry stronger: “What I’m pushing for is that there should be space for everyone at that table.” How to do better today? As well as more inclusive marketing, Navarro wants to see us connect with each other over our shared love of good beer. Breweries, she says, should find out what a person likes to drink and keep the conversation on beer. j
C O M E S E E W H AT ’ S
BREWING IN BUFFALO
With 30+ craft breweries, locally grown hops, and one of the world’s great lakes in our backyard, it’s a wonder you didn’t stop by to wet your whistle sooner. Come see what’s on tap. And while you’re here, check out beer’s best friend on the Buffalo Wing Trail!
BREWCATION
BEERINBUFFALO.COM
The
E V N D T
A of good beer
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Whether you're preparing to welcome the messiah or the latest demon movie, here's the Growler guide to creating 24 days of cheer. by Robin LeBlanc
I
remember when I was a kid and the holiday season would roll around.
I was raised in an English family, so we leaned towards the more traditional types of celebration and a big part of that was getting a package in the mail from my gran that contained, among other things, a Woolworth’s advent calendar for December. It was always large and ornate, with a beautiful scene of Father Christmas flying through an old village or carollers singing in an old village or holly and ivy strewn about an old village. Come to think of it, England really is fond of its old villages. It could be hung up, usually on a wall in our kitchen, or hidden away every day to remove us from the temptation of overindulging on days we shouldn’t. When I arrived home from school or when the holiday started, after supper, my mum would bring out the calendar and we’d reveal the surprise chocolate of that day. Would it be an angel? A candy cane? A Christmas tree? We had no way of knowing until we opened it up, but
the results were always the same; a delicious treat to have every day for the 24 days leading up to Christmas (or, if you were lucky enough to get a calendar with it, 25). Now I’m in my thirties and I can honestly say that I haven’t done the whole chocolate advent calendar thing in years. But, as I’m sure all of us have seen over the course of our lives, the advent calendar model can be applied to literally any product. Cheese, makeup, pictures of the many faces of famed actor Brian Blessed, and even bottles and cans of craft beer. Now, beer advent calendars are nothing new. They’ve been around in the States for years and even here in Canada some intrepid beer stores and importers have released special 24-packs that have a single beer for each day in the holiday season. Here in Ontario, this year has been a pretty lucky one, seeing us get a hold of the Craft Beer Importers coveted BeerAdvent® calendar without ordering it special from the LCBO. Counting down the 24 days using beers from 12 countries, this calendar is perhaps the most famous one in people’s minds. It gained quick popularity after its first release in 2012 in Canada by being both fun and diverse in its selection. We also notably saw the arrival of a calendar from the Ottawa Craft Collective. Headed up by the folks at Nita Beer Co., the calendar features two beers from each of 12 breweries located in the Ottawa region. Only available to Ontario residents, the calendars are a wonderful sign of the collaborative nature of local craft breweries in the province. However, with a few exceptions, pre-made calendar packs have rarely come up here, and Ontarians have settled for making their own. After all, as is the case with many gifts, while buying a special item for yourself or someone else can be a lot of >>
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While buying a special item for yourself or someone else can be a lot of fun, nothing can quite beat the thoughtfulness that comes with making it yourself. fun, nothing can quite beat the thoughtfulness that comes with making it yourself. The construction of a beer advent calendar is fun because you have full control of what you want to do with it. It can be as easy or as complex as you’d like it to be. I’ve seen people get as complicated as cutting up some mail packaging tubes and arranging them as a Christmas tree, complete with decorations to as easy as taking a box-cutter to the top of a 2-4 and writing numbers on each door. Heck, I’ve seen others that completely forgo concealing the beers in a box by simply wrapping them up in festive paper and assigning a number to a random one so even the person making it doesn’t know which one will be which. The possibilities are endless and the only limit is your imagination. Now, in terms of logistics, I can offer a few pointers: 1. Limiting the number of beers to 24-25 is more in line with tradition and can make construction of a calendar easier. Anything more than that and it just gets bulky. 2. If Christian-based holidays or religion itself isn’t your bag and you still want in on the fun, that’s no problem! You can use the advent calendar model to countdown to any number of things, from weddings and special birthdays, to the opening screening of the new Hellboy movie which, actually, that’s not a bad idea, I might do that.
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3. Make sure you put a varied, eclectic mix of beers in your calendar. Fortunately, in today’s climate where Ontario is certainly not starving for choice, you should have no problem finding individual beers! 4. Not all of the beers necessarily have to be the best beers. This is another instance where the customization of your own beer advent calendar can be fun, since you can choose to throw in a couple of less-than-great beers to make the mystery a little dangerous. 5. You don’t even have to make it all beer. You can make the rules. No gods, no masters! Want to throw in a book or some brewery merch in one of the days? Do it! And that’s really all there is to it. Now, if you’re a little stuck on what exactly to include in your custom calendar, I’d suggest opting for a healthy mix of thoughtful and festive if you’re making this for a friend, putting in a few of their favourite stand-by beers along with some of the many special seasonal offerings from your local brewery. And, like I said earlier, don’t be afraid to have fun with it and shake things up. One day could have a Nickel Brook Immodest Imperial IPA, another could have Sawdust City’s Long, Dark Voyage to Uranus imperial stout, and another could have a glass and t-shirt from Muskoka Brewery’s store. The most important thing, however, is that you have fun and if you’re making this for someone else, that you both stay warm in these cold winter months with the feelings of friendship and joy that can only come from the people you care about most. And, hey, I mean, a nice strong beer to warm the corners of your own village along with all that good joy and happiness wouldn’t hurt either. j
Craft Beer Importers have brought their BeerAdvent® calendar to LCBOs for the first time this year. Count down to the big day with a beer selection that spans 12 countries. Supplied photo.
this all a-stout? GLOSSARY OF UNUSED BEER NAMES Naming beers can be a daunting and frustrating creative process for any brewery, new or old. There’s a balancing act involved to ensure that the name is interesting and memorable enough to stand out among the legions of other beers fighting for attention, and yet manages to stay true to the character of that beer. Luckily for you, the Growler Brain Trust has created a glossary of unused beer names that are ready for any brewery to use, free of charge. We’ve started this potentially regular feature out with two very popular styles: the witbier and the stout. You’re welcome.
WITBIER NOT IN TO WIT TAKE IT, OR LEAVE WIT CRACK THAT WIT HOW’S WIT GOING? WIT’S ALL GOOD CHAMPING AT THE WIT I WANNA MAKE IT WIT CHU WIT IN YOU, WIT OUT YOU WITS THE BILL SOMETIMES, I WONDER WHETHER OR NOT I REALLY WANT TO BE WIT YOU I WIT ME PANTS KEEP WIT AND HAVE FUN WIT’S COMPLICATED THAT DOESN’T WIT WITH OUR CORPORATE STRUCTURE SO WIT’S BEEN WRITTEN JUST A WITTLE WIT IT’S NOT YOU, WIT’S ME CAN I GET A WIT-NESS WIT’S NOT WIT IT SEEMS I’M WIT YOU, DUDE JUST DO WIT!!!! PIECE OF WIT WITTY TIMING I’M WIT FOR YOU WIT-NEY HOUSTON WIT-CHES OF EAST WIT HAM SAND-WIT
STOUT I’M GETTING’ THE HELL STOUT OF HERE! STOUT AND ABOUT FRESH STOUT OF CASH I’M TAPPED STOUT GOING ON A STOUTING A STOUT OF INSANITY I’M BITTER A-STOUT IT OUT AND A-STOUT STOUT’S HONOUR BOY STOUTS OF CANADA STOUT OF COMMISSION SHORT AND STOUT STOUT OF SERVICE MRS. STOUTFIRE BEYOND A SHADOW OF A STOUT STOUT, STOUT, LET IT ALL STOUT PUT YOUR HANDS UP AND STOUT
BREWER BREWER
vs
THE CASK DAYS EDITION by David Ort
T
here are a few big weekends in the Ontario craft beer calendar. May 2-4, Canada Day and the rest of summer’s long-weekend gang come to mind, but none is really as important as the one after Thanksgiving when Cask Days takes over the Evergreen Brick Works in Toronto. This year, the event brought together over 400 beers from nine different states and provinces. It also brought Matt Tweedy, co-owner and head brewer at Tooth & Nail in Ottawa to town and that meant I had a chance to sit down with him and Indie Alehouse’s brewing director Jeff Broeders. We got together over a few pints in the front booth at Allen’s on the Danforth to chat about what is driving their shared passion for making great beers. GROWLER: How did you guys get to be where you’re at now? BROEDERS: Jason Fisher brought me on six years ago. He found me at Niagara College and we saw eye-to-eye on what we like. I had no idea what I was getting myself into. You start popping beer into barrels and over time we grew to 80 barrels, then 160. We’re hoping to put out 500 hectolitres of barrel-aged beer next year.
J EF F B RO E D E RS 12
TWEEDY: My wife Dayna and I started Tooth & Nail. For us, creating an environment that we would like to sit and drink in was first and foremost. The beer was going to drive the business, but it was also about the experience. I was adamant that in the beginning we would focus on traditional, clean and easy-drinking styles of beer. Try to hone in on simplicity instead of trying to out-do everyone else with the new fad. At that point, it wasn’t the long-term plan but because of
There's still a pay-to-play mentality. It's insane in this province. —Matt Tweedy the success we’ve had, we’ve stuck to it. The longterm plan is starting to come into play. We are looking for a facilty to start allowing us to do sour and barrel-aged beer. GROWLER: Where is the Ontario market at? TWEEDY: We’re easily 10 years behind the U.S. in terms of customer palate development. You go to any local sports bar in the U.S. and you’ve got a draught line-up that you’d never even see here. GROWLER: Is that palate or how the marketplace is regulated? TWEEDY: One probably feeds the other. The more you’re exposed to these quality products— like Allagash White, one of the highest quality beers produced in the U.S.—developing a taste for those products leads the consumer to become discerning. We’ve got a lot of discerning consumers in Ontario but the population as a whole is undergoing a discovery period. BROEDERS: Distribution has a lot to do with it. In general, bar owners are lazy. We don’t deal with many lazy bar owners, but others just want to go on that one page from the Beer Store and click. TWEEDY: There’s still a pay-to-play mentality. It’s insane in this province. I get asked if bars can carry Vim & Vigor. Sure, we can do that. ”It will cost you $2,000 and we’ll be loyal to your product,” they say. I say: “Don’t ever call me again.”
MAT T TWEEDY BROEDERS: Get it in writing. TWEEDY: I understand the restaurant and bar business very well. I was part of it for 12 years. I still own a bar. [A brewery] sells a keg for $150, that bar owner is generally going to generate $550 in revenue. Why do I need to give you something? I’m the only reason you can pay your bills. I’m simplifying how hard it is to be a bar owner. It’s one of the hardest jobs out there and I don’t mean to disrespect that. I’m just not going to play the game. I make limited amounts of beer that I think is the best beer that I can possibly produce. I put my heart and soul into so I’m not going to start selling for less. GROWLER: Is there one thing the Ontario government can do to help craft beer? BROEDERS: Every brewery would sell more beer if it was in corner stores. TWEEDY: Tons more beer. But part of that system’s flaw is that you can go to any corner store in Quebec with an amazing beer selection and you pull a six-pack off the shelf and it’s a year old. GROWLER: What will help?
Jeff Broeders’s collaborative philosophy for his team at Indie means lots of new beer releases to try on a sample flight.
TWEEDY: The number one thing that the government can do is recreate what Brewer’s Retail [was supposed to be.] Indie Alehouse’s bottle shop can sell my beer and vice versa. You save the customer from going to as many places and if I go with Beyond the Pale, Dominion City and Kichessippi I now have three more outlets for my beer where >>
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spect that, but unfortunately beer is a business that I take a huge amount of pride in. Big breweries? I have a little brewery on a corner in Ottawa, I don’t think Molson gives a shit about me. BROEDERS: I’m upset with people settling for mediocrity. Especially brewers. I put a lot of attention into trying to make sure I’m always getting better. TWEEDY: That’s what drives you as a brewer. That’s why you brew. BROEDERS: If I can do better today it will make my life easier down the road. Contract brewers tie into that. They just hand a piece of paper to someone, not even a recipe, they just want “pilsner.” At Tooth & Nail, Matt Tweedy focusses on perfecting recipes before customers get to try them in the taproom.
people care about the quality, that it’s kept cold and fresh. You would see growth in the industry like you’ve never seen. Breweries tend to do great things for their communities. GROWLER: How do you think about the bottle shop? BROEDERS: We have a slightly different philosophy. We try to do as many releases as posssible. I’m trying to create a culture at Indie where we’re a team and have everyone experiment their own way. We work together to always execute the best recipe we can, but one thing our customers really like is that new beer on tap once or twice a month. TWEEDY: Do those new beers on tap go through the bottle shop as well? BROEDERS: Yes. We’ll decide how much goes out, but yes. We’re able to do this because we’re so small batch. We do 10 barrels at once. GROWLER: Are you more concerned with craft brewers that are fine with mediocrity or big-brewery marketing? TWEEDY: I’m most concerned with contract brewers, to be honest. I’ve come to have a disdain for some of those brands. Some have created what, in my opinion, is pretty mediocre beer. They flooded the marketplace with huge marketing initiatives. It becomes very difficult for a brewery owner, like myself, to get a bar owner interested in paying for my product. I think the people in charge of those products are very savvy businesspeople, and I re-
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TWEEDY: The flipside is that we’re both drinking [Left Field’s] Eephus, which was a contract-brewed beer in the beginning. It was very clear from the first pint of Eephus that came out that Mark and Mandie were going to build a brewery. That’s extremely rare. It does happen and I do respect it. GROWLER: What’s Cask Days about for you guys? BROEDERS: Inspiration, no. TWEEDY: Every single brewer walks in the front door and goes straight to their cask because with cask-conditioned ale… BROEDERS: You never know what you’re going to get. TWEEDY: Cask ale is hard to plan for. We think about trying a couple of fun ideas. But you have no clue what it’s going to be like. BROEDERS: It’s not about making the best cask beer. TWEEDY: Nobody really remembers that one that was really outstanding. There’s a lot of good beer, there’s a lot of bad beer. This is a pared-back version of our conversation. Find the rest at on.thegrowler.ca/bvb3 j
I’m upset with people settling for mediocrity. Especially brewers. —Jeff Broeders
Beer and briny bivalves Cold weather and celebrations call for oysters. Here is your guide to pairing them with your favourite brew. by Jon Sufrin
I
n her seminal 1941 book Consider the Oyster, M.F.K. Fisher contends that oysters, due to their sheer versatility, can be paired with pretty much any beverage. “One man can drink wine with them, another beer, and another fermented buttermilk, and no man will be wrong,” she writes. When it comes to oysters and beer, Fisher’s approach—doing whatever makes you happy, essentially—is a valid one. But a pairing easily benefits from a bit of deeper thought. When done properly, a pairing is like a delicious feedback loop, with the drink improving the food and vice versa. Ontario is home to a thriving craft beer scene and some of the country’s most important oyster purveyors. With prime oyster season approaching, it’s time to get some answers. Is there a worthwhile system for pairing oysters with beer, and if so, what is it? To address this question, it seems obvious to begin with stout. Long considered a quintessential beer pairing, oysters and stout go back to Victorian-era England. Walk into any pub in 1860s London and
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The earthy intensity of stout is a perfect foil for the gamey brineyness of oysters. —Michael Jackson, beer historian
you’d likely find oysters as the primary snack, since the ocean was not yet a seething mass of cigarette butts and microplastic. And since Untapped badges did not yet exist, the beer selection would likely consist of various grades of porter, including stout and not much else. Like an arranged marriage, oysters and stout were bound together by proximity and practicality. Still, the pairing happens to make a lot of sense. As beer historian Michael Jackson writes, “the earthy intensity of stout is a perfect foil for the gamey brineyness [sic] of oysters.” This is important, because a beverage should taste different from the food with which it’s paired. Contrast is key, and a nice dry stout provides plenty of it. But while Occam’s Razor does have its appeal, it’s kind of silly to think that one style of beer is always appropriate for oysters. For one thing, oysters are weird—even the cleanest and most refreshing oyster is a confounding mix of tastes and textures, of salt, sweet and seaweed. Then consider that there are five main species of oyster cultivated in North America, and hundreds of varieties, each with a distinct flavour profile. East Coast oysters are salty and clean-tasting, while West Coast oysters are bolder, taking on notes of melon, umami or copper. The taste of an oyster, too, fluctuates with the season. As winter approaches, they become fat and sweet as they prepare for
hibernation, and in spring, they’re thin and milky. Taking all of these variables into consideration, the oyster-beer conundrum can appear daunting. “Oysters are as individual as every one of us,” says veteran Toronto chef Mark Cutrara. “An oyster takes a person five years to grow. We owe that person some semblance of respect to pair it with something great.” Cutrara has served many oysters alongside many craft beers at both Bar Hop and Northern Maverick Brewing Company in Toronto. This is a subject he’s contemplated deeply, to which he’s found no simple answers. He prefers to start with the oyster, to determine its origin and flavour profiles, and work from there. “With West Coast oysters, I like a citra-hopped IPA,” he says, indicating that the citrusy, lemon-peel flavours of the hops are a good complement to the hits of summer melon typically found in a West Coast oyster. Then he runs into some difficulty. “With East Coast, I like Sauvignon Blanc. But that’s not a beer is it?” He pauses for a moment, veering into overthinking territory. “I’m going to go with pilsner. You could also go with porter or stout, but you have to be comfortable with that.” Cutrara’s approach seems loosely terroir-based. Citra hops originated in the Yakima Valley in Washington State, on the West Coast, so it makes sense that they would pair well with an oyster from the nearby Pacific. Porters, of course, were developed in England, near the Atlantic Ocean. “I want every dish to taste like a place,” he says. Ian Davis, executive chef at Chicago’s Band of Bohemia, the first-ever Michelin-starred brewpub, says that when in doubt, going the terroir route is probably a wise choice. >> FAR LEFT: Oysters have a prominent place on the sustainability-first menu at lbs in Toronto. Photo David Ort. LEFT: Chef Mark Cutrara has lots of recent experience with creating menus to match with craft beer. Supplied photo.
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beer’s crispness, and he topped the grilled oyster with white soy and black garlic, highlighting the beer’s nuttiness. The fried oysters were coated with polenta (flour and buttermilk didn’t match the beer) and then finished with an Old Bay aioli, for which the beer provided palate-cleansing refreshment. “Every time you ate one of those oysters and tasted the beer, you’d experience something different,” he says. “Each garnish showcased something new in the beer.” Ian Davis is the executive chef at Band of Brothers, the first brewpub to earn a Michelin Star. Supplied photo.
“The pairing should be something from the same region,” he says. At Chicago’s Band of Bohemia, Davis took the oyster-beer challenge head-on by offering an appetizer of oysters done three ways: raw, grilled and fried. This might sound like a pairing nightmare, but his approach was to work backward. He took Pacific shigoku oysters—meaty, full-bodied, redolent of cucumber—and found they paired well with Band of Bohemia’s Jasmine beer, a crisp but multilayered rice ale made with jasmine rice, jasmine tea and Vienna malt. Using that match-up as a starting point, he ensured that each addition to the appetizer would enhance the pairing. He garnished the raw oysters with a rhubarb and black pepper mignonette, which showcased the
It’s crucial, he says, to keep things simple and not overthink the pairing—not always an easy task with so many paths to choose from. Julius Chapple, front of house manager at Rodney’s Oyster House in Toronto, understands first-hand that with all the possibilities, one can easily slide into a beer-and-oyster rabbit hole. “You could do a real deep dive into pairing oysters with beer,” he says. “The taste of an oyster all depends on where it lived and what time of year it is. You can get as nerdy as you want.” While he acknowledges there’s a certain appeal to the classic stout pairing, Chapple sees potential in sour beers, which mimic the effect of common oyster garnishes such as mignonette or lemon. He also suggests a beer with high salinity, such as a gose, or a clean and crisp lager that won’t overpower a delicate oyster. Beau’s Lug Tread, he says, is a great seafood beer. The important thing, he says, is to keep an open mind and to experiment. “Enjoy what you’re drinking, he says. “It’s 2018. If you want to try something preposterous, do it. Part of the fun is experimentation and the research.” j
The taste of an oyster all depends on where it lived and what time of year it is. You can get as nerdy as you want. —Julius Chapple, Rodney's Oyster House 18
TOUTES LES BIÈRES Montreal might be the most walkable beer city in Canada
Henry MacDonald/Tourisme Montréal photo
by David Ort
I
bought my very first beer in Montreal. My friends, Mickey and Senwung, and I were there to kick McGill’s tires. It doesn’t matter what the beer was (er, a sixer of Molson Canadian) because the point was that we were adults in the eyes of this French-speaking world.
with the distinct impression of how much things have changed.
Since then, I’ve been back to Montreal on a few well-remembered occasions. (Once to crash a political convention and then for a whirlwind visit that included steamies and a visit to Martin Picard’s Cabane à Sucre for the launch of his second cookbook.) My most recent visit focussed more intently on beer and food and I came away
Foie gras at one end of the luxury scale and poutine at the other are still staples. Certainly, there have always been options for lighter food in Montreal, but these days fewer of the new restaurants are depending on drafting behind the success of places like Au Pied du Cochon with their dishes like pig’s feet in a can. >>
Beer is hacking (sometimes desperately) away at the ingrained idea that wine goes with restaurant meals. And that means some wonderfully creative food can be included on a beer trip to Montreal.
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Supplied photo
David Ort photo
David Ort photo
DIEU DU CIEL! Montreal is becoming a city of brewpubs, but DDC’s home at Laurier Ave. is still the king. It’s best for a quick snack and a few beers from their awesome, wide-ranging selection. Things get a bit hectic at peak times, so plan this one for a tourist-only time like 3 p.m. They do stouts to perfection at DDC and Péché Mortel (9.5% ABV) with vanilla and dark roasted notes is the archetypal imperial, coffee-infused version. Equally strong, Immoralité (9.2% ABV) is their hazy, double IPA with tons of citrusy hops, notes of stone fruit and a warm backbone.
BENELUX Patios like the one at Benelux make me wonder why all brewpubs don’t just copy theirs. It manages to be both peacefully lush and buzzing with energy and activity. A tasting paddle of samples is nearly mandatory to get a proper sense of the broadly influenced beers at Benelux. Sabotage (7% ABV) is their mainstay IPA with a nice malt backbone supporting the tropical fruit and zest of hops. Lapsus (7% ABV), out of a bottle, is a great way to get
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ABOVE LEFT: DDC has a huge range of specialties, from light to dark. ABOVE: The ever-changing tap list at Vices & Versa is an all-star tour of Quebec craft beer. LEFT: Wellmade, subtle beers at Harricana match well with cheese.
acquainted with their sour beer programme. It shows tart raspberry with an amber body and an extra gear from funky brett. Foodwise, the EuroDogs at Benelux are sort of max-volume take on a Montreal steamie.
HARRICANA Harricana’s popularity is a very good sign. I wish there were more businesses that so successfully combined good food, well-made beer and an environment that welcomes both locals in for lunch as easily as beer nerds looking for something new to try. The in-house beer selection rotates frequently so these recommendations are more of the “watch out for” type. Harricana 68 Blonde Funky (5.7% ABV) was a brett ale with everything from tropical pineapple to a clean, tart finish. Conversely, Harricana 21 (5.6% ABV) is a lightly flavoured blonde ale with a pleasant grassy herbal note that complements mild cheese very nicely.
WHERE ELSE TO VISIT With such great brewpubs, it makes sense that it took a while for Montreal to get a really exceptional beer bar. But these days, one spot stands out
so completely that it was the first stop on my visit. Vices & Versa has a dynamite tap list with recognizable standbys Dunham, Trois Mousquetaires and Charlevoix featured alongside up-and-comers like Lagabière, Matera and cider from Milton. Rounding out the picture, the food is comfortable, especially the burgers and the patio is one of the coziest I’ve seen. When alcohol was introduced to Ontario grocery stores a few years ago, we could finally buy cheese and beer in one place. And yet, dépanneurs still feel like a better place to shop for beer. Dépanneur Peluso is the reigning champ for good reason, but you’ll need a car to get there. Dépanneur AS is a neighbourhood hidden-gem (check for freshness and don’t expect great deals) but my new favourite is Les Bon Buveurs. The space features a brilliant combination of an outlet for all the wonderful duck products from Lac Brome; artisanal Quebec fare at the Ils en Fument du Bon counter; and a tightly curated mostly Quebec beer selection. The other advantage is the location is in the same block as Jean-Talon Market—the number one place to buy all things edible in Montreal. Two new favourites are Fromagerie La Moutonniere for the deepest chèvre selection I’ve seen and Les Cochons Tout Ronds for carnivorous delights, especially stellar cured meat. Quincaillerie Dante, only a short walk away, might be unique in Canada. It’s half gourmet shop—both cookware and tools, plus ingredients to go in them—and half hunting supply store. Celebrity chef Stefano Faita’s family owns Dante
David Ort photo Pulling in a tight selection of bottles and cans from all over Quebec is the big selling feature of Les Bon Buveurs.
and has a lock on the neighbourhood restaurants. Impasto, the rustic pasta joint is especially popular and for good reason. After realizing that they have competition for “coolest city in Canada”, Montreal has seemed to put a greater emphasis on evolving and trying new things—in food, beer and culture. If staying current on developments seems a bit tough, there’s a solution. Spade and Palacio run tours on foot and bike that do an excellent job of connecting visitors to neighbourhood haunts that don’t make it into the guidebooks.
GETTING TO MONTREAL There are as many ways to get to Montreal as there are to leave your lover. Porter and Air Canada both have plenty of flights and you could drive. But my hands-down favourite method is the train, Via 1 if you can swing it. Pro tip: Opt for the early dinner and you can usually get an extra round from the digestif cart.
WHERE TO STAY
David Ort photo From fresh to aged in all sorts of treatments and provenances, Fromagerie la Moutonniere is the master of chèvre.
I can’t entirely explain it, but there is something about Montreal that demands a stay in a boutique hotel. Maybe it’s about finding innovative new uses for old spaces (and there are plenty) like Hôtel Place d’Armes. Right downtown on St. Jacques St., it offers a convenient location plus dining that’s good enough that you don’t want to leave the building. j
21
R
by Rebecca Whyman
ecently, gruits—that ancient, hopless beer style flavoured with herbs that seems to be all the rage right now—got me thinking about the elusive line that divides fads, trends, and gimmicks from creative innovations and emerging styles. How do beer geeks decide where they categorize any given beer? Are gimmicky beers harming the reputation of craft beer? I like to think of myself as a beer evangelist (also brilliant, witty, gorgeous and humble…). It is therefore my self-appointed duty to bring people into the fold. I love finding the craft beer that makes
22
a former macro lager drinker’s eyes light up, and introducing a non-beer-drinker to a style they can’t believe is actually beer because it tastes so good. I worry, probably too much, about how people perceive craft beer. Craft beer gets kudos for qualities like authenticity, innovation and community-mindedness. Besides “bad” beer, what are the things that turn people off from craft beer? Or fail to entice consumers over to the craft side? Do jokey beers make people think craft beer is a joke? Does being surrounded by so many beer styles confuse folks
into avoiding everything craft? Like duck confit nachos, are people rolling their eyes at the “elevated” beer styles? I am not suggesting that we’re one gimmicky beer away from total annihilation here. Nor am I saying that there’s no place for innovation or creativity— quite the opposite in fact. I’m tickled pink that brewers are bringing the gose back. The rise of session ales? Now there’s a trend that is bringing consumers into the craft beer fold.
(in Victoria, B.C.) argue that they put a lot of time and care into its development, ensuring that it’s true to the original style, but with a modern local twist. And it’s shelf-stable!
ZERO IBU Everyone agrees this is a gimmick. Potentially a great conversation starter about bitterness measurement, but a gimmick nonetheless.
No, what keeps me up at night is the worry that too much hype about the crazy new beer those wacky craft brewers made from prairie oysters/ beard yeast/wasp bellies/in space/under the sea is taking the focus away from the care that goes into making every single craft beer.
NORTHEAST IPA
It’s good to get some perspective from others when your worries are swirling. I didn’t convene a panel of experts, who all came to consensus, but I did casually interrogate beer geeks and industry folks about gimmicky beers and their effect on the industry. The unscientific data I gathered is summed up below.
FRESH HOPPING
The words “hype,” “fad” and “trend” were bandied about. As was my absolute favourite, “hipster fuckery.” What’s hipster fuckery, you ask? According to its utterer, it is the completely unnecessary addition of whimsical ingredients and brewing techniques, especially piled on top of each other. You’re left with a beer that is fighting itself. Hipster fuckery is a great way to alienate potential craft beer fans. So how about we all just agree to be innovative as hell, but stop well short of hipster fuckery? Excellent! But, umm, where is that line exactly? Perhaps a look at how the not-panel perceives some headline-grabbing beers can guide us:
PUMPKIN ALES Nobody likes them. The consensus is that they’re not a seasonal, no sirree, they’re a gimmick. One brewery representative said they’d brew one over her dead body.
RAW ALE Some see it as gimmicky. The guys at Category 12
Some think it’s a new style that is going to stick around. (I think it is going to replace the NW IPA in popularity, it’s just so darned accessible!) Others think fad or trend. Either way, not gimmicky.
Some thought it was a gimmick, others a seasonal/ legitimate beer style. Hype? Check! But that can be waved off because of the tiny time frame in which they can be brewed, marketed and sold. When you fresh hop a non-hop-forward style, though, you’re in gimmick-land. If the hops aren’t showcased, using fresh ones is masturbatory.
KETTLE SOURS There’s no deceptive element if they are clearly labelled, and priced, as kettle sours. Probably a fad, but not a gimmick.
GRUITS And the gruits that started me thinking: Nobody likes these either. Why is anyone trying to get these on store shelves? That question put them into the gimmick category. There you have it. Lines clearly drawn. Okay, not at all. But what the discussions did crystalize for me is that hype is the antithesis of authenticity. It’s okay to be novel, but you’ve got to have substance backing it up. It’s okay to grab headlines, but do it for good reason. Envelopes are meant to be pushed, but you’ve got to keep your integrity while doing so. Craft beer is awesome. You know it. I know it. Let’s make sure the rest of those louts know it too. Then I’ll be able to sleep at night. j
23
From
graft
to
glass Craft breweries have to pay to be on tap in many of your favourite bars. Here’s why that’s a terrible thing for beer in Ontario. by Ben Johnson
A
s a paying customer in a bar, you might think that the beer on tap is chosen to suit your tastes. It feels like a safe assumption that not only the food but also the beer pouring from the gleaming row of taps is selected to appease you, in order to make you spend money, return, and maybe even invite friends along. But it usually isn’t. Those beers are there for different reasons and that bar isn’t actually a really big fan of the 12 very similar lagers that Labatt offers. The truth is, most bar and restaurant owners treat their draught taps, and often their fridges of bottles and cans too, as not much more than prime
24
real estate, available to the highest bidder. Brewery sales reps come into bars with an arsenal of free shit in order to “influence” their way onto these tap lines. They’re flush with “swag” like t-shirts, patio umbrellas, bar mats and chalkboards. They have budgets to offer keg deals, buy five get one free, for example; and they often simply hand over cash or offer to pay for a bar to install draught lines so that the brewery can make sure their beer is always in that line. There is no loyalty in the hospitality business. A bar manager’s love for a brewery is really only as good as the last rep who walked in the door with free tickets to a Ti-Cats game and a fucking snapback hat.
This practice has historically been limited to the realm of big brewers, like Molson and Labatt, who have money to throw around. These days, craft brewers both medium and large—even the ones professing their “craft credibility”—are no longer too proud to enter bidding wars for taps, bedeck staff in branded aprons, or send a front-of-house team on an overnight bender. Of course, this is still not a game most small brewers can afford to play, and definitely not for very long. If your game is to throw free shit and trips at bars, you’re never going to compete with bigger breweries who have massive budgets—let alone the mega-breweries who throw so much cash at marketing that they literally have arenas and stadiums named after them. It’s not sustainable, and it ends up hurting most brewers more than it helps. You might be tempted to say that this just sounds like normal sales activities and pretty savvy business, and so I’d like to suggest that this practice is at the heart of keeping Ontario from having more great beer. Sure, if you’re the happy-go-lucky Joe Schmoe who saddles up to the bar for a pound of sloppily-sauced wings and whatever lager is on special, this might seem like a non-issue. Beer is beer, you might say. It’s cold, these wings are delicious, and my bartender has a low-cut top. I’m doing fine. Who cares how this keg got here? I’m willing to bet that you do. You’re reading a beer magazine, after all. You give a shit about what you drink. And we should also object that a lot of the decisions being made about what beer is available at your local bar, your go-to franchise restaurant, or even your favourite semi-decent beer bar, aren’t being carefully curated by a discerning bar manager. They aren’t eager to please sophisticated customers like yourself, and they likely aren’t even thinking about what the Joe Schmoes of the world want. Instead, the draught lineup is like-
ly determined by the will of greedy bar managers and restaurant owners who choose what you will get to drink based on personal gain, and that, my discerning friend, should piss off all of us. Because not only does it mean that someone else chooses what you can pick from when you get to the bar, it is also, arguably, dictating the offerings that brewers can produce. Making good beer, you see, costs money. And when the practice of getting product into the market (i.e. your local) is reduced to being able to bribe or induce your way onto draught lines, it doesn’t leave much room for small brewers to experiment. All that market pressure for lower margins (or sports-ticket graft) actually reduces the wiggle room and flexibility that breeds innovation and results in the weird, wacky, and wonderful beers we craft beer drinkers love to try. So everybody ends up making the same shit. Jason Fisher is the owner of the Indie Alehouse, a small brewpub in Toronto, and he is convinced that the widespread practice of brewers purchasing draught lines is slowing innovation. “Less than six years ago,” he says, “Ontario’s options were severely limited. No one made a year-round porter, there were very few IPAs that tasted like real IPAs, there were no farmhouse beers, no milkshake beers, sours, or wine-barrel beers. They didn’t just show up because we finally invented them. It’s because they cost more to make and so why would a brewer bother spending more to create a beer they couldn’t sell to bar managers who were looking for a payoff to put the beer on tap?” And aside from limiting choice and stunting innovation, it's also worth noting that selling your taps to the highest bidder is illegal. According to Ontario’s Liquor Licence Act: "A manufacturer of liquor or an agent or employee of a manufacturer shall not directly or indirectly offer or give a financial or material inducement to a person >>
Why would a brewer bother spending more to create a beer they couldn’t sell to bar managers who were looking for a payoff to put the beer on tap? —Jason Fisher, Indie Alehouse 25
The breweries we deal with don’t need to offer discounts or incentives because they supply incredible beer. And our customers can taste that.
It’s probably worth noting that Kahnert also confirmed to me that literally zero fines have ever been issued related to this rule, BUT an update of the AGCO’s web presence means that submitting complaints anonymously is easier than ever. So if you are a consumer who suspects foul play, or a brewery who is constantly being asked for freebies, you can now report the activity to the AGCO online without anyone knowing it was you.
who holds a licence or permit under the Act or to an agent or employee of the person for the purpose of increasing the sale or distribution of a brand of liquor."
There are a handful of great beer bars in this province that pay breweries a fair price for their product. Natalie Schnurr is the co-owner and general manager of Arabella Park, in Kitchener.
—Natalie Schnurr, Arabella Park
In other words, it is against the law to buy from the brewery willing to give you the best keg deal (we have legally mandated minimum pricing to prevent this), the most glassware, or the all-expenses-paid staff trip to cottage country. And yet, I challenge you to find a bar in this province that hasn’t been decked out with a certain brewery’s branding gratis or hasn’t had a bar manager attend a big-name concert. It happens every day. So what’s to be done about it? Well, the simplest solution is to snitch. The Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario (AGCO) is the regulatory body charged with policing these practices and they claim to take infractions of the Liquor Licence Act very seriously. Ray Kahnert, a Senior Advisor in the AGCO’s Communications and Corporate Affairs Division recently confirmed for me that “Ontario’s Liquor Licence Act (LLA) not only prohibits manufacturers from offering [incentives], it also prohibits licensees from directly or indirectly requesting any financial or material benefit from a manufacturer.” Meaning that bars and restaurants are just as accountable for soliciting or accepting payola as breweries are for offering it. Kahnert also confirms for me that if the AGCO becomes aware of a violation as a result of an inspection or complaint, they “typically take a progressive approach to achieving compliance” which can include “a warning letter, a monetary penalty, a suspension of their licence for a period of time, or a revocation of the licence.”
26
Finally, the best way to stop the small-brewery-hurting, innovation-squashing practice of draught line payola is to simply drink at good bars.
“The breweries we deal with don’t need to offer discounts or incentives because they supply incredible beer,” she says. “And our customers can taste that. They understand that we offer the best beers we can get our hands on and are okay with paying for quality—at what we believe to be a very fair price.” If you’re not sure if the bar you frequent is on the level, ask. Tell them about the beer you want to drink and that you choose to patronize places that pay suppliers fairly. Maybe also mention that bars who think otherwise are hampering our province’s awesome and otherwise flourishing craft beer scene. And shit, it might not hurt to let bar managers know that the AGCO has a mechanism to report those soliciting kickbacks. Because if bars no longer feel empowered to illegally auction their draught lines off to the beer companies willing to ply them with the most swag, trips to ball games, or free kegs of beers, they might just start to listen to another influential group: You, their customers. j
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RECIPE
David Ort photo
Roasted butternut squash and ricotta gnudi paired with Exchange Brewery’s peppercorn rye saison BY CHEF TARA LEE, EASTBOUND BREWING
T
o me, late autumn feels like the most difficult season to stick to veg-first eating habits. The call of meaty bolognese and chicken stews rings through my head when the snow starts flying. This recipe from Eastbound Brewery’s chef Tara Lee, leans in the fall trio of squash, kale and mushrooms. Together with the silky, rich ricotta, these elements help create a hearty and satisfying meal without a hint of bacon.
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Gnudi is the rustic version of gnocchi with a cheeky name. It’s also, basically, the easiest pasta to make at home. Chef Lee uses her brewery’s Basecamp saison for the sauce and we’ve paired the finished dish with the Exchange’s peppercorn rye saison for an added layer of complexity and seasonally appropriate spice. —David Ort
I N g r ed i ents Gnudi: • 1 butternut squash, halved • 2 cups ricotta • 1 egg • 1 egg yolk • 1 tsp salt • 1/2 tsp pepper • 1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese • 3 cup all-purpose flour • 1/2 tsp ground nutmeg • 1/2 cup butternut squash puree • cornmeal, for rolling
Sauce: • 1/4 cup olive oil • 1 bunch dinosaur kale, rip leaves, chop stems • 2 cups mixed mushrooms, stemmed and sliced thinly • 2 shallots, sliced thinly • 2 Tbsp minced garlic • 1 1/2 cups Eastbound Basecamp saison • 3 cups 35% cream • 1/2 cup butternut squash puree • Ricotta salata, for garnishing
David Ort photo Exchange has a lovely taproom on Queen St. and Niagara-on-the-Lake is an under-appreciated winter destination. This gold-medal-winning saison with strong aging potential is also available at the LCBO.
d i r ecti o ns Gnudi: 1. Preheat oven to 400 F. Cover squash halves in olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Roast in preheated oven for 45 - 50 minutes, or until soft. Start flesh side down and flip halfway through. Discard seeds and scoop flesh out of skin. Puree in food processor. 2. In a bowl, mix together ricotta, egg, egg yolk, parmesan and squash puree. In a separate bowl, combine salt, pepper, flour and nutmeg. Fold dry ingredients into wet until fully combined, try not to overwork the dough.
3. Portion dough into 20 g balls (about the size of a walnut) and roll in cornmeal onto a tray. 4. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Working in batches, blanch gnudi for 3 - 4 mins. Toss in oil when removed from water. Sauce: 1. In a large pan, heat olive oil over medium-high heat. Add shallots and garlic and saute until translucent. 2. Add in kale stems and continue cooking. Add mushrooms and increase heat to get some colour on them, about 10 mins. Add in kale leaves. 3. Deglaze the pan with beer; reduce by half. Add cream and bring to a simmer. Add in gnudi, toss to coat. Divide gnudi among 6 plates, distributing gnudi, kale and mushrooms evenly. 4. Shave ricotta salata over top to finish. j
David Ort photo
The only (slightly) difficult parts of making gnudi at home are remembering to handle them gently and adding them one at a time to the water so they don't stick. Cornmeal helps, too.
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TORONTO
GREAT LAKES BREWERY
30 Queen Elizabeth Blvd., Etobicoke | GreatLakesBeer.com SUN-WED 11AM-6PM ^ THU-SAT 10AM-9PM EST. 1987 GLB is one of the oldest independently owned and operated craft breweries in Canada. Freshness and quality are the keys to the beers that are Ontario favourites—99.99% stays in the province.
CANUCK PALE ALE A M E R I C A N - S T Y L E PA L E A L E Year-round: B,L,LC,TBS ABV
5.2%
IBU
35
A local leader in the APA style, Canuck balances tropical citrus, pine and smooth carbonation.
OCTOPUS WANTS TO FIGHT IPA
A M E R I C A N - S T Y L E I PA Year-round: B,L,LC ABV
6.2
IBU
Plenty of hops lend tropical aromas and just the right bitterness to go with the malty body.
THRUST! AN IPA
WINTER ALE
Occasional: B,L,LC
Seasonal: B,L,LC
A M E R I C A N - S T Y L E I PA
ABV
6.5%
IBU
72
It took home its first gold way back in ’14. Look for mango, peach and lychee on this wonder.
88
W I N T E R WA R M E R
ABV
6.2%
IBU
15
Orange peel, ginger, honey and cinnamon make cameo appearances in this winter classic.
First Annual Xmas Market With their first annual Christmas Market, Great Lakes Brewery is starting a new tradition on December 8. The market and tree farm promises to be a day packed with frothy seasonal brews, Christmas carols & funk music, Bavarian eats & treats, plus crafty vendors to help check off your Christmas gift list! 32
TORONTO
INDIE ALE HOUSE BREWING CO.
2876 Dundas St. W. | IndieAleHouse.com SUN-THU 12-11PM ^ FRI-SAT 12PM-12AM EST. 2012 Head brewer Jeff Broeders has set releasing 500 hectolitres of barrelaged beer as a goal this year and you’ll find lots of it hitting the Indie bottle shop in easy-to-spot bottles over the colder months.
INSTIGATOR IPA
BROKEN HIPSTER
Year-round: B,L
Year-round: B,L
W E S T C OA S T- S T Y L E I PA
ABV
6.5%
IBU
88
An ode to craft beer trailblazers, this IPA is full of citrus and ends on a cleanly bitter note.
5%
ABV
IBU
20
The pairing of sweet orange and ginger notes keep this wit sharp. A popular all-year option.
PATERS BIER
BREAKFAST PORTER
One-off: B
Year-round: B
B E L G I A N - S T Y L E TA B L E B E E R
ABV
4.7%
IBU
30
Brewed in the style of a “daily drinker” for monks, it’s light with bready esters, straw and hay finish. Bottle shop or tableside in the restaurant.
P O RT E R
ABV
7.2%
IBU
20
Made with oats, it shows coffee and chocolate and is slightly sweet, all for breakfast. In winter the sun’s always below the yardarm, right?
SHADOW CHASER
INDIE WILD ALE
Seasonal: B
One-off: B
S E S S I O N I PA
ABV
5.5%
IBU
45
This citrus-heavy session IPA is dank and juicy. It features a one-two of citra and Idaho 7 hops. 34
BELGIAN WIT
BA R R E L - A G E D S P O N TA N E O U S A L E ABV
5.5%
IBU
N/A
This entry in the Fates & Furies series is one of Ontario’s only spontaneously fermented ales. Tart and effervescent with pilsner and wheat malts.
JUNCTION CRAFT BREWING
150 Symes Rd. | JunctionCraft.com
WED 4-9PM ^ THU-SAT 11AM-11PM ^ SUN 11AM-7PM EST. 2011 Their diverse lineup of beer styles, in a number of different categories, continues to draw crowds to the historic space in the Aleyards. Look out for releases from their barrel-aging programme.
HEY, PORTER!
ESSEX ALE
P O RT E R
BITTER
Seasonal: B,L ABV
6.2%
Seasonal: B,L IBU
40
Roasted malt and cocoa notes anchor this classic porter. Gold medal at the 2017 CBAs.
ABV
30
GHOST TRAIN IPA A M E R I C A N - S T Y L E I PA
S C H WA R Z B I E R Seasonal: B,L,LC 5.5%
IBU
Balanced, subtle and crisp are the calling cards for this English-style bitter. Great with cheese.
JUNCTION ROAD BLACK LAGER
ABV
4.5%
Seasonal: B,L
IBU
38
A touch of bitterness from noble hops keeps the roasted malts in line. Recent gold-medal winner.
ABV
6.8%
IBU
56
This Hoppercar series IPA gets grapefruit and citrus aromas from summit and cascade hops.
Fun & Games A full calendar of events will keep “The Destructor” humming with beer drinkers this fall and winter. Fridays feature live music by acts like Colonel Tom and The American Pour. Board games, bingo and trivia fill the card on Thursday nights.
36
Get it at the LCBO for a limited time
TORONTO
EASTBOUND BREWING CO.
700 Queen St. E. | EastboundBeer.com TUE-SUN 11-12AM ^ MON 1-9PM EST. 2017
Chef Tara Lee’s kitchen draws in locals keen on a bite with brewer Dave Lee’s beer. Available to go in short cans and 950 ml crowlers.
MIDNIGHT COW TIPPER M I L K S TO U T Small-batch: B ABV
5.2%
R OTAT I N G S I N G L E H O P S E R I E S Year-round: B,L
IBU
19
Round and comforting with a medium body and a touch of chocolate; ideal for winter.
38
FRESH START APA
ABV
5%
IBU
N/A
You’ll see hops at their most prominent in brewer Dave Lee’s ever-changing series of APAs.
TORONTO
NORTHERN MAVERICK BREWING CO.
115 Bathurst St. | NorthernMaverick.ca
SUN-TUE 11-12AM ^ WED 11-1AM ^ THU-SAT 11-2AM EST. 2017 The all-star team has turned this brewery near the foot of Bathurst into go-to spot for events, food and especially their beer.
ENFORCER IPA
BERRY GOSE-ZILLA
Year-round: B
Seasonal: B
I PA
ABV
6%
IBU
GOSE WITH FRUIT
50
ABV
Citra, mosaid and eldorado hops converge in this tropical IPA that hides its 6% very smoothly.
4.7%
IBU
12
They do a rotating series of goses with an added element. This time, berries add to the tartness.
TOGETHER AT LAST
Experience quality crafted beers alongside local artisanal dishes, inside one of Toronto’s best new restaurants.
39
TORONTO
BIG ROCK BREWERY (LIBERTY COMMONS)
42 Liberty St., 1589 The Queensway | LibertyCommons.ca SUN-MON 11-11AM EST. 2017
Liberty Villagers have their own Big Rock outpost with unique beers. O&B runs the food side of the operation, including wood-fired BBQ.
RHINESTONE COWBOY
TRADITIONAL ALE E N G L I S H - S T Y L E B R OW N A L E
LAGERED ALE Seasonal: B,L,TBS ABV
4.6%
IBU
Year-round: B,L,TBS
18
ABV
A light and clean execution of the classic style with a touch of hops. OBA winner in 2017.
TORONTO
5%
IBU
20
Thirty years on this core brand is still going strong with its malty (Canadian) backbone.
TORONTO
AMSTERDAM BREWING CO.
AVLING BREWERY
45 Esandar Dr.; 87 Laird Dr.; 245 Queens Quay W. | AmsterdamBeer.com
1042 Queen St. E. | Avling.ca
News came this fall that Amsterdam is bringing back their much-missed imperial stout, Tempest.
In a former A&P, this 5,000-square-foot brewery will eventually also have a restaurant and rooftop garden. With a planned opening in the new year, details are still tentative.
SPACE INVADER
BALTIC
TEMPEST
A M E R I C A N - S T Y L E I PA Year-round: B,L,LC,TBS ABV IBU
40
6% 64
I M P E R I A L S TO U T Seasonal: B,L,LC ABV IBU
IPA
BA LT I C P O RT E R
9% 100
I PA
Year-round: B ABV IBU
6.4% 45
Year-round: B ABV IBU
6% 65
TORONTO
TORONTO
BATCH
BANDIT BREWERY
2125 Dundas St. W. | BanditBrewery.ca
75 Victoria St. | BatchToronto.com
Head out to one of the west end’s better breweries for their Hibernator (Bourbon barrel-aged imperial Stout), which will be released on December 10.
Creemore’s Toronto brewpub makes special on-site brews. It’s in a historic space that many former breweries have passed through, including one called Growlers.
CAKE MONSTER
PALE ALE
PA S T RY P O RT E R
JUICEBOX
NEW ENGLAND-STYLE I PA
Seasonal: B,L ABV IBU
Year-round: B,L
6.6% 35
ABV IBU
5.5% N/A
TORONTO
A M E R I C A N - S T Y L E PA L E ALE Year-round: B ABV IBU
4.6% 35
ENGLISH IPA
E N G L I S H - S T Y L E I PA Year-round: B ABV IBU
6.2% 58
TORONTO
BLACK CREEK HISTORIC BREWERY
BELLWOODS BREWERY
124 Ossington Ave., 20 Hafis Rd. BellwoodsBrewery.com
1000 Murray Ross Pkwy. | BlackCreek.ca
The cold-weather seasons are release time for their special ABV creations like Grandma’s Boy and Bring Out Your Dead.
Jump back two centuries with this recreation at Black Creek Pioneer Village and drink ales as they were made in the days when Ontario was a frontier for a fledgling country.
JUTSU
RIFLEMAN’S RATION
GOBLIN SAUCE
I N D I A PA L E A L E
D O U B L E I PA
Year-round: B,L ABV IBU
5.6% N/A
B R OW N A L E
Year-round: B,L ABV IBU
8.5% N/A
Year-round: B,LC,TBS ABV IBU
5% 20
CANADIAN FRONTIER BEST BITTER
Year-round: B,LC,TBS ABV IBU
5% 25 41
TORONTO
TORONTO
BLACK LAB BREWING
BLACK OAK BREWING CO.
75 Horner Ave. | BlackOakBeer.com
818 Eastern Ave. | BlackLab.beer
This east-side newcomer, owned by Billy and Anne Madden was inspired by their trusty and loyal black labrador mix named Snoopy.
One of the best Ontario breweries for winterworthy brown ales and porters. Reserve your spot on the Ken Woods-guided tours (he founded the brewery in ’99) every Saturday.
CORNERSTONE
NUTCRACKER SPICED PORTER
BLACK LAGER
Year-round: B ABV IBU
5% 25
SITTING PRETTY
A M E R I C A N - S T Y L E PA L E ALE Year-round: B ABV IBU
4.5% 40
TORONTO
P O RT E R
PALE ALE PA L E A L E
Seasonal: B,L ABV IBU
Year-round: B,L,LC
5.8% 25
ABV IBU
5% 35
TORONTO
BLOOD BROTHERS BREWING
BRUNSWICK BIERWORKS
165 Geary Ave. | BloodBrothersBrewing.com
25 Curity Ave. | BrunswickBierworks.com
Many Toronto breweries do sours, but the Brothers do them consistently well. Watch their social for release dates to make sure you snag some of the best tart, dark beers in Ontario.
A world-class brewing team help a range of brands, both Canadian and international, brew their product. Friendly space for sampling the range. Limited hours.
GUILTY REMNANT
OMNIPOLLO ZODIAK
S P I C E D D E S S E RT S TO U T Seasonal: B,L ABV IBU
42
6% N/A
DARK ‘N’ SOUR S O U R S TO U T
I N D I A PA L E A L E
Seasonal: B,L ABV IBU
7% N/A
Year-round: B,L,LC ABV IBU
6.2% 64
SUMAC BRUT IPA B R U T I PA
Seasonal: B,L ABV IBU
5.1% 18
TORONTO
TORONTO
BURDOCK BREWERY
COMMON GOOD BEER CO.
1184 Bloor St. W. | BurdockTO.com
475 Ellesmere Rd. | CommonGoodBeer.com
The masters of walking the line between beer and wine. Their on-site music hall features an eclectic mix of acts throughout the week.
Scarborough’s only brewery switches hats between making their own beer and acting as a contract-brewing hub for many recognizable brands. Both are available on site.
BURDOCK PILSNER
SOCIABLE PILSNER
VERMONT BLOND
PILSNER
BLOND ALE
Seasonal: B,L ABV IBU
BOHEMIAN PILSNER
Year-round: B,L
5.1% 29
ABV IBU
#10 IPA
Year-round: B,L,LC
4.5% 29
TORONTO
ABV IBU
W E S T C OA S T- S T Y L E I N D I A PA L E A L E Small-batch: B
4.7% 27
ABV IBU
6.2% 56
TORONTO
GODSPEED BREWERY
FOLLY BREWING
928 College St. | FollyBrewing.com
242 Coxwell Ave. | GodspeedBrewery.com
As the weather closes in, neighbourhood brewpubs like this haunt on College become even more inviting. Look for the frequently changing selection on their guest tap.
For the winter season, you can expect to see bigger beers coming out of the brewery side of the operation including releases for their bottleconditioned, barrel-aged beers.
FLEMISH CAP
FUYU
O L D - WO R L D S A I S O N Year-round: B ABV IBU
4.5% 15
MYSTIC BLOSSOM PLUM SAISON
Seasonal: B ABV IBU
MONDAI
BA R L E Y W I N E
6.5% N/A
Seasonal: B,L ABV IBU
9.5% 75
A M E R I C A N - S T Y L E PA L E A L E W I T H J A PA N E S E CITRUS Seasonal: B,L ABV IBU
5.6% 40 43
TORONTO
TORONTO
GOOSE ISLAND BREWHOUSE TORONTO
70 The Esplanade | GooseIsland.com
GRANITE BREWERY
245 Eglinton Ave. E. | GraniteBrewery.ca
A Toronto outpost for a Chicago icon serves a deep list of made-on-site beers. Mark Nov. 23 on your calendars, that’s Bourbon County Brand Stout day.
The Keefe family has been the driving force here since Ron founded it in 1991. Mary Beth now runs the Ringwood-fuelled open fermenters that make ales especially good on cask.
BOURBON OFF-SEASON COUNTY BRAND LAGER STOUT 2018 MARZEN
DARKSIDE BLACK IPA
BA R R E L - A G E D S T R O N G One-off: B,L
ABV IBU
P O RT E R
B L A C K I PA
Seasonal: B,L
ABV 14.7% IBU N/A
1812 PORTER
Seasonal: B,L
6.2% 26
ABV IBU
TORONTO
7% 70
Seasonal: B ABV IBU
6.8% 55
TORONTO
HALO BREWERY
HENDERSON BREWING CO.
247 Wallace Ave. | HaloBrewery.com
128A Sterling Rd. | HendersonBrewing.com
Even after an ownership change, it has been steady as she goes at this Wallace Emerson brewery. Top-notch food popups rotate through on weekends.
On top of the two regular beers, every month brings a new one-off for their “Ides of...” series. These rotating releases land near mid-month.
MAGIC MISSILE
WINTER SEASONAL
D RY- H O P P E D PA L E A L E Year-round: B,L ABV IBU
44
5.5% 28
EVENT HORIZON
F O R E I G N E X T R A S TO U T W I T H S A R S A PA R I L L A Seasonal: B,L ABV IBU
6% 25
HENDERSON’S BEST
S TO U T
ENGLISH-STYLE BITTER
Seasonal: B ABV IBU
6.5% 50
Year-round: B,L,LC,TBS ABV IBU
5.5% 48
TORONTO
TORONTO
KENSINGTON BREWING CO.
LEFT FIELD BREWERY
299 Augusta Ave. KensingtonBrewingCompany.com
36 Wagstaff Dr. | LeftFieldBrewery.ca
A warm space in the heart of Kensington Market, their taproom overlooks the brewery. Watch out for special events like their sausagemaking and beer-pairing workshop.
Spend the off-season and count the days until spring training at this family-friendly brewery in a former east-side industrial space.
TEMPER TEMPER
GREENWOOD
D RY S TO U T W I T H C A C A O NIBS Seasonal: B,L ABV IBU
CONVERGENCE - PLUM KETTLE SOUR WITH PLUM PUREE Seasonal: B,L
5.8% 30
ABV IBU
5.2% 15
TORONTO
A M E R I C A N - S T Y L E I PA
LASER SHOW V E R M O N T- S T Y L E I M P E R I A L I PA
Year-round: B,L,LC ABV IBU
Year-round: B,L,LC
6.3% 65
ABV IBU
8% 80
TORONTO
LOUIS CIFER BREW WORKS
LOT 30 BREWERS
303 Lansdowne Ave. | Lot30Brewers.com
417 Danforth Ave. LouisCiferBrewWorks.com
Darrin Earley’s brewery in Brockton Village continues to turn out a rotating selection of small-batch and seasonal brews.
Brewpub meets bar at this Danforth favourite. The lively room attracts groups of locals with a mix of house-made brews and favourites from other local craft breweries.
SOUR IPA WITH GALAXY HOPS
COCONUT LEMONGRASS THAI-PA
I PA
Seasonal: B ABV IBU
5.4% N/A
IMPERIAL STOUT W/ COFFEE, CHOCOLATE I M P E R I A L S TO U T Seasonal: B ABV IBU
9.9% N/A
I PA W I T H F R U I T Year-round: B,L,LC ABV IBU
6.5% 60
IRISH DRY STOUT S TO U T
Year-round: B ABV IBU
4.1% 33 45
TORONTO
TORONTO
MILL ST. BREW PUB
MUDDY YORK BREWING CO.
21 Tank House Ln. | MillStreetBrewery.com
22 Cranfield Rd. | MuddyYorkBrewing.com
Early November saw them launch their brand new single barrel whisky programme. Stop in for a tour during the Distillery Christmas Market this December.
Look out for their Inkwell imperial stout (aged in cognac barrels) this Christmas and see if you can still snag some of their barley wine. Their 4th anniversary party is planned for February.
FRAMBOOZEN
SWITCHBOARD SESSION IPA
F R U I T W H E AT B E E R
Small-batch: B ABV IBU
7.8% 18
BETTYS WHITE CHOCOLATE
F L AV O U R E D N I T R O S TO U T Small-batch: B ABV IBU
S E S S I O N I PA
Year-round: B,L
5% 30
ABV IBU
TORONTO
5% 25
STORK DERBY STOUT S TO U T
Seasonal: B,L ABV IBU
5.5% 40
TORONTO
PEOPLE’S PINT BREWING CO.
RADICAL ROAD BREWING CO.
90 Cawthra Ave. | PeoplesPint.com
1177 Queen St. E. | RadicalRoadBrew.com
They’re dropping their first barrel-aged beer in late-November. It’s a Confederation-era recipe for a porter that has been aged in a whiskey barrel and then conditioned in bottle.
Seasonally tuned and independent; this brewery needs to be visited to take its measure. RR has one of Toronto’s best selections of coldseason lagers in trad German styles.
DIAMOND PARK
ENTROPY
ENGLISH MILD
Seasonal: B,L ABV IBU
46
3% 20
TIME LORD
A M E R I C A N - S T Y L E I PA Year-round: B,L ABV IBU
7% 55
THREE KINGS
S TO U T
HIBISCUS SAISON
Seasonal: B,L ABV IBU
4.5% 20
Seasonal: B ABV IBU
6% 18
TORONTO
TORONTO
RAINHARD BREWING CO.
RORSCHACH BREWING CO.
100 Symes Rd. | RainhardBrewing.com
1001 Eastern Ave. | RorschachBrewing.com
Stop in on Friday for their food truck popups and watch for special events to continue complementing the most hop-forward beer programme in the Aleyards.
The closing of patio season just means more reason to pop inside at this Eastern Ave. standby. They’re doing especially interesting things with fruit beers these days.
SWEETBACK’S
TRUTH SERUM
M I L K S TO U T
Seasonal: B,L ABV IBU
5% 25
HEARTS COLLIDE I M P E R I A L S TO U T (BOURBON & RUM BA R R E L A G E D ) Seasonal: B ABV IBU
A M E R I C A N - S T Y L E I PA
HEDONISM
S O U R I PA W I T H C H E R RIES
Year-round: B,L
11% 80
ABV IBU
TORONTO
Seasonal: B,L
6.3% 65
ABV IBU
6.9% N/A
TORONTO
SAULTER STREET BREWERY
SHACKLANDS BREWING CO.
1-31 Saulter St. | SaulterStreetBrewery.com
101-100 Symes Rd. | Shacklands.com
The poster child for an endearingly small-scale take on brewing. Their excellently named Krampus imperial stout (2018) launches December 5 on Krampusnacht.
Go for the full-flavoured saisons, and other Belgian-style ales; stay for the kitschy decor and friendly conversation.
PARADISE FOUND
TRIPEL
KRAMPUS
T R O P I C A L DA R K A L E Seasonal: B ABV IBU
5.8% 35
I M P E R I A L S TO U T Small-batch: B ABV IBU
SAISON DAVENPORT
TRIPEL
10% 50
SAISON Seasonal: B,L ABV IBU
7% 20
Year-round: B,L ABV IBU
6.4% 22 47
TORONTO
TORONTO
THE SIX BREWING CO.
STEAM WHISTLE
777 Dundas St. W. | TheSixBrewingCo.com
255 Bremner Blvd. | SteamWhistle.ca
Whether by taxi, bike, transit or on foot, this is one of the easiest breweries to get to and feels right at home in the creative and youthful Trin-Bellwoods neighbourhood.
Tour the brewery in its landmark railroad roundhouse for an opportunity to sample the unfiltered (and therefore more complex) version of their Czech-style pilsner.
HOPSTER
PILSNER (UNFILTERED)
LINE 1
S E S S I O N I PA
LAGER
Year-round: B ABV IBU
4.3% 40
CZECH-STYLE PILSNER Year-round: B ABV IBU
4.8% 22
TORONTO
PILSNER
CZECH-STYLE PILSNER
Year-round: B ABV IBU
Year-round: B,L,LC,TBS
5% 22
ABV IBU
5% 22
TORONTO
VEGANDALE BREWERY
VON BUGLE BREWING
1346 Queen St. W., | VegandaleBrewery.com
249 Evans Ave. | vonbugle.ca
This controversy courting Parkdale brewery wears its philosophy on its sleeve and in its logo. Beer brewed by Duggan’s, their downstairs neighbours on Queen West.
To Steam Whistle as Frasier was to Cheers, Von Bugle continues the make-one-beer-well mantra, this time with a dark lager.
MORALLY SUPERIOR IPA
VON BUGLE MUNICH LAGER
A M E R I C A N - S T Y L E I PA Year-round: B ABV IBU
48
6.5% N/A
SHINING EXAMPLE STOUT
I R I S H D RY S TO U T Year-round: B ABV IBU
4.2% N/A
MUNICH DUNKEL
Year-round: B,L ABV IBU
5% 33
Tag us in your beer #ontariocraft ram! ag st In photos on @THEGROWLERON
BREWERIES
5 Paddles Arch Brock St. Chronicle County Durham Lake Wilcox Little Beasts Magnotta Manantler Market Old Flame Oshawa Rouge River The Second Wedge 15 Town
01 02 03 04 05 06 07 08 09 10 11 12 13 14
52 53
52 50 53 50 51 52 53 52 50 51 51 51 50
02 10
E
400
06
08
VAUGHAN
NEWMARKET
W
N
404
13
401
MARKHAM
48
407
47
7
11
412
01 03
15
12
OSHAWA
2
57
09 04
LAKE ONTARIO
07
WHITBY
PORT PERRY
12
PICKERING
05
UXBRIDGE
14
7a 35
115
N o rt h & E as t G TA
49
BOWMANVILLE
BOWMANVILLE
CHRONICLE BREWING CO.
422 Lake Rd., unit 3 | ChronicleBeer.com
MANANTLER CRAFT BREWING CO.
182 Wellington St., unit 18 | Manantler.com
The team behind Bowmanville’s latest have started their brewery with a nano system and a love board games. Beer lineup is diverse and rotates frequently.
They are growing into a local hangout with a cool aesthetic. Thursday is open mic night and weekends feature live music. The art on the walls is by local artists and is for sale.
SMOOTH OPERATOR
CREAMED BY BICKELL
GOLDEN AXE
A M E R I C A N - S T Y L E I PA Availability: B ABV IBU
BLONDE ALE
CREAM ALE
Availability: B
6% N/A
ABV IBU
4% N/A
MARKHAM
DARK PRINCE B L A C K I PA
Year-round: B,L ABV IBU
Year-round: B,L
4.4% 16
ABV IBU
6% 90
NEWMARKET
ROUGE RIVER BREWING CO.
ARCH BREWING CO.
8-50 Bullock Dr. | RougeRiverBrewery.com
4-11 Pony Dr. | ArchBrewing.ca
The bottle shop has both cans and bottles in a range of styles and flavours. They keep Markham’s beer fans satiated with an evolving range of seasonal brews.
Newmarket’s two-year-old brewery has a Canadiana-cool vibe from the Dinner Jacket IPA in its recognizable “lumberjack formal” plaid-adorned can to a Chesterfield kölsch.
WINTER IPA
SHORTY LONG BACK
A M E R I C A N - S T Y L E I PA Seasonal: B ABV IBU
50
6.5% 63
KING DANKSTER T R I P L E I PA
S E S S I O N I PA
Year-round: B ABV IBU
11% 70
Year-round: B ABV IBU
3.8% 40
CHESTERFIELD KÖ L S C H
Year-round: B,L,LC,TBS ABV IBU
5.3% 20
NEWMARKET
OSHAWA
MARKET BREWING CO.
OSHAWA BREWING COMPANY
4-17775 Leslie St. | MarketBrewingCo.com
875 Wilson Rd. S., Unit 1 facebook.com/oshawabrewingcompany
Live music on Fridays and Saturdays is the entertainment highlight for this north-ofToronto brewery.
The only brewery in Oshawa, just opened this year, puts out a focussed lineup of straightforward brews.
METROPOLITAN
MAPLE ALE
P O RT E R
BEAR HUG
A M E R I C A N - S T Y L E I PA
Year-round: B,L ABV IBU
Year-round: B,L,LC
5% 30
ABV IBU
7% 55
PICKERING
BLONDE ALE
RED ALE
BLONDE ALE
Year-round: B ABV IBU
5.5% N/A
Year-round: B ABV IBU
5.5% N/A
PORT PERRY
COUNTY DURHAM BREWING CO.
OLD FLAME BREWING CO.
135 Perry St. | OldFlameBrewingCo.ca
1885 Clements Rd.
If you spot their ales on cask at your local, that’s what you should order. Straightforward and complex. No on-site bottle shop or taproom.
A bit under-the-radar in Port Perry, Old Flame took home medals in two of the North American lager categories at the 2017 Canadian Brewing Awards.
SIGNATURE ALE
RED VIENNA LAGER
B R I T I S H - S T Y L E I PA Year-round: L,LC ABV IBU
5% 28
BLACK KATT STOUT I R I S H S TO U T
Year-round: L,LC ABV IBU
4.4% 26
VIENNA LAGER
Year-round: B,LC ABV IBU
5% 20
BRUNETTE MUNICH DUNKEL
MUNICH DUNKEL Year-round: B,L ABV IBU
4.8% 20 51
UXBRIDGE
VAUGHAN
THE SECOND WEDGE BREWING CO.
LAKE WILCOX BREWING CO.
14 Victoria St. | TheSecondWedge.ca
3-1033 Edgeley Blvd. LakeWilcoxBrewing.com
Uxbridge is the trail capital of Canada and this is your best bet for an après beer after crosscountry skiing or showshoeing! They’ll mark their 3rd anniversary with a party on Dec. 28.
Lake Wilcox took home two gold medals at the 2018 Ontario Brewing Awards, for Mad Quacker and their coffee stout. Follow their social for info about events and extended hours.
SWEATER WEATHER
OOMPH LAGER
SPICE FACTORY W I N T E R WA R M E R
DA R K S A I S O N
Seasonal: B,L ABV IBU
5.5% 25
Seasonal: B,L ABV IBU
7.5% 23
VAUGHAN
D RY- H O P P E D L A G E R
MAD QUACKER AMBER LAGER
Year-round: B,L,LC,TBS ABV IBU
Year-round: B,L,TBS
5% 16
ABV IBU
5% 24
WHITBY
MAGNOTTA BREWERY
5 PADDLES BREWING CO.
The Vaughan stalwart has a longstanding connection to wine country (beyond also making wine) that includes their own strain of hops grown in Vineland.
One of Durham’s most successful craft breweries, 5 Paddles runs two side-by-side brew systems. That setup gives them the flexibility to brew a style for every palate.
DOUBLE DROOLING DOG IPA
HOME SWEET HOME
271 Chrislea Rd. | MagnottaBrewery.com
B L A C K I PA
Seasonal: B,L,TBS ABV IBU
52
6.4% 64
TRUE NORTH INUKSHUK IPA E N G L I S H - S T Y L E I PA
Year-round: B,L,LC,TBS ABV IBU
6.5% 38
#3-1390 Hopkins St. | 5PaddlesBrewing.ca
SPICED BEER
Year-round: B,L,LC,TBS ABV IBU
5.5% 29
SKULL PUCKER S O U R I PA
Seasonal: B,L ABV IBU
5% 65
WHITBY
WHITBY
BROCK STREET BREWING CO.
LITTLE BEASTS BREWING CO.
1501 Hopkins St. | BrockStBrewing.com
2075 Forbes St. | LittleBeastsBrewing.com
This November, they plan to open 12welve Bistro & Tapwerks in their new space. Approachable ales and lagers fuel the strong event schedule at this community clubhouse.
This Whitby brewery took now best newcomer at the Golden Tap awards. Erin Broadfoot and team have made a friendly space for sampling well-made takes on classic styles.
BOHEMIAN PILSNER
LA SAISON D’AUTOMNE
BLONDE ALE
BOHEMIAN-STYLE PILSNER Year-round: B,LC,TBS ABV IBU
LAGERED ALE
FRUITED SAISON
Year-round: B,LC,TBS
5.2% 35
ABV IBU
4.2% 25
TELEVISION SHEPHERD M I L K S TO U T
Seasonal: B ABV IBU
Year-round: B
7% 23
ABV IBU
5% 35
WHITBY
TOWN BREWERY
WWW.CANADAKEGS.COM
1632 Charles St. | townbrewery.ca
PAKTECH
CAN CARRIERS IN STOCK!
They celebrated their first anniversary on Nov. 3 by releasing their first barrel-aged beer: The Land of Milk and Honey, whiskey barrel imperial honey and milk stout. THE LAND OF MILK & HONEY
BA R R E L A G E D I M P E R I A L M I L K S TO U T One-off: B ABV 11.9% IBU N/A
MASH OF THE TITANS
A M E R I C A N - S T Y L E I PA Seasonal: B ABV IBU
6.5% N/A
PAKTECH CAN CARRIERS WITH CANS BECOMING THE PACKAGING STANDARD OF THE INDUSTRY, OUR PAKTECH CAN CARRIERS ARE AN ENVIRONMENTALLY FRIENDLY AND EASY TO USE PACKAGING OPTION. MADE FROM 100% CANADIAN POST CONSUMER WASTE. 1 BOX MINIMUM ORDER!
SOLD BY THE BOX OR PALLET: • ALWAYS IN STOCK IN 8 DIFFERENT COLOURS • SHIPS FROM OUR DELTA BC WAREHOUSE OR OAKVILLE, ON WAREHOUSE • 4, 6, 8 AND 12 PACKS AS WELL AS CROWLER CAN 3 PACKS AND, SLIM/SLEEK CAN 4 PACKS – IN STOCK
CANADA KEGS & PACKAGING INC.
3600 BILLINGS COURT, SUITE 100 BURLINGTON, ON L7N 3N6 JENNIFER@CANADAKEGS.COM | 905-220-2311
53
H a mi lt o n, Bra nt & W es t G TA 04
N W
27
400
10
E
CALEDON 02
407
124
6
7
MISSISSAUGA 13
14
7 Tri-Cities & Central West Ontario maps pages 64 & 69.
MILTON
401
05 01 407
12 15
6 8
24
16 5
07 11
HAMILTON
17
403
BURLINGTON 06 8
2 20
BRANTFORD
BREWERIES 01 All or Nothing 59 02 Badlands 57 03 Bell City 56 04 Caledon Hills 57 05 Cameron's 59 06 Clifford 57 07 Collective Arts 58
LAKE ONTARIO
403
03 10
08 09
OAKVILLE
08 Fairweather 58 09 Grain & Grit 58 10 Mash Paddle 56 11 Merit 58 12 Nickel Brook 55 13 Old Credit 59 14 Orange Snail 59
15 Pepperwood 56 16 Shaun & Ed 57 17 Steel Wheel 56
BURLINGTON CITY
NICKEL BROOK BREWING CO.
864 Drury Ln. | NickelBrook.com MON-TUES 11AM-6PM ^ WED-FRI 11AM-9PM ^ SAT 10-6PM ^ SUN 12PM-4PM EST. 2005 They plan to have a new taproom open this November and that means more of their top-rate beer. Check their social for details like hours.
CUVEE
CHEEKY BASTARD
Seasonal: B,L,LC
Year-round: B,L,LC,TBS
BA R R E L - A G E D S P I C E D A L E
ABV
8%
IBU
37
Accented with fruit, spice and demerara, a cellar-worthy pick with room to age.
S TO U T
ABV
4.5%
IBU
35
The stout that launched a series. Look for well integrated roasted malt with a light-med body.
55
BRANTFORD
BRANTFORD
BELL CITY BREWING CO.
MASH PADDLE BREWING CO.
51 Woodyatt Dr., unit 9 BellCityBrewing.com
111 Sherwood Dr., unit 3A MashPaddleBrewing.com
The brewery gets its name from Brantford’s nickname, a reference to its second-most famous past resident, Alexander Graham Bell. Beers here really lean into their stated flavour.
Entirely family-owned and operated by self-declared beer geeks. A rotating selection of releases fills the lively taproom with locals.
EUREKA CREAM ALE
CITRANATTI BENGAL
AMBER CREAM ALE
Year-round: B,L,LC,TBS ABV IBU
PEEPSHOW IPA
W E S T C OA S T- S T Y L E I PA Year-round: B,L,LC
5.8% 38
ABV IBU
SESSION ALE
Year-round: B,L
6% 60
BRANTFORD
ABV IBU
4.5% 30
THE TREWS’ NORTH STRONG
SPICED WINTER ALE Seasonal: B,L ABV IBU
6.6% 12
BURLINGTON
STEEL WHEEL BREWERY
PEPPERWOOD BREWERY BISTRO
105 Powerline Rd. | SteelWheel.ca
1455 Lakeshore Rd. | pepperwood.on.ca
Located on an existing hop farm in Brant County that belongs to Harold Kuret and Cindy Blair. Taproom is in a fully-renovated 1890s farmhouse with a patio.
The house beers at the Burlington bistro are designed to complement classic fare like haddock and frites and curried lamb shank.
EAST COAST IPA
CREAM ALE
NEW ENGLAND-STYLE I PA Year-round: B ABV IBU
56
6.3% N/A
PALE ALE
A M E R I C A N - S T Y L E PA L E Year-round: B ABV IBU
4.2% N/A
CREAM ALE
Year-round: B ABV IBU
5% N/A
MONKEY BROWN ALE
AMERICAN-STYLE B R OW N A L E Year-round: B ABV IBU
5% N/A
CALEDON
CALEDON
BADLANDS BREWING COMPANY
CALEDON HILLS BREWING COMPANY
13926 Chinguacousy Rd. badlandsbrewing.ca
caledonhillsbrewing.ca
Good beer from the Badlands, the retro-fitted farm-based brewery specializes in sours and hop-forward ales. They are hoping to open their bottle shop soon, so check their social.
The outside-the-city brewery with a woodpecker for a logo. They focus on selling tall cans and kegs for events.
DISTORTED RE(ALE)ITY
BOHEMIAN PILS
A M E R I C A N - S T Y L E PA L E ALE Year-round: L,TBS ABV IBU
THROUGH THE GLASS
NEW ENGLAND-STYLE I PA Year-round: L,TBS
5.6% N/A
ABV IBU
6.5% N/A
DUNDAS
BOHEMIAN-STYLE PILSNER
Year-round: B,LC,TBS ABV IBU
5% N/A
PREMIUM LAGER
VIENNA-STYLE LAGER Year-round: B,LC,TBS ABV IBU
5% 18
HAMILTON
SHAWN & ED BREWING CO.
CLIFFORD BREWING CO.
65 Hatt St. | LagerShed.com
1-398 Nash Rd. N. | CliffordBrewing.com
Lagershed beers are sessionable lagers in three varieties. The Barrelshed range represents the brewery’s connection to wine and are all aged in pinot noir barrels from Flat Rock Cellars.
After plenty of experience brewing on small systems in tiny spaces, it’s good to see Brad Clifford stretch his wings in his own space— East Hamilton’s first craft brewery.
LAGERSHED ORIGINAL
PINBALL WIZARD
LAGER
Year-round: B,L,LC,TBS ABV IBU
5.2% 18
BARRELSHED NO.1 BA R R E L - A G E D E S B
Year-round: B,L,LC,TBS ABV IBU
6.5% 49
A M E R I C A N - S T Y L E PA L E ALE Year-round: B,L,LC,TBS ABV IBU
5.7% 55
CLIFFORD PORTER
R O B U S T P O RT E R Year-round: B,L,LC,TBS ABV IBU
5.9% 38 57
HAMILTON
HAMILTON
COLLECTIVE ARTS BREWING FAIRWEATHER BREWING CO.
207 Burlington St. E. | CollectiveArtsBrewing.com
1-5 Ofield Rd. | FairweatherBrewing.com
Regular calls for submissions have built a series of the most recognizable can artwork in all of craft beer. Sundays from 5-7 p.m. the taproom is filled with live acoustic music.
Part of the brewery boom in West Hamilton, Fairweather opened in May 2017 and already has plans for offering online ordering soon.
BARREL AGED IMPERIAL PORTER 2018
IMPERIAL PILSNER
BA R R E L - A G E D P O RT E R Small-batch: B,LC ABV 11.5% IBU N/A
RADIO THE MOTHERSHIP I M P E R I A L I PA
Seasonal: B,L,LC ABV IBU
OLD SOUL
D RY- H O P P E D I M P E R I A L PILSNER One-off: B
8.2% 100
ABV IBU
HAMILTON
BA R R E L - A G E D S A I S O N One-off: B
7.5% 25
ABV IBU
6.5% 10
HAMILTON
GRAIN & GRIT BEER CO.
MERIT BREWING
11 Ewen Rd. | GrainAndGritBeer.com
107 James St. N. | MeritBrewing.ca
A bright and sunny space with thoughtfully made beers from a variety of styles. Their event calendar stretches from cross stitching to live music to a weekly dog day on Wednesday.
What do you get when a chef, biz school grad and brewmaster walk into Hamilton? Vallins, Sandhu and Spinney have created a wide open space with well-made beer and sausages.
WEST END IPA
SVP
A M E R I C A N - S T Y L E I PA Seasonal: B ABV IBU
58
6.8% 75
WINTER WHITE STOUT W H I T E S TO U T
Seasonal: B ABV IBU
5% 22
F R E N C H TA B L E B E E R Year-round: B ABV IBU
3% 13
GOOD THINGS 2018 I M P E R I A L S A I S O N W. NIAGARA FRUIT Seasonal: B ABV IBU
8.1% 23
MILTON
OAKVILLE
ORANGE SNAIL BREWERS
ALL OR NOTHING BREWHOUSE
1-32 Steeles Ave. E. | OrangeSnailBrewers.ca
1156 Speers Rd. | AllOrNothing.beer
Family-owned and operated in Milton, this neighbourhood brewery has eight beers on tap. They make a wide range of English-leaning beer under the tagline “blissfully ignorant ales”.
Changes have been afoot at Trafalgar since it was bought by All or Nothing in 2016. That meant a capital investment and a maintained focus on meads, spirits and beer.
RATTLE ‘N’ NEMO
MASALA CHAI MEAD
IRON PIG BLONDE ALE
AMBER ALE
Year-round: B,L ABV IBU
5% 25
TEA-INFUSED MEAD
Year-round: B,L,LC ABV IBU
T R O P I C A L W H E AT
Year-round: B,LC
5% 18
OAKVILLE
ALL OR NOTHING HOPFENWEISSE
ABV IBU
Year-round: B,LC,TBS
7% N/A
ABV IBU
5.1% 30
PORT CREDIT
CAMERON’S BREWING
OLD CREDIT BREWING CO.
1165 Invicta Dr. | CameronsBrewing.com
6 Queen St. W. | OldCreditBrewing.com
Still a hidden gem after 20 years and an impressively-full trophy case. Pay ‘em a visit for the new hazy beer series and special on-siteonly beer features over the next year.
Founded by the Listas in 1994, Old Credit is now one of the oldest in Ontario. They make a focused lineup of straightforward styles.
HAZE ACROSS THE 7 C’S
PALE PILSNER
HAZY AMERICAN-STYLE PA L E A L E Seasonal: B,L ABV IBU
4.5% 35
BLACK FOREST DA R K L A G E R
Seasonal: B,L ABV IBU
4.5% 20
PILSNER
Year-round: B,L,LC,TBS ABV IBU
5% 15
AMBER ALE AMBER
Year-round: B,L,LC,TBS ABV IBU
5% 22 59
n i a ga ra BREWERIES 01 02 03 04 05 06 07 08 09 10 11
Bench Breakwall Brimstone The Exchange Kame & Kettle Lock Street Merchant Ale House Niagara Niagara College Niagara Oast House Silversmith
61 63 63 62 61 63
LAKE ONTARIO Q U E E N E L I Z A BETH
01
81
WA
NIAGARA ON THE LAKE 11
87
06
55
07
Y
09
58
57
406
08
NIAGARA FALLS
05
62 62
100 405
ST. CATHARINES
63 61 61
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join the #LADYBEERSQUAD
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58A 140 3
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ladiesdrinkbeer.com @ladiesdrinkbeer @ladiesdrinkbeer
Photography by Nancy Kim/NSBKIM Photography
BEAMSVILLE
FONTHILL
KAME & KETTLE BEER WORKS
BENCH BREWING CO.
3991 King St. | BenchBrewing.com
25 Pelham Town Square | kameandkettle.ca/
The new space in Beamsville has become popular with locals, especially on game night. They’re another entry on the growing list of breweries doing crowlers.
The Niagara-area brewery boasts a huge taplist. The brewery’s name is a play on a double-entendre around the region’s geological formation. Rock jokes are the best.
CITRA GROVE
MIDNIGHT BLUE
D RY- H O P P E D S O U R
TWENTY MILE FA R M H O U S E A L E
Year-round: B,L,LC ABV IBU
SOUR FRUIT BEER
Year-round: B,L,LC
6% 14
ABV IBU
MINIVAN KÖ L S C H
Seasonal: B
5.3% 27
ABV IBU
NIAGARA
Year-round: B,L
4.9% 10
ABV IBU
4.8% 18
NOTL
NIAGARA COLLEGE TEACHING BREWERY
NIAGARA BREWING CO.
4915-A Clifton Hill NiagaraBrewingCompany.com
135 Taylor Rd. | NCTeachingBrewery.ca
An oasis in a desert of tourist traps and souvenir shops, this is the place to stop in for an approachable beer when your in the Falls over the holiday break.
Graduating brewmasters will each present their unique, handcrafted brews at the next Project Brew on Dec 7 at Market Square in downtown St. Catherines.
NIAGARA PREMIUM LAGER
STOUT 101
HENNEPIN S TO U T
CHERRY PILSNER
S TO U T
PILSNER
LAGER
Year-round: B,TBS ABV IBU
4.5% 20
Year-round: B,TBS ABV IBU
4.4% 33
Year-round: B,LC ABV IBU
5.5% 26
Year-round: B ABV IBU
5.5% 12 61
NOTL
NOTL
NIAGARA OAST HOUSE BREWERS
SILVERSMITH BREWING CO.
1523 Niagara Stone Rd. SilversmithBrewing.com
2017 Niagara Stone Rd. OastHouseBrewers.com
Late autumn into winter is when their farmhouse style really shines brightest. Their biere de garde is an ideal match if your planning turkey for Christmas dinner.
Virgil’s church brewery has many breweryonly beer options. They have a major expansion underway at their historic space.
BIERE DE NOEL
BLACK LAGER
B E L G I A N DA R K S T R O N G
BIERE DE GARDE
BIERE DE GARDE
Seasonal: B ABV IBU
S C H WA R Z B I E R
Year-round: B
7.5% 35
ABV IBU
7% 20
Year-round: B,L,LC ABV IBU
5% 15
LET IT RIDE
B E L G I A N - S T Y L E RY E ALE Small-batch: B ABV IBU
5% 24
NOTL
THE EXCHANGE BREWERY
7 Queen St. | ExchangeBrewery.com
Refined and elevated are the names of the game at the NOTL brewery. Niagara-on-the-Lake is postcard perfect when under snow and The Exchange is ideal place to warm up. PEACH PI
TA RT B L O N D E A L E W I T H PEACHES AND SPICES Seasonal: B,LC ABV IBU
62
5.9% 21
SESSION SAISON SAISON
Year-round: B ABV IBU
4.5% 25
A blonde ale barrel-aged on a generous amount of peaches with cinnamon bark, vanilla beans and a touch of Brettanomyces.
AVAILABLE NOW AT THE LCBO, FOR A LIMITED TIME!
PORT COLBORNE
PORT DALHOUSIE
BREAKWALL BREWING CO.
LOCK STREET BREWING CO.
46 Clarence St. | BreakwallBrewery.com
104-15 Lock St. | LockStreet.ca
They have returned local brewing to Port Colborne after a 100-year absence. A full menu of pub fare is served at the on-site restaurant.
The entire 19th-century historical buildling that they call home is dog-friendly. See the event page on the website for a schedule of upcoming gigs in the biergarten.
SUGARLOAF HILL
ZEE INDUSTRIAL DUNKELWEIZEN PALE ALE
B R OW N A L E
Small-batch: B,L ABV IBU
5.5% 30
TOASTED WALNUT DUNKEL
D U N K E LW E I Z E N Small-batch: B,L ABV IBU
5.5% 20
RIDGEWAY
E U R O P E A N DA R K L A G E R Seasonal: B
5% 20
ABV IBU
I PA
Year-round: B,LC ABV IBU
5.8% 63
ST. CATHARINES
BRIMSTONE BREWING CO.
THE MERCHANT ALE HOUSE
209 Ridge Road N. | BrimstoneBrewing.ca
98 St. Paul St. | merchantalehouse.com
Brimstone takes its religious decor from its home in a modern church, called The Sanctuary Centre for the Arts in Ridgeway, Ont.
Look for well-made pub fare and a deep bottle list to complement their house beers. You’ll also find those brews in their new bottle shop.
SINISTER MINISTER
DANKFRUIT
A M E R I C A N - S T Y L E I PA Year-round: B,L,LC ABV IBU
7% 90
ENLIGHTENMENT
AMERICAN-STYLE BLONDE ALE Year-round: B ABV IBU
5.5% 25
A M E R I C A N - S T Y L E I PA Small-batch: B ABV IBU
5.9% 70
SIGNAL COLD BREW COFFEE STOUT N I T R O M I L K S TO U T Seasonal: B ABV IBU
4.4% 32 63
Tr i - C i t i e s
85
BREWERIES 01 Abe Erb
ST. JACOBS 08
7
02
Kitchener 66
02 Abe Erb Waterloo 66 03 Barncat 65 04 Bitte Schön 68 05 Block Three 68 06 Descendants 66 07 Grand River 65 08 Innocente 68 09 Jackass 65 10 North Works 65 11 Red Circle 66 12 Rhythm & Brews 66 13 Short Finger 67 14 TWB 67 15 Upper Thames 68 16 Waterloo 67
7
05
16
WATERLOO 01
06 11
04
KITCHENER
8
6
13 14 8
09 10
03 12
07
NEW HAMBURG
CAMBRIDGE 24 5 401
59
N 2
15
WOODSTOCK
W
E
403
®
BEAU’S ALL NATURAL BREWING CO VANKLEEK HILL, ON
COWBELL BREWING CO BLYTHE, ON
JACK’S GASTROPUB KINGSVILLE, ON
GREAT LOCAL BEER DESERVES GREAT LOCAL FOOD. Find your next perfect pairing at one of these ® Feast On Certified breweries and pubs near you. BLUE ELEPHANT CRAFT BREWHOUSE NORFOLK COUNTY, ON
NORTHWINDS BREWHOUSE COLLINGWOOD, ON
FOR MORE LOCAL FOOD AND DRINK ADVENTURES, VISIT: ONTARIO CULINARY.COM GREAT LAKES BREWERY TORONTO, ON
THE PUBLICAN HOUSE PETERBOROUGH, ON
RHUBARB AT BOSHKUNG BREWING MINDEN, ON
CAMBRIDGE
CAMBRIDGE
BARNCAT ARTISAN ALES
GRAND RIVER BREWING
1600 Industrial Rd., Unit B5 BarncatAles.com
295 Ainslie St. | GrandRiverBrewing.com
A small brewery in Cambridge with a deft hand making hop-forward IPAs and an advanced barrel programme including foeders and local chardonnay barrels.
One of Ontario’s most established craft breweries with a focus on English-leaning and low-alcohol styles. Recently purchased by Magnotta, another Ontario craft brewery.
GRISETTE
PLOWMAN’S ALE
DOUBLE THE JUICE
GRISETTE
D O U B L E I PA One-off: B ABV IBU
One-off: B
4.2% 10
ABV IBU
8.6% 30
CAMBRIDGE
A M E R I C A N - S T Y L E PA L E ALE Year-round: B,L,LC ABV IBU
RUSSIAN GUN I M P E R I A L S TO U T
Year-round: B,L,LC
4.7% 60
ABV IBU
8% 37
CAMBRIDGE
JACKASS BREWING
NORTH WORKS BREWING CO.
100 Sheldon Dr., Unit 36 | JackassBrewing.ca
46 Stafford Ct. Unit b | NorthWorksBrewing.com
This Cambridge brewery is owned by two brothers making the wide range of beer styles they love to drink. Selection rotates frequently.
Find their IPA-dominated list (plus a handful of other complementary styles) at a few Cambridge bars and in their taproom.
SUNKISS JUICY IPA
MOSAIC SMASH
NEW ENGLAND-STYLE I PA Year-round: B,L ABV IBU
6.5% 45
RED BEARD IRISH RED ALE
Small-batch: B ABV IBU
6.5% 20
A M E R I C A N - S T Y L E I PA
Year-round: B,L ABV IBU
6.2% N/A
THE EXCHANGER B L A C K I PA
Seasonal: B ABV IBU
7.2% N/A 65
CAMBRIDGE
KITCHENER
RHYTHM & BREWS BREWING CO.
ABE ERB
The Tannery, 151 Charles St. W., Kitchener 15 King St. S., Waterloo | AbeErb.com
1000 Bishop St. N., Unit 10 RhythmAndBrews.ca
The 18,000-litre system keeps patrons wellwatered at this brewery that plans to double as a blues bar with live bands on stage. SPOTLIGHT
SELF-TITLED
LIGHT LAGER
A M E R I C A N - S T Y L E PA L E ALE
Year-round: B,L ABV IBU
4% 10
Year-round: B,L ABV IBU
5.5% 55
KITCHENER
Named after two Mennonite brothers, Abraham and John Erb, who in the early 19th century decided to leave Pennsylvania in search of new opportunity in Upper Canada. Two locations. 1857 KÖLSCH LAGERED ALE KÖ L S C H
DAS SPRITZHAUS HEFEWEIZEN
Year-round: B,L,LC,TBS ABV IBU
Year-round: B,L,LC,TBS
4.8% 25
ABV IBU
4.7% 10
KITCHENER
RED CIRCLE BREWING CO.
DESCENDANTS BEER & BEVERAGE CO.
319 Victoria St. N. | DescendantsBeer.com
137 Glasgow St., Unit 385 redcirclebrewing.ca
One of the standbys of the Kitchener beer scene, Descendants brews a range of sessionable options. Taproom events range from music bingo to family movie trivia on Sundays.
Housed in the innovative Catalyst 137, the brewpub fits right in with digitally interactive tables, an upscale menu and a solid lineup of flavour-forward beers.
HARBINGER
IRON HORSE TRAIL
A M E R I C A N - S T Y L E PA L E ALE Year-round: B,L,LC ABV IBU
66
5.5% 38
EL BUSCADOR
MEXICAN-STYLE LIGHT LAGER Year-round: B,L,LC ABV IBU
4% 15
A M E R I C A N - S T Y L E I PA Year-round: B,L ABV IBU
6.3% 60
NIGHT SHIFT C O F F E E P O RT E R
Year-round: B,L ABV IBU
5% 25
KITCHENER
KITCHENER
SHORT FINGER BREWING CO.
TOGETHER WE’RE BITTER CO-OPERATIVE
20 Hurst Ave. | ShortFingerBrewing.com
300 Mill Street, Unit 1 | Brewing.coop
A well-regarded homebrew shop since 2015, they added a brewery in the spring of 2018. Their primary focus is blended sours, and are also fond of low(er)-ABV, hop-forward brews.
Known to locals as just “TWB” and the best spot to grab a growler. It’s a legit co-op with a community focus. Only special releases go into cans or bottles here.
TO EVIL
WOBBLY WHEEL
N E C TA R I N E BA R REL-AGED GOLDEN SOUR Small-batch: B,L ABV IBU
HOP LT.
SESSION ALE
A M E R I C A N - S T Y L E I PA
Year-round: B,L
5.8% N/A
ABV IBU
4% 30
Year-round: B,L ABV IBU
6.5% 47
PULLMAN PORTER
R O B U S T P O RT E R Occasional: B,L ABV IBU
5% 31
KITCHENER
WATERLOO BREWING
400 Bingemans Centre Dr. WaterlooBrewing.com
Whether under the Waterloo or Brick Brewing name, this is another claimant to the title for oldest craft brewery in Ontario. They make dependable beers in low-ABV styles. WATERLOO DARK
GRAPEFRUIT RADLER
DA R K L A G E R
RADLER
Year-round: B,L,LC,TBS ABV IBU
5% 14
Year-round: B,L,LC,TBS ABV IBU
3.1% N/A 67
NEW HAMBURG
ST. JACOBS
BITTE SCHÖN BRAUHAUS
BLOCK THREE BREWING
68 Huron St. | BitteSchonBrauhaus.com
1430 King St. N., Unit 2 BlockThreeBrewing.Ca
At approx. 1,000 sq feet this is one of the smallest breweries in Ont. Their Berlin-trained brewmaster is from Dublin. Family-friendly and cooperatively promote rural ON breweries.
Right in the core of St. Jacobs, this is the oldest operating microbrewery in the Kitchener Waterloo region. Kevin Freer runs one of the area’s top barrel programmes here.
HURON ST. HEFEWEIZEN
KING ST SAISON
HEFEWEIZEN
Year-round: B,L
5% 13
ABV IBU
WILMOT WILD CREAM ALE
FICKLE MISTRESS
SAISON
Occasional: B,L ABV IBU
4.5% 14
WATERLOO
D RY- H O P P E D S O U R
Year-round: B,L,LC,TBS ABV IBU
Year-round: B,LC
4.6% 16
ABV IBU
5.5% 20
WOODSTOCK
INNOCENTE BREWING CO.
UPPER THAMES BREWING CO.
283 Northfield Dr. E., unit 8 | Innocente.ca
225 Bysham Park Dr., unit 9 | UpperThamesBrewing.ca
The brewery’s founder, Steve Innocente, makes a wide range of award-winning styles. Look for a new online bottle shop and details on barrelaged releases on their website in December.
They have a second location opening in Woodstock soon. It’s a brewpub with an openconcept brewing facility as well as counterservice light pub fare.
CHARCOAL PORTER
DUSK TO DAWN
L O N D O N P O RT E R
Year-round: B,LC ABV IBU
68
5.1% 21
EVIL CONSCIENCE C A S C A D I A N I PA
Seasonal: B ABV IBU
6% N/A
W H I T E S TO U T
Seasonal: B ABV IBU
5% 24
TAKE A HIKE
D RY- H O P P E D PA L E A L E Year-round: B ABV IBU
5.6% 45
09 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17
07 08
01 02 03 04 05 06
BREWERIES
Black Swan Brothers Cowbell Elora Fixed Gear Formosa Springs Grey Matter Half Hours on Earth The Herald Haus Jobsite River Road Royal City Shakespeare Square Stone House Stratford Wellington
76 77 77 74 76 76 74 77 77 72
74 76
73 75 70 74 75
07
BAYFIELD
11
GODERICH
14
21
15
KINCARDINE
LAKE HURON
4
83
08
BLYTH
03
86
9
8
9
4
7
STRATFORD
01 09 10 16
23
FORMOSA
06
10
59
13
6
8
401
Tri-Cities map page 64. xx.
ELORA
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BLYTH CITY
COWBELL BREWING
40035 Blyth Rd. | CowbellBrewing.com
SUN-THU 11AM-9PM ^ FRI-SAT 11AM-11PM EST. 2016 Stephen Rich brews a deep catalogue of styles for the world’s first closed-loop brewery. The restaurant ups their road trip worthiness. Their beer is now available for home delivery through their website.
SHINDIG
GRAVEL RUN
HURON COUNTY LAGER
S E S S I O N I PA
Year-round: B,L,LC,TBS ABV
4.2%
IBU
14
This light and refreshing lager features bready malts and a crisp finish. Great with food.
MCNALL’S MISSION H O N E Y B R OW N A L E
4.8%
IBU
ABV
4.5%
IBU
40
Punches above its weight with citrus zest, lime, pineapple and pine. Very easy drinking.
DOC PERDUE’S BOBCAT
W E S T C OA S T R E D A L E Year-round: B,L,LC
Year-round: B,L,LC ABV
Year-round: B,L,LC,TBS
20
With notes of biscuit, toffee and a touch of cocoa this honey brown ale is just right for winter.
ABV
5.5%
IBU
30
From Ontario’s west coast, this ale packs citrus, zesty tropical fruit and the zip of pine.
Grow Your Community Through their Greener Pastures Community Fund, Cowbell Brewing Co. contributes 5¢ from the sale of every pint and can, starting with the very first can of beer sold in May 2016, to support the four children’s hospitals across Ontario.
70
GUELPH CITY
WELLINGTON BREWERY
950 Woodlawn Rd. W. | WellingtonBrewery.ca MON-SUN 11AM-7PM EST. 1985
With over three decades under their belt, one of the original craft breweries in Canada continues to push their drinkable beers forward.
SPICE ODYSSEY C H A I L AT T E S TO U T
I M P E R I A L S TO U T Year-round: B,L,LC,TBS
Seasonal: B,L,LC,TBS ABV
7%
IBU
25
Black tea and chai spices round out this stout created along with the Queen of Craft crew.
72
IMPERIAL RUSSIAN STOUT
ABV
8%
IBU
40
With a chocolate and coffee duet, this smooth imperial stout deserves its many awards.
STRATFORD
BLACK SWAN BREWING CO.
144 Downie St. | BlackSwanBrewing.ca SUN-MON 12PM-5PM ^ TUE-SAT 11AM-9PM EST. 2014 A recent expansion doubled the capacity at Black Swan. They expect to add 355 ml bottles for both licensees and bottle shop sales.
ENGLISH PALE ALE
PORTER
Year-round: B,L
Year-round: B,L
PA L E A L E
ABV
5%
IBU
P O RT E R
29
Copper in colour and leaning on the malt, this pale ale fits squarely in trad British style.
ABV
5%
IBU
35
This balanced porter delivers coffee and chocolate on both nose and palate into a smooth finish.
#ItsWhatWeDrink
NOW AVAILABLE IN 355 mL BOTTLES 144 DOWNIE ST, STRATFORD, ON
519 • 814 • 7926
BLACKSWANBREWING.CA
@BLACKSWANBREWINGCO
73
BAYFIELD
ELORA
RIVER ROAD BREWING AND HOPS
ELORA BREWING CO.
35549 Bayfield River Rd. RiverRoadBrewing.com
107 Geddes St. | EloraBrewingCompany.ca
The first farm-based brewery in Huron County grows ingredients that go into making their beer right on the farm. They’ll have barrel-aged beers to celebrate turning 1 in November.
Brewer Alex Nichols turns out a beer lineup full of soft-spoken stars. The setting in downtown Elora is picturesque and the food in their taproom has a farm-to-table focus.
BLIND DESCENT
ELORA BOREALIS
ONE LONELY SCOTCH NIGHT
OAT M E A L S TO U T
S C OT C H A L E
Year-round: B,L ABV IBU
PA L E A L E W I T H C I T R A
Year-round: B,L
5.8% 26
ABV IBU
Year-round: B,L,LC
6% 14
FORMOSA
ABV IBU
5.1% 30
LODESTAR WITH PINK GUAVA SOUR ALE
Seasonal: B,L,LC ABV IBU
5.1% 3
GODERICH
FORMOSA SPRINGS BREWERY
SQUARE BREW
1120 Bruce Rd., Unit 12 FormosaBrewery.ca
430 Parsons Crt. | SquareBrewCo.com
This brewing operation with a historic connection was bought from Brick and reopened. They do particularly well in the lighter lager categories at beer competitions.
German and American styles share the beer focus for this small-sized brewery in Goderich. Plenty of nearby sightseeing after you’re done at the taproom.
FORMOSA SPRINGS DRAFT
SQUARE ONE PILSNER
RED BARON BLONDE LIGHT LAGER
LAGER
Year-round: B,L ABV IBU
74
5% 9
Year-round: B,L ABV IBU
4.8% 10
PILSNER
Year-round: B,L ABV IBU
5% 30
FOG DAY!
A M E R I C A N - S T Y L E PA L E ALE Seasonal: B,L ABV IBU
4.5% 25
GUELPH
GUELPH
FIXED GEAR BREWING CO.
BROTHERS BREWING CO.
15 Wyndham St. N. BrothersBrewingCompany.ca
20 Alma St. S. | fixedgearbrewing.com
They once brewed a beer in an 853-lb pumpkin and made an IPA using a certain widely consumed light lager in place of water. Watch the evidence on their YouTube page.
The new brewery is set up in a former garage in Guelph’s Junction neighbourhood and earns extra points for having a personalized Airstream on site.
TROPIC THUNDER
BREAKAWAY IPA
A M E R I C A N - S T Y L E PA L E ALE Year-round: B ABV IBU
5.3% 35
DELUSIONS OF GRANDEUR DUBBEL
Year-round: B ABV IBU
6.5% 23
A M E R I C A N - S T Y L E I PA Year-round: B ABV IBU
5.5% 70
PELOTON PILSNER PILSNER
Year-round: B ABV IBU
5.2% 30
Like what’s in our Growler? Carry us in your brewery, tap room or store and your customers will keep coming back for more. Contact orders@thegrowler.ca to order your copies.
ontario craft beer guide
THEGROWLER.CA
@THEGROWLERON 75
GUELPH
KINCARDINE
ROYAL CITY BREWING CO.
GREY MATTER BEER CO.
199 Victoria Rd. S. | RoyalCityBrew.ca
726 Queen St. | GreyMatterBeer.com
The four-year-old brewery aims to make interesting and approachable beers made with as many local ingredients as possible.
Four core beers stay on tap all year and share the spotlight with a mix of one-offs. Their event space overlooks the beautiful Kincardine marina and lighthouse.
HIBISCUS SAISON
CHECKMATE
SMOKED HONEY BROWN ALE
SAISON
Year-round: B,L,LC ABV IBU
5.4% 20
RAUCHBIER Year-round: B,L,LC ABV IBU
5.5% 20
SEAFORTH
HELLES
Year-round: B,L ABV IBU
MISSION TO MARS
A M E R I C A N - S T Y L E PA L E ALE Year-round: B,L
4.8% 12
ABV IBU
SHAKESPEARE
HALF HOURS ON EARTH BREWERY
SHAKESPEARE BREWING CO.
151 Main St. S. | HalfHoursOnEarth.com
2178 Line 34 | ShakespeareBrewingCompany.ca
Right out of the gate, HHOE made some of the finest funky beers in the province. Seaforth is easier to get to than you think, but thankfully they ship anywhere in Ontario.
All of the beers made at this modest-sized operation outside of Stratford are made exclusively with Ontario-grown hops.
LEMON MERINGUE PIE
THE CLASSY COW
D RY- H O P P E D S O U R A L E Seasonal: B ABV IBU
76
7.5% N/A
5% 44
TOTALLY
TA RT FA R M H O U S E A L E WITH RASPBERRIES & HIBISCUS Seasonal: B ABV IBU
6.5% N/A
M I L K S TO U T
Year-round: B ABV IBU
5% 25
THE GRUMPY GOAT
A M E R I C A N - S T Y L E I PA Year-round: B ABV IBU
6% 60
STRATFORD
STRATFORD
HERALD HAUS BREWING CO.
JOBSITE BREWING CO.
21 Market Pl. | @HeraldHaus
45 Cambria St. | jobsitebrewing.ca
The soon-to-open taproom will take up residence in the former home of the Herald on Market Place in downtown Stratford.
With the founders history in construction, the brewery’s name and location were designed to highlight craftsmanship. Good news: Their beer is paired with wood-fired pizza.
H2 GOLDEN ALE
2X4
GOLDEN ALE
Year-round: B,L ABV IBU
PERTH COUNTY CONSPIRACY A M E R I C A N - S T Y L E PA L E ALE Year-round: B,L
4.7% 15
ABV IBU
IMPACT
CREAM ALE
R E D I PA
Year-round: B
5% 35
ABV IBU
STRATFORD
Year-round: B
4.8% 15
ABV IBU
6.9% 44
VARNA
STRATFORD BREWING CO.
STONE HOUSE BREWING CO.
Facebook.com/StratfordBrewing
76050 Parr Line | StoneHouseBrewing.ca
A longtime fixture in Ontario’s most famous theatre town. No on-site taproom but they are in the LCBO and on tap in the area and elsewhere in the province.
The focus is lagers for this quaint brewery in rural Huron County. The beer programme is overseen by a German-trained brewer.
STRATFORD PILSNER
CZECH PILSNER
PILSNER
Year-round: L,LC ABV IBU
4.9% N/A
STRATFORD CALIFORNIA COMMON
CALIFORNIA COMMON Year-round: L ABV IBU
5% 30
LAGER
GERMAN DARK LAGER LAGER
Year-round: B,L ABV IBU
5% 32
Year-round: B,L ABV IBU
5% 18 77
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BREWERIES 01 02 03 04
BREW Chapter Two Craft Heads Frank
00 00 00 00
05 Motor Craft 06 Sandwich 07 Walkerville
TECUMSEH
00 00 00
WINDSOR
FRANK BREWING CO.
BREW MICROBREWERY
12000 Tecumseh Rd. | FrankBeer.ca
635 University Ave. E. | BrewWindsor.com
Sports bar meets pizza restaurant meets fully fledged brewery at this popular spot in Tecumseh, Ont.. Particularly lively when there’s a game on.
The focus at BREW is on making easydrinking options that appeal widely. The taproom is especially popular on Unfiltered Fridays.
NO NONSENSE
MAPLE BREW
LAGER
Year-round: B,L,LC,TBS ABV IBU
78
5.4% 21
OLD COMRADE AMERICAN-STYLE RED ALE
Year-round: B,L,LC,TBS ABV IBU
4.7% 21
SPICED ALE
Year-round: B,L ABV IBU
5% 15
BREW LAGER LAGER
Year-round: B,L ABV IBU
4.7% 15
WINDSOR
WALKERVILLE BREWERY
525 Argyle Rd. | WalkervilleBrewery.com
SUN-WED 11AM-5PM ^ THU&SAT 11AM-7PM ^ FRI 11AM9PM EST. 2012 The brewery has been in and out of use since the 1890s when Hiram Walker was in the business. Beer lineup is full of sessionable options.
PURITY PILSENER
EASY STOUT
Year-round: B,L,LC,TBS
Year-round: B,L,LC,TBS
GERMAN-STYLE PILSENER
ABV
5.2%
IBU
30
A touch of grainy malt and a slight floral note from Hallertau put this one in the German style.
CBA 2018 GOLD AWARD WINNER PURITY PILSENER
M I L K S TO U T
ABV
5.5%
IBU
32
A nutty aroma joins coffee and chocolate along with a round body and a dry finish.
519-254-6067 525 ARGYLE RD. WINDSOR ON. WALKERVILLE BREWERY.COM 79
WINDSOR
WINDSOR
CHAPTER TWO BREWING CO.
CRAFT HEADS BREWING CO.
2345 Edna St. | chaptertwobrewing.com
89 University Ave. W. | CraftHeads.ca
The Edna Street brewery is lead by Ciceronecertified brewer Michael Beaudoin and boasts a surprisingly sophisticated hotdog menu.
Their 30 taps are (impressively) kept supplied by a tiny nano-sized system. The underground taproom was a famous blues bar in a former life. An online bottle shop is coming soon.
THREE ON THE LEASH ENGLISH PUB ALE
TURBULENT ‘BLUES’BERRY CHOCOLATE BLONDE PEANUT BUTTER B L O N D E A L E
BEST BITTER Year-round: B ABV IBU
BELGIAN GOLDEN STRONG BELGIAN-STYLE STRONG ALE One-off: B
4.3% 33
ABV IBU
9.5% 22
WINDSOR
F L AV O U R E D P O RT E R Year-round: B,L ABV IBU
5.4% 30
Year-round: B,L ABV IBU
5.2% 18
WINDSOR
SANDWICH BREWING CO.
MOTOR CRAFT ALES
888 Erie St. E. | ThisIsMotor.com
3230 Sandwich St. | @SandwichBrewing
They really have the car theme dialled in at this Windsor favourite. With a brewpub named Motorburger the food menu should be obvious.
Open less than a year in Windsor’s west end Sandwich has already found a devoted local following. Part of their mission was to bring their historic home back into use.
DRAGULA
PRAIRIE SUNSHINE
C-HOP TOP
S C H WA R Z B I E R
A M E R I C A N - S T Y L E I PA
Year-round: B ABV IBU
80
5% 24
Year-round: B ABV IBU
5.5% 59
RUBY SUE
A M E R I C A N - S T Y L E PA L E W H E AT A L E Year-round: B,L ABV IBU
5.9% 19
ENGLISH-STYLE MILD Year-round: B ABV IBU
4.9% 23
82
15 16 17 18 19 20
14
05 06 07 08 09 10 11 12 13
01 02 03 04
Anderson Bayside Charlotteville Concession Road Forked River London Lonsbery Farms Natterjack New Limburg Powerhouse Railway City Ramblin' Road Refined Fool (Davis St.) Refined Fool (London Rd.) Rusty Wrench Sons of Kent Stonepicker Storm Stayed Strathroy Toboggan
BREWERIES
86 87 83 86 85 87 85
86
83 84 84 83 87 85 85 87 84
84 83 86
07
16
21
80 79
402
87
15 19
4
401 3
08
2
STRATHROY
79
ERIEAU
02
CHATHAM-KENT
40
SARNIA
13 14
1721
LAKE HURON 05
119
73
2
LAKE ERIE
11
LONDON
01 06 10 18 20
7
3
19
8
59
12
403
401
03
04
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SIMCOE 24
09
24
E
Hamilton, Brant & West GTA map page 54.
Tri-Cities & Central West Ontario maps pages 64 & 69.
s ou t h W e s t
AMHERSTBURG
CHATHAM
LONSBERY FARMS BREWING CO.
SONS OF KENT BREWING CO.
7781 Howard Ave. | LonsberyFarms.beer
27 Adelaide St. S. | SonsOfKent.com
Their beer is crafted with the best ingredients that are locally grown in southwestern Ontario to provide a farm-to-glass experience.
Four friends founded this 20-tap brewery in downtown Chatham’s once iconic movie theater. Deliveries made in a ’77 El Camino Classic.
CREAM OF THE CROP
8 TRACK XPA
CREAM ALE
Year-round: B ABV IBU
5.4% 11
BLACK IPA B L A C K I PA
E X T R A PA L E A L E
Year-round: B ABV IBU
5.9% 55
ERIEAU
ZEPHYR
D RY- H O P P E D S O U R
Year-round: B,L,LC ABV IBU
Year-round: B
5.7% 57
ABV IBU
5.3% N/A
JARVIS
CONCESSION ROAD BREWING CO.
BAYSIDE BREWING CO.
970 Ross Lane | BaysideBrewing.com
17 Talbot St. E., unit 4 ConcessionRoadBrew.com
Based out of a little, laid-back fishing village, they creates beers that go well with the village’s easy-going vibes. A large patio looks out on to Rondeau Bay and they’re close to the beach.
This Jarvis, Ont. brewery has an impressive list of fall releases including a brown ale and the two beers below. The first Friday of every month, they host a stand up comedy show.
LONG POND LAGER
MOCHA LATTE STOUT
LAGER
Year-round: B,L,LC ABV IBU
5% 13
HONEY CREAM ALE CREAM ALE
Year-round: B,L,LC ABV IBU
5% 14
C O F F E E M I L K S TO U T
Small-batch: B ABV IBU
4.5% 22
SOUR AS HUELL - PEACH D RY- H O P P E D F R U I T KETTLE SOUR Seasonal: B ABV IBU
4.6% N/A 83
LA SALETTE
LONDON
RAMBLIN ROAD BREWERY FARM
2970 Swimming Pool Rd. | RamblinRoad.ca
ANDERSON CRAFT ALES
1030 Elias St. | AndersonCraftAles.ca
John Picard runs his brewery farm in Norfolk County. The crop selection on this going concern includes a hop garden and they make Picard’s fresh kettle chips on site.
Every couple months they release a different barrel-aged take on a base of saison with grape must. Holidays 2018 sees a very limited number of 2017 Holiday Belgians released.
COUNTRY CREAM ALE
WINTER
COUNTRY LAGER
CREAM ALE
Year-round: B,L,LC ABV IBU
EUROPEAN-STYLE LAGER Year-round: B,L,LC
5% 18
ABV IBU
5% 22
LONDON
SPICED WINTER ALE
AUTUMN MÄRZEN
Seasonal: B ABV IBU
Seasonal: B,LC
7% 32
ABV IBU
5.5% 26
LONDON
FORKED RIVER BREWING CO. LONDON BREWING
45 Pacific Crt., Unit 4 ForkedRiverBrewing.com
521 Burbrook Pl. | LondonBrewing.ca
They focus on brewing styles that range from approachable to complex barrel aged brews. Pop-up on Nov. 17: Shop local vendors and Nov. 22 is paint night at the brewery.
They call themselves a plough-to-pint brewery because of the spotlight given to locally-grown, organic malts. Friday is free-concert night with food on site.
CAPITAL BLONDE ALE
LONDON NATURAL LAGER
BLONDE ALE
Year-round: B,L,LC,TBS ABV IBU
84
4.7% 15
FULL CITY
C O F F E E P O RT E R Seasonal: B ABV IBU
5.5% 25
NORFOLK RED RED ALE
MUNICH-STYLE HELLES Year-round: B,L,LC,TBS ABV IBU
4.7% 18
Year-round: B,L,TBS ABV IBU
5.3% 42
LONDON
LONDON
POWERHOUSE BREWING CO.
STORM STAYED BREWING CO.
100 Kellogg Ln. | PowerhouseBrewery.beer
169 Wharncliffe Rd. S., unit 8 StormStayed.com
Set to open soon in a restored factory space in London’s Old East Village. They’re familyowned and operated with a focus on local.
Justin Belanger, one of the owners, brings East Coast hospitality from his native PEI as well as the name. The kitchen serves house-cured meats, fermented vegetables, and BBQ.
HOMECOMING
MOONSHADOW
A M E R I C A N - S T Y L E PA L E ALE
COFFEE MILK STOUT M I L K S TO U T
Year-round: B,L ABV IBU
Year-round: B
5.5% 32
ABV IBU
4.5% 30
BERLINER WEISSE
SUNBURST
NEW ENGLAND-STYLE PA L E A L E
Year-round: B,L ABV IBU
4.2% 4
Year-round: B,L ABV IBU
5.4% 36
LONDON
TOBOGGAN BREWING CO.
585 Richmond St. | TobogganBrewing.com
The restaurant and biergarten patio have helped establish this relative newcomer as a popular fixture in London. MR. INSURANCE MAN BLONDE ALE
S TO U T
Year-round: B ABV IBU
BLACKFRIARS BRIDGE VANILLA STOUT
4% 18
Year-round: B ABV IBU
6% 35
Blue Elephant Craft Brew House blueelephant.ca
Charlotteville Brewing Company charlottevillebrewingcompany.ca
Hometown Brew Co. hometownbrew.ca
New Limburg Brewing Co. newlimburg.com
Ramblin’ Road Brewery Farm ramblinroad.ca
1-800-699-9038 | norfolktourism.ca 85
PLYMPTON-WYOMING
SARNIA
REFINED FOOL BREWING CO.
STONEPICKER
7143 Forest Rd. | stonepickerbrewing.com
1326 London Rd., 137 Davis St. | RefinedFool.com
An on-farm brewery near Forest, Ont. with a deep lineup of beers the partners developed over several years of homebrewing together.
Refined Fool has pretty much cornered the craft beer market in Sarnia with the opening of their second full-service taproom.
STONEPICKER 21
TROLL TOLL
AMBER ALE
TRACTOR ON THE WALL OAT M E A L S TO U T
Year-round: B ABV IBU
Year-round: B
5.5% N/A
ABV IBU
6% N/A
SIMCOE
CREAM ALE
PINKY BREWSTER
R A S P B E R RY W H E AT
Year-round: B,L,LC,TBS ABV IBU
Year-round: B,L
5% 18
ABV IBU
5.5% 25
SIMCOE
CHARLOTTEVILLE BREWING CO.
NEW LIMBURG BREWERY
1207 Charlotteville West Quarter Line Rd. CharlottevilleBrewingCompany.ca
2353 Nixon Rd. | NewLimburg.com
An estate craft brewery located on a family farm, housed in two old barns. One was built in the 1860s and the other in 1913. The barns were disassembled and moved here.
A popular spot with a patio out front and a volleyball court. Live music on summer weekends, with comedy every second week and trivia and karaoke during the colder weather.
LOCAL 519
BELGIAN BLONDE
A M E R I C A N - S T Y L E PA L E ALE Year-round: B,L ABV IBU
86
4.9% 28
WEDGIE DELIGHT
AMERICAN-STYLE B R OW N A L E Year-round: B ABV IBU
5% 22
ST. ARNOLDUS
B E L G I A N - S T Y L E FA R M HOUSE ALE Year-round: B,L,LC ABV IBU
7% N/A
DUBBEL
Year-round: B,L ABV IBU
7% N/A
ST. THOMAS
STRATHROY
RAILWAY CITY BREWING CO.
STRATHROY BREWING CO.
130 Edward St. | RailwayCityBrewing.com
62 Albert St. | StrathroyBrewingCompany.ca
The name comes from the town’s past as a hub for US railways in Canada. Their Dead Elephant is brewed in honour of Jumbo the Elephant who died in St.Thomas in 1885.
This small-town brewery has an independent streak and a historical bent. It’s particularly focussed on the history of the War of 1812.
DEAD ELEPHANT
1815 XXXX PEACEMAKER
ORANGE CREAMSIC-ALE
I PA
F L AV O U R E D W H E AT A L E
Year-round: B,L,LC,TBS ABV IBU
Year-round: B,L,LC
6.5% 60
ABV IBU
4.8% 16
TRADITIONAL ALE
Year-round: B ABV IBU
6.5% N/A
STRATHROY
WEST LORNE
RUSTY WRENCH BREWING CO.
NATTERJACK BREWING CO.
1812 INDEPENDENCE ALE A M E R I C A N - S T Y L E PA Year-round: B ABV IBU
5.5% N/A
9 Front St. W. | RustyWrench.ca
25292 Talbot Line | natterjackbrewing.ca
Local and ethical sourcing is the focus for this small-town brewery. The kitchen also features beer ingredients across the menu. As they say, their “beers range from mild to wild.”
This is the legacy of Matt Soos, a graduate of the Niagara College Teaching Brewery and former Muskoka Brewing employee, lost his life in 2015 to health complications.
OXIDATION AMBER ALE
NATTERJACK TOAD
LEFT HANDED SPANNER
DA R K A M B E R
W E S T C OA S T- S T Y L E I PA
Year-round: B,L ABV IBU
5% 24
Year-round: B ABV IBU
6.1% 64
SPICED BELGIAN BLONDE Year-round: B ABV IBU
7.6% 24
SOOS’S JUICES AMERICAN-STYLE STRONG ALE
Year-round: B ABV IBU
9.7% 50 87
Kawa rt h as & NO r t h u m b er lan d 36
05
LINDSAY
04 06
01 07
7
02
28
7
CAMPBELLFORD
PETERBOROUGH
35 7a
115
28
N 03 08
3
W
401 2
COBOURG
BREWERIES 01 Beard Free 90 02 Church-Key 89 03 Northumberland Hills
88
89
04 05 06 07
Olde Stone Pie Eyed Monk
90 89
Publican House
90
Smithavens
90
08 William Street
89
E
CAMPBELLFORD
COBOURG
NORTHUMBERLAND HILLS BREWERY
CHURCH-KEY BREWING
1678 County Road 38 churchkeybrewing.com
1024 Division St., Unit 1 | nhb.beer
Founded in 2000 the brewery is situated in an 1878 Methodist Church on the outskirts of Campbellford, Ontario. They’re known widely as smoked-beer specialists.
Owner-brewer Rick Bailey was inspired to take his homebrewing to the professional level after watching the success of upstart 5 Paddles Brewing Co. Brewers helping brewers.
HOLY SMOKE
SUPER CONTINENTAL
P E AT- S M O K E D S C OT C H ALE
FUSSED WITH BA R R E L - A G E D S O U R
Year-round: B,L,LC ABV IBU
PA L E A L E
ABV IBU
6% 15
COBOURG
DA R K L A G E R
Year-round: B,L
Small-batch: B,L
6.2% N/A
PROJECT 22
ABV IBU
Year-round: B,L
5.5% 20
ABV IBU
5% N/A
LINDSAY
WILLIAM STREET BEER CO.
PIE EYED MONK BREWERY
975 Elgin St. W. #4 | williamstreetbeer.com
8 Cambridge St. N. pieeyedmonkbrewery.com
Though named for its original location, the brewery is now located on Elgin Street after moving to a more event-friendly space to better the thirsty people of Cobourg.
All the beer for Lindsay’s own brewpub is made in-house on their seven-barrel system. Find them in the historic C.L. Baker Building.
CLIFF TOP
DIRTY BIRD
A M E R I C A N - S T Y L E PA L E ALE Year-round: B,L ABV IBU
5.5% 35
FARMSTEAD LAGER
Year-round: B,L ABV IBU
5% 18
RY E A L E
LAUGHING TROLL LAGERED ALE
Year-round: B ABV IBU
6.5% 22.5
Year-round: B ABV IBU
5% 15 89
PETERBOROUGH
PETERBOROUGH
THE OLDE STONE BREWING CO.
BEARD FREE BREWING
649 The Parkway, Unit 4 beardfreebrewing.com
380 George St. N. | oldestone.ca
“Beard Free” is a play on the lack of facial hair on the partners and nods a chin to the malting process that removes a bristly beard from the wheat kernels they use.
A tight rotation of house-made beers, generally in styles from the British Isles, power the drinks menu at Peterborough’s downtown pub.
SIMCOE STREET
OR DUBH STOUT
I PA
Year-round: B ABV IBU
6.7% 64
LOCK 21 CREAM ALE
I R I S H D RY S TO U T
Year-round: B ABV IBU
4.5% 10
PETERBOROUGH
Year-round: B ABV IBU
5% N/A
RED FIFE WHEAT ALE
AMERICAN-STYLE W H E AT A L E Year-round: B ABV IBU
5.1% N/A
PETERBOROUGH
PUBLICAN HOUSE BREWERY
300 Charlotte St. | publicanhouse.com
SMITHAVENS BREWING COMPANY
687 Rye St., Unit 6 | smithavensbrewing.ca
The family-owned business opened in downtown Peterborough in 2008. Among their year-round lineup is Paddler’s Ale, sales support the Canadian Canoe Museum.
A family-owned brewery on the outskirts of town. Their taster pack of three different beers is popular with out-of-town visitors.
PUB HOUSE ALE
KELLERBIER
KÖ L S C H
Year-round: B,L,LC,TBS ABV IBU
90
4.8% 21
HIGH NOON
U N F I LT E R E D A M E R I C A N - S T Y L E W H E AT A L E Year-round: B,L,LC,TBS ABV IBU
4.5% 14
KELLERBIER
Year-round: B,L,LC ABV IBU
5.2% 20
DUNKELWEIZEN D U N K E LW E I Z E N
Year-round: B,L,LC ABV IBU
5.2% 12
Brothers 92 08 Midtown 96 09 Napanee 94 10 Parsons 95 11 Prince Eddy's 95 12 Riverhead 93 13 Signal 92 14 Spearhead 93 15 Stone City 94 16 Westport 96 17 Wild Card 96 18 Wolfe Island 96
07 MacKinnon
Mountain 92
BREWERIES 01 555 94 02 Barley Days 94 03 Gananoque 92 04 King's Town 93 05 Kingston 93 06 Lake on the
17
13
37
401
2
08
62
BELLEVILLE
62
7
09
33
NAPANEE
06
PICTON
02
01 10 11
49
41
05 15
KINGSTON 18
04 12 14
LAKE ONTARIO
07
38
2
15
03
42
W
N E
GANANOQUE
401
WESTPORT
16
K ings t o n & PEC
BATH
CORBYVILLE
MACKINNON BROTHERS BREWING
SIGNAL BREWING COMPANY
1915 County Road 22 mackinnonbrewing.com
86-87 River Rd. | signal.beer
Located on a centuries-old family-farm, the estate-brewery grows their own hops and malts in the surrounding fields and has re-purposed the buildings to house brewing equipment.
This brewery raises a glass to its local history by brewing beer in the historical distillery district that was once a big enough employer to have the whole town named after them.
RED FOX
RADIO TUBE
8 MAN
ALE
E N G L I S H - S T Y L E PA L E ALE
Small-batch: B,L,LC ABV IBU
Year-round: B,L,LC
4.2% 26
ABV IBU
PILSNER
NEW ENGLAND-STYLE PA L E A L E
Year-round: B,L
5.8% 26
GANANOQUE
WAVE
ABV IBU
Year-round: B,L
4.5% 30
ABV IBU
6.1 55
GLENORA
LAKE ON THE MOUNTAIN BREWERY
GANANOQUE BREWING COMPANY
9 King St. E. | ganbeer.com
11369 Loyalist Pkwy. lakeonthemountainbrewco.com
The location makes this a popular spot for visitors to the 1,000 Islands and a bustling schedule of live music keeps the taproom full of local regulars, as well.
Appropriately for the area, this brewery is connected to a resort. Some of the hops used are grown on the property.
NAUGHTY OTTER
CREAM ALE
BELL RINGER
A M E R I C A N - S T Y L E I PA
PA L E L A G E R
Year-round: B,L ABV IBU
92
5.2% 24
Year-round: B,L ABV IBU
6.5% 65
CREAM ALE
HOOK LINE & CITRA I.P.A
E N G L I S H - S T Y L E I PA
Year-round: B,L ABV IBU
5.5% 25
Year-round: B,L ABV IBU
5% 75
KINGSTON
KINGSTON
KINGSTON BREWING COMPANY
KING’S TOWN BEER CO.
675 Arlington Park Pl., Unit 3 kingstownbeerco.ca
34 Clarence St. | kingstonbrewing.ca
Looking to serve Kingston’s underserviced West-End, the brewery will offer approachable lower ABV beers and aims to be a neighbourhood hub.
A mainstay brewpub in downtown Kingston has been making their own beer for several years. Food menu leans to pub favourites.
KING’S TOWN ALE
DRAGON’S BREATH ORIGINAL
AMBER ALE
BACK LAKES LAGER LAGER
Year-round: B,L ABV IBU
Year-round: B,L
5.6% 16
ABV IBU
4% 12
KINGSTON
WHITETAIL CREAM ALE
ENGLISH-STYLE BITTER Year-round: B ABV IBU
6% N/A
Year-round: B ABV IBU
5% N/A
KINGSTON
RIVERHEAD BREWING CO.
SPEARHEAD BREWING
631 Fortune Cres. | riverheadbrewing.com
675 Development Dr. | spearheadbeer.com
The Kingston Tied House offers four mainstays brews plus an extensive menu and are, surely, the only brewery with a dedicated mascot— Brewster the beer-loving Sasquatch.
Their Hawaiian style-IPA helped convert many beer drinkers into the craft scene, fast forward to today and they have a bricks-andmortar setup in Kingston.
TROPICAL IPA
MOROCCAN
A M E R I C A N - S T Y L E I PA Year-round: B,L,LC,TBS ABV IBU
6.1% 60
OKTOBERFEST LAGER
Seasonal: B,L ABV IBU
5.5% 12
B R OW N A L E
Year-round: B,L,LC ABV IBU
6% 35
BEDROCK
MUNICH-STYLE LAGER Year-round: B,L,TBS ABV IBU
4.5% 30 93
KINGSTON
NAPANEE
STONE CITY ALES
NAPANEE BEER COMPANY
275 Princess St. | stonecityales.com
450 Milligan Lane | napaneebeer.ca
Conveniently situated along vibrant Princess Street, the brewpub serves flavourful food and beer, including special one-offs and barrel-aged gems. They’ve just launched online bottle sales.
In 2017 the brewery won New Brewery of the Year at the Ontario Brewing Awards. They have since lived up to the hype and continue to win awards.
UNCHARTED
BLACKLIST
A M E R I C A N - S T Y L E I PA
SHIPS IN THE NIGHT OAT M E A L S TO U T
Year-round: B,L
Year-round: B,L
7% 70
ABV IBU
ABV IBU
5.6% 25
PICTON
BLACK GERMAN-STYLE LAGER
EXTREMIST
B E L G I A N - S T Y L E I PA
Year-round: B,L,LC ABV IBU
Year-round: B,L,LC
5.3% 28
ABV IBU
7.2% 80
PICTON
BARLEY DAYS BREWERY
555 BREWING CO.
124 Picton Main St. | 555beer.com
13730 Loyalist Parkway barleydaysbrewery.com
Drew Wollenberg’s beer and pizza from the wood-fired oven draw visitors to the “Triple Nickel” on Picton Main Street in PEC.
Open since 2007, this is the oldest brewery in the County. Look for their special-release stout brewed with oysters around the holidays.
FOOTPRINT
HARVEST GOLD
A M E R I C A N - S T Y L E I PA Year-round: B ABV IBU
94
7.2% 60
LONG BLACK C O F F E E B L A C K I PA
Year-round: B ABV IBU
5.6% 55
E N G L I S H - S T Y L E PA L E ALE
Year-round: B,L,LC ABV IBU
4.8% 22
WIND & SAIL DA R K A L E
Year-round: B,L,LC ABV IBU
5% 28
PICTON
PICTON
PARSONS BREWING CO.
876 County Road 49 | parsonsbrewing.com
PRINCE EDDY’S BREWING CO.
13 Macsteven Dr. | princeeddys.com
The picturesque wine country of Prince Edward County really needed more beer. Parsons brings the malt with a long list of flagship and seasonal brews.
In addition to a taproom, tasting bar and brewery, Prince Eddy’s also offers a 1959 Chevy Suburban delivery vehicle and a beach volleyball court.
SUNKISSED GRAPE ALE
CHIN DROPPER
WINE-BEER HYBRID Seasonal: B ABV IBU
7.5% N/A
#154 FARM BREW
C A N A D I A N W H E AT A L E
BLONDE ALE
Seasonal: B ABV IBU
5% 38
Year-round: B,L ABV IBU
4.7% 20
HAZE BRIGADE NEW ENGLAND-STYLE I PA Seasonal: B,L ABV IBU
5.5% 55
Get dressed! Look as good as the beer you drink. shop growler merch at
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95
TRENTON
WELLINGTON
WILDCARD BREWING CO.
MIDTOWN BREWING CO.
38 Gotha St. | wildcardbrewco.com
266 Wellington Main St. midtownbrewingcompany.com
The Trenton brewery isn’t afraid to experiment with styles and ingredients. Stop in at their bottle shop or they’ll send their creative creations to you through the mail.
An elevated brewpub is just what the upand-coming cottage town needed. Their shop offers local produce, prepared food products and artisan goods.
ABSOLUTE MONARCHY (IRISH NOBILITY)
EXTRA SPECIAL BITTER
4 SHADOW
E N G L I S H M I L K S TO U T
BA R R E L A G E D S TO U T Small-batch: B ABV IBU
Seasonal: B
11% 40
ABV IBU
4.8% 30
WESTPORT
ESB
Year-round: B ABV IBU
5.4% N/A
DRY IRISH STOUT S TO U T
Year-round: B ABV IBU
4.5% N/A
WOLFE ISLAND
WESTPORT BREWING CO.
WOLFE ISLAND SPRING CRAFT BREWERY
41B Westport Rd. westportbrewingcompany.ca
1570 County Road 96 | wolfeisland.beer
The charming community known for its boating culture along the Rideau Canal system welcomed its first brewery in the fall of 2018. Will be a must for those dropping anchor.
Brewery attached to the Wolfe Island Grill. Their Cannonball is made by pitching a redhot cannonball into the brew.
UPPER RIDEAU
CANNONBALL
BLONDE ALE
IBU
96
AMBER LAGER
LAGER
Year-round: B ABV
LAKESIDE LAGER
4.7% 15
Year-round: B ABV IBU
5.2% 22
Year-round: B,LC,TBS ABV IBU
5% N/A
OUT FOR A SIP BLONDE ALE
Year-round: B ABV IBU
4.5% N/A
Springs 102 07 Cassel 100 08 Crooked Mile 99 09 Étienne Brûlé 100 10 Halcyon 103 11 Humble Beginnings 102 12 Perth 103 13 Rurban 100 14 Square Timber 102 15 Stalwart 100 16 Tuque de Broue 101 17 Whitewater 101 18 Windmill 102
BREWERIES 01 4 Degrees 103 02 Ashton 99 03 Beau's 98 04 Braumeister 99 05 Calabogie 99 06 Cartwright
41
14
41
60
17
7
05
417
04 15
29
08 02
12
01
15 42
29
SMITH FALLS
15
416
Ottawa area map page 104.
OTTAWA
CARLETON PLACE
06
QUEBEC
18
31
401
EMBRUN
09 16
43
07
17
11
417
13
W
N E
CORNWALL
138
34
VANLEEK HILL
03 10
E Ast e rn O ntar i o
VANLEEK HILL
BEAU’S ALL NATURAL BREWING CO.
10 Terry Fox Dr. | beaus.ca MON-SUN 10AM-6PM EST. 2006
Organic trailblazers since 2006—Beau’s has entertained thousands through their epic, annual Oktoberfest and St. Patrick’s Day events.
LUG TREAD
FULL TIME I.P.A.
Year-round: B,L,LC,TBS
Year-round: B,L,LC,TBS
LAGERED ALE
ABV
5.2%
IBU
W E S T C OA S T- S T Y L E I PA
21
Certified organic and a province-wide bestseller since ’06. Graham cracker and fresh hay notes.
98
ABV
6.7%
IBU
60
Tropical fruit complemented by resiny pine make for a juicy, moreish IPA that finishes clean.
ALMONTE
BECKWITH
CROOKED MILE BREWERY
ASHTON BREWING COMPANY
453 Ottawa St., Unit 3 | crookedmile.ca
113 Old Mill Rd. ashtonbrewingcompany.com
A small batch brewery that focuses on British ale styles. They serve snacks and guests are welcome to bring their own food to the taproom in Almonte.
The Hodgins family has a decades-long association with running a pub in the area. Lorne Hart makes the beer for their authentic British pub.
HIGHLAND HILLWALKER
HARVEST BROWN
S C OT T I S H E X P O RT A L E Year-round: B ABV IBU
4.4% 20
STANDING STONE
E N G L I S H - S T Y L E I PA Year-round: B ABV IBU
E N G L I S H - S T Y L E B R OW N ALE Year-round: B
6.2% 52
CALABOGIE
ABV IBU
VANILLA STOUT S TO U T
Year-round: B
6% 18
ABV IBU
5.8% 75
CARLETON PLACE
CALABOGIE BREWING CO.
BRAUMEISTER BREWING CO.
12612 Lanark Rd. | calabogiebrewingco.ca
19 Moore St. | braumeister.ca
Calabogie’s new second location in Kanata will increase brewing capacity by adding several new fermentation and brite tanks. Expect to see more of their popular beer.
A new brewery specializing in traditional German-styles, currently four clean, wellconstructed brews available for takeout. Expect this brewery to make a name for itself.
HIGHLANDER
ROUTE 21
N U T B R OW N A L E
Seasonal: B,L ABV IBU
6% 23
BROWN COW N I T R O M I L K S TO U T
Year-round: B,L,TBS ABV IBU
5.5% 25
BIERGARTEN BLONDE
MÄRZEN
HELLES Year-round: B ABV IBU
5.5% 22
Year-round: B ABV IBU
5% 20 99
CARLETON PLACE
CASSELMAN
STALWART BREWING CO.
CASSEL BREWERY
10 High St. | stalwartbrewing.ca
715C Principale Rue | casselbrewery.ca
One of the best bootstrap stories in beer. From kitchen-based brewery, called Stockpot Ales, to now drawing folks into downtown Carleton Place for three years.
When Cassel purchased land adjacent to their brewery in 2015, they acquired space to house a new packaging line, lab and cellar. Plus a fully functional car wash!
THRILLER
FRANCO
I M P E R I A L P O RT E R
DOS JEFES
I PA W I T H G R A P E F R U I T A N D VA N I L L A
Seasonal: B ABV IBU
Seasonal: B
7.8% 44
7% 61
ABV IBU
CORNWALL
CABOOSE IPA
LAGER
A M E R I C A N - S T Y L E I PA
Year-round: B,L,LC ABV IBU
4.5% 35
Year-round: PICTON B,L,LC ABV IBU
6.4% 69
EMBRUN
RURBAN BREWING
412 Cumberland St. | rurbanbrewing.ca
ÉTIENNE BRÜLÉ BREWERY 893 rue Notre-Dame St. | etiennebrule.ca
EST.
Combining the hard-to-pronounce words of rural and urban, Rurban encapsulates their hometown of Cornwall—where the city and it’s agri-surroundings meet.
The brewery is perfectly located in a former firehall in the small Franco-community of Embrun. Like their namesake, the brewery explores new styles and ingredients.
CORNWALL GOLDEN LAGER
CHERRY MILK STOUT
MUNICH-STYLE HELLES Year-round: B,L ABV IBU
100
4.9% 21
ALL THAT RAZZ GOSE
M I L K S TO U T Seasonal: B,L ABV IBU
4.5% 21
Seasonal: B ABV IBU
6% 26
CAMPFIRE
S M O K E D H O N E Y B R OW N ALE Seasonal: B ABV IBU
4.5% 20
EMBRUN
FORESTERS FALLS
TUQUE DE BROUE BREWERY
WHITEWATER BREWING CO.
189 Bay St. | tuquedebroue.ca
22 Fletcher Rd. | whitewaterbeer.ca
One of two breweries in Embrun, the “Tuque” is a well-poured beer’s head, which seals in all the best aromas and effervescence, to the benefit of the drinker.
Started by three friends with a passion for rafting 2011, Whitewater now has a second brewery location in Cobden in addition to their brewpub in Foresters Falls.
ST-NICOLAS
CLASS V
C O F F E E P O RT E R
IBU
A M E R I C A N - S T Y L E I PA
HARVEST ALE
Seasonal: B,L ABV
HOPS AND BROS
4.8% 23
Seasonal: B,L ABV IBU
5.6% 38
MIDNIGHT STOUT S TO U T
Year-round: B ABV IBU
5.5% 72
Year-round; B ABV IBU
4.5% 30
Searching for more? We’re adding listings for cottage country and Northern Ontario in our Spring 2019 issue.
Subscribe at on.thegrowler.ca 101
INGLESIDE
JOHNSTOWN
HUMBLE BEGINNINGS BREWING CO.
25 Thorold Ln. | humblebeginningsbrewing.ca
WINDMILL BREWERY
5 Newport Dr. | windmillbrewery.ca
Big things brewing along the St. Lawrence River, as this 2018 brewery has already been embraced by the community and is heavily involved in giving back.
A family-run brewery operated by Sean and Amanda Lucey, with a focus on approachable, easy-drinking styles.
MAD CANADIAN
1838 PILSNER
FOURTH AND OAK
KÖ L S C H
OAT M E A L S TO U T
Year-round: B ABV IBU
Seasonal: B
5.2% 23
ABV IBU
5% 30
PAKENHAM
PILSNER
BARRACKS BLACK DA R K L A G E R
Year-round: B ABV IBU
Seasonal: B
5% N/A
ABV IBU
4.5% N/A
PEMBROKE
CARTWRIGHT SPRINGS BREWERY
SQUARE TIMBER BREWING CO.
239 Deer Run Rd. | csbeer.ca
800 Woito Station Rd. | squaretimber.com
Andre Rieux’s Pakenham paradise is worth the drive - his enthusiastic tours are coupled with inventive brews and innovative brewery technologies.
Pembroke’s history is married to the lumber industry, when squared logs would be floated down the Ottawa. The Valley brewery respects this history with its name and brews.
SPRUCE TIP IPA
PEMBROKE PILS
A M E R I C A N - S T Y L E I PA
Year-round: B,L ABV IBU
102
5.1% 40
I’D TAP THAT PILSNER PILSNER
Year-round: B,L ABV IBU
4.8% 11
BOHEMIAN-STYLE PILSNER Year-round: B,L,LC ABV IBU
4.5% 36
DEACON SEAT HEFEWEIZEN
Year-round: B,L ABV IBU
4.2% 15
PERTH
SMITHS FALLS
PERTH BREWERY
4 DEGREES BREWING CO.
A family operation that has a strong local fan base in Perth. Their beers also make it into bars and restaurants across Eastern Ontario.
When the community mall faltered, this Smiths Falls brewery stepped up and moved into the space, helping bring new life to the town’s centre.
BONFIRE BLACK LAGER
LIVIN’ NORTH OF 7
275 Brockville St. | 4degreesbrewing.com
121 Dufferin St. | perthbrewery.ca
S C H WA R Z B I E R
CALYPSO IPA
A M E R I C A N - S T Y L E I PA
Year-round: B,L,LC ABV IBU
Year-round: B,L
4.9% 20
ABV IBU
4.8% 42
VANLEEK HILL
HALCYON BARREL HOUSE
10 Terry Fox Dr. | halcyon.beer
HELLES-STYLE LAGER Year-round: B ABV IBU
5% 18
HILL 70
BELGIAN-STYLE BLONDE Year-round: B ABV IBU
7% 20
LOVE CRAFT? Keep up on your local beer news & seasonal listings.
The ‘C’ is soft but the beer is solid: specializing in sours, they are Beau’s sour start-up, operating independently under the umbrella and sharing the specialty for organic brewing. ECHO CHAMBER
O R G A N I C D RY- H O P P E D SOUR Year-round: B,L,LC ABV IBU
4.8% N/A
CURSE OF KNOWLEDGE
O R G A N I C FA R M H O U S E SAISON Year-round: B,L ABV IBU
5.8% 24
SUBSCRIBE NOW at on.thegrowler.ca/subscribe
103
BREWERIES
105
105
105
06 Broadhead 106 07 Clocktower 106 08 Covered Bridge 109 09 Dominion City 106 10 Flora Hall 107 11 Kichesippi 107 12 Lowertown 107 13 Nita Beer 107 14 Overflow 108 15 Ridge Rock 108 16 Small Pony 105 17 Stray Dog 105 18 Tooth and Nail 108 19 Vimy 108 20 Waller Street 109 21 Whiprsnapr 109
(Ottawa)
05 Big Rig
(Kanata)
04 Big Rig
(Gloucester)
01 Beyond the Pale 105 02 Bicycle 106 03 Big Rig
15
04 16
W
E
08
417 36
38
148
21
QUEB E C
416
05
32
36
16
01 18 19 07 10
12 20
13
OTTAWA
50
NEPEAN 06
11
5
14
19
79
02
74
03
417
174
09
S NK BA
49
KANATA
N
17
Ottawa
T.
KANATA
KANATA
SMALL PONY BARREL WORKS
BIG RIG BREWERY
101 Schneider Rd. smallponybarrelworks.com
103 Schneider Rd. | bigrigbrewery.com
Who knew Kanata would be home to Canada’s only brewery exclusively crafting barrel-aged sour beers? Their blends are outstandingly complex and have received wide attention.
Big Rig’s Brewmaster Lon Ladell is the real deal. He’s been brewing professionally for over 20 (!) years, first learning his trade with Victoria, BC’s Spinnaker’s Brewpub.
ONE YEAR WISER
MIDNIGHT KISSED MY COW
HALF REMEMBERED BARREL AGED SOUR WITH WINE DREAM POMACE AND TONKA BEANS One-off: B,L ABV IBU
BA R R E L A G E D S O U R Year-round: B,L,LC
6.9% N/A
ABV IBU
5% N/A
ORLEANS
ALPHA BOMB
A M E R I C A N - S T Y L E I PA
M I L K S TO U T Seasonal: B,L,LC ABV IBU
Year-round: B,L,LC,TBS
5.6% 19
ABV IBU
6.6% 83
OTTAWA
STRAY DOG BREWING CO.
BEYOND THE PALE BREWING
501 Lacolle Way, Unit 4 | straydogbrewing.ca
250 City Centre Ave., Bay 108 btpshop.ca
Located in a suburban industrial park, the brewery has become a community hub for Orleans. Regular events include stand-up comedy, live music and burlesques shows.
With a penchant for fun, the brewery recently added a new play-space to their City Centre brewery, a large patio adorned with BTP’s signature picket fence.
THIS ONE
AROMATHERAPY PINK FUZZ
CALIFORNIA COMMON Year-round: B,L,LC ABV IBU
5.2% 35
SHAGGIN WAGON
A M E R I C A N - S T Y L E I PA
I PA
Year-round: B,L ABV IBU
6.4% 55
Year-round: B,L,LC ABV IBU
6.5% N/A
GRAPEFRUIT AMERIC A N - S T Y L E W H E AT Year-round: B,L,LC ABV IBU
6% N/A 105
OTTAWA
OTTAWA
BICYCLE CRAFT BREWERY
BROADHEAD BREWING CO.
850 Industrial Ave., Unit 12 bicyclecraftbrewery.ca
81 Auriga Dr. | broadheadbeer.com
The brewery is well-named, as the bicycle represents owners Laura & Fariborz’s vision for the brewery—simple, traditional, and down to earth.
Super-nice guys live the Canadian Dream: quit their day jobs, grow beards and open a brewery in a west-end industrial park.
VELOCIPEDE
TIGHT SQUEEZE
A M E R I C A N - S T Y L E I PA
VINTERNAT LIQUOURICE STOUT
TA N G E R I N E I PA
S TO U T Year-round: B,L,LC ABV IBU
Seasonal: B
6% 70
ABV IBU
5.3% 23
OTTAWA
BLUEPRINT
B L U E B E R RY B L O N D E ALE
Year-round: B,L ABV IBU
Year-round: B,L,LC,TBS
5% 55
5% 12
ABV IBU
OTTAWA
DOMINION CITY BREWING CO.
CLOCKTOWER BREWPUB
575 Bank St. | clocktower.ca
5510 Canotek Rd., Unit 15 | dominioncity.ca/
In business for over two decades, Clocktower is the senior statesman of Ottawa craft beer. They have six locations, Rideau is the newest, in addition to their HQ in the Glebe.
The pride of Beacon Hill, these Canadianaloving hosers brew some of the best hazy IPAs in the country. The team is committed to supporting their community.
RASPBERRY WHEAT
SUNSPLIT
F L AV O U R E D W H E AT Year-round: B,LC,TBS ABV IBU
106
4.4% 18
PUMPKIN PUMPKIN
A M E R I C A N - S T Y L E I PA
Seasonal: B,TBS ABV IBU
5% 20
Year-round: B,L ABV IBU
6.5% N/A
PAPER SALESMAN
A M E R I C A N - S T Y L E PA L E ALE Seasonal: B,L ABV IBU
5.6% N/A
OTTAWA
OTTAWA
FLORA HALL BREWING
KICHESIPPI BEER CO.
37 Flora St. | florahallbrewing.ca
866 Campbell Ave. | kbeer.ca
Flora is housed in a former garage-turnedengineering- facility-turned brewery. Owner David Longbottom has carefully preserved numerous historical aspects of the building.
The company takes its name, Kichesippi, from the former name of the Ottawa River, which means “The Great River”. Fittingly, they’ve been brewing great beer locally since 2010.
NORWEGIAN KVEIK
BRISTOL STOUT
PA L E A L E
Year-round: B ABV IBU
5.5% 22
ENGLISH ORDINARY BITTER
M I L K S TO U T
ENGLISH-STYLE BITTER Year-round: B ABV IBU
3.5% 30
OTTAWA
WUCHAK BLACK B L A C K I PA
Seasonal: B,LC,TBS ABV IBU
Seasonal: B
4.8% 36
ABV IBU
6% 77
OTTAWA
LOWERTOWN BREWERY
NITA BEER CO.
73 York St. | lowertownbrewery.ca
190 Colonnade Rd., Unit 17 | nitabeer.com
This Byward Market standby makes great beer but also focuses on food (including from their smoker) and events in their York St space.
Fun fact: Head brewer Andy Nita commutes to the brewery (weather permitting) on a skateboard built from recycled beer cans.
TIMBER SLIDE IPA
PINEAPPLE SOUR
I N D I A PA L E A L E
Year-round: B ABV IBU
5.8% 56
DARK LAGER DA R K L A G E R
Year-round: B ABV IBU
4.9% 16
F L AV O U R E D K E T T L E SOUR Year-round: B,L,TBS ABV IBU
4.4% 10
OPA
A M E R I C A N - S T Y L E I PA Year-round: B,L ABV IBU
6.5% 75 107
OTTAWA
OTTAWA
OVERFLOW BREWING CO.
2477 Kaladar Ave. | overflowbeer.com
RIDGE ROCK BREWING CO.
421 Donald B. Munro Dr. ridgerockbrewco.ca
With an impressive production space, the focus for Overflow is on events and a rotating selection of local food trucks while they wait for their taproom to be ready to open.
Carp’s easy-going brewpub features a focused food menu to go with their equally tight lineup of beers. Sundays are open mic night.
REARVIEW
AMERICAN PALE ALE
LANDLOCKED
PILSNER
A M E R I C A N - S T Y L E I PA
Year-round: B,L ABV IBU
Year-round: B,L
5.3% 21
ABV IBU
A M E R I C A N PA L E A L E
BLONDE ALE
Year-round: B
6.7% 60
OTTAWA
BLONDE
ABV IBU
Year-round: B
5% N/A
ABV IBU
5% N/A
OTTAWA
TOOTH AND NAIL BREWERY
VIMY BREWING COMPANY
3 Irving Ave. | toothandnailbeer.com
145 Loretta Ave. N., Unit 1 vimybrewing.ca
Tooth and Nail brews the beer that other brewers drink. Owners Matt and Dayna, met while working at Toronto’s Beerbistro but now call Hintonburg home.
The Sirko brothers travelled the world with the Navy, discovering new beers and flavours in their travels. Their brewery celebrates Canada and its accomplishments.
SUSTENANCE
VIMY CREAM ALE
B E L G I A N - S T Y L E B R OW N ALE WITH SPICES AND FRUIT Seasonal: B ABV IBU
108
7.2% N/A
VIM & VIGOR PILSNER
CREAM ALE Year-round: B,L ABV IBU
5.2% N/A
Year-round: B,L,LC ABV IBU
5% 15
VIMY RED RED ALE
Year-round: B,L ABV IBU
5% 18
OTTAWA
OTTAWA
WALLER STREET BREWING
WHIPRSNAPR BREWING CO.
14 Waller St. | wallerst.ca
14 Bexley Pl. | whiprsnaprbrewingco.com
Quite possibly the coziest brewery in the province. Custom built in the basement of a stone heritage building, the prohibition-styled space is as warming as the beer.
The taproom and bottle shop at Whiprsnapr has become a community hub for the Bells Corners neighbourhood. Outside food is welcome.
MOONLIGHT PORTER
INUKSHUK CANADIAN IPA
AMERICAN-STYLE P O RT E R Year-round: B,L ABV IBU
JUICE JOINT SOUR
D RY- H O P P E D S O U R SAISON Year-round: B,L
6.3% 50
ABV IBU
5.4% 12
A M E R I C A N - S T Y L E I PA
Year-round: B,TBS ABV IBU
5.5% 55
ROOT OF EVIL LIGHT LAGER
Year-round: B,TBS ABV IBU
4.5% 30
STITTSVILLE
COVERED BRIDGE BREWING
119 Iber Rd., Unit 6 coveredbridgebrewing.com
Every year, the brewery makes a new anniversary barrel-aged beer and a releases batch of the previous year’s anniversary ale, after a year of bottle conditioning. WALK ON THE MILD SIDE E N G L I S H - S T Y L E
DA R K M I L D Year-round: B ABV IBU
4.1% 20
WITCHES BREW
B L A C K I PA / H A R V E S T ALE Seasonal: B ABV IBU
6.8% 106 109
BEER GROUND To the
The great thing about the next few months is that you’re almost guaranteed a seat in your favourite taproom and no lines in the bottle shop. Here are the new places to check out.
CALABOGIE BREWING Kanata (winter 2018) This Eastern Ontario brewery (maybe the most fun name to say) is opening a second location. Word comes via Canadian Beer News that they’re adding a 7,000-square-feet space at 105 Schneider Rd in Kanata. With Big Rig and Small Pony nearby, it’s becoming a very beer-focussed neighbourhood. @calabogiebrewingco
COWBELL BREWING Blyth (early 2019) Already one of the province’s largest breweries, Cowbell has ambitious expansion plans. They’ve bought out their next door neighbour and plan to use the additional 18,000 square feet for much more packaging capacity and also a craft beer education centre. @cowbellbrewing
GRAND RIVER Cambridge As we reported last issue, one of Ontario’s oldest breweries is no longer for sale. The familiar stalwart from Cambridge was purchased by Magnotta, one of Ontario’s oldest wine companies. Their plan is to stay the course for the beer lineup and recipes at Grand River. @grandriverbrewing
HIGH PARK BREWERY Toronto The longtime contract brewery is getting set to move into their own home at 839 Runnymede Rd. in Toronto’s west end. While still waiting for permits they did hold an open house on the weekend before Halloween. News also came this summer that they have bought Draught Dodger, another contract brewing brand. @highparkbrewery
MASCOT Etobicoke (winter 2018) The popular downtown brewery has found a new location at 37 Advance Rd. and plans to be open early in 2019. Like Mercer St., they'll have a full bar
and restaurant with two patios and a retail shop featuring Siobhan McPherson's brews. @mascotbrewing
NATTERJACK BREWING West Lorne (autumn 2018) This new brewery in southwestern Ontario, has opened with a mission. It is owned by the parents of Matt Soos, a brewer who passed away in 2015 at the age of 26. The brewery will use Soos’s recipes and will also be donating to a scholarship fund to support brewing students at Niagara College. @natterjackbrewingcompany
RIDGE ROCK BREWERY Carp (autumn 2018) This small town just outside of Ottawa now has a brewpub with its own brewery. The opening lineup ranged from Flower & Farm saison to Diefenbunker Dark. They’re located at 421 Donald B. Munro Dr. @ridgerockbrewco
STONEPICKER BREWING Lambton Shores (summer 2018) Four partners hung out the open sign on their new brewery outside of Forest, ON, just in time to catch the end of August. Stonepicker is located on Joe and Mary Donkers’ farm and co-owned with Jim and Laura Soetemans. Their deep lineup of styles was developed over several years of homebrewing. @stonepickerbrewingcompany
WESTPORT BREWING Westport (autumn 2018) On Thanksgiving weekend, as millions of Canadians got together with friends and family for a celebratory meal, the folks behind the newest brewery in Eastern Ontario were clinking glasses of their own blonde ale. Brewer Thomas Nelson also makes a German lager and plans to gradually expand their range. @WestportBrew What’d we miss? Send tips on new brewery openings to david@thegrowler.ca. j
MONTHLY ROTATING CASK DRAUGHT
KITCHEN OPEN TIL 2AM
154 Queen St W | @donnellygroup
Some kids don’t get gifts over the holidays. Drink this beer to change that. GO O DWI LL L AGE R
Over 18 years Donnelly Group’s employee-led holiday Toy Drive has donated nearly one million dollars worth of gifts and funds to families in need. The year with your help, we’re also giving back $1 from ever y can of Goodwill Lager, available at all of our pubs. Learn more at donnellygroup.ca/toydrive