The Growler Ontario • Volume 5 Issue 1 • Spring/Summer 2022

PUBLISHER

Gail Nugent gnugent@thegrowler.ca

EDITOR

Jordan St. John jordan@thegrowler.ca

To the

BEER GROUND

The fall and winter have seen the addition of a number of breweries to the province, at least three of which are brewing at a scale of a hundred litres a batch or below. Of course, it’s not the size of your

CONTRIBUTING WRITERS

Sabryna Ekstein

Robin LeBlanc

David Lee

Rob Mangelsdorf

Maxim Morin

Mark Solomon

PRODUCTION & DESIGN MANAGER

BAR VOLO

Tara Ra q tara@thegrowler.ca

COVER ILLUSTRATION

Katerina Tzingounakis

COMICS

John Heim

SOCIAL MEDIA

Michelle Hempstock michelle@thegrowler.ca

ADVERTISING

Erica Campbell erica@thegrowler.ca

Michelle Hempstock michelle@thegrowler.ca

Toronto (fall 2021) While Bar Volo’s new location has operated as a bottle shop throughout the pandemic, an entire section of Ralph Morana’s flagship pub sat idle. The brewing equipment has finally been put to use and the charmingly branded stubby bottles are flying off the shelves. Brewer Chris Evans and the Morana family have been working to determine what the flagship brands will be. While it is currently a toss up between a traditional IPA and an Italian Pilsner, who knows what styles might emerge from a brewpub that features six separate cask taps. For the adventurous, there’s even cask in four litre boxes to go. BarVolo.com

Kristina Mameli kmameli@glaciermedia.ca

BARNSTORMER BREWING

DISTRIBUTION

Kristina Mameli (Direct) kmameli@glaciermedia.ca

SUBSCRIPTIONS

Alliston (fall 2021) Barnstormer now has a second location, meaning that you no longer need to make the trip to Barrie if you’re interested in ordering their fantastic pizzas. Spicy Flying Pig is a personal favorite, and it goes perfectly with the Flight Delay IPA. BarnstormerBrewing.com

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FOCAL BREWING CO.

Hastings (spring 2022) Joining the trend of breweries attempting to use local ingredients to produce the majority of their beer, Focal Brewing Company is the brainchild of hop grower Brandon Bickle. Try their Welcome To Ontario Pale Ale, which is made entirely with ingredients grown within the province. FocalBrewingCo.ca

Published by Glacier Media Group thegrowler.ca @thegrowleron

GANARASKA BREWING

Port Hope (fall 2021) Featuring Heriot-Watt trained brewer Alex Nichols and the extremely versatile Chef Z, Ganaraska has ten beers on tap and is one of the very few breweries actually advertising flights for sale in 2022. Why not try the seasonal specialty, Dachshund Through The Snow? Or, to put it another way, get a long little doggy. GanaraskaBrewingCompany.ca

GARAGE TIME BREWING

Wellington (fall 2021) One of Ontario’s smallest breweries, Garage Time is located in a one car garage in PEC. The patio is available on days when it doesn’t rain and they are able to get the chairs out on the driveway. By all accounts the Margarita Gose is an early favourite amongst the locals.

HOP SOCIETY BREWING CO.

Acton (winter 2022) Also located in a garage, Hop Society was founded by Jeff Murphy and Kris Brown as a response to the strictures of pandemic life. They are organizing their first annual Cornhole tournament for April 23rd, meaning that it’s finally worth the drive to Acton. Try the beer named after that statement! And why not visit the old hide house? You’ve always been curious. HopSocietyBrewing.ca

LAKEHEAD BREWING COMPANY

Thunder Bay (fall 2021) With an old school mentality at play, Lakehead is owned by the

brewhouse that matters; it’s how you use it. Some of the entries in Beer to the Ground this time around are long-awaited. Bar Volo has finally got their brewery up and running, resulting in a number of casks being available on site at all times. If that’s not a step in the right direction, I don’t know what is.

Eliot once said that April is the cruelest month. Of course, he lived in England. As Canadians we look at the period between April and October as “the months without shovels.” As the crocuses begin to bloom and the patio heaters begin their hibernation, e Growler is back to provide you with options for road trips and a comprehensive guide to the province’s breweries that will let you take advantage of that Ontario Staycation Tax Credit.

at’s right. You heard right. e province is letting you claim 20% of your accommodation expenses up to $400 dollars for a family. Not only should you get out there and explore what Ontario has to o er, but you should keep meticulous records. Of course, if you write for a beer magazine, beer is tax deductible. I have a lot of write o s.

So do our contributors! In this issue, Mark Solomon will be telling you what sights to see in Northern Ontario, David Lee will be visiting sites in PEC, and Robin LeBlanc will be citing what happens when you share with your neighbours. Maxim Morin will be discussing the state of import beer at the LCBO and the future of that category. I’ll be over here ling receipts from Flux and Lost Craft as I sample my way through their wares in Brewer vs. Brewer.

You, though? You should get outside. It’s going to be lovely out. Winds light to variable. —Jordan St. John, editor

Brewery Details

GROWLER FILLS

BOTTLES / CANS

BEER FOR SALE ONLINE

TASTING ROOM

ON-SITE KITCHEN OR FOOD TRUCK

TOURS

DOG-FRIENDLY

GLUTEN-FREE BOOZE OPTIONS

Availability

B – brewery taproom

L – licensed establishments, pubs, bars and restaurants

LC – LCBO

TBS – e Beer Store

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

county Spring into the

Welcome warm weather with a weekend in PEC

by David Lee

Although the pandemic has put a damper on travel over the last little while, this spring gives you a chance to explore some destinations right in our own backyard. Prince Edward County is just two and a half hours from Toronto and there are a lot of breweries, cideries and restaurants that have popped up recently that you might not have visited yet. As an extra incentive you can take advantage of the Ontario Staycation Tax Credit which could see you getting back up to $200 per person or $400 per family.

TOWN BREWERY

1632 Charles St., Whitby

Your first stop outside Toronto is Town Brewery in Whitby. They’ve become known for the colourful artwork on their cans and their IPAs. You can find their flagship Square Wheel IPA and Outside

Jokes Pale Ale on LCBO shelves so go for the more limited releases like their Double Square Wheel IIPA or Good Buds Triple IPA. They’ve also got some releases that you can only find on tap which you can have by the glass or sample. TownBrewery.ca

LITTLE BEASTS BREWING COMPANY

2075 Forbes St., Building B Unit 4, Whitby

Little Beasts, located just down the street from Town, is in an industrial park but once you’re inside it feels bright and welcoming and you have full view of the brewing equipment at the back of the space. Erin Broadfoot does a wide range of beers but the saisons are the star including the complex but easy-drinking La Petit Duchesse Belgian table beer. They’ve also got Hukdufólk, a rare Ontario-made rauchbier.

LittleBeastsBrewing.com

Slake's brewery is set into the side of a limestone hill overlooking some of PEC's vineyards and lush green scenery. Supplied photo

MIDTOWN BREWING COMPANY

266 Wellington Main St. Wellington

Paul Lees and Mark Andrewsky started Midtown in 2017 and it's been an essential destination for anyone going through Wellington ever since. Head brewer Lees hails from Manchester so he naturally has an affinity for English beer styles but he also has a Kolsch-style beer and pilsner on tap. They’ve got a short food menu but they’ve got everything from Goan curry to fish and chips and wood-fired pizza. MidtownBrewingCompany.com

THE ROYAL HOTEL

247 Picton Main St., Picton

Built on the site of the old Royal Hotel, the new iteration looks decidedly more glamorous. The location right in the middle of Picton makes it an ideal base from which to hit all the breweries, cideries and wineries in the region. Chef Albert Ponzo, of Le Select fame, is using ingredients from The Royal’s own Edwin Country farms as well as other local producers to pair with his love of sustainable farming and nose-to-tail cooking. The hotel also has an Italian lager

in collaboration with Midtown called Birra del Campo in addition to their offerings from other PEC and Toronto craft breweries. Also, try their spa facilities for post-county tour relaxation.

TheRoyalHotel.ca

MATRON FINE BEER

65 Barker Ln., Bloomfield

Since opening in June 2019, Matron has been one of the most talked about breweries in Ontario. While they make excellent beers, it’s how they make them that really sets them apart. Using local ingredients like Pleasant Valley Hops (grown in

made

ABOVE: Midtown Brewing Company's lively tasting room. Supplied photo

At the Royal Hotel, pair the pizza with their Italian lager made in collaboration with Midtown Brewing. Supplied photos

the county) and Barl Own Malt (from nearby Belleville), Matron is able to make its beers using sixty to one hundred per cent Ontario ingredients. Co-founded by Mallory Jones, Jessica Nettleton and Justin da Silva, Matron is your PEC destination for IPAs and easy-drinking beers. MatronFineBeer.co

SLAKE BREWING

181 Mowbray Rd., Picton

One of the newest breweries to open in PEC, Slake is the baby of Greg Landucci and Eric Portelance, who had previously helped found Halo Brewery in Toronto. They keep to the PEC theme of going local by using only Ontario-grown malts in their beer and grapes from Redtail Vineyards in PEC. SlakeBrewing.com

PARSONS BREWING COMPANY

876 County Rd. 49, Picton

Parsons was one of the first of the new wave of craft breweries that opened in PEC. Since it opened in the fall of 2016, it’s been a destination for craft beer enthusiasts with its cozy taproom, great food, huge kid-friendly property and varied lineup of beers including stouts, lagers, sours and pale ales. ParsonsBrewing.com

LOCH MOR CIDER

890 Danforth Rd., Hillier

Sara and Gary Boyd have been planting apple

trees in their orchard since 2017 with the goal of creating dry ciders like they enjoyed back home in the UK. Their pommeaus (fortified cider) and cider have won awards at various national and international competitions including best cider of the year at the 2021 WineAlign awards. LochMorCider.com

ROSEHILL RUN

1243 Greer Rd., Wellington

Long-time PEC favourite Rosehall Run has been serving great wine since 2000. Unlike some wineries who are using grapes brought in from Niagara or elsewhere, Rosehall Run prides itself on using only estate-grown grapes (with the exception of a small lot they own in Twenty Bench). RosehallRun.com

FLOSSIE’S SANDWICH PARLOUR

1317 Wilson Rd, Hillier

Recommended by locals and daytrippers alike, Flossie’s makes for a quick lunch stop while you’re touring the county. Located just north of Wellington, it’s conveniently located on the way in, or out, of the county. Their signature breakfast sandwich When Porky Met Petunia packs a meaty, cheesy punch but they’ve also got vegetarian options. FlossieSandwiches.com j

GETTING AROUND

Once you’re in PEC there are a couple of options you can use to travel around the county. You could opt for a luxury van from Sandbanks Vacations or Cronkie’s Tours to quickly zip from stop to stop in style. PEC is also very flat so doing a bike tour for a day would be quite easy as well. The new Millenium bike trail starts near the TrentSevern waterway and runs right through the middle of the county ending at Parson’s brewery. Several bike rental companies are in the county and offer both traditional bikes and e-bikes. Bloomfield Bicycle Company, Westlake Ebikes and County Bike Rentals are just some of the places that will outfit you for a day of adventure. Most will bring bikes to you and pick them up after you’re done.

Slake has fashioned a draught system to resemble the French Oak barrels that many of its products slumber in, awaiting the day they're ready. Supplied photo

A guide to the zesty, cheerful

HEFEWEIZEN

by Jordan St. John

WHAT IS IT?

A top fermented ale, frequently made with up to 70% malted wheat, renowned for its fruity, spicy nose and lightly tart, quaffable body. It literally translates as “yeast-wheat.”

ORIGIN STORY

DRINK WITH

DANGER LEVEL

Brunch-adjacent GLASS Weizen

STYLE STATS

ABV 4.3-5.6% IBU 8-15

COLOUR Straw to burnt orange

BODY Medium full

BUBBLES Spritzy

Although the Reinheitsgebot of 1516 suggested that beer could only be made with barley, hops, and water, that rule doesn't apply to the royal family of Bavaria. The privilege of making beer with wheat was reserved for them. At a time when the majority of beer on the market was brown, a brilliant, heavily carbonated beer in a much lighter colour was something that separated you from the peasantry. Also, frequently drunk before lunch.

WHY IS THERE A BANANA IN MY BEER?

Hefeweizen yeast strains ferment fairly hot when left to their own devices. The fruity character is natural. It’s isoamyl acetate, something that chemists refer to generically as “banana oil.” The slightly spicy clove notes are as a result of phenolic compounds like 4-vinyl guaiacol and eugenol. You might also experience vanilla, juicy fruit, and bubblegum. This is normal if you’re a Bavarian princeling.

SIX MUST-TRY ONTARIO HEFEWEIZEN

Wheat Beer, Side Launch Brewing Co.

Haberdasher Hefeweizen, Muddy York Brewing Co.

Morgenmuffel Hefeweizen, Great Lakes Brewing Co.

1 3 5 2 4 6

Huron Street Hefeweizen, Bitte Schön Brauhaus

Rockland Hefeweizen, Brauwerk Hoffman Hefeweizen, Parsons Brewing Co.

Weisswurst and a pretzel Eggs Benedict Chicken Korma

Mighty Neighbourly

by Robin LeBlanc

The day after I got back from the holidays in January I woke up to find that the building was a little chillier than usual. Freezing, even. After several hours all the tenants in our eight unit building learned that the boiler was broken and getting a replacement part to fix it would take some time. More than a week; A week that also just happened to be the coldest one we would get in the city, with temperatures running down to -30. With such a massive and uncomfortable disruption to our lives, it’s safe to say that at that point we all needed a drink, so I did what any good neighbour would do. I put together a small box of toasty, fairly high ABV stouts, left them outside my unit’s door, and sent an email to my neighbours telling them to help themselves. It didn’t fix our problems, but they were appreciative and it made us feel that we were all in this together.

Being known as the neighbour who is always ready to share a beer is something I’m pretty proud of. Working in the industry I’ve gotten a lot of extra beers along with my samples that I’m sometimes happy to let my neighbours try, but if I’m out and about and taste a beer that is so good I think someone will like it, I will often check its availability at the LCBO or the brewery directly so I can buy them a can personally. To me beer is a wonderful gift to share. It can break the ice, act as an olive branch during conflict, and even just be an easy way to show a sense of thoughtful companionship. A lot of proponents of craft beer espouse the sense of community the beverage can elicit and I try to embody that by not being stingy with what’s chilling in my fridge.

Here’s the thing; as lovers of good quality beer we tend to hit a point where we can either be snobby

It's a beautiful beer in the neighbourhood.

about the thing, making fun of people’s tastes and allowing them to regard craft beer as an elitist luxury item that takes itself too seriously, or we can promote the joy of the thing by pointing them to a good quality version of a beer they already like while encouraging a sense of adventure with new flavours. The world of better beer is vast and having an entry point can go a long way. Sometimes that just requires making a suggestion. Other times it means literally putting a beer in their hands.

And sometimes you can give them a chance to pick new and interesting beers themselves. That’s what Dan Grant, co-founder of RunTOBeer and co-owner of the recently opened Bossanova Wine and beer bottle shop did in the early days of the pandemic. With both a desire to reach out to his neighbours and support Ontario breweries whose fate was uncertain, he printed out 100 flyers inviting neighbours to reach out with beer orders for a group buy.

“Before the pandemic I hadn’t really talked to any of my neighbours, and this was a great way to come out of my shell a bit.” he explains. “At the beginning of the lockdown we were all afraid to touch surfaces, much less walk near someone, so this was a safe way to do things.”

Grant’s simple initiative paid off and soon the neighbourhood group buys were a regular occurrence, with orders being made to over 20 breweries. They even inspired a number of people throughout Toronto to put together their own. All in all, the situation was a win-win for everyone. Breweries got some much-needed support so they

could keep making excellent beer, and neighbours got to try some new beers and form a sense of community without having to leave their house.

“I run into a lot of the neighbours on the street and we chat a long time about what beer we’re drinking, so it was a good ice breaker.”

But if organising a group buy for the neighbourhood seems daunting, you don’t need to go that far. Honestly just throwing a can a neighbour’s way or making a recommendation during conversation can be enough. If you want to be thoughtful when making suggestions, try to figure out their favourite beer and expand on some of the key flavour elements of it. Do they like Molson Canadian? That’s a beer loosely based on Pilsner. Cold, crisp, and clean. Right off the bat you can suggest Thornbury’s award-winning Pickup No. 26 Pilsner and from those flavours you can suggest beers like Amsterdam’s 3 Speed Lager and even something as premium as Godspeed’s Světlý Ležák 12°. Do they like Guinness? That’s a nitro stout, friend, and it just so happens that the C’est What/County Durham Brewing 4-Blak Katt nitro stout is in cans right now and is mighty tasty.

Look, I’m going to level with you. With all that has been going on in the world the past few years, we could all do with a little kindness and a sense of togetherness with our fellow humans and often the simple act of handing a person a beer can go a long way in achieving that. In doing so you might be able to get them to think a little bit more about what they consume and how they can make the experience better, or you can just put a smile on their face. Either way, that’s a win. j

THE ESTABLISHED NIAGARA GRADS EDITION

BREWer BREWer vs.

by Jordan St. John

On the face of it, you might assume that Scotland, Ontario’s Flux Brewery and Toronto’s Lost Craft have comparatively little in common. Flux is one of the newest hype breweries in the province with a range of IPAs that are highly sought after for delivery. Lost Craft was until recently a contract brand best known for its Lagered Ale that has made the transition to being a physical brewery by partnering with the High Park Brewery in West Toronto.

The difference maker in both of these situations is the brewer. Catherine St. John and Kelsey Desnoyers have stories that share some commonality. They’re both recent Niagara College graduates looking to make their mark in an industry that they’ve adopted. Catherine worked her way through several different brewing situations (Indie, Steam Whistle, Bandit, Common Good) before landing at Lost Craft. Kelsey started working at Flux directly after graduation.

Their journeys are slightly different based on their goals coming out of the program, and the contrast is fascinating.

GROWLER: What made you decide to go into brewing?

CSJ: Why not brewing, really? I got into it because I got my masters degree in English Literature and was applying for a bunch of phD’s but what do you do with a graduate degree in English lit. I was thinking I’ll become a professor, it’ll be great. Turns out I didn’t like academia that much and there are very few jobs, and they’re extremely competitive and or they’re in locations I wouldn’t want to go to.

Decided I didn’t want to go for the PhD, so I just sort of looked at what I was doing for fun.

Making stuff, homebrewing, baking, cooking. On a chance wine tour of the Niagara region, I noticed there was a teaching brewery. Let’s stop by there and see what that’s all about. The person who was working there did a very good sales pitch where 98% of grads had a job in their field and, oh, that’s the opposite of English Literature.

KD: I went to the University of Guelph for Marine Biology. I loved it. I double majored in marine biology and nutrition, all things I thought were super interesting. I think that’s how you initially decide your career path... In the process of this time period my wife and I were constantly going to craft breweries. We loved craft beer, we loved the craft beer scene, we loved trying different beers, we loved everything about it. I remember one day thinking “Well shit, what about this, I really like this.”

So I started thinking through that process talking to brewers and breweries and attended a couple of conferences OCBC, MBAAs just to see if it was something I was interested in and that’s how I got into applying for the college program. I also did their brew academy, their week-long kind of condensed course where you could go in and brew one day and the other days were filled with classrooms,

You’re constantly striving to make that beer that’s already good, just that much better.

—Kelsey Desnoyers, Flux Brewery

learning about the ingredients and packaging and that kind of stuff.

GROWLER: How do you approach looking for work coming out of Niagara College?

CSJ: I came out of Niagara College very aware of the fact that I was not ready to be a head brewer. I think the program doesn’t necessarily prepare you all that well for that, so I was looking for entry level positions at companies that I respected so I was applying for packaging jobs, cellaring jobs, bottle shop jobs that could lead to something more. I decided I would rather work for a company I liked in a junior role than immediately take that head brewer position somewhere that should not be hiring me as a head brewer.

KD: The job I currently have is exactly the kind of job I was looking for. I wanted to go to a place where I was able to do everything. If you apply to Collective or one of the bigger guys you’re either brewing or cellaring or packaging, and one of the things I love about craft beer is that you can be a part of everything from start to finish, so that was specifically what I wanted it was a question of finding a place I can do that in.

I got really lucky. I was able to meet and find something really quick. I know a few of my classmates who had to wait a couple of months before they could lock in a job. I don’t know a lot of places that are hiring during the down months in January.

GROWLER: The owners presumably have a vision for the company. How do you, when you’re starting from scratch, reconcile what you want to make with the vision of the owners?

CSJ: [At Common Good,] a good chunk of our volume was contract, which was really interesting and I was happy to experience. It’s all well and good when you have one person making all the recipes. Everything is fairly cohesive. It makes sense within that system. But when you’re adapting assorted brewers’ recipes, visions, techniques to the same system, it was just really cool to see how other people were approaching certain styles. A lot of it is just different technique in terms of hopping, water chemistry, even grist to water ratios in the mash. People come at it from different directions depending on what people want to achieve. The brewhouse was quite forgiving. This is

the smallest system I’ve ever professionally brewed on at 10 HL. It’s just slightly smaller than Bandit.

KD: One of my draws to Flux was I’m a big malt forward beer drinker. Red Ales, Stouts, Porters, give it to me with a hose, but Jeremy is a huge Hazy IPA drinker. One of the things that drew me here was I didn’t know a lot about IPAs. I didn’t drink them a lot. I saw it as an opportunity to learn way more about them. That being said, we make a lot of hazy IPAs. At the end of the day, we still make the malt forward guys that I like. As much as I push Jeremy to do those kind of beers, he pushes back with IPAs and we find a happy balance of what we both love to drink, but what we know the consumer wants.

GROWLER: How has the learning curve been with your own brewery?

CSJ: Just trying to maintain the distinction between the brands has been a really fun challenge. Just mentally having the space to understand that you’re working on different brands and just understanding that this recipe makes sense for that brand. Specifically with High Park vs. Lost Craft, they’re just different vibes, as esoteric as that sounds. Lost Craft is very approachable, accessible, and easy drinking. Lost Craft is more bright and crisp, while High Park is a little warmer and rounder, and I’ve sort of developed water profiles that fit those two types of beer, which doesn’t limit me in terms of style but just creates that vibe.

KD: [At Niagara College,] I was in the brewery every second I could be. Any free moment I was there. Fridays were free days and I was in the brewery learning as much as I possibly could.

Flux Brewing captured here during the magic hour. The magic hour is, of course, when they do the dry hopping. Supplied photo

Potentially if you ask one of my classmates the same question they might have a different answer.

We’re constantly changing our IPA recipes in a strive for perfection, right? So we're constantly tweaking it just to get a bit more haze, a bit more flavour, a bit more mouthfeel. If you’re not constantly making those changes... it’s good for us too. You don’t get complacent. You’re constantly striving to make that beer that’s already good, just that much better.

GROWLER: What’s the favorite beer you’ve created?

CSJ: After I interviewed and was accepted for the position, I had to give some notice. They were introducing their new brand in the LCBO: the Neapolitan Stout. “This is being brewed within the next week or so, we know you haven’t officially started yet, but would you mind taking a look at the recipe?” I glanced at it and thought, “I know how to fix this.” And because it was going to be such a large scale production, I didn’t want one of

the first beers that was released when I start with the company to be something I wasn’t 100% proud of. I sent them recipe revisions, said, “maybe you should do this.” The first batch gets brewed and everybody goes nuts for it. They’re thrilled. That went a long way to building trust.

KD: Ask me today, I’ll give you an answer. Ask me tomorrow, it’ll be a different answer. I would probably say one we made back in the fall of 2020. It was a Coffee Porter. We partnered with a local roastery in Brantford called Seventh Coffee. He did a fresh roast for us. We did a cold brew that we infused into our porter. As a huge coffee drinker it was by far my favorite beer we’ve ever made.

GROWLER: What advice would you have for someone who’s starting out?

CSJ: I would say just take pretty well any job you can get that’s brewery related and let the people above you know that you’re interested in advancing. By and large, brewers are good folks and if you’re also a good person they’ll try to help you out as long as you put in the work and learn and aren’t a total jerk to everyone, there’s definitely a path there.

KD: Go and get as much experience as you can, not necessarily in working. The people in the craft industry are so friendly. If you're interested, do what I did. Go to breweries and start chatting people up. Chat up the brewers, owners, start homebrewing. There are so many ways to connect with people in the industry if you’re interested. And so many people that are willing to help and that's a great starting block. j

As long as you put in the work and learn and aren’t a total jerk to everyone, there’s definitely a path there.

—Catherine St. John, Lost Craft

Lost Craft and High Park share a brewer in Catherine St.John, but also a taproom that evokes the greenery of the park itself.Supplied photo

Cellar dwellers

by Rob Mangelsdorf

While the vast majority of commercial beers we drink are designed to be consumed as fresh as possible, some can actually benefit from some added time—provided it’s under the right conditions. Like wine, some beers can be cellar-aged to improve their flavour. But if you screw it up, you’re going to have gushing bottles and a wet, sticky mess to clean up. So don’t screw it up. Here’s how.

DO…

Read the label. If you see things like “Brewer’s Reserve,” “Vertical” or the vintage year is listed on the label, this is a good indication the beer is designed to be cellar aged. Other beers, like Granville Island’s totally legit Cellar Series, spell it out for you pretty plainly. If there’s a clearly-marked expiration date on the beer, drink it ASAP.

DON’T…

Cellar a beer without drinking one first. I’ve developed the habit of buying two bottles of any beer I find I think might benefit from an extended stay in the cellar—one for now, one for later. That way I can determine if it’s appropriate for aging and I

can see how the flavour changes over time. Take some tasting notes while you're at it.

DO…

Consider aging these beers. Strong beers (7% ABV and higher), malt-forward beers, barrel-aged beers, Brett-fermented beers, imperial stouts, barleywines, pretty much anything Belgian, traditional sours (as opposed to kettle sours), beers with lots of residual sweetness, bottle-conditioned beers and beers that explicitly tell you to age them.

DON’T…

Age these other beers. Hop-forward styles like IPAs, anything hazy, light lagers, beers that are lower in alcohol, very dry beers, anything fresh hopped, most commercial beer.

DO…

Look for bottle-conditioned beers. Bottle-conditioned beer gets a little added kick of yeast and sugar to carbonate the beer in the bottle. These beers are ideal for aging, as the yeast will continue to ferment (at a glacial pace, mind you) and eat up any oxygen that might sneak past the bottle cap. Most Belgian beers are bottle conditioned, which

The dos and don'ts of hoarding beer.cellaring

is why they have such long shelf lives. Naturally, so is Dageraad’s entire lineup.

DON’T…

Let your beer get too warm (or too cold). The optimal temperature for aging beer is between 10 C and 15 C, with high ABV beers (7% and above) towards the top end of that range. Because the beer you’re storing is likely unpasteurized, that means the yeasts will still be working away. If stored at too high a temperature, like a closet that gets hot in the summer, the yeasts will become active, chewing up any residual sugars and pooping out more alcohol and carbon dioxide. That’s a recipe for a gusher. You do not want to wear the contents of a bottle of cherry lambic all over your nice white shirt. Meanwhile, store the beer in too cold a temperature, and nothing will happen at all. It’s all about consistently staying in that Goldilocks zone. Personally, I keep my beers in an unheated corner of my basement where the temperature stays a balmy 12 C all year round.

DO…

Serve the beer at the temperature you’ve stored it at. You want to be able to taste the complexity of the beer, after all, and flavour diminishes with temperature. If you serve a Westvleteren 12 that’s been aged for five years at 2 C, I’m going to find you, and I’m going to slap you.

DON’T…

Expect radical changes in flavour. Typically, the changes that occur with aging are subtle, but significant. Barrel-aged beers will generally mellow with age, with tannic astringency becoming less pronounced. Hop bitterness will fade, while beers fermented with Brettanomyces will tend to clean up and dry out over time. You might notice more balance to the beer’s flavour; sours taste less acidic, roasted malts become less acrid and beers with a high alcoholic content will become less “hot.” But don’t expect a completely new beer.

DO…

Look for established releases. Beers that have been around for years like Vancouver Island Brewing’s annual run of Hermannator or most Belgian beers have well demonstrated shelf stability. The new brewery down the street with its first-ever barrel-aged release? Not so much. You have a higher likelihood of getting

a gusher with these beers. That doesn’t mean you shouldn’t experiment with them, though.

DON’T…

Lie your bottles flat. Beer isn’t wine, so you don’t need to keep it in contact with the cork. Keeping the bottle upright will allow the yeast to settle out of the beer at the bottom over time. Even if the beer bottle has a cork, keep it upright, as it may take on flavours of the cork if the beer is in contact with it.

DO…

Open your beer over the sink. Sometimes, despite all your best efforts to treat your beer right, it just doesn’t want to behave and you’re left with a gusher. It happens. Cellaring beer is unpredictable, especially with unstable cellaring temperatures or new releases. Aim away from the face.

DON’T…

Expose your beers to light. Beer is photosensitive and glass bottles let in light, so box up those beers and turn off the lights unless you want that Founders KBS to taste like Pepé LePew’s butthole.

DO…

Share your beers! The best part of aging beers is discovering how the beer’s flavour has changed over time. So invite some friends over, crack a few bottles, and share the experience. Better yet, do a monthly bottle share! Fun!

DON’T…

Leave your bottles for too long. Age your cellar-appropriate beers for at least a year, but beyond that, it’s up to you. But don't go crazy. Most will hit their sweet spot at around three years. Some Belgian varieties like lambic or gueuze can be aged for 10 years or more. But once again, beer is not wine. An imperial stout that’s been aged for decades will probably taste like wet cardboard and meaty farts.

imperial stout that’s been aged for decades will

Experiment! Aging beer isn’t an exact science, so have some fun with it! j

• Rob Mangelsdorf is a Certified Cicerone, BJCP beer judge and a contributor to The Growler. He also enjoys hoarding beer in his basement until he can force it on unsuspecting houseguests and talking about himself in the third person.

The state of import beer in Ontario

by Max Morin

Here in Ontario we’re spoiled for choice. With over 350 breweries and a substantial loosening of prohibition-era alcohol retail laws, we now have the ability to find great beer more easily than ever before. But where the pandemic has spurred modest growth for our local breweries, it's all but collapsed another pillar of the beer market altogether— imports.

Last year, according to Beer Canada, import beer sales declined a whopping 25.5% nationally and they now only make up just 18% of overall beer sales in the province. The consequences of this shortfall are still reverberating and likely won’t be understood for some time. Import agencies are learning to adapt to this new normal. After all, the work that goes into getting that bottle of Orval on the shelf at your local LCBO is more complicated than you think.

Here in Ontario, importers are considered “agents” for breweries abroad looking to sell their wares through the LCBO, who centrally control all alcohol retail sales. Think of agencies as a hands-off conduit, facilitating the submission, importation, and sale of the beer through the LCBO’s tightly controlled and heavily regulated retail system.

“Our hands don’t touch anything,” says Matt Mullin, who works for Von Terra, a licensed agent who represents various wines, spirits, and beer brands

like Driftwood and Sierra Nevada. “Their mandate is to be a one stop shop for everything.” This approach means Mullin and reps like him need to get creative in order to find shelf space at the LCBO, where beer captains are likely to populate their limited shelf space with safe bet beer brands their customers already know.

“The reality of the program is that we are only buying 300 to 500 cases of product for a 12 week selling season. Ten products per season,” writes John Tyler, Product and Category Manager for beer imports for the LCBO. Those numbers mean import agents are encouraged to bring in large volume brands who can meet that demand. All of this is made more complicated by the fact that all imported beer must go through lab testing, meet CFIA labeling standards, and adhere to specific packaging that can withstand the unique rigours of the LCBO’s fully automated warehouse in Durham. If you plan on bringing in kegged beer, an agent will also need to go through an approved “keg distributor,” of which there are only a handful.

With breweries left overhauling their packaging and labeling, it’s no wonder many of the world’s best are reluctant to enter the market. Even celebrated brands that do make a go of it aren’t guaranteed a listing.

“I’ve submitted flagship beers from breweries very solidly in the top half of the ratebeer Top 100 list only to have them rejected by the LCBO before even reaching the tasting panel,” laments Chris Craig-Neil, whose one-man-band Coolship Imports brings in brands like Siren from the UK, and the esoteric beers of Põhjala from Estonia. “I think people would be surprised as to just how many top global craft breweries are trying to get into Ontario, but are being turned down by the LCBO.”

If a beer gets the green light from the LCBO’s panel of tasters, passes lab testing, and gets successfully imported into Ontario, it then faces an added hurdle at the retail, store-to-store level. Mullin explains it this way: “When you ask people ‘who are the pioneers of craft beer?’ They’ll say Creemore or they’ll say Mill Street [instead of Sierra Nevada or Stone].” Although many understand the nuances, history, and importance of certain Burgundian wines and Kentucky Bourbons, few store buyers are oriented in the world of craft beer in the same way. Robbed of its story as the progenitor of craft beer, Sierra Nevada Pale Ale becomes just another solid Pale Ale. The global pandemic has only further complicated matters. “This year we've been screwed because of the supply chain issues,” Kyle Osland tells me. He’s the Provincial Sales Manager for Horizon Beers, representing brands like Rochefort, Orval, and St. Bernardus among others. “Freight rates will likely double. Right now we’re paying $11.50 per case from Belgium but that’ll likely be closer to $20 this year.”

Everything from aluminum cans to shipping pallets to containers are in shorter supply, causing unforeseen delays or canceling orders altogether. If an import agent has a listing at a store but no beer to supply stores with, beer captains are understandably quick to give that opportunity to products that are available.

For all the system’s challenges, Osland is noticeably positive about the current state of the import business. “The specialty import market is actually up” says Osland. He ties the severe drop in import sales volume to bigger brands like Spaten, Lowenbrau, and Stella Artois opting to contract the production of their beer locally. “Diversity of availability is something Ontarians deserve but they also deserve a stable system to bring that in.”

This stability has given the LCBO license to use their massive buying power to help supply stores with incredibly affordable, world class imports. For example: Orval, arguably the best Trappist beer in the world, which retails here for $4.95, often sells for almost double the price in the US (and that’s before the exchange rate kicks in). More importantly, almost 2.4 billion dollars worth of revenue from the LCBO gets funneled back into the province’s coffers every year.

the ment is super capable—they just work in a modernized consignment program and the potential loosening of interprovincial game substantially. With agents now

“Whenever people complain about the LCBO, I don’t get it. The logistics department is super capable—they just work in a horribly bureaucratic system.”

Every agent agrees that the LCBO’s newly modernized consignment program and the potential loosening of interprovincial trade on the horizon has changed the game substantially. With agents now able to bring in smaller volumes of niche, specialty brands it’s given their businesses a new lease on life—at least that’s how Craig-Neil sees it. “I think we are only now seeing the very early stages of the evolution of the retail landscape in Ontario, and as a consumer and beer drinker as much as an importer, I’m excited for what the next few years will bring.” j

I think people would be surprised as to just how many top global craft breweries are trying to get into Ontario, but are being turned down by the LCBO. —Chris Craig-Neil, Coolship Imports

Out and about in the great north woods.

by Mark Solomon

The closing, opening, reclosing, and reopening of taprooms over the last two years, has been hard on breweries—and us—to say the least! Traveling to a new city, and looking up a few breweries on the way, has been a pastime of mine for years. For the rest of 2022, the Ontario government will be incentivizing residents to take a "staycation" by offering reimbursement on money spent on accommodations; which means, it's time for a road trip!

Sleeping Giant Brewery is located in Inner City (the in-between area of Port Arthur and Fort William, the two cities that made up Thunder Bay prior to 1970). As with all great attractions, you enter and exit via the gift shop, which has over 50 local vendors’ wares on offer. The taproom opens

up to an expansive space that houses a bar with lots of seating, the production area and a second floor gallery.

The gallery is a special place—grab your pint downstairs then head up the steps to see an impressive display of beer bottles from international, domestic and long gone Ontario breweries, such as Union Jack. Two features of the gallery are a handmade canoe with Edison lights, and a bar stool overlooking the production area—the best seat in the house. Grab a seat in the taproom and ponder the staff’s secret pairing of Beaver Duck Session IPA with Sour Peach candy.

While both the nature surrounding Thunder Bay and the brewery are beautiful, there are aspects of the community that are not. Thunder Bay

What could be better than a flight of beers, a window to watch the world from, and a traveling companion to share it with? Supplied photo

has complex, long-standing issues with systemic violence faced by Indigenous people that come to the city for education and employment. The Wake the Giant Festival is a grassroots community response to make Thunder Bay more welcoming and safe for Indigenous people. While Wake the Giant is a dry festival, Sleeping Giant pays their staff to participate, attend and learn. This “yes company” is there to support the community and make change.

While you are in Thunder Bay, check out the original licensee of Sleeping Giant, the Mad House, which has great food on offer. You have to try the fish tacos with a Sleeping Giant Northern Logger Learn about the brewery name's origins by grabbing some takeaway beers and hiking the Sleeping Giant trails or visiting the Terry Fox memorial and lookout—one of the best vantage points in the city to see the Sleeping Giant rock formation.

While you are in Northwestern Ontario, you must venture down highway 11 or 17 to Kenora. Kenora sits on the Ontario-Manitoba border, is in a different time zone (still in Ontario) and is the home of Lake of the Woods Brewery. The LOW team recommend listening to the Tragically Hip as you roll into town. Gord Downie, the band's lead singer, drew Canada’s attention to Kenora through his album The Secret Path, focusing on the story of Chanie Wenjack’s escape (and subsequent death) from a residential school in the town. The Hip, known for their Canadian nostalgia, are very much a reflection of LOW's lifestyle.

As you pull into Kenora, keep your eyes peeled for “town deer.” It is quite common to see deer walking downtown, snacking on flowers and laying down on front lawns, lazing the day away. In the centre of town and on your way in, you will see lake after lake, equipped with boat launches. Kenora is a paradise for those that love fishing, the outdoors and adventure. While the winter is not for the faint of heart, the opportunity to drive on an ice road to a cottage or an ice fishing condo is part of everyday life in the small town and something special for visitors to experience.

Winter in a northern town might seem long and daunting, but for LOW, the ice on the lakes is an opportunity to create a cellar. Using an idea from their brewer’s South African homeland, Lake of the Woods put a thousand bottles on the bottom of the lake last autumn, and is eagerly waiting to retrieve them. This is only the second time that

When collecting bottles, it's of vital importance to make sure the wattage on your canoe based lighting fixture is adequate. Not available at IKEA. Supplied photo

LOW has done their Deep Six beer and it sells out fast.

Lake of the Woods Brewery has reclaimed the downtown fire station. Within this huge footprint is a production facility, kitchen, wrap-around bar, tonnes of tables, a gift shop, and a speakeasy style bar with premium top shelf spirits upstairs. LOW's kitchen is second to none in town, and pairing their brewed-on-site beers with menu items comes naturally for the staff. The chicken fingers are well worth both a drive and time zone shift.

Lake of the Woods' flagship beer is Sultana Gold, a beer found on tap all over Northwestern Ontario, and named after one of the many gold mines in operation in the area when the town was founded. The current Lake of the Woods is in fact the second brewery to use that name in Kenora (the original was in operation from 1898-1954), and Sultana is a throwback to both the mine and the original beer brewed by the first brewery. The crew at LOW live the northern lifestyle; grab a seat at the bar, and you might get fishing tips or find out if a band is playing on a dock somewhere (yes, this happens).

Taprooms have always been a place where we gather, talk and visit, while traveling is something that we have longed for since the COVID-19 pandemic began. Travel across this great province, visit an area (and a taproom) that you have never seen, and get a tax credit! Great beer and great taprooms are yours to discover. j

LEMONY Charred ONION White Bean DiP

Paired with Full Beard Brewing's Choice! New Zealand Pilsner

BY JESSIE SCACE

Jeesie Scace photos

BOTTOM: Each can of New Zealand style Pilsner will make you feel like Taika Waititi on a good day.

Ottawa-born and raised chef Jessie Scace has been working in hospitality and kitchens for ten years. This versatile Lemony Charred Onion White Bean Dip can be served as a snack with crudités and pita chips or as a topping on a burger or grilled vegetable sandwich. For Jessie, this fresh, summery dip is perfect for a picnic in the park or a backyard barbeque. This quick dish can be whipped up in less than twenty minutes, making it the perfect addition to any springtime activities.

INgredients

Serves 2 or 3 as a snack

• 3 tbsp olive oil, extra for drizzling

• 2 bunches scallions or green onions

• 4 cloves of garlic, unpeeled

• 1 can of navy beans, drained and rinsed

• juice from ½ lemon

• 1 tbsp lemon zest

• ¼ cup water

• 1 tbsp onion powder

• ½ cup chopped fresh dill

• salt and fresh pepper to taste

directions

1. Preheat oven to 375°F.

2. Clean and trim the scallions. Transfer to a parchment-lined baking sheet. Add the unpeeled cloves of garlic. Drizzle with olive oil.

3. Roast for 15 minutes or until the edges of the scallions are brown. Remove scallions from the baking sheet leaving the garlic cloves. Turn off the oven and return the baking sheet with the garlic back to the hot oven.

4. In a food processor, blend navy beans, lemon juice, zest, olive oil, water, and onion powder until smooth.

5. Remove garlic from the oven and peel cloves. Coarsely chop up the roasted garlic cloves, charred scallions, and dill. Add to the food processor and blend to combine.

6. Garnish with cracked pepper and extra herbs. Serve with a baguette and crudités. Great as a sandwich spread or as a dressing in a summer salad! j

Pairing this dip with a light crisp pilsner will highlight the sweet caramel taste of the roasted garlic, while not overpowering the bite from the lemon juice. Choice!, from Full Beard Brewing in Timmins, is a delicate balance of Pilsner malt, German lager yeast and New Zealand hops Motueka, Rakua and Wai-iti. These hops provide a gentle flavouring of citrus and ripe fruits, that goes well with this golden beer’s clean aftertaste that sticks on your tongue. Together, this pairing was made for enjoying the nice weather, or as Full Beard Brewing says, this beer “is not just Choice! It’s Choice as!”

—Sabryna Ekstein

ABOVE: Ottawa based chef Jessie Scace, pictured at The Third in Hintonburg.

GREAT LAKES BREWERY

30 Queen Elizabeth Blvd. | GreatLakesBeer.com

RETAIL STORE DAILY 10AM-8PM

EST. 1987

In 2021, GLB brewed and released over 150 beers through their retail store, online shop, LCBO, Grocery and the Beer Store in a wide variety of styles. In addition to being a leader in Ontario’s brewing industry and releasing many fabulous IPAs over the course of the year, Great Lakes has also begun producing their own spirits.

GREAT LAKES LAGER LAGER

Year-round: B, L, LC, BS

Bronze with a snowy white head. Honey, hay, lemon drop and lightly toasted malts on the nose with a noticeable fresh cut grass bitterness.

OCTOPUS WANTS TO FIGHT IPA

AMERICAN IPA

Year Round: B, L, LC, BS

A one-two combo of tropical fruits abounds from the glass followed by pine, evergreen, and some herbaceous notes.

BURST! ... A NEW ENGLAND PALE ALE

NEW ENGLAND PALE ALE

Seasonal: B, L, LC

Predominant notes of mango propel forward and are quickly joined by strawberry, peach and a touch of lemon. Like drinking a fresh fruit salad.

KARMA SIMCOE IPA

AMERICAN IPA

Seasonal: B, L, LC

Golden in colour with a creamy dense head. Aromas of pine, evergreen and grapefruit dominant with a slight sweetness present.

GLB Brewpub COming soon!

Great Lakes’ second location, a modern brew pub, is set to open this spring across from the picturesque umbrellas of Sugar Beach. This will be a welcome addition to Downtown Toronto’s Brewing scene, as Mike Lackey brings his flavourful IPAs and crisp interpretations of German styles to the St. Lawrence Market district.

BELLWOODS BREWERY

124 Ossington Ave., 20 Hafis Rd., Toronto BellwoodsBrewery.com

Bellwoods is celebrating their 10th anniversary this year. You can expect to see lots of anniversary releases, special events and the opening of their Ossington brewpub expansion in the coming months.

BELLWEISER PILSNER

Year-round: B, L, LC

Series: B, L, LC

GOOSE ISLAND BREWHOUSE TORONTO

70 The Esplanade | GooseIslandToronto.ca

In the Goose Island Brewhouse Toronto there is a wall made entirely of real bourbon barrel staves and the back patio is the proud home of a real Banksy!

GOOSE ISLAND IPA IPA

Year-round: B, L, LC, TBS

JUICE ISLAND HAZY IPA NEW ENGLAND/ HAZY IPA

Year-round: B, L, LC

MILL ST. BREW PUB

21 Tank House Ln., | MillStreetBrewery.com

As the new official beer of Toronto FC, Mill Street’s Brewpub will be hosting TFC Watch parties for every away game throughout the season. BLUE

ETOBICOKE SCARBOROUGH

NICKEL BROOK BREWING CO.

1589 The Queensway | NickelBrook.com

COMMON GOOD BEER CO.

475

|

Meet up for pints in the taproom at the Etobicoke location! This brewery is also their main production facility that ensures they keep all our faves in stock for LCBO and grocery stores across Ontario.

Scarborough’s only craft brewery features a series of IPAs under the Wildstyle moniker in addition to their increasingly popular yearround brands.

BIG ROCK BREWERY

42 Liberty St. | BigRockBeer.com

BLACK LAB BREWING

818 Eastern Ave. | BlackLab.beer

In the heart of Liberty Village, Big Rock specializes in fresh new approachable styles of beer. Available for delivery via Uber Eats in the GTA & for home delivery across Ontario.

An award-winning dog-friendly brewery where you’re as likely to meet a borzoi as a blue heeler. This year’s Snoopypalooza festival runs from August 1114, and is guaranteed not to pull the football away.

BLOOD BROTHERS BREWING

165 Geary Ave. | BloodBrothersBrewing.com

COLLECTIVE ARTS BREWING

777 Dundas St. W. | CollectiveArtsBrewing.com

Featuring thematic material that an occultist might spend hours deciphering, Blood Brothers is one of Toronto’s most popular taprooms in part due to the experimental nature of their beers.

Located near the iconic Kensington Market neighbourhood, Collective Arts Toronto features a bottle shop where you can purchase not just the beers brewed on site, but the entire product lineup.

LIFE IN THE

THE GRANITE BREWERY

245 Eglinton Ave. E. | GraniteBrewery.ca

JUNCTION CRAFT BREWERY

150 Symes Rd. | JunctionCraft.com

Featuring the Canadian Brewers Journal’s Brewer of the Year Mary Beth Keefe, The Granite is not only a neighbourhood anchor in Midtown Toronto, but one of the best English -style breweries in Ontario.

Celebrating their tenth anniversary, Junction has recently opened their own bodega, where you can buy both their beer and the beverages they manufacture for their clients.

LEFT FIELD BREWERY

36 Wagstaff Dr. | LeftFieldBrewery.ca

MASCOT BREWERY

37 Advance Rd.; 220 King St. W. MascotBrewery.com

Left Field Brewery’s Beer For Everybody yearround initiative showcases and supports local organizations that work to dismantle systemic inequities. Learn more at leftfieldbrewery.ca

HELLO FRIENDS

PLAY:

Mascot, with locations in Downtown and Etobicoke, is the only Black-owned brewery in Ontario, now participating in a series of collabs with other Black-owned breweries.

PILLY PILSNER

NORTHERN MAVERICK BREWING CO.

115 Bathurst St. | NorthernMaverick.ca

RORSCHACH BREWING CO.

1001 Eastern Ave. | RorschachBrewing.com

With a large patio fronting onto Bathurst Street, Northern Maverick has a fun snack menu featuring pakoras, truffle fries, and a homemade oxtail patty.

HANDCRAFTED

Located on Toronto’s East Side, Rorschach features a rooftop patio and a small parkette outside their bottle shop window. It’s the perfect place for enjoying a beer that you’ve purchased for takeout.

SHACKLANDS BREWING CO.

101-100 Symes Rd. | Shacklands.com

WOODHOUSE BREWING CO.

301 Landsdowne Ave. | WoodhouseBrewing.com

Shacklands Tripel was a double gold medal winner in 2021-garnering Gold at both the Ontario and the Canadian brewing awards . All their beers are can-conditioned, unfiltered, and unpasteurized.

DAYSTAR

Although they began with a single Amber Lager, Woodhouse’s lineup is now varied with something for everybody at their Brockton Village brewpub.

NORDIC

TORONTO TORONTO

AMSTERDAM BREWERY

45 Esandar Dr.; 87 Laird Dr.; 245 Queens Quay W., Toronto AmsterdamBeer.com

BIRROTECA AT EATALY TORONTO

55 Bloor St West, Toronto IndieAleHouse.com

AVLING BREWERY

1042 Queen St. E., Toronto Avling.ca

BLACK OAK BREWING CO.

75 Horner Ave., Etobicoke BlackOakBeer.com

BANDIT BREWERY

2125 Dundas St. W., Toronto

BanditBrewery.ca

BAR VOLO

17 St. Nicholas St., Toronto BarVolo.com

BRUNSWICK BIERWORKS

25 Curity Ave., East York BrunswickBierworks.com

BEACHES BREWING CO.

1953 Queen St. E., Toronto

BeachesBrewing.com

BELGIAN MOON BREWERY AT STACKT MARKET

3 Tecumseth St., Toronto

Can.BelgianMoon.ca

BURDOCK BREWERY

1184 Bloor St. W., Toronto

BurdockTO.com

EASTBOUND BREWING CO.

700 Queen St. E., Toronto

EastboundBeer.com

FOLLY BREWING

928 College St., Toronto

Folly Brewing.com

HIGH PARK BREWERY

839 Runnymede Rd., Toronto

HighParkBrewery.com

INDIE ALEHOUSE BREWING CO.

2876 Dundas St. W., Toronto

IndieAleHouse.com

KENSINGTON BREWING CO.

299 Augusta Ave., Toronto

KensingtonBrewingCompany.com

GODSPEED BREWERY

242 Coxwell Ave., Toronto

GodspeedBrewery.com

LAYLOW BREWERY

1144 College St, Toronto

Laylow.beer

HALO BREWERY

247 Wallace Ave., Toronto

HaloBrewery.com

HENDERSON BREWING CO.

128A Sterling Rd., Toronto

HendersonBrewing.com

LONGSLICE BREWERY

484 Front St. E., Toronto

Longslice.com

LOST CRAFT BREWING CO.

837 Runnymede Rd., Toronto

LostCraft.ca

LOUIS CIFER BREW WORKS

417 Danforth Ave., Toronto

LouisCiferBrewWorks.com

MUDDY YORK BREWING CO.

22 Cranfield Rd., East York

MuddyYorkBrewing.com

PEOPLE’S PINT BREWING CO.

90 Cawthra Ave., Toronto

PeoplesPint.com

RADICAL ROAD BREWING CO.

1177 Queen St. E., Toronto

RadicalRoadBrew.com

RAINHARD BREWING CO.

100 Symes Rd., Toronto

RainhardBrewing.com

RED TAPE BREWERY

159 Main St., Toronto

RedTapeBrewery.com

SAULTER STREET BREWERY

1-31 Saulter St., Toronto

SaulterStreetBrewery.com

SOMETHING IN THE WATER BREWING CO.

151 E. Liberty St., Toronto

SomethingBrewing.ca

STEAM WHISTLE

255 Bremner Blvd. , Toronto

SteamWhistle.ca

3 BRASSEURS

Unit 100-120 Adelaide St. W., Toronto Les3Brasseurs.ca

— x — TORONTO

— x —

OLD FLAME BREWING CO.

135 Perry St.; 140 Main St. S., Newmarket | OldFlameBrewingCo.ca

THE SECOND WEDGE BREWING CO.

14 Victoria St. | TheSecondWedge.ca

Both of Old Flame’s locations are in historical buildings and each pay homage in their own way. They are open 7 days a week, and dogs are always welcome.

BLONDE HELLES STYLE LAGER

5 PADDLES BREWING CO.

#3-1390 Hopkins St, Whitby 5PaddlesBrewing.ca

There’s lots going on at The Second Wedge. Foundry Pi returns this spring bringing wood fired pizza to the beer garden! Uxbridge Farmers Market and live music every Sunday!

RETICENT FOX ORANGE PEEL PALE ALE

ALL OR NOTHING BREWHOUSE

439 Ritson Rd. S., Oshawa

AllOrNothing.beer

BROCK STREET BREWING CO.

244 Brock St. S., Whitby BrockStBrewing.com

C’EST WHAT DURHAM

1885 Clements Rd., Pickering

CestWhatDurham.com

MANANTLER

CRAFT

BREWING CO.

160 Baseline Rd. E., Bowmanville Manantler.com

CHRONICLE BREWING CO.

422 Lake Rd., Unit 3, Bowmanville

ChronicleBeer.com

MARKET BREWING CO.

4-17775 Leslie St., Newmarket

MarketBrewingCo.com

COPPERWORKS BREWPUB

7 Division St., Bowmanville

CopperworksPub.com

NEW RITUAL BREWING CO.

716 Wilson Rd. S., Oshawa

Instagram.com/NewRitualBrewing

FALCON BREWING

30 Barr Rd., Ajax FalconBeer.beer

ROUGE RIVER BREWING CO.

8-50 Bullock Dr., Markham

RougeRiverBrewery.com

LITTLE BEASTS BREWING CO.

2075 Forbes St., Whitby

LittleBeastsBrewing.com

TOWN BREWERY

1632 Charles St., Whitby TownBrewery.ca

MAGNOTTA BREWERY

271 Chrislea Rd., Vaughan

MagnottaBrewery.com

West GTA & Hamilton

NICKEL BROOK BREWING CO.

864 Drury Ln. | NickelBrook.com

SUN-WED 11AM-6PM ^ THURS-SAT 11AM-8PM

EST. 2005

One of the leading players in the Ontario craft beer movement, Nickel Brook’s brewers combine premium ingredients, DIY creativity and a depth of technical expertise to create world-class beers.

TONGUE TIED

DOUBLE DRY HOPPED IPA

Year-round: B, L, LC, BS

This brew is sure to tie your taste buds up in knots thanks to mouth-watering notes of papaya and pine. Bright and juicy!

JAM STAND RASPBERRY

REAL FRUIT BERLINER WEISSE

Year-round: B, L, LC, BS

Delightfully effervescent and positively bursting with the sweet-tart tang of real raspberries. Luscious fruit flavors followed by a refreshing dry finish.

ABV IBU 6.1% N/A

ABV IBU 4.0% N/A

SHAWN & ED BREWING CO.

65 Hatt St. | LagerShed.com

CLIFFORD BREWING CO.

1-398 Nash Rd. N. | CliffordBrewing.com

Shawn & Ed release 12 unique beer styles and flavours during the year, a different beer every month! Join their BeerClub to receive exclusive access to these small batch brews.

LAGERSHED ORIGINAL GERMAN-STYLE

Known for making a large selection of award winning beer styles Clifford Brewing was also the Canadian Brewery of the year in 2019. Watch for regular live music events posted to their social media.

FRUITION— BLOOD ORANGE & PINK GUAVA SOUR

SOUR

BADLANDS BREWING COMPANY

13926 Chinguacousy Rd., Burlington BadlandsBrewing.ca

BELL CITY BREWING CO.

51 Woodyatt Dr., unit 9, Brantford BellCityBrewing.com

BREWERS BLACKBIRD KITCHEN & BREWERY

375 Wilson St. E., Ancaster BrewersBlackbird.ca

CALEDON HILLS BREWING COMPANY

17219 Hwy 50, Palgrave CaledonHillsBrewing.ca

CAMERON’S BREWING

1165 Invicta Dr., Oakville CameronsBrewing.com

FAIRWEATHER BREWING CO.

1-5 Ofield Rd., Hamilton FairweatherBrewing.com

FURNACE ROOM BREWERY

1 Elgin St., Georgetown FurnaceRoomBrewery.com

GOODLOT FARMSTEAD BREWING CO.

18825 Shaws Creek Rd., Caledon GoodLot.beer

GRAIN & GRIT BEER CO.

11 Ewen Rd., Hamilton GrainAndGritBeer.com

HOP SOCIETY BREWING CO.

32 Division St., Acton

HopSocietyBrewing.ca

COLLECTIVE ARTS BREWING

207 Burlington St. E., Hamilton

CollectiveArtsBrewing.com

MASH PADDLE BREWING CO.

111 Sherwood Dr., unit 3A, Brantford

MashPaddleBrewing.com

SILVERSMITH BREWING CO.

1523 Niagara Stone Rd. | SilversmithBrewing.com

MON-WED 12-8PM + THU-SAT 11AM-9PM + SUN 11AM-6PM

EST. 2011

Located on the Stone Road in Niagara in a picturesque converted place of worship, Silversmith is leaning into their German roots as they complete construction on their extension.

THE BLACK LAGER SCHWARZBIER

Year-round: B, L, LC

ABV IBU 5.0% 10

Beautiful flavours of toasted malt, dark chocolate, and coffee with just a hint of earth; medium-bodied on the palate with a crisp, clean, dry finish.

Year-round: B, L, LC

ABV IBU 4.2% 33

Pours a straw coloured gold, with aromas of bread & malt. Similar flavours emerge on the palate followed by a balanced hop bitterness.

BORN AGAIN HELLES LAGER

DECEW FALLS BREWING CO.

207 St. Paul St. W., St. Catharines DecewFallsBrewing.ca

THE MERCHANT ALE HOUSE

98 St. Paul St., St. Catharines MerchantAleHouse.com

DRAGAN BREWING AND WINE

100 Grantham Ave. S., Unit 1, St. Catharines DraganBrewingAndWine.com

THE EXCHANGE BREWERY

7 Queen St., Niagara-on-the-Lake ExchangeBrewery.com

THE GRIST CRAFT KITCHEN & BREWERY

78 Four Mile Creek Rd., Niagara-on-the-Lake TheGrist.ca

NIAGARA BREWING CO.

4915-A Clifton Hill, Niagara Falls NiagaraBrewingCompany.com

NIAGARA COLLEGE TEACHING BREWERY

135 Taylor Rd., Niagara-on-the-Lake NCTeachingBrewery.ca

NIAGARA OAST HOUSE BREWERS

2017 Niagara Stone Rd., Niagara-on-theLake | OastHouseBrewers.com

KAME & KETTLE BEER WORKS

25 Pelham Town Square, Fonthill KameAndKettle.ca

Ancient Babylonians would drown people as punishment for brewing a bad batch of beer.

LOCK STREET BREWING CO.

104-15 Lock St., Port Dalhousie LockStreet.ca

WELLINGTON BREWERY

950 Woodlawn Rd. W. | WellingtonBrewery.ca

DAILY 11AM-7PM

EST. 1985

Wellington Brewery is one of the province’s OG brewers, but in recent years they have contemporized significantly in order to add some bleeding edge craft beer styles to their lineup. Their Queen of Craft event in April and May is a staple of the brewery’s annual lineup and ties them closely to the Guelph community.

Year-ound: B, L, LC, TBS

This New England style IPA has a hazy appearance, soft mouthfeel, and balanced bitterness which allows the vibrant dry-hop flavours to shine.

Year-round: B, L, LC, TBS

Inspired by traditional German light lagers, this award-winning Helles Lager has a balanced malt sweetness and crisp noble hop finish.

Year-round: B, L, LC TBS

Deep copper in colour, this well-balanced English style pale ale has biscuit and caramel flavours upfront and a subtle citrus hop finish.

Seasonal: B, L, LC

This sour raspberry IPA has a vibrant pink colour from tangy raspberries which add a hint of berry sweetness and a natural tartness.

a new vista for wellington

In addition to brewing a number of flavourful beers, Wellington has a line in sparkling hop waters. These single variety hop expressions are quenching and a great way to educate yourself about the flavour profile of individual varieties like Cascade and Chinook (that are 100% grown in Ontario).

BAD APPLE BREWING CO.

73463 ON-21 | BadAppleBrewingCo.com

JACKASS BREWING

100 Sheldon Dr., Unit 36 | JackassBrewing.ca

After years of preparation, Bad Apple are now licensed to make cider! They’ll have a cider coming out in spring 2022 alongside their beer garden with live music events, food trucks and BBQs.

Cambridge’s best kept secret. A fun, dogfriendly brewery minutes off the 401. Selection rotates frequently.

FIXED GEAR BREWING CO.

20 Alma St. S. | FixedGearBrewing.com

ROYAL CITY BREWING CO.

199 Victoria Rd. S. | RoyalCityBrew.ca

With three locations in the greater Guelph area, Fixed Gear is not only a popular destination, but a lively community hub featuring live music, trivia, and a dynamite pizza menu.

GLOW RIDE

IPA

Royal City is a community brewery releasing monthly collaborations to help raise money for, and give a platform to, a variety of local charities and initiatives.

IPA

STOCKYARDS BREWING

137 Glasgow St., Suite 385 | StockyardsBeverage.co

TOGETHER WE’RE BITTER CO-OPERATIVE BREWING

300 Mill Street, Unit 1 | TWBBrewing.com

Stockyards Brewing features multi-award winning beers. Pacific Dreams is available now at your LCBO, Beer Store and grocery store locations.

PACIFIC DREAMS

WATERLOO BREWING

400 Bingemans Centre Dr. | WaterlooBrewing.com

Opened in 2016, TWB focuses on maintaining a well rounded lineup of high quality, approachable beers in order to invite more people to share in what they love.

As a legacy craft brewery from 1984, Waterloo continues to straddle the line between comforting old favourites and innovative craft beer styles that are sure to satisfy.

WATERLOO FIELD BERRY RADLER

FRUITED RADLER

Seasonal: B, L, TBS

WATERLOO IPA CANADIAN IPA

B, L, LC, TBS

32 5.2%

ABE ERB BREWING CO.

143 Northumberland St., Ayr; 151 Charles St. W., Kitchener; 15 King St. S., Waterloo AbeErb.com

BARNCAT ARTISAN ALES

1600 Industrial Rd., Unit B5, Cambridge BarncatAles.com

BAYFIELD BREWING CO.

14 Bayfield Main St. N., Bayfield BayfieldBrewingCo.com

BITTE SCHÖN BRAUHAUS

68 Huron St., New Hamburg BitteSchonBrauhaus.com

COWBELL BREWING

40035 Blyth Rd., Blyth CowbellBrewing.com

BLACK SWAN BREWING CO.

144 Downie St., Stratford BlackSwanBrewing.ca

DESCENDANTS BEER & BEVERAGE CO.

319 Victoria St. N., Kitchener DescendantsBeer.com

BLOCK THREE BREWING

1430 King St. N., Unit 2, St. Jacobs BlockThreeBrewing.Ca

ELORA BREWING CO.

107 Geddes St., Elora EloraBrewingCompany.ca

BROKEN RAIL BREWING

480 Glass St., St. Marys BrokenRailBrewing.ca

FARM LEAGUE BREWING

295 Ainslie St. S., Cambridge FarmLeaguebrewing.com

BROTHERS BREWING CO.

15 Wyndham St. N., Guelph BrothersBrewingCompany.ca

FOUNDRY BREWING

74 Grand Ave. S., Cambridge FoundryBrewing.ca

COUNTERPOINT BREWING CO.

#4-935 Frederick St., Kitchener CounterpointBrewing.ca

GREY MATTER BEER CO.

726 Queen St., Kincardine

GreyMatterBeer.com

HALF HOURS ON EARTH BREWERY

151 Main St. S., Seaforth HalfHoursOnEarth.com

HERITAGE HOPS BREW CO.

21 Market Pl., Stratford

HeritageHopsBrew.com

NEUSTADT SPRINGS BREWERY

456 Jacob St., Neustadt

NeustadtSprings.com

REVERENCE BARREL WORKS

1144 Industrial Rd. Unit 3, Cambridge ReverenceBarrelWorks.beer

HOCKLEY VALLEY

25 Centennial Rd., Orangeville HockleyBeer.ca

RIVER ROAD BREWING AND HOPS

35549 Bayfield River Rd., Bayfield

RiverRoadBrewing.com

INNOCENTE BREWING CO.

283 Northfield Dr. E., unit 8, Waterloo Innocente.ca

RHYTHM & BREWS

BREWING CO.

1000 Bishop St. N., Unit 10, Cambridge RhythmAndBrews.ca

JOBSITE BREWING CO.

45 Cambria St., Stratford

JobsiteBrewing.ca

MACLEAN’S ALES

52 14th Ave., Hanover MacLeansAles.ca

RURAL ROOTS

BREWING COMPANY

21B Industrial Dr., Elmira

RuralRootsBrewery.ca

SHAKESPEARE BREWING CO.

2178 Line 34, Shakespeare

ShakespeareBrewingCompany.ca

SHORT FINGER BREWING CO.

20 Hurst Ave., Kitchener

ShortFingerBrewing.com

SPARROW BREWING & ROASTING CO.

4-54 Guelph Ave., Cambridge SparrowBrewCo.com

WILLIBALD FARM BREWERY & DISTILLERY

1271 Reidsville Rd., Ayr DrinkWillibald.com

WRINKLY BEAR BREWING CO.

27 Main St. N., Grand Valley WrinklyBearBrewing.ca

SQUARE BREW

430 Parsons Crt., Goderich SquareBrewCo.com

STONE HOUSE BREWING CO.

76050 Parr Line, Varna StoneHouseBrewing.ca

UPPER THAMES BREWING CO.

225 Bysham Park Dr., unit 9m, Woodstock UpperThamesBrewing.ca

WAVE MAKER CRAFT BREWERY

639 Laurel St., Cambridge WaveMakerBrewery.com

15 Main St. E. | BandedGooseBrewing.com

We invite you to come stay at Distinctive Inns of Kingsville’s Brewery Loft Suites in the heart of downtown Kingsville & explore the 14 craft breweries, 2 distilleries & 18 EPIC wineries.

FLYING V WEST COAST IPA

Year-round: B, L

ABV IBU 6.7% 61

Hoppy and bitter with a slight crystal malt sweetness. New world hop character. Expect pine, orange, grapefruit, stonefruit, caramel, resin and floral notes.

JACK’S GOLDEN ALE BRITISH STYLE GOLDEN ALE

Year-round: B, L

ABV IBU 5.4% 24

British hops showcase earth and floral notes. Medium bitterness with a slight malt sweetness. A distinct hop spice rounds out the profile.

SONS OF KENT BREWING CO.

27 Adelaide St. S. | SonsOfKent.com

REFINED FOOL BREWING CO.

1326 London Rd.; 137 Davis St.

RefinedFool.com

Sons of Kent have an exciting events program lined up with a Backyard Concert Series and Second Friday Farmers Markets all summer long.

TRIPLE BERRY HIFI FRUITED SOUR

Year-round: B, L, LC

JUICEBOX HAZY IPA

Year-round: B, L, LC

Refined Fool now offers free pony rides on site for those patrons who bring their own pony. They inform me that you should also bring your own shovel.

PARTY SHARKS FOGGY IPA (NEIPA)

B,

SCOTLAND SCOTLAND

FLUX BREWING CO.

185 Oakland Rd. | FluxBrews.ca

MEUSE BREWING CO.

1853 Windham Rd. 3 | MeuseBrewing.com

A destination brewery located in Scotland, Ontario, with a spacious taproom and outdoor patio. Check out their brewer’s interview in this very issue!

EYE TO EYE IRISH RED ALE

Year-round: B, L

Year-round: B, L

With their service area reopening in May, visitors will be able to see the barley growing from the patio at this unique Norfolk County estate brewery.

SAISON DE LA MEUSE SAISON

Year-round: B, L, LC

MÛRE

BARREL AGED MIXED CULTURE SOUR ON NORFOLK COUNTY BLACKBERRY

Seasonal: B

RAILWAY CITY BREWING CO.

130 Edward St. | RailwayCityBrewing.com

BEERDED DOG BREWING CO.

21 King St. E., Harrow BeerdedDog.ca

The brewery is located in the ‘Railway Capital of Canada,’ hence the brewery name! Railway City aims to honour the history of the town in nearly everything they do.

PLAYA

ANDERSON CRAFT ALES

1030 Elias St., London AndersonCraftAles.ca

BEERLAB!

420 Talbot St., London Beerlab.com

BELLE RIVER BREWHOUSE

499 Notre Dame St., Belle River BelleRiverBrewhouse.com

BIG FAMILY BREWING CO.

485 Harbour Rd, Sarnia BigFamilyBrewing.com

BACKYARD BREWING CO.

3035 Front Rd., Simcoe BackyardBrewing.ca

BLACK GOLD BREWERY

395 Fletcher St, Petrolia BlackGold.beer

BAYSIDE BREWING CO.

970 Ross Lane, Erieau BaysideBrewing.com

BREW MICROBREWERY

635 University Ave. E., Windsor BrewWindsor.com

CAPS OFF BREWING CO.

Unit C-168 Curtis St., St. Thomas CapsOffBrewing.com

CURLEY BREWING CO.

1634 Hyde Park Rd, London CurleyBrewing.com

CHAPTER TWO BREWING CO.

2345 Edna St., Windsor ChapterTwoBrewing.com

CHARLOTTEVILLE

BREWING CO.

1207 Charlotteville West Quarter Line Rd., Simcoe | CharlottevilleBrewingCompany.ca

CONCESSION ROAD BREWING CO.

17 Talbot St. E., unit 4, Jarvis ConcessionRoadBrew.com

DUNDAS & SONS BREWING

400 Adelaide St. N., London DundasAndSons.com

FORKED RIVER BREWING CO.

45 Pacific Crt., Unit 4, London ForkedRiverBrewing.com

CRAFT HEADS BREWING CO.

89 University Ave. W., Windsor CraftHeads.ca

CURED CRAFT BREWING CO.

43 Mill St. W., Leamington

CuredCraftBrewing.com

FRANK BREWING CO.

12000 Tecumseh Rd., Tecumseh

FrankBeer.ca

GL HERITAGE BREWING COMPANY

8728 Howard Ave., Amherstburg

GLHeritageBrewing.ca

THE GROVE BREW HOUSE

86 Wigle Ave., Unit 1, Kingsville

MyGroveBrewHouse.com

LONDON BREWING COOPERATIVE

521 Burbrook Pl., London

LondonBrewing.ca

LOT 10 BREWING CO.

263 Dalhousie St., Amherstburg

Lot10Brewery.ca

MOTOR CRAFT ALES

888 Erie St. E., Windsor

ThisIsMotor.com

HOMETOWN BREW CO.

1730 Front Rd., St. Williams

HometownBrew.com

NATTERJACK BREWING CO.

25292 Talbot Line, West Lorne

NatterjackBrewing.ca

IMPERIAL CITY BREW HOUSE

1330 Exmouth St., Sarnia

ImperialCityBrew.com

NEW LIMBURG BREWERY

2353 Nixon Rd., Simcoe

NewLimburg.com

KINGSVILLE BREWERY

15 Main St. W., Kingsville

KingsvilleBrewery.ca

POWERHOUSE BREWING CO.

100 Kellogg Ln., London

PowerhouseBrewery.beer

RAMBLIN ROAD BREWERY

FARM

2970 Swimming Pool Rd., La Salette RamblinRoad.ca

RED BARN BREWING COMPANY

20466 Lagoon Rd., Blenheim RedBarnBrewing.com

RIVER RUN BREW CO.

146 Christina St. N., Sarnia Facebook.com/RiverRunBrewCo

STORM STAYED BREWING CO.

169 Wharncliffe Rd. S., unit 8, London StormStayed.com

TOBOGGAN BREWING CO.

585 Richmond St., London TobogganBrewing.com

TWO WATER BREWING CO.

446 Lyndoch St., Corunna TwoWaterBrewing.com

RUSTY WRENCH BREWING CO.

9 Front St. W., Strathroy RustyWrench.ca

WALKERVILLE BREWERY

525 Argyle Rd., Windsor WalkervilleBrewery.com

SANDWICH BREWING CO.

3230 Sandwich St., Windsor @SandwichBrewing

WISHBONE BREWING CO.

80 Alice St., Unit 2, Waterford WishboneBrews.com

STONEPICKER BREWING

7143 Forest Rd., Plympton-Wyoming

StonepickerBrewing.com

FENELON FALLS BREWING CO.

4 May St. | FenelonFallsBrewing.com

162 Russel St., Madoc 762brew.com

Headed up by brewer Russell Gibson, Fenelon Falls brews an eclectic variety of beer styles right in the heart of the Kawarthas. MEXICAN

Simply good beer, plus a patio that really hops in summer! Why not pair your beer with handmade pakoras sourced locally within Hastings County?

555 BREWING CO.

124 Picton Main St., Picton 555Beer.com

FINE BALANCE BREWING COMPANY

677 Innovation Dr., Unit 4, Kingston FineBalanceBrewing.ca

BARLEY DAYS BREWERY

13730 Loyalist Parkway, Picton BarleyDaysBrewery.com

FOCAL BREWING CO.

98 County Rd. 35, Hastings FocalBrewingCo.ca

BELMONT LAKE BREWERY

54 Fire Rte. 17, Havelock BelmontLakeBrewery.com

GAN BREWING COMPANY

9 King St. E., Gananoque GanBeer.com

BOBCAYGEON BREWING CO.

4-649 The Parkway, Peterborough BobcaygeonBrewing.ca

GANARASKA BREWING CO.

33 Mill St. S., Port Hope GanaraskaBrewingCompany.ca

CHURCH-KEY BREWING

1678 County Road 38, Campbellford ChurchKeyBrewing.com

GARAGE TIME BREWING CO.

658 Danforth Rd., Wellington

DAFT BREWING

768 Princess St., Kingston DaftBrewing.com

GILLINGHAM BREWING CO.

1316 Wilson Rd., Hillier GillinghamBrewing.ca

HAVEN BREWING CO.

687 Rye St., Unit 6, Peterborough

HavenBrewing.ca

KINGSTON BREWING COMPANY

34 Clarence St., Kingston

KingstonBrewing.ca

LAKE ON THE MOUNTAIN BREWERY

11369 Loyalist Pkwy., Glenora

LakeOnTheMountainBrewCo.com

LINDSAY BREWING COMPANY

8 Cambridge St. N., Lindsay Instagram.com/LindsayBrewingCompany

MACKINNON BROTHERS BREWING

1915 County Road 22, Bath

MackinnonBrewing.com

MATRON FINE BEER

65 Barker Lane, Bloomfield

MatronFineBeer.ca

MEYERS CREEK BREWING COMPANY

60 Dundas St. E., Belleville

MeyersCreekBrewing.ca

MIDTOWN BREWING CO.

266 Wellington Main St., Wellington

MidtownBrewingCompany.com

NAPANEE BEER COMPANY

450 Milligan Lane, Napanee NapaneeBeer.ca

NORTHUMBERLAND HILLS BREWERY

1024 Division St., Unit 1, Cobourg NHB.beer

OLD DOG BREWING CO.

30 King St. E., Bobcaygeon

OldDogBrewing.com

PARSONS BREWING CO.

876 County Road 49, Picton

ParsonsBrewing.com

PRINCE EDDY’S BREWING CO.

13 Macsteven Dr., Picton

PrinceEddys.com

PUBLICAN HOUSE BREWERY

300 Charlotte St., Peterborough

PublicanHouse.com

RIVERHEAD BREWING CO.

631 Fortune Cres., Kingston

RiverheadBrewing.com

STONE CITY ALES

275 Princess St., Kingston StoneCityAles.com

STRANGE BREWING CO.

371 Chase Rd., Hillier facebook.com/The-Strange-BrewingCompany

WESTPORT BREWING CO.

41B Main St., Westport WestportBrewingCompany.ca

SIGNAL BREWING COMPANY

86-87 River Rd., Corbyville Signal.beer

WILDCARD BREWING CO.

38 Gotha St., Trenton WildcardBrewCo.com

SKELETON PARK BREWERY

675 Arlington Park Pl., Kingston SkeletonPark.ca

WILLIAM STREET BEER CO.

975 Elgin St. W. #4, Cobourg WilliamStreetBeer.com

SLAKE BREWING

181 Mowbray Rd, Picton

SlakeBrewing.com

FLORA HALL BREWING

37 Flora St. | FloraHallBrewing.ca

Flora Hall is a community hub—a true neighbourhood gathering place. Their small batch brewery and full kitchen are ever changing and provide for a new adventure with every visit.

ENGLISH ORDINARY

CITY CITY CASSELMAN GLOUCESTER

MICROBRASSERIE CASSEL

2 Racine St. | CasselBrewery.ca

SHILLOW BEER CO.

1458 Cyrville Rd., Gloucester ShillowBeer.com

Cassel’s pub is named 1844 after the year Casselman became a town. It’s also the name of their Pilsner. It would go great with the Cargada Hamburguesa, made from chorizo and topped with a jalapeno popper.

SOUR TRACKS

The only certified Kosher craft brewery in the province, with a female owner/brewer to boot. Shillow brewing is a short 7 minute walk from Cyrville Station (LRT).

FLORAHALLBREWING.CA

37 FLORA AT BANK

OTTAWA’ S NEIGHBOURHOOD BREWERY & KITCHEN

SPARK BEER

702 Somerset St. W. | Spark.beer

WHIPRSNAPR BREWING CO.

14 Bexley Pl. | WhiprsnaprBrewingCo.com

A small, fun brewery in the heart of Ottawa’s beautiful Chinatown. They specialize in sours, IPAs and funky, foeder fermentations.

Featuring a DIY patio made out of pallets and bingo on the first and third Wednesday of every month, Whiprsnapr is about community and just having a darn good time. With beer, naturally. WANDERER

full-flavoured organic craft beer

(THAT

1,000 ISLANDS BREWING CO.

65 King Street West, Brockville 1000IslandsBrewery.ca

BIG RIG BREWERY

103 Schneider Rd., Kanata; 2750 Iris Street, Ottawa BigRigBrewery.com

4 DEGREES BREWING CO.

275 Brockville St., Smiths Falls

4DegreesBrewing.com

BRAUMEISTER BREWING CO.

19 Moore St., Carleton Place

Braumeister.ca

ASHTON BREWING COMPANY

113 Old Mill Rd., Beckwith AshtonBrewingCompany.com

BRAUWERK HOFFMAN

733 Rue Industriel, Unit 5

Brauwerk-Hoffman.ca

BEAU’S BREWING CO.

10 Terry Fox Dr., Vankleek Hill

Beaus.ca

BREW REVOLUTION

6081 Hazeldean Rd., Stittsville, BrewRevolution.ca

BEYOND THE PALE BREWING

250 City Centre Ave., Bay 108, Ottawa

BTPShop.ca

BICYCLE CRAFT BREWERY

850 Industrial Ave., Unit 12, Ottawa

BicycleCraftBrewery.ca

BROADHEAD BREWING CO.

1680 Vimont Ct., Unit 106, Orleans

BroadheadBeer.com

BROKEN STICK BREWING COMPANY

600 Du Golf Rd., Hammond

BrokenStickBrewing.com

CALABOGIE BREWING CO.

12612 Lanark Rd., Calabogie; 105 Schneider Rd. Unit 130, Kanata CalabogieBrewingCo.ca

CARTWRIGHT SPRINGS BREWERY

239 Deer Run Rd., Pakenham CSBeer.ca

DOG HOUSE BREWING COMPANY

3477A Petawawa Blvd., Petawawa

DogHouseBrewingCompany.ca

DOMINION CITY BREWING CO.

5510 Canotek Rd., Unit 15, Ottawa DominionCity.ca

CLOCKTOWER BREWPUB

575 Bank St., Ottawa Clocktower.ca

ÉTIENNE BRÜLÉ BREWERY

893 Notre-Dame St., Embrun EtienneBrule.ca

CONSPIRACY THEORY

BREWING COMPANY

2172 Robertson Rd., Bells Corners CTBrewing.ca

COVERED BRIDGE BREWING

119 Iber Rd., Unit 6, Stittsville CoveredBridgeBrewing.com

EVERGREEN CRAFT ALES

767 Silver Seven Rd., #21, Kanata EvergreenCraftAles.com

GOOD PROSPECTS

BREWING CO.

411 St. Laurent Blvd., Ottawa GoodProspects.ca

CROOKED MILE BREWING

453 Ottawa St., Unit 3, Almonte CrookedMile.ca

HUMBLE BEGINNINGS

BREWING CO.

25 Thorold Ln., Ingleside

HumbleBeginningsBrewing.ca

KICHESIPPI BEER CO.

2265 Robertson Rd., Ottawa

KBeer.ca

PERTH BREWERY

121 Dufferin St., Perth

PerthBrewery.ca

LOWERTOWN BREWERY

73 York St., Ottawa

LowertownBrewery.ca

RIDGE ROCK BREWING CO.

421 Donald B. Munro Dr., Ottawa

RidgeRockBrewCo.ca

MILL STREET BREWPUB

555 Wellington St., Ottawa

MillStreetBrewery.com

RURBAN BREWING

412 Cumberland St., Cornwall

RurbanBrewing.com

NITA BEER CO.

190 Colonnade Rd., Unit 17, Ottawa

NitaBeer.com

ORLÉANS BREWING CO.

4380 Innes Rd., Orléans

OrleansBrewing.com

SMALL PONY BARREL WORKS

101 Schneider Rd., Kanata

SmallPonyBarrelWorks.com

SQUARE TIMBER

BREWING CO.

800 Woito Station Rd., Pembroke

SquareTimber.com

OVERFLOW BREWING

2477 Kaladar Ave., Ottawa

OverflowBeer.com

STALWART BREWING CO.

10 High St., Carleton Place

StalwartBrewing.ca

STRAY DOG BREWING CO.

501 Lacolle Way, Unit 4, Orleans

StrayDogBrewing.ca

WEATHERHEAD BREW CO.

29 Beckwith St. E., Perth WeatherheadBrewCo.com

TOOTH AND NAIL BREWERY

3 Irving Ave. , Ottawa

ToothAndNailBeer.com

WHITEWATER BREWING CO.

22 Fletcher Rd., Foresters Falls WhitewaterBeer.ca

TUQUE DE BROUE BREWERY

189 Bay St., Embrun TuqueDeBroue.ca

3 BRASSEURS

240 Sparks St., Ottawa; 565 Kanata Ave, Kanata Les3Brasseurs.ca

WINDMILL BREWERY

5 Newport Dr., Johnstown WindmillBrewery.ca

WOOD BROTHERS BREWING CO.

2980 Wylie Rd., North Glengarry WoodBrothersBrewingCo.com

TWO HAWKS BREWING CO.

1 Mallard St., Pembroke

TwoHawksBrewingco.ca

VIMY BREWING COMPANY

145 Loretta Ave. N., Unit 1, Ottawa

VimyBrewing.ca

Norway’s King Haakon I made it a law in the 10th century that every household must brew a meaure of beer for their winter celebrations.

Collingwood, Bruce & Manitoulin

THREE SHEETS BREWING

705 Goderich St.

ThreeSheetsBrewing.ca

Three Sheets is expanding in 2022 with the expected opening of our brand new production facility just up the road from their existing location on Highway 21 between Port Elgin and Southampton.

PUERTO ELGUINO CERVEZA LAGER

Year-round: B, L

TORRANCE

BEST COAST

CLEAR LAKE BREWING CO.

4651 Southwood Rd. | ClearLakeBrewing.co

Founded in 2017, CLBCo is looking forward to celebrating year number 5 with the opening of their BeerSpa amenities. Drop in, have a pint, take a load off and enjoy the good life.

SESSION ALE PALE ALE

Year-round: B, L, LC

Year-round: B, L Year-round: B, L

SPLIT RAIL BREWING CO.

31 Water St. | SplitRailManitoulin.com

QUAYLE’S BREWERY

4567 Line 12 N. | QuaylesBrewery.ca

Split Rail Brewing is Manitoulin’s first craft brewery and is 100% women-owned! They proudly feature local ingredients in many of their small batch beers and craft sodas.

Quayle’s is an award-winning farm-based brewery with an onsite hop yard. The main building is a modern replica of a 19th century Musical Barn. Perfect for your next get together or outing!

CANVAS BREWING COMPANY

12 John St. | CanvasBrewing.com

STILL FIELDS BREWERY

317714 3rd Line | StillFieldsBrewery.com

Canvas Brewing Co is Huntsville’s newest craft brewery, born out of a love for the local landscape and a passion for fresh, well-made craft beer.

BACKTRAIL

Still Fields’ brewery sits on 22 acres of familyowned farm land with a 4 acre hop yard. All their beer is bittered with hops grown on the property and aged in oak.

GRISETTE

BANCROFT BREWING CO.

4 Hastings St. N., Bancroft BancroftBrew.ca

BARNSTORMER BREWING & DISTILLING CO.

265 King St. N., Alliston; 3-384 Yonge St., Barrie; BarnstormerBrewing.com

BLACK BELLOWS

BREWING CO.

40 Simcoe St., Collingwood BlackBellows.com

BOSHKUNG BREWING CO.

9201 ON-118; 20 Water St., Minden Hills BoshkungBrewing.com

FLYING MONKEYS CRAFT BREWERY

107 Dunlop St. E., Barrie FlyingMonkeys.ca

HALIBURTON HIGHLANDS BREWING

1067 Garden Gate Dr., Haliburton HaliburtonHighlandsBrewing.ca

KATALYST BREWING CO.

13 Taylor Rd., Unit D, Bracebridge KatalystBrewing.com

LAKE OF BAYS BRACEBRIDGE BARRELHOUSE

295 Wellington St. Unit #15, Bracebridge BracebridgeBarrelHouse.ca

THE COLLINGWOOD BREWERY

10 Sandford Fleming Dr., Collingwood TheCollingwordBrewery.com

COUCHICHING

CRAFT BREWING CO.

162 Mississaga St. E., Orillia CouchichingBrewing.com

MANITOULIN BREWING CO.

43 Manitowaning Rd., Little Current ManitoulinBrewing.co

MUDTOWN STATION

1198 1st Ave. E., Owen Sound MudtownStation.ca

MUSKOKA BREWERY

1964 Muskoka Beach Rd., Bracebridge

MuskokaBrewery.com

SIDE LAUNCH BREWING CO.

1-200 Mountain Rd., Collingwood SideLaunchBrewing.com

NORSE BREWERY

11 Ritchie Dr., Carling

NorseBrewery.com

SOUTH RIVER BREWING CO.

309 B Hwy. 124, South River SouthRiverBrewing.ca

NORTHWINDS BREWHOUSE

499 First St., Collingwood

NorthwindsBrewery.com

THORNBURY CRAFT CO.

90 King St. E., Thornbury ThornburyCraft.com

OUTLAW BREW CO.

196 High St., Southampton OutlawBrewCo.com

TOBERMORY BREWING CO.

28 Bay St., Tobermory

TobermoryBrewingCo.ca

REDLINE BREWHOUSE

8 & 9-431 Bayview Dr., Barrie RedlineBrewhouse.com

TRESTLE BREWING CO.

9 Great North Rd., Parry Sound TrestleBrewing.com

SAWDUST CITY BREWING CO.

397 Muskoka Rd. N., Gravenhurst

SawdustCityBrewing.com

TURKEY SHOOT

BREWING CO.

482 The Queensway S., Keswick

TurkeyShootBrewingco.com

LAKE OF THE WOODS BREWING CO.

350 2nd St. S. | LOWBrewCo.com

WED-SAT 11AM-9PM + SUN-TUE 11AM-7PM

EST. 2013

Lake of the Woods have lately branched out to hard seltzer, non-alc beer, and craft sodas. If you’re lucky, you might get to try one of their Deep 6 beers, cellared at the bottom of the lake.

ISLAND VIBES

PASSION FRUIT SOUR

Seasonal: B, LC

ABV IBU 5.0% 5

e first in our Island Vibes Sour Series. e fresh passion fruit compliments the sour for a well-balanced, easy drinking beer.

Year-round: B, LC, TBS

ABV IBU 4.0% 14

A refreshingly light lager with a hint of lime derived from special New Zealand hops. 100 calories per 355ml can.

GATEWAY CITY BREWERY

600-612 Gormanville Rd., Unit 206 GatewayCity.ca

SLEEPING GIANT BREWING CO.

712 Macdonell St. | SleepingGiantBrewing.ca

In addition to pouring a wide variety of innovative styles, Gateway City screen classic/ retro movies once a month. Enjoy a beverage while enjoying one of your favorite movies.

11.17

46 NORTH BREWING CO.

Unit 1-1275 Kelly Lake Rd., Sudbury

46North.ca

BIG WATER BREWING CO.

123 McIntyre St. W. , North Bay Facebook.com/BigWaterBrewing

Sleeping Giant Brewing Co. is celebrating their 10 year anniversary in June 2022! SGBC’s patio is open 7 days a week from May-September.

COMPASS BREWING

20-1300 Riverside Dr., Timmins

CompassBrewing.com

DAWSON TRAIL CRAFT BREWERY

905 Copper Cres., Thunder Bay DawsonTrailCraftBrewery.com

FULL BEARD

BREWING

219 Wilson Ave., Timmins

FullBeardBrewing.com

LAKEHEAD BREWING CO.

206 Park Ave., Thunder Bay

LakeheadBeer.ca

CO.

NEW

1881 Cassells St., North Bay

NewOntarioBrewing.com

NORTHERN

50 Pim St., Sault Ste. Marie NorthernSuperior.org

STACK

1350

Subbury StackBrewing.ca

415 Fort William Rd., Thunder Bay

OneTimeBrew.co

OUTSPOKEN BREWING

350 Queen St. E., Sault Ste. Marie OutspokenBrewing.com

485

WhiskeyjackBeer.ca

9 Simcoe Plaza, Terrace Bay Facebook.com/SlateIslandBreweryTB

854 Notre Dame Ave., Sudbury Facebook.com/Spcrft

the

BEER GROUND To

The fall and winter have seen the addition of a number of breweries to the province, at least three of which are brewing at a scale of a hundred litres a batch or below. Of course, it’s not the size of your brewhouse that matters; it’s how you use it. Some of the entries in Beer to the Ground this time around are long-awaited. Bar Volo has finally got their brewery up and running, resulting in a number of casks being available on site at all times. If that’s not a step in the right direction, I don’t know what is.

BAR VOLO

Toronto (fall 2021) While Bar Volo’s new location has operated as a bottle shop throughout the pandemic, an entire section of Ralph Morana’s flagship pub sat idle. The brewing equipment has finally been put to use and the charmingly branded stubby bottles are flying off the shelves. Brewer Chris Evans and the Morana family have been working to determine what the flagship brands will be. While it is currently a toss up between a traditional IPA and an Italian Pilsner, who knows what styles might emerge from a brewpub that features six separate cask taps. For the adventurous, there’s even cask in four litre boxes to go. BarVolo.com

BARNSTORMER BREWING

Alliston (fall 2021) Barnstormer now has a second location, meaning that you no longer need to make the trip to Barrie if you’re interested in ordering their fantastic pizzas. Spicy Flying Pig is a personal favorite, and it goes perfectly with the Flight Delay IPA. BarnstormerBrewing.com

FOCAL BREWING CO.

Hastings (spring 2022) Joining the trend of breweries attempting to use local ingredients to produce the majority of their beer, Focal Brewing Company is the brainchild of hop grower Brandon Bickle. Try their Welcome To Ontario Pale Ale, which is made entirely with ingredients grown within the province. FocalBrewingCo.ca

GANARASKA BREWING

Port Hope (fall 2021) Featuring Heriot-Watt trained brewer Alex Nichols and the extremely versatile Chef Z, Ganaraska has ten beers on tap and is one of the very few breweries actually advertising flights for sale in 2022. Why not try the seasonal specialty, Dachshund Through The Snow? Or, to put it another way, get a long little doggy. GanaraskaBrewingCompany.ca

GARAGE TIME BREWING

Wellington (fall 2021) One of Ontario’s smallest breweries, Garage Time is located in a one car garage in PEC. The patio is available on days when it doesn’t rain and they are able to get the chairs out on the driveway. By all accounts the Margarita Gose is an early favourite amongst the locals.

HOP SOCIETY BREWING CO.

Acton (winter 2022) Also located in a garage, Hop Society was founded by Jeff Murphy and Kris Brown as a response to the strictures of pandemic life. They are organizing their first annual Cornhole tournament for April 23rd, meaning that it’s finally worth the drive to Acton. Try the beer named after that statement! And why not visit the old hide house? You’ve always been curious. HopSocietyBrewing.ca

LAKEHEAD BREWING COMPANY

Thunder Bay (fall 2021) With an old school mentality at play, Lakehead is owned by the

brewers and serves their beer directly from the brite tank, ensuring quality and freshness. With the kitchen duties filled by their neighbour, Tomlin Subdivision, Lakehead is content to focus on getting beer to the public in its freshest possible form. While the styles available are straightforward, it’s still early days. LakeheadBeer.ca

LOST CRAFT

Toronto (winter 2022) Shehan DeSilva started Lost Craft with just an MBA and a dream to bring Kolsch-style lagered ale to the people of Ontario. However, although they have been contract brewing at Brunswick over the last few years, the transition to a physical location has been a long term goal. Their new partnership with High Park Brewery in Toronto’s west end allows for renewed interest in both brands as we head into the spring season. lostcraft.ca

ORANJE SON BREWING

Caledonia (fall 2021) Operating out of a TWO CAR garage, Oranje Son is the brainchild of Stephen Rodemond, a deeply Dutch man. Although the brewing system tops out at fifty litres per batch, Rodemond has won an Ontario Brewing Award for his efforts, which just goes to prove that quantity isn’t everything. OranjeSon.com

SLATE ISLAND BREWING COMPANY

Terrace Bay (fall 2021) Occupying the role of sole brewery on the long stretch of highway between Thunder Bay and Sault Ste. Marie, Slate Island has focused on fruited beers in the early going with an Imperial Blueberry Ale and a Golden Ale they’re using for their in-house Sangria. You can really appreciate the vibrant colours through their clear glass bottles. Facebook.com/ SlateIslandBreweryTB

SOMETHING IN THE WATER

Toronto (spring 2022)

Projected to open in May of 2022, Something in the Water is the latest entity

to switch from contract to bricks and mortar. Choosing to do it in Liberty Village means that their flavourful line of sour beers will find exposure to one of Toronto’s hippest neighbourhoods. Steve Waugh’s brainchild will certainly give Big Rock’s Oliver and Bonacini backed venture a run for their money. somethingbrewing.ca

STILL FIELDS BREWERY

Meaford (fall 2021) A farm brewery in the Georgian Bay region, Still Fields specializes in Belgian styles, mixed fermentation, and wild beers. With plans to use the 22 acre property to cultivate stone fruit, herbs, and flowers, Still Fields looks to be a destination estate brewery for years to come. StillFieldsBrewery.com

THE GRIST CRAFT KITCHEN AND BREWERY

St. Davids (fall 2021) With a significant focus on the kitchen (including a muffuletta sandwich and a tantalizing selection of pizzas), The Grist’s beer selection has something for everyone from a London Fog style White Stout to a Red Cream Ale. You will want to check their hours before you go as they’re closed a couple of days a week for brewing. TheGrist.ca j