Brews News: Big events coming up at London Brewing

Article content

Sure, it started as an afterthought at a farm-to-table restaurant. But look at it now.

Few would have imagined in 2014 that a backroom brewery in the Old East Village could grow from hawking $18 growlers and $10 Boston rounds from a Sunday pop-up table at the Root Cellar into an East London treasure and a key player in the city’s craft beer triangle.

The Root Cellar is gone, as are growler fills, but London Brewing is still doing and brewing in its L-shaped space on Burbrook Place, ready to celebrate its 10th anniversary next month.

Article content

Its early recipes eschewed IPAs for beers such as Downtown Coconut Brown, Tolpuddle Porter, Norfolk Red and Southwest Wheat. Now, London Brewing is better known for London Organic Lager, 4 pm Oatmeal Stout, a seemingly infinite number of spins on fruity sours and, yes, an organic IPA.

Growler fills were once part of the rebel, moonshine-ish charm of craft breweries. But London Brewing stopped selling and refilling them because of COVID and never returned due to quality concerns from brewer Aaron Lawrence. Tall boy cans – 473 ml of beer, not a growler’s 1.89 litres – are the vessel of choice with special beers available in larger format bottles. Since 2018, the most popular London Brewing beers have been sold at the LCBO.

One of two co-operative breweries in Ontario, London Brewing has nine worker-owners who annually vote on what to do with profits. Invariably, they vote to reinvest in the brewery to improve the brewhouse, taproom and retail shop.

The second thing that sets London Brewing apart is its commitment to organic and local ingredients, playing a role in supporting the hop yards and malters of southern Ontario.

Article content

Article content

Brewing good beer is one thing, selling it is another. Absent of an in-house kitchen, ironic considering its Root Cellar origin story, London Brewing depends on events and community involvement to get it done.

Emma Maganja knows it well. She keeps the taproom busy with some sort of event almost every day, a couple of the biggest coming up soon.

A version of the Home County Music and Art Festival happens at the brewery Aug. 24 with a focus on local musicians, artisans, food trucks and London Brewing beers. Home County cancelled its larger festival at Victoria Park this year and this is a way to keep it rolling as it recalibrates for a possible return in 2025, Maganja said.

The weekend of Sept. 14 is the 10th anniversary party where some throwback beers that haven’t been brewed in a while will be pouring with music from four different groups, including The Free Label.

Beers being brought back include Pound Galena, Norfolk Red, and maybe the rich and highly-hopped Dark Matter. There’s definitely a new sour.

For fans of little breweries with big hearts, it’s a chance to celebrate.

Article content

NEW AND NOTED

Among the new brews on the board at London Brewing is J and Rubino’s Limelight, a lime-flavoured four per cent alcohol cerveza marketed with Classic Rock 98.1.

If you haven’t yet been to Bayside Brewing in Erieau, Aug. 10 is a day to do it. That’s when Eaufest happens, one among four special events at craft breweries as part of the Brewfest CK series that tours the four craft breweries of Chatham-Kent.

New in the Tiny Batch series at Refined Fool in Sarnia is I Only Fly Ultra Basic, a 6.2 per cent New England IPA named in cheeky homage to Westjet’s new fare schedule.

Mad River is a fresh farmhouse wheat ale from Upper Thames Brewing of Woodstock. This nod to Belgian brewing is available at the brewery and Brickhouse Brewpub.

Stratford radio station CJCS marks 100 years on the air with a golden ale brewed by Black Swan. And if you like the look of a Molson Export, check out Black Swan’s Classic Pilsner label.

Article content

Sour on the Blue Jays this season? There’s a beer for that. Baseball-themed Left Field has Squeeze Play, a Concord grape sour that’s 5.8 per cent alcohol.

From Willibald Farm, a double IPA. Kerfuffle was brewed with Freestyle Waimea, Galaxy and Mosaic hops and is 8.3 per cent alcohol.

The reborn Formosa Springs continues to add to its list of available beers. Platinum Baron is a low carb, 2.7 per cent alcohol lager. It joins Red Baron Blonde, Red Baron Lime and Formosa Springs Draft. Pairs well with newly stocked brewery swag.

The new Port Stanley Brewing will soon be serving its own beer on the pier, but until then, its sister restaurant Riva has guest taps.

Wayne Newton is a freelance journalist based in London.

BrewsNewsTravels@gmail.com

Article content