Ontario Historic Site launches line of beers

It’s rare in Canada that you will ever have someone apologize for serving a beer too cold. But venture to Black Creek Pioneer village in Toronto near the campus of York University and you’ll find something different on tap.

“Usually we serve them at cellar temperature because that is how you are supposed to drink an ale,” explains historic interpreter Blythe Haynes as she pours a series of samples. “If you drink it ice cold you are going to numb your taste buds and you won’t taste all the flavors.

Black Creek Historic Brewery opened in 2009 as a way to attract a larger audience to the pioneer village. The beer is brewed on site and served the same way as in the 1860s. Each beer is unpasteurized, un-carbonated, and served a little warmer than most modern Canadian beers.

“Beer was incredibly popular in the 1860s. Microbrewing is not a new thing; it’s a very old thing that people have been doing for a long time,” describes Haynes.

The seasonal beers are exceptionally fresh and full of flavor, like tasting juicy handpicked fruit as opposed to the fruit that arrives in most grocery stores.

“We’ve done a lemon balm beer, we’ve done a maple beer, so we try and keep it very authentic,” explains Nick Foglia, Senior Sales Manager with the Brewery. “It’s brewed every week, bottled on Thursdays and then sold that weekend.”

Visitors can tour the brewery, sample the latest offerings, and take home a growler – a 64oz jug filled with fresh beer in a variety of flavors from traditional IPAs to more seasonal offerings. Visitors can also register to spend a full day in costume learning how to prepare beer with the local brewmaster.

The brewery is located on the grounds of Black Creek Pioneer Village in the basement of the historic halfway house that originally served weary travelers heading from to and from Toronto.

In addition to the beer brewed on site, the brewery also has a partnership with an off-site brewer to produce a consumer beer that is available for purchase Ontario liquor stores. The specialty line of beers includes a Pale Ale and Stout, as well as a series of twelve “Historic Beers of Canada” that change approximately every six months.

Each historic beer commemorates a different decade in Canadian history, starting with Rifleman’s Ration which arrived last summer to commemorate the anniversary of the War of 1812. This was followed by Dray Horse Ale in the fall of 2012, commemorating the canal construction of the 1820s, and this spring by Montgomery’s Courage which harkened back to the revolutions of 1837 and 1838. Riel’s Dream, the fourth beer in the series, will be available this fall in Ontario from the LCBO.

“We were just slightly ahead of the curve,” explains Foglia, “Microbrewing in Ontario was just really taking off and we’re the only ones in this category of history brewing.” Beer drinkers across Canada are increasingly taking a more refined approach to their drinking by selecting a variety of bottles rather than the traditional two-four. The response to the initiative has been overwhelmingly positive and the possibilities for the brewery continue to grow.

“The brewery really ads a cool layer because you are actually able to buy the beer and take it home,” explains Haynes. “It brings uniqueness to the village; it brings great taste to the village, and a sense of fun and learning.”