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ESCARPMENTMAGAZINE
.
CA
WINTER
2017
Whatmakes thisareasospecial?
Asanyonewho livesandplayshereknows,GeorgianBay isamecca for lifestyle
and recreation.Whatbetterway toapresafterabike ride, hikeon theBruceTrail,
or dayon the slopesorwater thanwithacrisp, coldbrew?Communitypridecer-
tainlyplaysapart tooas residents choose tobuy from folks they knowand sip lo-
cally.
Brewerieshave longheldaplace in local communitiesproducingbeers that reflect
thepersonality of the community and thebreweries hereare no exception. Beer
names likeNorthwinds’ ‘OldBaldy’, ‘PrettyRiver’and ‘ThreeStage’payhomage
to local bike trails, paddling spotsandclimbingcrags.
Collaborationandcommunity isakey factor in the successof our local breweries
and there is a strong relationshipbetweenbrewmasters, farmers and chefs in the
area. Local growers, BigheadHops andClear Valley Hops, provide hops for
breweries locallyandprovince-wide.Chefsare incorporating localbeer into their
dishes and servers are offeringbeer pairing suggestions todiners. Brewmasters
arealsocombining forces tocreatecolabbrewssuchas theAltBierbyBryanEgan
(Northwinds)andChris Freeman (CollingwoodBrewery).
Manybreweriesare incorporating locally-sourced ingredi-
ents into their brews– suchasCollingwoodBrewery’s sea-
sonal Vintage Alewhich is flavouredwith fresh, organic
hops fromBigheadHopsandBeaverValleyGoldhoney.
It’snot just the localswhoare fansof thebeeraroundhere.
Ourbreweriesaregarneringpraiseon thenational stage.
Side Launch Brewing Company, Flying Monkeys Craft
BreweryandMacLean’sAles all tookhomemedals at the
2016CanadianBrewingAwards - includingSide Launch
beingnamedBreweryOf TheYear.
The craft beer industry is an important part of thegrowing
economyandagri-tourism sector, andaproudpart of our
heritage. Annual events like theBigheadShindig, Copper
KettleFestival,and theCraftBeer&CiderFestival celebrate
the local brew scene. There is even a self-guided trail de-
voted toexploring thehistoryofbeverageproducers in the
region. TheSaints&Sinners: BootlegMapcanbeused to
exploreBruce,GreyandSimcoeCountiesand tour farms,
facilities, enjoy tastingsand learnmoreabout thehistoryof
thebreweries,wineriesandcideries in thearea.
Whilecraftbeermaynotbe takingover there isa lotof suc-
cess tobecelebrated.Overapint of course.
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ESCARPMENT
®
epicure
it’snotjustthe
loCalswhoare
fansofthe
beeraround
here.
CurrentlyMaClean’sales
produCesover400,000
litresannually intheir
hanoverbrewery.
CharlesMaClean
isConsideredone
ofthepioneersof
theCraftbrewing
renaissanCe.
