Block Thee Brewing Co: A sneak peek behind the scenes
Nestled in the heart of Mennonite country is Ontario's latest Craft Brewery. Located in the tourist town of St. Jacobs is Block Three Brewing Co. I asked them if I could pay them a visit to see how they are getting on before opening and surprisingly they said 'Yes'.
As I pulled up in the parking lot I was struck by how Mediterranean the exterior looked as most buildings in St. Jacobs have the traditional North American look. Once inside I was greeted by Bryan Maher the Brewer at Block Three. Bryan gave me a tour of the facility, which is still some ways off being complete but coming along very nicely. It became apparent talking to Bryan that Block Three is going to be focusing on keeping things local and as sustainable as possible. The Block Three sign was made entirely by one of the founders Father and one of the best features in the building is a skylight with Cedar slates that came from re-claimed timber, local and sustainable.
I asked Bryan why they decided to pick St. Jacobs to open a Brewery, his answers made a lot of sense. Firstly St. Jacobs is a tourist town so there are a lot of people visiting the area, specially during the summer. As someone that has been forced to walk around the various shops and Farmers market on a hot day, a decent place to grab a Craft beer would be an absolute god send. Secondly all of the other established brewers like Brick, Wellington & F&M are located a fair distance away so Brick Three would have the rule of the area to try to get their beers into the local Bars & Restaurants and gain a decent foothold before looking to expand.
Speaking of beer what can we expect Block Three to kick off with? Bryan tells me they are looking to start with three different brews. A Belgium Saison, A Brown Maple Syrup Ale & possibly a Kölsch. All the beers are going to be unfiltered and in keeping with local flavor as many ingredients as possible are going to be locally sourced. In fact even the left over materials from the brewing process are going to be recycled as much as possible with spent Malts & Yeast being sent to local farms for cattle feed, there's certainly going to be some happy cows roaming about in Southern Ontario.
An August long weekend is anticipated for the grand opening but as usual with a new business this is subject to change. I asked Bryan what issues they had trying to get the place open. As side from the endless red tape of getting the correct permits from the correct city department, there were issues with getting the facility in order for brewing with some ungodly amount of lbs of concrete having to be dug out manually for the new drainage system. The most surprising for me was Bryan, a former brewer at Wellington, having to pick all the new brewing equipment himself which is no small feat for one man and a lot of responsibility.
However talking to Bryan you get a sense of a man that is really passionate about brewing and has the drive to succeed in this new adventure. I asked him what more we can expect from Block Three once they are up and running. His aim is to work up to seasonal beers and one off brews and hopefully join forces with some of the other breweries in the area for collaboration brews. Also to host brewery tours and beer evenings such as beer and cheese pairings. There's a lot to look forward to and not long to wait. I just hope Bryan invites me back for another sneak peek just before opening so I can see the transformation from my last visit and of course sample the regions newest beers.
Prost!
EyeBeerHolder
Also I want to say a big thanks to my official photographer for the day Amandah Wood, give her a follow on Twitter.
Block Three Brewing Co.
Unit 2
1430 King Street North
St. Jacobs
Ontario
Give them a like and a follow on:
Facebook & Twitter
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| The entrance to Block Three Brewing Co |
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| The (under construction) Interior of Block Three Brewing Co. |
Speaking of beer what can we expect Block Three to kick off with? Bryan tells me they are looking to start with three different brews. A Belgium Saison, A Brown Maple Syrup Ale & possibly a Kölsch. All the beers are going to be unfiltered and in keeping with local flavor as many ingredients as possible are going to be locally sourced. In fact even the left over materials from the brewing process are going to be recycled as much as possible with spent Malts & Yeast being sent to local farms for cattle feed, there's certainly going to be some happy cows roaming about in Southern Ontario.
An August long weekend is anticipated for the grand opening but as usual with a new business this is subject to change. I asked Bryan what issues they had trying to get the place open. As side from the endless red tape of getting the correct permits from the correct city department, there were issues with getting the facility in order for brewing with some ungodly amount of lbs of concrete having to be dug out manually for the new drainage system. The most surprising for me was Bryan, a former brewer at Wellington, having to pick all the new brewing equipment himself which is no small feat for one man and a lot of responsibility.
However talking to Bryan you get a sense of a man that is really passionate about brewing and has the drive to succeed in this new adventure. I asked him what more we can expect from Block Three once they are up and running. His aim is to work up to seasonal beers and one off brews and hopefully join forces with some of the other breweries in the area for collaboration brews. Also to host brewery tours and beer evenings such as beer and cheese pairings. There's a lot to look forward to and not long to wait. I just hope Bryan invites me back for another sneak peek just before opening so I can see the transformation from my last visit and of course sample the regions newest beers.
Prost!
EyeBeerHolder
Also I want to say a big thanks to my official photographer for the day Amandah Wood, give her a follow on Twitter.
Unit 2
1430 King Street North
St. Jacobs
Ontario
Give them a like and a follow on:
Facebook & Twitter
Great post - I'm looking forward to them opening, too!
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