HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Citizen, 2019-07-25, Page 14PAGE 14. THE CITIZEN, THURSDAY, JULY 25, 2019.
Beer makes its mark in Huron
A new monument
Conversations about beer in Huron County have to include Blyth Cowbell Brewing Company,
which has led the way in selling its beer across the province while attracting hundreds of
thousands of visitors to its Blyth destination brewery and restaurant. (File photo)
Huron County is now home to a
burgeoning beer, wine and cider
movement and has become a
mandatory stop for Ontario culinary
enthusiasts, but just five years ago
that wasn’t the case.
It all started with a study on
viticulture in Huron County in 2011,
authored by Richard Fitoussi, a
consultant from the Niagara region.
Fitoussi had found the potential
for vine growth in a specific corridor
of Huron County, called the Huron
Ridge, just eight to 10 kilometres
inland from Lake Huron, stretching
from Port Albert in the north to
Grand Bend in the south. However,
in the years since the report was
produced, beer, wine and cider
producers have popped up
throughout Huron County, placing
the community at the forefront of
Ontario’s food and drink revolution.
BEER
A conversation about the Huron
County beer scene can’t take place
without first discussing Blyth
Cowbell Brewing Company. While
the company may not have been the
first with its stakes in the ground, it
has certainly emerged as the local
brewery with the most expansive
reach. The beer is now available in
LCBO stores and the Cowbell team
has developed a destination
experience in Blyth that has brought
hundreds of thousands to the village
since it opened in 2017.
While the destination brewery
opened in the summer of 2017,
Cowbell beer was in the hands of
consumers months earlier, beginning
with its flagship beer, Absent
Landlord, the first of six beers in the
Founders’ Series. The company
would go on to add another two
mainstay beers independent of the
Founders’ Series, the popular
Shindig and the new Gravel Run, as
well as a monthly cycle of
experimental beers in its Renegade
Series, some of which are available
on tap or in growlers and cans at the
brewery or through Cowbell’s online
shop.
The location features a large
restaurant, a lively bar and numerous
enclaves, including Mil’s Verandah
and the Threshers’ Hall, which has
been home to numerous weddings
over the last two years. It also offers
guided tours featuring one of
Cowbell’s storytellers and a shop
fully stocked with beer, clothing and
close to home, far from ordinary
Benmiller Inn & Spa
55 Unique Rooms - Standard to Deluxe
Renewing Petit Aveda Spa
Four Diamond Dining
Conferences, Weddings, Getaways
25 Scenic Acres of River and Countryside
81175 Benmiller Line | Goderich ON | 519.524.2191 | 1.800.265.1711
www.benmiller.ca
Honey - A Natural Sweetener
• Fresh Honey •
• Creamed Honey •
• Pure Unscented Beeswax Candles •
• Gift Baskets •
RR#2 Wingham • 519-357-3656
J.R. Fear
Apiaries Inc.
www.drudgesmaplesyrup.com
‘Straight From The Farm To You’
519-335-6352
43269 Amberley Rd. on Hwy. 86
between Wingham & Listowel
Maple Candy
Maple Butter
Gift Baskets
Maple Sugar
By Shawn Loughlin
The Citizen
Continued on page 15