Black Creek Historic Brewery

GregClow · Post by **GregClow** » Sun May 17, 2009 4:39 pm

(Just posted this to my Canadian Beer News blog, and figured it would be of interest to folks here...)

In what may be a first for Canada, a functioning historic brewery styled after those in use in the 1860s has been built at Black Creek Pioneer Village, and will be opening to the public next month.

Run in partnership with Pioneer Brewery Ltd., a new company created by the owners of Trafalgar Ales and Meads, the Black Creek Historic Brewery is located in the Half Way House Restaurant at the Village. The brewery will focus exclusively on ales made using recipes of the 1860s period, including porter, dark ale and pale ale.

The beer will be served in an adjacent pub, as well as in the Half Way House where a new menu will be launched with suggested beer pairings including beers brewed on the premises as well as a selection of other Ontario craft beers. Growlers will also be available for take-home sales.

An official website for the brewery will be online soon, but in the meantime, updates are being posted regularily to a blog called The Black Creek Growler.

northyorksammy · Post by **northyorksammy** » Sun May 17, 2009 7:06 pm

Sounds like a good idea. My expectation will be a separate entrance into the place, so one does not have to line up and do the whole Village ticket and tour to get a pint

Bobsy · Post by **Bobsy** » Sun May 17, 2009 10:37 pm

northyorksammy wrote:Sounds like a good idea. My expectation will be a separate entrance into the place, so one does not have to line up and do the whole Village ticket and tour to get a pint

I dunno... I'm pretty sure the inn is smack bang in the middle, so it may just be for visitors. Black Creek is also in the middle of nowhere (relatively speaking) so I don't expect it will get a significant foot crowd. They're probably just crafting very small batches for visitors. As I see it there would be two concerns - 1) will the location get enough custom to survive, and 2) how fresh will the beer be if the turnover is low?

TJ · Post by TJ » Sun May 17, 2009 10:43 pm

Bobsy wrote:. As I see it there would be two concerns - 1) will the location get enough custom to survive, and 2) how fresh will the beer be if the turnover is low?

What about: 3) created by the owners of Trafalgar Ales and Meads?

GregClow · Post by **GregClow** » Sun May 17, 2009 11:27 pm

MeisterBurger wrote:
Bobsy wrote:. As I see it there would be two concerns - 1) will the location get enough custom to survive, and 2) how fresh will the beer be if the turnover is low?
What about: 3) created by the owners of Trafalgar Ales and Meads?

I was wondering who would be the first person to take this easy shot.

That fact that the brewery is partly owned by the same people who own Trafalgar should have little or no bearing on the quality of the beers being brewed. Most of the issues with Trafalgar's beers are due to infection problems which are likely isolated to their facility, so that shouldn't affect the Black Creek location.

Trafalgar connection or not, I think slamming them before they've even started is a bit unfair.

TJ · Post by TJ » Mon May 18, 2009 9:08 am

GregClow wrote: Most of the issues with Trafalgar's beers are due to infection problems which are likely isolated to their facility, so that shouldn't affect the Black Creek location.

Trafalgar connection or not, I think slamming them before they've even started is a bit unfair.

Most of my issues with Trafalgar are due to them having yet to brew a beer that I think is particularly good. That's just my opinion. And I seriously hope it changes with the release of their Left Coast Ale.

Anyway, that's cool that you've come to their defence, but it seems like an overreaction to what I said. I was just suggesting that since the brewery attached to this venture is one that doesn't have a great track record for brewing particularly good beer, there may be cause for concern. There is for me. Sorry. I'm just skeptical by nature.

But it's certainly a neat idea and I hope it works out for them. I've never been to Black Creek Pioneer Village so I can't speak to their foot traffic or the demographics of their visitors or any other issues they might face, but I do hope for their sake that the typical Ontario beer drinker is open-minded enough to try drinking a porter, dark ale or pale ale, or any other craft beer for that matter. Because that might be a concern also.

Bobsy · Post by **Bobsy** » Wed May 20, 2009 9:07 am

There's a beer called 'Trafalgar Black Creek Dark Ale' at the C'est What Festival - I wonder whether this is the same recipe they'll be using at the Pioneer Village? It might be an interesting insight into how they're approaching brewing traditional styles.

toweringpine · Post by **toweringpine** » Wed May 20, 2009 10:15 am

This sounds really neat. I will be checking this out this summer for sure!

dmits · Post by **dmits** » Wed May 20, 2009 10:55 pm

Bobsy wrote:There's a beer called 'Trafalgar Black Creek Dark Ale' at the C'est What Festival - I wonder whether this is the same recipe they'll be using at the Pioneer Village? It might be an interesting insight into how they're approaching brewing traditional styles.

I saw the same beer at the LCBO in a three pack with the Ontario Place Stout and the ROM Nut Brown ale....all three were the same undrinkable mess

haelduksf · Post by **haelduksf** » Thu May 21, 2009 1:52 am

A microbrewery 20 minutes walk from my house? And it's not even my birthday!

I agree that it'll be hard to get patronage. Most others who live within a 30-minute radius are either poor or students (read "very poor"). Then again, one could say the same of the LCBO at Steeles and Keele, and they have a pretty good selection of beer. Plus, I'll be doing my part if they offer anything interesting.

GregClow · Post by **GregClow** » Thu May 21, 2009 9:19 am

I'm confused by the concerns that people are expressing about the Black Creek brewery/pub being able to attract customers.

Sure, it may not have a constant stream of beer geeks and pub hounds like places downtown. But Black Creek is a big tourist attraction with tons of people going through there every day. Many of them families with fathers who would likely be happy to let Mom and the kids wander around for an hour or so while they enjoy a pint or two.

They've essentially got a captive audience. I really don't expect them to have any problem selling their product.

Steve Beaumont · Post by **Steve Beaumont** » Thu May 21, 2009 9:43 am

GregClow wrote:Sure, it may not have a constant stream of beer geeks and pub hounds like places downtown. But Black Creek is a big tourist attraction with tons of people going through there every day. Many of them families with fathers who would likely be happy to let Mom and the kids wander around for an hour or so while they enjoy a pint or two.

Careful, Greg, as you're treading dangerously close to sexist stereotypes. Could be that the ladies would equally enjoy a pint or three while the men take the kids around to see the weaving and blacksmithing exhibits.

viggo · Post by **viggo** » Thu May 21, 2009 9:48 am

It'll be good as long as Trafalgar leaves all the brewing to professionals.

haelduksf · Post by **haelduksf** » Thu May 21, 2009 11:12 am

GregClow wrote:I'm confused by the concerns that people are expressing about the Black Creek brewery/pub being able to attract customers.

Sure, it may not have a constant stream of beer geeks and pub hounds like places downtown. But Black Creek is a big tourist attraction with tons of people going through there every day. Many of them families with fathers who would likely be happy to let Mom and the kids wander around for an hour or so while they enjoy a pint or two.

They've essentially got a captive audience. I really don't expect them to have any problem selling their product.

Come to think of it, Wonderland is even worse off for locals, and their bars seem to do OK...

GregClow · Post by **GregClow** » Thu May 21, 2009 11:29 am

Steve Beaumont wrote:
GregClow wrote:Sure, it may not have a constant stream of beer geeks and pub hounds like places downtown. But Black Creek is a big tourist attraction with tons of people going through there every day. Many of them families with fathers who would likely be happy to let Mom and the kids wander around for an hour or so while they enjoy a pint or two.
Careful, Greg, as you're treading dangerously close to sexist stereotypes. Could be that the ladies would equally enjoy a pint or three while the men take the kids around to see the weaving and blacksmithing exhibits.

Yeah, I was being somewhat facetious there. Hence the

I can tell you that if my wife and I had kids, we'd probably send them off by themselves while both of us had a couple of pints. Which is one of many reasons that it's probably good that we don't have kids...