Once strictly viewed as a winter destination on account of
the incredible Blue Mountain ski resort, Collingwood, Ontario has transformed
itself into a haven for day-trippers and vacationers alike during all four
seasons. Home to attractions like the Blue Mountain Village (complete with shopping,
restaurants, hotels and an adventure park featuring the Ridge Runner mountain
roller coaster, a ropes course with zip lines, the Apex Bagjump, and gondolas
to the top of Blue Mountain), Scenic Caves, Scandinave Spa and a variety of
other attractions, there is no shortage of ways to fill you days.
The town also features an incredible trail system. During
our stay we trekked along the Heather Pathway which does a loop through the
better part of the town and starts and ends at two magnificent lookouts over Collingwood
Harbour.
With the development of four season tourism along with a
strong community of both seasonal and full time residents, an array of beer,
wine and spirit manufacturers have also found their homes in Collingwood. The
town is home to three breweries; Canadian Mist Distillery, makers of the
excellent Collingwood rye whiskey; and an array of wineries.
Never missing the chance to try local beer, I visited two of
the three local breweries during my visit and found the following gems. I look
forward to checking out Collingwood Brewery on my next visit.
Formally known as Denison’s, the brewery re-branded and are
now named for the method of launching ships used in Collingwood for
generations. Side Launch has experienced impressive success in the Ontario beer
market. Their lineup is focused and features mainstays that are quality
approaches to traditional beer styles, along with a revolving selection of
seasonals.
Wheat
One of the brewery’s three mainstay beers, and likely their
most popular, Side Launch’s wheat is a German
Hefeweizen, and likely one of the better efforts at the style amoung
Ontario breweries. Banana predominates on both nose and flavour and is backed
with strong yeast character. Coriander and other mild spices round out the
flavour.
Dark Lager
I’ve been drawn to this style (traditionally called German
Dunkel), of late. The beer is pure malt on the nose with the flavour of light
caramel, bready malt and a little bit of brown sugar. The beer leaves you
smacking your lips long after your sip.
A brand new entry into the Ontario beer market, Northwinds
opened a little over a year ago and offers a great selection of food and beer
at their brewhouse. You won’t find these beers in major retailers, but the
variety of beers on tap is astounding. While there were a few misses, the
following beers really grabbed my attention.
Brew Mountain SMaSH Series (Centennial)
A great entry in the American Pale Ale category. Thin body
with plenty of citrus on nose and flavour. Grapefruit and floral/piney notes
predominate with the centennial hops really coming through as advertised. Great
for summer.
Old Baldy Farmhouse Ale
With so many saisons on tap I feel brewmaster Andrew Bartle
must have been a homebrewer. While lacking the usually yeast forward character
of many saisons, this entry brings the hops to the forefront with the hot taste
of rye malt coming through. Unique and tasty.
Side note! If you are looking for a truly unique place to
eat while around the Collingwood area, check out Hai Sai in Singhampton (20
minutes south of Collingwood). Managed by restaurant legend Michael Stadtländer,
Hai Sai is completely and utterly surprising. Both food and décor are out of
the ordinary and definitely worth the trip off the beaten path.
