From the historic town of Uxbridge to the lakeside parks of Port Perry and the shore of Whitby, one can discover a veritable beerdom in the heart of Durham Region. The rural routes that roll through York Durham Headwaters' natural beauty are magnets for cyclists and hikers with the refreshing kick of a flourishing craft brewery scene. A proliferation of breweries to elevate each rest stop, and unique destinations to reconnect and recharge, make this the perfect getaway for a road trip.
Durham Region’s first craft brewery, 5 Paddles Brewing Co, employs small-batch production and premium natural ingredients. Traditional Lagers, Ales, and IPAs as well as more adventurous flavors like Pineapple Scullpucker and Rainbow Ale, have beer lovers driving up from Toronto for a case. The Coconut Dream Ale beer reminds us of a day at the beach. A flight here launches our taste buds into orbit, and the diverse range of beer on tap in the tap room is also available for take home in cans via online delivery.
A pillar of the beer community is Old Flame Brewing Co., known for clean and refreshing lagers from Dirty Blonde, to Red, to Brunette. A local farmer feeds his lamb and sheep the spent grain from the brewery. Herrington’s Butcher then pairs that meat with Old Flame Lager for a savory lamb and lager pie.
Crossing the train tracks off the Trans-Canada Trail, we reach the Uxbridge Farmers Market brimming with local produce. Inside the adjacent The Second Wedge Brewing Co., local art is on display, and in the beer garden, Foundry Pi crafts wood-fired pizza for us to pair with our selection: a light and refreshing High Grass Saison of fresh lemongrass, ginger and bitter orange peel with a low hop; and 3 Rocks IPA, which is bright with a balance of floral and citric hops and a depth of malt flavour.
The best alternative to beer is cider. The apple is Ontario’s quintessential fruit. Archibald Orchards & Winery offers an unparalleled range of ciders from blends of Macintosh and Ida Red with aromatics that evoke baked apples in autumn. Hard Ginger Cider is crisp with a kiss of ginger. Bottles of Spiced Winter Apple Wine and Canadian Maple Wine are a mellifluous balance of sweetness. Not-to-be-missed in the fall are the pies, crumbles and an ambrosial apple caramel dumpling of scored-apple wrapped in pastry, steeped in caramel sauce and dusted with cinnamon.
Slabtown Cider Co. has become the hot spot for weekenders and the after-work crowd. There is such a chill vibe here, and each picnic table on the outdoor patio is colourized by flights of cider. There are a seasonal ciders like Peach Bellini and a quenching Pineapple Mimosa Cider Slushy on tap. I order a flight. Founder’s Dry is so refreshing with bright intermingling notes of apple and lemon. Mojito de Manzana is a crisp apple, accented with lime and mint for the perfect complement to summer. Honey Habanero is sweet heat in a glass that does not disappoint or deviate from expectation. It awakens my palate, opens my eyes, and gets conversations started. I pair this one with a meaty Double Smashed Burger enlivened with scallion aioli and mounds of sauteed cremini mushrooms and onions on a brioche bun.
From across the top of Toronto, we hop to Headwaters Region, which has emerged with a smorgasbord of eclectic experiences. What we encounter here is a purity of spirit(s) and ambrosial ciders that define the taste of Ontario.
GoodLot Farm & GoodLot Farmstead Brewing Co. grows a variety of hops and grains for their brewery, and maintains a carbon positive production. It's about feeding the soil, and this is indeed a Goodlot! Phil and Gail Winters are environmentalists, and by connecting their farm to nature, they can brew a truly clean high-quality product, and can even infuse into their range of craft beer the yarrow, or wormwood, elderberries and rosehips that grow on the property. Their Farmstead Ale is smooth and sings of their Ontario-farmed Nugget and Cascade hops. Trellis Hop Fizz is a non-alcoholic sparkling water made with GoodLot hops and infused with seasonal Farmstead botanicals. The patio is the place to be, especially on pizza night. This is a rustic community space of picnic tables, the occasional strolling chicken, and a thriving Bluegrass venue!
There are fifteen varieties of apple trees at Spirit Tree Estate Cidery from which to pick our own apples and fill either 5lb or 20lb-bags. After apple picking, we relax in the Cider Gardens, but not before first ordering up a thin-crust, wood-fired Spirit Tree pizza, topped with tomato sauce, pesto, oven-roasted tomatoes, grilled chicken, roasted garlic, mozzarella and goat cheese. This begs for a cider pairing. In addition to the blended and single varietals of hard apple and pear ciders, there is also an ambrosial sweet cider blend, and even a Pumpkin Cider made from wood-fired pumpkins, fresh apple juice, and a sprinkling of spice. My personal favourite is the Ice Cider. It is similar to an Icewine, but made from pressed, late-harvest apples for a uniquely aromatic, sweet elixir.
The range of cider at Heartwood Farm and Cidery is from mulled to non-alcoholic, and includes Forest Garden, a blend of six apples (Northern Spy, Courtland, Red Prince, Ida Red, Jonagold and Golden Russet) with a touch of the farm's own maple syrup. For cider with an attitude, there is Eve Goes Badass. It's tinged with a disarming heat of ghost and cayenne pepper and sweetened with honey. I'm enjoying a can of this while the most adorable baby pigs parade around me. You see, a visit to Heartwood—aptly named—is also about reconnecting with nature and reconnecting to animals. It's an eco-adventure in which Val Steinmann shares with us the Food Shed Principle fundamental to her practise of regenerative farming for the future. (This is an excellent place to bring a child to make them aware of something positive that is being done and that can make us proud and hopeful for the future of our agriculture.)
Looking around, all I see are smiles. People are happy here. I’ll drink to that!