In Ontario’s carefully controlled liquor industry, it’s hard
to imagine how one can actually be a maverick and fully become a free-spirited company.
One way to inch free of the chains is to open a brewery, where there are still
rules and taxes, but creations can be freely shared without the threat of being
hidden in the back or requiring expensive listing fees, since the Beer Store is
actually owned by three large global beer manufacturers (and not our
government).
Hence, it’s no surprise that with the rise in popularity of
craft beer, there has also been an increase in craft breweries. The newest
entrant is Northern Maverick Brewing Co. a sprawling 11,000 sq. ft. establishment
that includes a restaurant (complete with huge patio), beer store, beer school,
and of course brewery.
Their menu focuses on Canadian sourced casual eats. With the
gleaming red slicer, their house made charcuterie arrives paper thin, making
you want just one more slice. Everything is cured perfectly so it’s not too dry
nor overly salty. Although truth be told, the savoury spices didn’t go well
with the Vienna lager as it brought out so much of the beer’s bitterness.
Sticking with one of their wines may be a better choice.
You could really create a nibbling feast for your party by
adding a cheeseboard as well. With seven different cheeses available (sourced
across Quebec and Ontario), there everything from a gooey brie to a harder
cheddar, these go much better with the bubbly beers.
In a heartbeat I’d return for another Jamaican oxtail patty
($6), the flaky pastry is filled with tender braised oxtail incorporating
habanero heat to have you reaching for a cold drink after finishing it.
Five seasonal beers are offered on tap; during the opening there
was a dry hopped sour, Vienna lager, American pale ale, Indian pale ale, and a hefeweizen. What Northern Maverick strives
for is to create aromatic brews that focus on flavour and smell, but is still
balanced and delicious.
Having sampled a few of the craft beers, my favourite was
the Heart of Tartness ($8.50) that contains strong refreshing notes of citrus
and fruit – after something heavy, it’s a great way to cleanse the palette. The Gosezilla ($8.50) is also interesting having
a lighter tartness but ending with a savoury element thanks to the hint of coriander.
Northern Maverick makes a mean cocktail as well – taking a
traditional concoction and giving it a twist. The Travellers Mojito starts with
the typical rum, mint, and lime juice, but then adds rose water, cardamom, and
honeydew to give it an exotic tropical spin. Meanwhile, the Dry Hopped Daiquiri
contains plenty of Mount Gay Black Barrel rum, but is mellowed with orange
blossom water and a slightly bitter hops syrup.
Reading the blog write-up posted by Northern Maverick’s
founder Jason Kaptyn, you can feel the passion and the blood, sweat, and tears
it took to get them to the opening. I can’t wait until their beer school opens
and I can learn more about beer and food pairings – for those who are
especially gung ho they’ll even teach you how to create something at home. In
the end, Jason just wants to share his love of craft beers with everyone else.
As he sums up, “In short, we will do our best to provide the learning
experience that, once upon a time, captured our hearts and led to our brewery
in the first place.”
How To Find Them
Location: Toronto, Canada
Address: 115 Bathurst Street
Address: 115 Bathurst Street
Website: http://northernmaverick.ca/
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