Wellington Brewery
950 Woodlawn Road West Guelph, ON
(519) 837-2337
Wellington Brewery is one of the pioneers of the microbrewery in Ontario. Originally opening in 1985, before craft beer was called craft beer, they have grown from their original recipes, based on traditional English-style ales, to an expanding line up of beers that embrace the growing market of different beers.
Their original 16HL equipment was shipped over from England in 1985 and they have been expanding ever since. In 2015 they added a 40HL brewhouse, a 5HL pilot system, and expanded the tap room to host more tastings, tours and events.
When Philip Gosling first founded Wellington Brewery, over three decades ago, they were one of the first in North America to produce Cask ale and pull pints from Casks. Times and packaging have changed but the beer is still fresh and they still have a love for Casks. Cask-conditioned beer is unfiltered, unpasteurized, naturally carbonated beer that continues to ferment and age after being packaged , it has gained increasing popularity and recognition across Ontario, finding a home in bars throughout the province. Wellington continues the Cask tradition to this day and they hold a Cask Festival every September to celebrate their annual Birthday by showcasing a number of small batch Cask beer. Wellington still proudly bills itself as Canada’s oldest independently-owned craft brewery.
I am no stranger to Wellington’s beer but, with the brewers always creating and growing their lineup, there were a few I had yet to wet my whistle with. I opted for the Farmers' Market Rhubarb Saison, a refreshing and flavourful summertime Saison with enjoyable spicy notes from the farmhouse style yeast and a slightly tart finish from the rhubarb. Over 200 pounds of locally grown rhubarb was hand picked by growers and added to this brew. They still have your old favorites like the golden brown S.P.A (Special Pale Ale), their most popular beer, but they are not content to rest on their laurels and are continually experimenting and expanding their solid lineup of beers!
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