Stonehammer Brewing
355 Elmira Road North, Unit 135, Guelph, ON
(519) 824-1194
Just down Elmira Road from Wellington Brewery in Guelph, is another brewery with a rich and colorful history, StoneHammer Brewing.Phil and Leslie Woodhouse took over the old F&M brewery in early 2015 and rebranded it as StoneHammer Brewing. The flagship brands StoneHammer Dark, Pilsner, Light, Pale Ale and Oatmeal Coffee Stout were kept on, but they have since started to bring a little of their own flair by producing various seasonals and one offs throughout the year.
They house a 20 hec brew system and still brew with a direct-fired copper kettle, before the beers are slowly aged in horizontal tanks in the aging cellar until they've reached their peak. It’s these sorts of historic methods and touches that really make this place stand out!
Stonehammer Dark Ale is a smooth, lightly carbonated, 5% ABV brown ale with a caramel and cocoa aroma and layers of nuts and mocha. Their Continuity Baltic Porter has claimed three Canadian Brewing Awards trophies in three years, so it goes without saying that it is a must try. Though it is a seasonal and available Nov-Mar, I managed to get my hands on a bottle and have a taste. A Baltic Porter is traditionally a beer from countries bordering the Baltic Sea, it is derived from English porters, but influenced by Russian Imperial Stouts. It poured a dark brown with a slight red tinge and had smelt of rich malty sweetness with notes of caramel, rye bread and, dark fruit esters of currant. On the sip you find a little touch of sweetness, a darker malt character, and again that darker fruit. At 7% ABV it warms the soul as it goes down convincing you to have another sip.
They offer tours at the brewery on Saturdays (call to book) and the last Saturday of each month they they tap a unique cask. Whether you’ve always wanted to try cask beer or are a longtime fan they welcome everyone to come for a sample.
Cans, bottles, and branded clothing are available at the bottleshop and several of their brands are available in the LCBO.
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