Yankee Brew News Archive

Los Testigos de Cerveza visit Kingston Brewing Company, Handcrafted Beer in Ontario

Originally Published: Win/92

By: Bill Metzger

Nuco pulled the pillow over his head and groaned, hoping that 10 more minutes would help dissipate the hangover he'd woken up with. It was 8:00 a.m. and in a half hour he had to be ready for a trip to Kingston, Canada, to visit the first brewpub in the province of Ontario.

He moved his leg to the other side of the bed, but encountered nothing. His wife had already gotten up - with a scornful look, no doubt, at his sorry condition. She had known the man she agreed to marry liked beer, but one who maintained that drinking it was his sole means of employment?

Two hours later, Nuco opened his eyes and found himself staring at the cement block side of a quick stop gas station. He looked over at the trip's designated driver. "Ready for a beer?" the designated driver asked, smiling wickedly.

"Juice," Nuco mumbled, hoping for the next best thing to a mouthful of Advil. As Nuco bailed out of the truck, his other two traveling companions, Medio and Cap'n, shook their heads and made a few derogatory remarks about his appearance. Nuco was not the kind of guy who could expect compassion. Five years earlier, in Mexico, when Cap'n was suffering the severe effects of Montezuma's revenge, Nuco had sneered at him, then suggested taking a photo. He had snapped photos of Medio later on that trip, as his companion slept off a gastro-intestinal illness on a small island off the coast of Honduras, Central America. Now it was their turn to enjoy his misery.

Another hour later, all was forgiven as the four sat in the Kingston Brewing Company, an extract brewpub in the middle of Kingston, Ontario. The brewpub had three beers on tap. The first, Regal Lager, was a clean, well-balanced, filtered lager, with a hint of an aftertaste. It was the group's unanimous favorite.

"This is the perfect beer for today, due to circumstances out of our control," said Cap'n, who had also taken part in the previous evening's drinking binge.

"Bitter," added Medio.

"The bitterness you taste is being transferred from your personal life," Cap'n replied. This was seconded by Nuco, who, after several draughts, had started to pull out of his alcohol-induced catatonia.

The second beer, Dragon's Breath Ale, imitated the traditional British draught bitter. Low in carbonation, unfiltered and cloudy, this smooth-tasting beer was served at cellar temperature. It fit in well with Kingston's pub-style decor.

Downtown Brown Ale was the brewpub's current specialty beer, a yeasty, copper-colored product that fit more into the amber ale category. The menu indicated that the other specialty beers served were Strong Autumn Ale in the fall, and Bock in the spring. The menu offered pub fare, including salads, sandwiches, and burgers.

Only half a block from the waters of Lake Ontario, Kingston Brewing Company is ideally situated. According to Van-Allen Turner, who works at the brewpub, the beauty of the city of Kingston attracts thousands of summer tourists, who often stop at the brewpub after visiting the city's numerous museums and art centers. Fort Henry, which sits on the northeast corner of Lake Ontario and overlooks the lake's entrance to the Saint Lawrence Seaway, was originally constructed during the War of 1812. The fort is a big tourist draw. Those interested in the art of war might also visit Kingston's International Hockey Hall of Fame.

When summer ends, Queen's University students and local people return, and for many of them Kingston Brewing Company is their pub of choice. "We have a great group of regulars who keep us busy," said Turner.

The brewpub ferments its ales for 12 days, the lager for 16, then kegs them for service to the bar. Unfortunately, brewster Martha Turner wasn't present to elaborate further on the brewing process.

Turner said Kingston Brewing Company plans to expand its capacity with a second brew kettle, which will be installed by the designer of the original brewery, brewpub ace consultant Alan Pugsley. If this will increase the number of choices available to hand-crafted beer drinkers, it will be one more reason to visit Kingston. For those interested in makingthe trip, the Kingston Brewing Company is located at 34 Clarence Street. The telephone number is (613)542-4978, and the brewpub is open from 11:00 a.m. until 1:00 a.m., seven days a week. It opens at 11:30 a.m. on Sundays.

Nuco, Medio, and Cap'n are founding members of Los Testigos de Cerveza,an international beer tasting organization. Look for further adventures of Los Testigos in future editions of The Yankee Brew News.