BY BECKY SHEASBY
If you consider yourself a beer connoisseur, or even if you just like the occasional ale, then you are in luck. A new microbrewery has opened in the heart of St. Jacobs. Block Three Brewery cast open its doors early this September and gave the world its first taste of their handcrafted beer.
The idea of a brewery was first discussed by four friends and now co-owners, Bryan Maher, Philip Hipkiss, Graham Spence and Derek Lebert, who would get together once a month to eat food and drink beer. Soon, “beer club” was born. It wasn’t long after that the men decided it would be cool to make their own beer. They didn’t just stop at the idea of their own brewski, after 10 months of business planning and preparation, Block Three Brewery sprung to life.
Maher worked at the Wellington Brewery in Guelph for many years before becoming a blockhead (which the men fondly call themselves and customers). The other co-owners were working as accountants before they decided to leave their life of numbers in turn for some hops.
“I’ve been loving it,” Hipkiss said “We’ve been a lot busier; we all eat, sleep and breathe beer. Everyone coming together has been a lot of fun.”
The first beers Block Three Brewery made are Sugar Bush Brown, a classic brown ale with a little bit of local maple syrup mixed in, and King Street Saison, a light and crisp Belgian-style ale that has a fruity smooth taste. They have since added new beers such as Blocktoberfest and English Style Pale Ale.
“We plan to make seasonal beers and specialty one-off beers from local ingredients,” Lebert said in an article in The Record.
Within the entirely renovated building, you can buy their beer in kegs and litre-sized bottles. They also sell it in growlers, which are milk-jug sized and can be washed and refilled. Local restaurants also have the four blockheads’ beer on tap.
“It’s a cool little place,” said Luke Bennewies, a first-timer at the brewery, when asked about his experience.
Block Three Brewery is located at 1430 King St. N., St. Jacobs. For more information, check out www.blockthreebrewing.ca/ or follow them on Twitter at @blockthree.
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