Locally grown, independently brewed. Why supporting local is important.
They say good things grow in Ontario, and we couldn’t agree more, which is why we’re so proud to brew Ice Cold Beer and Squints with local ingredients that are as thoughtfully produced as our beers. Local ingredients are beneficial because they:
- Support the local economy, keeping job opportunities and profit in Ontario
- Showcase the local terroir and the unique taste of Ontario
- Are more environmentally friendly as the ingredients travel a shorter distance to the brewery
The fans demand it! Ice Cold Beer starts with carefully selected malt. Our friends at Barn Owl Malt in Belleville, Ontario, created a lager malt that is very lightly kilned, which allows us to produce a lighter ale that’s made with 100% Ontario ingredients. Locally grown Cascade Hops from VQH Farms in Eden, Ontario, are added to the boil to balance out the sweet, malty notes with gentle citrus offering a refreshing, easy drinking bleacher beer.
The Colossus of Clout! When brewing Squints Sunflower Seed Gose, 300kg (20 bags!) of malted Ontario sunflower seeds from Barn Owl Malt, are added to the mash to impart an earthy, nutty flavour. We also add lemon zest and coriander to amplify sour notes giving it a balanced finish.
Want to know more about Barn Owl Malt? Encouraging the growth of low impact crops, Barn Owl Malt is sustainable and environmentally friendly by using one third of the amount of water as a conventional malt house would use to process the same amount of grain. Their process also creates no waste to landfill, with waste products like rootlet matter or smaller grains being diverted for use as animal feed.
How about VQH Farms? Brothers Joe and Curtis VanQuaethem, and their cousin Jared Hevenor, recognized that Ontario Craft Brewers were looking for a source of hops grown in Canada. Left Field’s owners Mark and Mandie Murphy first met Jared through their local home brewing community and frequent visits to The Wren on the Danforth, where Jared worked. With the promotion of sustainable growth and opportunities for breweries to use more Ontario hops in their recipes, VQH Farms hopes to see our province’s hops shine and become an Ontario agricultural staple.