A Note From the Chris’
On the Twelfth Beer of Christmas
It’s the time of year where for some, it’s the quiet before the storm. That peaceful gap between Thanksgiving and Christmas where we get leaves raked, boats put in storage and houses fully winterised. Well, that’s what it’s like for some. For our brewers, marketers and retail staff at the brewery it’s the mad scramble to design 12 beer recipes, 12 brands and order labels and boxes of those 12 beers and then package about 500 cases in whatever time is left!
That’s right, the 12 Beers of Christmas are back for the third year running and man everyone here is excited. We have some scrumptious new flavours in the tanks, we’ll have more 12 packs available than ever before and on Cyber Monday we’ll be offering a special discount on pre-ordered cases.
If you don’t know what I’m talking about, every year we release 12 Christmas themed beers in a 12 pack, cleverly named, “The 12 Beers of Christmas”.
On December 1st, we start releasing each individual beer, one beer each day, at 12 different bars. These bars will be split across Ontario and have exclusivity to the beer. We then release the 12 pack on December 13 for pickup/delivery. Guess what, you’ve then got 12 days until Christmas so you get a little pre-Christmas treat of one new beer per day. A 12 pack is also a fantastic present for under the tree for a beer lover in your family/friendship group/co-worker.
Specifics on 2017’s flavours, pricing and how to get your hands on one of these beauties will be announced shortly on social media, our iphone app and our website. Stay tuned!
Cheers!
Chris Thompson & Chris Thompson
Brewery News
One Year Anniversary
We just recently celebrated our one year anniversary of our Lakeside location in Cobden, and boy what a year it’s been. In the past 12 months we’ve gone from brewing roughly 7,000 litres a month to brewing roughly 70,000 litres a month. We’ve also gone from having our beer available at approximately 400 places in the GTA, Ottawa, and Ottawa Valley regions to having it available at around 1000 places across Ontario. We now have 6 different brands in cans instead of just the 2 we had in 2016 and our staff has grown from 40 to 100 amazing employees. All of these numbers are still growing and we are very excited to see what the next year brings.
Movember
It’s that time of year again when the razors go into hiding and we get to see who can grow the thickest, longest, slickest moustache this town has ever seen. Whitewater Brewing Co. will be starting it’s own Movember team to raise money for prostate and testicular cancer research. The Movember fun doesn’t stop with us though. The brewery will be fundraising with different retail specials and events all month long so put away that razor and come on in to support Movember with us. Events, specials, and ways to donate will be advertised on our social media pages.
Beer League
As with any Canadian company, we have a few hockey buffs on staff, and these employees have taken it upon themselves to put in a hockey team this year. Thanks to Epic Promo of Ottawa we were able to get some very fashionable hockey jerseys so our team can play in style. Just look at those happy people.
Beer 101
Spent Grain Isn’t Just for the Farm
By Head Brewer Sean
Here at Whitewater Brewing Co. we go through a lot of spent grain. In our peak season we can have up to 9000 kg worth of spent grain that could be wasted. We’ve gotten creative though and found some other uses for it. While we can’t fit all of the grain into our pizza dough, we do feed a lot of farm animals with it. The beauty of keeping this to local farmers is that it gives us the opportunity to buy back some of their meat for us to use in our kitchen. We love the fact that we can feed the animals we serve here and support our local farming community as well. Farm animals aren’t the only ones that can enjoy this great product though.
There’s been a lot of buzz lately on cooking with the left-over malt from the brewing process. I’m sure some of you have had our pizza from our Riverside location where we use the spent grain in our dough recipe. This isn’t the only way to use this pre-loved food product though. One thing I love to do at home is use the grain to make dog treats. It’s an easy way to get treats for your dogs without breaking the bank that you know won’t be filled with preservatives and other nasty ingredients. There are so many recipes you can use spent grain in that will also appeal to your not so furry friends. Breads, pizza doughs, muffins and cookies are just some of the recipes available online. It even works as a crumble on top of your favourite dessert.
Here is my recipe for peanut butter dog treats.
Ingredients
– 4cups spent grain
– 1 cup whole wheat flour
– 1 cup smooth peanut butter
Method
Mix spent grain, flour and peanut butter together in a large bowl. Make sure that the flour and peanut butter are mixed thoroughly. Once you have a consistent batter, put flour down on the counter (so the dough doesn’t stick) and roll out to about a half inch in thickness. Use cookie cutters to cut out whatever shape you like. I use dog bones and ginger bread men shapes. Pre-heat the oven to 350c. Place treat on a pan covered with parchment paper about half an inch apart. Bake treat in the oven for 40min, then reduce the heat to 275c and cook until hard and crisp. Depending on your oven this could take up to 3hrs. once they are rock hard take them out of the oven and cool. Package them up in containers and keep in the fridge for up to 2 weeks. You can also freeze them to keep longer as well as have cool treats for the Summer.
Cooking with Beer
Midnight Stout Onions
By Chef Melissa
Best Paired with Class V
Ingredients
1 tbsp. vegetable oil
2 large red onions, thinly sliced
2 oz. Midnight Stout
Salt
Method
Heat oil in frying pan.
Add thinly sliced red onions and cook over low to medium heat until caramelized.
Pour in Stout to de-glaze pan. Cook until liquid has evaporated.
Season with Salt and add to your favourite steak dish.
Events
Brewer’s Dinner: Hunter Edition
November 1
This five course meal will be served at our Lakeside pub in Cobden and includes five different types of wild game just in time for hunting season. Tickets are $50 and are available on our website but hurry because they won’t last long.
Ottawa Wine & Food Festival
November 3-5
One of our personal favourites, this festival puts the class in Class V. Enjoy 3 days of more food, wine, and craft beer than you could imagine. Check out all the details and grab some tickets here.
Gourmet Food & Wine Expo
November 16-19
This expo includes all things food and drink and features celebrity chef presentations, wine and craft beer enthusiasts, and live entertainment, all in the heart of Toronto. Check out their website for more details and tickets.
I Heart Beer Festival
November 25
Grab that ugly Christmas sweater and prepare yourself for the London I Heart Beer festival. This one included beer, ciders, spirits, and Santa Claus. For more information and tickets check out their website.
Questions from Friends
Mark Asked:
I live in Victoria, BC and tried your beer while visiting Ontario this Summer. I would love to get some of your delicious brew at home but it isn’t available outside of Ontario. How can I get some?
We answered:
Hi Mark,
It is now legal to ship beer across the country so you can either go on our website to order or contact our store in Cobden.
We want to answer your questions about anything from the beer, the brewery, the boys or whatever else is on your mind. Due to the high volume of questions though, we won’t be able to post every one, but keep your eyes peeled in case yours makes it to the front page.
If your question does get picked you will become the proud owner of a swag bag full of WBC goodies. So ask away!
*Questions from Friends is for general questions in the areas listed above. For personal inquiries please use thebreweryboys@whitewaterbeer.ca
All photos Emily Santi Photo (www.emilysantiphoto.com)