Meaford’s first craft brewery is now open for business, offering four unique beers in a unique setting, where the emphasis is on small batches of handcrafted artisanal ales and personal contact with the four partners.
Still Fields Brewery is located at the intersection of Hwy 26 and the 3rd Line. Partners Margaret Curtis, Steven Ormsby, and Owen and Jaclyn Roth have pooled their resources and talents to create a brewery that Steven describes as “creative, experimental, spontaneous and wild, but also rooted in tradition.”
“Growing up in Meaford, I think it’s safe to say that it was very much a lager town. Old Vienna and Crystal come to mind,” he said. “The rise of craft breweries in the late ’90s early 2000s exposed a number of folks, including locals, to alternative styles of beer, particularly pale ales and India Pale Ales (IPAs). Farmhouse beer, which is what we mainly focus on, is still somewhat underexposed in Ontario. In terms of how it differs, I would suggest swinging by the brewery and we’ll pour you a sample. You may find that you are pleasantly surprised.”
A visit to Still Field Brewery is a total experience. One of the four partners is on site during business hours to greet guests and share their passion for their craft. “Customer experience is critical to us, and the primary reason we are focusing on onsite sales only at the moment,” Steven said. “We’re situated on a beautiful property, and we have a product we’re proud of. It’s our desire to share both the property and product with our patrons first-hand.
“First and foremost, one of Margaret, Jaclyn, Owen or myself will be on site so our patrons can speak directly with us. We’ve created a patio west of the barn where we have a fire and seating options for the fall. Our intention is to lean into the winter season with a variety of outdoor activities. And of course, beer!
“I think the consumer is interested in the environment where their product is produced, whether it be a material, good food, beer, etc. Everything we do at Still Fields Brewery is small batch and I think the consumer appreciates the attention to detail that goes into every bottle of beer that is produced.”
Steven describes the Grisette beer as deliciously refreshing and easy drinking. “It is made with 50% malted barley and 50% malted wheat,” he said. “It is lightly bittered with our own Highland Hop Yard Cascade hops fermented and aged in oak Chardonnay barrels and dry hopped with Styrian Celeia.
“The Saison series is our interpretation of a classic saison, refreshingly dry, with a light hoppy character. We mashed, fermented, and aged this Saison in our oak barrels. It was made with two thirds malted barley and one third malted wheat. We used Highland Hop Yard Cascade hops.
“Our Hoppy Saison series has a bold bitterness and has been liberally dry hopped. We mashed, fermented, and aged in oak creating a truly delicious beer. Still Fields Hoppy Saison is refreshingly easy drinking and perfect for sharing during a family dinner. It was made with two thirds malted barley and one third malted wheat as the malt bill. We used Highland Hop Yard Cascade hops that were grown on the property as our bittering hop and Saaz at the end of the boil for aroma and a healthy dose for the dry hop.
“The lager from Batch No. 1 is special, produced in a unique way. It was pressure fermented in stainless steel, then aged in a barrel and lightly dry hopped with Saaz hops. Just like our other beers, we used our own hops from Highland Hop Yard to bitter, giving the beer a truly unique flavour and story. It was made with two thirds malted barley and one third malted wheat.
“Bottles of Grisette, Saison, and Hoppy Saison are sold in 750 ml bottles, the lager in 330 ml bottles. We also have 250ml – 330ml offerings for on-site consumption.”
Currently, Still Fields Brewery is open Monday to Thursday, 4 – 7 p.m. and Friday to Sunday, noon till 8 p.m.
For more information visit: https://www.restaurantji.com/on/meaford/still-fields-brewery-/
