Stop number two in our boys cottage country brewery day was Muskoka Brewery. This stop was one I was really looking forward to and I know my brother in law was too. Muskoka Brewery is one of those I consider to be a big part of my transition from a Coors light drinker to enjoying the world of craft beer. The "survival" packs were an early "go-to" for me when I wasn't sure what I wanted to drink. Muskoka opened their doors in 1996 by Gary McMullen and the late Kirk Evan's. McMullen work in the military and home brewed on the side. He didn't love his job and, when the option came to leave (the military was looking to decrease in numbers) he jumped at the chance and convinced his buddy to start the brewery. It took 2 years of making business plans, finding money (through investors and loans) and creating recipes but on June 15, 1996 Muskoka opened their doors in Bracebridge, Ontario at the corner 13 Taylor Road. Funny enough, that location is set to be a new brewery after a number of failed businesses have occupied a portion of that space since Muskoka left in 2012. Something that's often looked over about craft beer, and why it's exploded in the last 5ish years, is the the fact that the federal tax laws changed in the early 2000s. In 2003 Ontario followed suit and suddenly a brewer like Muskoka had a bunch of capital free up as it was not paying the higher tax rate. Between this and a change in ownership in 2008 helped Muskoka to grow in the early 2000s. Bob Macdonald, a Toronto Business man who was a cottager in the area and fan of the brand came in and bought 40 different shareholders who were needed in the early days to help fund the opening of the Brewery. As time went on, having 40 different shareholders made it difficult to resolve business issues. With this hurdle out of the way Muskoka was able to continue their growth and, in 2012, move to their current home which is a 70,000 square foot facility just north of Bracebridge. McMullen has since moved on but remains an advisor in the industry. Our visit to the brewery was on a rainy day, so the patio was not in use but it really is a cool multi-season space with firepits and muskoka chairs. Inside is a pretty large taproom/bottle shop/retail store area with lots of apparel, a few local snack options (chips, nuts, ect) and, a small seating area to enjoy a flight or a pint. It was incredibly busy the day we went but I was not surprised at all and that's a great sign. I really like that they embrace the small town cottage feel despite having involved into a pretty large brewery that's distributed across Canada. One of the greatest examples of this is their Dockside Draught program where Muskoka will deliver kegs to your cottage's dock (along with glasses and an umbrella). Muskoka has also ventured into making Gin as product for the people who aren't fans of the 6 core beers, 5 seasonal beers or, the one-offs. Jer (and family's) picks: Honestly, it would have been easy to pick 10 for this list but we're picking 4 plus my top sauce. Detour: This is a dry hopped sessionable IPA that has a low ABV (4.3%) and lots of tropical fruit flavor to it. This beer is one that I have offered to many macro drinkers and they generally like it. Depending on who you ask, some get pineapple, some get mango. The hops aren't overly bitter at 38 IBU. Craft Lager: Very drinkable, light at 4.8 ABV, another good beer for those who aren't into big flavors that craft beer can sometimes provide. This is why this ends up on my Uncle's list, who's not a big beer drinker. Some lemony and cracker taste to it with a very slight bitterness. This is probably the one I should have in my fridge for the non craft beer drinkers, my uncle went through about a dozen of these during our week at the cottage and that's why this well crafted lager is one of our picks. Summerweiss Tropical Wheat: This pick, representing my Dad, came as a surprise. My dad is a lager guy through and through. He loves Tiger beer, Sapporo and, Heineken (I'm not even sure if he is aware Heineken makes Tiger now that I think of it) but he was really into this one. For me, I need something extra from my wheat beers otherwise I could take or leave them. Enter this beer. This is a spin on Summerweiss which is the flagship wheat beer from the brewery. They add some passion fruit and mango and it really takes it up a notch. Personally I got some peach from it too. Juicy as can be and it's perfect for a hot summer day. My dad grabbed a few of these to bring back to the cottage....and so did I. Hazed and Confused: Moonlight Kettle is a series of beers that Muskoka created that is beer for employees (and fans of the brand) by employees. 2 employees from any department are matched up with a Muskoka brewer and they develop a beer. It's a limited run beer and could be any style. In 2018 a Vermont Style IPA was developed and, frankly, I wish it would become one of Muskoka's core beers. It's that good! My Brother in law and I are both huge fans of this beer. It clocks in at 7% ABV and 48 IBU. This is an unfiltered beer, juicy, hazy, peachy/orangey, a bit of a lingering bitterness that's not overwhelming. This is delicious and I hope one day it will be back. Top Sauce - Black Raspberry Thunder: So, this one is actually a new release (2019) from Muskoka. This is their second collaboration with Kawartha Dairy and man, did they ever get this right! A raspberry/vanilla milkshake IPA that is very sweet but not to the point that it's too much to handle. It's just so delicious!
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