Five and a half hours north in Little Current ON on Manitoulin Island, you'll find Nishin Meagwasige and Blair Hagman, two childhood friends with a passion for brewing craft beer with a sense of place at the Manitoulin Brewing Company.
Manitoulin means "spirit island" in Anishinaabemowin. It is the largest lake island in the world, with a rich Indigenous history of the Anishinaabe people.
It was important for Meagwasige and Hagman to include culturally significant imagery, names and landmarks with their line-up of brews. They work with local indigenous artists to create the can art, and use fresh summer produce for their featured flavoured beers.
At Dundurn Market you'll find a selection of their small-batch beers, including their very first in production: Swing Bridge Blonde. The Little Current Swing Bridge is the landmark gateway connecting Manitoulin Island to the mainland. The beer is smooth, flavourful and fresh.
We also carry Ten Mile Point Pilsner, named for one of the most famous spots on the island with the breathtaking views of Georgian Bay. Their Czech-style pilsner is crisp and refreshing wtih a herbal hop finish.
Cup and Saucer English Ale is a nod to the Island's Nature Preserve Michigiwadinong, (nicknamed Cup and Saucer for the distinct, 400-million-year-old cliff formations), a popular hikers' haven with approximately 8km of wilderness trails. The beer boasts robust and easy-drinking flavours of a pub-style ale.
The unique Northern Ontario growing conditions are perfect for wild flora, most notably Hawberries. These berries have become a trademark for locals, and Island-born folk are lovingly called Haweaters. Every August hosts the Haweater Festival, and the brewery dedicates their easy drinking lager in small cans as the Haw Eaters' Brew.
Their seasonal beer is especially significant. The brewery teamed up with the Waterkeeper Project which supports women and girls as existing and future leaders of water protection and restoration. Their beer Ode'Imin ("strawberry" in Ojibwe) includes summer harvest berries for a fresh and subtle sweetness, the perfect Summer Beer!
We're honoured to work with these passionate beermakers, whose respect and values for their products and lands shine through with every sip!
If you find your way up to the Island this summer, be sure to visit the brewery, they host live music and events all summer long.
Why not pick up some cans at Dundurn Market for this weekend? With Manitoulin Brewing Co, you're on Island Time now!
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