Upper Thames Brewing Company: great beer and love for the community
This craft brewery takes local love to a whole new level.
Rediscover Craft Beer and Community Vibes at Upper Thames Brewing Company
Belly up at the bar, grab a chair at the tables or pick a spot on the patio. No matter where you decide to settle down at Upper Thames Brewing Company (UTBC), you’ll feel right at home. Woodstock’s first brewery, Upper Thames Brewing Company is based around high-quality ingredients, local partnership and of course, amazing craft beer.
Started by four volunteer firefighters back 2015, UTBC was created with growth in mind. That’s why they’ve been able to house a sizable taproom, canning line, brewing equipment and bottling production all in their original building.
Becoming a community hub of sorts, their journey has been nothing short of pretty darn cool (if we do say so ourselves). Want to skip ahead? No problem. Read about:
The Beer
Of course, you can’t talk about a craft brewery without talking about the beer, so let’s start there. Brewmasters Drake Merritt and Nigel Inglis brew small-batch beers with fresh local ingredients.
That includes hops from Tavistock Hop Company (located in Southern Ontario), Barn Owl Malt from Belleville, and BSG out of Guelph among many other local ingredients in individual brews like local chocolate, coffee, fruit and more!
The brewery has eight core beers plus their non-alcoholic root beer that are always on deck. Those core beers include staples like their Backpaddle Blonde, Logger Lager, Take-a-Hike Dry-Hopped Ale, and Lazy Fox Amber Ale. Try their Chocolate Stout that uses cacao nibs from a local chocolatier to bring a burst of flavour forward.
Want to try something really special? The Dead Reckoning OPA (that’s Ontario Pale Ale) uses exclusively Ontario ingredients including a blend of locally-sourced hops, rich malt and more. It’s pretty neat!
Because the brewery has eighteen taps in total, there’s also room for some experimentation. With a rotating selection of special releases, Upper Thames Brewing Company has something new to try every month (or more)!
Past favourites have included their Making Waves Fruited Kettle Sour, the Dusk to Dawn White Stout and the Trailbreak Tangerine Milkshake IPA among many, many others. It definitely gives you a reason to come back again and again!
Want to get your hands on some? You can get beer from UTBC at the brewery itself, at their sister location Brickhouse Brewpub or by ordering online for delivery. You can also find several of their flagship beers at the LCBO.
Brewery Vibes
The brewery itself is inspired by the founders’ love for the great outdoors and, as the name suggests, The Thames River, which flows right through Woodstock!
With a sizable taproom, the décor is woodsy and open. There are two canoes hanging from the ceiling, and beautiful slabs of live edge lumber at the bar, as the tabletops and in the bottle shop.
Rough wood canoe paddles, a large mural of their lumberjack logo and a sizable fireplace give the brewery that extra coziness. Another feature of the brewery is a large growler wall filled with growlers from all over Ontario that the owners have visited. Check it out and see how many you have visited!
Hand Tossed Pizza
Upper Thames Brewing Co. recently added a cheesy companion for your favourite brews - Pizza! What makes their Pizza so tasty? It's the dough! Made in house, fresh every day, Upper Thames uses their Backpaddle Blonde ale. Toppings and ingredients are always fresh, quality and as local as possible. Order up a Hand Tossed Pizza or choose from a variety of Nibbles Wednesday to Sunday from Noon to Close. See the full menu here.
Events and Experiences
One of the coolest things about Upper Thames Brewing Company is what a community hub they’ve become. With something different to do most nights of the week, there’s something for everyone to enjoy whether you’re a beer drinker or not.
Athletes love UTBC’s run club. Music fans cozy up on Friday and Saturday for live music from local talent. Trivia fans geek out over what is possibly the best trivia nights around hosted by Wes Mitchell from Prime Barbershop in downtown Woodstock. Join them for Trivia every Wednesday night.
Then of course there are brewery classics like BINGO (one Wednesday each month) and comedy nights. Stay tuned for announcements of upcoming comedy nights.
Ready to visit? Common out, have a pint and kick back! Whether you’re there for the beer, the atmosphere or to have a good time with friends, you’re sure to enjoy it.
When is pizza coming to Upper Thames Brewing Company?
What is your most popular beer?
What are those cool mugs on the wall at the brewery?
What is your capacity for rentals?
Trip Ideas
