When summer rolls around, many Canadians will be found outside enjoying the sunshine. The perfect partner to warm weather? A cold beer.
Located in London’s Old East Village, the London Brewing Co-operative is a locally owned and sourced brewery. Their aim is to create 100% local beer. A quick look at their beer names and content can attest to that commitment:
- Ward 4 – 90% local ingredients
- Norfolk Red – 100% local hops
- Local 117 -100% ingredients within a 117 kilometre radius
- Neighbourhood Tart – made with rhubarb grown in the Old East Village
Stemming from two other London operations, On The Move Organics and The Root Cellar, the brewery also aims to use 100% organic ingredients.
When trying to balance organic and local, Co-Director David Thuss says that it’s not always possible, “if we can’t source it locally, we do get organic malts from Germany. So you need to figure out, is it more important it’s local, or more important it’s organic?”
To date, the brewery has created 48 different beers, quite a large variety for a micro-brewery. Thuss attributes the on-going change in selection to their small size.
“We had a lot of time to experiment with those flavours and we were able to see what works and what doesn’t. At the end of the day, quality ingredients create quality beer.” – David Thuss
The facility serves as more than a space to create beer, it creates good company and conversation. Along with a mock indoor patio, the brewery has pinball machines to stir up friendly competition.
Cody Chambers was visiting the brewery and describes the environment having “diversification amongst age groups, ethnicities, and amongst people in general. What you find, is that the passion is still the same, supporting the local movement, and I think that’s the most important thing.”