Exploring the best of Toronto and Southern Ontario.

Happy Wednesday, all! I hope you’re enjoying the last week of November… I can hardly believe that December is in just two days. This entire year has honestly just flown by! 2023 truly feels like it’s been one of the busiest – but most exciting – years of my life, and this month was no exception. One of the projects that’s been keeping me occupied lately has been researching and touring wedding venues. And let me tell y’all… venue shopping sounds like lots of fun (and it is) but it’s also a lot of work – more than I expected! There’s so many questions to ask, details to consider and (the not-so-exciting part) numbers to crunch. You should see my multi-page budget spreadsheet and the long checklist of questions I’ve brought to each venue we visit… it looks like the first draft of a novel!

A couple of weeks ago, while touring a particularly lovely venue in the Caledon area, Tania and I stopped for lunch at a place I’d heard great things about: Caledon Hills Brewing Company. Located in the community of Palgrave, this family-run craft brewery is dedicated to the art of producing high-quality, German-style beers. Husband-and-wife team Stefan and Monica Riedelsheimer opened the brewery four years ago with their son Sebastian. Stefan, who was born in Austria, studied the art of beer-making in Bavaria (the best place to do it!) and was involved in building breweries all over the world before finally deciding to open his own in Canada. The brewery is located in the historic St. Alban’s Anglican Church, which dates back to 1882 and was formerly the home of the Church Pub Restaurant. The ivy-covered brick building, with its quaint steeple and carved wooden doors, is a sight to behold. It makes me so happy when historic buildings are restored and repurposed rather than just being demolished for something new. They truly don’t make ’em like this anymore…

Inside, the owners have preserved the beautiful bones of the original structure, but have incorporated some fun touches of their own. I particularly love the colourful stained glass windows etched with the brewery’s logos and the fun (and fitting!) illustrations of wheat sheaves and pretzels. A ceiling draped in striped yellow and white fabric creates a classic biergarten vibe, while antique mirrors and string lighting add to the warmth and coziness of the space.

I did what I usually do at any brewery and ordered a flight. The flights at Caledon Hills are $10 and include four pours of your choice. They had 12 beers on tap when we visited, so there was lots to choose from, but I took the bartender’s recommendations and got the Belgian Tripel, Vienna Lager, Bohemian Pilsner and Lucha Libre Lager (say that five times fast!) All were very good, but the Vienna Lager was my favourite – I can see why it’s their signature beer! Tania ordered a pint of the Vienna as well. All of Caledon Hills’ beers are brewed in small batches, using locally grown hops and only four base ingredients for the cleanest, purest taste.

For food, we ordered two dishes to share: the Giant Pretzel and the Fried Brussels Sprouts. If there’s anything I can’t stand on a menu, it’s false advertising… but rest assured, when Caledon Hills says “giant”, they mean it! This was easily the biggest pretzel I’ve ever seen, and it came served with a hefty side of whole-grain mustard and obatzda – a traditional Bavarian cheese spread.

The pretzel was delicious, but the fried brussels were my favourite dish by far. To me, there’s nothing better than a heaping plate of crispy, caramelized, glazed brussels sprouts. It tastes so indulgent that you’d almost forget you were eating a health food (okay, okay, I’m not sure you can label it ‘healthy’ once it’s been deep-fried and drenched in glaze… but I’m happy to pretend!) I was also impressed by the large portion sizes. We only ordered two dishes that you’d typically consider appetizers or sides, but between the two of us, we could barely finish them! I’m only sad I didn’t have room for dessert, because the Hot Maple Cake looked promising. Oh well, I guess it’s just a good excuse to come back again soon!

Caledon Hills Brewing Company is a true local gem, and I’m so glad I had the chance to check them out. Be sure to pay them a visit next time you’re in the Caledon area, and remember to come thirsty… and very hungry! P.S. If you love the idea of a brewery in a converted church, you should add one of my other favourite spots – Silversmith Brewing Company in Niagara – to your list.

Thanks for reading and until next time, I hope you have a great rest of your week – and a merry start to December!