Posts Tagged ‘local food’
FRIDAY
9 to 5: The Musical
8 p.m.
Studio Theatre Perth
For more information visit studiotheatreperth.com
Perth Fire Fighters’ Association Golf Tournament
12:45 p.m. start
Perth Golf Course
SATURDAY
Perth Farmers’ Market
8 a.m. – 1 p.m.
Tay Basin Parking Lot
9 to 5: The Musical
8 p.m.
Studio Theatre Perth
For more information visit studiotheatreperth.com
Hungry Planet Pop-Ups
11:30 a.m. – 5 p.m.
Hungry Planet
Perth 200th Anniversary Walking Food Tour
1 p.m.
Downtown Perth
Call the Matheson House Museum to arrange tickets – 613-267-1947.
Perth Museum Bird Watching Tour
8:15 a.. – 11 a.m.
Perth Wildlife Reserve
Cost is $20 per person and includes parking. Tickets are available in advance at the Perth Museum and Visitor Information Centre (11 Gore St. East, Perth – 613-267-1947).
SUNDAY
9 to 5: The Musical
2 p.m.
Studio Theatre Perth
For more information visit studiotheatreperth.com
Downton Abbey Style High Tea and Luncheon
1 p.m. – 3 p.m.
Crystal Palace
For information please call the Tea Room, participants are encouraged to come in costume.
By Chris Must
The growing popularity of their craft beer has four Smiths Falls men optimistic that they will be able to begin brewing their products right here in their home town in the near future.
The idea behind Four Degrees Brewing Company began four years ago during a golf game between Andrew Howard and Nick Ritchie. The partners decided it would be fun to start their own beer company, and bring much-needed jobs to Smiths Falls in the process. The other two partners in the company are Joe Adams and Chris Haines.
Although none of the partners started out knowing how to brew beer, said Haines, “what we did have was a willingness to try and make our community better.”
Each of the partners brings a different set of skills and knowledge to the project. Ritchie is the owner of Rideau Orthodontics and Bonarc Medical Supplies. Adams is a licensed carpenter and former maintenance supervisor for the Rideau Canal. Howard is an associate in a local law practice. Haines is a property manager and construction project manager. To get their project off the ground, the partners enlisted the help of experienced brewing consultant Jay Cooke, owner of District Brewing Company in Regina, to refine the recipe for their first craft beer, True North of 7.
True North of 7 first became available at Smiths Falls’ own Rob Roy’s Pub on Centre Street at the end of February. Ritchie said True North of 7 is a Helles-style lager beer. Promotional literature from Four Degrees Brewing (the name refers to the optimum temperature for serving beer) states that “True North of 7 rewards the drinker with the most sublime balance of subtle, rich, elegant maltiness and lingering noble hoppiness.”
Highway 7 bisects Ontario, explained Ritchie, so the name North of 7 is intended to evoke images of a northern, outdoor lifestyle. In fact, the handle of the taps used to dispense True North of 7 on draft are shaped like a shotgun and antlers are in the beer’s logo.
A second beer, True South of 7, is aimed at a more urban and refined market, the brewers explain. It has a bolder flavour and colour with Amber hues and a smooth, caramel flavour.
These “Lifestyle Collection” beers are currently produced at Taps Brewing Company in Niagara Falls. However, Adams said the Four Degrees Brewing partners plan to locate space in Smiths Falls by this fall to set up a local brewery. They hope the Smiths Falls operation will create between 20 and 30 full- and part-time jobs. “If we’re successful, we’ll have achieved that,” said Howard.
Other established craft brewers have been helpful along the way. “The craft brewers know there’s enough market for everyone,” said Haines.
“The more breweries you have in an area, the more of an attraction it becomes,” added Howard.
In addition to Rob Roy’s, other local outlets offering Four Degrees Brewing Company products include Player’s Sports Bar and the Country Diner in Smiths Falls, and East Meets West restaurant in Perth. The Imperial Tavern in Perth and the Lee Tavern in Smiths Falls have also expressed interest. With the opening of golf season, the partners will also be working to get their products to area golf courses. Distribution arrangements with the LCBO and Beer Store are also in the works.
Although a strictly local product at present, True North of 7 beer has travelled farther afield: a resident of the Northwest Territories with a cottage in the local area tried the product and recently had some shipped back home.
“People in Smiths Falls have been so positive,” said Adams, who added that he and his partners have been “floored” by the reception so far.
In addition to its two main brands, Four Degrees plans to produce some seasonal offerings in March, October and over the winter.
Other plans call for a local beer collection with ties to Smiths Falls’ history. One local beer collection idea is a brand named for Old Sly’s Locks. Another idea, said Howard, is to produce a beer named Rosedale Prohibition. Apparently the town of Rosedale was wiped from the map by prohibition, because the local tavern was the main reason anyone went there.
Four Degrees Brewing Company wants to give Smiths Falls something to get excited about, said Howard, adding “If you don’t try, you’ll never know if you could do it.”
By: Chris Must
“We were told that we were crazy…and at times we wondered if they were right,” says Allison Scheuermann, reflecting on her family’s five-year odyssey into wine making.
Apart from Prince Edward County, Eastern Ontario isn’t known for its vineyards. But that may be about to change. Crazy or not, Francois and Allison Scheuermann can be justly proud of the three varieties of wine they have successfully produced at their Westport vineyard and winery after five years of hard work.
Just over six acres of the Scheuermanns’ 20-acre property at the north edge of Westport are planted with grapevines. Their plans originated (over a glass of wine) in 2010, when they were discussing what do with some unused fields on the property they had purchased the previous year. In 2011, they planted 1,000 vines: 500 Chardonnay and 500 Pinot noir grape plants.
The planting began as an experiment to see how the plants would cope with the local winters. The grapes were picked before ripening for the first three years to strengthen the plants and their root systems. The vines have to be covered with earth all winter to protect them.
Francois, a Swiss-trained chef and entrepreneur who also markets a line of “Chef Francois” seasoning spice, decided to seek out a mentor to help him learn the key elements of making and marketing wine. He was looking for “someone who’s making good wine locally, and with the time and expertise to invest in us.”
That mentor turned out to be Norman Hardie, proprietor of the Norman Hardie Winery in Prince Edward County. Francois volunteered to help with the harvest at Hardie’s winery in 2010, offering to work free in return for some coaching. “You put your time in and I’ll teach you along the way,” Hardie told Francois. For the next several years, Francois spent each harvest at the Hardie winery learning the ropes, and he and Hardie became close friends.
Finally after three years the Scheuermanns’ test plot produced fruit for one barrel of Chardonnay. “We were so excited,” recalled Allison. “We’re happy with what’s coming from the ground here.”
Although this area’s short growing season limits the types of wine that can be produced here, the Scheuermanns produced 400 cases of Pinot noir and Chardonnay from their own grapes. Juice from grapes grown in Niagara region was also shipped in to produce Reisling.
An expert opinion on how these wines taste was provided by Brian Preston in an article for the National Capital Sommelier Guild. After a visit to the Scheuermann Vineyard & Winery last fall, Preston described the 2014 Riesling as “bright and pale yellow with a nose of light lemon citrus; pure fruit with a medium light body.” Preston also wrote that the 2014 Chardonnay was “French oak barrel aged, pale golden in colour with a beautiful light nose of butter when still in the glass, but when swirled, the fruity nose emerges giving lemon, some vanilla and a touch of tropical fruit.” The Chardonnay, he added, “reflects the soil and youth of the vines, but the wine is well made.”
Moving on to the 2014 Pinot Noir, Preston described this wine as “clear with pink/rose hued colour,” with a flavour of “cherry based red fruit and berries and refreshing acidity.”
Producing these varieties is a labour-intensive process, with the whole family (which includes five young children) pitching in. Each plant must be handled eight or nine times during the year in the various stages of production, so there is always plenty to do during some pretty long days. “There’s never a day where we don’t have something to do in the vineyard,” said Francois.
The vineyard and winery are open every Saturday and Sunday from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. and should be open daily by mid-May, creating some local job opportunities for serving staff and field hands.
Wine is available by the glass to visitors, who can enjoy the view of the nearby lakes, or the vineyard itself. Future plans include construction of a wood-fired grill for guests to enjoy some Patagonian-style food. “We’re trying to offer something new here, not duplicate what’s already here,” said Francois, adding that he hopes to play a part in boosting Westport tourism and lengthening the tourist season. In the future, transportation will be arranged to bring visitors to the winery from the local harbour and flying club.
The Scheuermann Vineyard & Winery is located at 82 Bedford St. in Westport and can be contacted at 613-449-6548.
***needs an author**
If you’re a chocolate lover like I am, let me introduce you to some of the finest chocolate I have ever tasted: Fine Chocolate by Ludwig (http://finechocolate.ca), and its created right here in Lanark County.
I’ve never been a fan of dark chocolate. I’ve always found it too bitter, too strong, and sometimes with a grainy texture. In short, nothing I would ever reach for as a treat.
That changed a couple of years ago, thanks to a client who left me a Christmas gift of a chocolate bar made by Ludwig Ratzinger. I had never heard of it before, and again, not being a fan of dark chocolate, brought it home and it left it to sit on the counter for a few weeks. In a moment of desperation, with no other chocolate around, I decided I would break open the gift from my client.
Well, you could have knocked me over with a feather. This was the most flavourful, yet delicate and smooth dark chocolate I had ever tasted. I was hooked.
I had the opportunity to meet Ludwig earlier this year and get a tour of his chocolate making studio, located in Maberly, Ont., just west of Perth. As a professionally trained pastry chef and former employee of both the Chateau Laurier and the Governor General, Ludwig’s talent and experience shines through in his finished product.
Walking into the studio, the scent of chocolate was nothing short of extraordinary. Ludwig walked me through his chocolate-making process, including everything from the packaging he designed, to how he selects his cacao beans, the custom molds he uses and the process he follows for turning cacao beans into the delectable bars of goodness found at various specialty shops around Eastern Ontario.
Ludwig produces a wide selection of chocolate, including large bars ranging from 38% cacao to 80% cacao as well as milk chocolate, white chocolate and smaller flavoured chocolate bars. A definite favourite of mine is the lime chocolate bar; a subtle hint of lime does nothing but enhance the chocolate. His packaging allows for customization for weddings and other special events.
For more information about Ludwig, the chocolate he creates and locations where you can purchase it, check out Ludwig’s website at www.finechocolate.ca
Posts Tagged ‘local food’
FRIDAY
9 to 5: The Musical
8 p.m.
Studio Theatre Perth
For more information visit studiotheatreperth.com
Perth Fire Fighters’ Association Golf Tournament
12:45 p.m. start
Perth Golf Course
SATURDAY
Perth Farmers’ Market
8 a.m. – 1 p.m.
Tay Basin Parking Lot
9 to 5: The Musical
8 p.m.
Studio Theatre Perth
For more information visit studiotheatreperth.com
Hungry Planet Pop-Ups
11:30 a.m. – 5 p.m.
Hungry Planet
Perth 200th Anniversary Walking Food Tour
1 p.m.
Downtown Perth
Call the Matheson House Museum to arrange tickets – 613-267-1947.
Perth Museum Bird Watching Tour
8:15 a.. – 11 a.m.
Perth Wildlife Reserve
Cost is $20 per person and includes parking. Tickets are available in advance at the Perth Museum and Visitor Information Centre (11 Gore St. East, Perth – 613-267-1947).
SUNDAY
9 to 5: The Musical
2 p.m.
Studio Theatre Perth
For more information visit studiotheatreperth.com
Downton Abbey Style High Tea and Luncheon
1 p.m. – 3 p.m.
Crystal Palace
For information please call the Tea Room, participants are encouraged to come in costume.
By Chris Must
The growing popularity of their craft beer has four Smiths Falls men optimistic that they will be able to begin brewing their products right here in their home town in the near future.
The idea behind Four Degrees Brewing Company began four years ago during a golf game between Andrew Howard and Nick Ritchie. The partners decided it would be fun to start their own beer company, and bring much-needed jobs to Smiths Falls in the process. The other two partners in the company are Joe Adams and Chris Haines.
Although none of the partners started out knowing how to brew beer, said Haines, “what we did have was a willingness to try and make our community better.”
Each of the partners brings a different set of skills and knowledge to the project. Ritchie is the owner of Rideau Orthodontics and Bonarc Medical Supplies. Adams is a licensed carpenter and former maintenance supervisor for the Rideau Canal. Howard is an associate in a local law practice. Haines is a property manager and construction project manager. To get their project off the ground, the partners enlisted the help of experienced brewing consultant Jay Cooke, owner of District Brewing Company in Regina, to refine the recipe for their first craft beer, True North of 7.
True North of 7 first became available at Smiths Falls’ own Rob Roy’s Pub on Centre Street at the end of February. Ritchie said True North of 7 is a Helles-style lager beer. Promotional literature from Four Degrees Brewing (the name refers to the optimum temperature for serving beer) states that “True North of 7 rewards the drinker with the most sublime balance of subtle, rich, elegant maltiness and lingering noble hoppiness.”
Highway 7 bisects Ontario, explained Ritchie, so the name North of 7 is intended to evoke images of a northern, outdoor lifestyle. In fact, the handle of the taps used to dispense True North of 7 on draft are shaped like a shotgun and antlers are in the beer’s logo.
A second beer, True South of 7, is aimed at a more urban and refined market, the brewers explain. It has a bolder flavour and colour with Amber hues and a smooth, caramel flavour.
These “Lifestyle Collection” beers are currently produced at Taps Brewing Company in Niagara Falls. However, Adams said the Four Degrees Brewing partners plan to locate space in Smiths Falls by this fall to set up a local brewery. They hope the Smiths Falls operation will create between 20 and 30 full- and part-time jobs. “If we’re successful, we’ll have achieved that,” said Howard.
Other established craft brewers have been helpful along the way. “The craft brewers know there’s enough market for everyone,” said Haines.
“The more breweries you have in an area, the more of an attraction it becomes,” added Howard.
In addition to Rob Roy’s, other local outlets offering Four Degrees Brewing Company products include Player’s Sports Bar and the Country Diner in Smiths Falls, and East Meets West restaurant in Perth. The Imperial Tavern in Perth and the Lee Tavern in Smiths Falls have also expressed interest. With the opening of golf season, the partners will also be working to get their products to area golf courses. Distribution arrangements with the LCBO and Beer Store are also in the works.
Although a strictly local product at present, True North of 7 beer has travelled farther afield: a resident of the Northwest Territories with a cottage in the local area tried the product and recently had some shipped back home.
“People in Smiths Falls have been so positive,” said Adams, who added that he and his partners have been “floored” by the reception so far.
In addition to its two main brands, Four Degrees plans to produce some seasonal offerings in March, October and over the winter.
Other plans call for a local beer collection with ties to Smiths Falls’ history. One local beer collection idea is a brand named for Old Sly’s Locks. Another idea, said Howard, is to produce a beer named Rosedale Prohibition. Apparently the town of Rosedale was wiped from the map by prohibition, because the local tavern was the main reason anyone went there.
Four Degrees Brewing Company wants to give Smiths Falls something to get excited about, said Howard, adding “If you don’t try, you’ll never know if you could do it.”
By: Chris Must
“We were told that we were crazy…and at times we wondered if they were right,” says Allison Scheuermann, reflecting on her family’s five-year odyssey into wine making.
Apart from Prince Edward County, Eastern Ontario isn’t known for its vineyards. But that may be about to change. Crazy or not, Francois and Allison Scheuermann can be justly proud of the three varieties of wine they have successfully produced at their Westport vineyard and winery after five years of hard work.
Just over six acres of the Scheuermanns’ 20-acre property at the north edge of Westport are planted with grapevines. Their plans originated (over a glass of wine) in 2010, when they were discussing what do with some unused fields on the property they had purchased the previous year. In 2011, they planted 1,000 vines: 500 Chardonnay and 500 Pinot noir grape plants.
The planting began as an experiment to see how the plants would cope with the local winters. The grapes were picked before ripening for the first three years to strengthen the plants and their root systems. The vines have to be covered with earth all winter to protect them.
Francois, a Swiss-trained chef and entrepreneur who also markets a line of “Chef Francois” seasoning spice, decided to seek out a mentor to help him learn the key elements of making and marketing wine. He was looking for “someone who’s making good wine locally, and with the time and expertise to invest in us.”
That mentor turned out to be Norman Hardie, proprietor of the Norman Hardie Winery in Prince Edward County. Francois volunteered to help with the harvest at Hardie’s winery in 2010, offering to work free in return for some coaching. “You put your time in and I’ll teach you along the way,” Hardie told Francois. For the next several years, Francois spent each harvest at the Hardie winery learning the ropes, and he and Hardie became close friends.
Finally after three years the Scheuermanns’ test plot produced fruit for one barrel of Chardonnay. “We were so excited,” recalled Allison. “We’re happy with what’s coming from the ground here.”
Although this area’s short growing season limits the types of wine that can be produced here, the Scheuermanns produced 400 cases of Pinot noir and Chardonnay from their own grapes. Juice from grapes grown in Niagara region was also shipped in to produce Reisling.
An expert opinion on how these wines taste was provided by Brian Preston in an article for the National Capital Sommelier Guild. After a visit to the Scheuermann Vineyard & Winery last fall, Preston described the 2014 Riesling as “bright and pale yellow with a nose of light lemon citrus; pure fruit with a medium light body.” Preston also wrote that the 2014 Chardonnay was “French oak barrel aged, pale golden in colour with a beautiful light nose of butter when still in the glass, but when swirled, the fruity nose emerges giving lemon, some vanilla and a touch of tropical fruit.” The Chardonnay, he added, “reflects the soil and youth of the vines, but the wine is well made.”
Moving on to the 2014 Pinot Noir, Preston described this wine as “clear with pink/rose hued colour,” with a flavour of “cherry based red fruit and berries and refreshing acidity.”
Producing these varieties is a labour-intensive process, with the whole family (which includes five young children) pitching in. Each plant must be handled eight or nine times during the year in the various stages of production, so there is always plenty to do during some pretty long days. “There’s never a day where we don’t have something to do in the vineyard,” said Francois.
The vineyard and winery are open every Saturday and Sunday from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. and should be open daily by mid-May, creating some local job opportunities for serving staff and field hands.
Wine is available by the glass to visitors, who can enjoy the view of the nearby lakes, or the vineyard itself. Future plans include construction of a wood-fired grill for guests to enjoy some Patagonian-style food. “We’re trying to offer something new here, not duplicate what’s already here,” said Francois, adding that he hopes to play a part in boosting Westport tourism and lengthening the tourist season. In the future, transportation will be arranged to bring visitors to the winery from the local harbour and flying club.
The Scheuermann Vineyard & Winery is located at 82 Bedford St. in Westport and can be contacted at 613-449-6548.
***needs an author**
If you’re a chocolate lover like I am, let me introduce you to some of the finest chocolate I have ever tasted: Fine Chocolate by Ludwig (http://finechocolate.ca), and its created right here in Lanark County.
I’ve never been a fan of dark chocolate. I’ve always found it too bitter, too strong, and sometimes with a grainy texture. In short, nothing I would ever reach for as a treat.
That changed a couple of years ago, thanks to a client who left me a Christmas gift of a chocolate bar made by Ludwig Ratzinger. I had never heard of it before, and again, not being a fan of dark chocolate, brought it home and it left it to sit on the counter for a few weeks. In a moment of desperation, with no other chocolate around, I decided I would break open the gift from my client.
Well, you could have knocked me over with a feather. This was the most flavourful, yet delicate and smooth dark chocolate I had ever tasted. I was hooked.
I had the opportunity to meet Ludwig earlier this year and get a tour of his chocolate making studio, located in Maberly, Ont., just west of Perth. As a professionally trained pastry chef and former employee of both the Chateau Laurier and the Governor General, Ludwig’s talent and experience shines through in his finished product.
Walking into the studio, the scent of chocolate was nothing short of extraordinary. Ludwig walked me through his chocolate-making process, including everything from the packaging he designed, to how he selects his cacao beans, the custom molds he uses and the process he follows for turning cacao beans into the delectable bars of goodness found at various specialty shops around Eastern Ontario.
Ludwig produces a wide selection of chocolate, including large bars ranging from 38% cacao to 80% cacao as well as milk chocolate, white chocolate and smaller flavoured chocolate bars. A definite favourite of mine is the lime chocolate bar; a subtle hint of lime does nothing but enhance the chocolate. His packaging allows for customization for weddings and other special events.
For more information about Ludwig, the chocolate he creates and locations where you can purchase it, check out Ludwig’s website at www.finechocolate.ca
