Canada, ON: Bobcaygeon Brewing Co. acquires Beard Free Brewing

Beard Free Brewing has permanently closed its doors and Bobcaygeon Brewing Co. will swing them open again in the spring, ThePeterboroughExaminer.com reported on February 8.

Bobcaygeon has reached a deal with Beard Free to take over The Parkway brewing facility.

The west-end location is one of two spots Bobcaygeon Brewing Co. founders plan to open this year — the other is in Bobcaygeon.

"We're really excited to be able to open up two locations to serve the needs of our customers throughout the Kawartha Lakes region," said Richard Wood.

Wood co-founded the brewery in 2014 with his university buddy, Vince Castronovo. They started production a year later as a contract brewer, with the goal of opening shop in Bobcaygeon one day.

That dream is well underway now, after the pair signed a lease with Parks Canada to redevelop the old Post Office on Bolton Street in Bobcaygeon.

Construction is expected to start this summer and it's slated to open by the end of the year.

"We've had lots of positive feedback … people are excited to see the building reimagined and reused," Wood said.

The Bobcaygeon facility will be the main brewery, housing production, a retail store and a taproom.

It'll feature several beers, such as a pale ale, red ale, white IPA and chocolate stout.

Bobcaygeon is releasing a new product in March, too, dubbed the Northern Lights Hazy IPA.

The Peterborough location will be the brewery's Innovation Lab, where small batch and unique brews will be created by brew master Jake Garvey.

"The smaller scale brewing system is exciting because we will be able to experiment and innovate our offerings and bring some exciting new beers to the market."

The Parkway site will also have a taproom and retail store.

Although neither Wood nor Castronovo are from the area, Wood's family has owned a cottage near Bobcaygeon for about 30 years.

"I really just love the area and wanted to bring a craft brewery to the area and we're excited to finally be able to do so, and I guess bring two," Wood said.

Since production started nearly four years ago, Bobcaygeon Brewing's growth averages about 80 per cent annually.

Its products are available at the LCBO, The Beer Store and licensed grocery stores as well as in Manitoba, New Brunswick and Nova Scotia.

The brewery currently has eight staff members, but Wood said they'll be hiring when renovations in both locations are near completion.

The 28-year-old said Bobcaygeon Brewing has always received a lot of support in Peterborough, which is where they entered one of their first beer festivals: Kawartha Craft Beer Festival.

Beard Free Brewing opened in March 2018 but shut its doors in January. It was the third craft brewery to open in Peterborough, following The Publican House downtown and Smithworks Brewing Co. in the city's west-end.

10 February, 2019