LCBO Food and Drink Autumn 2016

TRENDS  LOCAL AUTHORITY

MICHAEL HANCOCK SIDE LAUNCH BREWING COMPANY Collingwood, Ont., sidelaunchbrewing.com

ing them brewed for him under con­ tract, including the Hefeweizen, at one time among the most highly regarded wheat beers at global on­ line beer-rating sites. As the years passed, however, he never lost the desire for a brewery to call his own.    Eventually, Michael met Garnet Pratt Siddall, who wanted to bring independent brewing back to Col­ lingwood following Molson Coors Brewing Company’s purchase of Creemore Springs. A brewery was built, beers were rebranded and the company launched on Good Friday of 2014 with three labels: Wheat, Dark Lager and Pale Ale.    Named for the sideways method by which ships were launched from the local ship­ yards into Georgian Bay,

While Side Launch Brewing Com­ pany has existed for only a few years, its heritage dates back significantly longer. Far enough, in fact, that if you follow the trail to its end you will encounter a Bavarian prince, a craft beer that was for a time one of Ontar­ io’s most renowned and a brewpub that was well ahead of its time.    And you will also meet Michael Hancock.    English by birth and an engineer by trade, Michael arrived in Canada in 1976 to take a position at Molson Companies Ltd. He stayed with the company for a decade, experiencing a multitude of different jobs before resigning to pursue a career in brew­ ing. Along the way, he met and even­ tually partnered with Bavaria’s Prince Luitpold to open the landmark To­ ronto brewpub Denison’s, in 1989, where he oversaw operations until it finally succumbed to financial pres­ sures in 2003.    Although chastened by the brew­ ery’s closure, Michael maintained the rights to the Denison’s brands, hav­

Side Launch in many ways remains the spiritual heir of Denison’s, sharing both brewer and recipes with the old brewpub, and through it connecting with Ontar­ io’s craft-brewing past.

In the early days of the brewery’s existence, Michael Hancock commuted between Toronto and Collingwood on his motorcycle.

Side Launch Wheat LCBO 385674, 473 mL, $2.80

Golden and cloudy from the yeast it is canned with, this highly refreshing brew offers the typical banana and clove aroma of a Bavarian-style wheat beer along with a sweetish and fruity start, a drying and quenching mid-palate and a lively, spicy and satisfying finish. A great choice for a late brunch or casual lunch of ham sandwiches.

PORTRAIT BY STACEY BRANDFORD

72  FOOD & DRI NK AUTUMN 2016