Burlington brewery bubbles to the top at Ontario Brewing Awards

Burlington’s Nickel Brook Brewing is no stranger when it comes to collecting awards at both the Canadian Brewing Awards and the Ontario Brewing Awards.

Frankly, the brewery, created and owned by brothers John and Peter Romano, has dozens of awards from pretty much every competition possible lying around from the past decade or so.

But even so, Friday night at the Ontario Brewing Awards might just be their crowning achievement thus far as they collected two gold medals, a silver, a bronze, an honourable mention and the big ticket prize, Best In Show.

Nickel Brook has quite a history in Burlington – as well as a future that now extends to Etobicoke.

After 30 years at their Burlington home of 864 Drury Lane, they just moved to 3426 Mainway two weeks ago. As well, last summer, they opened their second location when they took over the old Big Rock Brewing in Etobicoke at 1589 The Queensway.

Left, Nickel Brook owner John Romano toasted their new 3426 Mainway location with renowned Ontario beer reviewer Robert “Drunk Polkaroo” Arsenault while right, Romano talks to Insauga Durham reporter Glenn Hendry. (Left photo: Robert Arsenault)

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The brewery on Drury Lane originally started as a U-Brew but decided to switch to becoming a full-blown brewery when major Ontario breweries such as Lakeport and Brick started marketing cheap buck-a-beer bottles.

“We realized that no one was going to brew their own when Lakeport Pilsner was only slightly more than the same price and no work was involved,” John told Insauga years ago. Ironically, Nickel Brook and Hamilton’s Collective Arts Brewing would later take over the old Lakeport Brewing plant in Hamilton.

 Nickel Brook’s new Burlington location at 3426 Mainway. (Photo: Robert Arsenault)

As for their OBA awards last Friday, their Jam Stand Raspberry Berliner Weisse with Vanilla & Hibiscus was the big winner, collecting gold for Fruit Beer and topping that as the Best in Show.

Their Tongue Tied Double Dry-Hopped IPA in the New England IPA category also netted a gold for them while their No Bad Daze Easy Goin’ Lager would collect a silver in the Standard American Beer category.

The brewery’s 2.5% Stay Rad Lemon ‘N’ Lime Radler picked up a bronze medal in the Low Alcohol Beer division while their Kentucky Bastard Bourbon Barrel-Aged Imperial Stout got an Honourable Mention in the Wood Beer category.

The tap room inside Nickel Brook’s Etobicoke location at 1589 The Queensway. (Photo: Nickel Brook)