MacKinnon Brothers Brewing Co
1915 County Road 22, Bath, ON
(613) 777-6277
As the sound of the rain grew heavier on the roof of the taproom converted chicken coop, my heart grew a size, and this was before I sampled a few beers. MacKinnon Brothers Brewing Co is a farm based brewery located in Bath, ON, just outside of Kingston. The farm has been in the family since 1784, they continue to grow wheat and spelt on their land, but have added hops and barley to the surrounding fields with which to brew their delicious beer. It was back in 2014 when the brothers decided to add another element to the farm; a brewery. They believe that, by growing everything themselves, they can infuse the taste and tradition of their farm in their beer for everyone to enjoy.
We sat down with Dan, one of the brothers, at the harvest table in the taproom next to a roaring fire and after we said cheers to the beer, we started to chat. There is more to Dan than just farming, that’s more than evident in the delicious beer they brew. He spent a year in Scotland learning to brew and another two years in England learning product development. Once he returned home, his brother Ivan moved back to the area, and they decided to turn their dreams of opening a brewery into a reality.
They renovated older buildings on site, including several century old barns and a chicken coop to house the equipment. Another cool attraction on the farm is the cellar they built in the ground for cold storage; the temperature is regulated by the earth and keep cool regardless of the outside temperature - exactly what you want for your beer!
When I asked about the style or inspiration of the beer that they create Dan laughed that his motto is “won’t make a beer unless you can drink 6.” Certain life stories and circumstances have lead to each beer they have created and though they make what they want they want to also appease to all crowds.
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