Connecting people…
Sitting at a 4-top table in the front area of the brewpub, I spoke with co-owner and head brewer of Laylow Brewery, Colin Weadick, about what a ‘craft beer lifestyle’ might be.
“I think, the one thing that’s really nice about it is that there’s a sense of community,” he began. “Even here, a lot of people are really surprised that we make the beer in the kitchen. They think beer is made in a factory; it’s like this massive industrial process: it’s not. It’s like food, you can make it at home. I think it’s important that people see the connections between things – where is your stuff made?
“At the end of the day it’s made by people somewhere. With an aspect of local it’s just easier: people can come by and be like, ‘That’s the person who made the beer’… Especially now that our lives are so detached – you can buy everything on Amazon; you don’t think about who makes your stuff or how it gets there – the doorbell rings and there it is.
“It’s just naturally easier to see those connections the more local you are, and the more detached you are, the less you kind of care. It’s so easy to just not care about people and community these days. We live in such an isolating world that it’s important to see these connections when you walk down the street and you see your neighbours, you know?
“You live a better quality of life when you have a more active, social lifestyle, when your connected with your friends and community. A craft beer lifestyle – or craft everything lifestyle – is important because it helps you connect with people.”
…to their community
And Colin lives by his words. Laylow Brewery has made itself into that place for the community to come together. It’s a place that’s warm and inviting, relaxed and comfortable; a place to come to enjoy a meal, a pint and a good conversation with your neighbours. Indeed, its a place where the community can lay low.
Opening on September 22, 2016, Laylow Brewery is located on College St, just west of Dufferin St. in Brockton Village. Colin and his partner, Daniel Boniferro, are two sides of a three-sided coin, with Trinidadian chef, Adisa Glasgow, also known as Young Animal, completing the Laylow Brewery x Young Animal arrangement at the brewpub.
Inside Laylow Brewery
I arrived on a day that the brewpub was closed. Colin was brewing a new batch in the kitchen, which puts the usual kitchen operations temporarily out of commission (every Monday). This worked wonderfully for my purposes: I had the space to myself.
And what a cool space it is! Walking into the dimly lit brewpub provided a sense of calm. Seating for around 20 guests is spread across low top tables on the west side, and high-top tables made from barrels on the east side. Head up four steps into the bar area to find stool seating at ledges and, obviously, the bar, as well as ample standing room.
The bar is finished with an incredible top made of hundreds (thousands?) of pennies that were placed by hand by the owners and a few friends. It provides an excellent copper shimmer that complements the black walls and framed hip hop album covers that hang on them. Paint splatters mark various chairs and sections of walls, giving a down-to-earth, it’s-ok-to-wear-sneakers sort of feel. A boombox resides on the end of the bar. (See the full Laylow Brewery photo gallery here.)
A mature hip hop vibe
The idea behind the brewpub is partially a celebration of classic, “mature” hip hop. They don’t blast Drake in here. Rather, the more chill sounds of A Tribe Called Quest, Mos Def, and The Roots, among others, ooze from the sound system at a more moderate volume level. Enjoy the beats, but have a conversation too.
The more traditional, classy hip hop flavour is mirrored in the brewery’s beer. Laylow Brewery does not aim to create new trends or even take too much time to concern themselves with trends. Instead, they brew more traditional, import-inspired brews that focus on drinkability. They make beer that one can easily say, “I’ll have another,” unlike what one will typically say after an imperial stout, for example.
Classy experimentation…
This does not mean though that they do not produce anything unique. Quite the contrary, in fact: many of their beers have their own Laylow spin on things. “Lightworks,” a Belgian witbier, for example, takes a traditional style and then gives it a spark of new energy. Inspired by their chef’s Trinidadian heritage, Lightworks is made to resemble a sorrel, a Trinidadian hibiscus cold tea drink. The wheat content, of course, providing the light and refreshing base required to mimic a tea.
…with the community
While the beer coming out of Laylow Brewery has hip hop often written all over it, it also has their community all over it. Last year, local photographer, Sandy Nicholson, worked with Laylow on a collab brew. Sandy had taken up the hobby of bee-keeping, and had some incredible, locally-produced (like from down the street!) honey to share with the Laylow team. An amber ale was made with Sandy’s honey.
A collab with the local tattoo shop, Under My Thumb, produced a cherry sour named after the tattoo shop owner’s nickname, “Red Beauty.” A collab with the local coffee shop, Brockton Haunt, produced a coffee stout that was named in a way to speak to both hip hop and the neighbourhood, “Common Ground” (“Common” referencing the hip hop artist from Chicago).
Making Brockton Village their place to lay low
The engagement with their community does not stop with beer. The Laylow Brewery logo was designed by a former employee, and then an alternative logo was recently designed by a friend who lives across the street. A hieroglyphic-esque mural was painted by local artist and designer, Bryan Espiritu, of the Legend League clothing line.
As their relationship to the community grows, so does the community. When Colin and Daniel were first looking for a location, they fell in love with near-forgotten area of Brockton Village, and saw it as an area in which they could stand out, engage, and grow with.
What they seem to love most about their neighbourhood right now is watching it grow and being a part of that growth. And their own growth is in the works: they are hoping to upgrade their brewpub license to a full brewery license, so that they can start bottling their brews and selling them to-go (currently, you can only drink pints from draft).
They look forward to collaborating with more Sandys and Bryans in the near future, but look for a collab brew with Folly Brewing (also just down the road) being released in a few weeks!
Hanging with the head brewer at Laylow Brewery
I was grateful for the time I got to spend with co-owner and head brewer, Colin Weadick. Not only did I get to have a great conversation about Laylow Brewery, Brockton Village and a sense of a ‘craft beer lifestyle,’ but I also got to watch a bit of Colin involved with the brewing process – and on their “smallest brewery in Toronto” system, this was a treat.
Colin got into craft beer when he was at Trent University in Peterborough. He got a job in the kitchen at St. Veronus, a Belgian beer restaurant, and that got him into trying a lot of import beers, especially Trappists. As his interest in beer grew, he moved into the front of house, but his kitchen experience would prove valuable when he moved into brewing his own beer.
I thank Colin for his hospitality and generosity during my visit, but I may like to thank him even more for taking his love of beer and turning it into brewing his own: Laylow Brewery has some excellent offerings thanks to his passion for good craft beer.
I should also thank Colin for hooking me up with three of those delicious Laylow brews so that I could take off and find some appropriate pairings for them.
Pairingwith… Laylow Brewery – “Lightworks” Witbier
The “Lightworks” witbier from Laylow Brewery is a year round offering on tap at the brewery. Named after an MF Doom song of the same name, the beer is also an excellent pairing with “Nyctophilia,” an art installation by artist team, Daniel Young and Christian Giroux, found in the west end, Mount Dennis area of Toronto.
The beer is heavily inspired by Trinidadian culture. The team at Laylow have partnered with Trinidadian chef, Young Animal, and, given MF Doom has a Trinidadian background, the team were inspired to make a beer that spoke to this culture. Ever had a “sorrel”? That’s right, the Trinidadian hibiscus tea is the inspiration for this delicate Belgian wit – it’s an incredibly refreshing offering that is perfect for day drinking, especially with its friendly 4.6% ABV.
So why am I pairing it with an art installation named “Nyctophilia,” which means “finding relaxation in the darkness”? Seems a bit ass-backwards, no? You might be right, but the lightworks going on in Mt. Dennis provides a solid location to really relax in the darkness, and the Lightworks beer plays a relaxing compliment here. Glowing lights that very, very, very slowly change colours (like one bulb changes every 15 minutes or so), and with 36 lights in a concentrated area, this takes some time, so sit back and relax – this ain’t no club!
Pouring a pleasant, slightly hazy pink with a little head that dissipates quickly, the hibiscus wit comes with mildly fruity, floral, and spicy aromas. The nose is followed by an amazingly refreshing tasting beer: mild tart, muted sweet, subtle spice, and all in it’s neatly contained light body. This is easy to drink, and absolutely delicious, I must say. It’s taste lives up to the exciting colour.
And that colour looks wonderful under the Nyctophilia lights. With lyrics like, “Sparkle and gleam, light up the skies; The name of the game is lightworks,” MF Doom ain’t talking about daytime drinking. He maybe talking about knocking out auto-tuned rappers (they’re seeing stars, ya know – “lightworks”!), but we’re not looking for a night-fight with this beer: we’re looking to relax under the lights, and the more colour in those lights, the more suitable.
Now, I’m not saying “Don’t drink this during the day;” I’m saying, “Don’t only drink this during the day.” Whether it’s bright or dark out, the name of the game here is Lightworks – so take a gulp.
Daniel Young & Christian Giroux’s “Nyctophilia”
Daniel Young and Christian Giroux are an artist duo who have been working together on public artworks, cinema installations, sculptures and books since 2002. Christian currently works as an associate professor at the University of Guelph, and Daniel shuffles between Toronto and Berlin, working on a number of different projects.
“Nyctophilia,” meaning “love of the night,” was installed in the Mount Dennis area, in the west end of Toronto, in 2014. The Mt. Dennis area was initially an industrial area in the city, but as the city grew, the area began to house more residential units. In 2005, the neighbourhood began work to revitalize the area, and one project was to install a public artwork, creating a landmark for the community to establish itself around.
Daniel and Christian’s proposal was selected over a number of others, partially, for its allusion to the industrial history of the area: 10 utility poles with 36 street lamps jutting out in various directions, with the lights slowly changing colours to create a new illumination every night. The work’s appearance, especially at night, is a head-turner.
“By using standard lighting elements and configuring them in a highly unconventional way, we seek to awaken the imagination of area residents and create a work with a striking physical presence that serves, at least partially, to transform the intersection,” said Daniel and Christian.
A comfortable and alluring shimmer of light shines down on an extended street corner, providing a pleasantly relaxing atmosphere that redefines the intersection as the lights change colour. With LED lights that are fitted with glare shields, the installation works to softly brighten the neighbourhood, and act as a conversation starter and meeting point.
Daniel and Christian’s have had other works shown at the Prefix Institute for Contemporary Art in Toronto, the Musée d’art Contemporain de Montréal, the Kunstlerhaus Bethanien in Berlin, and The Rooms in St.John’s, Newfoundland.
For the exact location of “Nyctophilia,” click here.
Pairingwith… Laylow Brewery – “Zenith” Belgian Ale
The “Zenith” from Laylow Brewery is a Belgian golden ale offered year round at the brewpub. As it’s name might suggest, this is a perfect pairing with Toronto’s own zenith, the CN Tower.
A wonderfully hazy yellow colour, the beer is capped nicely by a short fluff of head that has a bit of lasting power. A mix of grass, herb, and bubblegum yeast aromas find themselves matched in the taste of this medium-bodied and somewhat surprisingly refreshing Belgian ale. Subtle apricot, citrus and spice round out the dry finish, which sits nicely on one’s palette after each sip.
While the bit of head lasts about half the pint, the pint won’t last long, as this is a real easy-going Belgian. The top of the beer will be at the bottom in no time. Or, in about the same amount of time it might take you to travel up the elevator of the CN Tower. You could start at the top of your beer, and be at the top of the CN Tower by the time it’s done. Either way, we’re talking about a myriad of zenith’s here…
Standing a whopping 553 meters high, the CN Tower was the world’s tallest free-standing structure until it was surpassed by the Burj Khalifa in Dubai in 2007 (so at one point, we can say, it was, perhaps, THE zenith). I haven’t been up the CN Tower in quite some time, to be honest, but one cannot forget the incredible view of the city and beyond that its height provides.
While it’s massively high, the CN Tower has always impressed me by the fact that it isn’t some dominating structure that imposes itself upon you – it’s always seemed like it’s there when you want it to be, but never in the way. Similarly, the Zenith from Laylow doesn’t impose itself on your taste buds. It’s a well-rounded beer that’s more subtle and approachable with its flavours – it’s not big, it’s accommodating; quite like the CN Tower.
You can see it from almost anywhere in the city if you want, so pour a pint of the Zenith and enjoy the view of Toronto’s own zenith: no need to be scared of heights with this pairing.
CN Tower
The CN Tower is Canada’s most widely known icon. Standing 553.33 meters high, the structure took almost three and a half years to complete. It houses a massive restaurant, known as the 360 Restaurant for it’s incredible view that circles around the tower as the restaurant slowly revolves around it. An observation deck joins the restaurant in the tower’s sphere.
Construction on the tower began on February 6, 1973, and was completed on April 2, 1975. The CN Tower officially opened to the public on June 26, 1976. Originally built with 4 elevators with glass windows, in 1996, 2 more elevators were added to hoist passengers up to the sphere. This is one change of many since 1976.
A flight simulator, the “Tour of the Universe,” was the first of its kind when it was added in 1986. In 1997, the 360 Restaurant added a 9,000 bottle wine cellar, which, in 2006, was declared the World’s Highest Wine Cellar by Guinness World Records. Retail outlets, a gift shop, and a theatre were added in a 1998 expansion that installed more than 75,000 square feet at the base of the tower. 2006 saw the addition of three new event spaces at the base that can house 90 guests each.
Perhaps the most noticeable evolution of the CN Tower occurred on June 28, 2007. Exterior LED lighting was added to the tower, which now shimmers through the Toronto sky every night. At the top of every hour, a light show truly exhibits the LEDs capabilities.
While the lights light up Toronto’s skyline every night, adventure seekers got a taste of something truly unique in 2011 when the CN Tower added its EdgeWalk. The EdgeWalk is the highest, hands-free walk around a one and a half meter wide ledge that circles the roof of the tower’s sphere. The walk takes place 116 stories above the ground.
The American Society of Civil Engineers named the CN Tower one of the Seven Wonders of the Modern World in 1995. It is a wonder to look at, towering over you, even kilometers away, and this makes the tower, of course, the defining aspect of the Toronto skyline. If you want to see Toronto, the CN Tower is really where you should probably start.
Pairingwith… Laylow Brewery – “Black on Both Sides” Stout
“Black on Both Sides” takes its name, in typical Laylow Brewery style, from the classic Mos Def album of the same name from 1999. A stout that is available year round at the brewery, the beer also makes for a solid pairing with this “All black everything” t-shirt from the Black Market in Toronto.
Pouring a deep black colour, the Black on Both Sides is a full mouth of dark chocolate, muted espresso, hint of cinnamon, and rich, slightly burnt malts. Smooth, creamy, and easy, the beer makes for a wonderful compliment with a t-shirt depicting a black cat drinking a black coffee: the roasted malt flavours come forward in the beer, providing the sweetness I need in my coffee – regardless of what the cat says.
With it’s soft carbonation, dry finish, and friendly 5.3% ABV, the beer is a versatile stout, enjoyable in the evenings, or as a replacement for your morning cup of black coffee. Or, even during the day when you are at the Black Market searching through cheap, vintage wear, some that hark back to the days of classic hip hop albums like Black on Both Sides.
Wading my way through a near-endless selection of trendy clothing items at the Black Market is a dizzyingly exciting affair, one that was happily contrasted by the relaxingly smooth companion of the Black on Both Sides stout. Shopping finished my beer; the beer finished my shopping.
Try on a T, grab a pair of dark shades, find some black leather boots, and pour a pint of your favourite stout from Laylow Brewery: you’re not merely black on both sides, you’re all black everything.
Black Market
The Black Market is a vintage clothing store that was established in 1982. Originally in an upstairs location on Queen St. West, the shop moved across the street to a larger basement space in 1998. And, 21 years later, the move is on again, as the shop will move back to an upstairs location across the street at 347 Queen St. West, above Aldo, at the end of this month.
Owned by John Christmann, Tracey Opperman, and Bernard Chung, the shop caters to punk rockers and hip-hoppers looking for unique and cheap vintage wear. Everything from sunglasses, patches and leather boots through denim jackets, vintage dresses, and bags to belts, buttons, gloves and t-shirts are all on for $10 or less inside the funky shop.
Where Macklemore wishes he shot the video for “Thrift Shop,” the Black Market is stocked full of all sorts of treasures looking to be revived in the present. Punk music typically fills the space as customers of all ages – from students through to the elderly who live above the shop – search for the next new-old thing.
Of course, in today’s age, you can make Black Market purchases on their online shop, but part of the fun is the search within the large space full of all sorts of easy-to-wear clothing items. One only hopes that they paint the stairs in their new space in a similar way to how they painted the stairwell in the current space: like heading into some vortex to another dimension.
And the Black Market is much like another dimension when you get down into the frenzy of the search inside their walls: you may want to bring a lunch.
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