At Brewers Blackbird, friends make a dream come true
My post-dining chats are typically with a chef or owner. In the case of Brewers Blackbird Kitchen and Brewery, I spoke with the entire team. Being a phone chat, I couldn’t see them, but their passion and camaraderie were palpable.
Who’s behind this new kitchen/brewery?
All locals who’ve worked together for years — co-owners Andrew Kershaw, Mark Gibson, Dan Burcher, and Ken Wood. Kershaw had owned Ancaster’s Rousseau House for more than 20 years and the idea of transitioning it to a brew pub floated up almost 15 years ago. Gibson recalls captivating ideas about their dream finally coming together three years ago — and the ride began.
They based the menu on “what they think is awesome, what champions the pairing of beer with food.” With Chef Burcher leading the kitchen, it is eclectic with (he says) “a broad spectrum of interesting items you wouldn’t necessarily see at a typical brew pub.” Most things, except for bread, are made on-site.
Snacks were first on the menu. Growing up in a house where pork rinds — pig skin fried in fat — were not an uncommon snack, there was no hesitation ordering Pig’s Ears. While not the puffy pork rinds anticipated, a spicy dry rub gave these crunchy strips a warm mouth feel countered with Alabama white sauce.
Though craving Miso Caramel Wings, the server mentioned that the Crispy Eggplant was popular. Japanese eggplant was salted first to remove the bitterness, then deep fried and garnished with lemon, thyme, rose petals and honey — which made it stand out as a flavour treat. The two deep-fried snacks offered a sweet/spicy balance. Why rose petals? Turns out their subtle flavour brings out the natural hop characteristics in your accompanying beer.
Much more on the menu was tempting — various bowls, the burger, fried chicken … We didn’t know at the time that the staff favourite was the Swordfish Schnitzel, or that the Jackfruit Shwarma sold-out every day when featured at last year’s Canadian Open held in Hamilton.
Instead, accompanied by delicious Beef Fat Fries (topped with rosemary aioli), I enjoyed the Ancaster Cheesesteak. Perfectly prepared prime rib, was topped with lager queso sauce and caramelized onions with a wee pop of flavour and mild heat from pepperoncini peppers.
My dining partner ordered the Margherita Basil pizza, made with dough that is fermented for at least four days. We can only assume there was a glitch in synchronizing the timing of the two second courses. The personal size pizza was served not piping hot from their Italian wood-burning pizza oven, but at room temperature — almost cold. Promising … but not a hit.
It’s hard to know how many diners have room for dessert, but we could not resist the Deep-fried Mars Bar. Dipped in a part cornflour batter, the deep frying partly melts it and gooey yumminess follows.
Brewers Blackbird has an affordable and creative kids menu, and on the day of our visit the restaurant was serving a broad demographic of patrons. In January, they are offering a full brunch menu on Saturdays and Sundays between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m.
Under the leadership of Ken Wood, a UC Davis trained Master Brewer, Brewers Blackbird’s early focus was a classic European lager distinguished by the fact that it is lagered for 30 to 50 days. We enjoyed their West Coast IPA, which had citrus notes from the hops used. During renovations they were brewing in rented facilities, but almost everything is now in place to brew on-site.
By the time they have their grand opening in the spring, they plan to have at least four beers on tap. They stress that no expense was spared in setting up their brew house — aiming to be organic, with a state of the art environmental program that reduces and cleans waste water, and with creative plans for the use of spent grains. Diners can also enjoy wines and classic cocktails.
The decor is welcoming, with new furnishings still arriving. The removal of a wall has made the ground floor more spacious with eclectic seating — barstools, regular seating and comfy couch corners. Excited to have managed their “soft opening” in December, before the holiday, they have been overwhelmed by and grateful for the community support, and have high praise for their “staff family” who “helped to make this crazy dream happen.”
Wondering about the name? Bumpy roads on the journey brought to their minds the Beatles song — “Blackbird … take these broken wings and learn to fly, all your life, you were only waiting for this moment to arise.”
They rose, tackled all challenges and this team — describing themselves as complete nerds when it comes to food and beer — say they continue to evolve and grow, with fun surprises to come.
Follow their social media for grand opening news.
Diane Galambos is a food writer who shares stories and recipes at her blog kitchenbliss.ca. Follow her on Instagram http://instagram.com/ kitchenblissca