Lokal Babes | Black Bellows
WORDS: Stef Richardson | PHOTOS: Alyssa Joline Photography
I think I can speak for all when I say that us Collingwood locals were pumped when Black Bellows opened their doors in January. I mean, cool people doing cool things is always ok in my books but the downtown core definitely needed another spot for drinking beer and hanging with friends. The fellows of Black Bellows brought this to us! Ever-changing brew flavours, a fun and quirky dining hall and THE COOLEST patio coming soon. That’d sum up Black Bellows for me.
I had never met the owners pre-lokal babes and figured it was about time. They have really taken to social media in recent months and piled on the comic relief. Mad kudos are deserved for adapting fast and providing local delivery all while hopping and skipping (and chugging) through IG content. Read on to learn more about the 3 fellows behind this operation (Scott, Bryn + Peter). They’ve got some funny answers. A few that literally made me laugh out loud.
BRYN | PETER | SCOTT
Q+A
What’s your go-to late night snack?
Bryn: Peanut M&Ms. Those party size packs don’t last long at our house.
Scott: Big ole' bowl of frozen blueberries with half n' half.
Peter: Cheeeeeeeeeeese.
What is the most interesting ingredient you've used to brew with? Was it successful?
Peter: For me, what makes an ingredient interesting is the story. I once added local raspberries I picked to a saison I had brewed at home, then left it for a month as I travelled abroad. When I came back the beer had taken on an amazing colour and flavour that just defies description. Still the best beer I have ever made, if a little impractical on a large scale (we would need to pick 600 lbs for a Black Bellows batch).
Scott: We brewed this beer a few autumns ago called Amber that had Hawberries in it from Manitoulin Island, and it had this really tart, mouth-puckering kick that was pretty great.
Bryn: I’m a coffee fiend so always enjoy incorporating that into a brew every once in a while.
Thinking back to all, what is the best birthday party you've ever had? Gimme some deets.
Scott: Age 21. Some friends built a log raft that I was supposed to ride down the rushing and half-frozen Eramosa River in Guelph. After a couple hours of 'hard work' the raft still wasn't substantial enough to hold my weight so they hauled it onto a big sheet of ice and cracked it off from shore and I was sent down river on an ice floe. As they ran along the bank I hurtled towards another ice sheet that spanned the whole river and became lodged in the middle as the water rushed beneath me. I had to perilously crawl across the ice to safety and then we went to Moose Winooskis for ribs. Best time.
Peter: March 18, 2020! Wait, no. That sucked. I’ve usually kept them pretty low key, but my favourite in recent memory was at a cabin north of Quebec City with great friends, great Quebec beers, and a great pair of cross country skis.
Bryn: This year’s birthday was pretty special since it was the first time most of my friends were able to come and enjoy the brewpub!
BRYN
SCOTT
PETER
Describe the ideal day off - what are you doing?
Scott: Canoe camping with my wife Cathy and our kiddos somewhere up north with lots of White Pines and rock. Bonus points if the girls would please stop singing the Frozen song for a few minutes.
Peter: It just has to be outdoors, basically the whole time. Solo is fine but if I can rope my family and friends into something physically hard/dangerous that’s a real bonus.
Bryn: Hiking, skiing, surfing…as long as its active and adventurous then I’m game.
Puff or Crunchy Cheetos?
Bryn: Mix them together and it’s the best of both worlds.
Peter: Crunchy all day!
Scott: Team 'Load all Cheetos into a spaceship and send them into the sun'. I'll stick with Hickory Sticks.
Is there a story behind the name ‘Black Bellows’?
Scott: Our building was in the Dey family for over 140 years and began its life as a blacksmith and carriage-making shop. In the old days the bellows were used to blow air into the forge and they were usually made of black leather. We loved the symbolism of this beautiful old apparatus pumping away to facilitate an artisan's work. Hence, Black Bellows.
How did you get into brewing beer?
Peter: I remember brewing for the first time with a friend of mine at his parents’ house in Vancouver when we were just young bucks. It was fun! The beer was awful, but for some reason that just made me want to brew more, to improve. I like the personal challenge aspect of it and because those first batches were so bad there was no shortage of things to improve on. There is really never an end to learning as a brewer though, and it tickles the science part of my brain at the same time as the creative part. I was really inspired when I lived in Montreal by all the amazing brewers there, and I took frequent trips to New England where the beer would blow my mind. Now I’m here, still searching to perfect my technique and so thankful to be part of an industry where collaboration and constant improvement is the norm.
Scott: Peter and I were high school buddies who would go on an annual canoe trip up north. Peter had been brewing in Montreal for years and he'd always bring some awesome beer he'd made to share on those trips. We were both ready for a career change and so we hatched the idea for a brewery that would be driven by the spirit of imagination. We started as a contract brewery in 2016 and always had our eye on the Dey's building. In 2018 we were connected to Bryn who was also a brewer with a very similar vision and who was also looking to purchase the Dey's building. After a few beer vacations to places like Portland, Oregon we knew partnership was predestined, so we joined forces officially and started plans to move into the Dey's, which we ultimately did in 2019. After a little over a year of construction we opened the doors in January 2020. Much high-fiving ensued.
Follow them here: @blackbellowsbeer or visit their website.