Left Field Brewery Serves Up Salutatory Suds

The latest warehouse-to-retail conversion on Wagstaff Drive, Left Field brewery is equal parts quaint and industrial. A green-painted metal fence separates the on-site brewing operation and its massive stainless-steel tanks from the retail shop and bar, found through the village tavern–style entrance. Architecture firm Williamson Chong, which also did Pilot Coffee Roasters next door, designed the microbrewery but kept it comfortably rugged: The brick wall between the bar and the adjacent seating area seems to have been bust open with a mallet, and the biggest attention-grabber is the refurbished baseball field scoreboard above the beer fridge.

“We’re huge Jays fans – and of the game in general. Whenever we get the chance, we travel to the States to check out as many ballparks as we can,” says co-founder Mandie Murphy. Besides the shop’s baseball-loving interior and branding (including in-store merch like foam fingers and Ts),“Left Field” also refers to its brews, which boast such surprising ingredients as oatmeal, organic grapefruit zest and coffee beans.

On tap year round, Eephus Oatmeal Brown Ale goes down with creamy, roasted-malt smoothness with hints of brown sugar; and Maris Pale Ale, brewed with Maris Otter malt, is lighter and cleaner with a slightly bitter aftertaste. New for fall and winter: Grandstand Hoppy Wheat and Bricks & Mortar Coffee Porter. The java is brewed with Kenya Kii beans from Pilot Coffee Roasters and rounded out by citrus, grape and tropical flavours. The bottles’ old fashioned graphics by Cartogram look great in an ice bucket and are sure to make your house party the best place outside a ballpark to grab a brewski. For more info about Left Field Brewery please visit leftfieldbrewery.ca

650 mL bottles, from $5.75 ea; 473 mL cans, $2.85 ea. 36 Wagstaff Dr  647 346 5001  Daily 12-9

Originally published in our Winter 2015 issue. Check out our other featured gourmet-to-go joints: Honest Weight, Roast Fine Foods and Roselle Desserts.