Thunder Bay brewery suds rise in provincial contest

A Thunder Bay brewery has earned provincial recognition for one of its brews.

Sleeping Giant Brewing Company's Beaver Duck APA took gold in the American Pale Ale category at the 2016 Ontario Brewing Awards at a recent gala ceremony in Toronto.

"It's great," Kyle Mulligan, Sleeping Giant Brewing Company head brewer and co-owner, said. "That's one of our favourite beers. As staff and owners, we enjoy the hoppier beers, so it's wonderful to get gold in that category, but it's also wonderful to know that we're making quality beer in Thunder Bay."

"I think the recipe is good, but I also think that our team here at Sleeping Giant — because it's not just me doing it alone — does a great job of making beer."

Sleeping Giant Brewing Company opened its doors in 2012. Mulligan had been an avid home brewer for several years at the time, and said the main motivation was introducing craft beer to Thunder Bay, as no breweries were operating in the city at the time.

"It wasn't really a business decision," Mulligan said. "It was more a love-of-beer decision."

Craft beer continues to grow in popularity in Thunder Bay. Various types are available at many Thunder Bay restaurants, some grocery stores, and all Beer Store and LCBO outlets. Another brewery, called the Dawson Trail Craft Brewery, has also opened its doors.

"It's a really good culture to be a part of right now," Mulligan said. "I think the attraction with craft beer is you have a wider selection of taste that you can choose from, so you can pair the beers with food a lot better, but you can also challenge your palate a lot more, even in one night."

The Ontario Brewing Awards were handed out on April 28 in Toronto.

Beaver Duck APA is available at the brewery, located on Cobalt Crescent in Thunder Bay.