Inside the kitchen of Adin Wener, co-founder of Henderson’s Brewery

Adin Wener, a co-owner of Henderson Brewing Company and the mastermind behind Toronto’s Picklefest, has been passionate about beer since before he could legally drink it. “I was always the kid who took one for the team and went into the LCBO,” he says. “I could sell myself as older better than anyone. Then, in university, I would stand behind the keg. I knew how much enjoyment beer brought me, and serving it to other people made me even happier.”

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Though Wener graduated with a BA in history, his path to beer kingpin was pretty direct. After travelling to England in 1999 to learn the art of brewing, he eventually got a gig at a brewery in London. “But I was constantly breaking things,” he says. “One time, I got stuck in a tank while trying to clean it—I had to be greased out by a passer-by. I was truly terrible at making beer.” He excelled at selling it, though, which led to a job at an import agency.

Along the way, he met his wife, Kate Rootman, who was also Canadian, and together they had two sons. “By 2007, we knew we wanted to move back to Canada,” he says. He sought out John Sleeman as a client, landing a job at Sleeman Breweries in Toronto. After a brief detour into distilling, Steve Himel, a friend and former Sleeman co-worker, asked Wener about starting up a brewery of their own. Thus Henderson Brewing Company was born in 2017, with a taproom and event space on then-nascent Sterling Road.

At home, though, it’s not all barley and hops. “Both our boys are serious athletes,” says Wener. “Protein is the name of the game here. Our youngest, Jordy, will eat eight chicken breasts in two days.” Case in point: the fridge is stocked with meat of all kinds, including thin strips of beef for stir-fry, vacuum-packed whole chickens and flank steak from Roast, their local butcher shop.

“Most nights, we use our barbecue to cook chicken with a very simple dry rub,” says Wener. “The steak we reserve for more of an occasion or when we entertain. We’ll grill it, cut it up and serve it on ciabatta bread with sautéed onions and peppers.”

When meat isn’t on the menu, tofu is a welcome substitute. “I try to be healthy on occasion,” says Wener. “I marinate the tofu in low-sodium soy sauce and sriracha, then stick it in the air fryer. I pair it with gluten-free ramen that I boil and air-fry. I’m addicted to the Better Ramen brand.”

“I’m the pinch hitter for dairy around the house,” says Rootman. “I have steamed eggs with melted cheese most days, and I use protein powder in my smoothies—or yogurt if it’s about to expire.” Another go-to meal for Rootman: a charcuterie plate for one with a kale salad on the side.

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The couple is very serious about their pickles. “Kate loves kimchi on just about everything. She believes that a true pickle has to be lacto-fermented,” says Wener. “But I think every pickle gets a fighting chance.” No surprise there, given that Wener is the founder of Toronto’s Picklefest, which he holds every fall at Henderson’s. “Kate and I were in New York for my 40th birthday, and we happened upon a pickle street festival,” says Wener. “It was about 10 blocks full of pickles. Everyone looked so happy. I thought, I have to do this at home.” Now, eating pickles is part of his job—though he says it never feels like work.

Wener’s love of pickles runs so deep that he even developed a pickle flavour for Solly’s, his artisanal soda brand.

And it’s a good thing that there’s soda on hand, because the hot sauce situation requires it. “Jordy and I love heat,” says Wener. “Our go-to brand right now is Neil’s, which is local. Their Carolina Reaper sauce is the real deal. We also always have bomba from Terroni and chili crisp from Stoke. And sriracha goes on everything, always.”

Rootman went to hear Israeli-British restaurateur Yotam Ottolenghi speak at Roy Thomson Hall, then immediately went and bought those preserved lemons. “I was feeling very motivated,” she says. “I have yet to use them, but I certainly plan to. Rest assured, there will be olives and labneh involved.”

“I love Primrose Bagel Co., but I don’t want to eat bagels all the time,” says Wener. “Sometimes, I’ll buy flatbread at Fiesta Farms instead. I sprinkle Everything but the Bagel seasoning on it, then layer on cottage cheese and eggs.”

A glance into the pantry suggests a love of carbohydrates. “I have a bit of an addiction to crackers and potato chips,” says Wener. “I keep my cupboard stocked with matzo chips because they’re healthier than fried potatoes but still super tasty.”

Down in the basement, there’s a fridge stocked with the one thing that goes best with salty snacks: beer. It’s got all things Henderson, including their seltzer, plus Wener’s other favourite craft labels.

For Wener, beer and history go hand in hand. He even co-published a book called Toronto in 100 Beers. “We made a beer a month for 100 months, each inspired by a Toronto story. This one was made with sugar purchased at the old Honest Ed’s.”

Meanwhile, the top-shelf spirits are back upstairs. “I love all brown liquors,” says Wener. “Plus, I keep a bottle or two of mezcal around for when my fancy friends come over.”