What’s on the menu at Rorschach Brewing Co., the east end’s new brewery with a 100-seat patio
Name: Rorschach Brewing Co.
Contact: 1001 Eastern Ave., 416-901-3233, rorschachbrewing.com, @rorschachbeer
Neighbourhood: Leslieville
Previously: Wine Swine, Le Papillon on the Park
Owners: Mohan Pandit, Chris Ristevski, Matthew Reiner
Chef: Arturo Ruiz (Red Brick Cafe) and Manish Paudel (Maizal)
The food
The nomadic menu jumps from Balkan ćevapi, Baja tacos, Jamaican-spiced pork belly and German currywurst. A few sports-bar classics, including smoked chicken wings and nachos, round out the beer-friendly grub.
The drinks
Although Matthew Reiner got his start as a home brewer, he’s a chemical engineer by trade, and his science background translates into some bold sour beers that use finicky wild yeast cultures, and hoppy IPAs with restrained bitterness. Rorschach will offer an ever-rotating batch of 16 house-brewed beers (available in flights, pints and growlers). “Basically, we’re making beers we like to drink,” says Pandit, whose favourite brew currently on offer is Latent Construct, a coffee-oatmeal stout.
The space
Beer geeks will want to get a seat next to the brewing pavilion, which takes up the back half of the dining room. The stainless steel fermenting vats have replaced the antique tchotchkes that used to decorate this century-old home. The 100-seat rooftop patio is still hibernating, but come summer it will be outfitted with draught lines, fire pits and gardens.
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Caroline Aksich, a National Magazine Award recipient, is an ex-Montrealer who writes about Toronto’s ever-evolving food scene, real estate and culture for Toronto Life, Fodor’s, Designlines, Canadian Business, Glory Media and Post City. Her work ranges from features on octopus-hunting in the Adriatic to celebrity profiles.
