What’s on the menu at Northern Maverick, a massive new King West brewery
Name: Northern Maverick Brewing Co.
Contact: 115 Bathurst St., 416-540-4030, northernmaverick.ca, @northernmaverickbrewing
Neighbourhood: King West
Owner: Jason Kaptyn
Chef: Mark Cutrara (Cowbell, Bar Hop Brewco)
Brewmaster: Andrew Crowder (Muskoka Brewery)
The drinks
Beer, of course. There are currently six styles on tap and in the retail shop’s fridge: the flagship lager, an APA, two IPAs, a gose and a dry-hopped sour. “We want to make craft beer approachable, not intimidating,” says Kaptyn. “Everyone who works here has been told that there are no dumb questions when it comes to beer. If someone comes in only having tried light macro-beer, then that’s an opportunity for us to teach them about microbrews.” There are cocktails, too, some of which have been made with hops-infused booze.
The food
Seasonal dishes, made with local ingredients when possible, from house-made jerky and Jamaican patties to grilled octopus and a 30-day, dry-aged strip loin. The Cowbell Burger (dry-aged house-ground chuck, house-made bacon, house-smoked cheese, bread and butter pickles) pays homage to Cutrara’s professional roots. Weekends bring brunch plates including ’nduja hash and eggs in tomato sauce, with short rib and house-made meatballs.
The space
The two-storey, 11,000-square-foot brewpub has room for 400 beer drinkers. There’s also a dedicated oyster bar and a chef’s table for six-course dinners with beer pairings. The second floor is a private events space where the brewery will host “beer school,” classes that will teach attendees how to properly taste beer, how to pair it with food and even how to brew their own beer at home.
