Kawartha Localist is a new editorial series from kawarthaNOW sharing trusted local recommendations, hidden gems, and favourite discoveries from people who know and love this region. It’s what we love about where we live.
Just as dinner is better when it’s made at home, so too is beer. Fortunately for us, there’s no shortage of craft breweries serving up quality sips right here in the Kawarthas.
Lagers, stouts, ambers, sours, wheat beers, pilsners, IPAs, and even non-alcoholic beers — you name it and someone in the Kawarthas is brewing it. These beers are being served up in taphouses that are pet-friendly, game day ready, lakeside, or otherwise make a perfect setting for lounging and sipping on homemade tastes.
Here are some of our favourite breweries across the region.
Stick around awhile at 100 Acre Brewing Co. in Peterborough
At 100 Acre Brewing Co. in Peterborough, you can bring the whole family, stick around as long as you want, and enjoy the pristine surroundings that make it entirely one-of-a-kind.
As you may have guessed from the name, the family-operated farmhouse brewery sits on a 100-acre property. It’s where brewer Bentley Vass, his father, and his four siblings grew up, exploring on four-wheelers and snowmobiles. They wanted to share their love of the land with the public so, after studying brewery operation management at Niagara College, Bentley returned home to do exactly that.
Today, the brewery offers a picturesque setting for customers to bring out their young children, families, and even pets to enjoy the property — and there’s never any reason to rush.
“Traditionally focused, creatively driven” is the slogan at 100 Acre Brewing Co. which is evident in Stag Tail, a pilsner poured on the European-style lukr tap. In summer 2025, Vass spent time in the Czech Republic to learn about authentic practices.
In addition to the approachable Minnow Lite Lager and the Snapper IPA, 100 Acre Brewing Co. has some innovative brews on the lineup, including the Perennial, a seasonal fruit ale made with local haskaps, and the Ivy terpene IPA — which mimics the aroma of cannabis without actually having it infused — brewed in collaboration with Old Flame in Northumberland County.
100 Acre Brewing Co. also crafts low-alcohol brews as well as a gluten-reduced hard seltzer. Though there are no flights on the menu, the beer can be sampled for free.
These can be enjoyed with wood-fired pizza, sandwiches, and sharables from Lowlands Fire Food on a year-round heated patio. 100 Acres Brewing Co. partners with a range of local businesses to deliver special events like yoga, live music, card tournaments, weekly cornhole leagues, as well as special events for local charities and non-profits.
100 Acre Brewing Co. is located at 390 Ashburnham Drive in Peterborough. To learn more, visit 100acrebrewingco.com.
Bring your pup to Old Dog Brewing in Bobcaygeon
Scott Nichol had never even heard of Bobcaygeon before he visited for the first time, but he’s been hooked ever since.
Now, right in the centre of town is where he operates Old Dog Brewing Company, easily recognizable by the logo of a dog sporting trendy framed glasses. After spending 10 years as an actor and another 14 in banking, Nichol discovered craft beer and realized he was an old dog constantly learning new tricks.
Today, that theme carries across the taproom where dogs are always welcomed and celebrated, and you might just see a few four-legged regulars. The beers are named for the theme as well, seen in popular brews like the award-winning Yellow Lab Lager and Chihuahua Mexican Light Lager. From a cherry sour to a cream ale, and a pomegranate wheat ale, there are some unique tastes on tap and Nichol is always on the hunt for new tastes and flavours.
Old Dog Brewing is very approachable for those who don’t typically enjoy beer, and the taproom also stocks wine and reserves one tap for cider from Kawartha Country Wines. Those wanting to ease into the beer are encouraged to try the dog bite (traditionally called a snake bite) — a British-style drink that blends cider with beer.
Old Dog Brewing Company is located at 30 King Street East in Bobcaygeon. To learn more, visit olddogbrewing.com.
Watch the brews made on site at Bancroft Brewing Company in Hastings County
The new and widely expanded brewpub may have only opened in 2025, but Bancroft Brewing Co. has been making a name for the community it serves and celebrates since 2015.
Then, Bancroft native Logan Krupa returned to his hometown to run a restaurant in the historic building of the Bancroft Hotel, which was purchased by his father. Krupa turned the basement into a brewery and Bancroft Brewing Company has been selling beer “straight out of the Canadian Shield” at craft festivals and in beer stores ever since.
After selling the restaurant five years ago, Krupa decided to expand operation of the brewery and has moved into a new 12,000-square-foot building just down the road on Hastings Street.
At the new location, you can watch the burning, brewing, and packaging of the beer all happening on site. Garage doors open up the restaurant space, allowing guests to sip their drinks streetside or sit inside with the sunshine and breeze while enjoying the lineup of live music and events held regularly in the brewpub.
Currently, Bancroft Brewing Company has a portfolio of about 20 beers, inclusive of English ales, German ales, IPAs, stouts, and a cranberry rattler. The newest addition to the line up is the Grasshopper Lager, with a lower ABV and hints of citrus flavour for a refreshing summer bite. Krupa says they’re always experimenting and exploring new flavours.
While the food menu only just launched this summer, it follows a Texas-style BBQ defined by ribs, smoked turkey brisket, pulled pork, and smash burgers. By the end of the summer, the brewpub will have the rest of the kitchen equipment in place to expand the menu even more and with appetizers like a Texas Twinkie — a bacon-wrapped jalapeno with pulled pork.
Bancroft Brewing Co. in located at 59 Hastings Street in Bancroft. To learn more, visit bancroftbrew.ca.
Non-alcoholic and Peterborough Petes beer at Bobcaygeon Brewing Company
From chocolate stouts to a pink lemonade or fuzzy peach sour, there are all kinds of innovative beers found on tap or in cans at Bobcaygeon Brewing Company in Peterborough.
For more than 10 years now, the brand founded by Richard Wood and Vincent Castronovo has been recognizable in cottage country and locally enjoyed dockside and by the campfire with family and friends. But recent upgrades to the taproom has made the brewery just as comfortable as a place to gather and connect over high-quality drinks.
Since last fall, the pet-friendly taproom has nearly tripled in size and capacity and has been decked out with activities that encourage guests to stick around a while. From sports games screening on the four TVs to puzzles, darts, shuffleboard, and foosball, it’s become a family-friendly space you will come back to time and time again.
To be even more inviting to all, Bobcaygeon Brewing Company meets the increasing demand for non-alcoholic and low-alcohol brews. The non-alcoholic Sunrise and 2.5 per cent Bobber are always on tap, while many of the popular lagers also offering lower percentage ABV.
Other favourites include the Northern Lights Hazy IPA as well as the refreshing Cottage Lager. Of course, watching a hockey game would be incomplete without sipping on a Petes Lager, brewed in partnership with the Peterborough Petes.
To bring Bobcaygeon Brewing Company home to its namesake Kawartha Lakes community, the brewery is still working on opening a location at 17 Bolton Street in Bobcaygeon.
Bobcaygeon Brewing Company is located at 4-649 The Parkway in Peterborough. To learn more, visit bobcaygeonbrewing.ca.
Year-round patio drinks at Haliburton Highlands Brewing
While nothing beats crossing the lake for a bevvie during a hot day, Haliburton Highlands Brewing doesn’t let snow get in the way of enjoying a brew. With a year-round patio and a fire to keep you warm, you can pull up by boat in summer or by snowmobile in winter for some locally crafted beer.
In operation since 2014, the brand moved to its new location on Highway 35 just north of Carnarvon in the spring of 2024. Since then, they’ve been operating a one-barrel brewhouse while getting help from neighbouring breweries to contract-brew their larger batches. But, with ongoing changes including restructuring and raising the roof to fit more barrels, and a facelift for the front of the brewery, they will be able to operate at 15 barrels again later this year, before the frost sets in.
Customer-favourite beers from Haliburton Highlands Brewing include the Northern Light light lager and the Honey Brown Ale, made with a honey from Lofthouse Beeswax Company. In the taproom, you’ll find 12 taps with seven for flagship beers, four for rotating special releases, and one reserved for hard cider.
These drinks can be paired with charcuterie boards, artisanal grilled cheese, chillies, soups, sausage on a bun, hummus and pita, large pretzels with house-made beer cheese dip, and other light lunch options.
Haliburton Highlands Brewing is not just a place for those who love a beer either, as the brewery hosts the weekly Canoe FM bingo nights with a specialty meal prepared for participants. On long weekends, one of the taps are reserved for lemonade to support the large family crowds, while the patio offers both space for on-leash pets, and seating reserved for diners with off-leash pets, as well.
And if you’re a fan of the small yet mighty ukulele, Haliburton Highlands Brewing also runs its own specialty ukulele store called HaliUkes, with the brewery offering twice-monthly open uke jams.
Haliburton Highlands Brewing is located at 15543 Highway 35 in Algonquin Highlands. To learn more, visit www.haliburtonhighlandsbrewing.ca.
New food menu coming soon to Northumberland Hills Brewery
Even after 12 years in business, Northumberland Hills Brewery is still finding new ways to evolve.
Super Continental Ale, 6 Miles from Bangor Irish Red, and P.S. I Luv U blonde ale are just a few of the creative names you’ll find at the Cobourg brewery.
Founded by Rick Bailey, the brewery mimics a tiki roadside bar with straw umbrellas on the patio and story-filled memorabilia on the walls inside.
To continually adapt after more than a decade in business, Bailey says Northumberland Hills Brewery will soon be introducing a new food menu that will include classic pub-style fare including pizza, smoked chicken wings, pretzels, and other snack items.
With the food menu rollout, Bailey says he hopes to introduce more comedy nights and other on-site events.
Northumberland Hill Brewery is located at 1024 Division St. in Cobourg. To learn more, follow the brewery on Facebook.
Find English beer down a dirt road at Belmont Lake Brewery
When Julie and Norrie Bearcroft first moved to Belmont Lake from England in 2011, they intended to enjoy their retirement on the lake. Instead, a passion for crafting English beer led to the establishment of Belmont Lake Brewery, which celebrated 10 years this spring.
Off the beaten path down a fire route at the northeast end of the lake, Belmont Lake Brewery boasts a cottage feel because, instead of an indoor seating area, you’ll enjoy your brew on a partly covered patio or at the tables on the grass overlooking the lake.
Whether you come by boat, by snowmobile, or by car down the dirt road, you’ll be greeted by the Bearcrofts’ airedale terrier Eddie or their son’s boxer Frank.
Most of the time, you’ll find on tap the most popular brews including the standard English IPA Crowe River, the Mile of Memories amber ale, and the Brown Bear chocolate stout. Belmont Lake Brewery also stocks one-off beers on tap, often named for the couple’s grandchildren, pets, and nearby places they love most. This summer, there’s a limited-time English IPA called Just Julie!
Belmont Lake Brewery is currently open three days per week from 12 to 5 p.m. Thursdays to Saturday, switching to Fridays to Sundays beginning after the Labour Day weekend.
Belmont Lake Brewery is located at 54 Fire Route 17, around 12 minutes northeast of Havelock. To learn more, visit belmontlakebrewery.com.
Celebrate craft beer from the Kawarthas and beyond at Ashburnham Ale House
Okay, so Ashburnham Ale House in Peterborough isn’t a brewery, but they certainly do celebrate craft beer like one.
Longtime employees Curtis Jackson and Mackenzie Kingston took over ownership last fall, with founder Scott Wood easing out of his role to offer support during the transition period. Still, the new owners remain committed to keeping the legacy the self-described craft beer cafe has built over the past 13 years in Peterborough.
That means remaining committed to stocking North American craft beer and primarily Ontario craft beer because, as Jackson says, “we don’t have to go very far to find good beer.”
From 100 Acre Brewing Co. in Peterborough to Boshkung Brewing Co. in Minden to brews from Toronto, Bowmanville, Hamilton, and beyond, over 200 breweries have been featured over the course of Ashburnham Ale House’s history.
For those whose preference leans away from beer, Ashburnham Ale House also stocks an extensive and global wine list featuring European, South American, and Australian wines that you often can’t find at bottle shops.
Along with craft wine and beer, Ashburnham Ale House is also known for serving high-quality coffee and freshly made food, with daily lunch and dinner features and a popular weekend brunch.
Ashburnham Ale House is located at 128 Hunter Street East in Peterborough’s East City. To learn more about available brews, visit ashburnhamalehouse.ca/beer/.
Kawartha Localist is a new editorial series from kawarthaNOW celebrating the places, experiences, businesses, and communities that make our region extraordinary. Written by people who live here, work here, and have spent nearly 30 years exploring the Kawarthas and surrounding region, each edition shares trusted local recommendations, hidden gems, and favourite discoveries from across Peterborough County, the City of Peterborough, Kawartha Lakes, Northumberland County, Haliburton County, and Hastings Highlands.
Whether you’re looking for your next hiking trail, favourite patio, scenic drive, farmers’ market, or weekend adventure, Kawartha Localist is what we love about where we live.
