Heart of the North brews unique experience for patrons
BY JULIA WOLF
COURIER SENTINEL
Heart of the North Brewing Company started as a passion project of Cliff Taylor and his son, Tom.
“After homebrewing for several years, we decided to open up the pub,” said Cliff.
The duo homebrewed, for five or six years, before deciding to take the leap and open Heart of the North. The brewery, just south of Ladysmith, on State Hwy. 27, opened three years ago, inside Colonial Nursery Garden Center, which Cliff and his wife have owned for 35 years.
“This has been a great addition to our nursery,” said Cliff.
He says they are one of four in the country, who have a pub inside a greenhouse.
“It’s a very unique set-up,” said Cliff. Cliff says they were already holding events at the nursery, like weddings, and bringing in domestic beers for them. They decided to use the opportunity to introduce their homebrewed beers to the public.
He says one of the most frequent comments they hear, is how nice it is to look at the flowers and plants, while partaking in food and drinks.
The Taylors purchased a professional brew sys-
The brew system contains a hot liquor tank (left) with the product moving through the system to the mash tun (center), where the grains are added, and on to the boil kettle (right), where the mixture is boiled and the hops are added. Heart of the North Brewing Company also has six fermenters. tem and got started brewing at the new level.
“We believe we’re the smallest brewing company in the state,” said Cliff.
They brew on a half-barrel system, which allows for a lot of variety on top of their mainstays.
“We carry a big array of beers,” said Cliff, who serves as the head brewer.
Some of their mainstays they are known for, are the Chasing Dragon IPA and Amber Bolic.
“Every single week, there are two new beers that are featured, that we brew,” said Cliff.
Tom posts a video to the business’s Facebook page on a weekly basis, to detail which beers and events are upcoming.
The beer is brewed on-site, in a custom-made, enclosed system.
“It allows us to do several different beers in a matter of weeks,” said Cliff.
They start with hot water, add grains in the mash tun, where it is mashed and left for an hour. Then, it moves to a boil kettle, where it is boiled for an hour, and the hops are added. Heart of the North also has six fermenters, as part of their system.
The beer is cold-crashed for five days, once it is all done.
Since they have been open, Heart of the North has brewed just over 200 different beers. Cliff says they sometimes repeat popular beers and also do some seasonal beverages, like an Oktoberfest.
He says they lean toward traditional German brewing.
“We have something for everybody’s palate,” said Cliff, adding it is a great place for those interested in craft beer to check off their list.
The establishment is also licensed to sell mixed drinks and offers several specialty mixed drinks.
“The caramel apple Old-Fashioned is a huge winner,” said Cliff.
He says they are also known for their Bloodys, where they use flavored vodkas, such as jalapeño or horseradish, as well as lemonades. Cliff says they serve drinks people can’t normally find other places.
About six employees help keep the business running smoothly at any given time.
As part of their licensing as a brew pub, Cliff says they are required to sell food. “We do a fabulous wood-fired pizza,” said Cliff.
The pizzas are handmade and prepared to order, on location. They use kiln-dried oak and apple in their pizza oven, which allows them to cook up to four pizzas at a time.
“It takes roughly four minutes to cook a pizza,” said Cliff, adding that it normally does not take more than 15 minutes from the time someone orders a pizza, until they receive it.
The margherita is a favorite, with a number of other combos, plus a
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Heart of the North Brewing Company is situated inside Colonial Nursery Garden Center. It is one of four pubs inside a greenhouse in the country. Co-owner Cliff Taylor says one of the top comments they receive from patrons, is how nice it is to look at the flowers and plants, while enjoying beverages and pizza.
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build-your-own option.
Cliff says the kitchen, measuring at 8x10, is also one of, if not the, smallest licensed kitchen in the state.
Heart of the North also offers appetizers, such as jalapeño bacon on a stick.
The establishment is kid friendly, with some outdoor and yard game options to keep everyone entertained. Pets are also welcome to join their owners in the outdoor areas, which includes seating and tables with umbrellas. Cliff says they have been well-received by the community, as well as tourists passing through the area.
The location also continues to serve as a wedding and events venue. Cliff says they have the capacity to seat up to 300 people during large gatherings, and also cater to smaller events and meetings.
Cliff says the name Heart of the North harkens to his children’s athletic conference and the logo represents their school mascot, the Lumberjacks. He says the decision to name the business after that part of their lives came to them while they were brewing beer.
“We felt that it’d only be fitting to put the ax in,” said Cliff.
He says they were also into the Game of Thrones TV series at the time, which inspired some of their design choices in the logo.
“We wanted to represent the state, and everything else,” said Cliff.
Heart of the North is open yearround, for extended weekends, with brewing taking place the other days of the week.
Those who would like to stay upto- date on the beers, events and hours of Heart of the North Brewing Company, can find the business on Facebook @heartofthenorthbrewingco or call 715-415-1365.
Cliff Taylor and his son, Tom (not pictured), started Heart of the North Brewing Company three years ago, after homebrewing for five or six years.
