SOMETHING TASTY’s BREWING: MAPPED OUT SATIATION ALONG STRATFORD’S ‘BACON & ALE TRAIL’ 

PREAMBLE & PHOTOS BY CHRIS TIESSEN 

WHAT DO BROKEN RAIL BREWING (LOCATED IN THE ICONIC ST MARYS JUNCTION RAILWAY STATION ON THE OUTSKIRTS OF ST MARYS), BRADSHAWS & KITCHEN DETAIL (AN IMPECCABLY- CURATED RETAILER OF HIGH END KITCHEN PRODUCTS IN DOWNTOWN STRATFORD), BRCH & WYN (A VIBEY DAYTIME CAFÉ AND NIGHTTIME WINE BAR THAT’S SET IN STRATFORD’S HISTORIC MOONEY BISCUIT AND CANDY COMPANY BUILDING), AND SMALL-MART GENERAL MERCANTILE (STRATFORD’S CUTEST MECCA FOR NOVELTY GIFTS AND CURIOSITIES) HAVE IN COMMON? THEY’RE ALL (ALONG WITH A DOZEN OTHER PERTH COUNTY BUSINESSES) PARTICIPANTS IN DESTINATION STRATFORD’S SCRUMPTIOUS YEAR-ROUND ‘BACON & ALE TRAIL’, OF COURSE.* 

IN LATE MAY THE TOQUE TEAM TOOK ON THE LAVISH TASK OF COMPLETING THE TRAIL IN A SINGLE DAY (OR TWO). DID WE SUCCEED? WAS IT TASTY? WHAT’S BACON POPCORN, ANYWAY? FOLLOW ALONG TO FIND OUT. AND THEN PLAN OUT YOUR ITINERARY AT VISITSTRATFORD.CA/BACONTRAIL

*Each Trail ticket purchase includes vouchers for five stops along the way. We may have gone a bit overboard. 

12:02PM – It’s barely past noon when Cai and I make our first (quick) stop (for a flight) along the ‘Bacon & Ale Trail’ – at Shakespeare Brewing Co, located just outside Stratford proper. If you blink you’ll miss this cute microbrewery. Soon we’re on our way to Stratford Country Club (our second stop) to sample the ultimate bacon-forward grilled cheese: packed with cheddar, provolone, a garlic/cheese spread, and (what else) bacon. We pair our sandwiches with pints of Cowbell Cencerro Cerveza and keep it moving. 

1:47PM – For our third stop along the Trail, we visit our old pal Johnny at Brch & Wyn – his daytime café & nighttime wine bar – for Cubanos (roasted pork shoulder, smoked ham, homemade pickles, mustard, aioli, aged cheddar) & Fairweather Brewing Co’s ‘Garden Grave’ pale ale. Pro tip: If you’re looking for a hot desk, Johnny runs a beautiful co-working space right above the place. 

3:56PM – We’re off to the town of St Marys for stops four and five along the Trail: Stone Home Creatives – a sweet country lifestyle store – for bacon & beer candles (yes, you read that right), and then Broken Rail Brewing Co – a cute craft brewery located in the iconic St Marys Junction Railway Station – for flights. Our fave beers at the brewery: ‘Tesla’s Revenge’ IPA, ‘Incandescent’ blonde, ‘Square Nail’ amber, and ‘Overnight Express’ milk stout. Pro tip: Stone Home Creatives, Broken Rail Brewing Co and other features of the St Marys landscape are utterly photogenic, so when you’re visiting be sure to bring your camera. 

5:23PM – For our sixth stop along the ‘Bacon & Ale Trail’, we park Cai’s car in Stratford (behind Mercer Hall, where we’re overnighting) and pop into Small-Mart General Mercantile where we grab some bacon candy. We peruse the aisles for whimsical ball caps, vintage-inspired coin purses, and retro puzzles before popping next door into a different environment altogether: Bradshaws & Kitchen Detail (our seventh stop) – a sophisticated retailer that features a seductive range of high-end kitchen products, large and small. While I scope out Bradshaws’ vast selection of Le Creuset, Cai collects malty & hoppy beer jellies for our loot bag. Pro tip: When you’re visiting Small-Mart and Bradshaws, be sure to stop in at Werk-Shop – our favourite little emporium for Herschel hats, Casio watches, and Swiss Army knives. 

6:15PM – Our eighth stop is Boar’s Head Pub – a short walk from Small-Mart and Bradshaws. We’re served jalapeno poppers (wrapped in bacon, of course) which we pair with pints of smooth Kilkenny cream ales. It’s a blast. 

7:42PM – By now we’re ready to walk off some of our bacon and ale. The solution: a jaunt from Boar’s Head Pub to Stratford’s Black Swan Brewing Co (our ninth stop) for a flight. While we’re
at the brewery, a running club fills the space’s comfortable front patio for post-run pints. We’ve been admirers of Black Swan brews ever since we first encountered them at The Jane Bond in Uptown Waterloo near the beginning of the craft beer craze. We remain big fans. 

8:48PM – Our tenth – and last – stop on the day’s itinerary: Mercer Hall for plates of artisan bacon paired with just a little bit more ale. On the patio. Delicious. Pro tip: If you’re at Mercer in
the late evening, don’t shy away from the late-night snacks. The ‘Crispy Fried Rice Balls’ (togarashi aioli, lemon teriyaki sauce, pickled red onions, jalapenos) and ‘Crispy Hamachi Sushi Roll’ (teriyaki, togarashi aioli, tobiko, wasabi, pickled ginger) hit the spot. 

9:57PM – For night, Cai and I rest our heads in the hotel at Mercer Hall, a fourteen-room boutique inn located just above the action on Ontario Street. While we give some thought to checking out Starlight (Stratford’s new it-spot for late-night cocktails and fun) the day’s bacon and ale has us yearning for soft pillows and comfortable sheets. We make the right decision, head up to our respective suites, and, within minutes, are fast asleep. Pro tip: Be sure to check out the in-room snacks – including Mercer-branded brews, popcorn, candies, and more. 

10:12AM (the next day) – On our journey home from Stratford to Guelph, Cai and I make a couple last stops: at Poppin’ Kettle Corn (in Stratford) for a bag of bacon cheddar popcorn, and at the Wild Hog Country Market for country market shopping. While it may not be on the ‘Bacon & Ale Trail’, Wild Hog is a destination we visit every time we head into (or out of) Festival City. Until next time, Stratford.