Preamble & Photos by Chris Tiessen
One of the first things I did after moving to Guelph more than two decades ago was buy a Wellington Brewery tee – brown, long-sleeved, with the iconic Welly Boot logo printed on the front. It felt like a badge of belonging, a way to wear the Royal City on my chest. This September Wellington marked its fortieth with Forty Fest – a weekend of casks, music, food, and of course the Great Orbax. I dropped by Saturday afternoon to raise a pint to the brewery that helped me feel at home. The boot is still here – and four decades on, it means just as much.
FUN FACTS ABOUT AN INDUSTRY PIONEER
OG Craft Pioneers: Back in 1985, long before ‘craft beer’ was a thing, Wellington was brewing bold, English-style ales in Guelph. People called it ‘microbrew’ back then.
The Classics Never Quit: Arkell Best Bitter, County Brown Ale, and Special Pale Ale are still pouring strong after four decades, now joined by a steady stream of current stand-outs like Upside IPA, Helles Lager, and more tasty suds.
Cheers to Community: Wellington doesn’t just make beer – they build community too. In 2021 the brewery donated twenty-seven thousand dollars to local charities, for instance, and they’re always cooking up new ways to give back.
Queen of Craft: Beer + badass women = Queen of Craft. Since 2013 this crew has taught beer education with a twist – and raised over fifty thousand dollars for Guelph-Wellington Women in Crisis.
Brewing Green: From using LED lights to being committed to recyclable packaging to diverting 98% of spent grain for animal feed, Wellington is proving beer can taste good and do good as well.
WELLINGTON BREWERY 950 Woodlawn Road W, Guelph ON wellingtonbrewery.ca
