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Thirty Days. A Lifetime of Gratitude.

By Steven Sparling

Cowbell opened its doors to the village of Blyth on August 5, to Friends & Family on August 6, and “to the world” as they say, on August 7. Thirty days and twenty-five thousand Guests later, this is a month we will long remember.

From the bottom of our hearts, "Thank You" for your...

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The Countdown Begins

By Genny Smith

One week today, we open our doors!

We are building a unique, beautiful destination craft brewery tailoring the 111-acre space to the vision and values of this craft brewery. Guests will be greeted with enthusiasm in authentic, rural Grand Old Barn architecture and will experience a...

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Kelly’s Contraption: New World Hefeweizen

By Alex Couch

It starts with a hazy straw-gold pour with a thick, white foam that clings to the glass. The aroma is elegant and appetizing, up front with bruised banana and clove abound, delicate vanilla and bubblegum notes. Tickled with the bright fruity finish of pineapple, white grape, mandarin...

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The Science of Yeast

By Simon Glassier

Good beer and good science go hand in hand. Each step of the brewing process requires the individual and/or collective manipulation of four ingredients: malt, hops, yeast and water. It is the role of the brewer to meticulously combine water, malt and hops to create wort, then allow the yeast to...

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A Humble Brand of Leadership

By Genny Smith

At Cowbell Brewing Co., we are often asked, "Whose idea was Cowbell? Where did the idea come from? Why Blyth? Why now?"

The answer to all of these questions is the same: the Sparling family and more specifically, Steven Sparling.

Grant and Mildred Sparling raised their family of four in the...

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COWBELL Brewhouse Factory Acceptance Test

By Stephen Rich

The building part of building a brewery is one of the quicker activities involved in the process from start to finish. The Cowbell brewing team has spent over a year with a crew of engineers, architects, experienced brewers, suppliers and installers designing our custom, four vessel 50HL

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Spring Cleaning

By Jeremy Moore

Spring has sprung! That means most of us are busy with spring cleaning around the home. Since you may already have cleaning on the mind, and you may be enjoying a cold beverage, it is an ideal time to discuss the importance of clean draught lines and clean beer glasses.

CLEAN DRAUGHT LINES...

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Storytelling

By Floyd Herman

Every community has a history, and within that history are colourful stories of the people and events there. That’s how we came up with the names of the craft beer in our first series, the Founder’s Series, where each beer is named after a memorable figure in Blyth’s history, beginning...

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Earth Day: Closed-Loop Brewing System

By Brock Spencer

Earth day was first celebrated on April 22, 1970. It is a date that is used to raise awareness and demonstrate support for environmental protection. That being said, this date is significant to Cowbell because we support protecting the environment. Cowbell will have the first “Closed-Loop...

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COWBELL BUILD PHOTO CONTEST

By Grant Sparling

AND THE WINNER IS...

Thank you to everyone who participated in the Cowbell build photo contest and for your interest in Cowbell Brewing Co. We received hundreds of creative guesses for each posted photo.
The lucky winner is Joan Greathead Watt. Congratulations Joan!
Hope you enjoy your...

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Cowbell Absent Landlord French Onion Soup Recipe

By Dale Dolson and Rob McGregor

At Cowbell, we know that a good recipe doesn’t have to be complicated to be delicious.

This week’s culinary experience with Cowbell’s craft beer is again inspired by the cold, crisp weather, when we want to experience warm and comforting recipes. Everyone has one of those favourite,...

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Hops, Part 2: Different Types of Hops and the Evolution of Beer

By Stephen Rich

As beer has evolved across the world over the past 7000 years, cultures and regions have developed their own specific brewing techniques, drinking rituals, and favourite ingredients that have all helped to define the beers we identify with those cultures or regions. Think about the Czech...

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The Difference Between Craft Beer and Micro-Brewed Beer

By Stephen Rich

Interest in locally brewed craft beer is on the rise, and as people are learning more about beer and discovering new favourites, the terms “craft beer” and “micro-brewed beer” are often used interchangeably. However, a craft brewery is not always a micro-brewery, and a micro-brewery is...

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Better Craft Beer Battered Fish Recipe

By Dale Dolson and Rob McGregor

"OH BRITANNIA!" — You'll Wish You Had Cowbell!

This week's culinary adventure takes the Cowbell Food and Beverage team across the pond. What do we all think of when discussing the food of "jolly old" England? Beer battered fish and chips, of course!

You don’t need to travel across the...

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Hops, Part 1: How Hops are Used in Brewing Beer

By Stephen Rich

In the 5000+ year history of beer, hops are a relative newcomer to the brewer’s toolkit. Hops were first commercially used in England only 600 years ago, in 1412, and were not widely used until the Bavarian Purity Law of 1516 (the Reinheitsgebot) decreed that beer must include hops. And it was...

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Cowbell Brewing Co: A Simple Retirement Project…

By Steven Sparling

Blyth Cowbell Brewing Co. began as a simple retirement project, with the emphasis on retirement. Something we would do to allow my family to be part of the economic resurgence in our hometown and one more part of the destination vision being crafted in Huron County. And it must be fun. We...

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Cowbell's Craft Beer and Cheese Soup Recipe

By Dale Dolson and Rob McGregor

On a cold winter day, there’s nothing better than coming home to a crackling fireplace, a cozy knitted wool throw, homemade bread, and of course, a steaming hot bowl of soup.

But what kind of soup should we make? Soups take on all styles and textures, but on a cold day like this, we think a...

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Our Carbon-Neutral Brewery: Greater Than the Sum of Its Parts

By Grant Sparling

Our Cowbell team is fortunate to build a beautiful, unique, destination craft brewery from the ground up - tailoring the space to our vision and our values. This opportunity allows us to incorporate a variety of energy-efficient technologies. When combined into a single structure, these...

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A Craft Brewery In Progress

By Stephen Rich

Building a brewery and brewing beer are closely related on many levels. When you sit down to consider a recipe for a new craft beer, the brewer will contemplate a myriad of factors: flavours, intensity, bitterness, colour, ingredients, mashing profile, yeasts, ageing, temperatures, package...

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Our Plan to Support Ontario’s Four Children’s Hospital Foundations

As we progress through many exciting happenings at Cowbell Brewing Co., there’s one that holds significant importance to all of our team members, especially during the holiday season: our Greener Pastures Community Fund. We announced on December 13th that we have officially launched a long...

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Building the World's First Closed-Loop Brewery

By Grant Sparling

Do the Right Thing

This has been our unofficial mandate at Cowbell Brewing Co. since day one. Rather than a more conventional start-up routine that would mean days of discussion about mission, vision and values, we simply got to work doing the right thing. It is an organic and true commitment...

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Doc Perdue's Bobcat Beef Stew

By Dale Dolson and Rob McGregor

“Oh the weather outside is frightful, but this stew is so delightful!”

The Cowbell Food and Beverage team gets together once again to put our Cowbell brew to the creative test.

This time, Julia Child, the famous American Chef who is credited with bringing the art of French cooking to...

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The Anatomy of Doc Perdue's Bobcat West Coast Red Ale

By Stephen Rich

When the craft beer revolution broke out in the US, the loudest and most progressive beers were being brewed along America's West Coast. American Pale Ales brimming with big citrus zest and piney aromas showed us all a new light in in the world of beer — and we've held on tight. Now along...

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Cowbell Craft Beer Chili

By Kim Sutherland

The Cowbell Food and Beverage team are back in the kitchen this week with another culinary experiment. This time, the inspiration comes from the chilling weather. It's that time of year when we all look for that favourite dish that is hearty and warming to the soul. Here at Cowbell, we think...

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The Beer Colour Spectrum

By Stephen Rich

The colour of a beer is inevitably the first thing that shapes your perception of that beer. For most people, colour tends to indicate richness and seasonality. Craft brewers say that a beer’s appearance can be deceiving, and that the aroma is a far more telling and powerful indicator of the...

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A Pizza & Cowbell Craft Beer Recipe - That’s Amore!

By Dale Dolson and Rob McGregor

It’s a perfect match. What could possibly go better with pizza than an ice cold beer? Nothing sets off a spicy chorizo sausage or a sharp Huron County cheddar cheese like a smooth, gently-bitter, or fruity Cowbell craft beer. You must try this pizza recipe!

The foodies have arrived at Cowbell...

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Craft Beer that Dares to be Bold!

By Stephen Rich

This November, Blyth Cowbell Brewing Co. is excited to announce the launch of our RENEGADE SERIES! These beers have no predisposition to what anyone thinks beer should be. They shout loud, play aggressive, and live for the moment. A new, limited-production, daught-only RENEGADE beer will be...

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The secret ingredient? Just add beer!

By Dale Dolson and Rob McGregor

As former faculty at Fanshawe College and owners of Robindale's Fine Dining Ltd., Rob and I are veterans of the hospitality industry. We have over 40 years of experience and were finally enjoying retirement! When we were asked by Steven Sparling to spearhead the food and beverage service at...

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It’s All About the Experience

By Genny Smith

Although we work as a team, my primary role at Cowbell is to develop and promote our 26,000 square foot craft brewery as a beer, food and tourist destination situated on 111 acres of beautiful countryside.I’m often asked what I do at Cowbell. “What does the title, ‘Director of Country...

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Designing a Brewery - A Grand Old Barn

By Grant Sparling

Century-old barns are a testament to the craftsmanship and timelessness of quality, natural materials. For the Cowbell Farm, our starting point was simple: build a state-of-the-art facility that is true to who we are and where we are. Being in Huron County, surrounded by some of the most...

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Cowbell Hops to Yakima, Washington!

By Stephen Rich

It was a beautiful, sunny morning as we drove into the town of Yakima, Washington. The town is located about 230 km southeast of Seattle and is the home of Hopsteiner, one of the largest hop growing, trading, breeding, and processing firms in the world. With over 170 years of hop farming...

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What’s a Territory Manager?

By Bobby Wagland

From being stopped in parking lots by curious strangers to giving police officers the thumbs up as they shout “More Cowbell” while passing me on the highway, being a Territory Manager for a new Ontario craft brewery is a ton of fun. Here’s an idea of what a day in my shoes looks like.

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Do The Right Thing – Greener Pastures

By Dave Clarke

My friends think I have the best job in the world. Honestly, it’s hard to disagree with them. If you chat with anybody from sales in the craft brewing industry, they’ll likely mention the great people they work with and share stories about fun events they’ve enjoyed along the way. You’ll...

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Beer Terms, Defined

By Stephen Rich

Beer has been both praised and criticized for its perceived simplicity. It’s a casual drink for anyone, often second to wine on the dinner table. Beer is much more complex and respected today, as it is represented in every segment of the market by a record number of breweries and brands in...

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Ring in World Ozone Day with Cowbell Brewing Co.

By Grant Sparling

World Ozone Day is celebrated around the world annually on September 16th, marking the day in 1987 when the Montreal Protocol was signed. It has been celebrated since 1994 and is meant to spread awareness about the depletion of the ozone layer and promote activities to preserve it.

At Cowbell, we...

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The Team. The Passion. The Community.

By Genny Smith

On our journey at Cowbell, we often speak of the economic impact, the environmental sustainability, making a difference, giving back to the community, the love of Blyth and Huron County, Doing the Right Thing, and, of course, the delicious beer! But one thing that is always talked about during...

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Craft Beer that Rings True

By Dave Clarke

These are heady days for the craft beer industry and, for lovers of great quality beers, things have never been so good! This is especially true in Ontario – with over 230 breweries of all shapes and sizes currently in operation (and an estimated 85 more in the planning stages), consumers...

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The Anatomy of Absent Landlord

By Stephen Rich

Country Kolsch

In Germany, a Kölsch is a relatively modern hybrid beer – meaning that it is fermented with an Ale yeast that typically does its job in warm temperatures, but is instead fermented cold as a Lager would be. The style is easy, simple, refreshing and supremely “sessionable.”...

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We Are Home

By Grant Sparling

Blyth is home.

My Grandpa moved to Blyth after serving in the army in World War II. It was 1950 and he was a young accountant with the Imperial Bank of Commerce. He arrived in the village with two black suits and five white shirts, and while in Blyth, he became attached to the community. After...

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