Wine enthusiasts the world over have been taking notice of the Niagara Peninsula for over three decades now thanks to the region’s remarkable wine makers and grape-friendly terroir. It’s a trend that seems to show no sign of slowing as, every year; more and more people realize that Niagara wine is some of the finest in the world.
This emphasis on wine and wine culture can sometimes make the beer enthusiast on vacation to Niagara wonder if there’s anything of merit regarding his or her alcohol of choice. The answer is a resounding, “Yes.” While craft beer brewing is relatively new to the Niagara scene, the results are nevertheless worthy of drinking and praise. Throughout the region, beermakers of all kinds are flexing their muscle and honing their craft, and the Niagara Brewing Company is one of the finest.
The Brewer
Located less than a half mile from the waterfalls, the Niagara Brewing Company finally opened their doors in June of 2015. Located at the site of the former Foxhead Inn, Niagara Brewing Company started in order to fulfill a quest to create daring and memorable beers. And to accomplish that goal, they’ve put a veteran brewer in charge of their brewing operations.
Gord Slater has been working in breweries and brewpubs for over 30 years across all of North America. Seen by many as the founder of Ontario’s craft brewing scene, he was actually one of the people who, in 1984, led the charge to convince the government to move forward with legislation that would legalize brewpubs in the province. Since that time, he has crafted numerous recipes, the most notable in his mind? A hopped German lager that won Best of Show at a beer show in Germany. He brings all that expertise to bear on his efforts at the Niagara Brewing Company.
The Beer
The BeerThe Niagara Brewing Company routinely makes one-of-a-kind beers, but their staples also shine. The Beerdevil IPA honors the daredevils of Niagara Falls with a flavor that is not for the faint of heart. Hoppy and malty, it’s well-balanced, but also just a little bit off its rocker. The Amber Eh? Ale is a traditional ale that’s light and toasty with just a hint of hops. The Niagara Premium Lager is exactly what you’d expect from a smooth, clean, and crisp lager, but it gains just enough specificity from its slight sweetness and hint of citrus.
Beer on Ice
Another great thing about the Niagara Brewing Company is they don’t content themselves with simply conducting business as usual. Beer on Ice, a beer-centered event slated to take place on February 5th, couples Niagara icewine with specialty chocolate beers crafted for the event by Gord Slater. For anyone who loves beer or wine — or both — it promises to be an evening unlike any other. Guests can meet Gord Slater, and, in addition to tasting the brews, they can also enjoy food pairings selected exclusively for the event.
Beer may not yet be as synonymous with Niagara as wine, but with the help of breweries like Niagara Brewing Company, it soon will be. So the next time you come to Niagara, be sure to spend some time exploring the taps.
As any local or regular visitor to Niagara can tell you, the place is full of entertainment options. Arcades, nature hikes, bird watching, musical theater, indoor water parks, concerts, and more— from sun-up to long past sun-down, there really is always plenty of fun to be had. In fact, there’s so much fun to be had in Niagara that it’s hard to keep track of all of it — especially when what you need is something to do on a low-key afternoon.
Located in a historic two-story limestone building that’s almost 150 years old, the Lundy’s Lane Historical Museum marks and commemorates the Battle of Lundy’s Lane, the Battle of Chippawa, and the War of 1812 overall. An expansive collection of artifacts related to the time and the war is housed in the museum, including numerous rare prints of Niagara Falls over the years. Open to curious visitors and researchers alike, the museum offers hours throughout the year in an attempt to keep the history of the region — and the early 19th-century war that affected it so greatly — alive. The museum also includes artifacts and displays related to the African Experience in Niagara Falls, as the region was an important stopping point for escaped slaves from the United States before the Civil War.
Niagara Falls is known for many wonderful things and deservedly so. From the waterfalls that made the region famous to the world-class and award-winning wineries and vineyards that fill the countryside in and around it, any visit to Niagara Falls is bound to include unforgettable experiences. While it may seem improbable to the uninitiated in the ways of decadent fudge, Niagara’s fudge shops are just one more reason to love the place. Rich, creamy, and easy to find, here is a look at some of the best fudge in Niagara, just in time to help you get your fix this holiday season.
Located on Clifton Hill, the Fudge Factory features over 20 different flavors of gourmet fudge, all of it made fresh, right there. They also have a Candy Bar that allows you to purchase over 50 different types of candy and chocolate in bulk and at bulk-rate prices, which means you won’t have to choose between satisfying your craving for delicious fudge and your craving for Sour Soothers. Perhaps the best thing about the Fudge Factory is the fact that it’s open every day of the year, and during the busy season from June to September, they don’t close down until 1 a.m.
All across Canada, the United States, and throughout much of the world, families and friends will soon gather to celebrate and mark another holiday season. In between catching up with one another, opening presents, and taking long and treasured walks down memory lane, the activity that’s bound to receive the most preparation and attention is definitely holiday eating. While every get-together will have its own spin on the classics, whether you’re indulging in latkes or Christmas cookies, one solid standby that will appear on almost every holiday table is roast turkey. This year, let that bird shine, by pairing it with a perfectly chosen glass of Niagara Peninsula wine.
A little bit of sugar can be a great help with the saltiness that often accompanies a holiday meal, and a crisp and off-dry riesling is often seen as turkey’s best companion. Especially if you can find something that has a bit of fruit it in, a riesling can sit next to turkey as well as the finest of cranberry sauces. Some of the best rieslings in the Niagara Peninsula come from the following wineries:
For the average eater of cheese, cheddar is cheddar and a gouda is indistinguishable from provolone. To the cheese lover, however, there are worlds of difference to be experienced even within the same variety of cheese. No two gorgonzolas or comtes are alike given the fact that everything from where the cheese was made to how long it was aged can all heavily influence a cheese’s outcome.
Behind the excellent cheese and craftsmanship of the Upper Canada Cheese Company is the milk that’s used to make their cheeses. Only milk from Guernsey cows is used, and the ones that supply the Upper Canada Cheese Company come from the herd that resides at the Comfort Family Farm. Guernsey cows are rare — there are only six Guernsey herd in all of Canada — and they are known for producing a golden milk that’s higher in butterfat and, therefore, richer in flavor. They also enjoy a storied history that reaches back into the 10th century onto a small island in the English Channel called the Isle of Guernsey.
Whether you’re at work or going back to graduate school, autumn can be a very busy and hectic time, as the easy, breezy skin of summer’s lull is finally and fully stripped away. Add the holiday squeeze of Thanksgiving, Christmas, Hanukkah, and New Year’s to that, and the months of November and December can begin to feel downright overwhelming for some of us.
Unlike most parades, the Port Colborne Annual Lighted Santa Claus Parade takes place in the evening, which transforms the seemingly commonplace experience of attending a parade into a magical experience that’s perfect for the holiday season. Head to Port Colborne on December 5 by 5:30 p.m. to get a good spot, and bring along some hot cocoa or cider, as well as some non-perishable canned goods if you’d like — the Port Colborne Optimist Club will be collecting them along the parade route. The parade gets underway by 6:30 p.m., and after it’s over, you’ll have plenty of time to enjoy Port Colborne’s charming downtown. Grab a bite of international and Asian-inspired fare at The Smokin’ Buddha after the parade, or, if you get to town early enough, grab a fresh fish lunch or afternoon snack at Minor Fisheries.
Whether you’re a serious student of yoga or just beginning what you hope will be a life-long practice, going on vacation can throw a wrench into the spokes of your well-meaning routine. After all, isn’t that why we go on vacation in the first place? To rest from our labors, reawaken our delight in the uncommon, and jolt ourselves out of our habitual endeavors? Unlike many of the habits of daily life, however, yoga isn’t something that clouds our vision or adds stress. Instead, it brings the practitioner more fully into the present, which actually makes it the perfect companion to a vacation.
A teacher who found her way to yoga first via the practice of Kundalini Yoga, Diane Manjeet Herring opened Shine On Yoga in Niagara Falls in 2011. A deep interest in yoga as therapy has driven and continues to drive her practice and instruction, and she is a tireless advocate of yoga for everyone, regardless of age, income, or ability. Especially if you’re new to the practice or have worried about past injuries or limitations, taking a class at Shine On while you’re vacationing is a great idea. The yoga studio is beautiful and welcoming, and a wide variety of different types of yoga classes are available. Shine On Yoga also offers a free yoga class for the community and visitors now and again at the Niagara Falls Museum.
For many people, the holidays are often more stressful than fun, prompting many to take to the roads and skies in search of destinations where fun can be had without any feelings of accompanying obligation. However, especially for Americans who have only a short four-day weekend with which to mark their gratitude at Thanksgiving every November, getting out of town is often more trouble than it’s worth. But if you don’t venture too far out of the way, Thanksgiving can be a great holiday to experience in a new location.
Eating in the Niagara region is one of the highlights of any knowledgeable foodie tourist. The farm to table movement is alive and well in the Niagara area, which means there is plenty of local, delicious produce available for area chefs to work with — even in November. Regardless of what you like to eat, you can find an entirely new Thanksgiving menu to enjoy when you spend your last Thursday of November in Niagara. Skip the cranberry sauce, the dressing, and the turkey, and choose one of the area’s award-winning, farm-centered restaurants instead — many of which are located at area wineries, including:
Summer is great for fruity frozen drinks; winter needs deep, warming cocktails; but autumn is indubitably the beer season. Fortunately, Niagara Falls is an excellent destination for a beer-cation, especially during September and October when the regional hops fields are being harvested and the local brewers are hard at work fermenting new ales and lagers. This year, you shouldn’t bother trying to scrounge up tickets to Belgium or Germany — Oktoberfest is 
If these two events don’t provide nearly enough ales and lagers, you can round out your Niagara beer-cation with a tour of the Niagara beer trail. Though the region is known better for its excellent wineries, Niagara is quickly becoming a craft brewer’s paradise due to the plethora of fresh ingredients for beer-making.
The entire Ontario region is known throughout Canada and North America as an area that excels in producing fruit and vegetables of a wide variety, but it’s the area’s tender fruit production that keeps Canada in everything from peaches and pears to cherries and plums during the summer and autumn months. And with orchards and farms scattered all over the countryside, Ontario’s bounty is almost always exceptional.
Driving around the Niagara Peninsula is one of the best ways to spend an afternoon, and it’s not just because the grape vineyards are so lovely. Interspersed throughout the region are the scores of farms and orchards that keep Canada in fruit, and the meticulous care the trees and bushes are given helps account for why the area is so postcard perfect and picturesque. Don’t just get a photo at the Falls when you visit Niagara, be sure to snap a few along the roadside in front of a field of cherry trees or pear trees, too.