100 Sheldon Drive, unit 36, Cambridge, Ontario
It was another sunny vacation Friday and we were off to do what we do best, visit breweries, drink beer and have my better half drive me home. We were again looking to explore far away and exotic locales, assuming we could be home by 4pm because kids. After visiting a handful of breweries in Guelph, we knew we had only scratched the surface of Kitchener-Waterloo-Cambridge-Guelph or KWCG as those in the know call it.
When starting a blog, a Youtube channel or just sitting down to eat a sandwich, you must first open an Instagram account. So I opened my Instagram account and quickly followed every Ontario brewery I could find. Jackass Brewing in Cambridge Ontario was the very first of those breweries to follow me back, even with only one post. This simple act of following back immediately rewarded them a top spot on our must visit brewery list.
I’ll be honest, I really didn’t know much about Jackass Brewing. I’d never had the opportunity to try any of their beers either by way of LCBO or on tap and we don’t visit Cambridge often or really ever. We were coming in fresh, with no preconceived notions or expectations of the beer or brewery. It was kind of exciting.
Once upon a time in a city called Cambridge there lived two brothers Keith and Wayne. They loved doing things together, in particular they loved to brew beer in the garage and call each other jackasses. As time went on they perfected their beer recipes but grew tired of calling each other jackasses. The brothers needed something new to call a jackass. So as the story goes they opened Jackass Brewing in Cambridge Ontario in February of 2018. Another Jackass was born.
Entering the industrial office park, those ones with electrical and plumbing supply offices around the exterior with loading docks behind. Coming in the wrong entrance we slowly drove around the complex until finally we found Jackass on the complete opposite side we entered. The exterior is simple, just a sign and a shrub that I assume they also call a jackass. The brewery is shotgun style, long and narrow with a taproom upfront and brewing production behind.
We arrived right at opening we were greeted by Noah, who offered us seating inside or on the patio which they call the “Playpen” . It was a beautiful day and the Playpen was the right choice. These were the times of Covid (and still are as I am writing this) and many breweries scrambled to create outdoor spaces for their customers to enjoy. “Follow me” said Noah, and we did, through the taproom and into the fabled employees only production area...wait we aren’t supposed to be in this area. We splashed through puddles, hurdled hoses and dodged canning lines. You know where you are? You’re in the Jungle baby, and you’re gonna….. have a few beers and enjoy your afternoon. Their location is not ideal for a patio with parking lot in the front and gravel loading area in the rear. But they have put together a comfortable outdoor space with green turf, patio tables and umbrellas. To us, being lead through the narrow brewery production area was a welcomed part of the experience.
The service and how you are received at a brewery is half the experience. You can have great beer and an IG worthy brewery design, but if your staff is aloof and doesn’t engage with the customers the overall experience is greatly diminished. Lucky for us, Noah was awesome and made our visit that much better. He took the time to explain what we were drinking, the history of the brewery and check on us regularly. Cheers Noah!
So everyone's a jackass... tell us about the Beer!
The tap list rotates constantly and there is also something new along with fan favourites. These fan favourites seem to be their Sunkiss IPA, Uncle Steve’s Irish Red and Portraits of Honour Golden Ale.
Tropic Rocket New England IPA – Big aromas of Pineapple and orange citrus. Big melon, banana and mango on the sip with a strong but balanced pine bitterness throughout. Reminded me of that pine flavour slightly under ripened mangos have. Juicy and dank with a creamy mouthfeel. Fantastic!
Use your Coconut Stout – Rich aromas of roasted coconut and toffee. Tastes of roasted coconut and dark chocolate, sweet on the sip but drying out on the finish. Full flavoured and robust, phenomenal and one of our favourites this year.
Portraits of Honour Golden Ale – Aromas of honey and baked bread. Graham crackers, light honey sweetness with balanced hop bitterness throughout. Crisp and delicious.
Bramble On Sour – Aromas of berry flavoured candies. On the sip is a ruby red grapefruit tartness that mellows out to a sweet mixed berry finish. Again excellent.
We were so pleasantly surprised with our visit to Jackass Brewing. If we could’ve, we would have spent the afternoon drinking those delicious beers but instead indulged in some beers to go. Don’t be fooled by the simple exterior, the beer being made here is anything simple. Great beer, great staff and a bad "ass" logo, we highly recommend visiting Jackass Brewing in Cambridge for a pint and beers to go. And if you are lucky you can be a jackass too.
Stay positive and drink good beer.
