The music has stopped and the taps at Stonehooker Brewing Co. have gone quiet, but customers aren\u2019t saying goodbye to the Mississauga brewery\u2019s beer just yet.<\/p>\n
Stonehooker\u2019s Biergarten CODA and its restaurant, bar and hospitality operation closed for good on Sept. 7, marking the end of the brewery\u2019s run as a destination for pints, food, live music and events on Lakeshore Road East.<\/p>\n
But the Stonehooker beer store remains open and the brewery\u2019s beer continues to be available at the LCBO.<\/p>\n
Owner Ross Noel says that\u2019s an important distinction for customers who may have interpreted the closure as the end of Stonehooker altogether.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe underlying theme is that we intend to keep the brand alive,\u201d Noel previously told INsauga.com. \u201cThe brand has value. We\u2019ve been building it for the last eight, nine, close to ten years.\u201d<\/p>\n
Stonehooker announced the closure last month, saying the brewery\u2019s hospitality operation would be winding down. The final day brought one last celebration for customers who wanted to enjoy the space before it closed.<\/p>\n
Now, however, customers can still visit the location to purchase Stonehooker beer from the retail store.<\/p>\n
The store\u2019s new hours are Wednesday to Friday from 5 to 9 p.m. and Saturday and Sunday from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. It is closed Mondays and Tuesdays.<\/p>\n
Stonehooker beer is also available through the LCBO, and Noel says the company is looking at expanding its listings.<\/p>\n
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The brewery\u2019s beers can also potentially be sold through grocery and convenience stores, as well as bars, restaurants and The Beer Store.<\/p>\n
Exactly what happens to the brewery itself is much less certain.<\/p>\n
Noel says the business and the space are for sale as the company goes through a restructuring process. He is looking for a buyer or partner who could help determine the next chapter for the brewery.<\/p>\n
And while Noel is willing to remain involved, he says what that involvement might look like has yet to be determined.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt depends what the offer looks like,\u201d he said. \u201cI would expect that any offer to partner or purchase the business or partner with us \u2026 would probably include my services. And it may include me having a stake. But those are negotiations that have not yet taken place.\u201d<\/p>\n
For now, production can continue at the Mississauga facility, but the brewery\u2019s longer-term future is dependent on what happens with the sale or a potential partnership.<\/p>\n
Even the possibility of Stonehooker eventually returning to the hospitality business has not been completely ruled out.<\/p>\n
\u201cI think it is bittersweet because we\u2019d like to continue to have the place for people to go,\u201d Noel said. \u201cThat may still happen at some point.\u201d<\/p>\n
He compared the brewery\u2019s future to a phoenix rising from the ashes.<\/p>\n
Stonehooker opened its doors to the public in 2019 and became a fixture along Mississauga\u2019s Lakeshore, combining its brewery with a nautical-themed restaurant, patio, live music and community events.<\/p>\n
The brewery\u2019s name itself was inspired by Mississauga\u2019s waterfront history. Stonehookers were schooners that worked in the shallow waters of Lake Ontario, using hooks to collect stone from the lakebed before bringing it ashore for use in construction.<\/p>\n
For Noel, closing the hospitality operation after years of building the business is a difficult moment, but he says there is also pride in what Stonehooker accomplished.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe feel a sense of accomplishment and we recognize that we\u2019ve become a part of the community here,\u201d he said. \u201cAnd we think that we\u2019ve achieved that.<\/p>\n
\u201cSo, we\u2019re proud of that. And we\u2019re proud of our product.\u201d<\/p>\n
The biggest change for customers is that they can no longer sit down for a meal, grab a pint at the bar, listen to live music or enjoy the brewery\u2019s former hospitality space.<\/p>\n
They can, however, still buy the beer.<\/p>\n
And for Noel, keeping the Stonehooker name and products alive is the immediate priority while the brewery\u2019s next chapter remains up in the air.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe don\u2019t want to be forgotten and we hope that people will continue to support the brand,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n