Collective Arts Brewing

Hamilton natives and Collective Arts Brewing co-founders, Bob Russell and Matt Johnston, have always cheered for the underdog. Formerly home to Lakeport Brewery, the waterfront property on Hamilton’s Burlington Street East needed some – okay, a lot – of TLC.

“You had to close your eyes and dream,” explains Johnston. “The previous infrastructure needed new drain work and several coats of paint, but it had a good soul.”

Factory smoke stacks to the east and the creative renaissance of James Street to the north paint the perfect canvas for this unpretentious industrial microbrewery, bottle shop, and tasting bar. Since opening its doors in November 2015, the renewed 10,000 square-foot venue acts as part retail, part warehouse, part brewery and part concert space.

And what better place to launch a new series of homestyle brew than in your own backyard? Their neighbourhood open houses and concerts have hosted Canadian headliners like The Strumbellas, The Darcys and Grand Analog to eager crowds of beer drinkers and art lovers hailing all the way from Detroit to Montreal.