Review: Northern Maverick restaurant, brewery and bottleshop

What’s the vibe

There's no shortage of new breweries and brewpubs opening up in the city and the latest to enter the fray is Northern Maverick, situated in the King West area. Owner and founder Jason Kaptyn has made his dreams a reality by bringing us a sustainable food menu coupled with some excellent craft beer.

Rows upon rows of barrels are visible above the brewery's rustic tables and booths. Large garage doors overlook a gothic revival style church just across the street, adding a bit of eclectic charm to your dining experience (as well as letting in plenty of sunlight). Northern Maverick seats over 400 guests, along with a private events room upstairs where they'll soon host beer school classes on home-brewing and beer tastings.

What to drink

There’s no question about what to drink here with a diverse selection of house-brewed beers on tap, thanks to Brewmaster Andrew Crowder and a sizeable 10-hectolitre brewhouse attached to the restaurant. During our visit, we tried a traditional Hefeweizen with a lingering malt and banana flavour as well as the Heart of Tartness, a refreshing dry hop sour beer. At the bottle shop right next to the restaurant (open from 11am to 11pm every day), you can pick up a few of your favourites to take home.

Despite having a full brewery in their back room, Northern Maverick has a nice selection of cocktails, including the classic Caesar. They’ve put their own spin on it by adding bacon-infused vodka and some of their house-cured Maverick jerky as a garnish, giving it an extra savoury flavour.

What to eat

It’s tempting to glaze over the food options when the list of boozy drinks is so impressive, but together with chef Mark Cutrara, Northern Maverick offers a thoughtful dining experience. From a meat curing and cheese aging room (if you're curious, it's visible from the street) to a 20 foot-long quartz oyster bar, each element is executed with attention and care.

Our standout of the evening was the octopus, which was cooked sous vide and lightly grilled for a pleasantly crisp yet tender texture complemented by a salad of heirloom tomatoes, grilled corn and peaches. The warm, fall-off-your-fork, smoked trout was another favourite, surrounded by pickled celery and tasty smoked beets. Beer, of course, is incorporated into elements of the food offerings (the house mustard, candied beer nuts) to complete your brewery experience.

Dinner and drinks for two: about $80

115 Bathurst St., 416-540-4030, northernmaverick.ca