Hop Hop Hurray! The craft beer scene here in Newfoundland is bubbling over. There are literally dozens of breweries set to open the next year and I’m slowly working my way down the list (hard job, but someone’s gotta do it! Labour Day weekend Adam and I drove out to spend the weekend in Dildo to try the Dildo Brewing Co. and Museum which opened just a few months ago. What a difference a year makes! We spent the weekend in Dildo last year while I was covering a story for North American Traveller and while the town was had lots to offer, it’s now bustling with the new brewery, newly-opened Dildo Cove Outdoor Adventures, and a re-branded Dildo Dory Grill.

Wish you were beer

Owner Roger George had a pint in our hands and was giving us the grand tour of the brew houses within minutes of our arrival. Roger George opened the brewery with his sister Angie George and their partners Rob and Debbie all of whom are from Dildo. Their love for their hometown shows up everywhere in the building, from stained glass in the doors of the brew house featuring Dildo’s 19th century cod hatchery (one of the only ones in the world at that time) to the lovingly restored museum on the first floor. The town’s museum had resided in the building for decades and together with volunteers from the town, they have brought it back to life with vim and vigour (and some hops).

The Tap Room

The second floor is completely open to the tap bright and cheerful tap room with big windows overlooking the cove. Pints can be enjoyed on the patio too, and they have blankets for the chillier afternoons. Roger and fellow co-owner Rob are both carpenters so most of the rainbow barn board lining the walls of the tap room and the brew house were re-purposed during the building’s renovations.

The brews

Dildo Brewing Co has four standards, with a fifth tap rotating depending on the season or what brewmaster Lionel Rodrigues feels like cooking up. My favourite was the I’se the B’yePA with its tropical notes and hoppy goodness. Adam was all about the Stout Dildo and its hues of coffee, and I loved that the Red Rocks Ale gets its distinctive red colour from beets! The incorporation of Newfoundland ingredients is crucial for the brewers in Dildo, including the Blue Eyed Buoy, made with local blueberries. Route 80 Blonde is the beer appealing to the masses skewing more towards light and refreshing and away from strong and hoppy.

What’s on the menu at Dildo Brewing Co.

Beer is the focus at the brewery, but there’s a lot to munch on while you sample the beers. Pub favourites like wings, nachos and mozza sticks dominate the menu, but there’s usually fish and brewis on special along with soups and salads. I have to say I was gleeful how many mozza sticks showed up to the table, most restaurants skimp!

Because you can’t drive home…

We stayed at the George House Heritage Bed and Breakfast for the second time and it was just as good as the first! It couldn’t be any close to the brewery — I could see Dildo Brewing Co from my room. Todd the innkeeper is all about the personal touches like handmade chocolates at bedtime and warm cookies upon departure. And the breakfast. Let me tell you about the breakfast! A bounty of fresh pastries, coffee, mimosas and a plate so big you won’t need to eat the rest of the day.

You can read my full review of George House Heritage Bed & Breakfast here.

Disclosure: Thank you so much to Todd at the George House Heritage Bed and Breakfast for the complimentary stay, and to Roger and Angie for the beers and eats at Dildo Brewing Co. As always, all opinions expressed in this blog post are my own.