The graphic that co-founders Joanne Richter and Rob Garrard had designed for their brewery’s grand reopening event upends their trail sign logo into a tornado shape. This nod to the storm that ravaged Uxbridge, Ont., on May 21, 2022, and the tagline “Back Together,” adorned shirts, hats and glassware as part of their grand reopening celebrations on the July 15 weekend.
The Second Wedge is no stranger to overcoming challenges. From its bootstrapped beginnings in 2015, to having to fight to retain their dog-friendly taproom in 2019 (and successfully petitioning to change the law in Ontario), to the two years of pandemic closures and restrictions, the brewery found creative ways to keep its head above water.
Just when relief was in sight, as they reopened their beer garden – with onsite pizza kitchen Foundry Pi – for a busy summer season, the staff, owners and customers of The Second Wedge were shocked by the impact of an EF2 tornado that ripped off the brewery’s roof and damaged most of its interior.
Over the year that followed, the brewery received an outpouring of love and support. Notably, they were invited to move four of their fermentation tanks to Newmarket’s Market Brewing Co., their brewing team becoming “roommates” with the team at Market, taking turns using the onsite brewhouse, fermenting and finishing beer in their respective tanks, and assisting one another on canning days.
“It’s been an amazing arrangement,” said Garrard. “We have nothing but good things to say about Market Brewing Co. Their generosity and kindness when we were down helped keep our business alive and everyone’s spirits up.”
