SAWDUST CITY BREWERY EXPANDS WITH COOL ‘EVENT’ VENUE IN BACK OF MICRO PUB

Mark Clairmont | MuskokaTODAY.com

GRAVENHURST — Lube, oil and filter — with a pint to go?

The latter, if not the former, is now being offered at the Sawdust micro brewery here.

Eight years after brewing their first beers in Gravenhurst, Rob and Karla Engman who co-founded Sawdust City Brewing Company in 2014 along with their brew master Sam Corbeil, continue to grow.

The popular main street brew house, pub and entertainment venue on Muskoka Road north threw open its garage doors Friday night to a new event space they’ve dubbed the ‘Service Bay.”

At a ‘Garage Door’ opening from 6-9 p.m., Natalie Archer hosted a ribbon cutting and reception to share the expansion that has transformed the former Canadian Tire’s auto repair bays into a stunning local venue for weddings, meetings and other events.

Archer, the Engmans’ properties manager, welcomed 50 or so invited well-wishers.

The Engmans are in Florida and unable to attend, and Corbeil was also otherwise engaged.

So it was left to Archer to meet and greet and do the honours.

With three big bay doors providing lots of light and a cool night lit vibe, the large space was filled with supporters who mingled and munched on food fare from their expanded back kitchen.

A surrounding balcony offers lots of extra room with tall tables overlooking the bar, which had all of their craft beers on tap, some Pelee wine on the shelf and cans of alcohol coolers. There’s no hard liquor.

This side room licensed for 200 — right off the front patio — is in addition to the 100-seat pub on the other side of the entrance.

But for now it will only be open for special events — but in the summer a fourth pull-up door could make the patio accessible to the bar.

Archer said the room could also accommodate overflow from the pub when necessary.

She said they’ve already hosted a wedding reception for a local optometrist and a beer tasting for RBC.

The main pub still shows a view of where the beers is brewed regularly.

But, sorry, the new venue won’t have drive-in service.

Three large bay doors that once opened to bring in vehicles for lube, oil and filters and repair work now offer bright light into the venue.
Host Natalie Archer boasts about the service centre event venue that’s already had a wedding reception and beer tasting. 
About 60 people joined in to celebrate opening and expansion of the micro brewery on Muskoka Road.
District chair John Klinck samples some of the kitchen offerings. But he wouldn’t bite when asked what he’s doing after he soon leaves the district chair’s job. His wife has a lot of jobs for him to do, he joked.
Architect Duncan Ross toasts a job well done. He says the only hard part was accommodating the cool second floor mezzanine wrapping around the main room.
The mezzanine is one of the cooler features of the new Sawdust City special events venue …
… It offers expanded room as part of licensed seating accomodation for 200.
Bartender Chris Lacroix shows his Transformer tattoo while slicing lemons, He also has a number of Star Wars tags. “I’m a bit of nerd like that,” he said with a laugh.
Shanelle Poulay was busy beforehand ready to welcome guests to Gravenhurst’s newest business venue and event space. She pointed out the cool vibe from the well-lit room, especially at night, she said.
Invitees received wooden drink tokens for complimentary craft beer.

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