A Call To Arms | Jeff Voth

Splash and Dash

A Call To Arms In Old-World Niagara

Story: Jeff Voth / Photography: Peter Hessels

The year was 1812 and stories claim British officers were dining with their American counterparts at Fort George in what was then Upper Canada. During the meal, word suddenly arrived the two empires were at war. The Americans immediately stood up to leave, but the British insisted they stay and finish their meal before being safely escorted to the river bank and sent on their way. In the end, America won its independence and the stranglehold of the British Empire was never the same.

I am reminded of this time in history as I drive the 2018 Kia Stinger GT AWD through the manicured streets of Niagara-on-the-Lake, Ontario. With the launch two years ago of luxury brand Genesis, a sibling Korean automaker, Kia now steps forward to challenge the hotly contested luxury sports car segment.

With next-generation American muscle cars already afoot and well established European automakers holding their ground with firm resolve, a cordial welcome by the competition to remain at the table will not be forthcoming as the ingenious Korean automobile invasion continues its steady march forward.

The drive into living antiquity from either Toronto to the north; Buffalo or Niagara Falls to the south, is filled with glimpses of vineyards and multimillion dollar homes.

Together with roadside plaques celebrating the history of this area, it provides an intoxicating blend of the old and new.

A must-see route to follow is the Niagara Parkway stretching all the way from Fort Erie to Niagara Falls before finally reaching the shores of Lake Ontario. It is recorded that Winston Churchill once stated the Parkway is “the prettiest Sunday drive in the World.”

Cherry trees are laden with new crops nearly ready to be harvested as we leave the historic town of Queenston behind. I do my best to maintain a steady pace on the Parkway and keep to the speed limit of 60 km/h. It is a challenge as the two-lane road is perfectly paved and traffic is light on this day.

To my right is the mighty Niagara River and just beyond that America. It feels so close you can almost touch it, but in reality, the two countries are separated by a wide, fast-moving waterway. Of course, Niagara Falls in all of its splendour, a mere 16 kilometres to the south, may have something to do with this. Powercraft and sailboats ply the shared boundary in a scene unlike any other in the world. Thirty minutes later we arrive at our destination.

“...the prettiest Sunday drive in the World.”

The Pillar and Post is a mainstay in the town of Niagara-on-the-Lake, or NOTL as it is referred to by the locales. Situated off the main street, it is a short fifteen-minute walk from the many stores and restaurants lined up to greet the daily onslaught of visitors from all parts of the globe.

It has been 206 years since the War of 1812, but the town still feels connected to its vibrant past. At the entrance to Fort George, cannons are polished and gleaming as tour buses pull up and eager visitors arrive.

Throughout the hotel, floors creak and history oozes around every corner. Constructed in the 1890’s, the building first housed a canning factory manufacturing some of Niagara’s finest produce. The upper floors of the building were converted to a storeroom for Polish forces training in the area in 1914, but it remained an active cannery until finally closing its doors in 1957.

A total of 35 rooms re-opened the building as a hotel in 1975 with an additional 122 rooms added in 1994.

Today, evidence of the once proud canning factory can be seen throughout the red brick structure and homage is paid at the Vintage Hotels property by dining at The Cannery Restaurant.

Niagara is celebrated throughout the world for its fruit growing and wine-producing terroir. But hidden behind the endless number of family-run produce stands and extravagant wineries in this region is the lesser known, but equally compelling, craft beer market.

Leaving the Kia Stinger parked at the hotel, it is an easy walk to the newly opened Exchange Brewery, the first stop on our unofficial Niagara Beer Trail.

A contrast, given the setting; the taproom is ultramodern with seating at the bar or a few small tables spread throughout. On tap are various Belgian-style ales carefully aged in 50 French Oak wine barrels. Bill Nye PA and a Grapefruit Pale Ale are just some of the flavours to explore.

A short taxi ride away, Silversmith Brewing Company is located in a what was once the town of Virgil’s central church. Pews have been replaced with tables for four or a larger party ready to enjoy an afternoon or evening beer flight.

The 2017 World Beer Awards Canada Gold winner Black Lager is a must, so too the Dam Buster English Pale Ale. We are told by the locale patrons that a four-pack of the Spiced Horchata Porter is worth lining up for at Christmas as it is strictly limited edition.

Close by, we also stop at Niagara Oust House Brewers, located in what was once a big red barn. You can’t miss it, it is still bright red and white and a short three-minute drive from Silversmith on your way back to Niagara-on-the-Lake.

This local favourite beer stop is famous for their Farmhouse Ale Collection, as well as a new Dark ‘Ass Ale and the very seasonal Watermelon Gose. Growler in hand, it is time to get a ride back to town.

As impossible as it may seem, this centuries-old setting is even more spectacular at night with lights twinkling down Queen Street. It is also at this time when the exotic sports cars come out to play.

The sweet summer cruising sounds of a Lamborghini Huracán coupe and Maserati GranTurismo fill the night air.

The next day dawns bright, bringing with it the heat of a typically muggy summer day in Southern Ontario. I push the start/stop button of the Kia Stinger to break the morning silence. Driving out of town past streets already filled with tourists, I smile inwardly as we suddenly cross paths with an elegant coupe of the British feline persuasion.

A blip of the throttle and 365 ponies under my foot snort their readiness. If war is upon us, this is a most comfortable and passionate steed in which to charge forward into battle.

“Niagara is celebrated throughout the world for its fruit growing and wine-producing terroir.”