Meet John. He is a local musician who is completing teacher’s college to fulfill his dream. When he needs a break, John looks forward to spending time with friends, date nights with his girlfriend and indulging in a good beverage or two. Here are John’s Top 5 places to stock your bar for the holidays.

Covid-19 Update: Some locations and activities included in this blog post may have altered services or cancellations due to the current pandemic. Please check with each business or group directly or contact Stratford Tourism for more information.

When John returns from school for the holidays, he likes to get together with friends over drinks! Before doing so, he needs to make a few stops to stock the bar. His first stop is always Jobsite Brewing Co. Jobsite offers a variety of different brews, as well as different sizing options, for those who want a little or a lot. Pick up an orange growler jug or the can six pack, two great grab-and-go options for you!

John likes to introduce his friends to new drinks from the bar over the holidays! His next stop is Junction 56 Distillery, and it is conveniently attached to Jobsite! At Junction 56, one of John’s faves is the handcrafted Canadian Whisky, though they do have dozens of other types of liquor to choose from at their storefront.

Black Swan Brewing Co. is another one of John’s top picks to stock his bar for the holidays. He’s grabbing a few six packs of bottled craft beers – their IPA, a classic, and the porter for a festive chocolatey pour, but growler jugs are available to please a crowd. Black Swan is a must-stop on John’s list to stock the holiday bar.

John’s next pick for his Top 5 places to stock his bar over the holidays is Shakespeare Brewing Co., just a quick 10-minute drive east to Shakespeare. The artisanal approach and Ontario grown barley and hops is what John loves about SBC. Choose your own variety six pack to take home for the holidays.

Finally, John’s holiday bar check list leads to Appleflats (just a couple of doors east of Shakespeare Brewing Co.). Here John is picking up two different tasty mixers; Sour Crabapple and Sweet Maple Crabapple. These mixers are perfect for fun holiday mixed drinks, served on their own over ice or in an impressive new “mocktail” recipe. John’s friends will be well served at his bar this season.

Enjoy John’s Top 5 places to stock your bar in Stratford, ON! Tag us in your posts and tell us your Stratford faves!