You could soon notice more breweries popping up in Amherstburg.
Council is expanding zoning rules to allow breweries to set up in agricultural areas of the town.
Mayor Aldo DiCarlo has received some interest in establishing Amherstburg breweries.
"Craft breweries seem to be the next business. We've become established, I think, with wineries in our a region and craft breweries seem to be something to explore," says DiCarlo.
The town's current rules allowed wineries and distilleries, but excluded breweries.
DiCarlo thinks setting up breweries in agricultural areas will be a good fit.
"It all just goes hand in hand," says DiCarlo. "Just the food, the wine, the craft beer; it all just goes together and people seem to love the tours."
DiCarlo points to Wolfhead Distillery as a good example of how breweries could fit in in Amherstburg.
"They're using the grains and the hops growing around them, you know Wolfhead uses the limestone from the quarry across the street," says DiCarlo. "It is a great business in that it helps other businesses around us."
In its report to council, administration highlighted the importance of agriculture to the town for both cultural and economic reasons.
Also included in administration's report were provincial guidelines for agricultural land which describes prime agricultural land as a finite, non-renewable resource making up less than 5% of Ontario's land base, serving as the foundation for food, fibre, fur production as well as agri-food exports and economic prosperity.
