Future Mountain Brewing and Blending

Ian Jones and business partner Shane Ferguson met working at Braeside brewery Boatrocker, where they bonded over their love of yeast-driven farmhouse beers and bracing American-style sours. And you won’t find much else on the menu at Future Mountain, their taproom in Reservoir.

The 12 options include a subtly spicy white ale; a biscuit-y rye pilsner and a puckering yet balanced golden sour that comes plain, or fermented with one of three fruits. In the past that’s included peach, cherry and apricot, but the duo introduce new flavours seasonally.

The bar area is surrounded by 55 barrels, inside which various brews are left to mellow and take on subtle oaky notes. The “blending” part of Future Mountain’s name refers to the mixing separate barrels in prudent ratios to achieve particular flavour profiles (more balanced, usually). This is common at traditional Belgian breweries and newer players in the US.

Future Mountain doesn’t brew truly “wild” or “spontaneously fermented” beers (those where the tank is left open to receive whatever microbes happen to be floating by). Rather, Jones has a library of yeasts and bacteria he’s been culturing for several years, the same way good bakeries keep their own sourdough starters going.

The food menu rotates; there's a new chef every few months.