OutSpoken Brewing

Over the past ten years, OutSpoken Brewing has become one of the preferred hangouts for craft beer lovers in downtown Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario. After a pandemic-induced hiatus, the brewery has reopened and remains a strong and vital business in the Sault, offering a unique local craft beer experience. 

I recently had the opportunity to sit down with Ryan Markkula, Kevin Rusnell, and Reg Peer, the owners and the brewmaster of OutSpoken. Ryan and Kevin are originally from the Sault and have a background in marketing and business. Reg has many years of experience in the beer brewing industry. 

Open for Business: With Updates and the OG Brewmaster

“We reopened in December 2023, after being closed for a couple of years,” said Ryan, along with business partners Jeff Elgie and Ryan Yates. "We all wanted to keep the brewery open as it made sense to buy a business with a great reputation and a fantastic customer base. We were very fortunate that Reg Peer, our brewmaster, agreed to stay on board and who has maintained some continuity in our popular beer offerings as well as coming up with new recipes,” shared Kevin.

I noticed a few updates, too. The front of the house has been renovated and made larger plus there are new murals by Katrina Thibodeau of Discover the Canvas. “We made some changes to make the place more welcoming, to offer more seating and a bar area, as well as a small lounge in the back,” mentioned Ryan. They not only have a great beer menu, but offer cocktails, wines, alcohol-free drinks, and a fully stocked bar. The four most popular crafted brews at UnSpoken include:

Mile Hill – Light Lager

Named after the part of the highway between Sault Ste. Marie and Goulais River, this ale is an ode to the Lake Superior Coastal islands and the spectacular view of the big lake.

Anvil Red – Red Ale

An original recipe, the name honours the Sault’s steel-making heritage.

Space Station – IPA

The flagship beer of OutSpoken. Featuring a cosmic blend of Comet, Mosaic and Galaxy hops, tropical fruits dominate this easy-drinking IPA that finishes slightly sweet.

Maglia Rosa – Italian Pilsner

Named after the jersey of the leader of the famous The Giro bicycle race, one of the toughest in the world. This beer pays homage to the Italian heritage of Sault Ste. Marie and to the cycling roots of the brewery. 

For a deeper and full explanation of these, more brews and other drink offerings click here or click here

Brewmaster Reg Speer has added unique craft beers to the menu and comes up with some for very special occasions, like the Hops & Hog - Pale Ale. The Hops and Hog Event happens in September of each year where they will have a pig brought in from Valley Field Farm. The event has been very popular, featuring a pig roast, live music, and of course, great brews and food. One of the things that makes the pig roast special is that Valley Field Farm will use the spent grain from OutSpoken, a food byproduct of the brewing process, as feed for their pigs. 

A New Menu: With Local Input

One of the big new changes at the brewery is that they have recently hired a chef and have had input for the new menu from the chef/owner of Ernie’s Coffee Shop as well as the chef at Peace Restaurant. The new menu will include elevated pub food choices. With the new food options, OutSpoken is now both a brewery and a restaurant.

Events and Live Music at OutSpoken Brewing

“Every Friday evening, we have been booking live music that has proved to be a great addition to our business,” said Kevin. “One of the things that we have continued with is our relationships with the cycling community. We participate in the Salty Marie Trails Fest and the Frozen Toe Fat Bike Race. We have welcomed many tourists who like to cycle or just out exploring and stop in for a cool brew on their journey. Our indoor pub and outdoor patio have been a big attraction for locals and visitors alike.”

OutSpoken beer products are available at the GFL Memorial Gardens, area restaurants and pubs as well as curling clubs and Laird Raceway. 

The brewery and restaurant employ twenty people and have just won an Ontario Brewers Award for their Mile Hill Lager. With this dynamic group of guys running the business, I do not doubt that it will have a bright and successful future. Well done!

OutSpoken Brewing

350 Queen Street East, Sault Ste. Marie
PH: 705 253-2828
Web: https://www.outspokenbrewing.com/
Social Media: https://www.facebook.com/outspoken.brewing/   and  https://www.instagram.com/outspokenbrewing/

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