Signal Brewing to open in historic Corby Distillery site

CORBYVILLE, Ont. — The site of one of Canada’s oldest distilleries will once again produce libation.

Signal Brewing, created by Belleville, Ont., entrepreneur Richard Courneyea, is expected to open this fall. It will be the first craft brewery in the City of Belleville.

“We have owned this portion of the former Corby Distillery for about four years,” Courneyea said. “It has the proper zoning, so we thought let’s chase it and see what happens. Seemingly all the doors are opening nicely for us right now.”

Henry Corby, namesake of Corbyville, built the distillery in 1859 and began selling whisky by the barrel. Throughout the years, the distillery grew, changed hands and produced spirits such as Wiser’s, Lamb’s Rum and alcohol for munitions during the Second World War. The distillery closed its doors in 1989. Today, the company that once called Corbyville home has grown into Corby Spirit and Wine Ltd.

“I don’t think anybody else in Canada has the story this property has to get started. It’s a good impetus to at least gain visibility,” Courneyea said. “I like to say there’s whisky-soaked walls.”

As the former distillery buildings are refurbished for Signal, Courneyea explained former Corby employees still stop by for a glimpse of the old distillery.

“There’s a lot of emotion there still and a lot of wonderful stories,” he said.
Signal’s first beer, dubbed Radio Tube, will be a lager with a smooth flavour profile and high carbonation.

“We wanted a beer that was going to be easily understandable for a market that’s just starting to celebrate craft beer,” said Courneyea.

The name Radio Tube is a nod to Signal’s mantra of celebrating communication. The beer will be sold in stubby bottles and its packaging will mimic a retro transistor radio.

The brewery will open with a 15-hectolitre brewing system using about 5,000 square feet of floor space. Jesse Huffman has been recruited as brewmaster.
Huffman is a graduate of the brewing and distillation program at Heriot-Watt University in Edinburgh, Scotland.

“His brother just opened a malting business just down the road from us in Thurlow Township,” Courneyea said.

Alongside the brewing operation, Signal will include a 1,000-square-foot tasting room, a 4,000-square-foot event space and a 5,000-square-foot patio overlooking the Moira River. Courneyea added they are working on a partnership with a local catering company to add a foodservice option to the venue.

“We want the property to be live music, a speakeasy, everything platformed off of what we create in our brewery,” he said.

While Signal will start as a brewery, Courneyea said he would one day like to add a distillery to the operation.

“It would be amazing to get back to whisky,” he said.

Comments

3 comments

Gerald Hart

Hope you can afford the hydro rates and I wish you all the luck in the world.

Colleen

Best of luck!! Cheers! Sláinte!

Darren Matassa

so stoked for you man... it must be truly exciting to of had the dream and make it happen.....!!