We visited owner, founder and the London Legend himself, Mike Smith of Toboggan Brewing Company (formally known as Jim Bob Ray’s). Mike is pretty well known around the city for places such as Joe Kool’s and Fellini Koolini’s. Ever since his childhood, Mike talks about how he was the class clown and he was known for his house parties! So Mike decided it was worth him to get into the business of hospitality. Mike wanted to do craft beer years ago, however he noticed that the market place in London, Ontario and parts of Canada were not ready for it.
Toboggan is a little bit different than a traditional brewery because it also houses a bar and restaurant. This plays to their strength as it allows them to cater to a larger demographic. This brewery isn’t an absolute ‘beer destination’ but a place to grab a bite, watch the game, and even have a family dinner. This is a big place and can host around 300 people, and features a variety of beer and food options including: a stone oven for pizzas and shareable, like Tapas.This allows the restaurant part of Toboggan to introduce the craft brews that are available and if people like them they will come back and hopefully pick up a few bottles of their 6 different brews! Stop by the next time you’re Downtown for a flight or to have a pizza from their wood-burning oven. If you really love your pint, you can grab a growler and other cool gear in their on-site store!