Counterpart Brewing
3659 Stanley Ave, Unit 8
https://counterpartbrewing.com
Food: 9/10
Space: 9/10
Price: 8/10
Total: 26/30
There are precious few craft breweries in Niagara Falls. Most tourists probably default to the egregiously overpriced Niagara Brewing Company on Clifton Hill—nice patio and ideal location, but hardly the city’s best beer.
There are, by our count, just three microbreweries in the city, and true enthusiasts should absolutely flock to the best: Counterpart Brewing. Located in an industrial area near a concrete supplier and self-storage company, Counterpart is nowhere on the beaten path. But the ample space is well used, housing the brewing tanks, multiple seating areas and a kitchen that pumps out fancy hipsterified pub food. Think fried tofu banh mi, fried cauliflower tacos with pickled onions, and a fried chicken sandwich with jalapeno coleslaw. Plates are tapas-style, coming out in whatever order they’re ready, often easily shareable.
The beer, of course, is the main attraction. Because they produce new flavours seasonally, it’s hard to give a concrete list of their best brews. But we’ll say this: after visiting in early 2024, and revisiting a couple times to pick up different cans, we can confidently say we have never tasted a beer we didn’t like. Which is weird to say because we tested some of the weirder flavours, not so much with excitement but rather tampered curiosity—like their sweet Twix-flavoured oatmeal stout, lemony raspberry blackcurrant sour or 11.9% ABV imperial stout mixed with coconut, cacao and hazelnut. All were surprisingly very good, mostly because the bold ingredients are not blunt or off-putting.
If you’re thinking, “All this sounds expensive”—you’re right! It is a touch pricey. But at least everything is really good. It’s better than the aforementioned Clifton Hill Tourist Brewery, where you’re paying the same (or more) for a mediocre product in a convenient location. Here’s you’re paying for excellent quality in a slightly farther location.
Despite the industrial location, we’re giving high marks to the space, because the team has done good work to elevate the vibe to industrial-chic. Wide, tall windows keep the place feeling open; a modern patio with wide umbrellas and pergolas wisely covers a few former parking spaces; a walled-off keg area, behind the bar, is topped with chairs and tables to double as a second-floor seating area that maximizes the high-ceiling warehouse.
So if the biggest hesitations are location and price, know this: the location may seem far away, but it’s really not (it’s a nine-minute drive from the Sheraton at the foot of Clifton Hill); and the price is at least guaranteeing you will actually enjoy your experience. Counterpart Brewing is a must-visit for visitors and tourists alike who care at all about beer.
