If you ever find yourself in Barrie Ontario you must visit Peter Chiodo, the owner of the Robert Simpson Brewery. This gifted brewer makes the best beverage north of the number seven highway - Confederation Ale.


The vintage brewery is located right in the heart of old Barrie across the historic Queen's Hotel, and its the real thing - good beer is made and sold right on the property.

And its made in the name of a historic figure - a man who played a prominent role in nation building, and is certainly one of the foremost Canadians of Upper Canada - Robert Simpson was the 1st Mayor of Barrie in 1871 and was a master brewer. Even back then he'd already been brewing beer for almost thirty years all over the province, and his Simcoe Steam Breweries succeeded for another twenty years after that.


Tim Braithwaite is a stoneware collector that possesses a rare Robert Simpson stoneware beer bottle from the very start of this historic man's career. This clay fired vessel was made and stamped in 1849 as per the Toronto Index which shows Robert Simpson as a brewery in Toronto in 1850. Simpson moved north to Barrie in 1851 and set up a brewery there, anticipating the railroad would bring a thirsty population to the expanding lake port city.

The brewery was a success and Robert Simpson became a man of great importance in the community.

Now this stoneware beer bottle, which was made by an unknown pottery shop in Upper Canada in the late 1840s, is one of two survivors and certainly worthy of display in any museum. Peter admits that he wants to build a museum quality shrine for Robert Simpson right inside the sales room of his brewery, but he cannot afford the additional small business insurance for storing and displaying antiques and collectibles. Tim has been checking quotes online for homeowner's insurance that includes storage and display of historic collectibles. This highly collectible object is worth a lot of money, but any thief would have a hard time selling the piece.

Peter was just thrilled to be able to see and touch and connect with the namesake of his enterprise - lets hope the whole experience brings him luck and prosperity.