Handcrafted card game ‘Hop ON It’ promotes Ontario breweries

A new game could help beer lovers find their new favourite local brewery. CTV’s Alexandra Holyk takes a look.

An artist from Conestogo, Ont., is encouraging people to explore Ontario – one brewski at a time.

“Hop ON It” is a card game featuring sketches of more than 100 breweries across the province.

Designed by Della vanDokkumburg, the game aims to promote local businesses and encourage players to try out hop spots they’ve never been to.

“I really would like to encourage people to explore all over Ontario,” said vanDokkumburg.

“How can I encourage people to explore?” the artist recalled asking herself. “And I thought, make it fun, turn it into a card game.”

vanDokkumburg started sketching in 2018, delving into local architecture at the start of the pandemic. Her taste in taverns developed shortly after – initially sketching Block Three Brewing Company in St. Jacob’s Ont.

“And then I just thought there’s a lot more breweries throughout the province, and they’re all in interesting buildings,” she said.

Aside from highlighting the architecture, the game also aims to bring business to local beer joints.

“The game itself is incredible,” said Block Three’s general manager, Scott Williard.

“It helps support a local artist,” he added. “We’re a small independent business, like many of these breweries, so I think it’s just a chance to get new people in the door and try new places and new beers.”

How to play

According to vanDokkumburg, Hop ON It can be played in many ways.

The cards are colour-coded for each region of Ontario: Central West is blue, Southwest is red, Central East is orange, East is green, while Toronto breweries are on turquoise cards.

One way to play is by turning the subsets into a road trip.

“You would take that subset of cards, fan that out, pick a card, there’s a road trip. Go visit that brewery,” vanDokkumburg said.

Another option is to flip the cards individually from the deck, and see who’s been to each brewery. Whoever has the most cards wins the game.

“That way, if there’s a card that shows up that nobody has been to that brewery, you put that on the discard pile,” vanDokkumburg said. “And at the end of the game, you pick a card from the discard pile and you pay a little visit to a new brewery.”

While vanDokkumburg estimated there are around 300 breweries across Ontario, she said she doesn’t expect to sketch all of them.”

“I think I’ve got at least one more expansion pack in me,” she said. “I’d like to do another 50 (cards).”

Those looking to try their hand at Hop ON It can try it out at several breweries across Waterloo Region, including Block Three. The full game can be purchased on vanDokkumburg’s website.