If you remember Exhibition Stadium, you know that snow and baseball in Toronto are not mutually exclusive events. That said, it's appropriate that the week the Blue Jays open their 2014 spring training and the weather starts to warm, Toronto's very own baseball-themed brewery gets ready to host an event at their new brewery-to-be.

Left Field Brewery was founded by Mark and Mandie Murphy in 2013 as a contract brewery, brewing mainly at Grand River Brewing in Cambridge. Mark is a Chartered Accountant who studied brewing at Niagara College and Mandie is a marketing and communications professional. They both self-identify as passionate fans of beer and baseball, but that's made fairly obvious by the fact that started a brewery and called it Left Field.

Their oatmeal brown ale, Eephus, shares its odd name with one of baseball's strangest pitches: a looping "ultra-changeup" that relies on the combination of a normal-looking delivery and its unusually slow speed to confuse batters.

Eephus (the beer) pours a clear chestnut brown that tends towards garnet when held up to the light. Its dense, mocha-coloured cap recedes slowly and leaves behind a good amount of lacing.

The subtle aroma features faint hints of roasted malt and sweet toffee. A creamy, velvety texture (from the oatmeal) accompanies the first sip, but quickly gives way to nutty roasted malts and a balancing caramel sweetness. Midway through, the American influence sneaks up and takes over, and the flavour leans strongly towards its hop character of orange peel and pine resin.

Earlier this year, the Left Field team announced that they had secured a warehouse in Leslieville and have plans to turn it into a physical brewery. This Saturday, Feb. 22, they will be holding an open house from 2 pm to 8 pm with beer samples and slices by Big House Pizza (both cash only). The full details are available on the web site.

Left Field Brewery's Eephus American Brown Ale, about $7 a pint, available on tap at various Toronto bars including barVolo and The Loose Moose.