3 Breweries to Visit in Toronto
If you drink craft beer and are heading to Toronto one activity you cannot miss out on is visiting a few microbreweries. With over 40 breweries Toronto offers a wide range of tastes to choose from. Here are a few that you cannot miss.
The Mill Street Brewery’s original brewing location is situated in the Distillery District. This part of town used to be home to the largest distillery in the world. It has since been transformed into a trendy pedestrian walking area lined with cafes, boutiques and serves as the location to the annual Christmas Market. Mill Street is actually the only brewery/alcohol producing company in the district, despite the area’s name. Established in 2002 this microbrewery created Ontario’s first organic beer, the Original Organic Lager. Since then the brewery has released over 60 craft beers, many of which have won awards and recognition. A few to try are the 100th Meridian Amber Lager, Cobblestone Nitro Stout, and the West Coast Style IPA. My favorite was their Vanilla Porter which you can find in the winter months. The Mill Street Brewery in the Distillery District has been transformed into a brew pub. If stopping by, I recommend trying a flight and pairing it with a delicious cheese and meat board if you feel like snacking.
Another recommended stop is the Amsterdam Brew Pub. Although not all their beers are brewed at this location their food is killer and you can get all their popular beers on tap. I loved their food and beer so much I went again the second time I visited Toronto. When you walk in you can see some of the brewing tanks through a giant glass wall. It sets a great vibe for the environment. Sit down at the bar or ask for a table, everything about this place has a cozy, yet industrial feel. Amsterdam has mastered their hoppy IPAs. Three include Boneshaker, Fracture, and Space Invader. If IPAs don’t suit your taste you can never go wrong with their Downtown Brown Ale (my favorite of theirs) or Big Wheel Deluxe Amber. As for food, their house burger is a must as well as their flourless chocolate torte for dessert. They have very good sides to choose from too.
For a unique brewery tour experience I recommend heading to Steam Whistle Brewery. Unlike other breweries, Steam Whistle produces only one beer. That’s right, one. Their story is rather unique in that the 3 founders originally were working for another microbrewery until it was shut down and they were let go. Together they then went out on their own to produce the perfect Pilsner and so Steam Whistle Brewery began. Located in an old railway repair house, the atmosphere fit the name perfectly. Enjoy endless amounts of their prized Pilsner during a tour and learn more about the history of the building and brewery. (Don’t forget to call and reserve a spot ahead of time!) One other thing I love about Steam Whistle is they will deliver right to your home in one of their spiffy vehicles. And if you are visiting at the end of the day, you might get to hear their steam whistle go off at 5 o’clock indicating the day’s work is done and it’s time for a beer.
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