Toronto has no problem scratching its near-constant craft beer itch. Local brew is everywhere – east, west, midtown, downtown and all points in between. One of the most admirable attributes of the local craft beer scene is its intrinsic support system. The industry’s inclination toward camaraderie has propelled it forward in big ways over the past five years. More than ever, bars carry what’s brewed within a few kilometres – or a few metres, for that matter.
Who cares about the cans of craft that might pop up on grocery store shelves wedged between perilous stacks of Coors and Budweiser when we have kick-ass breweries and bars aplenty and new brew pubs, like the four below, every season?
BAR HOP BREWCO 137 Peter, 647-348-1137, barhopbar.com
Just down the street and around the corner (give or take a few blocks) from the original Bar Hop, Brewco is much larger and just as busy. Of the 36 beers and ciders on tap, a heavy majority are local and some nearly impossible to find elsewhere. Last I visited, only two draught options weren’t from Ontario, and they even featured goods from other Toronto brew pubs like Folly, Indie and Burdock.
Brewco isn’t a brew pub yet, though co-owner Rob Pingitore and Bar Hop manager Matt Bod are no strangers to the art of fermentation. The lists at both bars are always peppered with custom goods, made collaboratively with established breweries like Sawdust City, Bellwoods, Great Lakes, Indie Ale House and Amsterdam. The caged space behind the bar is equipped with brewing equipment, though it currently houses over 1,000 litres of saison made by Bar Hop at Amsterdam Brewery.
FOLLY BREWPUB 928 College, 416-533-7272, follybrewing.com
Habits rebranded as Folly Brewpub just last month, shifting its focus from whisky to beer after noticing a spike in interest in the on-site nano-brewery installed earlier this year.
Folly’s focus is on food-friendly Belgian styles like saisons, sours and farmhouse ales. Though it currently has only 10 taps to showcase house beers like Inkhorn (a farmhouse bruin) and Imposter Syndrome (a farmhouse IPA), Folly consciously highlights the talents of other small local breweries like Rainhard and Burdock.
LANSDOWNE BREWERY 303 Lansdowne, 416-588-1641, lansdownebrewery.com
Until Brockton’s soon-to-be brew pub releases its first batch of beer, it’s dedicated all of its taps to tiny, independent compadres in cerveza like almost-neighbour Folly, Muddy York, Hamilton’s Garden Brewers and Whitby’s 5 Paddles. Everything on the drinks list – from beer and cider to spirits and house-made sodas – is local. There’s tasty food, too.
BURDOCK 1184 Bloor West, 416-546-4033, burdockto.com
Burdock ‘s micro-system shines behind a wall of glass for guests to admire as they sip whatever’s freshest. Using all-Ontario ingredients, the Bloordale Village spot pumps out small batches of classic and experimental styles like West Coast Pilsner, a pils that drinks similar to an APA, Belgian Table Beer (an adaptation of a Grisette) and White Peach Berliner. Be sure to check out the attached music hall – it doesn’t get much better than local beer coupled with local talent.
