OnTap Magazine

to a constantly rotating array of some of the more creative beers in the city, from musty and dry, Brettanomyces-in uenced ales like Weft & Warp to Baltic porters, fruited sour beers and single hop pale ales. For quieter sipping and a di erent selection, Bellwoods operates a more traditional brewery tap at their more o -the-beaten-track production location northwest of the city centre. e anchor to the city’s burgeoning brewery district in the northwest end is Junction Brewing , named for the neighbourhood it calls home. Usually with eight to ten beers on tap, Junction o ers variety from pilsners and black lagers to agship brews like their Conductor’s Craft Ale and Stationmaster’s Stout, all in an expansive location that is as worthwhile to reach as it is tricky to nd. It is also an excellent jumping o point for a brewery tap crawl, Rainhard Brewing , Shacklands Brewing , the People’s Pint and the Indie Ale House all being close neighbours. THE NEW BREED e stage set by the success of Junction and Bellwoods and others, the city soon had breweries opening all across its length and breadth, most including their own taprooms and beer stores. One of the early adopters was an operation that got its start having its beers contract brewed by others before getting its own brewery up and running on the east side. Although not the easiest to access on public transit – nor the easiest to nd, it being located down a narrow street that is little more than an alley – the baseball-themed Left Field Brewery is a genuinely fun place to share a beer or three, especially on a Blue Jays game day with a glass of Eephus Oatmeal Brown Ale in hand. A more recent arrival is the aforementioned Blood Brothers Brewing , opened in 2015 on a commercial roadway once described as possibly the city’s ugliest street. e area is still industrial in feel, but with a brewery, a distillery and a handful of bars and restaurants now in residence, the neighbourhood is far more attractive than it once was. And it is made all the more so by Blood Brothers’ modest and quirky Draft Room, where they pour eight or nine beers that change frequently but usually include the brewery’s stellar Inner Eye Pale Ale. AND THE PRESENT While Toronto has always been, and remains today, a great city for beer bars – likely Canada’s best in that department, in fact – it is only recently, thanks largely to the stimulus provided by the above breweries, that it has become a great city for breweries and brewery taps. So much so that a few years back I was able to conduct a tour of a dozen breweries in the city over the course of a single day, walking or taking public transit the whole way and never feeling at all rushed. Today, I might be able to expand that list to 14 or 15, and still have room for another dozen the next day! Combine those with exciting beer bar destinations like Bar Hop, Birreria Vola and the 150-tap CRAFT Beer Market and Canada’s largest city truly does become a playground for the beer- obsessed visitor. THE CITY SOON HAD BREWERIES OPENING ALL ACROSS ITS LENGTH AND BREADTH THE TAPROOMS OF TORONTO WORLD OF BEER 46 | Summer 2018 | ontapmag.co.za