5 Breweries to Visit Outside Halton

Published August 18, 2017 at 5:45 pm

Whether you’re into dark, bitter beer or light, fruity beer, heading to a brewery to try your taste in beer can be an exciting, authentic experience.

Not only do you get a sneak peak at the process of beer-making at a brewery, breweries often host events, some have brewpubs where you can grab a bite, and some even let you buy beer and take it home.

Of the breweries in the area, we’ve narrowed it down to five breweries to visit outside Halton.


5) Great Lakes Brewery

Located in Toronto, Great Lakes Brewery has been around for 30 years. They have different beer in their retail fridge daily, you can find them at summer events, and they’ve got about 40 beers they brew in-house, including pale ales, porters, IPAs, and lagers. Some of their beer is only available seasonally – like their pumpkin beer which will be available in the fall, yum! Be sure to try their flagship beer, the canuck pale ale.


4) Royal City Brewing Co.

In Guelph, Royal City hosts tours, events, and a tap room for a straight up delicious beer experience. They have a few core brands, rotating brews available in their tap room until they run out, seasonal brews, and their experimental line of pilot brews, only 80 litres of which are available per batch. What’s really cool is that you can make your own pilot batch if you’re hosting an event there.


3) Collective Arts Brewing

Collective arts is a grassroots beer company that combines arts and brewing in Hamilton. They have eight year-round beers, 13 “seasonal experiments,” three collabs, and even five types of cider. Everything is art here – the brews, the live music, and the visual art, too. Scope them out if you want a unique experience at a brewery.


2) Black Oak Brewing Co.

This craft brewery in Etobicoke has been around since 1999. They’re available in craft beer pubs, LCBOs and Beer Stores, and some grocery stores, but they do have their own bottle shop, too. In-house, they serve $5 pints, $8 flights, and they invite anyone to stop by for a tour. Black Oak is also at a bunch of events across the province throughout the year – so be sure to check them out.


1) Bellwoods Brewery

Bellwoods began as a small brewery in the downtown core. Now, Bellwoods has two locations – one on Ossington in Toronto and one on Hafis in North York – and they are in high demand across the city, releasing new beers regularly. They boast a brewpub open from 2 p.m. until midnight, with food to pair with your beer. You can also buy some merch and 500 ml bottles of beer on your way out from their rotating selection.

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