Beer Academy
The Good
Hiding in plain sight at a location conveniently located across from the Canadian Passport Office, Beer Academy is an intriguing concept that offers a tasting room, event space, and retail shop all rolled into one. Its got everything that a craft beer nerd needs to fulfill his lust for suds. The tasting room is meticulously designed and laid out to provide you with the experience of hanging out in the middle of a brewery, not just a tasting room! Boil kettles and fermentation tanks easily visible through the glass panel walls. Its a bit high brow and the space glows during the day with all the natural light reflecting off the surrounding buildings. This place has the look of deep pockets investing good money into making this space super cool. I love the bar top comprised of hundreds of recycled beer bottle shards that shimmer like a mosaic of green, brown and black glass. Very sexy.
The staff are very approachable and well trained. They have a fine selection of merch including t-shirts, glassware and stickers available in their beer shop. All of their beers are available for sale in large format bottles as well as on tap for sampling. The beers even have trading cards! TRADING CARDS! Each card profiles the beers design, profile, recipe and even suggested serving glassware. Their Kölsch blonde ale is an exceptional beer as well as their Hefeweizen wheat ale.
The staff are very approachable and well trained. They have a fine selection of merch including t-shirts, glassware and stickers available in their beer shop. All of their beers are available for sale in large format bottles as well as on tap for sampling. The beers even have trading cards! TRADING CARDS! Each card profiles the beers design, profile, recipe and even suggested serving glassware. Their Kölsch blonde ale is an exceptional beer as well as their Hefeweizen wheat ale.
The Bad
There is a corporate vibe that resonates through this place, but that does also mean that the day to day operation standards must be very high. Location is a little odd as its easy to get to yet not very well located. If you're on foot its less than a 10 minute hike from the Eaton Centre. If you're coming by car at any point during the day, good luck getting to this place without pulling at least a small amount of hair out. Its plagued by a maze of one way streets, poor parking and heart of downtown traffic. There is street parking available out front on Lombard st. for decent price if you can find it.
The Verdict
An awesome beer establishment that exudes quality and attention to detail. Well worth the trip and they offer private tours if you get in touch ahead of time. Their beers are available in multiple formats like 625ml bottles as well as growlers. Keep an eye out for their limited and seasonal releases as they do tend to have a very diverse selection of styles. Beer Academy gets an B+ from me with their high quality beers, amazing tap room, and a multitude of beer styles.
Cost: $$
Steamwhistle Brewery
The Good
Ok so this is a total no-brainer as Steamwhistle is simply iconic. Conveniently located in a destination that just happens to be "on the way" to any major sporting event in the city. The Roundhouse is just so easy to end up at without even trying. You get a free sample when you walk in the door and Steamwhistle Pilsner is served up in any size, shape or variety that you could possibly ask for. Anyone that has ever visited the tap room knows how awesome this space really is. How can you possibly get any better branding than having a railway themed brewery inside of an old train roundhouse? Perfect. If you end up here, take a tour; It's seriously good fun and a lot of beer is consumed at the end. The staff are energetic and friendly and thrive in the high paced touristy environment that is the Steamwhistle brewery.
The Bad
Oh god this is hard and people are going to hate me for mentioning anything that I think could be better about this place. Let's just rip this bandaid off and get it over with. As a craft beer lover, variety is a big deal. Steamwhistle prides itself on "Doing one thing really well" and you can't hate them for sticking to their guns on this one. Is there a way that Steamwhistle could possibly offer more variety without compromising their mantra? I think so.
I think that Steamwhistle could take a page directly from the collaboration series handbook. Already interwoven into the DNA of what Steamwhistle does is their Unsigned Indie Music Series. I easily see a limited release beer created in a partnership between Steamwhistle and one of their Indie bands. How cool would it be to sell a limited release Indie beer? Did you ever hear about the Sam Roberts band Session Ale collaboration with Spearhead Brewing? Just food for thought.
I think that Steamwhistle could take a page directly from the collaboration series handbook. Already interwoven into the DNA of what Steamwhistle does is their Unsigned Indie Music Series. I easily see a limited release beer created in a partnership between Steamwhistle and one of their Indie bands. How cool would it be to sell a limited release Indie beer? Did you ever hear about the Sam Roberts band Session Ale collaboration with Spearhead Brewing? Just food for thought.
The Verdict
By far the best location, building, and product; Steamwhistle is on top of the craft beer game. Their beer shop has limited hours between noon and 6pm on most days, which is not totally up to craft beer par, but every other aspect of their business more than makes up for it. The shop has a plethora of super cool merchandise and Steamwhistle pilsner is available in just about any size and shape you can drink it in. Steamwhistle also gets major points for pushing the boundaries of what an eco friendly and green brewery can actually be. Steamwhistle gets an A-
Cost: $$
Granite Brewery
The Good
Holding down the uptown craft scene, Granite Brewery has a small and effective brew store tucked into the corner of an outstanding craft beer restaurant. Its pretty basic, but these people really know their shit. Bottles, not a chance. This is growler country. A closet sized section of the establishment holds a single, two- door sliding fridge, containing an assortment of pre-filled growler goodies. Each one filled by hand, safety sealed and labelled by wax pencil. I've been here about 3 times and each time I've spoken with a different staff member who scuttled over from behind the bar to help me. "What kind of yeast do you use in the blah blah blah ale" I ask. A rudimentary question that opens up an ark of the covenant of beer answers. These guys can tell you the flavours produced by the yeast strain, hops, boil times, fermentation schedule, adjuncts, pairings, you name it they know it. This didn't happen to me just once, it happened 3 times! This is a well trained staff that understands their product from grain to glass. Exceptional doesn't even begin to cover it.
Granite's beer should be a Toronto treasure. This place was craft beer brewing before it was cool and trendy. Granite represents the bridge between the old school craft breweries and that of the scene today. They brew beers that are diverse, unique, and they're not afraid to make beer styles that nobody else really touches (eg. ringwood. How many breweries make a ringwood beer?). A growler will set you back $13 + $4 deposit that you get back when you return your empty growler for your next one. Recycling is cool! FYI, the brewshop is open until 11pm most nights. Did I mention that you can order 3 sizes of kegs there too? Hmmmm......
The Bad
Granite Brewery you are too far away from me! It's not your fault though, and I do suppose that people that live north of Bloor deserve a great craft beer experience too. Parking is not too much of a challenge in that area. If you're there after 8pm, there's a strip plaza across the street where the cross fit gym is thats usually empty. I can honestly say that I haven't had a disappointing beer there yet.
The Verdict
Granite can be a stretch for most but well worth the journey. Its one of Toronto's first craft beer restaurants and the staff is once again very knowledgeable and super friendly. Granite deserves a solid A for its diverse selection of beer styles, on site recycling, and great staff. If they had a second location more central to downtown I could see it being super successful. If you haven't gone yet, check it out. You will not be disappointed.
Cost: $$$
Amsterdam Brewhouse
The Good
My relationship with Amsterdam goes back many years. The old Amsterdam brewery on Bathurst was spitting distance from my condo and effortlessly supplied me with craft beer goodness. When they closed and relocated to Queens Quay, the brewshop was resurrected inside the Amsterdam Brewhouse.
The shop is awesome! Its new, its shiny, and they've managed to cram an entire brewshop into about 150 square feet. There's an excellent selection that includes Amsterdam's updated core brands like Natural Blonde & Downtown Brown. The seasonal selections are diverse and always in stock and the one off's are always interesting. Check out Boneshaker, Maverick & Gose, and the seasonal Framboise.
The Bad
When I go into a business to spend my hard earned dollars I expect great customer service. One problem that I often find when I stop in here is that there's NOBODY at the counter. There have been a few times I've literally waited around alone in the shop for 5 minutes before anyone appears behind the desk. I could have easily walked out with a few handfuls of product and nobody would have even known. Are people being pulled into the restaurant or something? Are you on a smoke break? Show up for your customers!
Also, If you're in a car, you're in trouble. There is absolutely no parking nearby that you doesn't require a permit for you to ditch your car, or you have to pay Green P fees. Let me also remind you that there's a police station right next door! How brave are you when parking illegally with a cop looking over your shoulder? The entire stretch of the Queens Quay in that area is also in a terrible state. It's been torn up and constantly under construction for the past 2 years so its a labyrinth of one way streets, potholes, speed bumps, winding roads, and pedestrian crosswalks. If you're heading down for beer shopping, go by bike or on foot. When the streetcars are running again, there should be a stop right out front that you can jump off at.
The Verdict
Amsterdam delivers some excellent craft beer selections. This place crams a lot of shop into a moderately accessible location but lacks on delivering consistent customer service. This shop gets a B based on great beer selection, poor parking, spotty customer service, yet a plethora of merchandise. It is by far the most modern and dare I say prettiest looking brewshop.
Cost: $
Bellwoods Brewery
The Good
Among the most easily accessible brewery shops in the city (literally right in front of a bus stop) Bellwoods is the go to for any trendy beer loving Queen West hipster. This former automotive shop turned craft beer mecca consistently produces great brews. Personally, I'm a big fan of Farmageddon & Monogamy. The beer shop is open 11am-11pm and if you show up past 11pm in your search of beer glory, you can always try your luck getting a table in the Bellwoods tap room. The beer is visibly made on site so freshness is guaranteed. Bellwoods has amazing branding that is adorned on everything from t-shirts, stickers, posters, toques, bags and more.
The Bad
I do find that they put out beers that don't offer as much diversity as I would hope. By this I mean, I've bought bottles of pretty much everything that they've ever created and a few things tend to taste the same after a while. I find at times that there's not enough range in the hops and yeasts used from beer to beer. Take it or leave it, its just my opinion. Bottles are a tad on the pricey side and will run you around $8 each.
The Verdict
Cost: $$
Great Lakes Brewery
The Good
The Great Lakes Brewery shop is my absolute favourite for choice of product. I'm a HUGE fan of anything that shows up in their Tank Ten Series (Etobichoker, Audrey Hopburn, My Bitter Wife IPA etc.) and their core brands are outstanding. The location is convenient enough by car, positioned just off of the Queensway and the 401. If you're walking or bussing from downtown good luck.
The Walls are adorned with full size posters of their stellar signature artwork found on their cans. They can their stuff in bullets! Bullets! I love the small time feel of this big time brewery. The staff is always super nice and there's always someone with a good lean hanging off of their mobile bar where their taps can be found.
The Bad
I say it every time that I go in there and its become a bit of a cliché, "You guys need to be open later." The biggest downfall of this brewery shop is the hours. I happen to drive past this brewery on the way home from work and they're always closed. I can't be the only one that feels this way guys. We love your beer, we want to buy your beer past 5 or 6 pm. There's business to be had and I think that they're shorting customers by closing early. Look at how many other brewery shops on this list are open until 11pm! That is your opportunity guys. I'm sure that all of my constant harassment will lead to later hours but I'll let you guys take credit when it happens.
The Verdict
High quality beer from the often named "Canadian Brewery of the Year." You can't go wrong grabbing a few cold ones here and I guarantee you will love anything marked Tank Ten on it. This entire operation gets an A- from me based on quality of product, selection, staff, and location. If GLB was open until 9pm, I would undoubtedly call this an A.
If you're looking for a little post brewery snack, check out The Pie Commission just around the corner. They make a pie that uses GLB beer in the sauce.
