Six Toronto breweries to visit this winter
Visiting breweries can be synonymous with summer, but many places have tons of appeal even in the colder months.
Winter in Toronto is often a grind, but this year’s gloominess has been particularly acute.
There’s been a distinct lack of sunlight, and much of the snow the city received was concentrated right around the holiday season, causing all manner of chaos.
Suffice it to say, it’s been rough out there. But there are plenty of ways to brighten your days in the city even if the sun refuses to do so.
One method is visiting Toronto’s quality breweries and enjoying some traditional winter beers like porters and stouts.
Read on for a list of breweries where you can sit inside in a nice — or at least interesting — space, and sample a hearty, seasonally appropriate dark beer that won’t disappoint.
Godspeed Brewery
Address: 242
Coxwell Ave
Winter beer pick:
Kemuri Porter
Godspeed’s originality begins with its inspirations as it draws on both Japanese and Czech influences to create something new.
The spacious taproom’s high ceilings and largely unadorned walls make it feel a touch more elegant than many of its contemporaries without veering into pretentious territory.
Godspeed can’t claim a massive roster of traditional winter beers, but the ones on offer hit the spot. The Kemuri Porter and Kuro Stout are both smooth and substantial while the Kintsugi #3 reserve blend is a good option for those who like their stouts with a higher ABV.
Rorschach Brewing Co.
Address: 1001
Eastern Ave
Winter beer pick:
Decadence Blueberry Cream Chocolate Milk Stout
As a brewery near The Beaches with a sizable outdoor space, Rorschach isn’t an intuitive winter destination.
What it does have is a commitment to stouts and a willingness to experiment with its flavours.
Rorschach’s narrow taproom is barely visible from its entrance, but once you settle in its wood-forward decor stands out from its industrial brethren, giving it a bit of a chalet feel.
And if you’re looking for a novel winter beer experience, this is the place to go. The brewery’s extensive line of stouts features flavours like coconut, creme brulee, blueberry, and peach cobbler.
Not every one is a home run, but the audacity is impressive, and often pays off.
Black Lab Brewing
Address: 818
Eastern Ave
Winter beer pick:
Needs More Dog Munich Dunkel
Black Lab wears its canine theme on its sleeve, but the brewery’s emphasis on dog-related decor and a pet-friendly atmosphere doesn’t mean it lacks substance. What’s more, the images on the walls aren’t overbearing or tacky, and all doggy visitors must be leashed.
Which all goes to say: Even dog agnostics should find something to like in this laid-back spot, and the beer makes it worth a visit.
Black Lab’s signature offering is its Cornerstone Black Lager, a seasonally versatile option that’s an approachable gateway into the brewery’s dunkel, baltic porter and oatmeal stout.
Blood Brothers Brewing
Address: 165
Geary Ave
Winter beer pick:
Black Hand American Stout
It can be difficult to thread the needle between creativity and execution in brewing, but Blood Brothers reliably finds that balance.
The brewery’s laneway garage atmosphere comes complete with a sprinkling of the occult thanks to a shrine behind the bar that features melted candles and rosary beads, among other religious and pseudo-religious trinkets.
That odd combination works strangely well, but the star here is the beer — and the stouts play a significant role in that.
Its trio of Balam Barrel-Aged Imperial Stouts aren’t for the faint of heart thanks to their 11.9% ABV, but they’ve got plenty of flavour and are worth a look for fans of dark beers that pack a punch.
Granite Brewery
Address: 245
Eglinton Ave E
Winter beer pick:
Keefe’s Irish Stout
Granite Brewery has been a North Toronto staple since before many of the other breweries on this list were a glint in the proverbial milkman’s eye.
Going strong since 1991, Granite is a meat-and-potatoes operation that consistently delivers quality ales. It’s more a brewpub than a taproom, but its cozy atmosphere is endearing even if it’s not Instagram fodder.
The beer list is relatively compact, but if you’re willing to consider a dark lager a winter beer the Nightfall is worth a taste — and its stout is nothing short of excellent.
Indie Alehouse
Address: 2876
Dundas St W
Winter beer pick:
Memento Mori Nitro Stout
Like Granite, this establishment is better understood as a brewpub, and its exposed brick walls and hardwood floors generate an aesthetic that should be familiar to fans of the genre.
While the interior space plays it down the middle, the beers coming out of Indie Alehouse are far from ordinary.
This Junction institution is especially proficient at crafting porters and stouts that satisfy, from their Breakfast Porter to their Zombie Apocalypse imperial stout line.
While food isn’t necessarily part of this list’s criteria, it’s also worth noting that the fried chicken sandwich is exemplary.
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Code and markup by Kyle Duncan. ©Torontoverse, 2023