Beer drinkers, rejoice. There are many breweries across Canada, both big and small, that offer tours and tastings on the premises. Learn about the brewing process and sample some great beers while you’re at it. Here are a few breweries that offer informative tours, and most importantly, tasty beers.
Steam Whistle Brewing, Toronto
Toronto’s Steam Whistle Brewing, responsible for Canada’s premier Pilsner, offers tours Friday, Saturday and Sunday. Choose from three tours of varying price points, which include a souvenir of either a glass, bottle opener, 6-pack or 12-pack of beer. On the tour you’ll learn how Steam Whistle is made, meet the staff and enjoy a sample of beer. You can book tours on their website.
Big Rock Brewery, Calgary
Big Rock Brewery in Calgary, brews several varieties of craft beer, including a signature series comprised of eight beers. They also like to get creative and brew small batches of limited edition beers in unique flavours you might not find anywhere else. Tours of the brewery are 90 minutes long and take you through the brewing process from beginning to end. At the end there is a tasting session and you get a Big Rock glass to take home.
Garrison Brewing, Halifax
Garrison Brewing brewed its first batch of their flagship beer, Irish Red Ale, in 1997, thereby introducing the craft beer movement to Nova Scotia. They brew seven year-round ales, in addition to limited edition brews. They run tours for groups of 10 or more (so grab some friends), where you’ll get to sample the Irish Red Ale and learn about the history of the brewery.
Quidi Vidi Brewing Company, St. Johns
Quidi Vidi has been in the beer business for 15 years. The St. Johns, Newfoundland-based independent brewing company brews eight brands of beer with a unique ingredient – 25,000 year old iceberg water from icebergs that drift off the coast of Newfoundland. Beer tastings and 45-minute brewery tours are available throughout the week
Vancouver Island Brewery, Vancouver
Vancouver Island Brewery was the first craft brewery on the island, which was started in 1984. The brewery has since moved to a larger space in Victoria, British Columbia where their handcrafted, all-natural beers have continued to please palettes and win awards. See how they create their complex, refreshing brews with a tour. One hour tours run every Friday and Saturday and include a branded pint glass.
Beau’s All Natural Brewing Company, Vankleek, Ontario
This local, family-run, organic and independent brewery in Ontario, uses local spring water and certified organic malts and hops to make their award winning beers. They brew one year-round flagship brand (Lug-Tread), a rotating roster of seasonal beers, and a “wild oat” series of beers with unique ingredients and creative flavour combinations. Informal tours of the brewery are available Monday through Friday and include a sample.
Half Pints Brewing Company, Winnipeg
Winnipeg’s Half Pints Brewing Company opened to the public in 1996 and brews four flagship beers, including Stir Stick Stout brewed with coffee and Little Scrapper IPA, a very hoppy beer with a hint of grapefruit aroma. They also brew five seasonal beers. Tours are offered every Saturday at 1 p.m.
Yukon Brewing, Whitehorse
Yukon Brewing began in 1997 as Chilkoot Brewing by friends Alan Hansen and Bob Baxter. They had the goal of creating a quality beer and keeping the process local to support the community. They currently have eight brews and offer brewery tours Monday through Saturday. Tours are offered three times a day in the summer, and once a day after Labour Day.
Lead photo: Quinn Dombrowski used under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike license
