Brewery Tours Downtown in the City of Toronto

Visit the Amsterdam, Mill St. and Steam Whistle Breweries

Jan 22, 2010
Allison Anthony

Brew Kettle - A. Anthony

Three of Toronto's top breweries not only offer inexpensive tours but also free samples of beer. Spend an afternoon sipping suds and sightseeing when visiting the city.

Checking out the local brew pubs is a cheap travel idea for beer lovers visiting Southern Ontario. Drinking locally made beer is a popular pastime in Toronto and it's fun to see the process from kettle to bottle.

Although all three of these breweries are located in totally different areas of downtown, each one is within walking distance of several other tourist attractions.

The Oldest Brew Pub in Toronto

Amsterdam Brewery – 21 Bathurst Street, 416-504-6882

The first home of Amsterdam beer was on King Street in the Entertainment District back in 1986. Now housed at the base of Bathurst Street, Amsterdam Brewery regularly makes 11 varieties of beer and five seasonal beers.

While there are no set tour times here, call ahead and one can be arranged. The $8.00 tour comes with eight beer samples and a pint glass.

What to visit the area:

Fort York – 100 Garrison Road, 416-392-6907
Toronto Music Garden – 475 Queen's Quay West, 416-973-4000
Harbourfront Centre – 235 Queens Quay West, 416-973-4000

The Historic Gooderham & Worts Distillery District

Mill St. Brew Pub – 55 Mill Street, Building 63, 416-681-0338

Probably the most decorated brewery in the city, Mill St just won “Best Brewery in Canada” for the third consecutive year. Mill St. has 14 different labels including their original Organic Lager. Gooderham & Worts started distilling whiskey in 1837 so it’s fitting that Mill St. is continuing that tradition in their own way.

Tour the brewery for free on Saturday and Sunday at 1:00 pm and 3:00 pm or call ahead for tour times during the week.

What to taste in the area:

Soma chocolates – Building 48, 416-815-7662
Balzac’s coffee – Building 60, 416-207-1709
Brick Street bread – Building 45A, 416-214-4949

The John St. Roundhouse

Steam Whistle Brewery – 255 Bremner Blvd. 1-866-24-0-BEER

At $15.00 per person this tour is the most expensive of the three but it comes with a 6 pack of Steam Whistle Pilsner. Steam Whistle makes one beer with four ingredients (water, hops, malted barley and yeast) which proves the idea that sometimes simple is better.

The Roundhouse also doubles as an exhibition space for local emerging artists to display their work. The tours are run every 30 minutes from 1:00 pm to 5:00 pm, Monday through Saturday and from 1:00 pm to 4:00 pm on Sunday.

What to see in the area: