Josh Rubin is a reporter in the Star’s business section. Previously, he was the Star’s beer columnist for over a decade, and has been judging the World Beer Awards since 2016. He has also judged many other competitions, including the Canada Beer Cup and the Canadian Brewing Awards.
Whether you’re sitting on a dock at the cottage or hitting a patio in the city, there are few more Canadian ways to quench your Canada Day thirst than with a cold beer — especially if it’s something local.
No matter where you are in Canada, there are good local craft breweries to choose from. In Toronto, we’re blessed with a bounty of talented brewers, turning out some outstanding beers that can hold their own against the best in the world.
Here are five of my favourites, with suggestions on what to order in their brew pubs or pick up at their on-site bottle shops.
Granite Brewery Best Bitter Special
Granite brewer Mary Beth Keefe is following in the footsteps of founder (and her dad) Ron Keefe, turning out everything from English and American IPAs, to an Irish stout, a raspberry ale and her latest brew, Ron’s Lager, a top-notch Pilsner that doubles as a fundraising project for ALS research. But for Granite Brewery regulars, the Best Bitter Special is probably the biggest attraction and is an excellent example of an English-style cask-conditioned ale, with gentle, natural carbonation and floral hop notes from “dry hopping,” the addition of hops late in the fermentation process. You can even get a “cask in a box,” to have the experience at home. 245 Eglinton Ave. E.
Bellwoods Brewery Jelly King Dry Hopped Sour Ale
They might not be the cool new kids on the brewing block any more, but Bellwoods — founded in 2012 — is still one of the most exciting breweries in the country. Yes, they’ve got some very good IPAs (Witchshark, anyone?) powerful imperial stouts, and even some very well-crafted lagers, like Bellweiser. But it’s the Jelly King sour — and its many flavoured variants — that really helped Bellwoods make its mark. And for good reason: It’s delicious, tart and refreshing and is an outstanding summer patio tipple. And also because it was a bold choice back in Bellwoods’ early days to lean so heavily into sour beers at a time when many of the city’s beer drinkers hadn’t really experienced tart brews before. 124 Ossington Ave. & 20 Hafis Rd.
Godspeed Brewery Sklepnik Plzen-Style Pale Lager
What could be more Canadian than a Quebec brewer making traditional Czech-style lagers for his Toronto brewery while also living most of the year in Japan? That’s the story behind Godspeed Brewery and its founder and co-owner Luc Lafontaine, who got his brewing start with Montreal’s famed Dieu du Ciel brew pub, but has since gone on to work with some of the world’s most highly touted craft breweries. Lafontaine makes some of the best traditional Czech-style lagers you’ll find outside Czechia, including a delightfully floral, malty Pilsner-style brew called Sklepnik. (He also does some Japanese-inflected beers, including a green tea IPA and a yuzu saison). 242 Coxwell Ave.
Indie Alehouse Brewing Co. Breakfast Porter
What began as a stylish but homey brew pub in the Junction in 2012 has since expanded to a location at Eataly in Yorkville, under the Birroteca banner. While initially known for its wide array of ales, including hoppy brews like its West Coast IPA Instigator, Indie Alehouse/Birroteca has since expanded to everything from Italian style pilsners perfect for a summer patio (Bionda or Marco Polo) and even some barrel-aged sours. But don’t miss its Breakfast Porter, a strong, slightly sweet dark brew that also happens to be an excellent nightcap, despite the morning-focused name. 2876 Dundas St. W. & 55 Bloor St. W.
Left Field Brewery Ice Cold Beer
Beer, baseball and Canada Day? Who could resist that classic combination? And that’s exactly what you get with this baseball-themed east-end brewery, which expanded into Liberty Village last year. One of Left Field Brewery‘s biggest sellers is also something to be proud of for another reason: Ice Cold Beer, a straightforward, refreshing ale, is made with 100 per cent Ontario ingredients, something that would have been all but impossible even a decade or so ago. Also not to miss: Eephus brown ale and Greenwood IPA. 36 Wagstaff Dr. & 40 Hanna Ave.
