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List of Craft Breweries in Ecuador

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Updated in January 2018! When I first published this list in 2014, I had 40 craft breweries listed in Ecuador. Now the list includes more than 135! Added and updated all social media and website links. New additions also include a bottle shop and some great beer bars, now that bottled craft beer is a possibility in Ecuador.

I’ve been lucky to visit Ecuador many times and see how the craft beer craze has taken off in the small South American country. Microbreweries, home brewers, nanobreweries, call them whatever you want – small, craft beer producers, are now found everywhere.

I originally wrote an article on the subject for the September/October 2014 issue of TAPS the beer magazine, you can download a digital copy here. Things have changed quite a bit in Ecuador since then.

Craft Beer Bottles in Quito
A Selection of Craft Beer bottles from Ecuador

 

To add to that article, and my older post about Craft Beer in Ecuador taking on Pilsner and Club, here is a listing of all of the craft (artesanal) brewers in Ecuador. If you know of anyone who should be added to this list, let me know!

Craft beer, or cerveza artesanal, as it is called in Ecuador, now numbers well over 100 different breweries, msot of whom are listed below. This cerveza artesanal list is constantly changing and being updated. Pretty much all of them are on Facebook or Instagram, but not so many have their own functioning websites. Where possible, links have been provided below. Since these guys are all based in Ecuador, you may need to brush up on your Spanish to decipher the where/how to find some of these beers if you’re planning to visit this little country in South America.

1984 Beer in Quito
facebook.com/1984beer

Abysmo Brewery and Brewpub in Quito
abysmobeer.com
instagram.com/abysmobrewpub
facebook.com/Abysmo
twitter.com/abysmoartesanal

Adventure Brewing Company in Quito
adventurebrewingec.com
instagram.com/adventurebrewingec
facebook.com/adventurebrewingec

Ale’s Art Brewery in Banos
facebook.com/alesartbrewerybanos

Alkimia Beer in Tumbaco
facebook.com/AlkimiaBeer

AMARU Cerveza Artesanal in Quito
facebook.com/amarucerveza

Amsel Bräu in Cumbaya
amselbrauec.blogspot.com
instagram.com/amselbrau
facebook.com/amselbrau
twitter.com/amsel_brau

Ancestral Cervecería in Quito
facebook.com/Ancestral.beer

Andes Brewing Company in Quito
andesbrew.com
instagram.com/andesbrewing
facebook.com/AndesBrewing
twitter.com/AndesBrewing

Angel’s Town Brewing in Quito
angelstownbrewing.com
facebook.com/Angelstownbrewing
twitter.com/AngelsTownBeer

Animal Brewery in Quito
instagram.com/beer.animal.brewery
facebook.com/Animalbrewery

Antares Brewery & Restaurant in Cuenca
facebook.com/AntaresCerveceriaArtesanal

Antisana Beer Co in Quito
instagram.com/antisana_beerco
facebook.com/Antisanabeer

Arlequina Cerveza Artesanal in Quito
arlequinabrewery.com
facebook.com/arlequinabrewery

AYA Cerveza Artesanal in Quito
facebook.com/ayacerveza

Bamboo Cerveza Artesenal in Quito
facebook.com/bamboocervecera

Bandido Brewing – Brewery in Quito
bandidobrewing.com/brewery

Bandido Brewing – Brewpub in Quito
bandidobrewing.com
instagram.com/bandidobrewing
facebook.com/Bandidobrewing
twitter.com/bandidobrewing

Beer Factory Brewery in Cuenca
facebook.com/Beer-Factory-Brewery-Restaurant-391847414202121

Belbrök Cerveza Artesanal in Cuenca
facebook.com/belbrok

Cantuña Cerveceria in Quito
facebook.com/Cantu%C3%B1a-cerveceria-457870311243899

Carishina Beer in Quito
instagram.com/carishinabeer
facebook.com/carishinabeer

Centro del Mundo (Casa Aida) Cerveza Artesanal in Quito
facebook.com/cervezaartesanalcentrodelmundo OR
facebook.com/Cerveceria-Artesanal-Casa-A%C3%ADda-2022284161330686

Cervecería Brobarnia in Valle de los Chillos
facebook.com/brobarnia
twitter.com/brobarnia

Cervecería La Cayetana in Aloasi
facebook.com/cervecerialacayetana

Cervecería Cucurucho in San Rafael
facebook.com/CucurochoBeer

Cervecería Nórdica in Cuenca
nordica.com.ec
facebook.com/cervecerianordica

Cervecería Quiteña in Quito
instagram.com/quitenacraftbeer
facebook.com/CerveceriaGourmetEcuador

Cerveza Artesanal Becken in Cuenca
instagram.com/cervezaartesanal_becken
facebook.com/cervezabecken

Cerveza Artesanal Beerkingo in Manabi
facebook.com/Cerveza-Artesanal-Beerkingo-932201290167292

Cerveza Artesanal Belmonte in Cumbaya
instagram.com/cervezabelmonte
facebook.com/cervezabelmonte

Cerveza Artesanal Cascade in Cuenca
facebook.com/CervezaArtesanalCascade

Cerveza Artesanal Cruz del Sur in Valle de los Chillos
instagram.com/cervezascruzdelsur_ec
facebook.com/cervezascruzdelsur

Cerveza Artesanal Dragon Brewery in Quito
No known official links.

Cerveza Artesanal Galápagos in Puerto Ayora
instagram.com/galapagosbrewery
facebook.com/Cerveza-Artesanal-Gal%C3%A1pagos-1699687953608751
twitter.com/galapagobrewery

Cerveza Artesanal La Fortaleza in Otavalo
facebook.com/Cerveza-Artesanal-La-Fortaleza-1561797074057778

Cerveza Artesanal Liebesgott in Guayaquil
facebook.com/Cerveza-Artesanal-Liebesgott-1419785491635242

Cerveza Artesanal Pana in Quito
facebook.com/PANACervezaArtesanal

Cerveza Artesanal República in Guayaquil
instagram.com/cervezarepublica
facebook.com/cervezarepublica.ec

Cerveza Artesanal Triple in Santo Domingo
facebook.com/cervezatriple

Cerveza Bajamar in Guayaquil
cervezabajamar.com
instagram.com/cervezabajamar
facebook.com/CervezaBajamar

Cerveza Ballesta in Sangolqui
cervezaballesta.wixsite.com/cervezaballesta
instagram.com/cervezaballesta
facebook.com/cervezaballesta
twitter.com/cervezaballesta

Cerveza Bonanza in Portoviejo
destileriabonanza.com
instagram.com/bonanzabeer
facebook.com/Cerveza-Bonanza-271061626567614

Cerveza Caran in Caranqui
caran.ec
instagram.com/cervezacaran
facebook.com/cervezacaran

Cerveza Cuatro Rios in Cuenca
instagram.com/cerveceriacuatrorios
facebook.com/CervezaCuatroRios

Cerveza El Conde in Chone
instagram.com/cervezaelconde
facebook.com/cervezaelconde

Cerveza Eureka in Quito
cervezaeureka.com
facebook.com/cervezaeureka
twitter.com/craftbeereureka

Cerveza Impala in Guayaquil
instagram.com/cervezaimpala
facebook.com/cervezaimpala

Cerveza La Bendición in Cumbaya
facebook.com/cervezalabendicion

Cerveza La Morena in Cumbaya
facebook.com/Cervezalamorena
twitter.com/cervezalamorena

Cerveza Montesca in Portoviejo
instagram.com/cervezaartesanalmontesca
twitter.com/CervezaMontesca

Cerveza MUt Lager in Cotogchoa
cerveza-mut.com
instagram.com/cervezamut
facebook.com/mutlager

Cerveza Quilago in Quito
No known official links.

Cerveza Senora (Sra) in Quito
cervezasenora.com
facebook.com/CervezaSra

Cerveza Teufelsjager in Guayaquil
instagram.com/cervezateufelsjager
facebook.com/CervezaTeufelsjager

Cerveza Umiña in Manta
instagram.com/cervezaumina
facebook.com/CervezaUmina
twitter.com/cervezaumina

Cerveza WOLF in Quito
facebook.com/cervezawolfquito

Cervezas Tormo in Cuenca
cervezastormo.com
facebook.com/Cervezas-artesanales-Tormo-627772257292058
twitter.com/cervezastormo

Cherusker Cerveceria in Quito
cherusker.com
instagram.com/cheruskercerveceriaalemana
facebook.com/CheruskerCerveceriaAlemana

Cholo’s Brewery in Quito
facebook.com/CholosBrewery

Cinco Cerros in Guayaquil
cinco-cerros.com
instagram.com/cervezacincocerros
facebook.com/cincocerros

Compañía Cervecera Los Chillos in Valle de los Chillos
facebook.com/cerveceraloschillos

Corleonne BEER in Quito
facebook.com/Corleonnebeer

Cultura Andina Brewing Co in Quito
culturaandinabrewi.wixsite.com/cabrewing
facebook.com/culturaandinabrewingco

Curuchupa Cerveza Artesanal in Cuenca
facebook.com/CuruChupaCervezaArtesanal

Del Galpón Cerveza in Valle de los Chillos
facebook.com/cervezaartesanalelgalpon

Django Cerveza Artesanal in Quito
instagram.com/djangocerveceria
facebook.com/DjangoCerveza
twitter.com/djangocerveza

Doggerlander in Valle de los Chillos
doggerlander.com
instagram.com/doggerlander.ecuador
facebook.com/Doggerlander

Dragoness Brewery in Quito
facebook.com/dragonessbrewery

El Camaleón Cervecería in Quito
facebook.com/ELCamaleonECU
twitter.com/camaleoncerveza

EL INCA Cerveza Artesanal in Quito
facebook.com/cervezaelinca

Far Out Cerveceria Alemana in Cuenca
facebook.com/faroutcerveza

Frigga Brewing Co in Guayaquil
friggabrewingco.wixsite.com/misitio
instagram.com/frigga_cerveceriaecu

GLÜCK Cerveza Artesanal in Quito
facebook.com/GL%C3%9CCK-Cerveza-Artesanal-1650039025288872

Guayaquil Brewing Co in Guayaquil
guayaquilbrewing.com
instagram.com/guayaquilbrewing
facebook.com/guayaquilbrewing

Hermann Cerveza Artesanal in Valle de los Chillos
instagram.com/hermanncervezaartesanal
facebook.com/HermannCervezaArtesanal
twitter.com/hermannbrewing

Hipster Land Microbrewing in Valle de los Chillos
facebook.com/hipsterlandmicrobrewing

Holy Krank Hobo’s Brewery in Quito
krankbrewery.com
instagram.com/krank_brew
facebook.com/Krank-Brewery-391628031033522
twitter.com/KrankBrew

Hopfen Cerveza in Guayaquil
instagram.com/hopfenartesanal
facebook.com/Hopfencervezaartesanal

Hoppingcat Microbrewing
facebook.com/hoppingcat

Hops 22 Craft Beer in Guayaquil
instagram.com/hops22craftbeer
facebook.com/HOPS22CRAFTBEER
twitter.com/hops_22

Huitaca Cerveza Artesanal in Guayaquil
huitacabeer.com
instagram.com/huitacabeer
facebook.com/HuitacaBeer

Ilse Möller Bier in Guayaquil
facebook.com/ilsemollerbier
twitter.com/ilsemollerBier

Indie Beer Company in Quito
facebook.com/indiebeercompany

Java Cerveza in Quito
facebook.com/java.cerveza

Jodoco Belgian Brew / Cerveceria Derijcke in Cuenca
jodocobelgianbrew.com
instagram.com/jodoco.belgian.brew
facebook.com/jodocobelgianbrew

Kimo’s Cerveza Artesanal in Quito
facebook.com/kimoscervezaartesanal

La Capital Beer Company in Quito
No known official links.

La Compañia Brewpub in Cuenca
facebook.com/cervezaartesanal.lacompania

La Compañia Brewpub in Quito
facebook.com/La-Compania-Brewpub-1412739842295936

La Endémica Cerveza Artesana de Galápagos in Puerto Baquerizo Moreno
facebook.com/la.endemica.galapagos

La Oficina in Quito
facebook.com/laoficinaquito

Latina Cerveza Artesanal de Frutas in Quito
facebook.com/Latina-Cerveza-Artesanal-de-Frutas-484154661951225

Latitud Cero in Cuenca
cervezalatitudcero.com/comprar
instagram.com/cervezalatitudcero
facebook.com/CervezaLatitudCero
twitter.com/cervezalatitud0

Loop Brewing Project in Cunuyacu
instagram.com/loopbrewing
facebook.com/loopbrewing

Los 3 Monjes in Quito
instagram.com/cervezalos3monjes
facebook.com/Los3Monjes
twitter.com/los3monjes

Mashca Cerveza Artesanal in Latacunga
mashcacerveceria.blogspot.com
facebook.com/mashcacerveceria

Monkey’s Brew in Quito
instagram.com/monkeysbrew
facebook.com/pages/Monkeys-Brew-Cerveza-Artesanal/577932098930980

Montalvina Cerveza in Ambato
instagram.com/montalvina_cerveza
facebook.com/cervezamontalvina

Montañita Brewing Company in Montañita
facebook.com/pages/Monta%C3%B1ita-Brewing-Company/147845548689955
montanitabrewingcompany.com

Nativa Brewery in Ibarra
cervezanativa.beer
instagram.com/nativabrewery
facebook.com/nativabrewery

Natos Beer in Machala
instagram.com/natosbeer
facebook.com/natosbeermachala

Odisea Brewing Company in Guayaquil
instagram.com/odiseabrewing
facebook.com/Odisea-Brewing-381969258860008

Pagano Beer Co in Quito
instagram.com/paganobeerco
facebook.com/paganobeerco

Paramo Brauhaus and Biergarten in Puembo
paramo.com.ec
instagram.com/paramo_brauhaus
facebook.com/cervezaparamo
twitter.com/cervezaparamo

Parbirra Brewing Company in Guayaquil
instagram.com/parbirra.brewing.co
facebook.com/Parbirra.Brewing.Co
twitter.com/parbirrabrew

Pileus Brewery in Tumbaco
facebook.com/PILEUSBreweryCervezaArtesanal.BEERisfredoom

Pissku Brewing in Ambato
facebook.com/Piskkubrewing/

Plan B Homebrew in Quito
instagram.com/planb_homebrew
facebook.com/planb.beer

Porteña Cerveza in Guayaquil
instagram.com/CervezaPortena
facebook.com/CervezaPortenaEc
twitter.com/cervezaportena

Quinde Brewery in Quito
facebook.com/QuindeBrewery
twitter.com/QuindeBrewery

Ragnarök Brewery in Quito
instagram.com/ragnarok_brew
facebook.com/RagnarokBrew
twitter.com/ragnarokbrew

Rama Roja Brewery in Quito
instagram.com/ramarojabrewery
facebook.com/ramarojabrewery

Sabai Beer in Cumbaya
sabaibeer.com
instagram.com/sabaibeer
facebook.com/sabaibeer
twitter.com/sabaibeer

Saint Roots Brewing Company in Quito
instagram.com/saint_roots_brewing_ec
facebook.com/saintrootscerveceria

Salvatora Weißbier in Banos, Ambato and Quito
salvatorabell.com
instagram.com/salvatorabell
facebook.com/SalvatoraBell

Santana Brewing Company near Mitad del Mundo
facebook.com/SantanaBrewingCompany

Santa Rosa Beer in Quito
instagram.com/santarosabeer
facebook.com/santarosabeer

Shaman Cerveza in Quito
facebook.com/ShamanCervezaArtesanal

Siete Cruces in Quito
cervezasietecruces.com
instagram.com/sietecruces
facebook.com/cervezaartesanalsietecruces
twitter.com/sietecrucesbeer

SINNERS Brewery in Yaruqui
sinnersbrewery.com
instagram.com/sinnersbrewery
facebook.com/SinnersBrewery
twitter.com/sinnersbrewery

Sol del Venado in San Pedro de Vilcabamba
soldelvenado.com
facebook.com/SolDeVenado

Sparta Artesanal Beer in Ambato
facebook.com/spartartesanalbeer

Speck Cerveza Artesanal in Tumbaco
facebook.com/SpeckBier

Stray Dog Brewpub in Baños
facebook.com/straydoginbanos

Tempel Cerveceria in Quito
tempelcerveceria.com
instagram.com/tempel_cerveceria
facebook.com/tempelcerveceria
twitter.com/TempelBrewing

The Beer Cathedral in Naranjal
facebook.com/thebeercathedral

The Road Cerveza Artesanal in Valle de los Chillos
facebook.com/theroadbeer/

Triana Brewery in Quito
instagram.com/trianabrewing
facebook.com/trianabrewery

Turtle’s Head Brewpub / Camino del SOL Brewery in Quito
caminodelsol.ec
facebook.com/TurtlesHeadQuito
facebook.com/CaminoDelSolCerveza
twitter.com/CaminoDelSol_EC

Two Barrel Brewery in Sangolqui
instagram.com/twobarrelbrewery
facebook.com/Twobarrelbrewery
twitter.com/twobarrelbrew

Una Mas Ecuador in Quito
facebook.com/unamasecuador

Valkyria Brewing Co in Quito
facebook.com/valkyriabrewingco

Vikingos Cerveza Artesanal in Machala
facebook.com/vikingoscerveza

Wawqi Brewery in Quito
instagram.com/wawqi.brewery
facebook.com/Wawqi-Brewery-1710381182506605

Zambo Creek Microcerveceria in Quito
zambocreekcerveceria.wixsite.com/zambocreekcerveceria
instagram.com/zambocreek_microcerveceria
facebook.com/zambocreekmicrocerveceria
twitter.com/ZamboCreekMICRO

Zarza Brewing Company in Loja
zarzabrewing.com
facebook.com/ZarzaBrewingCo
instagram.com/zarzabrewing

Is this list 100% complete? Of course not, but it is more extensive than any list you will find on sites like Untappd or Ratebeer. So send me any information you may have on places that are new for me to check out on my next visit to Ecuador!

Note that some of the breweries above may not have official visiting hours. Additionally, some of them such as Indie Beer Company are bars that commonly serve other Ecuadorian craft beer, but may also serve their own branded beers from time to time. If you are looking to maximize your beer drinking time in Quito, watch for my upcoming “Beer Day in Quito” post!

Best Beer Bars in Ecuador

Sometimes you don’t need to hit an actual brewery to try some of the best beers. There are some great beer bars in Ecuador, mostly around Quito. Here is my quick list of recommendations. In Quito, La Reserva, HOPS Craft Beer Pub, Ciudad Cerveza, Ácrono Beer Pub, Bandido del Paramo, Sirka, Romero’s Burgers and Frida Tacos are my top places. In Tumbaco, it might be worth seeing what El Tasting Room (by Speck) is like or La Barra Restobar in Sangolqui may be worth stopping in at. In Ambato, Madame Bier Resto Pub is a spot to try. In Guayaquil, check out República de la Cerveza and El TapRoom. In Cuenca there is Lacraft Beer Garden as well. All these bars are easily found on Facebook.

Other Ecuador Beer Links

Buy bottles of local craft beer at Viva Cerveza, the best bottle ship in Quito, Ecuador. If you happen to head to Ambato, buy bottles at Im Hoppy. If you’re wanting to do a craft beer tour in Quito, look up Land of Hoppiness, although there are a handful of torus out there. And if you want beer delivered to your house or hotel, there are a few ever-changing services out there too, MotoBirra Beer Delivery may be worth contacting.

Ecuador Beer Festivals

There are many small-scale craft beer festivals popping up around Ecuador. Viva Cerveza happen to run the best and biggest Craft Beer Festival in Ecuador.  There is also the Pichincha Beer Fest, which last ran November 2017 and the very small Los Chillos Beer Fest last held in April 2017. If you are in Quito, ask around at some local breweries to see if any festivals are happening soon.

Ecuador Craft Breweries that have been removed from the list:

RIAR Brewing Company (now Shaman Cerveza), Roche’s Brewing in Canoa (closed in 2015), Ambacht Bier in Guayaquil (closed in 2014. Became Región Cerveza Artesanal, which closed in 2015), Santaana Cerveceria / Cerveza Artesanal in Cuenca (reported as closed), Andean Brewing Company in Cuenca (closed in 2015). Vendetta Cerveceria in Quito (out of business), Red Dragon Brewing in Quito (out of business), Reina Cerveza in Guayaquil (out of business), La Cuchara de San Marcos in Quito (good restaurant, but no longer makes beer), Cervecería Cerro Negro in Sangolqui (out of business), Barracuda Cerveza Artesanal in Guayaquil (out of business), Averno Brewery in Quito (now Abysmo), Cerveza Artesanal Diablo en Botella (reported as no longer brewing).

Beer

Extreme Beers – Biggest, Boldest, Oldest

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I recently drank a beer that was my go-to beer of choice for many years. That was before I knew anything about hops or had heard of beer styles like tripel, dunkelweizen or imperial IPA’s. Those days were before I worked in Belgium and discovered just how many great, flavourful beers exist in the world.

Finishing that beer was a struggle and I found it surprising just how much my beer preferences have changed over the years. Then I stopped to take a look at some of the beers I’ve stashed away or bought since I began enjoying craft beer (and good beer in general).

Some Extreme Beers
A collection of 5 somewhat “extreme” beers, ranging from 32% alcohol to 35 years old.

 

I don’t know where the line is in terms of pushing the envelope too far when it comes to beer styles and brewing. I do know that I haven’t yet tried a chipotle / hot pepper beer that I actually enjoyed. I also know that when a rauchbier, or smoky beer, tastes like you’re drinking an ashtray it’s probably too extreme as well.

There was the battle to brew the strongest beer in the world for a couple of years. Actually the quest continues on, but a few years ago a Scottish brewery and German brewery squared off. Somewhat gimmicky perhaps, but the passion and creativity in making these beers was undeniable. I bought one of them, a 32% beer called Tactical Nuclear Penguin, included in the picture above.

A 32% beer sounds pretty extreme, doesn’t it?

Westvleteren 12 bottle cap
Westvleteren 12, or Westvleteren XII, one of the highest rated beers in the world

It was once the strongest beer in the world. It is still one of the strongest stouts in the world, but beers have now surpassed the 50% alcohol barrier. That’s pretty extreme.

Then there is the hoppiest beer battle. Some of them are like drinking liquid pine needles, some are so bitter and dry that you can only sip them. Many people say our palate can only handle so much bitterness, that brewing something beyond a certain threshold is pointless. But this battle for IBUs (International Bitterness Units) carries on.

Then there are other quests like limited-edition beers where people buy tickets to special events to buy a beer available for only one day a year. Events like Dark Lord Day and Zwanze Day come to mind, but there are many more.

How about old beers?

Cellaring beer is something that seems counter intuitive to most people, yet certain styles of beer were originally created centuries ago to age well during long voyages at sea. Other beers are bottle fermented, in that some yeast is left in the bottle, changing the complexity and flavour of the beer over time.

While I’ve aged beers for a handful of years, I recently went on a quest to see if I could find a beer older than I am. It was actually easier than I expected and not long after I had bottles of beer that were from 1992, 1978 and 1975. How crazy is that? Two of those beers are more than 35 years old!

A 35 year old beer
A bottle of Courage Russian Imperial Stout from 1978

It’s possible some of those “extremely old” beers have been ruined over time, but it is also possible they’ll all be great. I recently cracked one open, the 1978 bottle, and it opened with a faint “pffft”, just like a brand new bottle of beer. It poured out flat looking and black like engine oil. It tasted unlike any beer, wine or other alcohol I’ve ever had, with such a complex range of flavours it was hard to believe.

The ever elusive whales.

To some beer enthusiasts rare, high quality beers may be called “whales”. An extreme type of term, signifying how big, or special such a beer may be. For the most part they are old vintages of beers, similar to the 1978 beer I had. The main factor in becoming a whale is that the beer must now be very hard to find. Again, it’s a bit of a gamble as some old whales can get oxidized and ruined over the years, ending up as big disappointments. But, for some people, that is part of the fun of collection, cellaring and storing beers.

Now, those three old beers I mentioned – from 1992, 1978, 1975 – cost less than half of what one bottle of the next beer cost. This beer, from the Boston Beer Company, is undoubtedly the most expensive beer in regular production.

Each year, this being the tenth year, a blend of aged beers is brought together to create the Sam Adams Utopias. It comes with it’s own special glass and drinks more like a whisky than a beer. You can usually only buy it by the ounce at bars, if you can find it. People who seek out an entire bottle have been known to pay $200-300 for it. That beer, and its special glass are on the left in the picture at the top of this post.

Paying $200 or more for a beer is pretty extreme too isn’t it?

Then there are other beers simply created for fun. Flavours ranging from bacon to seaweed to gummy bears and everything in between are fair game to brewers. Other beers, like the huge 3L bottle of Stone Double Bastard (also in the picture up top) are simply meant to be fun, a big bottle to be shared with friends.

And that is what all of this extreme brewing comes down to. It’s about having fun and appreciating good beer. Old beers, big beers, strange beers. There is no shortage of good beer out there. I know I’m happy to have had the chance to buy these handful of special, or extreme, ones myself and can’t wait to share them with some other beer loving friends.

Beer

Drinking and Learning – Toronto’s Beer Makes History Better Tour

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I’ve known about the Beer Makes History Better tour for a number of years, but never had the timing right to join the tour myself, until recently.

Run by Tour Guys founder, and fellow beer lover, Jason Kucherawy, this isn’t your typical beer tour, it’s more of a light history tour of Toronto with beer stops thrown in. It’s actually a great mix of fun and learning, as everyone – tourists and locals – are bound to walk away with a few interesting tidbits of information on beer or Toronto.

St. Lawrence Market
St. Lawrence Market – a stop on the Beer Makes History Better tour

 

I have recommended this tour to friends visiting town many times, but always felt a bit guilty as I hadn’t done it myself. Well, now I can finally recommend this tour with confidence! Jason entertained us with Toronto beer history and Toronto city history, as well as teaching us all a bit about the styles of different beers.

Kicking off at the Hockey Hall of Fame, he impressed everyone with his top secret tip of how to spot the Stanley Cup, without having to pay to enter the Museum. (Take the tour to find out!) Then we moved on down the street towards the Flatiron building, learning about the history of Gooderham & Worts. Smartly, before we had to consume too much education, we were at our first pub for some beer consumption.

Yeast Farts and Alcohol Sweat at C’est What

C'est What Beer Menu
Too much to choose from, the impressive C’est What beer Menu

 

As we perused the impressive list of local beers at C’est What, Jason gave us our first beer lesson. A quick recap of the difference between top fermented ales and bottom fermented lagers and a review of the beers on the menu. He put effort into trying to determine appropriate beers for each person’s tastes. As we began to enjoy our first drinks, Jason eloquently spoke about the key ingredients of beer, in particular yeast. As he put it, the yeast eats up the sugars in the beer, and farts out CO2 and sweats alcohol.

Bet you hadn’t quite thought of beer in that way before, huh?

We had some great discussions over the first beers, including talking about whether farming of certain grain crops was started to make bread, or actually started to make beer? Hmmm.

Mustards at St. Lawrence Market
Beer + Mustard = Good Eats. Choosing some mustards at St. Lawrence Market.

 

As we moved on to our next stops, Jason pointed out some interesting parts of the city. Old water fountains with separate drinking bowls for humans, dogs and horses; and signs commemorating historic places of Toronto.

The LCBO and St. Lawrence Market

Buying beer in Ontario means one of two things – visiting the Beer Store or the LCBO. As our tour friends from Denmark, the US and UK listened on, Jason pointed out how the government controls most of our access to alcohol. In some ways, good, in other ways bad, we all agreed that at least it wasn’t as bad as it used to be – the original LCBO stores required you to have a liquor buying license and were not allowed to display any products in plain sight!

LCBO and St. Lawrence Market
Getting the low down on the LCBO during the Beer Tour

 

Learning a little more about Toronto, as we meandered around St. Lawrence Market, the Beer Makes History Tour, took a beer break and we sampled some fine Niagara wines, local mustards and other treats. The market is really a must stop for anyone who is coming to Toronto, not just for the foodie aspect of today, but for it’s important role in the early days of Toronto.

Betty's Beer Glass
Half Full, or Half Empty? Beer at Betty’s.

The Betty Ford Beer Connection

Munching on some nachos and enjoying some more local beers, our little tour group was gelling quite nicely, enjoying the casual vibe of Betty’s. This Toronto bar has quite a history to it apparently, as Jason was eager to point out. Most people found it quite amusing that the bar was originally named Betty Ford, but had to change their name for somewhat obvious reasons.

Betty’s is your typical neighbourhood dive bar. Nothing fancy, just comfy and simple. They do stand out though by offering a better selection of beer than most little bars.

Some Final Learnings and Final beers…

After a couple of hours, and a handful of beers, the last stop of the tour was in sight. We ventured towards the Distillery District and learned a little more about the Gooderham facilities and buildings that still stand today. We saw all the pipes that still connect the building, which one used to carry alcohol. It was a perfect place to end the tour, as we were now at the home of the Mill Street Brewpub, and new Mill Street Beer Hall.

Distillery District
Historic Distillery District in Toronto

 

After enjoying some final samples in the retail shop, our group split up. Some buying some Mill Street beers to take back home, and others stopping to enjoy a few final beers, and some food, at the Mill Street facilities.

The tour took just a little longer than 3 hours, but didn’t feel rushed at all. We had plenty of time to drink some beers at each stop and also take some photos and learn about the development and history of the city of Toronto. All around, probably the best walking tour I’ve done in the city!

Mill Street Beer Sampler
Mill Street Beer Sampler

 

Beer

TBEX Toronto Beer Quiz

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Apparently a lot of TBEX participants coming in to Toronto are excited to try some local beers. I love it. I’ve been getting messages on Twitter and Untappd for beer recommendations and suggestions recently and thought a little quiz might be fun.

For most people who visit Toronto their limited experience of the local beer scene usually includes a visit to Steam Whistle and/or Mill Street breweries. While they both provide thirst-quenching tours and tastings, they don’t give you a balanced view of just how exciting the beer culture of Toronto is.

I know the TBEX and Travel Blogging crowds are keen to dig deeper and do more research than your average traveller, so, here is a little educational quiz to get you in-tune with the finest beers, bars and brews of Toronto!

Oh ya, and if you get a perfect score on the leader board below, I’ll buy you a beer at #TBEX Toronto!*

Tip: You can get the answers by checking the hints provided in the quiz, or by reading my Evolution of Breweries in Toronto article from last summer and my new, Continuing Evolution of Breweries in Toronto article.

Toronto Beer Quiz

Get ready for the Toronto Beer Quiz. A simple 12-pack of Toronto beer-related quiz questions. Think you can get them all right?

 

How did you stack up to other Toronto Beer Quiz participants? Check the leader board below!

*The first five people who get a perfect score qualify for a free beer…good luck!

 

Leaderboard: Toronto Beer Quiz

maximum of 12 points
Pos. Name Entered on Points Result
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Beer

The Continuing Evolution of Breweries in Toronto

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Last year I wrote about the Evolution of Breweries in Toronto and how a handful of new brewers had popped up like Indie Alehouse and Bellwoods (named the 3rd best New Brewer in the World for 2012 by ratebeer.com). Those guys are all still doing great things, but the friendly competition has gotten even tougher since then.

It’s safe to say that the craft beer scene has been amped up big time, thanks to more new breweries and a huge influx of contract brewers. The established guys are, in some cases, now brewing so many contract beers that they’re running three shifts, brewing 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

Since the evolution began a couple of years ago, a few new twists have recently started to happen, which are making the Toronto beer scene even more exciting.

Maverick & Gose Beer
Maverick & Gose by Amsterdam & Great Lakes Breweries

Existing Toronto Breweries have Stepped up their Game

The biggest names here are Amsterdam Brewery and Great Lakes Brewery, which was recently named the best brewery in Ontario by ratebeer.com and 2013 Canadian Brewery of the Year at the Canadian Brewing Awards. They’re both pumping out one-off beers and limited edition beers on what seems a near-weekly pace. From Wheat Wines to Barrel-Aged Russian Imperial Stouts, it’s actually become impossible to keep up as a consumer – which is great! Amsterdam Brewery moved operations in the past year, and they have some big plans, including opening a new brewpub on the waterfront. Not to be outdone by these two brewers, Mill Street Brewery has also recently done an expansion in the Distillery District of Toronto, opening a Beer Hall and serving up Bierschnaps!

Invisible Contract Brews are more Common than Ever

With little risk and no overhead, utilizing the downtime at local breweries is a no-brainer for everyone in Toronto. I say invisible contract brews here, because I’m talking about beers with no store front, bar, distributed kegs or sales force. If you blink, you’ll miss their beer.

As long as a brewery has the capacity and staff on hand, they’re getting money to fund their own operations and growth plans from these invisible guys; while these little one-off contract brewers can focus on creating a unique beer with top quality ingredients for us – the consumers – to enjoy. It’s a win-win-win relationship! The best example of this is Radical Road and their Canny Man, a Barrel-Aged Scotch Ale. Radical Road doesn’t really exist anywhere except in the form of their bottles of beer. They’re a nano-brewery that got a product on the shelves of our provincially controlled liquor stores, the LCBO. That’s a pretty sweet feat!

Passion and Pride in Brewing

Something that has become apparent over the past year is that the Toronto beer scene is a tight one. The growing number of bars supporting craft beer, and brewers themselves, are all supporting each other. We’re even seeing the transformation of some stagnant sports bars into thriving, new havens for craft beer. People are literally excited to know what the ‘other’ guy is doing, as new ideas are sparking more interesting beers to show up in the marketplace. This passion has always been there, it’s just becoming more and more apparent to consumers now who are benefiting from more tap takeovers, tastings, beer events and overall access to craft beer around the city.

On the consumer side the most exciting change I’ve noticed over the past year is that people are talking about, and looking forward to, new local beers. A couple of years ago every craft beer drinker in Toronto would be lamenting about our lack of selection and how so many other cities in the US had it better than us. Not so much any more.

Left Field Brewery
Left Field Brewery of Toronto, launched in 2013.

I know from experience that if you’re a day or two behind checking your Tweets or Facebook posts, you’re quite possibly going to miss out on the best, new Toronto beer as small batch brews are selling out the day they hit the shelves at local breweries. Fun times indeed.

More Collaboration Beers

An offshoot of the pride and passion is that brewers and breweries are teaming up more and more, to create unique collaboration beers. Amsterdam and Great Lakes recently came together to produce a gose beer, dubbed Maverick & Gose, a la Top Gun movie. A visit to beer bars around town and you’ll often see something from locals like Black Oak or House Ales that are mixing it up with brewers from outside Toronto or even beyond our borders, outside Ontario.

The fact that brewers from beyond are excited to work with the beer people in Toronto just goes to show how much excitement is coming out of the local beer scene.

The Quasi-Craft Movement

It was inevitable, as the craft beer scene has grown so fast around Toronto. The big guys want their piece of the action. To some, it’s sacrilege to drink anything from the big macro breweries, but I say try them all. Six Pints falls under this category and if the big guys have to set up new ‘craft beer’ companies to re-capture some of their sales, it’s fine by me – I’ll drink good beer from any brewery.

So Who are the Newest Breweries in Toronto?

Since last summer, the following breweries have come into existence. Some of them tiny operations that haven’t yet produced anything. Others are up and running with solid lineups of beers already on the market! Be sure to check them out…

Radical Road Brewing – mentioned earlier, this is a nano-brewery that has so far put out one stellar beer. Let’s just say if you like scotch, you’ll love their first beer.

Get Well Nano-Brewery – this Toronto bar started on the craft beer wagon and kept on rolling straight into their own nano-brewery! In similar fashion, The Only Cafe recently announced they’ll start up their own nano-brewing operation soon too.

Left Field Brewery – a smartly marketed baseball themed line-up of beers, which are tasty too. The high hopes of Blue Jays baseball in Toronto could help these guys soar to success.

Liberty Village Brewery – I got turned on to these guys when I saw they were experimenting with a Gummy Beer. Yes, a beer brewed with gummy bears! How cool is that? Sadly, no they did not decide to go with this beer at their official launch party.

Shacklands Brewing – These guys kind of caught me by surprise. They contract brew at Junction Craft and have gotten their initial beers into a few good bars around town like Bar Volo and Bryden’s.

The Only Cafe Nano-Brewery – what, another nano-brewery? yes! One of the finest beer bars in Toronto is also getting into the brew scene. They’ve grown and are taking beer even more seriously, with an ageing cellar and expanded tap list. Once just a dive bar with good beer, this is a now a true craft beer destination. No in-house beers yet, but coming soon.

Six Pints Beer Academy – this is the new craft beer arm of Molson Coors. Don’t let that scare you though, it’s a cool place that is brewing some tasty beers. Perhaps not as adventurous as many others, but they are worth keeping an eye on.

Look for beers from these new guys, as they’ll be showing up at more and more bars, or on the LCBO shelves, in coming months and don’t forget about the six other new brewers in Toronto that I wrote about last year!