If you’re on the hunt for some of Ontario’s finest locally brewed beers, look no further than Clifford’s proudly brewed porter. This award-winning brewery has a taproom and retail store in East Hamilton where visitors can try a selection of beers, many available only on-site.
Local beer lovers and students alike feel at home in this dog and kid-friendly open space in West Hamilton, which features a taproom and retail store. A family-run craft brewery, the focus here is on unique and balanced beers in small batches. The constantly rotating line-up of beers boasts a new beer released each month.
Creative spirits won’t want to miss a visit to Hamilton’s Collective Arts, where each beer is a work of art on the inside and out. In addition to featuring visual art on the label, scanning the label with a smartphone unlocks music and videos by featured bands and filmmakers. Experience brewery tours, a store and taproom and the Collective Arts Gallery, featuring artists and musicians who have been on the labels since the brewery’s launch.
Built on the philosophy that “beer is best with friends,” this brewery offers private tours and traditional bottled beers paired with doughy soft pretzels in an intimate but vibrant taproom. You’ll find their taproom and bottle shop in a revitalized warehouse in West Hamilton, near McMaster University. They also have a large, dog-friendly patio, where guests are welcome to bring food along from some of the stellar local takeout places nearby.
Guided by a team of ambitious friends, Merit Brewing is a brewery, kitchen, and bottle shop located in the heart of downtown Hamilton that strives to represent the city’s heart, art, and soul in every beer. In addition to its creative beers, Merit’s food menu features delicious sausages, snacks and sides fit for any hungry beer drinker.
A brewery inside a former curling and skating rink? It doesn’t get much more Canadian than that! This brewery in Dundas is overflowing with history and personality. Try their signature brew, gently aged in wine barrels to produce a unique flavour, alongside one of their delicious wood-oven pizzas.
Helmed by the former Chef at Spencer’s at the Waterfront, West Avenue’s ciders are handcrafted made using both traditional methods and innovative new techniques like barrel ageing and cask conditioning. The cider house is open for tastings seven days a week, and popular local food trucks regularly make appearances on the weekends. There are also delicious sandwiches and snacks available at The Cider House and Bakeshop.
This centuries-old family fruit farm offers a taste of the country, including a full slate of whites, reds, fruit wines and fruit ciders. Tasting musts include the popular yet rare, Viognier and Colombard blend, as well as Puddicombe Family Tree Ciders. During the spring, summer and fall season, the winery features a unique orchard and vineyard train tour, general store, bakery and licensed cafe.
Located right on the edge of the Niagara Escarpment and adjacent to the Bruce Trail, Ridge Road is the ideal place to take a self-guided tour of the vineyards and experience the natural beauty of this unique location. The rustic winery also offers tastings flights and snacks to enjoy in their tasting room and on their patio.
What began as a virtual winery is now a quaint tasting room in Winona that welcomes visitors to taste wines made from interesting single-vineyard blocks. The founder and winemaker has worked with some of Niagara’s best-known wineries and now focuses on producing distinctive, terroir-driven wines of his own that embody his passion.
Tall Post sources new spices, flavours and Ontario-grown fruits for their signature cider blends, like Jordan Juice, a combination of fresh blueberries, strawberries, raspberries, currants and gooseberries, fermented over pressed apple juice. Store walk-ins are welcomed, and private tastings and tours can be arranged on request.
