5 Brewery Patios To Try This Summer In Ontario
Slake Brewery in Prince Edward County
Here comes the sun, and with it, patio season!
With summer just around the corner, now is the time to start planning your summer patio brewery visits.
If you are going to spend the afternoon eating, drinking and soaking in the sun, there is no better place to do it than on a beautiful patio outside a brewery.
Here are some of our favourites to try in 2022:
Bandit Brewing, Toronto
Bandit Brewery
2125 Dundas St W, Toronto
This west-end Toronto brewery is designed to feel like a German beer garden: relaxed, airy, comfortable and inclusive. The small menu includes a selection of shareable dishes — think charcuterie with house pickles or beer bratwurst — and a mix of classic mains such as burgers and salads.
Wash it down with a flight of beer — try the Wizard of Gose, a sour cherry and lemon brew that is bursting with tart flavours, or Rainforest, an IPA that the brewery describes as “hazy, juicy and dank”, or July 8, a pilsner that tastes refreshingly like summer.
Trestle Brewing Company
Trestle Brewing Company
9 Great North Road, Parry Sound
If you’re looking for a patio with a view, you can’t get much better than Trestle. This Parry Sound brewery is located where the Sequin River flows into Georgian Bay with a clear view of the historic CPR Trestle Bridge. Enjoy the view and the warm summer breeze on this waterfront patio. The in-house restaurant is FEAST ON certified by the Ontario Culinary Tourism Alliance because it uses and showcases local Ontario ingredients. The menu changes seasonally, but you can be sure to find some amazing options for sharing (or not).
Try a flight of 4 or 8 Trestle Beers to get a good sampling of what’s available, or just go for a pint of your favourite. Golden Ale, a crisp and clean lagered ale, is the company’s flagship brew.
Cowbell Brewing Co., Blyth
Cowbell Brewing Co.
40035 Blyth Road, Blyth
Take a break from the bustle of the city to visit beautiful Huron County, home of gorgeous sand beaches, epic sunsets, rolling farmland and Cowbell Brewing Company, one of the province’s best destination craft breweries. Located on 120 scenic acres, Cowbell’s family-friendly, fully accessible restaurant and outdoor patio make it the perfect destination on a summer road trip. The whole menu is a knock-out, with classics such as burgers and fried chicken — but the must-try here is the wood-fired pizza, made on dough infused with the company’s own Absent Landlord kolsch ale.
For beverages, try one of the award-winning brews on tap. If you’ve never had a Cowbell beer before, go for one of the themed flights available — ‘Light Side’ includes brews such as Smooth Sailing and Clean Break, while ‘Hop Lovers’ has Bobcat and Hazy Days. You really can’t go wrong.
Slake Brewing in Prince Edward County
Slake Brewing
181 Mowbray Road, Picton
If you’re into stunning sunsets (and really, who isn’t?) then a visit to Prince Edward County’s Slake Brewing is a must this summer. Perched atop a limestone hill, the modern brewery offers unobstructed views of the sun as it sets over the surrounding farmland. This summer, Slake is launching an exciting new food menu that will feature regular food pop-ups by local chefs and restaurants from PEC, Toronto, Montreal and Ottawa. Most weekends will have a pop-up event, but if you visit during the week, there will still be a snack menu available — think Montreal-style hot dogs.
As the menu would suggest, this brewery is committed to celebrating local. They use 100% Ontario malt and forge partnerships with local producers for all their products. Try Chums, a pale ale made in conjunction with Sonnen Hill Brewery in Caledon and uses hops from Hayhoe Farm in Aylmer. Or Extra Fancy, a dry hopped grape ale made with tart pale ale and Gewürztraminer grape juice made by Retail Vineyards in PEC.
GoodLot patio at sunset
GoodLot Farm & Farmstead Brewing Co.
18825 Shaws Creek Rd, Caledon
If you’re looking for an amazing patio in the countryside, head to GoodLot Farm. Located just an hour from Toronto in the scenic hills of Caledon, GoodLot has a fun summer atmosphere with live music and food offered daily. Enjoy a beverage in the beer garden and just soak in the good country charm.
GoodLot is an organic hop farm and brewery that is committed to local and fresh. Their “farm-raised” beer uses ingredients grown on their farm and by other small Ontario producers. Try their flagship beer, the famous Farmstead Ale, or go for the Big Head Amber, which delivers a deep amber beer with aromas of citrus, pine and caramel. Both are supremely refreshing on a hot summer day.
