On Tap in East Toronto

ON TAP IN East TO

East Toronto has recently emerged as the place to be for beer aficionados. Fortunately, The Richards Group’s Shane Little has been keeping tabs on all the great things brewing in the neighborhood. It’s a tough job, but he’s happy to do it. Here are a few of Little’s favourite spots to pull a pint.

Eastbound Brewing Company

700 Queen St. E

Pre-pandemic, Eastbound Brewing Company was the spot where my friends would gather for our weekly catch-up and night of trivia. And although we may have battled over our trivia responses, we could all agree that the food is fantastic. My beer of choice at Eastbound is their “Field Day” session ale.

Saulter Street Brewery

31 Saulter St.

Because it’s tucked away in a barn off Queen and Saulter, Saulter Street Brewery is like this great neighbourhood secret. One of my favourite things is to go hang-out, enjoy a pint of their “It's About Bloody Time” English Ale and play board games. Their Riverside Copper Pilsner is probably its most recognizable beer, but new brews are available every week from their tap-room.

Avling Kitchen & Brewery

1042 Queen St. E

I’d say Avling has the best Cafe TO patio – hands down. It’s no surprise that Avling has established itself as home to some of the best experimental brewing and locally farmed ingredients in the city. (You can’t get any more local than growing ingredients on your own roof!) Their store is open daily, and brunch specials are available every weekend through their takeout window. I highly recommend their IPA – and my girlfriend and I are addicted to their sourdough bread. It can't last longer than 24 hours at our place!

Black Lab Brewing

818 Eastern Ave.

Admittedly, this Leslieville brewpub is the best because it's always packed with pooches! But beyond the canine clientele, Black Lab Brewing is my go-to reward after a hard workout at One Academy. (“Sitting Pretty” AP is my current favourite.) They have rotating catering, so there's always good food to check-out on the weekends. “There are so many great craft brewers who have set up shop in the east end over the last few years,” says Little. “That’s largely due to the affordable warehouse spaces you can still find on this end of the city — and also because the neighbours are so welcoming!”

Left Field Brewery

36 Wagstaff Dr. Probably like most Leslievillians, I love catching Blue Jays games with a pint of Left Field’s “Greenwood” IPA at their brewery on Wagstaff. Their swag can’t be beat – I think every eastsider I know has a Left Field t-shirt or ball cap!