Brewery · $$
1 Niagara College Teaching Brewery
135 Taylor Road, Niagara-on-the-Lake
“Hands down, one of the finest craft breweries in North America. I have been a fan since they started their degree program in 2010. It has been a pleasure to follow their graduates as they move to prominent breweries in Canada and beyond. They have a permanent lineup of core beers that represent major lagers and ales from around the world. My favourite is their Strong Ale 101, a classic Scotch Ale. Most interesting to me are the small batch beers brewed by the students. The creativity and quality are extraordinary. A recent roster included 2 German Kolsch variants, a peach ale, a stylized Belgian Brown ale and a German Dunkelweizen. In the past, students released English spiced winter ales and the best Hefeweizen brewed outside Germany that I have ever tasted. Their Growler Club is a bargain. For the past 5 years or so, I convinced my family to spring for a membership to celebrate my birthday and Fathers Day. Free seminars, discounted merch, free tastings and 1 complimentary growler fill per month! Plus a free excuse to visit once a month to sample the exclusive Growler Club brew. They are currently shut down because of the Pandemic, but I encourage beer afficionados in Ontario to sample their wares by placing a phone order. Shipping is free or nominal in Ontario. Just to show my continued support, I actually made the 2+ hour round trip yesterday to pick up a case of assorted beers. Their seminars have transitioned to a Zoom based format. You can even sample along with the speaker by ordering the target beers for each session. Moderated by master brewers on staff, they are well worth attending.”