- Restaurants |
- Nightlife |
- Shopping |
- Coffee & Tea |
- All
- Hours:
Mon-Thu 12 pm - 6 pm
Fri-Sat 11 am - 6 pm
Sun 11 am - 5 pm
- Price Range:
-
$
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Parking:
- Garage
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- Yes
49 reviews for Steam Whistle Brewing
Review Highlights
-
"...was my 2nd favorite attaction in Toronto after the CN tower." In 9 reviews -
"...impressed with how crisp & refreshing their pilsner is." In 13 reviews -
"...while we drank our first free sample and was able to answer..." In 8 reviews
Loading...
49 reviews in English
-
Review from David C.
12/13/2011
This place was great. The tour guide was great the crazy amount of free beer was pretty awesome too. It was located very close to where I stayed so I could walk there. Did I mention Free Beer !!!! You get a good history lesson about the train station that use to be there and brewery history and oh yeah Free Beer.
So some bullet points to take from here:
* Great Location
* Free Beer
* Great tour Guide
* Free beer
* Great History lessons
* Free Beer
* Fre e B ee r (hiccup) maybe a little to much free beer.
Disclaimer : I should preface the free beer by saying that i went with my wife and she don't like beer (crazy I know.) So not only did I get the 5 free beers they gave me I also got the five free beers the gave her. Which I beleive in truth didn't end real well for me in the end because severely buzzed and feeling happy I pretty sure I got dragged to some girly type tourist attraction that with out the free beer I would have not gone near with a ten foot pole. -
Review from Joey J.
1/18/2012 1 Check-in Here
At this point in our relationship, I've taken the lady on roughly as many brewery tours as she's taken me to chick flicks. So as my reward for being good through "The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo," she agreed to go with me on as she likes to dub it "A thirty minute long beer informercial." Which, I can't deny that's what any brewery tour is.
For Steam Whistle's part, they do a good job of selling their angle. There's a portion of the tour focused on the founding of the company--in this case after the brewers were terminated from a larger brewery. There's a portion on the tour that focuses on the purity of the beer--in this case, Steam Whistle uses only four ingredients and abides by German Purity Standards. Then there's a portion of the tour which focuses on why they brew the beer they do-- in the case the Czech brewer wanted to create the perfect Central European Pilsner in Canada. The answers changed from brewery to brewery, but the questions never do. Hence, if you've been on a brewery tour before, they all start to seem familiar after awhile and if you're not that into beer you'll bore easily.
I've never paid for a brewery tour before, but in this case you're essentially paying for the souvenir glass or six pack you're probably going to buy anyways. And if you're good to the pourer afterwards, you'll walk out the tour fairly tipsy. -
Review from Derek L.
Oakville, ON
12/21/2011
The tour is not very informative and the beer sucks. However, it is a fair and cheap way to spend time if you're not busy.
This review however is on its catering/hosting for private events. I came here for a Christmas party, and I guess not surprisingly they only serve Steam Whistle beer. But since I don't like Steam Whistle beer I had nothing good to drink. I would have liked to order different types of beer, not everyone drinks Steam Whistle.
Also, the food was not good, I rate it C-. Not enough food provided. And they close the bar during dinner, so the only alcohol they served during meal was wine. That's BS.
Did I mention I hate Steam Whistle beer? -
Review from Jason B.
8/29/2011
Steamwhistle has become my favourite local micro brew beer.
Its delicious!
Its great to know that not only is it local and natural (and without preservatives), but that its made by a culture forward and environmentally friendly company.
And they offer you a free drink soon as you walk in!
And upon walking in, you are surrounded by the beautiful restored decor of the Roundhouse train station... amidst a myriad of local artists' works for sale.
The backstage tours are very well done... and more beer is included!
Spoiler alert: you even get to pull an actual steam whistle!
This a MUST for all tourists and locals alike.
Tip: While taking the tour, don't eat the hops that they pass around. When they say it tastes bad... they aren't joking. -
Review from Dennis K.
4/12/2012
Without a doubt the best brewery tour I've been on and I've been on many. The tour guide, I can't remember his name, he was a white dude with an afro was awesome. In fact you can really tell all the staff love their jobs. I walked in and was energentically greeted by this other guy wearing a conductor style hat and he was great too. Immediately I was greeted with a sample and then informed of the tour pricing. For a mere $12 I got a food sampler, a beer, another beer during the tour, another sample and a bottle opener. The guy behind the bar even let me keep my bottle eventhough it went against their usual rules. The tour was informative and the brewery is straight eye candy. Definately hit up this place if your visiting the CN Tower or in the area as the energy of the staff alone makes it worth it.
-
Review from Kim M.
4/10/2012
Wandered over to the train roundhouse after a CN Tower tour and stumbled across this welcoming place. We were greeted and offered a generous free sample of their only brew, a Canadian lager that was pretty simple and delicous, that we sipped while looking at informative/historical plaques and art on the walls. There was a water dispenser and clean bathrooms too. I would go back for a tour and a beer and an appetizer.
-
Review from August L.
12/1/2011
Wow $4 beers?! And environmentally friendly?
VENUE
This place has such a great vibe to host events. I have no idea how much it would cost but I would definitely suggest people consider this place if they are looking for venue ideas (except parking sucks). I like the brick walls, high ceilings, open space.
BEER
Wow, $4 for beer? That's wonderful. Mind you, I was at an event and it could have been subsidized by the organizers.
ENVIRONMENTALLY CONSCIOUS
This is a perfect example of what a company should strive to do to be more environmentally friendly.
1. Bottles are made with 30% more glass. This means the same bottle can potentially be washed, inspected and refilled up to 45 times - about three times as many as the industry standard brown bottle
2. Outdoor events - they use completely biodegradable cups
3. Brewery uses clean, renewable power for its electricity, sourcing power from wind and low-impact hydro generators that meet or exceed the federal government's Environmental choice Program EcoLogo standard for renewable electricity
4. They use bio fuel, containing soya fuel and recycled restaurant oil to power their trucks
5. They use deep Lake Water Cooling for climate control in their building instead of conventional air conditioners that rely on harmful CFC refrigerants and eat up valuable energy
6. They send leftover edibles to either a local street mission or a women's shelter to reduce waste generated on site. Other organic waste is composted
And the list goes on!!
EMPLOYEES
I was lost trying to find the entrance. I bumped into a random girl and she actually walked me to the back entrance (the front entrance was closed) and took me right inside. She told me she use to work at Steamwhistles. She had so much pride and good feeling towards the company that she did the little bit extra to help me. -
Review from Jennifer K.
Markham, ON
4/25/2011 7 photos
My first experience with Steam Whistle Pilsner was at a Yelp Elite Event. They has always been so supportive and provide us with their products at quite a few of the events I been to.
Visiting the brewery was actually a lot of fun! I got to sample more of their Pilsner and see the actual brewing process. Unfortunately, my visit was on the weekend and no one were actually working...so it was more like visiting a museum.
We did not even ask to pay for the tour.. the nice lady just offered us a glass of pilsner then just asked us to join the tour that started 5 minutes before we arrived.
Then more drinks...and more beer... burp! burp! at the end of the tour the guide said if anyone that wants the souvenirs then they can go pay $10...We opt not to get any so we got a free tour with free sampling! :) Sweet!
So definitely if you decide to come for a tour.. come visit during weekdays when some one are actually working and you can see how the brewery actually function! -
Review from Steeven L.
Etobicoke, ON
3/31/2011 1 Check-in Here
I first discovered Steamwhistle in 2004; the first time I went on the brewery tour. I've since been twice more and every time the tour has been different.
The first time I took the tour, no one was working on the floor bottling or packing so the guide took us around the brewery floor to see the equipment and explain how their beer is made.
Just recently I went with some guests from out of town who had never hear of Steamwhistle and lucky for us, not only were they making beer that day, they had the whole bottling and packing process going as well. Wow!
Before we started the tour, we waited at the bar for a few minutes and had some time to enjoy a few sample glasses of Steamwhistle beer. Once we got started, our guide snuck into the main hall to access the brewery floor and swiped us some "just bottled" beer. He actually asked us what time it was and when people started looking at their watches, he said "No watches allowed. Look at the time on the bottle." It had literally been bottled seconds before. I don't think I've ever tasted something so good before!
Since they were working on the floor, the tour took us to the elevated catwalk that gave us an amazing bird's eye view of the plant. Our guide explained the purity of the beer and the minimal ingredients used in Steamwhistle to make it fresh as well as the many many green features the brewery uses.
At the end of our $10 tour, we were each given another beer to taste. Overall it was a great experience. There are different tours you can take that will cost anywhere from $10 or more. For the $10 souvenir tour, you get to take away a beautiful Steamwhistle pint glass or an old school green Steamwhislte bottle opener.
As their saying goes, they do one thing really really well!Listed in: A five star tour...
-
Review from Yolanda L.
2/26/2011
Today is the day I'm going to revamp my Yelp reviews.
I have a totally different perspective of Steam Whistle from everyone else because I went for a wedding reception. It was such as awesome industrial space. There was metal and wood and glass and brick and the look totally screamed manufacturing but it was anything short of classy.
The room we had dinner in had high ceilings and a window that looked into the giant metal vats in the brewing area. They were massive and imposing and curious.
I walked along the brick walls and wondered about the strange photos, such as a jelly fish floating in a field of flowers under a bright blue sky. It looked so real yet I thought how in the world did they do that? There were other strange thought provoking pictures gracing the brick walls also, such as the ones the depicted mean fairies. Ummm? Hmmm?
I didn't actually get a chance to walk into the brewing area though I really wanted to but it was after hours and the machinery was still brewing.
There's also a photobooth there that takes pictures of you holding glasses of Steamwhistle beer capturing you in your best light. The beer itself was light and had a rich light honey color. If I wasn't such a lightweight I would've savored a few glasses.
It was a dark sexy space but like a one night stand I'm not sure if I want to see it in the morning because it might ruin the image it gave me from the night before... -
Review from Huntting B.
6/1/2011 1 Check-in Here
I didn't get to experience the tour yet. We got there a bit too late for that unfortunately. But...they'll give you a free sample of their beer just for showing up...what's not to love about that!
Everyone leaving the tour seemed to be having a good time, so definitely worth the trip! -
Review from Megan H.
4/9/2011
On a recent trip to Toronto, I almost didn't take the Steam Whistle brewery tour. Boy, would that have been a huge mistake!
My mom and I had marked the brewery tour on our to-do list, but we almost didn't get there. Our flight had gotten in eight hours later than expected, we'd spent 24 hours without luggage, it was unseasonably cold and we we walking everywhere. Somewhere on our trek from Eaton Center to Steam Whistle, we seriously considered scrapping the tour. I was in a sour mood, and when we finally arrived, we'd just missed the cutoff for the 4:00 tour. I wanted to give up and go back to the hotel.
And them our charming tour guide offered me a beer. Not just any beer - a Steam Whistle beer. Normally I have no interest in Pilsner, but maybe I've just been drinking the wrong Pilsner. This beer was clean tasting but still had character. My mood started improving immediately.
By the time the 4:30 tour started, I was feeling much better. Our beers had been topped off several times, and the tour was actually really interesting as well as entertaining. We hung out at the brewery for nearly 45 minutes after the tour ended, and not just for the free beer they kept pouring us. The whole atmosphere was so warm and friendly, not to mention that building is fantastic.
For something I almost didn't end up doing, the Steam Whistle brewery tour was one of my favorite things we did in Toronto. I would highly recommend it if you ever find yourself in a sour mood with no luggage in Toronto. Works like a charm. -
Review from Steve M.
8/24/2011
Great Brewery Tour!
Steam Whistle is a local brewery next to the CN Tower in downtown Toronto. Informative and fun guided tours of the entire beer making process from hops to finish. Steam Whistle makes great use of this once thriving rail center of the Canadian National Railroad.
High demand for tour tickets especially after Blue Jays games so reserve your spot early. Also, they are very generous with free samples. The main bar also sells beer by the case, t-shirts, bottle openers, and assorted glassware. -
Review from Arwen L.
4/17/2011 4 photos
What's not to like? I walk in and Band of Horses is playing, there is a solid crowd of people and I'm in Canada, where EVERYONE is nice!
You decide what tour you are going to pay for (choices include different souvenirs like glasses, bottle opener, six packs, 24 packs, etc.).
You pay.
You get served an ice cold glass of Steam Whistle Pilsner on the spot!
L-O-V-E it!!!
Oh, wait! You can't get on until the next tour start? That's ok. Have another Steam Whistle, on the house!
I love brewery tours so I am a bit biased. But I really enjoy being walked through the process and asking questions (yes, I am that girl!). Our guide was funny, informative and had fun with us.
And of course, how should the tour end? With another Steam Whistle.
I may not be a pilsner girl, but this was such a great way to spend my afternoon. It is located right across from the CN tower so when planning out your touristy afternoon, be sure to stop in for a tour! And if you are a local with people coming in from out of town, it is a great addition to your showcase of the city!Listed in: Hmmmmmmmm, Beer!, Touring Toronto
-
Review from Yin L.
6/28/2011
Best brewery tour ever! ps: it's actually my first tour of a brewery :p
This place was packed to the brim when we arrived but the people working there were still so friendly!
Our tour guide was awesome! The tour was insightful & fun! We managed to chug a whole bottle of free beer which was freshly bottled (came at the right time!) Got our free beer glass and bottle opener!
Love their concept and best of all it's a local brewery! -
Review from Amy A.
7/6/2011
This was a fun, if lengthy tour of a unique brewery. The story of the building (an old train roundhouse) and how it was acquired is great, but could definitely be edited down a bit. I also wish there was more time actually talking about how the beer is made, and less talking about the business/green initiative side of things. Although, I really appreciate their push toward a greener brewery. Their retro style is really cool, their tour guides and bartenders are very friendly and enthusiastic, and it's nice to see a small company that is doing well, where the owners are hanging out, pulling their weight, rather than delegating from afar.
Also, there's lots of free beer and a souvenir pint glass!! -
Review from Angelo T.
6/18/2011
I remembered strolling in here on a hot humid summer day in Toronto after having taken a random stroll through the financial district, sweaty pits imposing on those hapless "suits" meandering about.
The tour was great, I have been to several beer tours after but this was the launch point to my own educated beer drinking journey. Before I just guzzled any beverage with an alcoholic percentage equal to above 5% down like Bukowski did before/after...well anytime.
After the tour we sampled beers , I sweet-talked with the tour guide and she was more than happy to hook me up with a few extra rounds. My friend picked me up later and was confused as to how and why I got so drunk in the middle of a smoggy summer afternoon in TO. Jealous, he picked up a few cases of Steam Whistle and followed suit. -
Review from Tara Z.
10/14/2010
A friend won a VIP tour of the brewery, and I figured I'd tag along mostly for the chance to hang out--I've drunk a lot of Steamwhistle, plus I'd seen the inside of the brewery at Doors Open a few years ago, so I wasn't expecting anything new.
The tour is really great, though--the staff is knowledgeable and enthusiastic and our tour guide even let us pull the eponymous whistle! She even brought us out samples of the beer pre- and post-filtering, so we could taste the difference. -
Review from Samantha H.
10/31/2011
Having been on the Miller tour, this was quite small! But it was charming. It's all in one building so for those that are familiar with larger brewery tours, this will be a shock. But they give you plenty of tastes the entire time and the tour guides are all friendly. The story behind the beer is actually really cool and it's fun to say to people when you drink it. The place is really clean as well and modern looking. They host events there, which I think would be cool.
-
Review from Marcus D.
2/23/2011
Tremendous beer, and a cool staff that is constantly plying you with more beer.
Take the Tour. It's worth it. -
Review from Melvin C.
6/4/2010
Family vacations. The pinnacle of bitchin-ness. I found myself in this dilemma several weeks back on a tour of the northeast. Our first stop into Canada found us being dropped off at the CN tower, which we subsequently decided would be boring.
I gazed across the street at the train museum/monument. Seriously? This place is bunk. And then...the words "Brewery" caught my eye. Sprawled across the face of a brick building next to the train museum were the words "Steam Whistle Brewery". JACKPOT! This just instantly made the entire vacation worth it.
I was born and raised in Texas and started a group called RunnersDrinkBeer. We love beer and I'm always up for trying new beers. Other than LaBatt Blue, I am clueless when it comes to Canadian beer.
I immediately made a beeline with open arms up to Steam Whistle, yelling and clicking my feet in glee the entire time. I walked in and was greeted with a brewery like I've never experienced before - super clean and industrial. Very warehouse-loft style - brick walls, concrete floors, clean lines. They highly touted the fact that they were a green company, which, is different especially for a smaller company. (Going green costs significantly more - it's hard to justify the additional costs but they made the investment)
All of the tour packages came with a choice of a souvenir - I promptly opted for the 6 pack. (I ended up getting two beer glasses anyway from family) The tour came with several sample glasses of their Pilsner - clean, slight hint of hops at the end, but oddly refreshing. A much bolder flavor than your typical American lager or ale, but light enough to be able to drink all night without getting tired of it.
The tour started and one of the bartenders/employees took us on a tour. He was obviously quite knowledgeable about the history behind the company - quite vibrant and full of personality, wasn't just memorizing a bunch of lines from a script. He actually cared about the company he worked for and it was evident. He explained the history behind the company, the building it occupied, (pointing out several unique facets of the building) and then took us down to the brewing area and then the bottling area.
Everywhere you turned, all you saw were green bottles and kegs. Hard not to crack a smile. Just outside were a lot of picnic tables with some kind of employee barbecue going on - the laid-back, carefree, employee first attitude was genuinely nice to see, especially in a brewery. He also pointed out the vintage steam whistle, which an enthusiastic young lady was so glad to pull on.
I brought up the point about green bottles - light is one of beers biggest enemies. All of their beer is in green bottles. The tour guide mentioned they frequently perform buybacks and replace beer that's past 60 days of shelf life. (The only other company I know of that does that is Sam Adams, but they have the capital and resources to do so) Self imposed responsibility...very admirable trait.
The tour wrapped up and another few samples were poured. The bartenders seemed to pick up on my enthusiasm for beer, so they kept the tap flowing. Not going to complain when I get free beer! Of all the brewery tours I've taken (several local to Dallas, quite a few in Colorado), this one was hands down the best tour I've gone on anywhere. Great job Steam Whistle. -
Review from Erin S.
Toronto, ON
9/26/2010
As a Wisconsin native, I like to think I know a good brewery when I find one. And after leaving the brew-culture wasteland that is Quebec (there are no tours! of anything!), I fell in love with Steam Whistle Brewery at first sight.
If you're visiting Toronto: go here. The building and surrounding area are absolutely beautiful, and you feel like you're in a little enclave in the middle of Everything. It's right next to the CN Tower and the Skydome and everywhere else you're going, so it won't make you lose valuable touring minutes in transit. There is beautiful art on the walls, everyone around you is happy, and there is free beer.
The tour was short (half-hour?), informative, and worth it to see all the gorgeous rooms. You have never seen such a sparkling clean factory, seriously. Plus, you can get a tour-plus-beer option that results in your having beer for SO much less than it will cost you at the Beer Store. (The tour is $10, I think, and then for $15 you also get a six-pack at the end.) Maybe not feasible if you're going to spend the rest of the day wandering around, but worth considering. -
Review from Noel D.
12/3/2009
This might be a bit of an "insider" review but I had the chance to work with Steam Whistle during Halloween as I was one of the DJs on a ridiculous party a few years ago. Everyone I dealt with at Steam Whistle was beyond amazing (including the two owners who I dealt with directly) and they would always give me a free case of beer at the end of our meetings.
I have been to a couple of art shows here which were fantastic, and I've heard of their unsigned band series, which is also a great idea. As for the Halloween gig? It ended up being one of the biggest and best Halloween parties I've ever attended, let alone was a part of. About a thousand people all decked out in great costumes.
I personally like Steam Whistle beer a lot. I think their art direction is good and their built-in handle on 12-packs is genius and I am amazed no one else has bit this idea. Life-long Steam Whistle fan here! -
Review from Heather B.
Scarborough, ON
I took a tour here yesterday after my Blue Jay game (they lost boooo)
The minute you get in they give you 2 free coupons for free sample beer which is not too shabby for those drinkers out there. I was really thirsty so it sounded good to me haha.
The tour was about 30-45 minutes long. It was really informative and humorous at the same time. I don't know if all the tour guides are like that, but I had the brown guy named Jiff and he was quite the character.
I liked how the Brewery supported local arts where they have artists paintings for sale around the walls and bands come to play on random nights (I'm guessing).
I really enjoyed the tour and it was cheap depending on what package you took. I got the $15 one which included the tour and a 6-pack of beer.
It's a nice place to spend an afternoon and like me, an adventure after an afternoon baseball game. -
Review from Beck N.
9/2/2008 4 photos
Despite being one of the most expensive brewery tours I have been on, you get quite a bang for your buck -- 3 samples, a tour, & your choice of either a sample glass or a bottle opener for $8, & there are also options of the 6-pack tour & the 12-pack tour (which we opted not to do because we didn't want to carry it around all day).
The brewery is your typical microbrew sort of brewery -- brewing, bottling, canning, etc. As previous reviewers have mentioned, they only brew 1 kind of beer, which isn't typically my kind of beer...but I was quite impressed with how crisp & refreshing their pilsner is. They also told us that their glass bottles are made with 30% more glass & they re-use the bottles over & over again... sounds more environmentally responsible than other breweries I've been to.
After your tour, you stop by the bar to have your 3rd sample...our tour guide was super friendly -- doing bar tricks & chatting us up. It was definitely one of my favorite things we did on this trip to Toronto. -
Review from Sandy K.
6/25/2010 3 photos
The tour at Steam Whistle is so much fun, I would recommend it to everyone. The brewery is located right across from the CN Tower, so if you're a tourist it will be very easy to find.
Steam Whistle only does a Pilsner and as their motto says, they "do one thing really, really well." The tour is really informative, but casual and laid back. Our tour guide was awesome. He kept us entertained the entire time. Everyone at the brewery was incredibly friendly. The tour is $10, but it includes a sample of their pilsner and a souvenir. On our tour, we were given 3 beers - definitely worth the $10!
We were a smaller tour group, so we got very lucky. Our tour guide gave us beer that was bottled 3 minutes prior. Can you believe that -we drank beer that was 3 minutes fresh from bottling?! (If you don't, see my uploaded pictures for proof!)
The brewery is impeccably clean and has a retro, industrial feel. Steam Whistle is also a VERY green company, which is a definite plus.
If you are a tourist, this is a must-do in Toronto! You will for sure have a great time.
Bottom line - amazing beer, amazing staff! -
Review from Harris B.
9/24/2009
This "green" space houses one of the tastiest pilsners around. Thank goodness for free samples, since we didn't have time for the tour.
The art in the lobby area is odd but fantastic. The employees were all enthusiastic about the beer. Even the walk to the building reeks of awesome. Old trains and tracks, CN tower view, Rogers Centre, waterfront.
The music inside is great too, since the label supports indie rock. A very cool place to be. -
Review from Cheri D.
4/1/2011 1 photo
LOVE THIS
I'm not even a beer drinker usually. If someone offers me one, sure. But it's not my drink of choice. But Steam Whistle is smooth and nice. I like it.
I've been to Steam Whistle before for a sample of beer. But i've never gone on the tour. With my Dad in town for the week, i thought this would definitely be something he'd enjoy. I loved it too!!
I've always loved that old roundhouse building. The brick, the wood... so beautiful. We started off waiting for the next tour with a free sample glass of beer. I think the tours run every 1/2 hour or so. They give you these headphone thingies and a little walkie talkie so that you can hear the tour guide talking and not miss a thing. Our tour started off with a fresh brew, right off the line! Cold and litterally made just minutes before it touched our hands. Woo!
Our wonderful guide (Joel i think?!) then took us through the brewery.
They were making beer that day and you sure could smell it! All of the process was super interesting from the pure ingredients to the green initiatives they've implemented. Steam Whistle is the 2nd greenest brewery in North America (1st in Canada!). And for guessing that sweet bit of trivia right, i got to pull the actual steam whistle. TOOT TOOOOOOOT! Loved it.
To finish up our tour we got another free sample glass of beer. I bought the Souvenier Tour which was $10 and you got your choice of beer glass or retro beer opener. Ten bucks for a beer, a tour, another beer, another beer, and a glass?! It's a great deal!!
I wanna go again this summer :) -
Review from P J.
9/5/2010
Great brewery! This is definitely a place to check out if you enjoy a nice simple beer. They only brew one kind but they do an amazing job. Nice hoppy flavor and little to no aftertaste. They are a small family like company like New Belgium in CO. They are also one of the most enviromently friendly in No America.......next to New Belgium of course :)
So if your in the Toronto area and more than likely gonna check out the CN tower, go across the street and have a tasty brew! -
Review from Kenny L.
Updated - 9/16/2010
Upon further reflection, the beer is like Rolling Rock, but much, much better.
I can't wait until they export these to the States and I hope it is not too long until this is available in California.1 Previous Review: Show all »
-
9/10/2010
"Do one thing really, really well."
Their one thing is pilsner and I do have to agree that they do… Read more »
-
-
Review from Brad C.
9/1/2008 5 photos
How great is Steam Whistle - when you first walk in you get a free sample and a drink ticket for a refill. At that point you can sign up for a tour that run each half hour or just stand around and drink your couple of beers.
I'm not a huge Pilsner fan so I wasn't sure what to expect from Steam Whistle. But this Pilsner rocks! Steam Whistle's whole thing is do one thing really really good... and I think they succeeded. Before you leave Steam Whistle make sure to buy some beer to go. You can get cases of bottles or cans. You can also get other Steam Whistle goodies like glasses and shirts.
Steam Whistle should not be missed! -
Review from Anna V.
Toronto, ON
11/14/2008
The Steam Whistle Brewery is great! Unlike the other breweries in Toronto, this one is really art driven and fun to have parties at, which they regularly host.
It's a bit far, behind the Sky Dome but worth the trek in the summer.
There's tours and stuff and sampling of course, but the space itself is just really ballin' like a giant loft space with friendly staff who seem to really like their jobs.
Probably a great place to work as a summer job if you were in school or something. -
Review from Jen W.
12/3/2009
We wandered in here by accident. We saw the trains outside and then realized it was a brewery. They were giving out tours in about 10 minutes so we signed up. They gave us free samples of beer, lots of free samples. They are a eco friendly, green brewery. Good for them! They recycle and reuse their glass bottles. They do all these great green things! They support local artists! GREAT!
The tour was pretty fun, walked through their brewery, where they make beer, and their offices, and production. We tasted barley grown in Saskatchewan, which was pretty damn sweet. And we tasted hops. Gah! Hops do not taste good by themselves. I can see why they need the barley! Apparently we ate the hops and got more free beer out of it. We drank more beer, we drank unfiltered beer and got a souvenir glass or bottle cap opener. if you paid a bit more you'd get a 6 pack. Their beer has a shelf life of 3 months, hence why they don't ship that far out, or ship to the states. Its a tasty beer. -
Review from Jason R.
1/27/2010
Steam Whistle has a special place in my heart. The first time i ever had their beer was when I decided to visit the Steam whistle brewery.
We had just finished a visit to the CN tower and walked over to the roundhouse for the tour, when we got there we had just missed the tour and the next one was not for an hour. So what did we do, drink Steam whistle! The lovely bartenders just kept giving us samples (and by samples i mean full glasses) of Steam Whistle.
The tour was great, they let you bring your beer around so you don't sober up. It was interesting to learn that they do not use preservatives so the beer doesn't give you that full feeling most beers leave you with.
I really wish they sold SW in the US. This was my 2nd favorite attaction in Toronto after the CN tower.Listed in: 5 Stars
-
Review from Brad M.
North York, ON
12/30/2009
Well.. the wife and I were new in town and looking for a great Brewery to stop in at and have some lunch and try the beer.
We swing by Steam Whistle and to our surprise, no food. Just a brewery that does ONE beer. WTF.
Well, we got a free sample out of the deal and I got to tell you, the beer was VERY good. I left hungry, but I'm a fan. -
Review from Vivian L.
Scarborough, ON
5/7/2011
My friends and I wanted to explore downtown, so we took a tour at Steam Whistle! Unfortunately we are still under 19, so we could not sample any of their beer, BUT we were able to enjoy the tour for free which was kind of neat.
Our tour guide was wonderful (forgot his name though =/ ), he was funny and made the information very interesting! We even got to see parts of the brewery that I didn't expect to! For example we got to go into their office, and see people that did behind the scenes work such as marketing, and their steam whistle merchandise! We went on May 4th, and they told us how they had a Star Wars themed photoshoot, with the catch phrase "May the Fourth be with you." I actually LOL'd. In addition they are also very supportive of artists, and in exchange for hosting galleries, they only request that the artists leave one piece of art for them to hang up. But the best part of all was that I GOT TO PULL THE STEAM WHISTLE!! Normally only 1 person per group can do this, but we were only a group of 3 so all of us got the opportunity. In addition, the tour guide also told us how they are VERY eco friendly compared to other breweries. Extra pts for caring about the environment! So to all those who are underaged, this place can still be a ton of fun ;).
The reason why I deducted a star though was because when my friends and I arrived at the brewery we stood around for a long time before being greeted. At first I thought they were busy taking care of the group of people ahead of us, but they were really just chatting with friends. Although the group of people were fun and cool, I just didn't like being left standing and kind of ignored.
Overall a great place to go to whether you're a tourist, or a Torontonian like myself who never got the opportunity to explore downtown Toronto! Also excellent for any beer lovers out there!
SIDENOTE: To make up for my lack of beverage, I bought a glass bottle (that's right, glass!), of Coke with a 50's retro vending machine! It is pricy for $3, but Coke just tastes better in glass ;) -
Review from Connie T.
Toronto, ON
1/25/2009
The moment I saw the Steam Whistle label, I reached out and whispered, "Soul mate?"
What I love about this brewery, beyond its tour that I have never taken, is their support of the local fine art and music scene: their choice of exhibits, artists, and musicians intertwine the disciplines really well -- most recently, a photography exhibit honouring their awesome UNSIGNED music series (http://www.steamwhistl...). I was in music fan heaven!
Kudos, guys.
Plus, I like the building and, on a purely taste level, it's one of those lighter, inoffensive beers that your friend who hates beer will actually enjoy. (Hand raised.) -
Review from Jason C.
4/8/2010 1 photo
I am a big fan of Steam Whistle.
I usually don't like Pilsners because of that aftertaste. I have tried Heineken an other pilsners, but I usually stay away.
however, Steam Whistle's pilsner is very good. It doesn't have much of that aftertaste after drinking.
we took the tour, which if you get the one with the 4 or 6 pack is worth it since you end up with beers to take home. Tour itself is decent. nice facilities. the good thing is you get some free tastings.
i am gonna try to find some steam whistle here in the US. good job guys! -
Review from Jocelyn G.
2/22/2009
While I do not like beer, I did go on the tour of the Steam Whistle Brewing Company with my boyfriend and had a good time. They are very enviro friendly and art friendly and had an interesting exhibit of artwork of drummers in different types of bands.
The minute you walk in, you get a free sample (which is a decent size) and then they give you a "coupon" for another sample. The tour is pretty good, but our guide seemed very very very nervous. Once you go through the tour, you get to pick up your "present" depending on what level tour you got. The souvenir glasses are cute! As is the water tower just outside the brewery. -
Review from Dana B.
9/24/2008
We were pressed for time, but I would've loved to be able to stick around and do a brewery tour here. For $24 you got a tour, beer and some other wonderful Steamwhistle type stuff.
We walked over right after the Blue Jays/Red Sox game and were given tickets for two free samples. The beer was tasty!! I'm not a huge pilsner fan, but I really enjoyed it!
It's free - so stop on by!
