This is your last chance to check out Toronto Beer Week (TBW) and some of the venues are close to Ryerson that you might as well walk there.
The events are jam packed with various specials at multiple local restaurants across downtown. The multi-venue theme of TBW helps local restaurants by exposing them to new customers. Regular clients also get to experience new beers and restaurants.
The events happen at various times so you can go after school or during the ridiculous hours-long break between classes Ryerson is notorious for. You can also go before school, if you will.
Before you step out to enjoy, here’s a couple of tips to enhance your experience and things you might have missed.
1. Food
One of two essential things you need once you arrive. Remember it’s a marathon, not a sprint. It’s not too late to enjoy some of the finer things the festival has to offer like, listed below are some the places offering good deals to patrons.
- BBQ burger and beer for $9.95 at the Paddock Tavern. This place has homemade pretzel buns as an option for their burgers and is a mere 38 minutes walk or 30 minutes by transit.
- Pints of cask ales for $5 at Castro’s Lounge. They have a variety of vegetarian options to go with your beer and live bands.
- Beer and food pairings for all the night owls at Sauce. The best part about this place is that they pour until 4 a.m. every day during TBW.
- Dishes and appetizers made with beer at Sarah’s Cafe & Bar. Ever wondered what beer soup would taste like? Then this is the place for you. They also offer a variety food made with beer.
- Free oysters with the purchase of a drink at The Painted Lady. They have beer, food, burlesque and jazz. You won’t find a place like this on this list.
- Pad Thai and $5 pints at Lisa Marie. This is the place for great Instagram food photos.
2. Go with an open mind
Don’t go with the mindset that you only want to have beer from a particular brewery. If it’s your first time, don’t think that you are going to hate it.
3. Check your bank account
This sounds easy enough. But as a student, your funds may not be as big as you think. So double check before you go there.
4. Make a list
Check the list of brewers and restaurants and start mapping out what you want to try to save time. You’d be surprised by what flavours you discover and like.
5. Bring a sober person
This is something you need to figure out before going to the festival. Bring someone to help you navigate when you over indulge in craft goodness.
6. Water
The last of two essential things for enjoying the week. Try to drink as much water as possible to help with the marathon.
7. Ask
The beauty of TBW is that most of the events take place in local restaurants, so you can ask for recommendations. You can find out what most people have responded well to and any kind of deals they have going on.
8. Try
TRY, TRY, TRY as many different flavours as possible because that’s the whole point of this week long event.
You may have missed the fourth annual WVRST Craft Invitational contest. It featured 12 emerging breweries from Ontario. Consumers had the chance to try a featured beer from each brewery and vote on which one they liked the best.
Halo, a brewery in Toronto, featured a sour IPA with a slight fruity aroma called Shapeshifter. This brewery came in third place. Second and first place went to The Exchange and Bench, both are from Niagara.
Organizers at Toronto Beer Week also host craft beer events throughout the year.
Op-Ed & Voices Editor for The Ryersonian.