With March on the horizon, planning for a road trip to Kingston can help you get out of the winter blues and put a pep in your step to enter spring! What better way to do that than exploring the Kingston brew scene?!
Discover 5 Breweries in Kingston
Kingston is home to many exciting and delicious eats and drinks. We especially love the exceptional variety of breweries that call the Limestone City home. Here are the top five breweries to visit on your next brew hunt in Kingston!
#1 Daft Brewing
Where: 768 Princess St Kingston, ON. (View Map)
Daft Brewing is a West Coast-inspired brewery located in a converted old car garage that is now an open-concept brewery/taproom. This cool spot will for sure put a hop in your step!
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Self-described as a “non-pretentious spot for craft beer drinkers of all levels,” all visitors are sure to have a blast tasting their on-tap specials and taking in the vibes of the converted space and beautiful murals. Sour beers are their specialty and they are proud to only use real ingredients. Now that’s keeping it REAL!
Their variety of beer allows them to offer a broad style of categories of easy drinkers, sour, fruited, and dark brews that cater to novice beer drinkers and to seasoned beer lovers; always keeping their patrons on their toes.
Lastly, we recommend you pull up a bar stool and grab a bite to go along with that pint. The House Smoked Bacon Sandwich will surely blow you away! Another crowd favourite is the Daft Dog: a mouth-watering hotdog with house pink sauerkraut, house beer mustard, topped with pickles, crispy onions, and creamy dill sauce!
Let’s keep this brew train moving to our next stop.
# 2 Something in the Water Kingston (Previously Stone City Brew Co.)
275 Princess St. Kingston, ON. (View Map)
You bet that there’s definitely something in the water here… Absolute deliciousness!
Kingston has churned out its fair share of talent over the years with musicians like The Tragically Hip, Bryan Adams, The Glorious Sons, The Headstones and more so the question of whether there’s something in the water here is not a new one.
This brewery prides itself on being on the edge of curiosity! Something in the Water Kingston is a small craft brewery located in the heart of downtown Kingston (shoutout to their sister location in Toronto as well).
Their adventure into curious beverages has grown into a product portfolio of over 15 (3 of which you can find in the LCBO).
Let’s start at the fundamental root of their delicious brew: their core beers are always there for you when you need them. #Goals
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These year-round brews range from their infamous Painted Lake Prickly Pear Margarita Berliner Weisse (try saying that ten times fast) to a hazy Maitland IPA described as a wonderful tropical fruit-centric IPA. If this variety isn’t a reason to love their line up they also donate 5 cents from every can purchased to support clean water across Canada AND they’re Living Wage Certified.
Makes you wanna buy another round for the table, eh?!
Let’s not forget their special limited-release beers, which may appear on the menu at a moment’s notice. From their golden ale to the oatmeal stout, no matter what hits your tastebuds we are sure that you will have a hoppy time!
Lastly, we must mention their delicious artisan pizza. What goes better with beer than pizza? Two beers and a pizza.
#3 Spearhead Brewing Company
Where: 675 Development Drive, Kingston, ON. (View Map)
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Although you can find this popular beer at arm’s length across Ontario, we recommend you take a trip to the source of brew heaven in Kingston! Spearhead Brewing Company has been brewing for over 30 years.
You can visit them and dine in their taproom or patio, and don’t forget to stop on your way out at their retail shop to take some goodies home.
Let’s dive in!
Dining in? You can order a variety of their on-tap beer that ranges from their best sellers to seasonal ones. We recommend you familiarize yourself with their mouth-watering collection of best sellers here.
Among that list is the Hawaiian Style Pale Ale – a west coast pale ale that is bold, hoppy and brewed with pineapple for a crisp and citrusy character.
In contrast, their Queen of Wheat brew is a classic Belgian-style witbier brewed with hints of succulent peach and generous amounts of soft Canadian wheat to create a smooth mouthfeel – a drink that has its patrons yelling “YAS QUEEN!”
Make sure to give them a ring or explore their website to book a tour of their brewery.
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PS. keep an eye out for Spearhead’s collection and try them out when you visit or when you are out shopping (well not while you’re shopping…wait until you get home)!
#4: Kingston Brewing Company
Where: 34 Clarence St. Kingston, ON. (View Map)
Our second last stop is Ontario’s oldest brew pub! The Kingston Brewing Company is a staple brewery making beer, wines, and ciders since 1986.
Within its walls, you can find a large collection of beer memorabilia and pub photos decorating the 1800s-era brick and stone building. We’re obsessed!
Take a trip into the past and taste the evolution of brew mastery while you unwind outside on one of their TWO beautiful patios offering you views of Lake Ontario or the bustling street scene. You can also dine indoors and for that special occasion, you can dine like royalty in their private Dragons Lair banquet hall!
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Now that we know the layout we can dive into the brew selections that are bound to make you try them all.
Lovers of cask-brewed ales will love Dragon’s Breath Cask Ale- a 5% unfiltered brew with a sweet finish. Feeling ambitious? Try the Double Dry-Hopped IPA 6.5% – a fruity and well-hopped brew with a touch of a bitter finish.
Lastly, their Regal Amber Lager 5% is a smooth clean amber with a crisp and refreshing taste. No matter what you choose you’ll be sure to want a second round!
#5 Skeleton Park Brewing
Where: 675 Arlington Park Place, Unit 3 Kingston, Ontario
Our last stop features Skeleton Park Brewing! The origin of Skeleton Park Brewery is one to dig deeper into as it began on the other side of the world: Taiwan. Infatuated with Kingston’s rich and diverse brewing history, brew scientist Trevor Lehoux made it his mission to resurrect long-lost brews from Kingston’s past.
Plan to visit them to experience a blast from the past in every brew, as they pride themselves on brewing in the same tradition as they were created over a century ago. “Not so much to honour what’s dead and gone, but to celebrate life and its rich and plentiful abundance”.
Prepare to be entertained when you dine in as their taproom is the place to be for live music and exclusive events!
Now let’s take a look at a glimpse of the lineup of their resurrected brews:
This series of brews is one to behold! They are authentic resurrections of long-lost recipes and your next favourite beer.
We recommend you try all of them, but you should start with the well-balanced, European-style amber ale. It has a full-bodied taste with a complex malt profile. It’s velvety and subtle with notes of rye bread, cherry, and toast, with a warm highland whiskey finish. Can it get better than this?
Yes, it can. Introducing their seasonal Brews!
Their rotating brews are ones to savour when the time is here. So make sure to set a reminder or keep them in mind when you find the brew that speaks to you. The Autumn Fyre is one of those brews that will keep you coming back. It’s a crisp refreshing Gratzer Style Ale, with bright and vibrant notes of biscuit, vanilla and honey. Talk about a dream brew!
We recommend you explore their brewery and taproom and book a tour to learn more about their brewery and its incredible story!
That’s a Wrap
That wraps up our brew hunt in beautiful Kingston! Feeling as thirsty as we are after reading this? Start planning your Kingston brew hunt today.
