We've lived in the Etobicoke area for several years now, and I've been driving by Great Lakes Brewery for even longer, and yet it was only recently that I finally popped by for a visit. I can't believe I waited this long because the place pretty much rules. (We decided to finally check the place out after we heard about the delicious eats at the Smoking Section BBQ pop-up.) Even though the place is right by the highway, I wasn't expecting it to have such a cool outdoor area. This is the perfect summertime spot, and it's super easy to get to. And of course the beer ain't bad either. Yeah, Great Lakes Brewery is a real winner. We'll definitely make this a regular stop during the summer. read more

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went yesterday for 2 rasperry tarts called tango, it was great, nice little brew shop, bar, I went once before for "pints" which were actually like 8 ounce "pours", and they have lots of events and theme nights although I've never been read more

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Great service and you're greeted when you enter. Very casual place to enjoy a beer. Took an out of country guest there to let him choose an IPA and they gave him a generous sample. They have a summer deck. The only negative is that the Gardiner is across the street and it can be noisy. Live music may drown out the noise. read more

best in etobicoke and considering the layout best in ontario....? plus, nice half pint options read more

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Really good beers BUT 12 oz glasses. You can't get a proper pint here. However- they are only $5-$6. Good is garbage. And only good in a pinch. I had for dogs and they were miserable. Still a great spot with a small patio and a great spot to get craft beer and chat it up with locals. read more

This brewery is more like a store front with a row of large fridges carrying their current brews. There is a long counter one on side where you can sit and sample their many beers (there were around 9 available?), have a pint or try one of their flights. If they don't happen to have your choice on draft, they will pop open a can for you on the spot. Their staff are friendly and happy to introduce any of the brews or make a recommendation. In the summer months, they have a patio out front that looks to be a good place to enjoy some beer and catch some sun! read more

Great Lakes Brewery - Canada - Always a lot of choice in the fridge! - Breweries Near Me - Etobicoke, Ontario

I always drive past this place when i am driving the QEW into Toronto. I was hosting a bachelor party for my friend and he is a craft beer lover- so i decided that this would be our first stop. A little hard to find if you don't know where to look. Anyway, the limo driver knew where to go and drove us to the area. No frills Tap room with a huge patio. We were essentially drop ins but they accommodated the group (12 of us) on the patio. We did a tasting of some of their popular and exclusive beers. I like the IPAs (Octopus want to fight is my favorite) but they have a great selection of Amber and lagers as well. The tap room had $5 pours on tap as well as cans and bottles to go. They do have some food available but they are just appetizers. Recommended for a start of the night warm up place. Good vibes and fun. read more

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Great Beer, if it's available. Zero customer service at the brewery and a real lack of product at other locations. Their pandemic awareness is less than customer friendly. HOWEVER, did say Great Beer. If you are willing to put up with a single minded view of pandemic retail stupidly. Drop by... Great Beer; no class: I have no need to visit the brewery again. I will always look forward to a nice GLB Porter from other locations... you know ones that allow customers. George Toronto read more

Thanks so much for Troy at Great Lakes Brewery for our private tour.! That refreshing taste of Devil's Ale fresh from the tank was just so devilish which I always will remember! Love their Project X, a small batch crafted beer which only available in limited quantities, I ended up now having a bottle of Bourbon Porter aged in Wooden barrel waiting to be sampled in my fridge! 4 tasting of their most popular beers..and I am eyeing their Miami Weiss which is still fermenating in one of the tanks! Love how the brewmasters at Great Lakes are so innovative with their products: Green Tea Ale? Just giving me more execuse to drink more since isn't it that green tea is good for me? Drop by the store try some beers, pick up some beer at the source and support the local breweries! read more

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We cycled out here from the Queen West area a couple of weeks ago. The location is industrial and right by the highway, but cold beers on the patio after a ride on a hot day was awesome. Staff was very welcoming to two thirsty travelers. It was later in the day and they close at eight so we grabbed a couple of the No Chance With Miranda with Raspberries (Saison) to take home. It has a distinct raspberry taste but is light and refreshing with a slightly sour tang. A tarty fruit beer that's great for a hot day. Just drank the last one this afternoon and discovered an excellent pairing. This one goes perfectly with Cheetos Puffs. read more

Great Lakes Brewery - Canada - No Chance With Miranda with Raspberries (saison) - a perfect pairing with Cheetos Puffs. - Breweries Near Me - Etobicoke, Ontario

With the newer addition of menu service this is a much more popular destination in the neighborhood for sure. Staff are friendly and can manage a demanding weekend crowd well. Enjoyed the fish and chips and the stout combo! read more

The was an awesome place. They have a huge selection of local homemade beers, and the staff is extremely friendly and willing to help. They have a great flight deal where you pay $10 to get five 5-oz samples of beers. This is really fun with friends because you can all get different beers and try each other's! They also sell delicious popcorn to help buffer the beer so you all don't get obliterated all at once. The beers I had in order of favorite was: 1) No Chance With Miranda Saison 2) Red Leaf Laser 3) Sunny Side IPA 4) Hard Citra 5) Pale Al Pale Ale It was a great experience but the only thing is, there is no actual tour, so if you're looking to tour a brewery this isn't the place. If you want to taste a lot of local beers with cool names, bingo read more

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Great service! Very friendly staff. No tours but great flights of beer! Tasty and very creative names. Red Leaf- not as bitter as I expected Toronto Island- light beer and fizzy aftertaste Pumpkin ale- very tasty with pumpkin flavor Green River- bitter beer Over my dad bod- light and then bitter aftertaste Citra- grapefruit and citrusy. read more

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Helped myself to a flight while I visited Great Lakes Brewery GLB, had Octopus, Pompous Ass, 666 Devil, Saison DuPump and Canuck. The Canuck is such a smooth drinking lager. One you can drink many of sitting pool side or dock side. Highly recommended. I next sampled the Octopus, honestly my favourite of their IPA's. One I will always get at the LCBO and every time I visit GLB. If you like IPA's this is one you will fall in love with. The saison dupump was a nice surprise and a nice drink. The 666 was both on tap and a cask, I had the cask version and it was delicious. I definitely recommend a visit to Great Lakes brewery, you will not be disappointed. Oh ya they have an amazing food truck next door with top notch tacos. read more

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Great local brew and you can't get any better than that. I love that all of the beers have it's own decorative art that goes with the name. There are not a lot seats inside, but plenty outside if the weather permits. All their IPAs were solid, along with their porter (Harry Porter). These are bunch of friendly folks, so it made it that much better. read more

Went for the Pig Roast. The brewery itself has a whole wall of well stocked refrigerators. They have a tasting bar as well as a shelf of GLB swag. I picked up a tank top for $25, other tshirts were $28 and up. I tried their pumpkin beer, but it wasn't actually pumpkiny. Still a good brew. Staff were knowledgeable and they make a mean shandy. They have a parking lot as well as street parking. It's a pretty large property. They're about a 10-15min walk from the Mimico GO station or you can take TTC pretty close to the brewery. Don't forget to get your Yelp offer when you check in! read more

We were looking for a biking destination and chose Great Lakes Brewery. It's a great ride and quite accessible from Toronto along the waterfront bike path, then a short ride up through Mimico. We weren't sure what to expect inside - maybe just a bottle shop with some taps? - but it was a warm night and were happy to round the corner of the service road and see the huge patio with picnic tables and umbrellas out front. We were thirsty from the ride and started out with one of our favourites - Octopus Wants to Fight. Then we tried one of GLB's special offerings that was not available at the LCBO, the "No Chance With Miranda" raspberry saison. This was delicious. We bought a couple of big bottles to take home. The bottle-shop pours are $5 (they're not full pints, probably 10-12 oz). The service is efficient and friendly and if you're not sure about a beer, you can have a little sample before ordering. They close early - at 8:00 pm - and we were given short notice of this. There was no bathroom inside, but decent port-a-potties in the parking lot. Apparently there are bathrooms under renovation, so hopefully there will be something indoors in future. A nice patio, albeit without much of a view (the Gardiner Expressway), but a refreshing break on an otherwise scenic bikeride. I highly recommend a stop-off here! read more

Great Lakes Brewery - Canada - Patio and GLB sign in the distance. (Storm clouds gathering!) - Breweries Near Me - Etobicoke, Ontario

Came here on Thursday July 2nd, 2020 around 5pm to order a keg. Lady helping indicated they had all the kegs in stock. She directed me to purchase online and so I did just that and ordered one. Unfortunately when they actually went to check inventory, they didn't have the keg I ordered in stock. Most places would shrug it off, find a mediocre solution if any at all, and be done with it. Kudos to the lady and gentleman working. Although I had to pay the difference for a larger size keg (a 10L difference), they profusely apologized and sent me off with some additional tall boys of their newly released beers and some glassware. I've had GBL kegs a few time's before and genuinely like their beer. Honestly, it's small stuff like giving a couple extra goodies for a small f-up, that will make me keep coming back. read more

This place is a new discovery for me although it's been around for a while. About a month and a half ago I went with my wife to 850 Degrees on Lakeshore in Long Branch to have a nice pizza dinner. I had ordered a beer that they had called Canuck and since then I have fallen in love with this beer. This beer is a pale ale and it has a nice hoppy taste to it but it's not overpowering like some of the pale ales I've had in the past. In reading the can I discovered it was from Great Lakes Brewery right here in Toronto and as a matter of fact it's in my part of town (Etobicoke) as well. A recent return to 850 I had the Devil's Pale Ale which was 850's feature beer for November. Devil's to me was a little different, practically a stout and the color, it looked like I was drinking a Coke. I different taste, a different look. Being an active member of Yelp myself, Kris U who is the CM of the Greater Toronto Area had worked with GLB to get a pale ale made for YELP! That's right Kris has worked with Great Lakess Brewery to have an exclusive beer made for Yelp! From what Kris said an original batch of only 20 x 56 liter kegs were brewed. I'm not sure how many cans were made or if that was included in the quantity for the kegs but considering this beer has been spread out to local establishments during the past month until supplies last is pretty cool. Restaurants such as 229, Union Social Eatery, Hungry Brew Hops, King Henry's Arms, Smash Kitchen, Ten and Bru were all participants in the Yel-PA program. A dollar of every Yel-PA beer sold at these establishments is being donated to the Daily Bread Food Bank. This past Monday Kris held a CM Event at Union Social Eatery for a small group and we were able to all sample GLB's Yel-PA. Being as Union features a craft beer on Monday they were featuring Yel-PA that evening for 5 dollars. Yel-PA finally I had a chance to try it and it was good. It was a nice dark amber color and it had a good taste and wasn't overly overpowering and light on the hops. Well I had went to GLB near the Costco in Etobicoke to purchase some Yel-PA the other day and they were sold out! I was sort of sad but I did buy one Pompous Ass to try as the guy there told me Yel-PA was a lot like Pompous Ass. I also bought some Canuck. Now that I know where this place is I'm happy to say it is nice to know we have a local brewery very close that makes great beer for good prices. The Pompous Ass and Canuck sell for 2.50 each for tallboys (473 ml). Now this beer is really good and for 2.50 well that's just the same price as many of the other types of beer I can get at the LCBO. Pricewise GLB is competitive but taste wise well I will be coming here more often to stock on good locally made quality beer. read more

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Tip: Free 5oz pour with Yelp check-in. I got a flight of 5 to share with friends and the check-in offer was applied to the flight. I think flight was ~$10 and after the check-in was applied, it was less than $5! I never got the guy's name who helped us out, but he was very friendly and accommodating. There were 5 beers on-tap, I told him what beers I liked, and he offered to crack open a can that wasn't on-tap. The flight helped my friends and I determine what beers we wanted to buy. Too bad Swamp Juice wasn't available in a can, but only a $15 growler - actually $10, after the $5 bottle deposit. My only criticism is that I wished that there was more seating. There was a group (people who worked there or friends of people who worked there), already seated at the long table, and there wasn't enough seating for 3 additional people. There were a couple of small, higher tables, but no chairs. So I hope that this will change in the future. I overheard that they're doing renos, so hopefully this includes plans for more seating. There was also a outdoor patio, but obviously only good when weather permits. Great place to stop and discover some local brews! read more

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My wife uses this place as bribery in order to entice me I nearby Ikea. A great underrated brewery with a simple no nonsense retail store attached. They've recently started stoking posters and growlers. My only criticism is that it's a real gamble as to what they have in stock. Sometimes they fridge is laden with Project X special brews such as various takes of their Harry Porter. Other times its their less exciting core can range. Next time you get dragged to Ikea, take a post shopping trip to GLB! read more

Great Lakes Brewery - Canada - Breweries Near Me - Etobicoke, Ontario

Very friendly staff and delicious beers. Have stopped here a few times solo to surprise my beer loving boyfriend with some surprises and also visited with him as well. They offer growlers and tall cans for sale in their retail store along with some cute GLB branded items (art, etc). The only food to speak of last time I was there were Neal Brothers chips but the maple bacon flavour was GOOD!! read more

Good place to pick up beer, thought it was a restaurant or tasting room, but not quite I pictured, on the website said next to a lake, and it's not near a lake or downtown. Good selection and great service read more

Great Lakes Brewery - Canada - Breweries Near Me - Etobicoke, Ontario

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Great Lakes Brewery is a nice place to pick up some great beer. They have been doing craft beer longer than many of the newer players, and the beer is really good. Some of the beer is available at the LCBO, yet be sure to stop by the brewery to taste some limited release beers, as well as favourites on draught. Unlike some beer stops, Great Lakes is not a pub, yet more of a bright airy place that is more ideal for a weekend afternoon or take out order than anything else. Service here is both knowledgeable and friendly. The location is behind Costco beside the Gardiner. read more

Great Lakes Brewery - Canada - Sunnyside Session IPA - Breweries Near Me - Etobicoke, Ontario

Great Lakes is one of Toronto's more established makers of craft beer, with over 30 years of experience. You'll find their mainstay offerings like Canuck Pale Ale and Pompous Ass English Ale in LCBO's year round, but it's their seasonal IPA's which steal the show for me. Octopus Wants to Fight, Karma Citra, Robohop, and Audrey Hopburn are all names to look out for on that front depending on the time of year. Beyond LCBO distribution, you'll find them in some Toronto bars, or you can visit their tap room located out by the Queensway. Admittedly, this is the one complaint I have - the tap room is really inconvenient to get to, and also closes early (6pm during weekdays, 8pm Fridays/Saturdays). If you do make it there, you'll find some cool one off beers you won't be able to get anywhere else, including some delicious barrel aged beers. However one thing they do that makes it worth the trip out there, is special events - like a beer and cheese pairing event which I attended last month. Big shout out to our host Ali, he made the night really engaging, educational, and fun... All while sampling on tasty beers. read more

I'm by no means a beer connoisseur but I have to say that Great Lakes is an exceptional local brewery. I second Derek G.'s comment about the staff being "super chill." It's such a cool vibe in there and they usually offer me a tasting when I visit. My personal favourite is the Blonde Lager, which is available all year long and note that it cannot be purchased at The Beer Store or the LCBO. It's very light, refreshing, thirst quenching and pairs really well with calamari, fish tacos and even sushi. I think it's a good choice for the ladies as most of my friends enjoy it as well. I can't wait to try the Pumpkin Ale and the Winter Ale when they're in season. What's most admirable about the brewery is that it hosts an annual charity BBQ to raise funds for the Franklin Horner Community Centre, an organization that provides programs for residents in Etobicoke. One more thing to mention is that it also holds "Food Trust Fridays" for lunch in the summer, with a different vendor every week. You can buy lunch and a beer and sit outside on one of the picnic tables! read more

Great Lakes Brewery - Canada - Breweries Near Me - Etobicoke, Ontario

I love a great brew pub. Some of my best experiences have involved sampling new brews and meeting passionate people offering their version of excellence. Great Lakes Brewery offered all of this. Their beer sampler was an excellent choice to try a variety of their offerings with over 20 varieties of beer. I went from a tasty and lower alcohol content hefeweizen offering a flavourful and light summer option to the very heavy and complex All our Father's sins Bourbon Barrel Imperial stout. Very different beer options; both were excellent and enjoyable. Word to the wise: enjoy this last one with a plan for how to get home without driving! The menu is short but like the beer offers an eclectic variety of food options. Battered covered meatballs, small Asian inspired sliders and one of the most unique deep dish pizza options were enjoyed during our visit. Finally, we were blessed with a very fun and engaging server who provided good suggestions and connected well with us as we discussed beer, travel and the places we had visited in Canada. All in all a great evening punctuated with a visit to the retail area to take some of our favourite brews home. If you like to try beer and meet interesting people, you will enjoy this place. Enjoy! read more

Who's not a fan of Great Lakes Brewery beers? So many choices - Red Leaf, Golden Horseshoe, Green Tea, Orange Peel, Pumpkin Ale, etc. We decided to check out their Project X event that happens every 2nd Thursday of the month. Admission was $10/person, plus $10 for a membership that comes with a black Project X tshirt. As we entered, we were given small 3-4 ounce glasses with 4 drink tickets and a ticket for food. They had several beers on draft that night including an experimental one called Vanilla Ice (white chocolate vanilla flavor). They also had a cask of Crazy Canuck beer. Food included jumbo BBQ sausages on a bun, mixed green salad, potato salad, and fruit tray. GLB staff were on hand to answer any questions about their products. The vibe was friendly and laid back. Definitely worth checking out if you're a fan of local craft beers. read more

I've been a fan of GLB for quite a while and always pick up their seasonal brews at the LCBO. Their Winter Ale is a personal favorite of mine - a dark ale with loads of ginger. After driving past the retail location every day for months, I finally made the stop in - and so glad I did! The staff was very knowledgeable and able to help me pick out a few extra beers other than the one that I came in for, none of which disappointed! read more

New to the neighborhood, I've made the realization that there are not just one, but 3 breweries in Etobicoke (around/just off of the Queensway). It's my personal goal to visit all three over the next few weeks so I can establish my local fave. Heading up north for the weekend, I wanted something different and easy drinking in a beer for hanging out around the ski chalet. I was greeted by the friendly staff in the retail store who quickly gave me the lay of the land of GLB, their set up and a background on their different beers. While they have a few standards, such as Crazy Canuck, Devils Pale Ale (666) and Golden Horsehoe, I was encouraged to check back regularly as their seasonal offerings are always rotating. While they aren't quite set up "yet" for brewery tours, they offer a more than adequate selection of on tap beers to do proper beer tastings (or at the very least allow you to taste a few beers before you decide what you're going to buy). I ended up purchasing two each of the soon to expire seasonal beers in a convenient and well priced 650ml and 750ml size respectively. 1) Harry Porter and the bourbon soaked vanilla bean - a smooth easy drinking porter beer rich with vanilla flavour, which I learned is from them actually cutting vanilla beans down the center and letting them rest in bourbon. 5/5 2) Winter Ale - "Handcrafted with specialty hops & malts, combined with generous amounts of honey, cinnamon, ginger & orange peel." That description was taken right from the bottle and I cannot say anything more other than - It tastes like Christmas in a bottle. 4.5/5 Also, they have a growler program on now where you can get a growler filled for $20, I've never bought a growler before but I think it's a great value (and taste) that I couldn't possibly pass up! read more

I was at the Gastro Beerology 101 (Event) to try the different beers of the Great Lakes Brewery. There was the Seasonal Pumpkin Beer, Canuck Pale Ale, Stone Hammer (Oatmeal Coffee Stout), and Spark House Red Ale. All the beers were delicious, but I'd say my favourite was a toss up between the Pumpkin Beer and the Canuck Pale Ale. They both had a nice crisp taste that I'd enjoy over and over again. The Stone Hammer tasted just like coffee, I would be able to start every day with one of these! I swear I'm not an alcoholic. Last but not least the Spark House Red Ale reminded me of the Rickards Red but more citrusy. These beers were great and opened up my eyes to try out different beers in the world. read more

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Superior. Huron. Michigan. Erie. Ontario. 5 Great Lakes. Only If I knew those FIVE Great Lakes in Public School. I might have passed one of those damn Geography test. Am I ever glad I don't have to memorize them anymore. All I have to do is drive around them. Education system rocks! We went. We wait. We browse. We Tour. We drank. We bought. read more

Excellent choice and variety of beer for everyone! They have four or five staples and then tons of seasonal beers (the pumpkin ale in sept/Oct is off the hook!!) You can also go there during the day and the staff are super chill... They have a few taps flowing and will gladly allow you to sample some merch before your purchase!! Bottling is handled well.. Can either buy a growler for one time purchase of 20 bucks or buy cans. The growler is a super cool option. Big 3 litre (I think?) Bottle that is refillable with whatever you like.. Its like buying a 40 but you don't feel homeless afterwards! FIVE STARS .. We are lucky to have such a quality brewer in the west end :) read more

I have an odd sense of pride and love for this place. You know, a bit of a "I knew Great Lakes when . . ." thing going on. I knew Great Lakes when they were only served at Bryden's. When their shop was tiny. I used to buy cases and cases of Golden Horseshoe for way less than it was worth direct from the brewery and drink them all summer long. They had two beers then - Golden Horseshoe and Red Leaf. That was 15 years ago and now they are a big deal, deservedly so. Their beer is fantastic. Vienna Lager and the blonde lager are my favourites, but my husband drinks all the IPAs with relish. Staff is still lovely, happy to pour anything for you to taste. Congrats Great Lakes. Lifelong customer here. Someday I'll come by and stay for some food and a pint. read more

Fantastic experience!!!! We had amazing beers paired with food that made the beer taste even better it was awesome!!! Thanks to Chef Mike that made our experience amazing! read more

Love having one of Toronto's best breweries just a few blocks away. I love Great Lakes because their beers are fantastic, they now have food, their prices are very fair, staff are friendly and they are constantly keeping it fresh with new releases all the time. They host all kinds of events throughout the year and are the best place to go if you want to throw a keg party as their keg prices are the best for fantastic beer. Definitely worth a visit too if you are looking to try some of Toronto's best craft breweries as they've been one of the longest in the game. read more

Doesn't get much better than here. I like to try all their releases, but favorites have been: Sunnyside, Karma Citrus, and Octopus. Dont sleep on this place. Nice patio and friendly staff too! read more

Love GLB! Have been going to Project X tastings for over a year and am delighted at the new flavours they experiment with. Favorite bottles? Try their Pumpkin Ale, Miami Weiss and Crazy Canuck! read more

I'm a bit of a beer snob, or a bit of a beer person who thinks they should be different and fun. This place was great, lots of choices to try, samples or flights or a pint. Also a lot of detail on their current, past and soon to be ready beers. Plus I love the flexible hours and the chance to ask questions of people who have vested interest in their product. No matter how nice your local LCBO is they just aren't as passionate about their product. Loved the Harry Potter stout! read more

I've been a fan of GLB for over 20 years. I become more of a fan with every passing year. Keep doing exactly what you are doing and you will continue to Win. Try the "Octopus wants to fight IPA". read more