Beer Lovers' Tour Company
Beer Lovers' Tour Company
5
City ToursHistorical & Heritage ToursBeer Tastings & Tours
About
Celebrating a passion for beer, food and travel, The Old Toronto Beer Tour explores the culture and history of Toronto against the backdrop of our rich brewing heritage both past and present. The Old Toronto Beer Tour is an all-day experience and includes tours and tastings at 4 breweries--Steam Whistle, Amsterdam Brewery, Izumi Sake Brewery and Mill Street Brewery -- a charcuterie lunch, transportation, sightseeing including entrance to Fort York and a walking tour of the Distillery District. Our tours are professionally guided by fun and knowledgeable brewery experts. We also offer a shorter walking tour of the Distillery District, called the Toronto Beer & Chocolate Tour. Now announcing our newest tour, the Toronto Rail & Ale Tour, running Sundays from 1 to 6.
Toronto, Ontario, Canada

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(2 reviews)

Most Recent: Reviews ordered by most recent publish date in descending order.

Detailed Reviews: Reviews ordered by recency and descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as wait time, length of visit, general tips, and location information.

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5.0
5.0 of 5 bubbles139 reviews
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MomAndHer3Kids
Toronto, Canada68 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Oct 2021
Our party of 7 celebrated a friend’s birthday. I started getting quotes a few months before, and Oliver was the only one who consistently communicated with me and answered all questions. His quote was higher than others I received, but this tour was worth every penny and more! We spent a day visiting breweries, Fort York museum, talked beer, history, music and beer. It was a fantastic experience. Oliver combines German order and punctuality with European knowledge of history with truly Canadian love for the country and the city of Toronto. Highly recommended for anyone who wants to see more of Toronto, and who loves beer.
Written November 1, 2021
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Jeff H
Ajax, Canada1 contribution
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Jun 2014 • Solo
I have to admit that I don't usually do reviews, I just read them. But when I saw that this tour was batting 1000 (27 reviews, 27 "excellents"), I was intrigued, and now that I have done the tour, and just want to say.... "28 and counting"
I am at the point where I don't really binge drink all that much anymore. I like to have a few, and now I want those few to taste good. And Oliver shows you Toronto's great tasting beers. Steam Whistle Pilsener, Mill Street and Amsterdams various tasty beers. They are great beers. I'm done with buying 24's and 28's of the Big Boys' beers. (Maybe for camping, but that's it.)
Oliver REALLY knows beer. And Toronto. If you want to know about beer too, and the history of Toronto's brewing past, (there is ALOT to know), go on this tour. He makes it fun, he's got a great sense of humour, you can tell he really enjoys his gig. (how could he not?). And if you're lucky, he'll serenade the tourists with some opera on the bus! This guy is an amazing opera singer too! He's a party. Check it out.
Written June 15, 2014
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Karen B
Kingston, Canada3 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Apr 2014 • Friends
I would like to start by saying I am not a beer drinker. I might have had 2 beers in my life, but I am married to a beer lover. After this tour I have a new appreciation and acquired taste for beer.

After arranging this tour as a surprise for my husband and brother I was excited to see if it was all the website and reviews cracked it up to be. It was. From the start to the end of the day it was a joy to taste, learn about the history, and meet some wonderful people along the way. The tour itself consisted of the following:

Steam Whistle - awesome tour, very informative, tons of samples, great lunch!

Visit to Fort York - slightly deserted from a tourism perspective, but non the less informative to hear the rundown on the history of brewing in TO. I would likely cut the tour time down on this by 15 minutes and add that extra time to the Distillery District.

Brewing Academy - 3 samples, learned how to look, smell, taste and explain beer to others. I learned that I like blonde ales. Who knew this non beer drinker could even like beer let along say which one.

Mill Street - Tons of samples (and shot), awesome area to tour in the Distillery. Wish we had a bit more time there.

Amsterdam Brewery - Bring on the samples (try 6), by this point too tipsy to know the difference between beers. Super fun environment, great to hang out with the whole group.

Dinner - we didn't partake in this part. But I will say the bus ride back to Steam Whistle was so funny.

By far we all thought the coolest part of the day was our tour guide, Oliver. I will never forget him singing his amazing tenor opera voice on the bus. He was so knowledgable, friendly, and accommodating. Really appreciate the hard work he puts in, plus the overall quality of this well put together tours.

Great job!
Written April 17, 2014
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Thanks so much for your kind (and detailed!) review. Anyone reading it will get a great idea of the highlights on the tour. That you are not a beer drinker and still had a good time is wonderful. I actually agree with you regarding more time at the Distillery District. My biggest challenge with the Old Toronto Beer Tour is trying to fit in everything I think people might be interested in. Toronto has so much to offer the visitor and local alike. As for 'stretching the pipes' on the tour, well, suffice it to say that I am easily pursuaded. Where there is beer, a song is never far away!
Written April 20, 2014
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.

Tom H
Pontypool, Ont, Canada69 contributions
4.0 of 5 bubbles
Dec 2014 • Friends
This is a good tour for those that think they drink beer , but have never experienced the real beer appreciation for different flavors and methods. The tour started at Steam Whistle, and I have to say, that the Folks at Steam Whistle do an outstanding, fantastic job at entertaining AND Educating you. This stop was probably the absolute highlight of the entire tour. To the folks at Steam Whistle .. WELL DONE !!. .... At the Beer Academy, we were also well received and well educated ... I was a bit disappointed that Mill St , nor Amsterdam, did not do anything special for our tour group, other than sit us down and serve beer. No education from them on their history. A Rep from those 2 stops should have been made available.

Overall, though, It was a very good day where the old taste buds definitely got a good work out.
Written December 7, 2014
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Thank you so much for taking time to share your Old Toronto Beer tour experience with other Trip Advisor readers. I appreciated in particular your comments about the beer focus on the last two brewery stops and have made some changes to address your point. Thanks for that.
Written March 6, 2015
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.

Bo V
Newmarket, Canada5 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Mar 2014 • Friends
I can't say enough about how great this experience was.
We went for a friend's bachelor party and weren't sure what to expect. But this tour exceeded our expectations to say the least.
From the beginning, you're greeted by the friendly host and the people at the Steam Whistle brewery for an awesome tour of the brewery. From there is a perfect mix of different kind of beer tour experiences and you do NOT at any point get the feeling of "been there done that."
I can't say enough positive comments about the beer tour hosts. Oliver and his tour guide partner engage you with how passionate they are about beer, the history of beer, the brew process, and of course the flavour of it! They are also incredibly knowledgable and continually interact with the patrons on the tour sharing their knowledge, experiences, and stories.
This tour really has a great, warm atmosphere from the get-go and and you get the feeling you're hanging out with a bunch of friends all day. The tour appeals to ANY event you may have because the tour has this uncanny ability to appeal to a wide spectrum of tour goers. On our trip there were examples of a birthday celebration, a bachelor party, and a day out just for the experience and the day went at a pace and had something that worked well for each person in the tour group.
And of course there's no shortage of beer!
For the bachelor party, it was a perfect way to spend the day-portion of the party
I can go on and on because I can't say enough about this great experience!
Written March 29, 2014
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

Bruce C
1 contribution
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Mar 2019 • Couples
We had the privilege of having Oliver do our tour. His knowledge of the craft beer industry in Toronto is complimented by his knowledge of beers from Germany and Bavaria. The recipes,skills and tradition to make these fantastic beers. To tie in the old history of corktown, Fort York and distillary district and beyond is a testiment to his love of beer. Every stop came with a spokes person that shared the love of beer. Great mix. History, beer, good food, and great people made a memorible day. I would reccomand this tour to everyone. Bruce and Brenda
Written April 2, 2019
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

seanmurphy2018
Toronto, Canada4 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Nov 2018 • Friends
Recently took the The Old Toronto Beer Tour. Great day with everyone. Beer was actually better than expected as they are not beers that I normally drink. Our guide and host Noah was great as well. Actually learned a lot of the history of beer in Toronto but also some other items in relation to drinking beer and how beer is made. Would definitely recommend this for anyone in Toronto or visiting Toronto. It was great meeting all the others on the tour as well. Very relaxed atmosphere and the food was also spot on!
Written November 12, 2018
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

RrMmluke
1 contribution
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Sep 2018 • Couples
This was a birthday gift for my husband and I was hesitant to go. Best decision I have made...the day was fantastic. Our host Noah was hands down the bomb, what a great tour guide, absolutely the best, he went over and above for us...we wish him well in all his endeavors. The group we had was amazing made my husbands birthday. Great day. Great food. Great beers. Oliver was wonderful to deal with, always answered my emails and questions. Highly recommend this tour. Would do this again in a heartbeat. Clem was a great bus driver! All around A+ day in the city. Do not hesitate to book this tour you will not be disappointed.
Written September 9, 2018
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Thank you so much for the glowing review! It is encouraging that after running the Old Toronto Beer Tour for 18 years now that we still get great emails like yours. I guess we are doing something right. You are welcome any time!! Thank you. Oliver
Written September 28, 2018
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.

dmezik
Chicago, IL15 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Aug 2018 • Couples
We spent a great Saturday afternoon and evening with Oliver!

Steam Whistle
Fort York
The Distillery District
Ontario Spring Water Sake Brewery
Mill Street Brewery
Amsterdam Brewery
Beer Lovers' Dinner option at the Granite Brewery

Oliver really does give you some great history of Toronto and its wonderful beers! The best ones were from Granite Brewery!

Cheers!
Written September 7, 2018
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Thank you for taking time to review your Old Toronto Beer Tour experience. It has always been my belief that a beer tour is not simply a shuttle service taking passengers from one tap room to the next. It is a blend of both history and beer appreciation. I am delighted you appreciate this. I enjoy the Granite ales as well especially because they are my first beers of the day! Thank you again!! Come again.
Written September 28, 2018
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.

Heather A
Ontario, Canada28 contributions
5.0 of 5 bubbles
Aug 2017 • Couples
The tour was very enjoyable. Oliver certainly is a wealth of knowledge. You will have the opportunity to sample a lot of beer. My favourite tour was the first stop with Steam Whistle. Francis, our tour guide with Steam Whistle, was really funny. What a great ambassador for the company. I chose this tour to celebrate a milestone birthday. Oliver was good enough to pick out the most delicious cake for us, and the entire group was treated to his amazing singing voice. I enjoyed Fort York very much as well. I will very likely try another tour with this group. Well done.
Written August 14, 2017
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

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