Searching For Breweries In Guelph? Here Are Some Great Breweries To Visit!
Are you in Guelph and looking for something to quench your thirst? You’re in luck – Guelph has several great breweries that you can visit. The breweries in Guelph generally have a creative flair and a connection to the Guelph identity – by focusing on using local ingredients and naming their beer to reflect aspects of the community.
We’ve only been to one brewery but our local Guelph connection, Cam, has visited most of them (and enjoyed the beer around town) so we’ve once again tapped into his knowledge.
When it comes to visiting, one brewery is located right downtown while the others require transit or a car to get to. However, you can also usually find their beer on tap at many local bars and restaurants!
In case you want to visit but didn’t know how to go about it: The breweries came up with a great idea to address the whole distance issue. In the summer of 2019, they launched an initiative called “Guelph.Beer” and created the “Guelph.Beer Bus”.
This was a city transit bus that brought you to all the main breweries in a single day! It was successful the first summer. Check the link above to watch for the new dates. For now, here is a little more about visiting the five main breweries in Guelph!
Brothers Brewing Company
If you want to visit a brewery in downtown Guelph, you have one option: Brothers Brewing Company. It’s a great bar to visit in the evenings and they do all their own beers onsite.
There’s also enough variety so that they have something for everyone. They do some great variations of a sour Berliner Weisse – agave sour, blueberry sour, lemon, and more!
When you visit the space, they usually have Bob Ross (the painting show) on a TV behind the bar at all hours of the day which is hilarious. A cool part is that they have a board on the wall where you can buy someone a drink. They’ll write the name on the board and it can be claimed at a later time.
As with many breweries, they also sell beer onsite with a bottle shop in the front. It’s basically the only place downtown where you can buy beer after the LCBO closes!
Overall, great atmosphere, great beer, great location. You can find out all about Brothers Brewing here.
Address: 15 Wyndham St N Unit A, Guelph, ON N1H 4E5, Canada
Royal City Brewing Company
Bearing the iconic nickname of the city of Guelph, “Royal City” Brewing Company is another great brewery to visit.
Located a short drive from the city centre (very close to the Grotto Climbing Gym and Na Ha Thai’s Kitchen), Royal City has a great space to enjoy.
Inside, they have a full taproom where you can sample beer right then and there. You can even do a guided brewery tour and a tasting for a fee.
They also have fridges for beer sales onsite (this is what we did because we were driving). We grabbed an Exhibition IPA and a Hibiscus Saison and both were excellent!
Royal City doesn’t have food onsite but they sometimes have food trucks stop by. You can also bring your own food or even order from a local place nearby.
Overall, great space, great beers, great community brewery because they host events, too. You can check out Royal City here.
Address: 199 Victoria Rd S, Guelph, ON N1E 3J3, Canada
Fixed Gear Brewing Co.
Next up is Fixed Gear Brewing. As the name suggests, they have a connection to bikes and are actually tied in with the Guelph cycling scene by sponsoring the local club!
Located a bit farther from the downtown core, the brewery is in this super nice building kind of tucked away in a suburban neighbourhood.
All their beers have fun bicycle-themed names and there is a bike shop next door so if you get really inspired you can buy a bike to go with the beer.
Overall, they have a good craft variety with various levels of weirdness and uniqueness. The brewery is also dog-friendly in case you bring the pooch along! You can learn all about their beer on the Fixed Gear Brewing website.
Address: 20 Alma St S, Guelph, ON N1H 5W5, Canada
Wellington Brewery
If you’re looking for a bit of history to go with your beer, then why not head to Wellington Brewery.
They take the title as Canada’s oldest independently owned microbrewery! Focusing on brewing in small batches and specializing in bringing a traditional English-style cask ale to Ontario, they are known for having the classic Wellington Boot – or Welly – as their logo.
Located pretty far from the centre in the northwest corner of the city, you can visit them onsite for a pint on tap or buy beer at their storefront. If it’s too far for you to check out, hop on the Beer Bus (mentioned above) or try their beer when you go out in the city.
You can usually find their beer on local menus – their Wellington SPA (Special Pale Ale) is a staple! You can learn more about Wellington brewery here.
Address: 950 Woodlawn Rd W, Guelph, ON N1K 1G2, Canada
Sleeman Brewery
Last, but certainly not least, you have Sleeman Brewery. This staple name in the Canadian beer scene has had a long history from the 1800s with both a turbulent past and a more recent re-opening decades ago.
Today, the brewery is located outside the city to the southeast (more towards Highway 401). It’s in a very industrial area which isn’t as nice to look at but beer is beer!
They do have a bottle shop, tasting room, and tours onsite if you are interested in checking it out. You should definitely go if you are a fan of Sleeman’s! Learn more about a visit on their website.
Address: 551 Clair Rd W, Guelph, ON N1L 1E9, Canada
And there you have it – a rundown of the breweries in Guelph, Ontario. Keep in mind, there are always breweries opening up across Ontario so we’ll be sure to update this post as they do! Have fun exploring the Guelph beer scene, continue to support local, and enjoy responsibly!
As always, Keep Exploring, eh?
– E&L
Related Articles
If you’re thinking about exploring Guelph (or looking for other great things to do in Ontario), be sure to check our other Guelph posts as well:
- Things to See and Do in Guelph
- Great Bars and Pubs in Guelph
- How to Get From Toronto to Guelph (different options)
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