Top 10 Breweries in Ontario for 2024
For the last four years, we’ve been setting off the new 365 with our highly subjective selections for the Top 10 best breweries in Ontario for the previous annum. Twenty-twenty-four was by far the most difficult yet, and that’s a fantastic sign that the craft brewing scene is getting better and better with tons of competition for the best of the best. In this list, we’ve seen a number of breweries make the list that haven’t previously, which we love, and some breweries who make it every year climb higher and higher. To make things a little more accurate, we implemented a points system for 2024 - Nate and I put together our own individual Top 10 lists in order, and assigned points to each one. Ten points for #1, 9 points for #2, and so on. We added them all up and bam, we got our list. As I just mentioned, this list is incredibly subjective, as any list is - so if you don’t see your fave brewery here, it doesn’t mean we don’t rate them, it just means we either didn’t drink many beers from them in 2024 or that we felt other breweries performed better for our palates. Keep in mind there are 400+ breweries in Ontario alone, we also do a Quebec Top 10 so we focus a lot on getting beers from there, and I hit the US at least once a month so I’m drinking a lot from there, too. There are only so many breweries and beers we can try, and we do our best to get into as many products as possible so we have a solid perspective to be able to even make these lists.
Listen to the episode audio on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or any other podcast app, watch the full video below, or read on!
True history Brewing
Toronto
A brewery that was both an honourable mention for 2023 and one of our fave podcasts for that year, Toronto’s True History delivered heavy in 2024. Adam and Matt have been smashing it out of the park with their impeccably crafted crispies that have caught the attention of the best lager breweries across the globe, including their neighbours Godspeed. They implemented traditional Austrian fare in 2024, which perfectly compliments their killer brews. My biggest regret for the year was that I’m still yet to make it down (not that I didn’t try, the three attempts were all thwarted by the beer gods for some reason). Don’t be like me.
Slake Brewing
Picton
Prince Edward County’s Slake made the list for the first time, and it was incredibly well deserved. I feel like Slake sometimes doesn’t get their full props as their beers are mostly quite sessionable; something that tends to be swept aside by the vocal beer nerds. But that sessionability is their secret weapon. They’ve been knocking out lagers, IPAs and sours that are so well executed and can appeal to the palates of both experienced drinkers and fresh n00bs alike, and that in itself deserves to be celebrated. Not to mention they have one of the best taprooms and beer gardens that I’ve ever experienced.
Barrel Heart Blending & Brewing
Dundas
Another first-timer, Dundas’ Barrel Heart are one of like two or three Ontario breweries who exclusively brew farmhouse ales. Fellow Aussie Mark Horsley is renowned in the industry for spearheading both the Nickel Brook and Bench barrel programs, and finally, he’s doing it on his own. They only opened in March of 2024, and Barrel Heart was my most visited brewery of the year. Not only because they’re like 20 minutes from me, but it’s a gorgeous space, Mark and his wife/business partner Elaine are so lovely that it’s always a treat to see them, and it’s an excuse for me not to drink haze. Their beers are impeccable, and just this month (February 2025) they implemented their own kitchen program, which I’m excited to try. We need to get in a pod this year, too.
All My Friends Beer Co.
Bloomfield
The fourth new entry to the Top 10 was 2022’s Best New Brewery recipient, Prince Edward County’s All My Friends (you’ll start to sense a theme here for the County). AMF really hit their stride in 2023, but 2024 was their year. I swear, no other Ontario brewery was brought up to me more than AMF by excited drinkers who have been loving their milky, murky IPAs. Their consistency has been incredible, and they’re easily the scene leaders in terpene beers, a strange but cool element to own. We also need to shout out their designs, which are truly gorgeous. They’ve been a super fun one to watch come into their own and just dominate. Get some AMF in ya.
Willibald Farm Distillery & Brewery
Ayr
Willibald has been on the Top 10 since 2022, and for damn good reason. Their business model is phenomenal - not only do they knock out killer beers of all styles (from barleywines to stouts to hazy IPAs to Westies to crispies and more), but they also do exceptional liquor, seltzers and RTDs, not to mention their farm-to-table approach to their food menu. If I had someone in from out of town, the first place I’d want to take them is Willibald. The farm is gorgeous, the summer patio is wicked, and they have products that appeal to any palate. You really can’t go wrong.
Third Moon Brewing
Milton
I dare you to find a Top 10 list of Ontario breweries that doesn’t feature Third Moon. Chris and Bebo have really taken the brewery to new heights in 2024, expanding their team and taproom, and their distribution globally. Their massive annual drops for their anniversary and Halloween are some of the most anticipated in the province, and their range of beers and styles are constantly growing beyond the haze and stouts that they’re renowned for (including soda sours, smoothies, doppelbocks, and more crispies). Not to mention that their appearances on the pod have been the most epic of our history, with this latest episode hitting 5:07, a crazy record that now has to get crazier with each conversation. Excited to see where they go in 2025.
Badlands Brewing Company
Caledon
Arguably the most highly regarded IPA brewery in Ontario (and beyond), Badlands had a stellar 2024. I was stoked to make it down for two of their major summer events - their #SELECT drop where they released six beers featuring their hand-selected YCH hops, and their anniversary in August, which featured torrential rain but the patio was rammed and the vibes were lit. For a brewery with the tagline “An IPA factory that sometimes makes other beers”, they truly live up to that, and without looking at the numbers, I’d say that they launched more non-IPAs in 2024 than any year of their existence. Their stout program is truly spectacular, with Inky and #SELECT drops delivering the goods, and their crispies are not to be ignored. If Troy just keeps doing what he does best (we all know he will), we’re in for a beaut of a 2025.
TOOth & Nail Brewing Company
Ottawa
Matt Tweedy is one of our favourite humans, and it just so happens that his beers are also some of our favourites. Ottawa’s Tooth & Nail just do not miss, and 2024 was another banger of a year for the team. Obvi their crispies never slack, with their flagship Vim & Vigor dominating alongside a strong lineup of gems, but their stouts are glorious, their ode to Sierra Nevada’s Celebration, Hop Hugs, is spectacular (both Nate and BAOS did fun side-by-sides), and my new fave is Vim & Valor, their annual pilsner x saison blend. I’ve found myself falling more and more in love with them with every year that goes by. If you haven’t experienced them for yourself, I know I can confidently speak for Nate and me that we emphatically encourage you to get some in ya.
Godspeed Brewery
Toronto
The reigning Brewery of the Year had a fantastic 2024. Toronto’s Godspeed are arguably the crisp lords of the province, and while they now have some exceptional competition, they’ve really cemented themselves as some of the best in the game. What I love most about Godspeed is their dedication to quality and traditional, mostly Czech styles that they nail so well. They sit a little more bitter than some other lager producers, and their beers beyond crispies are just as great - their barleywines, stouts, porters, IPAs, smoked beers, and farmhouse brews are equally as exceptional as their crispies. I love that they have like four LUKR taps, and I drink whatever’s on the side pull at every visit because you just can’t beat it. The pod we did with Luc in 2024 was amazing - he now splits his life between Toronto and Tokyo, and he joined the pod at 9am Tokyo time and crushed six cans right there with us. What a legend.
Counterpart Brewing, 2024 BAOS Podcast Brewery of the Year
Niagara Falls
If you’ve ever tried Counterpart’s beer or been to the brewery, you’d be hard-pressed to argue with the decision to make the Niagara Falls staple our 2024 Ontario Brewery of the Year! Easily our biggest regret is only discovering them in 2023, but they’ve made every list since, and deservedly so. Greg and his team are brewing some of the best hazy IPAs in the province hands down, their lager program is so consistent and extremely underrated, and their barrel program is by and large the best in the country (yeah, I said it). I don’t think I’ve ever had a better Canadian stout than their double barrel-aged Deciduous Grand Reserve, and Nate’s fave beer of 2024 was their BA barleywine blend, Coniferous. Legit world-class stuff, they’re up there with anything from the US and I’ve heard from that from Americans. They opened their sister pizza spot, Counterpie, in late 2024 right next door to the taproom, which delivers a whole new experience from their flagship brewery. I just can’t say enough about Counterpart. Congrats, legends!
Honourable mentions
As with last year, there are so many impeccable Ontario breweries that we had to bring back a few bonus categories so we can shout out some folks over and above the Top 10.
The Hidden Gem Award
GoodLot Farm & Farmstead Brewing Co. - Caledon, ON
Unconventional Approach
LoveBird Beer - Thornbury, ON
Best New Brewery
Dune Hopper Brewing Company - West Lake, ON
Glassware Award
Gather Brewery & Glassworks - Merrickville, ON
Gone But Not Forgotten
The Wheeled Brew - Barrie, ON
Top Five Ontario Podcasts of 2024
For the second year in a row, we’ve put together five of our favourite episodes of the year. These are episodes that we felt would be a great introduction to the pod for those new to us, and for our amazing listeners and viewers, they serve as a reminder to check them out in case you missed them.
Episode 160: The Cost Of Brewing Craft Beer with Troy Baxter of Badlands Brewing
Episode 162: Quincy Bones with Steve “Bebo” Pilotto & Chris Steininger of Third Moon Brewing
Episode 165: Where The Saaz Grows with Luc “Bim” LaFontaine of Godspeed Brewery
Business of Beer Episode 1: Can I Get A Flight? with Caitlyn Whalen (Town Brewery) & Jamie Brash (Fine Balance)
Episode 188: Knight Of The Brewers’ Paddle with Jen Tamse of Beertown Public House
Cheers!
Article by Cee.
Related:
Top 10 Breweries in Ontario for 2023