Toronto Winter Brewfest returns this weekend

Toronto Winter Brewfest will live up to its name in 2018 by being held in the year’s first season, as opposed to the early spring as it was last year.

The third edition of the event takes place at the Enercare Centre at Exhibition Place from 6 p.m. to 1 a.m. on March 2 and 3. Various ticket packages have been discounted and neither evening has yet sold out. Tickets will be available at the door if they’re not all sold.

Purchasing four-ounce beer samples and food will once again be done via tokens after last year’s successful (to me at least) experiment with all-electronic transactions via RFID bracelets. Most samples will cost from two to three dollars, with some imports and small batch specialty beers going up to four bucks.

Attendees will be available to sample some 150 craft beers from about four dozen breweries. Whether your tastes run from hoppy ales to sweet milk stouts, from crisp lagers to fruit-infused sours, or from saisons to stouts, there should be something to appeal to all discriminating beer drinkers.

Calabogie, Elora, Market Brewing, High Park, Oast House, Nickel Brook, Rainhard, Bench, Orleans Brewing, Flying Monkeys, Saulter Street, Maple Beer Co., Halliburton Highlands, 3 Brewers, Beau’s, Goose Island, Railway City, Prince Eddy’s, Whiskeyjack, Spearhead, Creemore, Broadhead and Cowbell will all have booths.

Larger multiple-brewery bars will offer up limited selections from Founders, Stray Dog, Beyond the Pale, Le Prospecteur, Bicycle Craft, Stalwart, Left Field, Redline, Gainsbourg, Collective Arts, Dominion City, Square Timber, Cassel Brewery, Perth, Big Rig, Blood Brothers, Thornbury Village, Revel, Block Three, Domaine Berthiaume, Brasserie du Bas-Canada, The Exchange Brewery, Les Trois Mousquetaires, Two Roads, Small Pony Barrel Works, Kensington and Innocente.

Some ciders, wines, spirits and kombucha will be available for non-beer drinkers.

Those needing to fill their stomachs to try and soak up some of that alcohol can do so with fare from TDots Naansense, Delight Bite, Sul Irmaos Smokehouse, Pappas Greek, North Shore Pie Co. and Sausage Party.

DJs will be spinning tunes both nights if you want to get both your dance and drink on.

Photos by Nick Ghattas