The 6 Best Kingston Breweries

Draft Brewing / Best Kingston Breweries

What are the best Kingston Breweries to visit this year? Well, we’ve done the work to figure that out for you! We have sampled all their brews, spent time in their taprooms and read all the online reviews to come up with our take on the best Kingston Breweries to explore this year! 

Kingston Breweries

Kingston is a city that was way ahead of its time when it comes to craft beer. With Ontario’s oldest brewpub located in Kingston, it’s no surprise that as the craft beer wave caught on, Kingston naturally road the wave. Now, Kingston pairs its passion for “farm-to-table” dining with its love of craft beer to be a top city in Canada for dining and beer. We’ve chosen our top favourite Kingston Craft Breweries, but with new taprooms constantly opening up, it’s hard to stay on top of everything that’s new!

What are the top breweries in Kingston?

Since 1986, Kingston has been home to great beer. In the past few decades, this city has only continued to cement its place in the Craft Beer world by continuing to add top-quality, local craft breweries. Ontario Craft Brewers’ Association, on average, adds 3 members per month to its roster of craft brewers, and among those are some talented brewers from Kingston.

Kingston is known as a city for having great food. Located close to local farms, the city has flourished in “farm-to-table” dining options as well as craft and microbreweries using local and fresh ingredients to create seasonal brews. We’ve chosen Kingston’s finest breweries for you to check out. Enjoy a pint (or two) and delicious food at these top Kingston craft breweries.

How do we pick the best Kingston Breweries?

With every ‘top breweries’ post that we write, we make sure to do diligent online research to determine who makes it on our list. From reading online reviews and reviewing beer selections, to checking other authority websites and of course, sampling their beers. We do our best to take all the information we collect and give you our opinion of the top breweries in Kingston.

However, we know we aren’t perfect and if we’ve missed a Kingston brewery that you think should be on this list, contact us and let us know who the brewery is and we’ll do our best to include them!

Did we miss something?

If you think a brewery deserves a spot on our list, Vote for them! If you’re a brewery looking to update your information or get in touch, contact us!

The Best Breweries in Kingston, Ontario

Ready to see who made our list of top Craft Breweries in Kingston?

Daft Brewing

Daft Brewing
Daft Brewing

Daft Brewing is straight up, a super cool brewery. With a taproom that’s located in an old car garage that’s been transformed into a west-coast-inspired brewery, Daft brings a space for all craft beer drinkers to enjoy to Kingston. Self-described as “non-pretentious”, this down-to-earth craft brewery defies traditional beer genres with creative and unique recipes that are ever-changing and always delightful.

Customer Review: Always a great time. Couldn’t ask for better beer or atmosphere. Trivia, karaoke, live music and DJs. Solid.

Spearhead Brewing Company

Spearhead Brewing Co.
Spearhead Brewing Co.

On a quest to expand the domain of craft beer, Spearhead Brewing is truly “spearheading” the path for top-quality, local craft beer. Founded in 2011, Spearhead opened its brewery doors in 2018 to an already established fan base of its beer lineup. Since then, they’ve only grown in popularity as a local favourite for Kingston craft beer lovers.

Head over to Spearhead for some damned good beer and fun events like weekly live music and trivia nights! Bring your friends, you won’t be disappointed.

Customer Review: Spearhead brewery is constantly coming out with new great beers to try all the time. The staff are friendly and helpful. They also have a great patio with a good atmosphere. It is a little gem in Kingston.

Kingston Brewing Company

Kingston Brewing Company
Kingston Brewing Company

Ontario’s oldest brewpub, this brewery is located in a telegraph office from the 1800s and is truly an ode to the history of Kingston and beer. Offering a menu of traditional pub food with a twist and a reliable tasty beer lineup, Kingston Brewing Company is not to be missed. Plus, their two patios are a huge draw during the warm Ontario summer months.

Customer Review: A great local brew pub with friendly staff and a great selection of house beers and pub food to suit. I am particularly found of the cask ale.

Riverhead Brewing Co.

Riverhead Brewing Co.
Riverhead Brewing Co.

Riverhead Brewing operates under the mantra “adventurously brewed”.  With a lineup of brews that are a fine blend of traditional and daring, Riverhead Brewing is a standout of Kingston craft breweries. Their craft is about the journey, not the destination, and the journey of enjoying the craft beers that Riverhead has to offer is definitely worth it.

With a dozen creative brews on tap to sample, paired with delicious oven fired artisanal pizza, you really can’t go wrong with a visit to this local gem.

Customer Review: Amazing service and a cozy atmosphere; what else can I say? Friendly staff who got me seated and served right away, and I received my food at an incredible speed! Great food and even greater beer, nothing like being able to try all the options and then walk out the front door with a 2-4 of your favourite brew in your hands.

Skeleton Park Brewing Co.

Skeleton Park Brewing Co.
Skeleton Park Brewing Co.

The brewers at the Skeleton Park brewery began brewing overseas in Taiwan before bringing their favourite local beer to Kingston. Their mantra “bred-in-the-bone craft beer” – meaning they focus on time-tested, traditional beer styles. Though you won’t find any unusual ingredients or beer style-hybrids here, you will discover delicious classic beers that keep you coming back for more.

Customer Review: I have been to a few breweries in Kingston area. I first tried skeleton park beer at a local craft show. It was awesome so I came back. I love how they are dog friendly. Wonderful place to lounge alone or with friends. They offer excellent service and fantastic varieties of craft beer. I highly recommend!!

Fine Balance Brewing Company

Fine Balance Brewing Company
Fine Balance Brewing Company

Just one year old, Fine Balance Brewing is making waves in the craft beer scene. With an open concept tap room and brewery, you can watch the entire brewing process from your seat. If you visit on Saturday and Sunday you can get a full brewery tour, taking in the full brewing experience.

This new brewery in Kingston is all about balance. They say that “life and beer require balance to be at their best. And finding that balance is as personal as finding a beer you love”. They’re constantly experimenting with new releases made with quality ingredients to create unique beers for unique people.

Customer Review: Honestly, this was probably the best line of craft beers I’ve ever experienced, from NEIPAs to wheat to stout, they blew me away.

Legacy Brews: Gone But Never Forgotten

As the saying goes, ‘All good things must come to an end,’ and sadly, the same holds true for some of our favorite local breweries. This section is dedicated to those beloved institutions that have closed their doors but left behind a frothy legacy in our hearts and palates.

Each provided unique flavors and experiences that made our city’s brewing scene richer and more diverse. While they may no longer serve their signature drafts, the memories and taste impressions they’ve left behind continue to inspire and influence the craft beer community.

Join us in raising a virtual toast to these establishments – gone but never forgotten.

Stone City Ales

Stone City Ales

It all started with a dream to create a return to craft, both in its beer and food. Stone City Ales focused on using local, quality ingredients that were fresh and came from the community. With a passion for using good beer to bring people together, Stone City Ales used their space as a platform to encourage social interaction and community engagement.

Enjoy the best breweries in Kingston!

Make sure to go and check out Kingston’s best craft breweries, grab a locally brewed pint (or 2) and support your local brewers!

If we’ve missed a brewery on our list that you think should be added, contact us and let us know who the brewery is and why you think it should be added to our list of the best Kingston Breweries!

More Ontario Breweries to Explore! 

But wait! There are more great breweries to discover in Ontario, Canada! If you happen to find yourself on a road trip around Ontario, make sure to check out some of the following cities for great local craft beer!

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