One day in Toronto

Where is your layover (Pierson or the Island airport)? How long is the layover?

If you are at the big airport (Pierson) getting to and from the airport is possible via public transit, but its going to take some significant time so how much layover you have is very important.
Immodest may be on tap somewhere, but Fat Tug will not be.
Hitting all your wants (vegetarian, kids, pizza, wine) could be tricky if you want to combine that with a good tap selection.

Check out menus at Bar Hop, Burdock and Bellwoods online.

But again, timing is everything. Toronto traffic is not kind.

 

so you'll probably be downtown around 3ish...

Take the UP express to union, then subway up to either Bar Hop (both locations are good) Wvrst has a kids menu and beer but not cheap but lots of open space. Bellwoods is the best in the city for your ipa needs, they open at 5pm I believe. Get their early, they are always busy. I'm not crazy about Burdock, more misses than hits (sorry @FEUO ).

Good luck!

 

Indie Ale House is alright for kids. They have a small sized Margharita Pizza. They open at noon as well. Good beer overall, but won't help you in your quest for the best local IPAs. You would take the Union-Pearson Express from Pearson to Bloor station, make the short walk over to the Dundas West subway station and take the Dundas bus westbound for about 10 minutes. Here is their website: http://www.indiealehouse.com/#slideabout

The Bellwoods: http://bellwoodsbrewery.com/ and the Bar Hop: http://www.barhoptoronto.com/ suggestions from above are probably your best bets in the IPA search as already mentioned. If you are thinking Bar Hop, I would likely just take the Union-Pearson Express to Union and grab a short cab ride to Bar Hop rather than waste time taking the subway the one stop that will get you 2/3rds of the way there. I'm guessing it will only be a couple dollars more than having everyone pay the subway fare. Bar Hop updates their website tap list at least once a week. Keep your eyes out for the Great Lakes IPAs (different brewery than the one in Ohio).

CHeers, and good luck!

 

Lol, don't apologize to me. I wouldn't apologize for Burdock. I haven't had enough of their stuff to really vouch for them, but I wanted to add a third option behind Belly and BarHop (as I've shown bias towards them in the past).

And did I really spell it Pierson? hahahahaha.... I fly villy Billy Bishop so I'm unfamiliar with the mess that is YYZ.

 

Given the traffic between the Airport & downtown at that time of day*, >half of your 7.5 hours will be taken up in travel time just getting to/from downtown - especially on public transit. If you plan to hit more than one spot, consider Uber ...

* anywhere in TO for that matter!

 

1) is BYO a thing in Toronto? I know there are some U.S. states in which you can bring your own beer or wine to a restaurant to have with your meal if you pay an "opening fee." Wondering if I could pick something up from a LCBO to enjoy somewhere that's not, as my wife says, "another beer place" ---- Yes there are restaurants in Toronto that offer a corkage fee that varies from nothing to over $30.00/bottle. You need to just do some google searches. Might wish to stick to wine as you will confuse them with beer and may run into issues. Been there done that.

2) Here's a list of stuff I'd like to try someday; if anyone knows where I might find some of, or if anyone has additional recommendations on stuff I should try, please let me know... You won't find many of these on tap at all..... too long since released.

Auval Super A- Don't know
Nickel Brook Immodest- 5 in stock at Summerhill LCBO accessable by the TTC transit system after you take the UP
Driftwood Fat Tug- 38 in stock at Summerhill
Great Lakes - Octopus Wants To Fight- You are out of luck now on this one. All old stock.
Great Lakes Robohop- See above
Great Lakes Karma Citra- See above
Bellwoods Roman Candle- Brewery only right now

4) beer options at Pearson airport?- Decent area in the secured section of both terminals. Better wine and hard liquor then beer

Again, thanks in advance![/QUOTE]

 

Burdock - opens at 5pm
Bellwoods - opens at 5pm
Bar Volo - opens at 5pm
Indie Alehouse - opens at noon
Bar Hop - opens at noon
WVRST - open at 11:30am.

This is the problem with beer bars in Toronto. They serve the night life.
Bar Hop or WVRST might be the best options to go for.

Also consider C'est What. http://www.cestwhat.com/menus/featured-beer
Not in the Bar Volo, WVRST, Bar Hop category but you are limited because of your timing.

As has been mentioned, a few of the beers you are looking for are not fresh at this time. Mostly older rotational releases. You might get lucky on Karma Citra. Had one today on tap in Hamilton at the Brux House (but that is a little out of your way) and it was release about 2-3 weeks ago If I recall correctly. Roman Candle and Jutsu are currently available at Bellwoods but if you are in Toronto next week no promises they will still be available. Fat Tug is likely your next freshest IPA and it is still probably a 3 month old. Immodest is about the same. The LCBO is probably the only place you will find those two. Oh, and the Auval is unobtanium. Think Heady topper with a much smaller release. Plus that's one province over, in Quebec. It's not release in Ontario.

Had you thought of lining up a trade?

Cheers and best of luck!

 

Best bet would be to find an LCBO with both Immodest and Fat Tug, then hit Bellwoods at opening for food and some drinks. Immodest may be on tap somewhere in the city, Fat Tug probably won't be. If time is an issue maybe bring some MN beer and do an exchange near Pearson for some of your wants?

 

Honestly, I would skip buying immodest from an lcbo right now, any cans that are around are from May (at best) and it has dropped off quickly. It was sweet to begin with and now it's just a malty mess (and this is coming from a Nicklebrook fanboy who loves that beer). If you are buying lcbo stock ipas, just buy collective arts' ransack the universe. it's better than any of the ipas you listed (not sure about auval or fat tug in that fight, haven't had them yet) and still relatively fresh.

 

Just had a ransack last night, and I'd definitely take all of those beers over it. Thankfully this batch was drinkable.

 

Yep, different palates and all that. For me, this beer uses two of my favourite hops perfectly releasing huge grapefruit and mango flavour and has the best mouth-feel out of the above beers. Personally, I find that even though I enjoy the flavour on all of the above beers, the mouth-feel on them is a huge let down, either somewhat soapy or "dirty," just not soft and smooth like I personally like.

 

New batch! Excellent going to look now as it nice fresh. Sure it's hot out but still would enjoy a fresh batch of an excellent IPA like lake effect, octopus or Immodest right now.

 

As for Pearson, the domestic terminal doesn't have much. I ended up going with Mill Street, it appeared that Great Lakes and Muskoka were both out in the International terminal only.

 

It could pop up on draft somewhere but cans at the LCBO would be your best bet. I've seen them at my local LCBO outside the city that were canned 4 days prior. I checked 5 places I thought might have it on tap and got shut out.

Just checking out Bar Volo's taplist, if it were me going there today I'd be sticking with those Great Lakes IPA for my hop fix. Karma Citra on tap? Sold!

 

I do think you're pushing your luck using public transit - I think someone already mentioned that total travel time (remember time walking to from trains, etc ... assuming also that there is no transfer involved that will require luggage handling), will eat up half of your available hours. That said, traffic in and around the airport is particularly bad and you may catch the tail end of rush hour heading back, so cab/Uber is tricky too.

The most straightforward (and reliable) route for a "destination" bar might just be Bar Volo - take the Union Pearson Express to Bloor Station, then get on the eastbound Bloor subway line (or whatever it's called now ... Line 2?) at Dundas West station, getting off at Bloor-Yonge station and walk a few blocks south to Dundonald. Volo has wine and small plate food. I believe there are salads or other meatless options and I think a pizza or two. Menu is on the website.

You won't be seeing the best Toronto has to offer along this stretch of Yonge unfortunately, though there is some gentrification going on, which is the reason Volo will soon vacate it's location ... condos!