Planning a Trip to Hamilton, ON or area or simply live here and want to know where to go for Delicious Craft pints?
Read on...
Augusta St is a must stop while in Hamilton. Augusta is the street name but on this street you will find several old homes converted into pubs. Amongst these pubs my favorite 2 to recommend are The Ship & The Winking Judge.
Augusta st is a hidden gem and since we have grown past the age of late night clubbin & mini skirts and messy drinking we have moved on from Hess st and ventured over to Augusta, a grown up, beer focused Hess St if you will...
The Ship is located at 23 Augusta st and besides having an awesome Craft Beer list makes some memorable burgers too.
They sport 13 Craft taps, 2 local wine taps, and a mean menu! It's a casual place with a patio out back in the summer. Inside is cozy so sometimes finding seating is tricky but there is an upstairs to lounge in too.
I have always found the service great here and the staff knowledgeable and I love nothing more than ladies that are knowledgeable on Craft Beer and can help you make a decision. The pints range from $7-$8.50 which I do find average these days :( but they come in clean glasses, proper temperature and have yet to have a flat pint here.
I would be a little bit happier if they served them in the appropriate labeled glass but hey... that's just me.
Right next door at 25 Augusta st is The Winking Judge. These guys have 22 rotating taps and to date, over 499 different beers have been on tap here hailing from Ontario, Quebec, Alberta and special European imports.
We usually come here for a pint or two before heading somewhere else for dinner and more pints ;)
Their philosophy is simple;
Microbrewery beer tastes better and to this I raise a glass!! For the real beer purists out there, they carry "Cask Aile" - a beer served at actual cellar temperature and naturally carbonated. This is original recipe, dry-hopped beer pulled up from the cellar with an authentic beer engine.
As always they are happy to pour you a sample to help you decide what to get.
There beers average $8 and they have a selected $5 "pint" on Mondays. I have found initially they don't seem the friendliest here and have a bit of a local "boys club" around the bar but if your friendly, strike up a conversation and give the a chance they warm up quick and are super helpful & knowledgeable.
A few times I have wished they would give me a fresh glass after sampling one I didn't order but hey some things I should just speak up about.
if you wander to the end of Augusta st towards John st and turn left and cross the street you will find a delicious surprise...
Located at 163 John St South is Two Black Sheep ! I LOVE this place and if you like Oysters, charcuterie and local bottled beer you will too!
It is as well a "hole in the wall" meaning a tiny spot but packed with personality. They are friendly and happy to help you choose the right Oysters for you. Though they don't serve Draft Beer they have some local craft in Bottles & tall boys and a few fancy cocktails on the menu cause hey... we all like a Gin once in awhile!
They are open 7 nights a week from 4 p.m. ’til 2 a.m and because they love you, they offer Buck a Shuck every day from 4 p.m. ’til 6 p.m.
As far as Breweries go that you can visit I highly suggest Collective Arts Brewing down on 207 Burlington St E. They are a grassroots beer company fusing the craft of brewing with the inspired talents of emerging artists & musicians. They are dedicated to promoting artists and raising creative consciousness through the sociability of craft beer.
This is AMAZING and what I hope to aspire to do through my podcast starting soon.
There retail shop to purchase beer or fill your Growlers is open every day approx 11-7 check out their site for hours here. You can also book a brewery tour and check out the massive brewery space they share with Nickel Brook Brewing out of Burlington, ON. Speaking of Nickel Brook they are a short drive away in Burlington, ON and also a must see if you have come this far!
A couple more beers are based in Hamilton but are still working on their dreams of having a Brewery to call their own and brew through other places at the moment.
Both Garden Brewers & The Hamilton Brewery have their beer available throughout Hamilton and are worth the taste. Their websites are updated where you can go to taste them.
The Hamilton Brewery has a great tasting & easy drinking Blue Collar Pale Ale.
The Garden Brewers are bringing something unique to their beers and consider themselves ambitious. They draw inspiration from the rich and wonderful natural world in their brewing by having beers that include peppercorn, ginger & Elderflower as ingredients.
Hamilton is a great city that is improving with time. They have a great restaurant scene and lots of places to grab a drink. What I have mentioned above are the go to places for Craft Beer in the area.
Hope you enjoy them as you visit, pass through and discover Hamilton.
Niagara is next to be blogged about as there are more Craft Breweries to discover there too and let's not forget to head east to Toronto!
Cheers,
Tiffany