Visitors have fun at the pub of Steam Whistle Brewing, which has been ensconced in the Canadian Pacific Railway John Street Roundhouse, originally built in 1929. Photos by Rebecca Lo / For China Daily

A view of the Rogers Centre and the Railway Roundhouse.

Performances held at the Four Seasons Centre for the Performing Arts are recommended.

Toronto's microbreweries have a proud tradition of making beer in small batches according to European traditions. Rebecca Lo tours and samples some in between exploring the Canadian city's latest attractions.

With no disrespect to the many award-winning wineries along the Niagara peninsula, I have to confess that I'd rather drink beer when in Ontario. There is something just so intrinsically Canadian about cheering on the Blue Jays or the Maple Leafs with an ice-cold one. Ontario's hearty fare goes well with beer, whether that means a no-frills burger or dishes in fine dining establishments. It is the beverage of choice for barbeques, club hopping or hanging out with friends.

It also helps that Canadian microbreweries offer some of the best beverages this side of Bavaria. For decades, Canada's beer industry was dominated by the big three: Molson, Labatt and Carling. Then, in the late '80s, microbreweries began exploding upon the scene with carefully crafted, unpasteurized beer geared toward connoisseurs who don't mind paying a premium for premium products.

Some, such as Sleeman and Upper Canada, have subsequently been purchased by larger breweries while others remain determinedly independent. What I love about Ontario microbreweries is how accessible and friendly they are to the general public. That "aw shucks" demeanor makes for fun tour guides, and many microbreweries offer daily tours of their facilities to anyone interested in checking out how beer is made. The tours naturally include samples - often during the course of the tour itself.

I began my sudsy sojourn at Steam Whistle Brewing. Since 2000, Steam Whistle has been ensconced in the Canadian Pacific Railway John Street Roundhouse, originally built in 1929. The three founders, Greg Taylor, Cam Heaps and Greg Cromwell, were all famously fired from Upper Canada and originally intended to name their company "three fired guys brewing". One of the tour's highlights was how 3FG is embossed upon every one of Steam Whistle's beer bottles as an inside joke.

Steam Whistle only brews one type of beer: A Czech-style pilsner packaged in cans, bottles and kegs. Its brewing facilities are open to the public via catwalk tours priced at CAD$10 ($9.10). I was welcomed by Shane, our guide and professional actor, who handed me a bottle of Steam Whistle beer straight from a retro green fridge. We learned the differences between Canadian microbreweries versus macro ones - a capacity of fewer than 60,000 hectoliters of beer produced annually makes the brewery micro - and trivia about the building's history, all delivered in a fun and informative manner.

I chat with a Hamilton couple in town for a short holiday, and they mention they had just been to visit Ripley's Aquarium. One of Toronto's latest attractions and right across the street from Steam Whistle Brewing, it is a 12,550-square-meter building devoted to fish both scary and not so much. With CN Tower and Rogers Centre nearby, Steam Whistle is ideally situated for wetting your whistle.

As I was seeking more substantial sustenance, I head to Bosk in Shangri-La Toronto to enjoy Canadian produce in five-star surrounds. Duo of Ontario lamb is a sure bet there, with tender lamb roasted and braised to perfection.

Award-wining wine director and sommelier Mark Moffatt is usually on hand to take care of guests no matter what they choose to feast on that evening. Being right across the street from Four Seasons Centre for the Performing Arts, it's a handy place to dine before an evening at the ballet or opera.

A more laid-back option is Mercatto, a contemporary Italian establishment with some of the best cheese, ham and desserts in town. I found its caramel copetta topped with salted peanuts enough reason to trek downtown. The wild British Columbia halibut with wilted greens and baby carrots isn't too shabby, either.

Another area of the city that has been getting a lot of buzz in the past decade is the Distillery District. In the 1860s, when Toronto's Gooderham and Worts distilled more whiskey than anyone else in the world, the area was a beehive of activity. Ships along the nearby Lake Ontario shoreline were continually loaded with cases before sailing along the St. Lawrence River to be distributed internationally.

After the last of the distillery's operations were shut down in the 1990s, the area was ripe for redevelopment. It served a brief stint as an atmospheric set for films and television shows before the first condominium appeared.

Today, the Distillery District is a mixed-use neighborhood with thespians hamming it out at Soulpepper Theater, high-end boutiques including Canadian shoe designer John Fluevog's flagship store, artisan confectioners such as Soma Chocolatemaker, and beer hall and brew house extraordinaire Mill Street Brewery.

I am partial to flavorful craft beer, and Mill Street has it all. When the brewery first opened, it used to make all of its beer on the premises. Soon, it found that it couldn't keep up with demand. In 2006, it moved most of its production to a larger facility in Scarborough. Special batches are still brewed at Mill Street, though, and tours of the premises are still offered.

As I was the only one who showed up for the daily tour and tasting priced at CAD$10, I had Mill Street Brew Pub head brewer Andrew Yonick all to myself.

Andrew's tour was much more technical than Steam Whistle's. In fact, it was a little like grade 12 chemistry all over again. He noted that Mill Street's Coffee Porter is a partnership utilizing Balzac's Coffee, another Distillery District original where Soulpepper groupies like to hang out. My favorite was the Lemon Tea beer, a refreshing drink on a hot day that combines two thirst-quenching summer staples.

After the tour of the brewery, which is behind glass in the center of the brew pub, we proceeded onto the distillery where Mill Street bierschnaps are made. Also set behind glass walls and off-limits to visitors, the distillery nicely brings the district's original function full circle. Andrew was proud to announce that Mill Street is the only distiller in Canada to make bierschnaps, and it follows the classic German method of distilling beer in small copper pots into a clear, colorless spirit. A teeny amount of cane sugar is added to balance the flavor.

I tried the four different bierschnaps available as folks around me chowed down on gigantic burgers and was immediately hooked on the Hopfenschnaps. Unlike the others, which are 45 percent alcohol by volume, a bit sweet, clear, and fruit infused, the Hopfenschnaps was 55 percent alcohol, dry, light amber and very malty. I picked up a bottle to take home from Mill Street's handy on-site shop, and it has been the life of all my parties ever since.

An indulgent hot chocolate at Soma Chocolatemaker was a sobering end to my visit. While I marveled as master chocolatiers perfected their gooey craft, I was sad that Toronto's microbreweries are limited to domestic distribution. On the flip side, they alone provide ample albeit liquid rationale for visiting Ontario's capital city.

Contact the writer at sundayed@chinadaily.com.cn.

Mill Street Brewery Pub head brewer Andrew Yonick leads a tour of the brewery.

Soma Chocolatemaker is located at the Distillery District.

The wild British Columbia halibut is cooked with wilted greens and baby carrots at Mercatto.

(China Daily 02/23/2014 page10)