Looking for the original Bar Towel blog? You can find it at www.thebartowel.com.

We have a trivia question in order to register to prevent bots. If you have any issues with answering, contact us at cass@bartowel.com for help.

Introducing Light Mode! If you would like a Bar Towel social experience that isn't the traditional blue, you can now select Light Mode. Go to the User Control Panel and then Board Preferences, and select "Day Drinking" (Light Mode) from the My Board Style drop-down menu. You can always switch back to "Night Drinking" (Dark Mode). Enjoy!

Riverhead Brewing Co. - Kingston

Discuss anything and everything about craft brewers from Ontario here.

Moderators: Craig, Cass

Post Reply
Masterplan
Bar Fly
Posts: 509
Joined: Tue Oct 30, 2012 11:00 am

Riverhead Brewing Co. - Kingston

Post by Masterplan »

Opened on Saturday, in a new commercial building near the 401 on Gardiners, near the Red House West.

They have 5 different styles IPA, red, Porter, wheat, and lager. All drinkable but pretty standard fair by Ontario standards.

User avatar
El Pinguino
Seasoned Drinker
Posts: 1440
Joined: Sun Jan 02, 2005 6:02 pm
Location: Downtown TO / Galapagos Islands
Contact:

Post by El Pinguino »

Kingston is a decent beer destination now...enough to make a summer weekend trip worthwhile!

User avatar
Craig
Seasoned Drinker
Posts: 1943
Joined: Wed Apr 10, 2013 10:23 am

Post by Craig »

El Pinguino wrote:Kingston is a decent beer destination now...enough to make a summer weekend trip worthwhile!
Drive down through the county. There are some nice breweries along there now too.

Lake on the mountain doesn't have the best beer, but their patio is the nicest I can think of in Ontario.

User avatar
El Pinguino
Seasoned Drinker
Posts: 1440
Joined: Sun Jan 02, 2005 6:02 pm
Location: Downtown TO / Galapagos Islands
Contact:

Post by El Pinguino »

Craig wrote:
El Pinguino wrote:Kingston is a decent beer destination now...enough to make a summer weekend trip worthwhile!
Drive down through the county. There are some nice breweries along there now too.

Lake on the mountain doesn't have the best beer, but their patio is the nicest I can think of in Ontario.
Ya...probably wont get as far as Kingston soon, but Prince Edward County has a bunch of stuff going on too....seems like a worthwhile stop on the way there.

Next little beer trip will be to hit up places around Peterborough I think.

Masterplan
Bar Fly
Posts: 509
Joined: Tue Oct 30, 2012 11:00 am

Post by Masterplan »

Craig wrote:
El Pinguino wrote:Kingston is a decent beer destination now...enough to make a summer weekend trip worthwhile!
Drive down through the county. There are some nice breweries along there now too.

Lake on the mountain doesn't have the best beer, but their patio is the nicest I can think of in Ontario.
Lake on the mountain has a new brewhouse right off the ferry. The beer is below average fair IMO. Parsons on Hwy 49 is a pretty cool spot with better beer.

Haven't made the trip to County Road, 555 Brewing or Prince Eddie's, yet...

User avatar
Craig
Seasoned Drinker
Posts: 1943
Joined: Wed Apr 10, 2013 10:23 am

Post by Craig »

Masterplan wrote:
Craig wrote:
El Pinguino wrote:Kingston is a decent beer destination now...enough to make a summer weekend trip worthwhile!
Drive down through the county. There are some nice breweries along there now too.

Lake on the mountain doesn't have the best beer, but their patio is the nicest I can think of in Ontario.
Lake on the mountain has a new brewhouse right off the ferry. The beer is below average fair IMO. Parsons on Hwy 49 is a pretty cool spot with better beer.

Haven't made the trip to County Road, 555 Brewing or Prince Eddie's, yet...
Don't go to the brewery though, go up the mountain to the hotel and sit on the patio. The taproom is boring.

User avatar
Belgian
Bar Towel Legend
Posts: 10033
Joined: Sun Jul 04, 2004 7:15 pm
Location: Earth

Post by Belgian »

Lake on the Mountain Brewing is unremarkable for beer & unbeatable for a location.
Just bring some cans of Bench and Side Launch and go sit out on their patio. 8) Ha ha.

Seriously the whole area is excellent for driving around and exploring. The beer there doesn't matter.
Although know what Ontario needs, public drinking laws reform. A moderate amount of alcohol consumed in a public space by legal age people, perhaps '~with food' as an added clause.
Picton and PEC has plenty of areas that would be ripe for a beer picnic & then a nap in the shade. It's absolute paradise. We're paying the Nanny State to rob us all of a simple God-given pleasure. I think the real intention is legal muscle to rein in a few of the genuinely antisocial/disruptive element who WILL drink regardless. It's a political convenience - not a public service - when they hand out citations to peaceful citizens just having a sip of VQA Riesling with their Nicoise. Insane. Outrageous.
In Beerum Veritas

Masterplan
Bar Fly
Posts: 509
Joined: Tue Oct 30, 2012 11:00 am

Post by Masterplan »

Belgian wrote:Lake on the Mountain Brewing is unremarkable for beer & unbeatable for a location.
Just bring some cans of Bench and Side Launch and go sit out on their patio. 8) Ha ha.

Seriously the whole area is excellent for driving around and exploring. The beer there doesn't matter.
Although know what Ontario needs, public drinking laws reform. A moderate amount of alcohol consumed in a public space by legal age people, perhaps '~with food' as an added clause.
Picton and PEC has plenty of areas that would be ripe for a beer picnic & then a nap in the shade. It's absolute paradise. We're paying the Nanny State to rob us all of a simple God-given pleasure. I think the real intention is legal muscle to rein in a few of the genuinely antisocial/disruptive element who WILL drink regardless. It's a political convenience - not a public service - when they hand out citations to peaceful citizens just having a sip of VQA Riesling with their Nicoise. Insane. Outrageous.
The breweries just need to organize a beer bus...

BierRichter
Posts: 3
Joined: Thu Jul 05, 2018 11:50 pm

Post by BierRichter »

No posts in almost a year even thou they are now one year old. The have a very good Blonde Ale made with Citra hops, an excellent Belgian Wit, and just released the best Radler I ever had today. This brewery is worth checking out. Very rarely do I have a flight of beers from a brewery, and like every single one. The Tropocal IPA is excellent and just got released at the LCBO.

User avatar
distr0
Posts: 262
Joined: Sun Mar 04, 2012 10:48 pm
Location: St. George

Post by distr0 »

Good timing, I'm heading to Kingson in a couple weeks, and I'll give this place a try. Looking forward to Stone City as well. Anything else worth checking out?

BierRichter
Posts: 3
Joined: Thu Jul 05, 2018 11:50 pm

Post by BierRichter »

Not really, you already have the two best local breweries on your list.

User avatar
Belgian
Bar Towel Legend
Posts: 10033
Joined: Sun Jul 04, 2004 7:15 pm
Location: Earth

Post by Belgian »

distr0 wrote:Anything else worth checking out?
Red House occasionally has one or two nice items on their small tap list and a nice ambiance. Worthy service, acceptable food. Maybe worth it to walk by and see while you're there.

I hate to say it but last time (1.5 years ago) I just walked out of Kingston Brewing Co. No real tap list or menu (as usual) and the 'bartender' asked what kind of beer I wanted, refusing to even tell me what was on draft or cask. I know the place was fairly packed but I'm not paying Ontario bar prices to just guess what they have & let someone decide what I will drink, thanks.
Just expect slightly odd bar service and some proprietary local attitude if you do drop in, which of course you should for the notable pub ambiance & usually some decent beer. A place worth knowing about due to the history and the vibe and old-Kingston location. Food is again acceptable IMLE.

(Honestly Stone City's food menu seems over-priced and it keeps changing so hard to say if I can recommend.)
In Beerum Veritas

BierRichter
Posts: 3
Joined: Thu Jul 05, 2018 11:50 pm

Post by BierRichter »

Kingston Brewing Company has really upped their game since it was sold to the employees. They are installing a new system to make beer from all grain and their tap list carries great beers on a rotating basis such as Bellwoods.

User avatar
Bobsy
Beer Superstar
Posts: 2225
Joined: Wed Sep 26, 2007 11:06 pm
Location: Maple
Contact:

Post by Bobsy »

I echo Belgian's comments on Red House. Awesome vibe, okay taplist, plus a cask (Nickelbrook last weekend).

I also echo the previous poster's comments on KBC. The taplist would put in in the top 20 Toronto bars. I mean they had Bellwoods and Godspeed on amongst a host of interesting options.
Last edited by Bobsy on Sun Jul 08, 2018 7:31 am, edited 1 time in total.

User avatar
Belgian
Bar Towel Legend
Posts: 10033
Joined: Sun Jul 04, 2004 7:15 pm
Location: Earth

Post by Belgian »

Neat guys! I will for sure revisit KBC in the near future. Good to see them keeping up with the scene.
In Beerum Veritas

Post Reply