Excursions is a series of fun and cheap “date” ideas built around different breweries in and around Toronto.
Don’t get me wrong, though. You definitely don’t have to be on a date to enjoy these; they're just as fun with a group of friends. Whether you’re walking, biking, or driving, there's a brewery excursion for you to check out.
Neighborhood: Junction Triangle
Itinerary: Ethica Coffee Roasters, Museum of Contemporary Art, Henderson Brewing Co., Sugo
Transportation: Walk
Dundas West Station > 850m 10min walk > Ethica Coffee Roasters > 76m 1min walk > MOCA > 98m 1min walk > Henderson > 1km 12min walk > Sugo > 110m 2min walk > Lansdowne Station
Here’s the plan. You start at Ethica, you walk over to MOCA to “ooh” and “ahh” at Canada’s shiny new art museum, head next door to debrief over a beer at Henderson, and then cap the night off with spaghetti and meatballs at Sugo. The perfect day.
Start the day at Ethica Coffee Roasters. What makes Ethica special is that they roast the coffee on-site and also wholesale it. This means two things. First, the beans will be fresh. Probably fresher than you can normally get short of roasting them at home in a frying pan (I’ve tried and it was a disaster. Don't bother.)
Second, the turnover is quick because they're always moving product through their cafe and their wholesale accounts so you don’t have to worry about grabbing a bag that’s been sitting on the shelf for six months. The space is beautiful too. High ceilings, exposed brick walls, big windows, all laced with an industrial vibe.
And as a bonus, there’s live music every Sunday. Live music in a cute coffee shop. What’s not to love!? Grab a bag of beans to take home or just treat yourself to a really nice cup of coffee.
Ok. So you’ve finished your cortado and you need to burn off some energy. Head across the street to the shiny new Museum Of Contemporary Art. (The cool kids call it MOCA by the way.) This is the latest incarnation of what was originally called the Museum of Canadian Contemporary Art (MOCCA) which used to be on Queen Street West. Now it’s located in a former factory that’s been renovated and dolled up. Tickets will run you about $10 per adult which is about the price I’m willing to pay for something I’m not entirely sure I’ll understand. Of course, I paid $16 to see Tenet in theaters and I still don't know what that was about. If you’re
not a super artsy person and aren’t sure what to do at the museum, my advice is to not overthink it. The difference between traditional art forms and contemporary art is that contemporary art lets people express themselves in a more individual way rather than through a specific medium or technique. Just look around and try to read into each artist based on their work. If all else fails, just crack-wise the whole time. People at museums love a joker.
Alexandros Varoutas
Author