Mill Street Beer Hall in Toronto’s Distillery District

I felt like such an idiot. I had just left my apartment and found myself whizzing down Church Street just as a wild fit of rain showers descended upon the city. I peddled to The Distillery District as quickly as I could but failed in dodging the droplets. I quickly chained up my bike as long strands of hair stuck to the sides of my face. I skipped past the entrance to Mill Street Brewpub and took a quick right before pulling open the glass doors to the recently launched Mill Street Beer Hall.

The space is absolutely massive. The patio alone is something to gawk at, now one of the cities very best clocking in at 100 x 20 feet and outfitted with two outdoor fireplaces. The owners have done a great job at creating a classic German beer hall vibe with large communal tables and open concept kitchen. Cured meats hang with joy while bartenders pour suds from five beer lines which run through each pipe from the brewery to the bar. The dining room also features a stunning still used to create the beer hall’s signature bierschnapps (made from the breweries Tank House, Coffee Porter and Frambozen beers).

I was joined by my friend Andrew who arrived a little less damp than I. We spent the next two hours sampling through a few of the Beer Halls brews and bites. Highlights included a fantastic Pork Board which we paired with a pint of Distillery Ale, a new brew developed for the launch of the Beer Hall. The kitchens potato ricotta dumplings are a perfect comfort craving with generous cream and mushroom. Best to finish off your meal with the Beer Halls signature bierschnapps offering, a rare find outside of Germany. Andrew and I sipped on three shot glasses containing a distilled spirit which very much reminded me of tequila. Shooting through the end of a memorable meal with frambozen and coffee porter lingering on your lips.

Beer Hall Feast:

Sampling of Mill Street Brews

distillery ale, donvalley bench, belgian wit, minimus double, frambozen

Bierschnapps

tankhouse, frambozen, coffee porter

Pork Board

bratwurst, smoked pork belly, apple glazed frenched pork shank, turnip choucroute, horseradish mustard, candied apple, pretzel twist

Stone Oven Flats

spicy chorizo, salsa, fresh cilantro, smoked mozzarella, guacamole, creme fraiche

Potato and Ricotta Dumplings

wild mushroom ragout

Mini Beer Doughnuts