From Daft Brewing to Riverhead Brewing Company, Kingston’s breweries are serving up some of Ontario’s most unique craft beers, each with its own story, flavour profile, and local character. Whether you’re planning a brewery tour, weekend getaway, or looking to experience Kingston’s craft beer scene for the first time, these locally brewed pours showcase the creativity and culture behind the city’s growing brewery community.
Can’t miss craft beers in Kingston:
Gelato Stout: Chocolate & Strawberry at Fine Balance Brewing Company: A rich chocolate and strawberry flavour and an easy to drink body, finished with soft notes of strawberry wafer
Lemongrab at Daft Brewing: A refreshing sour beer that features copious amounts of lemon, mint, and is sweetened with milk lactose
Hawaiian Pale Ale at Spearhead Inc.: A bold and hoppy IPA with a pineapple and citrusy profile
8 Man English Pale Ale at Mackinnon Brothers Brewing Co.: A traditional English Pale Ale lower in carbonation and unfiltered, giving the beer a more natural look and taste
Cerveza Mexican Lager at Riverhead Brewing Company: A light, easy drinking lager with hints of lime
677 Innovation Drive, Unit 4
If you think craft beer can’t taste like dessert, Fine Balance Brewing Company is ready to prove otherwise.
Their Gelato Stout: Chocolate & Strawberry blends rich chocolate flavour with sweet strawberry and subtle strawberry wafer notes, creating a smooth, easy-to-drink craft beer inspired by classic gelato flavours. It’sindulgent without being heavy — making it a standout for both craft beer newcomers and seasoned brewery fans looking to try something unexpected.
Known for balancing modern brewing creativity with traditional styles, Fine Balance’s rotating Gelato Series has become one of the brewery’s signature offerings, featuring eclectic sour and stout creations brewed in-house at their Kingston brewery.
Other rotating gelato-inspired flavours have included:
Mango, Blueberry, Black Currant & Vanilla
Paloma (grapefruit, lime, salt & agave)
Pomegranate, Cherry & Green Cardamom
For the full experience, grab a pint in Fine Balance’s bright, sunny taproom and discover one of Kingston’s most creative craft beer pours.
2. Lemongrab Mint Lemonade Sour at Daft Brewing
768 Princess Street
Bright, citrusy, and made for summer patios, Daft Brewing’s Lemongrab Mint Lemonade Sour is one of Kingston’s most refreshing craft beers.
Packed with vibrant lemon vest, fresh mint, and sweetened with milk lactose, this easy-drinking sour tastes like a grown-up mint lemonade with a tart craft beer twist. It’s crisp, light, and especially perfect on a hot summerafternoon.
Known for its creative beers and west coast-inspired taproom vibe, Daft Brewing has become a go-to stop in Kingston’s craft beer scene for visitors looking to try something a little different. Pair the Lemongrab with one of Daft’s woodfired pizzas and settle in on the patio for the ultimate Kingston brewery experience.
675 Development Drive
Tropical, citrusy, and packed with flavour, Spearhead Brewing Company’s Hawaiian Style Pale Ale has become a longtime Spearhead favourite.
Originally brewed in 2011, long before Spearhead opened its Kingston taproom, the beer quickly stood out for its bold hop character balanced with refreshing pineapple and citrus notes. The result is a smooth, easy-drinking pale ale that delivers a taste of summer in every sip.
Today, visitors can enjoy this fan-favourite brew inside Spearhead’s vibrant taproom, where the brewery continues crafting creative beers inspired by bold flavours and adventure.
1915 Lennox and Addington County Road 22
Brewed on a bicentennial family farm just outside Kingston, MacKinnon Brothers Brewing Company’s 8 Man English Pale Ale delivers a classic, easy-drinking craft beer experience rooted in generations of farming and brewing tradition.
Brothers Daniel and Ivan MacKinnon grow the hops, wheat, and barley used in many of their beers directly on the family farm, continuing an agricultural legacy that dates back to 1784.
Their 8 Man English Pale Ale is a traditional English-style pale ale with a smooth body and lower carbonation, making it especially approachable for those who enjoy balanced, classic beer styles.
Visitors can also try other MacKinnon favourites including:
Crosscut Canadian Ale
Harvest Ale
Set among rolling farmland and historic barns, the brewery offers one of the most unique brewery settings in the Kingston area.
631 Fortune Crescent
Crisp, refreshing, and always served with a lime wedge, Riverhead Brewing Company’s Cerveza Mexican Lager has become a go-to beer for sunny afternoons, patio hangs, and post-game pints in Kingston’s west end.
Known for its approachable, easy-drinking style, the lager pairs perfectly with Riverhead’s laid-back, family-friendly atmosphere — a brewery that has become a popular stop for both locals and visitors thanks to its location near the 401 and Invista Centre.
Beyond the beer, Riverhead Brewing Company stays connected to the Kingston community, regularly supporting local events and partnerships while also providing leftover brewed grain to nearby farms as livestock feed.
You can always find rotating microbatches brewing year-round at Riverhead Brewing Company, from a guava smoothie sour to their rich and popular Irish stouts. Whether you’re stopping in for craft beer, pizza, or trivia nights, Riverhead delivers a brewery experience that feels distinctly Kingston.
