Perfecting the Craft on Adelaide Street

​“We pour more beer in Canada than anybody else!” Carolyn Kerr said, leaning across the table so we could hear her over the DJ. “Is that true? Because I’m going to write about it!” I said, sipping my Rainhard Armed N Citra.  “Oh, it’s totally true!” Carolyn Kerr is the day manager for the newest Craft Beer Market to pop up in Canada. This time it was on the east coast, near the financial district in downtown Toronto.  “We have two locations in Calgary, one in Ottawa, Vancouver, and Edmonton…” she went on. Carolyn even picked up everything and moved from the Calgary location to run the Toronto restaurant/brew pub. “We’ve been training since July, feels good to finally be open”.

We thought the same. My friend Marc and I were thrilled to get an invite to check out Craft Beer Market before it officially opens to the public next week. Upon arrival we were told they have over 160 beers on tap (A manager at the door told me 75% of them are from local Ontario breweries, bonus points). The largest selection to choose from was on the main floor, pipes shot down from the ceiling into the large circular bar below, multiple bartenders buzzing away, filling pints and giving out recommendations.

​The space itself was so much bigger than I thought it would be from all the times I’ve walked past it while under construction. I wasn’t expecting there to be a second floor (great for private parties) and the main floor had just enough wiggle room to make it comfortable and wasn’t rammed with too many tables. Over 600 people were invited to the event and I felt comfortable the whole time I was there.
The décor is clean and chic. We commented on the beautiful light fixtures and giant fans adorning the ceiling (Seriously, look up!).

We also got to sample some snacks off the menu. Fish tacos, watermelon salad, baby back ribs, oysters, gluten free pizza and pulled chicken sliders were passed around. We were in love at first bite with the pulled chicken sliders and it’ll probably be the first thing off the menu I order when I go back.
I can see Craft Beer Market being a favourite downtown hangout after work or somewhere to watch the big game with friends. It’s casual but not dingy and with 160 beers on tap and a rotating menu it’s almost impossible to get bored. The restaurant will serve brunch on weekends (10am-2pm) and have several daily specials (ex. Monday you can get six pack samplers or apps for $9, Wednesday is $5 local draft and on Saturday’s you can grab $5 mimosas, etc..) It’s really worth checking out if you’re a beer fan, I always enjoy sampling brew’s I haven’t tried or heard of before (it’s getting harder and harder to find those ones nowadays) and I was pleasantly surprised to spy a few! I’ll be back for sure and hoping they have all the success! Welcome to the neighbourhood