Henderson Brewing co

Henderson’s flagship, Henderson’s Best, is a modern take on classic English Ale; refreshing, with a mild floral nose and an ABV of 5.5%. To create this beer, we tried to imagine the beer first brewed in Toronto at the beginning of the 19th century and how it would have changed and matured over the 215 years between then and now. That recipe, tweaked throughout 2015 became Henderson’s Best. Best won an award at the 2016 (Bronze) and 2017 (Gold) Ontario Brewing Awards. Henderson’s Best is moderately hopped, with caramel and malt-forward flavour. Well-balanced, smooth, and easy-drinking.

Formerly Union Pearson Ale. 5 years ago, when we were building the brewery, we marvelled at the trains rolling by. These trains, most of which were headed from Union Station to Pearson Airport, gave rise to our IPA which we named Union Pearson Ale, or UPA for short. Over the years, we’ve had many questions about what UPA stood for and, with the beer launching in the LCBO this fall, we thought the time was right to just spell it out. Introducing Pearson Express IPA, the same great beer you love in a less confusing package.

This Rye Golden Ale pours a gorgeous old gold colour, with a dense, ivory head. Notes of orange, caramel and black tea accompanied by a piney & citric hop character welcome you at the sip; then followed by a dry spicy, bitter finish reminiscent of white rye bread.

A balanced lagered blonde - neither malt nor hop dominant, designed to be refreshing and thirst-quenching

This Export Stout was Originally brewed in 2017, as part of our monthly Ides series. When it won the 2018 Canadian Brewing Gold, we decided to brew it again as a seasonal. Its popularity has endured and now we brew it every winter. Export Stouts have been brewed since the 18th century and are generally A stronger version of the style. Ours has the aroma of baker’s chocolate and coffee, and a clean, dry finish.

This golden, Italian pilsner has notes of sweet malt and peppery spice with fresh, floral hops to give it a clean, bitter finish. We put in just the right amount of Magnum, Tettnanger, and Saphir to balance out the malts. At 5.5%, Figo is a light bodied beer in which the hop character and maximizing aroma contribute to a classic, European style. A beer for those who love a lager that’s thirst-quenching but has a little something extra, Figo is crisp and complex, lush and full of character, with the right balance of flavour and refreshment to keep you coming back for more.

We’ve brought back this thirst-quencher as our summer seasonal! Originally released as Ides # 39 from July 2019, our Salted Lime Gose is a crushable 4.4% and is the perfect accompaniment to warm, sunny weather. The lime gives this light, fruity ale a tingling acidity, complimented by a sprinkle of saltiness that makes it hard to put down. In short, it’s a taste of summer!

Light and refreshing hazy blonde ale with a delightful lemon zing, perfect for legally drinking in parks!

This complex, yet refreshing Belgian ale has upfront notes of malt candy sweetness, followed by spice notes and balanced by a slight alcohol warmth. With notes of clove, pepper and banana, this is a lovingly crafted, traditional Belgian ale. A moderate hop bitterness cleanses the palate, leaving you with a complex, dry finish.

Rush and Henderson are proud to announce the third in their series of premium Belgian-inspired beers. ‘Signals’ is a classic Belgian-style blonde with Reisling must and cold-pressed apples, delivering complex aromas of stone fruit, peach and mild spice that carry through to a warming finish. This release is all the more special for us at the brewery because the fire hydrant that adorns the album cover was manufactured, almost a century ago, just 100 or so meters away at 137 Sterling Road.

With the American election taking up so much oxygen recently, it felt appropriate to tell the story of someone who helped keep us from being one of them. Laura Secord had married a loyalist and was living in Upper Canada during the War of 1812 – that time when American forces tried to push north and take over what eventually became Canada. One summer morning in 1813, the middle of an American invasion, Laura overheard plans for an American sneak attack at Beaver Dams. She took it upon herself to make the 32 kilometre trek through rough terrain to warn the British. Information in hand, the British and their Mohawk allies repelled the Americans, who surrendered in a field near the Welland Canal. 500 prisoners were taken to the British base at Ball’s Falls. The loss demoralized American troops and, from then til the end of the war, they kept their patrols close to home. On the 100th anniversary of Laura’s walk, a patriotic Canadian named Brand O’Connor opened up a chocolate shop at the corner of Yonge and Elm Streets in commemoration. This month, we say thanks to Laura Secord for making it possible for us to watch the U.S. elections from a distance. This big chocolatey imperial stout with notes of berries and flowers is warming for the winter and perfect for the finish of a 32 km walk, or even for just opening a box of chocolates.

Henderson Brewing and Rush take the stage together with this electric brew, named after Rush's 8th studio album. A strong ale with a medley of aromas of berries, grapes, and spice, along with maple syrup and a mild floral note. The palate shows dark fruit, pudding, and toffee, capped by a long finish. Savour solo.

Xanabrew is the latest release in the Henderson X Rush series of limited edition beers, complementing their flagship Rush Canadian Golden Ale. Belgian Golden Strong Ale brewed with Freeze-Dried Honeydew Melon, Huell Melon Hops & Niagara Riesling Juice Complex & delicate with notes of apple, pear, stone fruit, honey dew, citrus, and spice (sage, cracked black pepper) This beer finishes dry, which allows the esters and phenolic characters to take centre stage.

In honour of the 40th anniversary of Rush’s eighth studio album, Moving Pictures, Henderson Brewing and Rush have teamed up once again, this time, for a very special limited edition ale: only 1600 cases are being released! A Belgian Dark, strong ale with Riesling Must, this ale pours a gorgeous deep, ruby colour with a fine, tan head. The taste is complex, with notes of dark fruit pudding, toffee, dates, cherries, honey, bread crusts and a slight booziness. Perfect for aging, this 14% limited edition ale makes a great holiday gift.

Jack Layton is remembered as one of Canada’s most authentic and inspiring political leaders. Less well-known, perhaps, was his pioneering advocacy for cyclist equity and safety. As a Toronto Alderman the 1980s, he organized the city’s first cycling committee (a legacy carried on by his son, Mike) and collaborated with designer David Dennis in introducing the now-ubiquitous Post and Ring bicycle locks. In 1987, Layton biked to victory in a 6km race to Nathan Phillips Square against two other city councillors; one travelling by car, another by TTC. This was no publicity stunt. Jack owned no car, & had been commuting almost exclusively by bicycle for years, a practice he continued for the rest of his life, often spotted riding a tandem bike with his wife, Olivia. Jack moved on to federal politics, but not before he created the ambitious Bike Plan. Though it has yet to be fully realized, his plan laid out a vision for the kind of optimally bike-friendly city Toronto will one day become. For Bike Month, we wanted to pay tribute to Jack’s tireless dedication to cycling, and Mike Layton helped us decide on this hazy, pillowy and juicy New England IPA, dry-hopped with Azacca, Huell Melon and Citra hops. A portion of proceeds from every can goes to Cycle Toronto. Cheers, Jack! We wish you were here to enjoy this beer with us.

“Whipper” Billy Watson was English Canada’s best known wrestler and Toronto’s top star from the 1940s until the 1960s. Many in the wrestling community felt that Watson was as important to Maple Leaf Gardens fans as Maurice “The Rocket” Richard was to the fans at the Montreal Forum. Born in Toronto in 1915, he was dubbed “Whipper” in 1939, due to his frequent usage of the “Irish Whip,”which involved hurling an opponent into the ropes before throwing him over his back. In perhaps his most famous bout, Billy Watson defeated Gorgeous George to hold his title in a no-curfew match at Maple Leaf Gardens. It was 1959, and George promised to shave his gorgeous locks if he lost, which he did in front of 14,000 fans. Whipper kept wrestling until the end of 1971, when he was hit by an out-of-control car while placing a fireplace screen in the trunk of his car on Rogers Road in Toronto. Unable to fight again, he focused his energies on charitable work, raising millions of dollars over the next twenty years, dying in 1990. Billy Watson died in 1990, was inducted into the Ontario Sports Hall of Fame in 1995, and has a public school named after him in Keswick, Ontario. We brewed this easy-drinking, sessionable, malty English ale in his honour.

Belgian-style extra strong black ale with black cherry & cabernet grape skins

We’ve partnered with Bartenders Benevolent Fund, a non-profit, volunteer-driven organization that provides support and resources to hospitality professionals across Canada. They provide funding for those who have fallen under serious financial hardship, and programming to elevate the industry and those within it. To do our part, we’ve brewed this clean, light ale with warming spices and fruity notes of pears and apples. $1.50 from every can sold will go directly to supporting the efforts of BBF.

Toronto Circus Riot Imperial Old Ale is a robust and complex dark ale, boasting a rich malt-forward aroma with a hint of herbs, along with raisins and nuts in the taste. It has a full body that lingers slightly on the palate, leaving a nutty, caramel-y finish that is surprisingly drinkable.

Financial hardship during the 1932 holiday season meant that many parents, such as Toronto’s Donald Munro, weren’t able to indulge their children with the usual thrilling gifts. Not wanting to deprive his kids of some Christmas joy, Munro used his ingenuity – as well as clothes pins, wire hangers, clock springs and scrap wood – to build a game that the whole family could enjoy. Table hockey was an immediate hit with family, friends and neighbours, which got him thinking about commercial possibilities, so he approached Eaton’s to take games on consignment. Within months, Munro had established a manufacturing plant to service demand from major retailers. By the early 1940s, $5 table hockey games were selling like hotcakes from department store catalogues. The game was so popular with Canadian troops during World War II that Munro’s son, Donald Jr., was required to pay service calls at military bases in the UK in order to do repairs. By the mid-1950s, as many as 75,000 Canadian homes had table hockey, and competitors had sprouted up across North America, spurring all many of bells, whistles, refinements and deluxe editions to get kids excited at Christmas for decades to come. Video games may have taken over as the favoured indoor pastime, but table hockey still has its loyalists and a place in hearts around the world.

A crisp, clean, bitter lager with a strong aroma and flavour of European hops. Sweet crackery malt, bergamot, wet hay, spicy, firm bitterness that enhances the crisp, dry finish.

This Fruit Punch Radler was made with fresh tropical fruit juice on a bed of a pleasant blonde ale. Tropical, juicy, and refreshing!

Some time ago, we came across a delicious belgian amber ale called Palm, so we rang them up and asked if they wanted to do a collab. A few phone calls later, and a plan was hatched: we'd brew their recipe here in Toronto with our yeast and they would brew our recipe in Belgium with their yeast the beer in your hand is the first of these two international collaborations.

Glad Day Bookshop, Toronto’s longest-running bookstore, was Canada’s first queer-focused bookseller and is the oldest LGBTQ bookshop in the world. Glad Day has persisted through widespread bigotry, repeatedly battled censorship and, for more than half a century, has served as a haven for an entire community. In 1970, Jearld Moldenhauer launched the fledgling bookshop — which doubled as the office of what is now DailyXtra.com — from his home in The Annex. The store pulled up roots two or three times during the ensuing decade, before settling in at its Yonge St location in 1981. On Church St since 2016, Glad Day has expanded its role as a community hub, with an accessible coffee shop, bookstore & bar that hosts readings, performances and community meetings, as well as offering a wide online LGBTQ lit at: gladdaybookshop.com. This Belgian blonde was developed with the Pride Flag as an inspiration. Red raspberries, orange peel, yellow pale barley malt, green hops, blue water and purple heather flowers. While we call it a Belgian ‘blonde’, Glad Day pours a hazy pink colour with notes of tart raspberries, fruity esters and a hint of herbal, floral hops. Light bodied and only 4%, this fruity ale is perfect for the warm weather that we hope is coming in the near future! Profits from the sale of this beer will go directly to Halco, a charitable not-for-profit community-based legal clinic that provides free legal services for people living with HIV/AIDS.

This pale ale is clean and refreshing with subtle notes of pineapple and passionfruit.

A great brewery with a great selection (12 or more) beers on tap and lots in their fridge to go. Picnic bench-style seating, board games and super friendly staff provide this place with a comforting vibe. They often have events, indoor/outdoor markets or festivals as well as euchre nights and tastings. It's also dog-friendly!

Went to Picklefest! It was a buzz, so much fun! Henderson is a perfect place for an event and great beer and great options for those that don't drink alcohol!

Beautiful space with very welcoming staff. I came for the first time for pickle fest and was blown away with the variety of food, pickles and some very cool beers. Will definitely be coming back

Great atmosphere and delicious cold beer! They had a coffee event at the back, which was fun to watch.

I dropped by Henderson to pick up a couple of their Rush brews the other day and left impressed! I wish I had more time to take a seat and sample some of their beers. The brewery was lively, but there seemed to be ample seating. The brewery looked great, and the staff were friendly and efficient. I'll definitely have to make a return trip when I have more time.