Danforth Pub Crawl : 12 Pubs of Chrsitmas

One of our favourite holiday traditions is gathering our friends for an annual 12 Pubs of Christmas pub crawl and this year we celebrated our 3rd annual Christmas pub crawl! Each year we choose a different neighbourhood and this year a friend suggested the Danforth and everyone was up for it. You can ready about our downtown crawls through the Esplanade by clicking here and through parts of Yonge Street by clicking here.  Last year for my birthday we explored parts of the Danforth but since I was preggers at the time I didn’t get to indulge and so I was quite eager to get into the pubs. As always our 12 pubs shenanigans involve just the hubs and I with our friends, and I ensured that I my parents were in town to look after Little Monkey and Baby Boy! Our jolly group of 13 stayed from start to finish and we had a few friends pop in and out during our various stops which made for a fun Saturday afternoon before the hectic Christmas week.

We started our day at noon and ended around 10 p.m. so all in all, not a bad day! The hubs and I ensured that we UberX-ed back home after that last drink because we had a 10 a.m. flight to Sydney, Nova Scotia with the kids the very next morning. Smart planning eh? As always we choose our 12 spots carefully – we want spots that can accommodate a fairly large group for about 30-40 minutes and they must have a good collection of craft brews. 

Das Gasthaus : We kicked off our day at this cute little spot. None of us had been here before and the cute German pub was decked out in Christmas attire. We sat by the bar and marveled at the ornament chandelier made by the owner who also served us our very first pint for the day. It was a most delicious Liefmans Fruitesse on the rocks. Yes. Beer on the rocks. It’s a thing. Sadly only sold in kegs by the Ontario beer store! (update : This bar has since closed)

Factory Girl : Another Gastropub, this one not only sends a nod to the Rolling Stones, but the space is decked out with a series of Black and White pictures of musicians and has a kids menu as well. It’s a neat little spot where I hope to  return to. Great mix of booths, bar seating and sit down tables.

Louis Cifer : We’re fans of Stout Irish Pub in Cabbagetown so I was eager to swing by this spot by the same owners. Great layout and they have change tables for babies! We took our time here as most of us were starving and sampled a few of their dishes. I ordered a cheese fondue and the hubs got a burger. Not only do they brew their own beers here they also have some interesting cocktails and beer based drinks.

Auld Spot : I really wanted to eat here but was quite full… then we ordered oysters! This cozy spot was also decked out festively with twinkly lights and our group enjoyed some pints here with a few oysters before we hustled back out. Dinner here is hopefully in my near future!

Brass Taps : All we knew was that we had to order pizza here and so two large pizzas were ordered and we noshed on them as we stood by the bar. I couldn’t help but notice the Sri Lankan trinkets scattered throughout the restaurant as we sipped on our pints. The El Gringo pizza was deeeelish!

Fox and Fiddle : This was a very quick pit stop on our craft beer journey. A few peeps tried to sneak in some desserts they’d picked up along the way ( Belgian chocolates and fried dough anyone?) and of course that wasn’t welcomed.

Greenwood Smokehouse BBQ : You’d think we couldn’t eat any more but the smoked meat poutine was calling my name. I didn’t answer it but a friend of mine did! It was heavenly! The hubs and I shared a brisket sandwhich which was also very good. It’s a tight spot but a very friendly one with an R2D2! If you’re in the area, be sure to swing by for a drink and a bite here… you can thank me later 🙂

Only Café : One of the hub’s favourite beer spots this was a must have on our list. As always a great list of beers and plenty of games to spend an idle afternoon at. A few tried to play a quick game,  but I think the beers were catching up!

Rails and Ales : A cozy fireplace and a pool table welcomed us here and we took our own sweet time. I swapped wine for beer at this spot and nestled right up by the fireplace and we also took our group shot here!

The Wren : Ever since our visit here last summer I wanted to sample their dishes so we enjoyed our communal seating and gathered around for a couple nibbles. From guacamole to wings and burgers, everything was sampled here! Definitely a spot to swing by for cocktails as well!
Sauce : We had an absolute blast here and could have easily called this our home for the rest of the night. We were a bit late getting here and they had asked if we’d be okay on a heated patio… since the weather was great we agreed. What we didn’t expect was our own little heated outdoor room. The boys did get a bit rowdy here with pushups but the main hostess was extremely good to us and I quickly ushered us out before we overstayed our welcome. If you’re looking for a spot for drinks in a group setting during the winter… ask for their patio!

Sarah’s : A great spot for us to end the night minus the fact that when it came to beer… I have no luck here! During our summer crawl I saved up my one preggo beer to enjoy at this spot and they didn’t have it available. Well fast forward a year and a half… still no Lindeman’s Cassis! I attempted to ask for two more brews and still no luck and so I gave up. Everyone else got what they wanted though and we were given our very own back room which was fabulous!

All in all a great way to spend a day with our friends and nearly every single spot is worth a visit! If you’re looking for a Danforth pub crawl in Toronto, check these spots out!

Any favourites I may have missed out?