In Ontario, the legal drinking age is 19. In Southern Ontario, you will find a great variety of beer and spirits at your disposal, while in Northern Ontario your options are usually limited to the most common North American standards. Do take note that drinking in public is discouraged by law in Ontario and most parts of Canada, exceptions being licensed patios and the like.
beer
Ontario has an active beer culture that has blossomed recently in Southern Ontario in particular. Below are some of the breweries you can expect to find:
Amsterdam Brewing Co. (http://www.amsterdambeer.com/), based in Toronto
Black Oak (http://www.blackoakbeer.com/), based in Oakville
Brick (http://www.brickbrewery.com/), based in Waterloo
Cameron's Brewring (http://www.cameronsbrewin...), based in Oakville
Creemore Springs (http://www.creemorespring...), based in Creemore
Craft Brewery Tours in Ontario [http:www.craftbrewerytours.com], based in Toronto
Gold Crown Brewery, a brew-pub in Waterloo
Grand River Brewing (http://www.grandriverbrew...), based in Cambridge
Kawartha Lakes Brewery (http://www.klb.on.ca/), based in Peterborough
King Brewery (http://www.kingbrewery.com/), based in Nobleton
Labatt, a macrobrewery found across Canada
Mill Street Brewery (http://www.millstreetbrew...), based in Toronto's Distillery District
Molson, a macrobrewery found across Canada
Northern Breweries (http://www.northern-brewe...), based in Sault Ste Marie
Old Credit in Port Credit, Mississauga
The Robert Simpson Brewing Company est. 1836 based in Barrie
Sleeman (http://www.sleeman.com/), Canada's third largest brewery, based in Guelph
Steam Whistle (http://www.steamwhistle.ca/), based in Toronto
Wellington Brewery (http://www.wellingtonbrew...), based in Guelph
Walkerville Brewery (http://www.walkervillebre...), based in Windsor
Taps Brewery (http://www.tapsbeer.ca/), based in Niagara on the Lake
Much like the recent popularity of smaller, regional breweries, brew pubs have become increasingly popular in some cities throughout Ontario. These brew unique beers within the restaurant that supposedly reflect local tastes and matches some of the dishes offered.
where
Beer is available from the Beer Store (http://www.thebeerstore.ca/) run by Molson, Labatt and Sleeman, while beer, wine and other alcohol is available from the Liquor Control Board of Ontario (http://www.lcbo.ca/), commonly called the LCBO, run by the government. In Northern Ontario, you will typically only see the LCBO and this will also be the case in some rural areas of Southern Ontario. The only time you will ever see alcohol in a grocery store is when that store has an internal LCBO. You will never find alcohol in convenience stores in Ontario. You can also buy wine at the Wine Rack (http://www.winerack.com/) in some areas. Alcohol may not be easily available outside of LCBO and Beer Store hours, so stock up on alcohol ahead of holidays and store closures.
Of course, pubs and bars are no rarity in Ontario. In nearly every community you will enter, you will be able to find at least one tavern or bar. A domestic bottled beer will typically cost around $3.50 and a cocktail-type drink around $4.50 or higher. Expect the prices to vary, with prices being much higher in urban centres. Drinks are served "smart-serve" in Ontario, so they will never be made free-pour, every single serving of liquor, beer and wine have the same amount of alcohol though in reality, particularly strong beers or wines will have more alcohol per serving
wine
The Niagara region, home to Niagara Falls and Niagara on the Lake, is Ontario's premier wine-production region. Wine is also produced at 13 wineries in Essex County and Pelee Island, Canada's most southern point.
Ontario has a comparatively young wine industry that is expanding rapidly. Ontario, and Canada in general, is renowned for its consistent and unique ice wines. It is also gaining increasing recognition for its world-class premium table wines.
It's wine regions are right in the middle of the northern grape-growing belt â between 41° and 44° north. That puts southern Ontario just south of the famous Bordeaux Region in France, and parallel with northern California wine regions. Ontario is considered a "cool climate region" â which means at harvest time grapes are blessed with more concentrated flavours and balanced acidity which makes them wonderfully food friendly. That's why cooler climate wines typically have a livelier flavour than those from hotter climates.
The Vinters Quality Association VQA is an association of wineries that provide insight into the quality of Ontario wines. When purchasing wine made in Ontario, look for a "VQA" logo on the bottle - this tells you the wine has been approved by the association. Keep in mind that there are still many wines that are not certified, but lack of certification does not necessarily mean a poor wine.