The Barrels Bottles Brews Trail

This July we were SO lucky to join Tourism Windsor Essex Pelee Island (TWEPI) on their Barrel Bottles Brews Trail. This “Trail” is actually a combination of 11 craft breweries & distilleries with a variety of products & experiences. There are also a couple of fun ways to visit at least 6 of the 11 stops through the use of this passport.

The other feature about the Barrel Trail is that even if you’re not a fan of beer or spirits you’ll still enjoy the history lesson behind the product & Windsor’s involvement in the Prohibition Era. For example….did you know that Windsor was the birthplace of whisky in Canada? Now that’s a fun fact to share at your next cocktail party!

During our visit we also recorded a video for our Let’s Discover ON webseries:

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Getting There:

Driving – Take the 401 West and keep driving west until you reach Windsor.
VIA Train – VIA offers daily service to Windsor.

Cost:

There is no cost to visit each stop along the Trail however prices for tastings & food can vary.

Photo Mosaic:

Made in ON craft whiskey from Wolfhead

Dee-lish food at Wolfhead, perch tacos

Tour of the Wolfhead Distillery

The tasting room at Walkerville Brewery

Open brewery area at Walkerville

Looks good, right?

Bike rentals from City Cyclery

Biking along the Windsor waterfront trail

Important things to keep in mind:

The Barrel Trail is a “go-at-your-own-pace” type of experience which is fantastic for anyone who doesn’t like to be on a tight schedule. NOTE: We were on a real tight schedule on the day we visited and therefore only made it to 4 of the 11 stops 😦
The legal drinking age in Ontario is 19.
Most Importantly – Please Drink Responsibly.

What you need to try:

The Coffee Whisky made exclusively at Wolfhead Distillery – We loved it so much we couldn’t leave without buying a bottle for ourselves.
A Tasting Flight at Walkerville Brewery – This gives you a chance to sample several beers before you select which pint or two you’re going to enjoy.
A Tour & Tastings of the world-famous Canadian Club at its Brand Centre. If you’re lucky, you may even run into the CC Godmother, Tish Harcus.
The Brew Haus Pretzel & the Brew Proper Lager from Brew – They make a perfect pair!

Here’s a quick checklist for your next visit:

Photo ID with your Date of Birth.
Your Barrels, Bottles & Brews Trail Passport – Collect stamps from each stop & don’t forget to redeem the Passport at the TWEPI office.
Your Smartphone – You’ll definitely want to take pics, video, tweet & share about all the amazing food & drinks you’re enjoying, #BarrelTrail
Plan ahead by choosing a designated driver or calling a cab. Please Drink Responsibly!

Other cool places to check out in Windsor include the Walkerville District and the Waterfront Trail. We chose to see & experience both areas on bicycles and loved every minute of our ride! Thanks again to our friends at City Cyclery & TWEPI for hosting us and sponsoring a portion of our visit.

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