Steam Whistle Brewery is unique in North America and perhaps the world for being a craft brewery that only makes one beer. A single, European-style Pilsner, Steam Whistle uses only four natural ingredients: spring water, malted barley, hops, and yeast. (Photo courtesy of Steam Whistle Brewery)
Greg Taylor, Greg Cromwell and Cam Heaps started Steam Whistle Brewing on March 22, 2000 after losing their jobs at a brewery.
On an annual canoe trip, these three friends talked about returning to the industry they loved. That canoe trip turned out to be pivotal not only for these men but for the beer industry and Toronto. They shared a vision of opening their own brewery and decided when they returned home that they would go all in on their dreams.
Jokingly referring to themselves as “The Three Fired Guys”, the idea for Steam Whistle slowly came into focus. The name evokes a time of dedication, hard work, and craftsmanship—like the golden era of steam trains.
Steam Whistle Brewery guide Kenny Grenier shows a group of thirsty tourists highlights of the brewing process. (Rod Charles photo for Vacay.ca)
“To them, the steam whistle symbolized the end of a hard day’s work,” said Steam Whistle Brewery guide Kenny Grenier. “In a way, it was almost like divine intervention that they ended up in the actual home of steam locomotives—a building literally operated by steam. It’s almost too convenient to believe—and honestly, if you don’t believe that part, I wouldn’t blame you. But it’s true.”
Since the first iconic green bottle of Steam Whistle rolled off the line at Toronto’s historic Canadian Pacific Railway Roundhouse — a retired downtown facility located near the CN Tower, Rogers Centre, and Scotiabank Arena — success has bubbled over for Steam Whistle, pardon the pun. During the past 25 years, the business has grown from a small upstart business into one of Canada’s most recognized independent brewers. Steam Whistle has won awards, thrilled enthusiastic customers, and set a new standard for breweries across North America.
In 2000, the first bottle of Steam Whistle rolled off the line. Greg Taylor, CEO and co-founder of Steam Whistle Brewery, gives a speech at an event celebrating the milestone. (Rod Charles photo for Vacay.ca)
Taylor, the CEO, knew that with fierce industry competition Steam Whistle couldn’t just be another brewery if it was going to be successful. The focus on a single beer is a strategy that has worked out. The organization enjoys a reputation for making one of the best pilsners in the world. Taylor says they focused on just one Pilsner using a Czech recipe with brewing equipment that was installed specifically for that style. Their goal was to do one thing better than anyone else — to become Canada’s premium beer. After signing a 33-year lease to take over the Roundhouse, a National Historic Site, the brewery was in business with an iconic location.
“We had to ask ourselves, ‘How do we stand out?’ We saw a lot of innovation happening in the industry and we knew the challenge was to be successful without losing what made us unique,” said Taylor. “My experience from the previous ten years—working at the Upper Canada Brewing Company—really shaped that thinking. We made 17 different beers there but we asked ourselves what would happen if we just focused on doing one thing really well? So we made that commitment—to craft a truly great beer with a solid, dedicated team behind it. That’s how we launched our lager.”
In 2004 and 2008, Steam Whistle Pilsner was voted best beer in the Greater Toronto Area at the Golden Tap Awards. Awards for product quality include a Silver in the 2016 Ontario Brewing Awards and a Gold medal at the 2012 Canadian Brewing Awards.
Located near the Rogers Centre and Scotiabank Place, Steam Whistle Brewery is a popular stop on game day for Toronto sports fans. (Rod Charles photo for Vacay.ca)
“That was the mountain we decided to climb. It was all about putting ourselves in the best position to succeed,” said Taylor. “And it worked. No question. It wasn’t just a good strategy in terms of making beer—it also became our marketing message and our point of difference. Everyone else is experimenting with all kinds of styles and flavours, but we’ve stuck to our vision.”
Their vision hasn’t prevented the organization from trying new things. On March 1, 2022, Beau’s All Natural Brewing Company announced that their organization would merge with Steam Whistle Brewing. Some of Beau’s current beers include Lug Tread, Lug Lite, Juiced AF, Windsor Crush and Barn Burner.
Steam Whistle has also gone to great lengths to play a leadership role in the protection of the environment. Their green bottles can potentially be re-used up to 45 times. To put that into perspective, the industry’s standard is 15 times. Their painted logo saves trees by eliminating the need for ink, varnish and glue, and every element from their packaging line is also recycled.
The John Street Roundhouse was built for the Canadian Pacific Railway. Today, it is home to Steam Whistle Brewery and The Toronto Railway Museum. (Photo courtesy of Steam Whistle Brewery)
Since 2007, Steam Whistle Brewing has been using clean, renewable power and since 2006 the brewery has been using biodiesel in its delivery trucks. Another way Steam Whistle supports the environment is its “spent grain”, which is used by Wellington County farmers as animal feed as part of their waste diversion program.
Steam Whistle brewmaster Erica McOustra says she wasn’t sure that the focus on just one beer would keep her creatively engaged but quickly learned that you can go deep when striving to master a single style.
Steam Whistle Brewing is known for its flagship, all-natural Pilsner but has expanded its “family” to offer a broader craft beer portfolio including IPAs, lagers and a shandy. Steam Whistle is one of only a handful of breweries to publish detailed nutritional info for its beer. (Rod Charles photo for Vacay.ca)
“There’s always more to learn — about ingredients, equipment, weather, fermentation — and about how all those factors impact taste. Even small adjustments can change the final product. That level of precision is what keeps it exciting for me,” McOustra says. “We’re all-natural, and we follow the Bavarian Purity Law — that means no additives. We also use natural carbonation, which adds a unique texture. Some people assume that because we’re widely available, we’re not craft. But we still use a lot of craft techniques.”
Perhaps their biggest success is their dedication to staff. In 2009, Steam Whistle implemented several programs to incentivize loyalty. After five years at the brewery, workers are treated to an all-expenses paid trip to Munich’s Oktoberfest and to visit the birthplace of pilsner, the Czech Republic. After ten years at the brewery, staff are given a paid sabbatical as a thank you for their service.
Not a surprise that in 2023 they were recognized as Canada’s Best Managed Companies for the 15th consecutive year. Now that is an accomplishment to cheer.
