Portsmouth Brewery, 1909
With the growing number of craft breweries now taking residence in Kingston and area, and in anticipation of the upcoming craft beer show, we thought we’d look back at one of the early breweries in Kingston – the Portsmouth Brewery. From the Illustrated Souvenir Industrial Guide to Kingston produced by the British Whig Standard in 1909 we learn that:
With the connoisseur there is no beer, ale or porter that gives better satisfaction than that brewed by the Portsmouth Brewery of Portsmouth, Kingston. This brewery was established half a century ago by Mr. Fisher, father of the present proprietor. The absolute purity of their output accounts for the general favor in which it is held by any who have ever tried it, and in the development of the business one important factor in the success has been the unswerving determination to produce as fine a porter, ale or beer as is possible in the way of modern achievement.
Let us hope that all the craft beers represented at this weekend’s Craft Beer and Ribfest hold themselves to such high standards!
Very Interesting.
Does anyone know where the brewery was located and if there are any remnants of the original buildings?
Greg: the brewery was right at the bottom of Yonge Street on the west side, which is now the back of 1 Mowatt Avenue. There are a couple of outbuildings still there, but there is not much evidence left of the main brewery building.