Once again, Bar Volo cleans up at the annual Golden Tap craft beer awards

Sometimes it feels like Toronto is drowning in the best possible way: tournament-style beer-offs, new bars (both huge and humble), Toronto Beer Week—it’s a golden age for Toronto craft beer lovers. Keeping track of all this activity is The Bar Towel, a long-running blog and discussion forum, which capped off this year’s Beer Week with the 10th annual Golden Tap Awards at Beerbistro. Great Lakes Brewery and Muskoka Brewery each snagged a pair of awards, while Bar Volo took away three of its own, holding on to its title as Toronto’s go-to taphouse for fans of the new and peculiar (it won the same three categories last year). Oh, and the best beer in Ontario? Muskoka’s Mad Tom IPA.

Winners of the best-of categories were determined by the general public, while Bar Towel members and friends announced their favourites in a separate five-category slate:

• Best Microbrewery in Ontario: Beau’s All-Natural Brewing Company

• Best Brewery for Cask-Conditioned Ale in Ontario: Great Lakes Brewery

• Best Bar for Draught Beer Selection in Ontario: Bar Volo

• Best Bar for Bottled Beer Selection in Ontario: Bar Volo

• Best Bar for Cask Ale in Ontario: Bar Volo

• Best Brewpub or Tied House in Ontario: Granite Brewery

• Best Regularly Produced Beer in Ontario: Muskoka Mad Tom IPA

• Best Seasonal or Specialty Beer in Ontario: Black Oak Ten Bitter Years

• Best Cask Ale in Ontario: Granite Hopping Mad

• Editor’s Circle Award: Muskoka Brewery Re-Branding

• Editor’s Circle Award: Niagara College

• Editor’s Circle Award: The Only Cafe

• Editor’s Circle Award: Bellwoods Brewery

• Editor’s Circle Award: Paul Dickey

• Best Beer of the Festival: Great Lakes My Bitter Wife