With Victoria Day weekend — aka the unofficial start of beer-drinking season — nearly upon us, you might be wondering just how you can slake your thirst for locally brewed suds.

Fortunately, there are plenty of choices. From tiny “nano-breweries” whipping up a keg at a time to the lake-sized batches at Molson’s Etobicoke plant and everything in between, there are no fewer than 22 breweries within Toronto’s city limits. And they’re brewing everything from tart Berlin-style wheat beers to hoppy IPAs and mainstream commercial lagers. In short, there’s a little something for everyone. Many can be found on the shelves at the LCBO or Beer Store, but most also have retail outlets onsite, often with a wider variety of brews.

Yes, there are also some very good breweries elsewhere in the Greater Toronto Area. There are also several “contract brewers,” who brew their beers at someone else’s brewery, but don’t have a spot to call their own. Many make good beer. But with the number of breweries expanding almost every month, we had to draw the line somewhere. Plus, it opens the door for a follow-up story.

So without further ado, here’s a look at Toronto’s breweries, from Amsterdam to Three Brewers:

AMSTERDAM BREWERY

One of Toronto’s oldest craft breweries, Amsterdam was founded as a brewpub in 1986. This sparkling new Leaside location opened up in November 2012 after Amsterdam’s long-time Bathurst St. home got bulldozed to make way for condos.

Retail shop: Yes

Other companies’ brands brewed here: Hockley Valley

Don’t miss: Boneshaker IPA, Tempest Imperial Stout (seasonal)

AMSTERDAM BREWHOUSE

Amsterdam returned to its brewpub roots last summer with the addition of this snazzy new waterfront location, with one of the best patios in town (300 seats, including a row of Muskoka chairs overlooking the lake).

Retail shop: Yes

Don’t miss: Space Invaders Pale Ale, plus whatever’s new and seasonal.

BEER ACADEMY

The HQ of Molson-Coors Canada’s small-batch division Six Pints (which includes Creemore Springs, and Vancouver’s Granville Island Brewing) also has a fully operational (albeit small) brewery, on a site that formerly housed both Denison’s and Duggan’s brewpubs.

Retail shop: Yes. It’s the only place in town to sample their rotating roster of beers.

Don’t miss: Black Lager

BELLWOODS BREWERY

This funky little brewpub in deepest, hippest Ossington has been cranking out some of the most adventurous beer in the city — only available onsite — since bursting onto the scene in 2012. They’ve also got a more than respectable food menu, if you’re feeling peckish.

Retail shop: Yes. It’s the only place to purchase a bottle.

Don’t miss: Witchshark Double IPA, Mashpipe (smoked Berliner Weisse), and whatever’s new (they rotate their selection frequently).

BLACK CREEK HISTORIC BREWERY

This is an attempt to recreate a village brewery from 1860s Ontario, using historical equipment and techniques (and no electricity).

Retail shop: Yes

Don’t miss: Brown Ale, and whatever’s seasonal.

BLACK OAK BREWING CO.

There really aren’t any weak spots in the lineup of this Etobicoke brewery, which was founded in Oakville in 1999, and moved to its current location in 2008.

Retail shop: Yes

Other brands brewed here: Sawdust City, Radical Road, Cheshire Valley

Don’t miss: Pale Ale, Nut Brown Ale, 10 Bitter Years Double IPA

COOL BEER BREWING CO.

While they’ve been around since 1997, this Etobicoke-based brewery isn’t as widely known as some other long-standing Toronto breweries. One reason is that many of the brews they produce are done on contract for other companies, most notably Spearhead Hawaiian Pale Ale and Denison’s Weissbier. Cool produces beer for a total of 12 other breweries, in addition to its own.

Retail shop: Yes

Other brands brewed here: Spearhead, Denison’s, Churchkey, Duggan’s, 100 Mile Ale

Don’t miss: Millennium Buzz Hemp Beer

GET WELL BAR

At one of the smallest breweries on the list, brewer Brad Clifford churns out batches of a little more than three kegs at a time for this west-end bar.

Retail shop: No. They’re only poured for drinking on site.

Don’t miss: Porter, Bastard Landlord IPA (or whatever they’ve got going).

GRANITE BREWERY

Started out in 1991 as the Toronto outpost of a Halifax brewpub, but has outlasted the original. Still one of the best places in the city for traditional English-style ales, but has started branching out with more diverse styles.

Retail shop: Yes

Don’t miss: Best Bitter Special, Peculiar

GREAT LAKES BREWERY

It’s been around since 1997, but it’s only in the last four or five years ago that Great Lakes has really started drawing interest from beer aficionados, thanks largely to their increasingly varied seasonal offerings.

Retail shop: Yes

Other brands brewed here: Cheetah

Don’t miss: Miami Weiss, Crazy Canuck Pale Ale, anything from their limited edition Tank Ten series.

HOUSE ALES

The tiniest brewery on the list is nestled snugly into the basement of downtown beer emporium Bar Volo. There, the brewing team cranks out one hectolitre (about 2/3 of a keg) at a time. While they’re not necessarily the best beers available at Volo, the House Ales are certainly the freshest. (And they’re pretty darned good.) The lineup rotates almost as quickly as they can make them.

Retail shop: No. Drink on site, or at a few bars around town.

Don’t miss: Whatever they’ve got on.

INDIE ALEHOUSE

While many of the initial offerings when they opened in 2012 were high alcohol hop bombs, Indie’s range has broadened significantly. The hop bombs are still there, but there are also rich, malty treats like their “Breakfast Porter” and tart, Belgian style sour ales like Spadina Monkey. If you ask nicely, you might also get to see their barrel-aging room downstairs.

Retail shop: Yes

Don’t miss: Breakfast Porter, Spadina Monkey Sour Ale, CP Double IPA (they’ll know which one you mean, but I’m not spelling it out in a family newspaper).

JUNCTION CRAFT BREWING

While the Junction Conductors Craft Ale at the LCBO is currently brewed in Guelph, the company also has a small brewery right in the heart of the Toronto neighbourhood it’s named for.

Retail shop: Yes

Loading... Loading... Loading... Loading... Loading... Loading...

Don’t miss: Station Master’s Stout

KENSINGTON BREWING CO.

While you may have seen some Kensington brews (such as Augusta Ale, Fisheye PA, or Watermelon Wheat) around town or at the LCBO, those are brewed under license elsewhere. Still, Kensington founder Brock Shepherd is hopeful he’ll finally have his own brewery up and running in the heart of Kensington Market some time this year.

Retail shop: No (but some brands available at LCBO and Beer Store, as well as on draft at various bars).

Don’t miss: Fisheye PA, Watermelon Wheat.

LEFT FIELD BREWERY

Left Field’s brands (including Eephus Oatmeal Brown Ale, Resin Bag IPA and Maris* Pale Ale) are brewed under license in Cambridge, but founders Mark and Mandie Murphy moved into a former industrial building in Leslieville earlier this year. They’re aiming to have onsite production up and running by some time in 2015.

Retail shop: No. They’re available on tap at various bars.

Don’t miss: Eephus Oatmeal Brown, Resin Bag IPA.

MILL STREET BREW PUB

The original Distillery District location now focuses on seasonal offerings and one-offs, leaving Mill Street’s more well-known brands to their Scarborough packaging brewery.

Retail shop: Yes

Don’t miss: Whatever’s new

MILL STREET BREWERY

By 2006, Mill Street had outgrown its Distillery District location, and set up a brand new brewery in Scarborough, which handles all its larger scale production. Today, they brew roughly 100,000 hectolitres a year

Retail shop: No.

Don’t miss: Tankhouse Pale Ale, Coffee Porter.

MOLSON COORS

Remember those giant brewing tanks that were shipped in a convoy down the road from Hamilton a few years back? They wound up here, at what is unquestionably the biggest brewery in Toronto. It cranks out hundreds of millions of bottles and cans of beer per year.

Retail shop: Yes

Don’t miss: If Coors Light or Molson Canadian are your thing, you’ll find them here.

MOLSON CANADIAN BREWHOUSE

Yes, there’s a functioning brewery in this pub at the ACC. Not that long-suffering Toronto sports fans need the occasional beverage or anything.

Retail shop: No

Don’t miss: Something that was actually brewed onsite.

MUDDY YORK BREWING

It’s not up and running yet, but this East York brewery will start up production this summer.

STEAM WHISTLE BREWING

Visiting a brewery as fun for the whole family? Absolutely, when it’s within a stone’s throw of the Rogers Centre, CN Tower and the Ripley’s Aquarium. Oh, and they make a pretty mean pilsner, too.

Retail shop: Yes

Don’t miss: The free samples after the brewery tour.

THREE BREWERS

Not the most adventurous brewpub in town, but there’s a reasonably solid lineup of brews at the Toronto outpost of this French-based chain.

Retail shop: No. You can only drink them onsite.