Toronto brewery tours are a great way to get an up close look at the city's thriving craft beer scene. These tours not only give you a behind the scenes look into the brewing process, but they also offer a brief lesson in the city's beer-making history and, of course, a taste of the freshly brewed beer.

Here are some Toronto breweries that offer public tours.

Steam Whistle Brewing
Brewery tours at the Bremner Boulevard facility are offered seven days a week and range from $10 to $30. They can be booked Monday to Thursday by online reservation and Friday to Sunday on first-come-first-served basis. Here you'll discover how the beer is made, meet the staff behind the brewing process all while enjoying beer samples.

Amsterdam Brewery
The Leaside brewery offers tours and tastings every Saturday from 1 to 5 p.m. while over at the Harbourfront BrewHouse they do free tours on Monday and Tuesdays at 4 p.m. and Wednesday to Sunday at 12 p.m., 2 p.m., 4 p.m. and 6 p.m. Tours are offered in groups of 16, typically last 30 minutes and come with a free tasting.

Mill Street Brewery
Brewery tours here will set you back $10 and run Monday and Tuesdays at 4 p.m., Wednesday and Thursday's at 4 p.m., 5 p.m., 6 p.m and 7 p.m., Fridays at 4 p.m, 5 p.m. and 6 p.m, and every hour from 1 p.m. to 7 p.m. on weekends. Tours include a tutored beer flight tasting and a sample of their Bierschnaps.

Great Lakes Brewery
The Etobicoke brewery is open seven days a week and offers patrons a Tour of the Taps. Tours are led by the on staff "beer geek" and feature five 5 oz. samples for $10, information about the beer they are drinking along with a history of the brewery and the area.

Henderson Brewing
Tours at this Junction Triangle brewery run almost every Tuesday - be sure to check their events calendar - at 7 p.m. For $5, you'll learn about the history of the neighbourhood and brewing in Toronto, get a guided tour of the brewery, and samples of the beers they have on tap. You can reserve a spot on their next tour via their website.

Black Oak Brewing
Discover how Black Oak brews are made on a $5 guided tour. They're offered every Saturday and typically run an hour in length. Reserve a spot on their next tour by emailing info@blackoakbeer.com.

Photo via Steam Whistle Brewery.