Railway City Brewing

Railway City Brewing Co. is an Ontario craft brewery that produces all natural, small batch brews, using only the finest local ingredients from grains, to hops, to adjuncts, with no artificial flavourings or preservatives. Founded and operating since 2008 in St. Thomas, Ontario, our brewing facilities feature a 20 hectoliter 3 vessel brew system, 6-40HL, 6-20HL, 1-10HL fermenter and 3 brite tanks. In February 1868, railway owner William Thompson and railway promotor Isaac Buchanan introduced the plan to build the later renamed line – Canada Southern (CASO). The following year, the city of St. Thomas prepared for the arrival of one of their first major railways, laying the foundation for the city’s rich history. By 1881, CASO had become the shortest and fastest route from Michigan to New York and St. Thomas’s population had tripled over the past decade, as a direct result of the railways. St. Thomas was described as one of the most “progressive, healthiest and liveliest” cities in Ontario, despite a few extremely unfortunately railway accidents throughout the years. In May 1883, Michigan Central Railway had leased the Canada Southern for a 21-year contract, later extending it to 99 years. Just two years after this lease, in September of 1885, Jumbo the Elephant, a world-renowned act of P.T. Barnum’s ‘Barnum and Bailey Circus’ was killed after being struck by an unscheduled freight train passing through St. Thomas. By April 1985, CASO was back in Canadian hands through a joint purchase between CPR and CN Railway. Today, you can find the rejuvenated CASO station standing proud in the heart of our downtown (just minutes down the road from the Jumbo Statue). These turning points are at the forefront of our work here at Railway City Brewing. With everything we do from our branding, to customer experience, we aim to incorporate the stories behind our city’s title as the ‘Railway Capital of Canada’ and the events that lead us to appreciate and commemorate our history.