The O’Keefe Brewery

Toronto’s brewing heritage

Following O’Keefe’s introduction of lager beer, the brewery continued to thrive in the late nineteenth century. A new factory and state-of-the-art machinery, including one of the first industrial uses of machine refrigeration, a necessary element in the brewing of lager beer, made O’Keefe’s one of the most modern breweries in the city. The brewery also expanded its offerings. In response to the growing temperance movement, the O’Keefe Brewery introduced one of the first non-alcoholic beers, known as O’Keefe’s Star Beer. The O’Keefe Brewery survived Ontario’s Prohibition (1916–1927) and, in 1934, was acquired by Canadian Breweries Limited. The brewery building survived until 1996, when it was sold to Ryerson University and demolished to make way for university facilities.

The Silver Rail

The city’s first cocktail bar

The Silver Rail, one of Toronto’s first cocktail bars, was once located nearby on the corner of Yonge and Shuter Streets. Following the repeal of Prohibition in Ontario in 1927, restaurants and bars in Toronto could apply for a license to serve alcohol; however, they were limited to beer and wine. Only in 1947 did Toronto grant the first licenses to sell distilled spirits, such as gin or whiskey, by the glass. The Silver Rail was among the first bars to acquire one of these coveted licenses.

Owners Louis David Arnold and Michael P. Georgas opened the Silver Rail on April 2, 1947. Taking over the location of what was Muirhead’s Grill and Cafeteria, the site featured a ground floor and a basement level. The two levels were connected by a staircase featuring a gleaming silver railing, which gave the new cocktail bar its name.

The Silver Rail

The city’s first cocktail bar

Thanks to its prominent Yonge Street location, the Silver Rail became a favourite destination for many Torontonians working downtown. Nearby Eaton’s Department Store employees would often stop by for a social drink after work. In the 1950s, Fred Gardiner, Chairman of Metropolitan Toronto, was also a common sight at the 100-foot chrome bar on the main floor. The Silver Rail’s proximity to nearby Massey Hall also encouraged music lovers and musicians to drop by before or after a show. In May 1953, just before a Massey Hall festival concert, American jazz saxophonist Charlie Parker steadied his nerves with a triple whiskey before appearing on stage with Dizzy Gillespie, Charles Mingus, Bud Powell, and Max Roach. Due to changing retail demands and after more than 50 years in business, the Silver Rail closed its doors for the last time in 1998.

Sources

Chris Bateman, “The history of Toronto’s first bar and cocktail lounge” BlogTO, April 2013.

Jordan St. John, Lost Breweries of Toronto. Toronto: Dundurn Press, 2014.