Mascot Brewery Book a Tour
Behind the Brand
Toronto's Black-Owned Craft Brewery

Built from
Conviction

A Black-owned craft brewery in Toronto that started with a conversation and grew into something the city didn't know it needed.

Founded 2021
3 Locations
20+ Unique Brews
MASCOT BREWERY
The Beginning

It started over a kitchen table

Marcus Okafor spent fifteen years in software engineering before he found himself standing in his kitchen, frustrated by a question that wouldn't leave him: why does Toronto's craft beer scene look so little like Toronto itself?

He'd been brewing as a hobby since 2016 — extract kits at first, then all-grain after a particularly good Christmas present from his sister. But the beer was always for friends. For fun. For Friday nights.

That changed in late 2020. The pandemic had stripped away a lot of noise. Marcus called his longtime friend and homebrewing mentor Jerome Adesanya and said something he'd never said before: let's do this for real.

Jerome had spent years working front-of-house in the city's restaurant scene — he knew what people drank, what they talked about, and what they remembered. Marcus had the recipes. Together, they had the story.

They didn't have funding. They didn't have a space. But they had conviction — and they were right that Toronto was ready for a Black-owned craft brewery with something to say.

"We weren't trying to be the biggest brewery in Toronto. We were trying to be the one that felt like this city — in all its complexity, all its cultures, all its pride."
— Marcus Okafor, Co-Founder
What We Stand For

More than a brewery.
A commitment.

For the Community

Mascot is built for the people who live here — not as a tourist destination, but as a gathering place. We invest in the neighbourhoods that make Toronto what it is.

For the Culture

We don't treat Black culture as a flavour of the month. It's woven into every recipe, every event, every decision we make. That means something — and we'll never stop meaning it.

For Quality

We'd rather brew one exceptional beer than five mediocre ones. Every Mascot beer is held to the same standard: something worth drinking, worth sharing, worth remembering.

For Each Other

We hire from our community. We mentor the next generation of brewers and hospitality professionals. Success at Mascot means someone else's door opening next.

The People

The team behind the tap

Small by design. Every person here was chosen because they care — about the beer, the brand, and what Mascot stands for.

MO
Co-Founder & Head Brewer

Marcus Okafor

Marcus brought fifteen years of software engineering to bear on the problem of why craft beer in Toronto felt so homogeneous. He spent years learning the craft on his own — learning from every mistake, every happy accident, every late-night boil. The brewing philosophy at Mascot is unmistakably his: precise, curious, and deeply intentional about every ingredient that goes into the tank.

When he's not at the brewhouse, Marcus is probably at home tinkering with a new recipe, watching Arsenal, or trying to convince anyone who'll listen that a well-made West Coast IPA is the most underrated style in beer.

JA
Co-Founder & Operations

Jerome Adesanya

Jerome spent years working front-of-house and floor management in Toronto's restaurant scene, developing an instinct for what people actually want when they sit down for a drink. He knows the difference between a guest who wants to chat and a guest who wants to be left alone to watch the game. He knows what makes someone come back. That knowledge shapes every decision at Mascot — from tap list curation to the layout of the seating.

Jerome's other passion is mentorship — he's personally helped three people from the neighbourhood get jobs in the hospitality industry, and he'll tell you that's the thing he's most proud of.

AO
Head Bartender & Events

Amara Osei

Amara has been with Mascot since the very first taproom event. She manages the bar program and coordinates all events — from trivia nights to tap takeovers to the quarterly live music evenings that have become a fixture at King St. West. She's the reason the vibe is always right before you even understand why.

Born in Scarborough, Amara studied event management before deciding the best place to build community was somewhere with good beer and no dress code.

Come See for Yourself

See the brewery in person

Walk the floor, meet the team, and taste what's on right now. Tours run roughly 45 minutes and include samples of the current tap list — including any pilot or seasonal brews not yet released.

Book a Tour
King St. West
Etobicoke
Vaughan