For The Love of Beer
Welcome to my first beer post, a series where I will be talking about the beer I encounter in the various places I pass through on the road. This post is dedicated to Albeerta.
I can’t remember when I first got into craft beer. I’ve always enjoyed beer. But sometime in the last five to ten years (I’d imagine the craft and micro brewery boom factors in) it crystallized that I really like to sample craft brews. Pair this with travel and it’s a perfect hobby and reason to check out local establishments.
But be warned – once you go craft, it’s hard to go back. My taste buds are a little snobby now. I’ve elevated my palette, honed in on subtleties. I don’t know how I used to drink domestic. Draught tastes so much better than cans. I love the creativity and artwork that accompanies a release. I spring for a flight, even though it’s more expensive, because it’s worth it to experience as many flavours as possible. After all, I could encounter my next favourite around any corner!
But beer still affords a laid back experience – I’m not at the level of Fraser and Niles Crane with their wine tasting shenanigans. Though no shade to wine tasting, I’ve had my fun in the Okanagan Valley. I’m just saying, beer and wine personified would be like someone looking to chill vs exude an air of class (not always, I’m stereotyping).
I think back to my van build days, teaching myself how to do things, getting to know something inside out, and I draw a parallel. There is something about learning that I quite enjoy. I like learning about beer. I remember loving my first brewery tour in Boston in 2018. Learning the differences between ales and lagers, hops and malts. Every time I try a new beer, I read the description, and it helps to expand and solidify my knowledge base.
If you haven’t realized yet – these beer posts are going to get nerdy.
So what makes a good beer, and what makes a favourite brewery? The beer part can be somewhat subjective. Your taste buds will have different preferences than mine (don’t get mad at me if I don’t love the same brews as you!) Of course there are also best practices. A favourite brewery needs to have beer you love – but what’s the space like? What’s the vibe? What kind of people go there? What kind of music do they play? What do they stand for? What events do they hold?
And are we talking strictly breweries, that might have the occasional guest taps? Or do we include restaurants that also serve craft beer (but maybe don’t brew it on location), or places that offer a large variety of local craft beer – supporting local – but don’t make their own? And where are the best places to get cans or bottles to take home – from the brewery? From the liquor store? From a beer store? That likely depends on location.
How does one choose the best summit beer? I don’t want a heavy, strong beer, or a stout, when I’m active. I’ll probably reach for something simple, light, and refreshing like a lager or pilsner. And in case you were wondering – there are no electrolytes in beer, so if it’s a hot day make sure you’ve got water and a salty snack!
Finally, who am I to speak on beer? I think it’s always good to consider your sources. First, I’m not in the industry, I’m not an expert. I’m a beer enthusiast who is independently learning on the ground and passionately nerding out. I’m someone who travels a lot and likes to explore as many places as I can and support local. In terms of my personal preferences – if IPAs and sours are like the popular kids, I’m the misfit who likes the obscure beers on tap. I love an experimental recipe, I love European style beers. And no matter the flavours – I like my beer to taste like beer. I’m also not keen on too much bitterness. This blog is a documentation of my experiences and informational resource. Because of my love of beer and the way that visiting local breweries became a hobby of mine on the road, I wanted to carve out a space for this topic here on my blog.
As you can see, there is much to consider, and much that goes into beer choice. So let’s break it down in the context of Alberta. This won’t be an exhaustive discussion, as I was only in AB for a few months, but I tried to experience as much as I could, I’ve done a good bit of research, and these are my impressions so far.
Breweries
Tried & Tested
Craft Beer Market: not a brewery but a restaurant with a wide selection of local craft beer on tap. They have locations in seven cities in Canada. There is a location in downtown Calgary and in Southcentre Mall. You won’t get the brewery experience, but they do have an impressive selection. This is where I found and fell in love with Medicine Hat Brewing Company’s Creamsicle beer (I would call this a dessert beer).
Cold Garden: home of CakeFace, the Birthday Cake beer! Easy drinking, with a gourmand twist (but not overpowering). The taproom is decorated to feel homey and artsy, with a large patio in the summer. Located in the historic neighbourhood of Inglewood, close to downtown (just southeast).
Wild Rose: located in an old airplane hangar, this brewery gets its namesake from Alberta being known as Wild Rose Country. When I first arrived in Calgary I was offered a can of Wild Rose’s Velvet Fog, and got the impression that this was a staple. I also got to visit the brewery, where a phenomenal lightning show happened nearby. I hate to say it, but none Wild Rose’s beers really did it for me. But I like to keep an open mind – I’d give them another shot, and everyone has their own tastes (just because I wasn’t a fan, doesn’t mean it’s not good beer). Wild Rose does do beer tours. They’re located a little southwest of downtown Calgary.
Prairie Dog: This brewpub is an example of looking enticing based on paper – but you really never know what you’ll think of a beer until you taste it. The beer descriptions hit all the marks for me (I’m partial to Belgian and German style beers, and love an oat stout or vanilla/coffee porter) and propped up my first impression – they had the kinds of beer I like and a bunch of experimental ones (I love a unique beer). But when I got there and sampled a flight I found that the flavours were quite bold, and for me personally, I don’t like flavours to overpower the taste of beer too much. Again, I keep an open mind, and I would try Prairie Dog again – it’s also been three years since my first and last experience with them. The taproom is a large open-concept room. They’re known for their BBQ. And they offer beer workshops! Located slightly south of downtown Calgary.
Tailgunner: This is one I would for sure go back to, if only because the night I visited I was on a mini brewery crawl and I don’t feel like I got a good enough sense of the place and the beer. But it is spoken highly of by my friends, and it was a chill setting, with dimpled beer mugs – which for some reason bring me comfort (here’s an article that speaks to the reasoning for different shaped beer glasses). Their beerhall is a lovely setting, touted as a space for community and tradition. The brewery has a history tying back to World War II. Their beer menu is (Czech) lager, pilsner, and IPA focused. Located in the west end of downtown Calgary.
Annex: For shame – I don’t remember my impression of the beer at Annex (it was three years ago! And I visited three breweries that day). But – their mission seems to be a focus on experimental brews and constantly releasing small batches of something new. So I would 100% go here again, because curiosity, creativity, and experimentation are keywords that sing to my soul when it comes to beer. One of their slogans is even “no gods, no masters” – have I found my people? The only way I could be more impressed is if I like the music they play. They also have a soda shop. The taproom had a clean, fresh, modern vibe. Located a bit south of downtown Calgary.
Establishment: Many times named the Alberta Brewery of the Year, and once even the Canadian Brewery of the Year, The Establishment aims to impress. While I do remember being excited that they had a Rauchbier (smokey autumn seasonal), theirs was only 3% ABV and I found it to taste a bit watery. That said, I enjoyed their My Best Friend’s Girl kölsch, and I am intrigued by their table beer. They also do barrel-aged beer and experiment with different styles, and have a variety of IPAs for the pale ale lovers. They’re located right next to Annex (slightly south of downtown Calgary).
The Pass Beer Company: Located in Blairmore, this brewery is a little newer (established in 2020) and one to go to on the Alberta side of Highway 3 (Crowsnest Pass). Their beer menu is different now from when I visited. When I was there a few Octobers ago I had a coffee vanilla cream ale and a rye festbier. But looking at their menu now, I see options that catch my eye (a ginger infused ale, Czech pilsner, Cerveza, brown ale). This is a great spot to break up a Crowsnest Pass drive (after you cross into BC Fernie is a great brewery to stop into on the Crowsnest highway- but I’ll touch on that in my BC beer post!).
Grizzly Paw Brewing Company: with two main locations in Canmore – a pub on Main Street (downtown Canmore) and the brewery which has the taproom on the main floor and what they call Tank 310 in the upstairs of the brewery (where you will get beautiful views of the surrounding mountains, including the Three Sisters). Grizzly Paw offers brewery tours + tastings! On their current menu what stands out to me is a festbier, nut brown, red ale – with chocolate notes, and honey wheat. A solid choice when visiting the Canmore area in my opinion.
Jasper Brewing Co.: Canada’s first National Park brewery, located in the heart of Jasper town, with a patio and mountain views. Luckily the brewery was not harmed by last summer’s forest fires that wreaked havoc on Jasper. I’m leaning towards saying that the location and taproom are more of a draw for me here than the beers themselves. That said, they have a few that catch my eye, one being a “honey beer” – which seems to be a recurring style among some of the mountain town breweries – a honey beer with a bear on the can!
Inner City Brewing: As I write this I am seeing that this brewery has permanently closed. True to their name, they were smack dab in the middle of downtown Calgary. What had caught my attention with them was that they commented on staying true to the way beer is made in the various cities that inspired what they made. I also remember liking their tap list, it had variety, like a Belgian tripel. That said, I do remember experiencing a tinge of misogyny from our server. I had asked a question about one of the beers, and the male server directed his answer to the guy friend I was with. It’s unfortunate, but misogyny can be a problem in the beer world, with beer having a reputation of being a guy’s thing.
High Line Brewing: Located east of downtown Calgary, in Inglewood. This brewery impressed me with their tap list. They had a cucumber ale, a smokey scotch ale, a jalapeño pineapple cider, and ginger beer, with gluten free and non-alcoholic options. It was a nice space. And they also have events like trivia throughout the week.
Cans
If you can’t get to the brewery a good beer source opens up a whole new world of sampling – and will give you an idea of what breweries you want to visit.
Alley Kat was one of the first cases I brought home. I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t pulled in because of the shared name, but I quite liked their variety and thought they had some good beers for what felt like a kind of standard brewery. They do call themselves a craft brewery though, Edmonton’s oldest, and have recently rebranded. You’ll find typical staples and various fruited beer. I really enjoyed their seasonal pumpkin pie spiced ale – I am always on the hunt for a good pumpkin beer in the fall!
Big Rock was another brewery that felt kind of standard. Established in 1985, before craft breweries came out swinging with experimentation. “Pioneers of Alberta Beer”, they have their brewery located in southeast Calgary. I enjoyed these beer and would get variety packs from the liquor stores. A solid choice.
Medicine Hat Brewing Company’s Creamsicle beer is a stellar dessert beer that I indulged in.
Fahr hefeweizen – I love a good hefeweizen.
Greta Van Fleet played in Calgary the summer I was there, and I went to their show. I’d seen them before, and was mostly there to see the opener – The Pretty Reckless – who was a longtime favourite. But it was neat to see that GVF had released a specialty beer alongside their tour (I love when bands do this – like the Black Rebel Motorcycle Club whiskey, Alice In Chains whiskey, and Deftones beer). I came across the can in store, so naturally wanted to give it a try! I don’t remember it that well, so I assume it was pretty standard, but boy was the can pretty. This beer was made in partnership with Farm League Brewing, which is from Cambridge, ON, but I wanted to include it here as I associate it with my time in Calgary.
When I visited the Rosedeer Hotel and Last Chance Saloon in the badlands, they had Valley Brewing’s Devils Row Coffee Lager – brewed in Drumheller with Alberta-grown craft malts. It was yummy!
In Banff I stopped into a store to pick up some beer (can’t remember which). I love to pick up things I’ve never tried before and I stumbled across the Canmore Brewing Georgetown Brown, the Rapid Ascent Brewing Hefeweizen, and an ultimate impression-maker – the Longslice Brewery Cake It ‘Til You Make It. The Canmore brown came with a ghost story of an old coal mining town – you can follow the Georgetown Trail just west of Canmore to discover an old ghost town area. Caramel and chocolate malts made this a tasty treat. The Rapid Ascent Hefeweizen – I don’t remember specifically, but like I said – I love a good hefeweizen. This brewery has since closed down, though. Finally, the crown jewel. I don’t know what it is with Alberta and cake beers, but damn do they work. I loved the Longslice pastry blonde. I would buy crates of this beer. It is described as adding milk sugar and vanilla to a blonde ale. The beer equivalent of licking the spatula after icing a birthday cake. Longslice was actually located in Toronto, and has sadly since closed, but I associate this beer with being in Banff, so here we are!
Sources
Here’s a roundup of some options for picking up cans around Calgary:
- Collective Craft Beer Shop – south of Calgary near Canyon Meadows, a small family business curating a large selection of craft beer. They also carry craft wine and spirits, gluten free, non-alcoholic, cider, mead, and more.
- Willow Park Wines & Spirits – located in Willow Park near Southcentre mall. This is your typical liquor store, but I found they had a pretty good selection of beer to sample.
- Oak & Vine – east end downtown Calgary, in Inglewood, boasting a large selection of craft beer, wine, and spirits.
- Alberta Beer Exchange (ABX) – described as a boutique liquor store, which may have higher prices, but I read has a large selection. They carry craft beer, wine, spirits, mead, and more. Located in the west end of downtown Calgary in Sunalta.
- 5 Vines – There are five locations around Calgary (four around downtown and one a ways south). They offer free tastings in store and tout curated craft beer, fine wines, and premium spirits.
- Wine and Beyond – with some spaced out locations around Calgary, a standard liquor store carrying beer, wine, spirits.
- Co-op Liquor – liquor store with various locations, next to the grocery stores of the same name.
- Real Canadian Liquor Store – essentially a liquor store extension located next to Real Canadian Superstore (grocery store chain in AB).
- Straight from the source – pop in to your favourite brewery to pick up cans or order online!
Since I was in the Canyon Meadows area of south Calgary when I was in the area, I frequented Willow Park Wines & Spirits. Then friends let me in on the Collective Craft Beer Shop, which seems like the place to go for an on-the-pulse source of craft beer.
I have to say, this shopping experience is way different from what I’m used to in Ontario. If I happen to be at a brewery and really like a beer, I might take a few cans home from the bottle shop. Otherwise I usually just pop into the LCBO (Ontario’s chain liquor store) and head to the beer cooler. We have a section for local craft beer and I often look for new kinds that I haven’t tried yet. Selection really depends on location. I don’t really frequent the Beer Store, but last time I was in there it seemed like they had quite a small selection and the only craft beer was a few of the largest Ontario breweries – so you’re not really getting any niche craft / micro / nano breweries.
For The Future
Breweries and beer that I’ve looked into and want to visit!
In Calgary
*Stonyslope: SIGN ME UP. A newer brewery in southwest Calgary not far from Heritage Park, and apparently one to watch. They were pretty well rated by Calgary Brew Review, and I am instantly drawn to places that boast unique beers, especially in the style of “obscure” countries… Like, they’ve got a Japanese rice lager, Finnish & Norwegian farmhouse ales, a Danish table beer, a golden roggenbier (I don’t even know what that is, and that is precisely why I want to try it)! Not to mention a spruce tip soda (I am now itching to go here). They may still be working out some kinks of being a small scale new brewery (like running out of beer) – but it sounds like they serve quality that is in demand (a good sign!) – and right up my alley.
*33 Acres/33C: hailing from Vancouver, this brewery sources locally. It is said to have an immaculate tasting room. Some beer on their current menu that catch my eye include a French blanche, lemongrass lager, Italian spritz (yes, a beer!), sparkling lager, schwarzbier, Belgian tripel, and a mezcal gose! Just reading their menu, they seem refined and little more fancy than your typical brewery. As if someone who enjoys champagne would like their beer. I definitely appreciate the unique recipes, and the international styles. Located in central downtown Calgary.
Ol’ Beautiful: *previous neighbour to Cold Garden in Inglewood. Recommended to me by local friends. They’ve got an old school, tarnished leather, worn wood, worn in, stylish kind of vibe. Unfortunately, their taproom burned down in June 2024 and they are directing people to their new bar Sound Room. It’s located in downtown Calgary, not far from the Calgary Tower. And it looks like they’re a bar that offers Ol’ Beautiful beers, and have music themed nights where they spin vinyl. From the photos online it looks really cozy and retro! Now I’m imagining a grunge vinyl night… Imagination – don’t tempt me with a good time!
Tool Shed: Calgary Brew Review ranked them highly, and said they make dad beers that can win over even the snobbiest of palettes. CBR also boasts that their red ale is the best red they’ve ever tasted and that their non-alcoholic beer is very tasty. I’ve had their Red Rage in a can and it made a big impression. With both beer and tasting room giving off Dad vibes, anyone with daddy issues might want to check this place out (ha…). They also offer tours! Located a little northeast of downtown Calgary.
Last Best: pub-style brewery with “yummy” diverse beers. Menu stand-outs for me include their black lager, Vienna lager, Marzen, and green tea rice lager (!). Located in central downtown Calgary.
Two Pillars: with a focus on Belgian style beers, winning awards at the 2025 Canadian Brewing Awards. Located a little north of downtown, across the Bow River.
Vacay Brew Co: sounds like a solid spot to visit, with experimental and creative beers, including a salted black lager, a rice lager, and a Parisian blanc. Located in west Calgary, near Wild Rose, their space is the historic 1936 Stables at Currie Barracks (previous Canadian Forces Base), shared with Burwood Distillery.
Village Brewery: southeast of downtown Calgary. Village Brewery focuses on community and highlighting community members with their beer. Several beer on their current menu stand out to me (a botanical lager, honey brown ale, cerveza, black ale). They’ve got pale ales and a selection of non-alcoholic. And their space looks cozy.
Common Crown is a brewery that seems to have a great reputation for their beer, but their location closed down and as of now they don’t have a taproom. It seems you can still get their cans in store, and some restaurants like Craft Beer Market serve their beer on tap (their website has a map of suppliers).
Cabin Brewing: They mostly have pale ales, but it seems that if you aren’t a fan of IPAs this could be the place to win you over. This, coupled with interesting rotating seasonal taps and great reputation, would make me open to a visit. Their can pours have some interesting looking options (a barrel-aged eggnog stout, a dunkels bock, and more) and the tasting room looks like a beautiful setting. Apparently their New Zealand style meat pies are great, too. Located not too far from Establishment and Annex, south of downtown and Inglewood.
Railyard Brewing: right next to the airport. Inspired by malt freight cars and graffiti art. I would go for the setting and art, but the Ghost Pepper Hefeweizen and Apricot Cream Ale look good, too.
Big Rock Brewery: as mentioned already in this post. Located further southeast from downtown Calgary. Standard feel, would visit. From the photos, the taproom is spacious and has an enticing look (wooden barrels, rocky fireplace chimney).
Dandy: I had flagged this brewery because when I was looking into breweries in Calgary I saw that they were one of the few places with a seasonal Rauchbier. They are also a hop, skip, and jump away from Cold Garden in Inglewood, so it would be convenient to check out if you’re in that area, which seems to have a decent concentration of breweries. Their space has a modern vibe, while their website expresses punk ethos.
Eighty-Eight: paying homage to the 80s and the Calgary Olympics. I’m more of a 90s gal myself, but I can’t deny that this looks like a fun spot. While I’m not much of an IPA fan, Calgary Brew Review describe East Coast IPAs – North East, New England, Hazy – as having a “sweet and cloudy body imparted by oat or wheat malts and an emphasis on dry hopping for more flavour and less bitterness,” which doesn’t sound too bad to me. Eighty-Eight is IPA and fruit beer heavy. They have two floors, the upstairs apparently being where it’s at, with pink neon lights and music (is it 80s music..?). I believe this is a solid brewery, but I would put it lower on my personal list simply due to personal beer style preferences. Located in Inglewood.
Bow River: Located in the Manchester neighbourhood in south central Calgary. While I’m a bit iffy on this one due to the low ranking on Calgary Brew Review (due to some alleged sub par beer making technique). The German and Belgian styles and staff enthusiasm for beer still have me curious.
Citizen: north of downtown Calgary, towards nose Hill Park. Citizen is forthright about supporting several charities on its website.
Evil Corporation: *closed as of writing this. But in case they make an evil comeback… I’m a sucker for something sinister. Calgary Brew Review were not fans of their tasting room setup, though I might disagree with them on the black walls being an issue – some of us like a grim setting. I would be inclined to agree that glass choice could affect the pour and experience of the beer (test tubes for flights). And maybe they had some recipe hiccups. It seems like there were some qualms with them. Located in the Inglewood area, this would have been an easy addition to any crawl.
Zero Issue: *closed as of writing this. But I want to mention them here just in case they re-open in the future as it seems they had a reputation for solid beer and the best can artwork in town. Video game themes.
*Note to Future Self: in the past seasonal Rauchbiers were released by Wild Rose (Whole Nein Yards Smoked Rauchbier), Brewsters Brewing Company (Holy Smoke Rauchweizen), and Village Brewery (Village Father Rauchbier).
Update!
As of October, 2025, three years after making most of my visits to the above breweries, I visited Calgary again and crammed in as many breweries as I could (within reason for the timeframe).
One of my first stops after arriving at Calgary International Airport was a 5 Vines downtown. It was a lovely place with a friendly owner and a beer room to gawk at – stocking mostly both Alberta and BC beer (though even a Blood Brothers from Toronto). I picked up more than I would be able to drink on the trip, including most of their seasonal pumpkin ales and some other styles that caught my eye.
Unfortunately, I didn’t get to try all of the pumpkin ales. It would have been fun to split them with my friends and have a makeshift pumpkin ale beer flight to sample.
In terms of the dark lagers, I found the Annex dark lager to be robust – reminding me more of stout, while the Revelstoke dark lager was a bit more subtle. This is kind of counter intuitive, as the Annex lager is 4.5% while the Revelstoke lager is 5.5% (although stouts are typically lower in ABV). I feel like I could use more time with the drinks I tried, as one try can be affected by many things (are you really focusing on what you’re tasting, are you eating food that alters the taste, did you have enough to really get well acquainted).
Side note: what is the difference between a stout and a dark lager? While they both have roasted malts (not to be confused with the smoked malts in rauchbier) and are geared towards flavour profiles of coffee, chocolate, and the like – one is an ale (stout) and one is a lager – so the main difference comes down to the method of fermentation, aka the general difference between ales and lagers. Ales use top fermenting yeasts at warmer temperatures which brings out stronger flavours, while lagers are bottom fermented at cooler temperatures for longer, giving crisp, clean finishes. Lagers should be easy drinking – and for me personally at least, I like a dark lager to remain somewhat on the light side.
Special shout out to the white pastry stout (a white stout has the colour of a pale ale by using pale malts and adds ingredients like coffee beans, vanilla beans, cocoa nibs to achieve some of the characteristic stout flavours). This beer was amazing. It reminds me of the Cold Garden Cake Face or the Longslice Cake It ‘Til You Make It pastry blonde. Something about cake and beer that I just really enjoy.
I was able to visit five different breweries while in Calgary.
First up was Stoneyslope. I had high expectations for the unique beer here, and sadly, I was disappointed. I do wonder if this comes down to personal palette, because on the morning of the day I visited I saw on their socials that they had just won an award for their Roggenbier (a style originating in medieval Bavaria, south Germany, using rye malt – roggen means rye, and the same yeasts used in Hefeweizens, creating banana or clove flavours, as well as often using wheat and being a dark hazy ale, similar to a dunkelweizen – but with more pronounced rye). My palette is probably not refined enough to know if this is a quality thing – and I have heard good things about this brewery. Essentially, I got a flight. The Japanese lager, a rice lager, was my favourite – palatable, easy drinking. Runner up was the Roggenbier, an ale with spicy rye and banana and caramel notes. You definitely get the banana, reminiscent of a hefeweizen that is heavy on the banana (I love hefeweizens, minus any prominent banana). This was full in flavour, and it was nice to try, but I probably wouldn’t order it again. They did not have the Danish Table Beer, which I was sad about – but knew they ran out of things here. My other two choices were the Finnish (Sahti – notes of juniper) and Norwegian Farmhouse Ales. These were certainly unique, and while they had high ABVs, they actually tasted watery to me. All in all, even the Japanese lager was not enough of a stand out to make me want to go back here (although I have a soft rule that I’ll give any place a second shot).
Next up, Sound Room to try Ol’ Beautiful‘s beer! Located downtown, this is a small spot that can fill up during the post-work rush. It’s super warm and cozy. And you can tell that they literally designed the place to enhance sound. The walls had corkboard and the ceilings had foam. There were shelves chock full of vinyl records. It was quite the ambiance. The beer is what I would call easy drink across the board. You didn’t really get a robust beer flavour in my opinion. But I am open to the idea that my taste buds could have been overwhelmed by all the taste testing I was doing (also any excuse to return here). I had four samples, including their Japanese ale (super easy drinking, almost didn’t taste it); their Mexican lager (more of a bite, but still goes down easy); the Eternal Twilight dark lager (subtle roasted malt, seemingly the lightest dark lager I tried on this trip – and I tried about four); and their California Common (possibly had the most flavour of all that I tried). I was also convinced by a friend to try an IPA – I’m game to try new things, even though I typically avoid pale ales. And to me, it tasted like your typical IPA (spoken like someone who doesn’t enjoy them, and so hasn’t invested in getting to know them that well).
Fun fact: a California common is a hybrid beer, also known as a steam beer (think Anchor Brewing, San Francisco), which uses lager yeasts fermented at ale temperatures, and is known for amber colours, malty sweetness and caramel notes, as well as hop flavours.
The third brewery we visited was Last Best. While Sound Room is smaller and more intimate, Last Best is more spacious. It felt like they really revered beer, with phrases on the walls like “drink beer, live forever”, and touting the term Albeerta. I would describe Last Best as a larger restaurant vibe, but beer is made on site, they have brewery merch, and there is a rustic Albertan feel. I would absolutely come here again. The flight had six beer. Unfortunately, I truly think my taste buds might have been a bit overwhelmed at this point (I guess I’ve learned to space out my beer adventures and take them slow). I was also eating spicy fries, which didn’t help. I tried the Marzen (odd, almost sour); Green Tea lager (I found this to be sweet, with a distinct flavour, and I’m not sure I would want to drink a lot of it); the Vienna lager (my only note says “weird”); Black Lager (subtle, good); Tokyo Drift (their IPA that they are known for – tasted like IPA to me); and the Jasper Pilsner (my favourite of the lot – crisp, with a distinct beer taste – I love a beer that tastes like beer). The only downside to Last Best is that it would probably get pretty loud and people-y when busy.
Next up: 33 Acres. My impression going in was that this was more of an upscale spot. I had high hopes for the beer, but I felt a bit let down as they don’t allow you to choose your own flight. They have two pre-selected flight options, with four drinks in each. Unfortunately, both flights had two pale ales on the list. I did get a tiny sample of the French Blanche. And my friend let me taste their lemongrass lager. Both I would describe as light and bright. I myself got the Mezcal Gose. I don’t usually spring for a sour, but a salty sour is nice once in a while, and I am partial to mezcal following my time in Joshua Tree, CA. It was good! And what a perfect pairing, to have salt and sour fruit flavours alongside mezcal (like smoked tequila) to mimic how one would shoot tequila. The brewery smelled of campfire, as they had a wood stove upstairs and a fire pit on their patio. The interior was white and beige with plants, giving a modern feel. They were playing chill music, which had me wanting a nap (5pm on a Saturday). I would have liked to try their Schwarzbier, sparkling lager, and Belgian tripel… All in all, nice to try, but I was a little disappointed by the set up.
The above were my main breweries that I wanted to try – shout out to my friends who humoured me and my choices! As a bonus, my friends took me to Four Dogs. If you like dogs, this is your place. Their website About section will pull on your heart strings. And they host adoption events. Their merch has character. And this is a lovely place to go and relax while not having to leave your pup home alone. Bonus – the pups can socialize and get lots of pats, too. I was trying to limit my beer intake in one day, so I just got a sample size of their Oktoberfest beer – not my favourite Oktoberfest beer. My friends let me sip their pilsners (two different ones). I can’t remember which one I liked more, but one of them was quite good. I would probably go back here to try more of their beer. But I think the setting might be the deciding factor on whether I would go back longterm.
Elsewhere In Alberta
*Valley Brewing in Drumheller really wowed me when I checked out their tap list. Not that I need persuading to want to go back to the badlands, because I fell in love with that area, but they’ve got a farmhouse ale, winter ale, schwarzbier (German-style dark lager), porter, smoked lager (rauchbier), white chocolate stout, along with a bunch of your classics. I know that you never know until you taste it – but prospects look very good to me. Note to future self: don’t just look at their tap list, look at their cans, too (drool).
Fahr creates authentic German style beers. They are located about an hour south of Calgary in Diamond Valley. I really enjoyed the hefeweizen from Fahr and generally enjoy German beer, so I would love to visit this brewery. The owner has an impressive background. And I would imagine that this would be a great spot to go for Oktoberfest!
Medicine Hat Brewing Company (with the one and only Creamsicle beer) is absolutely one that I want to visit – maybe I’ll hit it up on my next cross-Canada drive! They market themselves as timeless brewing with a splash of creativity – and based on their current tap list, I am inclined to agree. Their variety definitely speaks to me. Some beer that catch my eye include a hefeweizen, Oktoberfest lager, Munich dunkel, porter, various lagers, and a blueberry vanilla ale. You have a lot of choices. This brewery is steeped in tradition, going back to 1912, when one of Medicine Hat’s first breweries was serving old fashioned lager, ale, and stout.
Canmore Brewing: Canmore or Grizzly Paw? I obviously need to try Canmore Brewing before I can decide. Ideally heading over to Grizzly Paw right after to compare (isn’t having a beer hobby fun?) This is a place that expresses a love for beer and the great outdoors.
Banff Ave Brewing Co.: “Banff’s living room”, where you get locals, tourists, and possibly world class athletes.
With so many breweries in Alberta, and many in areas I’ve yet to visit, it’s a bit overwhelming to try and gauge where would be worth a visit. At a certain point it’s best to throw your hands up in the air and go with the flow. If life brings me through some new areas, I’ll look into what breweries they have then.
I started looking into the best breweries outside of Calgary – and it’s just too much information – but here are a few places I’ve seen mentioned:
- Blindman Brewing in Lacombe, just a little north of Red Deer (exciting experimental practices).
- Folding Mountain Brewing, near Hinton, at the edge of Jasper NP (the views are worth it).
- Fallentimber Meadery, an hour northwest of Calgary, about halfway up towards Red Deer. This looks to be a store and not a sit down taproom. I do love bees, honey, and mead.
- Beer Street in Edmonton (10 craft breweries and counting).
- Stronghold Brewing, Fort McLeod, between Lethbridge and Pincher Creek along Highway 3
Resources
Calgary Brew Review
I stumbled across this fabulous resource. A ranking of all the breweries in Calgary, from folks with experience, who use a thorough points system. I’m not sure how long this site will stay up, so I’ll also link the reddit thread where I found it. Hopefully it remains active, as it gives great overviews and descriptions!
One thing they point out that I couldn’t agree more with is their reasoning for ranking breweries and not just beer. Because beer is best enjoyed where it is brewed, and the setting can add so much (or detract) from the experience! Not to mention the beer is fresher, and you might get to chat with the staff or other beer lovers or locals.
Just keep in mind that their rankings are not solely based on the quality of the beer – though they do give those individual scores.
I would definitely recommend checking out the individual write ups for each brewery, which go over the ratings and impressions.
The Alberta Ale Trail
I’m not sure when this guide was created (looks like 2023), as I didn’t come across it in 2022 when I was looking into breweries in Alberta. But it’s certainly wonderful to see now. It really shines a light on Alberta as a craft beer destination. And it lays out over 140 breweries across the province (there’s a map!) as well as “ale trails” for the different areas (including several areas of Calgary, the Rockies/mountain towns, the foothills, several areas of Edmonton, Crowsnest highway, Red Deer, and more). This helps you to conceptualize things and tune up your mental map. As well as hear about breweries you might have otherwise missed (keeping in mind that not every brewery is worth visiting).
Awards
If you want to know who’s out there winning awards – you can check out the Canadian Brewing Awards and the Alberta Beer Awards. The Alberta Small Brewers Association puts off the Alberta Craft Brewing Convention and Alberta Beer Awards annually.
Alberta Beer Reddit
Hear me out. I know reddit is reddit and not an objective or reliable source of information. But I think there is value in hearing impressions and having a place to check for releases or events. As well as unfiltered (pun intended) honesty.
Final Thoughts
Alberta has an impressive craft brewery scene. It’s so big that you would likely never get bored if you lived there.
I’m heading to Calgary next month and I plan to hit some breweries that I haven’t been to yet – I’m super excited, and hope to update this post as I get more breweries under my belt!
Have I made any glaring omissions? What breweries do I need to check out? Let me know!
I leave you with my current beer theme song:
Till next time,
Kat
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