A List of New Breweries List Coming To Alberta In 2017 (Part 2)
Here is a list of breweries that we’ve been compiling (let us know if we’ve missed any), that are coming to Alberta this summer and fall 2016.
By Shira Kogut on Jul. 20, 2016
The Alberta Craft Beer Industry is busting at the seams and we love it! So many new breweries coming out this summer and this fall in Calgary, Edmonton and all over Alberta. We thought we’d give you just a little taste to wet your whistle.
Common Crown Brewing
What started off as two brothers making beer in their garage because they wanted to drink exactly the kind of beer they wanted, turned into this fantastic microbrewery. They are currently brewing three beers: Brewmaster Blonde Ale, The Journeyman IPA and the Coppersmith Brown Ale. The focus of this company is community and showcasing local agriculture, music, art, and the craft beer scene is one of the pillars of Common Crown’s vision, so definitely keep an eye out for events going on around Alberta with their name on it as they plan to be INVOLVED. All the ingredients they use are Alberta sourced and all the names of their beers focus on a common theme:
The brewery, skilled, and hardworking craftsman that provide quality products to a community.
Currently, they are brewing 2000hL/year which they sell in kegs, cans and crowlers (1L cans) out of their taproom, for your enjoyment. Keep an eye on them because in the future they plan to expand and include winter/summer seasonals and exclusive one-off batches in their selection. They also plan to enter cask competitions. We can’t wait to taste what they come up with!
Outcast Brewing
We love breweries working together and helping each other out, so when we heard that Outcast was contract brewing at Cold Garden, a newbie themselves, (who will be competing in the Rookie 100L Dash as mentioned in our article Coming Soon to a Beer Mug Near You) we were just thrilled to pieces. This move is a great one for both breweries because as owner Patrick Schnarr points out in Haydon Dewes article in the Daily Beer :
“It’s a good fit for us and for them as well,” explains Schnarr. “We had looked at getting a big bank loan or an investor and opening up shop right away, but we wanted to keep the business in our family and minimize our potential risk.”
Their flagship beer will be a well hopped Double IPA which they plan to make in 25 keg batches and sell at different pubs and restaurants around Calgary. Their goal for the future is to create half batches and wild one offs, which reflect their creative and craft brewery spirit, but they want to keep the brewery small, so they can brew what they like when they like and for whom they like. Sounds like an independent spirit to us!
Annex Ale Project
What do you get when you combine a former brewmaster from Village Brewing and the Head Chef at Village Ice Cream? A) a crazy big village B) an awesome rootbeer float C) Annex Ale Project. The answer is C! Andrew Bullied formerly of Village Brewing and his partner Erica O’Gorman have big dreams for a small brewery. According to an article published in On Beer: They like to call it
“The Pacific Northwest Butcher Shop Model, which is small, locally-focused, emphasizing quality and on-site sales to locals.”
So what exactly do Calgary locals get to look forward to sales on? 1) The first non-alcoholic rootbeer (I guess B was a little bit right) 2) an Extra Pale Ale and 3) a North American style English Bitter plus seasonals and one-offs. They plan to rotate at least 6 beers at a time in their taproom. Formal plans see the brewery and tap room opening in November, so perhaps this Christmas season an Annex Ale Project beer cake would be a great gift. Hint, hint!
Caravel Craft Brewery Inc.
While the idea has been brewing since 2014, the licenses and permits have finally come through. Caravel Craft Brewery is finally getting its brewing space up and running by January 2017. They currently have 3 beers: 1) an Irish Red Ale 2) a Hefeweizen and 3) a Lager.
New Edmonton Breweries
Bent Stick Brewing
Bent Stick is the only nanobrewery in Edmonton. They may be small, but the quality is exceptional and the dream is BIG! Started by 4 former Alley Kat employees (so you know it’s gonna be good), they began brewing in May of 2016 and are currently producing a rotating lineup of beer. Right now beer is only available in bombers, so they are perfect for sharing with friends or if you really need that end-of-the-day drink. According to the guys:
“One of the biggest joys of being such a small brewery is the freedom to experiment!”
Taking advantage of that freedom their only recurring beer for the moment is “Swap the Hops” Pale Ale, which features a different hops variety each time it is brewed. While all four guys still work full time jobs during the work and are living their dream on weekends, they look forward to the time when they can live the dream full time. So, let’s help’em do that! Bent Stick brews are available at: The Next Act Pub, Keg’n Cork Liquor Company, Three Boars Eatery, Sherbrooke Liquor, Sugar Bowl, Little Guy Liquor Company, Underground Tap & Grill, Culina Mill Creek and Speer’s Beers.
New Alberta Breweries That Might Require a Road Trip
Hell’s Basement Brewery (Medicine Hat)
This summer the city of Medicine Hat will get its 1st craft brewer, Hell’s Basement Brewery. We loved the very original name which according to their website comes from:
the story of Rudyard Kipling’s travels across Canada and his famous quote “This part of the country seems to have all hell for a basement, and the only trap door appears to be in Medicine Hat. And you don’t even think of changing the name of your town. It’s all your own and the only hat of its kind on earth.” – Rudyard Kipling 1907
Sometimes the best things come out of the basement!
King of Springs Brewery (Didsbury)
We’ve heard whisperings about King of Springs…and are dying to know more about what Didsbury, Alberta has to offer.
Stay tuned for more editions as new breweries are popping up, left, right and center and we want you to be in the know, fellow beer lovers. Cheers!
If I B U I’d Seriously Read More:
Coming Soon to a Beer Mug Near You