In just over a week in Alberta, I've sampled dozens of beers and discovered that Western Canada is well on its way to becoming the Craft Brew Capital of the North. I don't know if it's the icy cold, crystal clear mountain waters or the hardy individuals that make Craft Brewing so popular in Alberta (and British Columbia).
Below are samplings and travels in Alberta including Wild Rose Brewing (Calgary), Drummond Brewing (Red Deer), Alley Cat Brewing (Edmonton), and Village Brewing (Calgary).
- Carol Dekkers
- Wild Rose Brewing in Calgary.
Wild Rose Brewing, Calgary, Alberta this is one of Calgary's three onsite breweries, and like Big Rock, it features a brewpub. The overall operation is much smaller and newer than the Big Rock operation (which is in its 28th year of operation and is Canada's largest craft brewery) – but Wild Rose has a few features of its own including that it is housed on a former Canadian Armed Forces base which closed several years ago. Wild Rose's signature brew is their Wraspberry Wheat Ale, a fresh and slightly tart fruity beer which they bottle and distribute to consumers. Wraspberry wheat was subtle in the fruit flavor (which I appreciate!) and refreshing on the hot summer Calgary afternoon.
This article appears in Sep 20-26, 2012.