Calgary, Alberta Has Suddenly Became a Craft Beer Mecca
In the travel world, Calgary is best known as “that city you fly into before driving to Banff.”
Calgary will never be called a cosmopolitan city. It’s not very trendy. Its nightlife is virtually non-existent. But there’s one thing Calgary does have: a shocking number of craft breweries.
The number of craft breweries in Alberta tripled from 2014 to 2017, and that trend is expected to continue into 2018.
Calgary has a long way to go before catching up to Vancouver, which has 50+ microbreweries and distilleries, or Portland, which has over 80 (although both cities have 2x the population of Calgary).
From Cold Garden to Crown, Village to Wild Rose, Calgary is punching above its weight in the craft beer scene – and it shows no signs of slowing down.
4 Reasons Why Calgary Has Become a Craft Beer Lover’s Paradise
Nearby Olds College Has a Seriously Good Brewmaster Program
You may have heard of this little town called Olds, just north of Calgary. That town is home to Olds College. Olds College has a brewmaster program that is not just good – it’s world famous.
The program is officially called “Brewmaster & Brewery Operations Management”. Students come from around the world. Many students end up running breweries in Calgary. Walk into any Calgary brewery, and there’s a good chance you’ll meet at least one graduate of the program.
It’s Part of a Global Trend
It’s no secret that craft beer is exploding with growth worldwide. The trend started in California, expanded across the United States, and has arrived full-blown in Canada (it always takes us a few years to pick up the latest American trends).
The number of breweries in Alberta has tripled since 2014. You’ll find similar stats for Ontario, British Columbia, and Quebec. It’s not just a Calgary thing.
Bylaw and Regulation Changes
Craft beer is an important part of Alberta’s economy – and its impact continues to grow. The provincial NDP government has recognized that impact by announcing things like a $20 million a year grant program that returns a significant portion of alcohol revenue to small Alberta brewery operators. Meanwhile, Calgary recently introduced a bylaw making it easier for craft brewers to establish production facilities and brewpubs in populated commercial areas.
What Else Do People Do in Calgary?
There’s another obvious reason why craft beer is so well-supported in Calgary: there’s not really much else to do in the city. Sure, you can spend the day skiing and hiking in the mountains. But in town, most nights out involve going to a bar and drinking beer. If there’s a new brewery to try, we’re going to find it our next night out.
Top 8 Best Breweries in Calgary
The fact that I can even make a list of the top best 8 breweries in Calgary surprises me. Five years ago, Calgary didn’t even have 10 breweries in total.
Here are some of the breweries I’ve personally boozed at – and approved – around Calgary (in no particular order).
Tool Shed Brewing Company
It’s called “Tool Shed” because the guys who founded the brewery, Jeff and Graham, used to brew beer in Graham’s backyard tool shed. Today, this brewery is home to my favourite beer in all of Calgary: Red Rage. It’s an incredible red ale. Other notable brews include People Skills, Star Cheek, and the Flat Cap Stout.
Cold Garden Beverage Company
Cold Garden, in Inglewood, launched in 2017. The brewery quickly made a name for itself with unique beers like Cakeface (which seriously tastes like birthday cake) and the All-Nighter Vanilla Cappuccino Porter (my personal favourite). Another thing I appreciate: there’s just one IPA on their regular list of beers. It’s called “This Must Be The IPA”. It’s a refreshing change from American breweries that seem to brew only IPAs. Oh, and the pool noodles make for some cool Instagram shots.
Banded Peak Brewing
Banded Peak is located in the Blackfoot industrial area near the Burnsland Cemetery. It has some of the coolest brewing “swag” in the city, including distinctive, sturdy bottles that seem built specifically to take camping. My favourite is the Chinook Saison, but the Plainsbreaker is very easy to drink as well.
Village Brewery
Village always seems like the “encouraging older brother” among Calgary’s microbreweries. The Village team is super supportive of new breweries. They actively promote the Calgary craft beer scene. They were also one of the first microbreweries in Calgary to really take off. Oh, and they also brew some of the best craft beer the city has to offer. The Village Blacksmith (a black ale) and the Village Blonde (which actually complies with the Bavarian Purity Law of 1516) are their two most popular options. The Squeeze, the Wit, and Neighbor are all very good as well.
Last Best
Most of Calgary’s breweries are located in the industrial parts of the city. Last Best, however, is right on 11th Ave in downtown Calgary. The fancy interior makes it look more like an upscale restaurant than a Calgary brewery; however, Last Best is one of the more popular brewers in the city, known for options like the Dirty Bird Black Lager, Last Best IPA, and Show Pony Pale Ale.
Common Crown Brewing
Common Crown is located right down the street from Tool Shed in Calgary’s NE (Red Bison also recently opened up next door). The taproom isn’t huge. However, Common Crown has good distribution across the city, which means you’ll be able to pick up its Coppersmith Brown Ale, Journeyman IPA, Brewmaster Blonde Ale, and Ploughman Hopped Wheat Ale wherever you go.
Wild Rose Brewery
Wild Rose is one of the oldest breweries in Calgary. Launched in 1996, the brewery continues to brew good beer to this day. The Currie Barracks location has a great outdoor patio in the summer (it faces due west, which means it stays light until 10 or 11pm in June. You’ll also find surprisingly good food on the menu. Plus, they recently started offering barrel aged beers – something that you don’t always see around Calgary. In any case, you’ll find popular Wild Rose beers at bars across Calgary. Popular options include Velvet Fog, Wraspberry Ale, and the IPA.
Big Rock
Launched in 1985, Big Rock was the first major independent brewery in Calgary. Here’s the story behind Big Rock: Calgary hosted the Olympics in 1988. In the years leading up to the Olympics, visitors had long complained about the lack of variety in Canadian beer – there were too many average, boring, watery lagers. The creators of Big Rock wanted to make something that would appeal to international visitors – so they made a European-style traditional ale and they called it Traditional. Today, Traditional remains one of Big Rock’s bestselling beers – and the brewery makes an enormous amount of beer from its SE Calgary location. Popular beers include Grasshopper, Traditional, Rhinestone Cowboy, and the Pilsner. If you’re going to do one tour in Calgary, the Big Rock tour is one to do (they give you a lot of complementary beer).
Honorable Mentions
Calgary’s brewing scene is growing so fast that it’s hard to keep up. I leave the city to travel for 3 months, and I come back to find 4 new breweries I haven’t visited.
Here are some of the breweries I’ve heard are good – but haven’t yet visited:
- Caravel Craft Brewery
- Outcast
- Zero Issue
- Goat Locker Brewing Company
- Outcast Brewing
- The Dandy Brewing Company
- High Line Brewing
- Red Bison Brewery
- Bam Brewing Co.
- Boiling Oar Brewing Company
A Personal Note
The Wandering Boozebag grew up in Calgary.
When I first started traveling in 2012, I couldn’t wait to escape from Calgary’s beer scene and its endless stream of Budweiser and Molson Canadian. In fact, the Calgary Stampede used to make headlines due to its lack of craft beer.
Now, when I’m away, I look forward to getting back to Calgary and filling another growler (or two) with Red Rage from Tool Shed. I couldn’t be happier to see Calgary’s beer scene exploding.
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