Formerly Great Canadian Beer Thread

[Chadillaccc]

The Canadian Beer Awards 2020 were just announced.

AB - 17 Gold, 13 Silver, 8 Bronze - Brewery of the Year - Common Crown | Calgary, Alberta
ON - 12 Gold, 11 Silver, 12 Bronze
BC - 11 Gold, 14 Silver, 18 Bronze - Highest Medal Count - British Columbia
QC - 7 Gold, 8 Silver, 9 Bronze - Beer of the Year - Glutenberg Red | Glutenberg | Montreal, Quebec
NB - 4 Gold, 1 Silver, 1 Bronze
SK - 2 Gold, 0 Silver, 3 Bronze
NS - 1 Gold, 4 Silver, 2 Bronze
MB - 1 Gold, 0 Silver, 0 Bronze
PEI - 0 Gold, 4 Silver, 1 Bronze
NL - 0 Gold, 0 Silver, 0 Bronze

https://www.canadianbrewingawards.com/2020-winners/

[suburbanite]

Question for older forumers. What would the stereotypical "beer snob" be drinking back in the 70's/80's? I imagine you were limited to some premium European imports from a specialty store or something.

[ScreamingViking]

Originally Posted by suburbanite

Question for older forumers. What would the stereotypical "beer snob" be drinking back in the 70's/80's? I imagine you were limited to some premium European imports from a specialty store or something.

Molson Golden? Lowenbrau in a bottle with a foil-wrapped bottle cap? I recall ads on American TV channels for it, though I'm not sure how much was available in Canada (nor other European brands). Apparently Miller had acquired the rights to brew it in North America in the mid-1970s.

I wasn't of drinking age until late 1989, but fully witnessed the globalization happen and saw the beginnings of the transition from Canadian labels to American ones (the Coors Light infiltration; Molson Canadian out, Bud in).

I also recall when Foster's Lager first became available. A friend and I had a cabbie deliver us a case via his older brother (pre-aforementioned-1989 ) and suffered probably my worst hangover to that point in life due to its consumption. Can't say I've had one since, proudly so.

Thank gawd for the craft brewery industry today. Otherwise, my regular purchases tend to be Stella Artois and Heineken, with a few other Euro imports that I enjoy on occasion. I've given up on Molson and Labatt completely.

[MolsonExport]

Originally Posted by ScreamingViking

Molson Golden? Lowenbrau in a bottle with a foil-wrapped bottle cap? I recall ads on American TV channels for it, though I'm not sure how much was available in Canada (nor other European brands). Apparently Miller had acquired the rights to brew it in North America in the mid-1970s.

I wasn't of drinking age until late 1989, but fully witnessed the globalization happen and saw the beginnings of the transition from Canadian labels to American ones (the Coors Light infiltration; Molson Canadian out, Bud in).

I also recall when Foster's Lager first became available. A friend and I had a cabbie deliver us a case via his older brother (pre-aforementioned-1989 ) and suffered probably my worst hangover to that point in life due to its consumption. Can't say I've had one since, proudly so.

Thank gawd for the craft brewery industry today. Otherwise, my regular purchases tend to be Stella Artois and Heineken, with a few other Euro imports that I enjoy on occasion. I've given up on Molson and Labatt completely.

Sounds like you are my brother from another mother. The memories...even the horrid hangover from Foster's....that I can relate to. I became of legal drinking age in 1987 (but let's just say that I had a very good early start).

There was also John Labatt Classic. Brador (the latter was drunk by me and my friends not for the taste but rather because it was higher in alcohol content). Labatt Porter. Popular foreign beers that were widely available back in the 70s included Heidelberg, Guinness, and Carlsburg.

My dad drank this stuff by the crate load:

[ScreamingViking]

Originally Posted by MolsonExport

Sounds like you are my brother from another mother. The memories...even the horrid hangover from Foster's....that I can relate to. I became of legal drinking age in 1987 (but let's just say that I had a very good early start).

Foster's. The beer may not have been as worthy as Hogan makes it sound, but I have to give the brewers much credit for cashing in on the Crocodile Dundee craze of the later-1980s:

• Video Link

[ScreamingViking]

Oh, and Brador! I recall those commercials.

Just after I was legal, Molson and Labatt came out with their higher alcohol content beers (5.5% and 5.6%... wawa-wee-waa!). There was Molson Dry and Labatt Ice. Dry wasn't bad and actually had a nice clean taste to my recollection. Ice was just a quicker way to get pissed.

• Video Link

(loved these... cashed in on Die Hard! RIP Alex)
• Video Link

If anyone wants a nicer beer with a kick, Faxe Extra Strong has 10% alcohol and flavour to go with it.

[esquire]

Originally Posted by MolsonExport

There was also John Labatt Classic. Brador (the latter was drunk by me and my friends not for the taste but rather because it was higher in alcohol content). Labatt Porter. Popular foreign beers that were widely available back in the 70s included Heidelberg, Guinness, and Carlsburg.

I was a kid in the 80s but just from advertising, popular culture and such I recall that imported beer had a lot of cachet... Heineken, Foster's, Carlsberg are a few brands that come to mind. Carlsberg seemed much more common then than it is now. The popular imports were mainly lagers that tasted exactly the same as the stuff that was popular here at the time... I honestly wonder how many people could tell the difference between Heineken and Canadian.

Of course, beer snobbery as it is known today didn't really exist then, except for a tiny group of homebrewer hobbyists and maybe people who came from the UK and other places with a wider ranges of beer than what was known here at the time.

[rousseau]

Back in my university days we drank Labatt 50 ironically. I'm too young to have ever drunk from the stubby bottles, though.

Come to think of it, I resent the fact that Canada gave up the traditional stubbies and adopted the American long neck bottles. That was a cultural capitulation (yeah, I know, what a shocker).

[suburbanite]

Originally Posted by esquire

I was a kid in the 80s but just from advertising, popular culture and such I recall that imported beer had a lot of cachet... Heineken, Foster's, Carlsberg are a few brands that come to mind. Carlsberg seemed much more common then than it is now. The popular imports were mainly lagers that tasted exactly the same as the stuff that was popular here at the time... I honestly wonder how many people could tell the difference between Heineken and Canadian.
.

Really? To me Heineken's one of the most distinct of the macro imports. I would bet $100 that I could pick it out of a crowd of Bud, Coors, Molson, etc. and I only ever really drink it out of a semi-warm can on the golf course.

Stella is the most overpriced marketing gimmick to me. you're paying twice as much for the Belgian version of Budweiser.

[kool maudit]

Canadian beers aren't very common here, but one of the local macros comes in a stubby, so there's that. I pick them up on that basis alone from time to time.

[Kilgore Trout]

Love stubbies. A clear bottle though! Did it taste skunked?

[niwell]

There's been a few craft breweries that have done stuff in stubbies as a one-off, but it costs a lot more on their end so generally not worth it, unfortunately.

Not Sweden, but I actually traded a Bellwoods (Toronto microbrew) in Copenhagen for a Belgian lambic! The dudes at Mikeller seemed weirdly aware of the Canadian beer scene, and Brus beer bar in Cph told me they had just done a collab with Collective Arts (Hamilton).

[Proof Sheet]

Originally Posted by rousseau

Back in my university days we drank Labatt 50 ironically. I'm too young to have ever drunk from the stubby bottles, though.

Come to think of it, I resent the fact that Canada gave up the traditional stubbies and adopted the American long neck bottles. That was a cultural capitulation (yeah, I know, what a shocker).

Just had a beer that I think Rousseau would appreciate...It's hotter than the sun.

https://twitter.com/alphabetbrewing/...74137115373574

[digitboy]

The only mainstream beer i drink frequently is Heineken. All beers I am enjoying are from micro breweries. However, I will not refuse to drink a Molson Export or Molson Canadian if somebody's offering it to me. I cant stand any Labatt or Budweiser products. Oh.. and for me, Coors Light is laxative water.

[Mister F]

The most annoying thing about going to pubs is seeing Coors light under "Domestic" on the menu. Not that I have a whole lot of interest in ordering Blue, but still, Coors and Bud are by any definition the opposite of domestic.

Originally Posted by niwell

IIRC Moosehead is actually still an independent brewery. The rest are owned through AB Inbev or one of the other big multinationals and have ceased to be Canadian in anything but name as far as I'm concerned. It is weird they don't advertise the "Canadian" brands as much, but maybe figure it's not worth the return anymore. Pretty much all of the macro stuff is brewed here as that's just cheaper.

The fact that they're owned by foreign multinationals doesn't make the brands any less Canadian. Pretty much every mass market beer is owned by one of the big multinationals, but the brands are still associated with their parent countries.

It's the same with cars. Skoda being a subsidiary of VW doesn't make the brand any less Czech.

[harls]

I remember back in my university days (early nineties) Moosehead was my go-to beer. You would always run the risk of getting a skunky batch. Still drank it anyway.

Anyone remember Molson XXX... it was something like 9.1%. I imagine it is like drinking lighter fluid or battery acid.

[Loco101]

I also avoid Molson and Labatt products and feel that their parent companies have hurt their names which is sad. I used to drink Molson Ex, Molson Golden, Labatt 50 and Labatt Crystal back in my younger days. I'd have Carling if I didn't have much money.

But my favourite back then was Northern Breweries and they had a store in Timmins that was open until 11pm Monday to Saturday and shorter hours on Sunday. I REALLY enjoyed their Red Maple which had real maple syrup in it. I also liked Northern Superior and Northern Ale. Northern Ale was the only beer in Ontario (AFAIK) that came in a draft ball which was great.

For domestic, I only drink ones made in Northern Ontario and sometimes Quebec. In Timmins we have Full Beard and Compass breweries which both have a few kinds that I really like. It's so nice have beer made in our city again.

Lately I've also been enjoying Lake of the Woods brewery's Sultana Gold. It goes great with fish and chips. The brewery is in Kenora.

I sometimes pick up beer when in Val-d'Or, QC at Le Prospecteur. Great varieties and their IPAs are my favourite.

[Loco101]

Originally Posted by harls

I remember back in my university days (early nineties) Moosehead was my go-to beer. You would always run the risk of getting a skunky batch. Still drank it anyway.

Anyone remember Molson XXX... it was something like 9.1%. I imagine it is like drinking lighter fluid or battery acid.

I had a few bottles of Molson XXX back then. It certainly was terrible. For strong beers I used to drink (circa 1995-2000) ones made by Unibroue from Quebec. La Fin du Monde is 9% and you can still get it today. Tasted a lot better.

Labatt also had a strong one called Maximum Ice but I don't think it was actually that strong compared to XXX but I could be wrong. A friend of mine used to drink Labatt Wildcat Strong which was 6.1% but as cheap as any 5% discount brand.

[Loco101]

Originally Posted by esquire

I was a kid in the 80s but just from advertising, popular culture and such I recall that imported beer had a lot of cachet... Heineken, Foster's, Carlsberg are a few brands that come to mind. Carlsberg seemed much more common then than it is now. The popular imports were mainly lagers that tasted exactly the same as the stuff that was popular here at the time... I honestly wonder how many people could tell the difference between Heineken and Canadian.

Of course, beer snobbery as it is known today didn't really exist then, except for a tiny group of homebrewer hobbyists and maybe people who came from the UK and other places with a wider ranges of beer than what was known here at the time.

At one time at the Brewer's Retail stores in Ontario, there were only a handful of "imported" brands available and they only came in stubbies. I think they actually were brewed in Ontario under licence.

My Dad told me that when he moved to Timmins in the early 1970s he went to a Brewer's Retail store here and wanted to try something different. He got a 12 pack of Guinness and a 12 pack of Heineken if I remember correctly. Well most Ontarians know that you would order at the cash register and the cashier would talk into a microphone where someone working in the back would hear the order, go get it and roll it out on that thing. You would never see the person in the back. Well after my Dad ordered his "exotic" brands the guy actually came out from the back and wanted to see who exactly ordered that beer and he was almost laughing. He told my Dad that he was the first person he had who ordered those kinds and apologized that there was so much dust on them!

BTW, all of our Beer Stores in Timmins still have the roll out thing. (sort of like a conveyor belt but it's made of small wheels so you can roll cases out. Here's a short video clip:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wpgi3WJCi4M

[YOWflier]

When I was young in the 70s/80s the "fancy" beers that my dad and his buds would sometimes drink were Heineken and Carlsberg.