The Great Canadian Beer Thread

[rousseau]

This is totally out of the blue.

Beer Column: Blyth brewhouse boggles the mind






The great beer state of Wisconsin and Blyth, Ont., might not have much in common, unless you’re talking about spectacular huge destination breweries.

...

This type of destination brewery is an inspiration imported from America by Cowbell Brewery in Blyth, whose owners have brought the concept to Canada and torqued it with many firsts for North America and the world.

Virtually the same square footage as Hinterland, Cowbell’s restaurant also offers wood-fired pizza and farm-to-fork fare.

Inside, Cowbell leaves you gobsmacked with 14-metre ceilings, 650 renewably-sourced Douglas fir timbers from British Columbia, and a catwalk around the brew house.

Cowbell’s taps will number 30 and will include not only the brewery’s widely distributed brands, but special small batches and guest taps featuring fellow Huron County breweries.

Environmentally, it’s the world’s first closed-loop system where water is taken from a well on site and effluent is treated at its own wastewater plant. Treated water winds up irrigating an adjacent soccer pitch. All told, Cowbell is North America’s first carbon neutral brewery, according to Golder Associates.

http://www.stratfordbeaconherald.com...ggles-the-mind

Getting there won't exactly be carbon neutral though. Blyth is a neat little place with a summer theatre festival in the middle nowhere, about 1 1/2 hours from Kitchener or London and 2 1/2 hours from the GTA. I guess the idea is that they will come with designated drivers if you build it.

[niwell]

I saw that on an Ontario beer site - very interesting but not exactly sure how they can fill that large a space. I do wonder if they'll actually focus more on distribution to bars / LCBO or do the new, alternate route that the similarly rural Half Hours on Earth does, which is almost exclusively mail order. Which reminds me, I have to pick up my beer order at the post office...

[kwoldtimer]

I could see them doing very well from Victoria Day weekend to the end of September, between the Festival and Lake Huron shore crowds, but I'd wonder about the off-season.

[TorontoDrew]

There is a beer festival literally outside my front door tomorrow. Last year was it's first year and I was sick so I missed it but I've heard good things about it and have purchased my tickets for the event.

http://www.leslievillebeerfest.com/

[rousseau]

They're popping up like weeds. This will be the third brewery in Stratford.



But the big guys aren't taking this lying down.

Bitter battle between Big Beer and craft brewers gets uglier
Independent craft brewers say multinational conglomerates making it harder to tell what's 'true' craft beer

Small, independent brewers say big beer companies are stepping up a campaign to buy craft breweries and are employing other tactics that make it difficult for beer drinkers to tell if the suds they're quaffing are actually local.

But others say it's just good business and if the recipe and taste don't change, what difference does it make who owns the company?

The Big Beer tactics that are vexing local, independent brewers include opening up local brew pubs, allegedly controlling beer distribution, buying up hop farms previously used by craft brewers, and even quietly buying a stake in an online beer rating website.

...

Behemoths like Anheuser-Busch InBev, the world's largest brewer, have been gobbling up successful craft breweries. According to Forbes, AB InBev boasts annual sales of $55 billion US after its merger last year with SABMiller.

AB InBev recently bought Wicked Weed, a famed craft brewery based in Asheville, N.C., the 10th craft brewery added to its stable, which includes Chicago's Goose Island and Seattle's Elysian Brewing.

In Canada, this trend includes Toronto's Mill Street and Quebec's Microbrasserie Archibald (both owned by Labatt, itself a subsidiary of AB InBev), B.C.'s Granville Island, owned by Molson Coors, as well as Quebec's Unibroue, owned by Sapporo (which also owns Sleeman), makers of Blanche de Chambly.

http://www.cbc.ca/beta/news/business...lson-1.4202758

[niwell]

Looks like the NFLD forumers have something to be looking forward to beer-wise: http://www.momandhops.ca/folly-brewp...w-head-brewer/

The brewers here do some really great stuff - they started with Belgian style beers and have since branched out. I was actually there last night for the first time in a while and had a nice pale ale and a fruit infused hefeweizen with lactose sugar.

[Marty_Mcfly]

Wild Cove Old World Pub Ale - a british bitter from Western Newfoundland Brewing Company.

Not bad, not mind-blowing either. Western is an example of a rural NL microbrewery that had to make some changes to their operations based on customer input. Everything works well in Port Rexton for Port Rexton Brew Co.; the Bonavista peninsula is a bit of a hipster mecca, and their beers work. On the west coast near Corner Brook not so much. They were forced to make a beer that "tastes like beer", and as such just made a boring cream ale and called it "BEER" to satisfy the local palate. A risk you take when opening a microbrewery in smaller areas.

Bitter is good. They also make a stout, pale ale, and New England style Pale Ale.

[1ajs]

nonsuch brewing saison
winnipeg microbrew
http://www.nonsuch.beer/
took these 2 to calgary over christmas and shared it at a rave with some artists who played...very tasty stuff on my return i bought another 15 bottles since where the hell am i going get craft beer in the bush

[SignalHillHiker]

Originally Posted by Marty_Mcfly

Wild Cove Old World Pub Ale - a british bitter from Western Newfoundland Brewing Company.

Not bad, not mind-blowing either. Western is an example of a rural NL microbrewery that had to make some changes to their operations based on customer input. Everything works well in Port Rexton for Port Rexton Brew Co.; the Bonavista peninsula is a bit of a hipster mecca, and their beers work. On the west coast near Corner Brook not so much. They were forced to make a beer that "tastes like beer", and as such just made a boring cream ale and called it "BEER" to satisfy the local palate. A risk you take when opening a microbrewery in smaller areas.

Bitter is good. They also make a stout, pale ale, and New England style Pale Ale.

Trying it. Love the merb'y logo! Cashier and security guard said they're selling VERY well.

[SignalHillHiker]

Originally Posted by niwell

Looks like the NFLD forumers have something to be looking forward to beer-wise: http://www.momandhops.ca/folly-brewp...w-head-brewer/

The brewers here do some really great stuff - they started with Belgian style beers and have since branched out. I was actually there last night for the first time in a while and had a nice pale ale and a fruit infused hefeweizen with lactose sugar.

Exciting - little things like that make a disproportionate difference in our small, struggling economy.

[Marty_Mcfly]

Originally Posted by niwell

Looks like the NFLD forumers have something to be looking forward to beer-wise: http://www.momandhops.ca/folly-brewp...w-head-brewer/

The brewers here do some really great stuff - they started with Belgian style beers and have since branched out. I was actually there last night for the first time in a while and had a nice pale ale and a fruit infused hefeweizen with lactose sugar.

More on that:

Chris and Christina have secured their location. Their new brewery, Landwash Brewery should be open by the end of the year on Commonwealth Avenue in Mount Pearl. A bit of an unfortunate location, but I bet they can make it work.

https://www.landwashbrewery.com/

[Wigs]

According to Beer Canada:

The number of brewing facilities across the country increased by 20.3% from 644 in 2015 to a historical high of 775 in 2016.

source

By now, it's gotta be pushing close to 900.

[urbandreamer]

So who's gonna start a Craft Beer Shop chain store selling microbrews nationwide?

[bulliver]

I have recently relocated back to BC and was pleased to discover Bowen Island Brewing:

https://www.bowenislandbeer.com/home

Their pricing places them in the category of 'value beers', at $7.50-$8.50 per six, but their Coastline Pale Ale and Artisan IPA are pretty damn good. Other craft beers around here (by say, Phillips, which is awesome) go for around $13 or more per six.

[Airboy]

Originally Posted by bulliver

I have recently relocated back to BC and was pleased to discover Bowen Island Brewing:

https://www.bowenislandbeer.com/home

Their pricing places them in the category of 'value beers', at $7.50-$8.50 per six, but their Coastline Pale Ale and Artisan IPA are pretty damn good. Other craft beers around here (by say, Phillips, which is awesome) go for around $13 or more per six.

Sorry to see you leave us here, but will look this beer up at Sherbrooke.

[bulliver]

^ Thanks. Said I was never coming back to Alberta the last time I moved back to BC so who knows ha ha ha.

[urbandreamer]

I didn't enjoy the Bowen Island I tried a few years ago in Sidney--kind of like Laker Lager in Ontario.

Any new Vancouver micros I should try on my next trip?

[haljackey]

Buck-A-Beer is back in Ontario (for a limited of time). I tied all the PC beers on promo. Read the review here if interested:

https://www.reddit.com/r/ontario/com...ought_of_them/

[kwoldtimer]

Originally Posted by haljackey

Buck-A-Beer is back in Ontario (for a limited of time). I tied all the PC beers on promo. Read the review here if interested:

https://www.reddit.com/r/ontario/com...ought_of_them/

For a limited time in the case of PC Beer (who knew?). I think two other small breweries are planning to offer.

[niwell]

I can safely say I will not be purchasing any buck-a-beer. Although I would probably try the PC stuff before Barley Days or Cool's offering since I imagine it's of higher quality (maybe not saying much). Only if I saw it at a Loblaw's location or in the LCBO - I don't go to the Beer store on principle.