Experience Calgary’s Craft Beer Scene

Unless you’ve been busy sipping your lovely Chardonnays and nursing your sweet single-malts, you’ve probably noticed that Calgary’s craft beer scene is booming. Breweries are popping up and opening their doors every week, it seems. And that’s not far from the truth! Calgary is now home to 50 craft breweries. But by the time you read this, that number will be higher.

“Calgary is surrounded by some of the highest-quality barley fields in the world,” says Drew Riley, President of YYC Beer, a local marketing consortium and information hub that focuses on all things beer in the Calgary area. “So it only makes sense that our craft beer scene is one of the strongest in the country. We’re definitely familiar with oil booms in this province, but now we’re in the middle of a beer boom!”

Cold Garden Beverage Company

Courtesy of Travel Alberta / Davey Gravey

Unquestionably, Calgary’s craft beer pioneers such as Big rock, Wild Rose, and Village paved the way for the next generation. And they’ve arrived with plenty of energy. Hip and happening taprooms, locally-sourced food menus, cool swag, community spirit, live music, fun-loving vibes, and delicious beer are just some of the trademarks of “the scene.”

Looking to sample some of the tastiest brews and coolest taprooms our city has to offer? The Barley Belt just south of the downtown core might be the best place to start. “The Barley Belt, an industrial area located just southeast of the downtown core, is home to the highest concentration of breweries,” says Riley. “They’re situated in close proximity to each other so you can walk or cycle to a number of them with ease. There is also the ‘Brewery Flats’ area in Inglewood, which is also home to a half dozen, or so, breweries and taprooms that are easily accessible and close enough for a great little walking tour. But, chances are, the neighborhood you’re in will have a local brewery. And that’s probably as good a place as any to start.”

Courtesy of Village Brewery / Colin Way

One of the trademarks of these breweries is the variety of beer styles that you can try. Newbies to craft beer and seasoned connoisseurs can usually sample a taster-sized flight of different beers and, potentially, hone in on a style they like.

Nearly all of the craft breweries have IPAs (India Pale Ales), rich stouts, easy-drinking lagers, thirst-quenching pale ales, and spicy pilsners. And, of course, experimental beers, fruit beers, ciders, guest taps (beers from neighboring breweries), and many other varieties are par for the course. An open mind with a willingness to “think outside the box” can go a long way to enjoying your experience at a craft brewery. True, you may not like everything you try, but chances are something in the local repertoire is going to get your taste buds doing backflips and get you jumping on the craft beer bandwagon!

Although it’s hardly fair to single-out a handful of breweries (honestly, you can’t go wrong with any of them, they all have merit and a character all their own!), here is a sampling of some of Calgary’s brightest stars on “the scene.”

Paddy’s BBQ and Brewery

Cold Garden – The vibe here is grassroots and unpretentious. A dog-friendly place (in the heart of culture-rich Inglewood) with an atmosphere that resembles someone’s back-forty workshop. No glitz No glamour. For that reason, it’s a quintessential craft-brewery experience. Try their classic IPA, appropriately named This Must Be the IPA, for a delicious, award-winning beer that hopheads are lapping up by the hectoliter.

Paddy’s BBQ and Brewery – At Paddy’s, located in the Barley Belt, you can have the best of both worlds: mouth-watering southern BBQ and delicious craft beer. After taking home gold in the 2019 Alberta Beer Awards for Brewery of the Year, you can bet this place is going to be a busy little place in the months and years to come. Try their brisket and pair it with their rich Vienna Lager, a slightly maltier lager with bread, biscuit, and nut notes.

Eighty-Eight Brewing Company – Situated in Ramsey, it pays homage to Calgary’s history-defining Olympic year of 1988. While the taproom – complete with ghetto blasters, Olympic paraphilia, old boxy TV’s, and classic rock – is vintage 80s at its finest, the beer is second-to-none. Try their Hologram White Ale, a dry-hopped Belgium ale that will have you singing Van Halen tunes in no time.

Wild Rose Brewery

Courtesy of Julian Tejada @jc_tejada

Wild Rose Brewery – As one of Calgary’s early craft breweries (they date back to 1996), Wild Rose was founded on a dream: to free Albertans from the tyranny of boring beer. They have succeeded. Their tasting room is a roadhouse-style haven in the Curry Barracks area just off of Crowchild Trail in southwest Calgary. Try a pint of their awesome Raspberry Ale and pair it with a Margherita Pizza. Yum.

Born Colorado – The youthful, outdoorsy vibe that prevails here, plus the awesome beer, makes it a fine representative of Calgary’s craft beer scene. Enjoy the patio. Enjoy the energy. And a Border Patrol IPA. Then walk across the street to Cabin Brewing, Banded Peak, and nearby The Establishment and Annex Ale for the tour to beat all tours.

By: Andrew Penner