FFWD Weekly
Copyright © 1997. All Rights Reserved.
Since the '80s North American microbrewing has flourished a trend reflected in Alberta. Whether it's a loyalty to local companies or the simple fact that more and more people are interested in expanding their vocabulary of beer tastes, Alberta's craft beer industry has exploded in recent years.Through the cooperative efforts of Fast Forward and Edmonton's SEE Magazine, we are proud to publish this Alberta-wide microbrewery and brewpub guide. To the best of our knowledge, this is a complete guide to Alberta's craft beer industry. We hope that our readers will use this information to explore the exceptional fruits of Alberta's talented beer makers.
MICRO BREWERIES
Alley Kat Brewing Company (Edmonton)
Established in 1995 by two former home brewers, Alley Kat is a true microbrewery, with a brewing capacity of 4,160 hectolitres (416,000 litres) per year.· Aprikat
Style: Apricot fruit beer (Alc./Vol. 4.1%)
Profile: A semi-sweet, straw colored fruit beer. Light, clean and fruity.
· Full Moon
Style: Pale ale (Alc./Vol. 5%)
Profile: Classic pale ale with a dark gold color. Medium bodied with a light fruity taste and hoppy nose.
· Scona Gold
Style: Cream ale (Alc./Vol. 5%)
Profile: Subtly spicy hop aroma with a hint of clover and honey.
Seasonal beers include: Razzykat (raspberry fruit beer), Old Deuteronomy (barley wine), Ein Prosit! (German Oktoberfest), Weihnachtskatze (spiced strong ale).
Banff Brewery (Calgary)
Specializing in a variety of German style beers, Banff Brewery is one of the few breweries in North America to employ a "Krausen" brewing technique. Krausen beers are double fermented, resulting in a beer with excellent levels of natural carbonation and a smooth finish. Established in 1995.· White Horn Pilsner
Style: South German Pilsner (Alc./Vol. 5%)
Profile: Lightly hopped and pale in color with a characteristic Krausen smoothness.
· Dancing Bear
Style: Traditional wheat beer (Alc./ Vol. 5%)
Profile: Distinctive clove and banana flavor. Refreshing, clean beer with light, fruity overtones.
· Two Jack Ale
Style: Kölsch style German Ale (Alc./ Vol. 5%)
Profile: Darker, full-bodied ale with a light fruit palate - very clean finish.
· Storm Mountain
Style: German Dunkel lager (Alc./Vol. 5%)
Profile: Dark, full-flavored lager with a light, roasted palate and a hint of nut. Very smooth with a rich creamy head.
Big Rock (Calgary)
Established in 1985 by Ed McNally. Big Rock offers a wide product line and extensive distribution throughout Alberta. With an annual brewing capacity of 450,000 hectolitres, Big Rock is technically no longer a microbrewery, but Alberta's largest "regional" brewery. All beers are made without additives, preservatives or pasteurization.· Black Amber Ale
Style: Porter (Alc./Vol 7%)
Profile: A dark ale with a roasted malt accent and slightly sweet overtone. Smooth aromatic finish.
· Canvasback Ale.
Style: Pale ale (Alc./ Vol. 5%)
Profile: Golden-colored medium-bodied ale. Mild aroma with a crisp, clean finish.
Special Note: Portion of sales are donated to Ducks Unlimited for wetland conservation.
· Dandelion
Style: North American style light beer (Alc./ Vol. 3.5%)
Profile: Mild flavor with a light, refreshing palate. Smooth and very drinkable.
· Grasshopper Wheat Ale
Style: Wheat ale (Alc./Vol. 5%)
Profile: Lightly hopped with a clean, smooth finish. Refreshing with a smooth aftertaste.
· Magpie Rye Ale
Style: Rye ale (Alc./Vol. 5%)
Profile: Very unique, full-bodied ale with a mellow flavor. Copper in color with a spicy bouquet.
· McNally's Extra Ale
Style: Irish Style Ale (Alc./Vol. 7%)
Profile: An Irish-style strong ale. "Distinctive product; full-bodied, smooth with a buttery maltness..." says Michael Jackson in The New World Beer Guide.
Special Note: Careful with this one... or you'll wake up in the park the next morning.
· Traditional Ale
Style: Traditional English ale (Alc./Vol. 5%)
Profile: A smooth dark ale with nutty caramel undertones. Soft and distinctive.
· Warthog Ale
Style: English brown ale (Alc./ Vol. 4.5%)
Profile: A medium copper-colored ale with a sweet, strongly malt accented aroma and a nutty finish.
Bow Valley Brewing Company (Canmore)
Brewed in the shadows of Three Sisters Mountain, Bow Valley produces small batches of quality beer in a highly automated brewery. Bow Valley limits their ingredients to water, malted barley, hops and yeast. Established in 1995.· Bow Valley Premium Lager
Style: Munich Helles (Alc./Vol. 5%)
Profile: Rich gold-colored lager with a clean, smooth taste and a crisp finish.
Special Note: Gold medal winner at last year's World Beer Cup in Vail, Colorado for best Munich style lager.
· Bruno's Mountain Bock
Style: German bock (Alc./Vol. 6%)
Profile: Very smooth and drinkable with a reddish-brown color. Caramel sweetness with a mildly robust body.
Special Note: Bronze medal winner at the 1997 World Beer Championships in Chicago. Named after living legend Bruno Engler, one of the Bow Valley's best known mountain guides and photographers.
Brew Brothers Brewing Company (Calgary)
This small microbrewery makes small batches of German style beers with mostly local ingredients. Brewed by Edmonton's Alley Kat Brewery to Brew Brothers' specifications. Available on tap and by the bottle. Established in 1995.· Tumblewheat
Style: Kölsch wheat ale (Alc./Vol. 5%)
Profile: Rich golden wheat ale with a clean, fine, spicy/fruity flavor. Original European style Czech beer.
· Black Pilsner
Style: Bavarian Pilsner (Alc. /Vol. 5%)
Profile: Black in color with a sweet, well-rounded flavor and a complexity unique to a light-bodied beer. Crisp and clean taste.
Special Note: Silver medal winner at 1997 World Beer Championships in Chicago.
Flanagan & Sons Brewing Co. (Edmonton)
Set up in 1995 in the old digs of the Strathcona microbrewery. A small family run operation.· Pale Tommy: Pale ale.
· Bitter & Twisted: An English bitter.
Wild Rose (Calgary)
Alberta's newest microbrewery, opened in August of 1996. All beers are naturally brewed, using barley and wheat malt from the prairies and whole-leaf hops from the Northwest US.· Wild Rose Red Wheat Ale
Style: Wheat ale (Alc./Vol. 4.5%)
Profile: Clean, lightly balanced ale with a distinctive red color.
· Wild Rose Brown Ale
Style: English brown ale (Alc. /Vol. 5%)
Profile: Distinctive coffee/chocolate undertones. Strong-flavored medium-bodied beer with a clean finish.
· Wild Rose Pale Ale
Style: Pale ale (Alc./Vol. 5%)
Profile: Golden, medium-bodied ale. Fresh, sharp and hoppy character.
Special Note: Winner: Peoples' Choice Award, Brewtopia 1997, Calgary.
Wild Rose seasonal beers include Wraspberry Ale (spring/summer) and Velvet Fog unfiltered wheat ale (fall).
BREW PUBS
Brewsters (Three locations in Edmonton and Calgary)
All beers are made on premises and have an alcohol per volume content of 5% except where noted. Off sales are available on site.· Hammerhead Red Ale: American style amber ale.
· Palliser Pale Ale: A traditional English ale.
· Bow Valley Brown Ale: British-style brown ale.
· Bighorn Bitter: Full-bodied English bitter.
· Blue Monk Barley Wine: A Christmas brew, very strong (7.5%Alc./Vol.).
· Original Lager: North American style lager.
· Flying Frog Lager: Golden lager.
· Ernest Bay Premium Pilsner: European Pilsner.
· Continental Light Lager: Lightly hopped lager (3.5% Alc./Vol.).
· Wild West Wheat Beer: Brewed with 30% wheat malt.
· Shaughnessy Stout: Full bodied Irish stout.
Grizzly Paw Pub and Brewing Company (Canmore)
The setting and surroundings of this brew pub are unmatched; the perfect place to take in the beautiful surroundings of the Rockies while quaffing their finest hand-crafted ales. The Grizzly Paw is the only brew pub in the Canadian Rockies. Their eight hectolitre system allows the brewers to produce a modest amount of the regular favorites as well as experiment with several seasonal brews. All beers contain an alcohol per volume of 5% (+/- 0.2%).· Grumpy Bear Honey Wheat Ale: Easy drinking light ale.
· Rutting Elk Red: A medium dark ale.
· BigHead Nut Brown: Full-flavored dark ale.
· BeaverTail Raspberry Ale: Light and pleasant Belgian-styled fruit beer.
Seasonals: Jacko Lantern Pumpkin Ale, Christmas Cranberry Ale, Grizzly 50 English Mild, Moose Knuckle Winter Stout, EOR Maple Wheat, Grassi English Special Bitter.
Mission Bridge Brewing Company (Calgary)
Mission Bridge offers a vast selection of hand-crafted beers to appeal to a variety of palates. Offering Alberta's only cask-conditioned beer. Off sales are available on site.· Wheat Beer (4.5% Alc./Vol.): Crisp and refreshing classic wheat beer.
· Pilsner (4.6% Alc./Vol.): Made with imported Czech hops. A favorite among lager drinkers.
· Cream Ale (4.7% Alc./Vol.): Emulates classic Irish and Northern English breweries. Golden brown with a creamy head.
· Oatmeal Stout (4.5% Alc./Vol.): Traditional Irish stout served chilled. Dark with a creamy head.
· Pale Ale (4.5% Alc./Vol.): Lightly balanced with a clean fresh taste.
· Bitter (4.7% Alc./Vol.): Traditional European styled bitter ale.
· Brown Ale (4.3% Alc./Vol.): Full-bodied and sweet English brown ale.
Red's Brewpub (Edmonton)
Located in the world's largest mall, West Edmonton Mall, Red's is the world's largest brewpub with a brewing capacity of 16 hectolitres. The 100,000-square-foot complex includes a bowling alley, restaurant and an entertainment center.· Red's Redhead: Smooth, full-bodied ale.
· Red's Blonde: Dry, golden ale.
· Red's Brunette: Classic brown ale.
· Whale Ale: A North American-style wheat ale.
· Pale Ale: A British-style pale ale.
Taps Pub & Brewery (Edmonton)
Established in Edmonton in 1995, Taps is dedicated to hand-crafted European and traditional style beers.· Blackbeard Ale: A traditional dark ale.
· Pintail Pilsner: European-style Pilsner.
· Thunderhead Lager: North American-style lager.
· Iceberg Pale Ale: A classic pale ale.
· Black & Tan: A blending of Blackbeard Ale and Thunderhead Lager.
· Raspberry Beer: A raspberry fruit beer.
· Peach Beer: A peach fruit beer.
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