Good beer is about more than the size of your tap line.
A couple of years ago I was feeling pretty heady about where Edmonton’s pub scene was headed. Sure, at the time it fully qualified for “sucks” status, but there were very hopeful signs – new pubs with modest but decent selections on tap; chains trying to up their game to match; beer events and dinners becoming more frequent. Definitely pointed in the right direction.
But something seems to have stalled, and it is frustrating. Two years ago, I would argue Calgary’s and Edmonton’s beer scenes were similar, with maybe a small edge to Edmonton for having more craft breweries. But today, Calgary, in particular around pubs (Edmonton still has more craft brewers), is leaving Edmonton far behind. (And before you Calgarians get cocky – let’s be clear, you have a LONG way to go to match Vancouver, Montreal, Toronto, or even Halifax…). Calgary has started to take the next step, while Edmonton has stalled.
I look around Edmonton’s scene and see the same thing I saw two years ago. There are a couple of fantastic beer locations – Sugar Bowl and Wunderbar to name two. A couple of others are making solid progress – Next Act and Transcend Downtown deserve particular kudos here. But mostly it is the same. The pubs that two years ago promised their modest forays were the start of something bigger have moved nowhere, and I have witnessed some backsliding. I guess I was hoping for more.
What is particularly disappointing is the character of new openings. The series of Kilt bars – Twisted, Tilted, Toasted, whatever – are unabashed embarrassments. We seem to be returning to the pseudo-Irish/English/Scottish pub game, which is a set backward, as none have any real beer character.
But the new pub that really gets my goat is Public House on Jasper and 108 Street. In part because it is promising to be more than those other places (who advertise how hot their servers are – so what would you expect?). It is trying to be a real “beer” bar. But also in part because it is such a stunningly lost opportunity.
Allow me to clarify what I am talking about here. As a spot to get a decent beer, it actually isn’t that bad. 24 beer on tap, with 7 or 8 real craft beer (including locals Yellowhead and Alley Kat) and another 19 in the bottle, mostly nothing special but including Fuller’s Porter and Mongozo. The problem is that it does not move our beer scene forward one step. The selection is not much better than Hudson’s, Original Joe’s or the departed Ceili’s. I have no doubt that most of the beer the Public House moves comes from the big boys.
An unfortunate misuse of a nice space
For those of you who haven’t been there, it is located in an old bank, and as such has hugely high ceilings, a vault (which they have turned into a cozy side room). It is adorned with floor to ceiling bookshelves and has a very warm atmosphere. My first impressions upon walking in were quite positive.
And then I spoke to the bartender. His first Malaprop was to inform me that “I-Hop” was their feature beer. Huh?? Upon asking what that was, he corrected himself to say that “Hophead”, from Tree Brewing, was the beer he meant. I then inquired about something called 780 Lager (which I will review in a future post), which he said was brewed locally by Yellowhead. ALERT!! IT IS NOT!! It is a new “localized” product by Labatt (I actually knew that already but wanted to see how he sold it).
(To be clear: NOT BREWED BY YELLOWHEAD! I would not want to see the reputation of the good folks on 105 Street sullied by the association. A teaser for my next post.)
So those two mistakes are pretty bad. But here is the kicker. On the menu they list “Feature Craft Beer: Ask your server”. So I did. He looks at me like I am an alien. I point to the item on the menu. He says (and I take care to quote accurately): “Craft?!? That is a mistake. Craft is made for wine. Who would serve beer in a craft? That must be a typo. That should be a ‘D’ for ‘draft’.”
Leave alone that he thought that “craft” was the word for the common wine serving container, “carafe”. That could be a literacy issue, and I refuse to mock that. What gets me is that he had NO idea that one of the taps was reserved for a rotating craft beer (which it most obviously was), NO idea what that beer might be, and that the entire concept was alien to him. Plus he couldn’t even give me basic information about their other beer on tap. Great training, owners of Public House (which is the local Oil City Group, who own a series of nightclubs, sports bars and the equally misleading “The Pint” pubs)!
And you want to call yourself a beer pub??
Not likely.
Time to grow up, Edmonton pub owners. Beer drinkers in this town are way ahead of you. You can’t get away with a half-assed effort anymore. Not if I have anything to do with it.
Yeah, sure, you have Hophead on tap, and you have set aside a couple of taps for local breweries. Admirable, if not particularly ground breaking. But if you have zero capacity to inform your customers what these beer are and why they might like to try a pint, you are actually doing these fine breweries a disservice. I know they won’t say that – and very well might disagree with me (which is fine, their job is to sell kegs of beer). But I can. And should.
I think the thing that irks me the most about Public House is that the space is actually pretty good. Appealing, conversational, not overdone. Get rid of some of the flat screen TVs and you could have a cozy place to go to sip on some fine craft beer. And it is the lost opportunity that burns my socks the most. And they could be building on the success of the good beer bars that have come before them. Instead they take us a step backward. And THAT I will not tolerate.
March 12, 2012 at 10:18 AM
Great article Jason, and interesting comments about the 780 Lager. I was recently at The Pint downtown where I was told the 780 was brewed by Amber’s and was their local feature!
March 12, 2012 at 12:06 PM
A friend of mine recently visited The Public House, ordered a Fuller’s London Porter, and received it without a glass. When she asked the server for one, she received a surprisingly quizzical look and soon after a frosted mug. She said it was like being at A & W… not likely a place I will be going out of my way to visit any time soon…
However, I also have a more embarrassing anecdote from my personal experience. Earlier this year, I had gone to Dewey’s on the University campus. I was pleased when I entered the bar to see Alley Kat posters pinned up on the walls, and so I proceeded to ask the bartender what Alley Kat beer they had. He then asked me “uhh, what’s Alley Kat?… actually just wait, I’ll ask my bar manager.” The bar manager had also never heard of Alley Kat before, and yet, literally 2 feet away from her was a huge Amber Ale poster. It was a sad day for me…
That said, I have heard about a place that is yet to open called “Three Boars Eatery” that hopefully will have something impressive to offer on the beer front, given the homebrewer that is involved in the project. (That is not to say that it will feature any of his beer, simply that his experience will hopefully do justice to a new cafe/resto-bar.)
Sorry for the lengthy reply.
March 12, 2012 at 6:46 PM
Ferfie,
As a consolation to your Dewey’s woes, you might want to test out the other bar on the UofA campus, RATT. Last I was there the tap line-up has offerings from Yukon and Amber’s. If nothing else, it’s a start in turning the masses of beer drinkers on to something local (I count Yukon as local due to their involvment in the Edmonton beer scene).
Something else to keep in mind about the bars on campus, they’re owned and operated by the Student’s Union. It takes tremendous effort to even establish a single tap in these establishments as they require long-term ‘contracts’ and strictly prohibit things like a rotating tap line-up. It might be worth some effort to lobby the SU to reflect the UofA’s principles of being a community landmark here in Edmonton and show some support for the local breweries (though a quick check on thier website shows evidence of heavy Big Rock involvment). Doubly so when it could mean circumventing the embarrassment that is the bi-annual beer gardens that wreak havoc on the UofA Quad.
March 13, 2012 at 12:08 AM
The Yukon is what I go for when I’m there, but unfortunately they dropped Amber’s a while ago. However, they have recently added a Wild Rose tap and Yellowhead tap, so there is actually a reasonable craft representation, considering. Even better, now their sponsor for Oiler games is no longer Molson, so if you win a free pitcher when the Oilers score or answer a trivia question right, you get a free pitcher of your choice, including any of the craft beers, instead of being given a free pitcher of Canadian, which was more like losing in my opinion. (It was a great night to be there when Gagner scored 8 points 🙂 )
March 12, 2012 at 2:26 PM
Yes great article! I think some of these pub owners are either stuck in a 70s-or something-or(dare I say it?)…let’s just say $$ is changing hands in back rooms, if you know what I mean.;-) I too had had high hopes for The Public House. But Marianne at http://www.loosenyourbelt.blogspot.com essentially gave it a thumbs down in her Feb. 27th posting. Now after reading about your experience my initial 65% ‘have to check the place out’ has plummeted to…15% or so-If I’m in the Downtown area-& that’s måinly because it’s a local establishment.
I was in Hudson’s on Whyte the other night & they were out of both the St. Ambroise Oatmeal Stout and Paddock Wood’s 606. Fortunately the Yukon Gold is a very decent Pale Ale{one of the better pale’s imho, or at least the few I’ve tried).
But Shane of EBGA-Edmonton Beer Geeks Anonymous(not unanimous?)-informed all via a tweet last Thurs. night that another cask night has sprung up, or it seems ‘keg & cask’ …best part is, it looks to be a weekly event(although not a cask more than once a month, I’d guess). That’s at a northside pub called the Ale Yard http://www.aleyard.ca so, *fingers crossed* I’ll have check it out. And I’m optimistic about the Mercer Tavern, when that opens.
March 12, 2012 at 7:15 PM
Darrell,
I was lucky enough to speak with the owner or the Ale Yard when there for their first ‘Keg & Cask’ night. Their tap line has a respectable showing of craft beer and has been roughed in to support future expansion. If memory serves, they have 12 taps with the likes of Yellowhead, Alley Kat (Aprikat), Yukon (Lead Dog, Red, and Chilkoot) and some of the Six Pints outfits, but missing Amber’s.
It’s nice to see an establishment outside of either the Whyte Ave and downtown core looking to serve the populations on the fringes of the city; we can’t all fit into the SugarBowl or Next Act on cask nights.
That being said, I’ve had my own dissapointing experience with the Public House and a couple other ‘houses’. It’d be interesting to find out where (if at all) pub owners go for feedback on their establishments. We might be wise to start posting on websites like UrbanSpoon and Yelp.
March 12, 2012 at 3:18 PM
Great post. I feel your frustration – I see the same kind of things happening in Calgary all the time. A certain ‘beer market’ may have 100 selections on tap, but the staff are so wholly disinterested or uneducated in beer that macro lagers still reign supreme. As a beer nerd I find this personally frustrating, but what boggles my mind is how bar owners are basically just ignoring a big (and rapidly growing) segment of the market. All the good research shows that craft beer heads are better customers than the guy who buys the cheapest adjunct lager on the menu, yet still the majority of bar culture in Alberta ignores them.
I like the term ‘Craftwashing’ for this new wave of businesses who are clearly aware of the craft beer movement yet seem to forget the key element – flavorful beer! PR and marketing might sell the first couple of pints, but the new generation of beer fans will ultimately insist on quality.
March 12, 2012 at 4:04 PM
There will always be bars that serve garbage beer. I am perfectly fine with these places, they don’t try to hide what they are, and serve a purpose.
What bothers me are the pretend beer bars and pretend breweries/beers, and they seem to be growing at an exponential rate here on the prairies. They want you to think they are offering premium (aka “craft”) products, yet have no intension of actually doing so. They are an embarassment to the beer scene, reek of shysterism, and give the impression that they think their customers are too dumb to know the difference. Very similar to the Bose effect (if you are into hi-fi stereo equipment, you will know what I mean).
Follow your tastebuds, don’t be fooled.
March 12, 2012 at 5:13 PM
As someone in the business, we had some owners of a bar that is about to open Edmonton your scene is about to get a lot better………..
March 12, 2012 at 5:15 PM
I was at the pint in support of a friends birthday function and I asked the bartender what “780” was. He pursuaded me to try 780 because it had “way more hops in it”(LOL). I asked for a sample. he graciously gave me one. As he stood there excitedly about his new found recommendation, I told him there was no bitterness or flavour, no malt character and it was no different from the other 5 taps they had- In a nice way of course…Then I asked him who brewed this? he replied it was labatt. At least he knew that….*sigh*
March 12, 2012 at 5:33 PM
You always seem to miss Accent Lounge in your posts about Edmonton beer bars. Probably has the second best tap lineup in the city after Sugarbowl. Peche Mortel is on right now.
March 12, 2012 at 11:03 PM
Paul,
Good point. I was last there over a year or so ago, and things might have changed. Even us beer geeks can get stuck in our ways. I will try to pop by sometime soon as take a look at what they got going on.
March 12, 2012 at 7:35 PM
Glad somebody is calling out the imposters. When bar owners stop hiring American Apparel models and require servers to have some basic knowledge of what they are serving, then we might see some progress. Not to be an arrogant Ontarian, but I think some of these over-priced ‘pubs’ could only get away with this sort of stuff in Alberta where there are enough people with the extra income not to be concerned about demanding the best for their money.
March 12, 2012 at 8:17 PM
Ale Yard might be considering a cask night, but their beer selection does not offer a knowledgable customer much of anything (particularly unimaginative draft choices). Disappointing because they note that Sherbrooke had a hand in designing their menu.
March 12, 2012 at 8:51 PM
Last Homebrewers’ Guild meeting I attended, people had very good things to say about the food at the Ale Yard… But nobody had much to say about the beer, and that’s pretty much all we talk about. So I’m not getting my hopes up for these weekly cask/keg nights just yet.
The Oil City Group owns so many places around town, they pretty much get to establish what everybody’s expectations are, and unfortunately they’re only interested in making money with the least effort possible. They aren’t ever going to invest in training bartenders, researching their beer lists, or generally rising above the bare minimum level required to rake in a quick profit from guys getting in to town with money to spend and not much time to spend it. The few good places have their loyal clientele, but it’s hard to open up a new place on that basis. Hell, while I go further afield now and then, to be honest it would take more than a comparable beer list and more chairs to get me anywhere other than Wunderbar often enough to keep a place in business.
We forget, because we feel so strongly about it, that as passionate as beer culture can be in Edmonton, it’s tiny. Without a mainstream that demands, maybe not Peche Mortel or Belgians, but at least flavour, there may just not be enough of us to support more good beer bars than we already have. I hate to say it, but we (as a city, not individuals) get the pub scene we deserve.
March 12, 2012 at 11:23 PM
Beyond the issue of modest or not very colorful beer lists, I think a major problem is staff that aren’t properly trained. All of the so-called beer pubs or just right in your face kilted deli counters aren’t generally hiring based on beer or wine knowledge. However, I think the onus comes back on the employer to train their staff on the beer they have and what food it goes well with even if that employee isn’t particularly interested in beer. I think that might be a first step to change. It all comes back to who owns these places, though. And most of them (like the oil city group) are about profit and expansion. It’s like that article on Sherbrooke not selling Minhas – they openly admit they’re selling a cheap low-quality product and will continue to do so because that’s where the dollars are. Granted these pubs are getting some local and other decent beers in, but the proper training of staff is the equivalent of quality beer; it’s expensive and has a smaller market. In an industry with a revolving door of potential employees, there is no justification for training because that would cost money and right now the money is rolling in to these places because of the race we live in. As much as it’s on the owners to offer a quality experience, it’s up to us as the consumers to demand it.
March 13, 2012 at 3:29 PM
@ Hoser: Name of new place to open up please?
March 13, 2012 at 3:36 PM
Just to be clear, we made a lot of recommendations to the Ale Yard, what they chose was entirely on their own. We don’t supply them, never did, but they came to us before they opened for advice and we did what we could. In fairness, I think they’re trying.
I am in the process of actually doing a menu for a Boston Pizza (Bottle only, their taps are non negotiable) It’s owned by a friend of mine, so he’s willing to experiment in his new location. More on that as it gets closer.
My Molson Rep was in today, talking about a new bar in the old Iron Horse and having 100 taps. Is that what you’re talking about Mike?
March 13, 2012 at 4:20 PM
If what Hoser is clumsily alluding to is Calgary’s Craft Beer Market opening up an Edmonton location (and by Jim’s note, the signs seem to point to Whyte Ave), excuse me while I don’t hold my breath. Now, if I heard that Brewsters was opening a sister Beer Revolution joint in our town…then I’d start the anticipation countdown.
March 13, 2012 at 5:39 PM
There is one going to be opening here.
March 13, 2012 at 8:22 PM
It’s not Craft Beer Market or anyone else from Calgary taking over the Iron Horse. It’s a whole new venture.
March 13, 2012 at 11:06 PM
if it is a new venture, and has craft beer, canadian beers and specifically great local beer, I will go there. It is a pretty simple formula really.
March 14, 2012 at 12:34 PM
It is a new venture, new name for the venue, run by local business men and their aim is to have a good craft presence, both local and far flung. And it really is a simple formula but so few can add it up!
March 14, 2012 at 8:52 AM
I don’t even know the name of the new place they didn’t have one picked yet. They plan to run Charlevoix and Dieu du Ciel as regular beers from our portfolio and Central City when we can kegs straightened out. I also set up a meeting for them with the managers of Beer Revolution so they would get their cooler design right.
Jason I gave them your contact info for local staff education.
March 15, 2012 at 6:52 PM
FWIW, I’ve enjoyed my two evenings in the Craft Beer Market in Calgary. While the waitresses aren’t very beer savvy, I’ve found the two bartenders I talked to knowledgeable enough. The place has always been busy making money (on a Tuesday and Wednesday night no less) and other than the beer being a bit too chilled I really enjoyed my visits and the selection. If they opened a location here I’d be there. I still have about 50 of those drafts left to try. 🙂
March 17, 2012 at 3:00 PM
A nice glimmer of recognition for the craft beer scene/movement(although it is just a glimmer). Canadian Beer News reports that until early May the Moxie’s chain has a craft beer promotion going – regional beers in the maritimes, prairies, etc. Alberta is listed as getting Wild Rose’s Wraspberry & Brown Ales, Big Rock’s Dunkelweizen, Ambers’ Sap Vampire &-last but not least-Alley Kat’s Charlie Flints(*rolls eyes*yes another lager). However they/CBN also list The Prairies as getting Paddock Wood’s Red Hammer & 606, as well as G/W Original 16’s Pale Ale in addition to Big Rock’s Dunkelweizen. The beers will be on tap…Moxies has a total of 55 locations. So,. hmmm we Are Alberta & we Are part of the prairies as far as I know. So do we get the Paddiock Wood beers??? I certainly hope so.
March 20, 2012 at 8:01 AM
Darrell Paddock Wood is way too small to supply that many Moxies and with their Hops and Robbers project their capacity issues are worsened.
March 22, 2012 at 8:14 AM
Cactus Club has Russell brewing beers on tap!
March 23, 2012 at 12:20 PM
“David Helm’s Underground Tap and Grill is under construction on the northwest corner of Jasper Avenue and 100th Street. The bar will offer 72 craft and micro beers on tap.”What we’re trying to do is create a market where you can come and have craft beer,” said Helm. “I think that is something that is really lacking in Edmonton.”” ~ CBC News http://bit.ly/GJMjif
August 15, 2013 at 3:53 PM
The pub scene between North Lake ON and the Fraser Valley is awful, Edmonton being about the worst. The issue is not craft beer (a North American phenomenon) but that you are still focused in it. Real beer ( unchilled beer in a cask) is the newest thing to be taking pubs here in the Maritimes. Further, a massive beer selection does not make or ruin a pub. The best pub in Halifax has a minimal selection, the woodshed in Cairns, Oz, serves only VB. Kelly’s cellar in Belfast has about 5 beer on tap. It’s a complete lack of identity, culture, class or atmosphere that ruins your bars. Your cowboy bars, which many wil dislike, are a bit more down to earth but try have become immature dance clubs. As for your “pubs” they all turn into load stereo music hell holes after 10 o’clock. I often wonder if anyone can play an instrument in Edmonton, or hear their own thoughts for that matter. Ugh. It’s hopeless man, the town is a dump.
February 5, 2014 at 11:04 PM
You guys are forgetting an awesome pub with great craft beer on tap, and live music 5 nights a week! That’s right! Sherlock Holmes pub on rice Howard way, and if you feel like looking at beer taps and waiting to be served, go across the street to craft beer market….
February 6, 2014 at 10:12 AM
Hi Shane, your comments sounds a little like a plug, but that is fair on these pages. However, in response to your “great craft beer” comment I quickly did a run down on the Sherlock Holmes tap list (I am writing this on February 6, 2014). Five Alberta beer (including one house beer), 5 Macro beer, 5 macro-owned craft beer and 5 macro-owned imports. This is certainly a step up from a few years ago (especially the addition of 3 Edmonton beer), but there are still a lot of corporate-owned beer on those taps. I can see why the commenters have overlooked it, especially now with some additional places opening up.