I know I am supposed to be in Halifax right now, but I made a short side trip to speak at a conference in Calgary last week (okay, “sidetrip” doesn’t really describe a cross-continent flight, but it was short time-wise). Taking advantage of my time there, I snagged a couple hours of free time to finally check out the latest in Calgary’s burgeoning beer establishment scene. I popped by Beer Revolution, which is the effort of the Brewster’s Brewpub chain to capture some of the growing interest in pubs with extensive quality beer selection.

They have grabbed on to one of the most intriguing, innovative, thought-provoking beer concepts to hit Canada since the Stubby. They are not the first to do it, but they are certainly the first in Alberta and (I believe) the first to add a bit of a high tech element to it. Let me explain the basic concept, and then I will go into more detail about my experience. Beer Revolution steadfastly rejects the idea of a stable beer list – where you can get the same beer no matter how many times you go. They have 23 tap lines, and another 8 in the bottle, and all (except three – see below) are in constant rotation. They bring in one or two kegs of something and once they are empty, off the list it goes to be replaced by something new.

Immediately you can see the fun in this concept. Every visit (unless you go daily) means new beer on tap. My favourite pub in Canada (for many reasons) also adopted this approach – the Winking Judge in Hamilton – but with the twist of offering only craft brewers, and mostly Ontario craft brewers

When I walked in, I was first taken by the subtle mix of genres for the interior decoration. Part rustic wood, part chrome modern. The layout was inviting and seemed like it was easy to have a private conversation, with lots of booths, tall tables and a triangular bar covering the back quarter. It was fairly quiet when I arrived (I went at an off-peak hour), but it didn’t feel cavernous even though mostly empty.

One of my personal highlights was their video beer list. A wall-mounted electronic menu that looks disturbingly like an airport departures screen. But it had the most addictive rotation of information – I watched it rather than the television. It listed every beer currently available, its origin, alcohol content, date tapped, volume remaining in the keg and an estimated “departure date” (when the beer runs out). It, of course, also had the prices for each size they offer. More than that, it had a scrolling list of beer “waiting to be tapped” to entice you to return in a couple of days.

The staff seemed reasonably well-educated on the beer, which increasingly for me is a prerequisite for a good beer place. They were liberal with samples and tried to work out what kind of beer the customer liked (a really good sign). And the beer didn’t disappoint either.

The list was impressive. A solid range of North American craft brewers, with some eclectic European beer to boot. Not a big boy beer to be found. Their commitment to craft can’t be questioned. The day I was there, they were a bit heavy on Rogue product, which they explained as being due to a one-time shipment of a series of kegs from this brewery. But there was also some Paddock Wood, Brooklyn, Anchor, Central City and others. The list also included some unknown (to me) brewers, such as Tamarack out of Montana (owned, I am told, by Lanny McDonald).

The only beer that remain regardless are three renamed Brewster’s house beer. This was a tad disappointing. If I wanted a Brewsters beer, I could go right next door (Beer Revolution shares a building with a Brewsters location). My advice would be to ditch the Brewster’s beer and go all in with craft selections.

I sampled a couple of nice beer (more on that another time), and reflected on this original approach to offering craft beer. I can see both its upsides and downsides.

On the up, knowing that every time you show up there will be a new beer to try is rather exciting. And their commitment to only carry independent breweries is praise-worthy. From my perspective most of the beer was of high quality and deserving of a listing. Even if not all of them were my cup of tea (pint of beer?), I could appreciate why they were there. Beer Revolution, at least the day I was there, did a good job of offering a mixture of styles, flavours to serve a variety of palates.

The downside? The selection of local beer, or even regional, was thin. Essentially there was Paddock Wood, Great Western, and  that was it. I inquired with the bartender and he indicated they do carry Alberta and prairie kegs, but they rotate like every other beer – meaning often there isn’t one on the list. I find this problematic. Rotation of beer is enjoyable, but it comes at the price of making local and regional beer just one of dozens of beer out there. It is an odd form of equality that separates the pub from its local producers.

Also, the constant rotation also short circuits the development of a “go-to” beer – that reliable pint that you know you will enjoy any time. Sometimes I revel in the opportunity to spend 10 minutes mulling over which beer to choose. However, at other times, I just want to sit down, get an old reliable and enjoy. The latter is lost in this system. I also wonder if this set-up – at least in Alberta with its limited range of import options – may create less diversity than one might think. The stack of Rogue offerings when I was there is a case in point. It does leave the operators of the pub a bit vulnerable to the inconsistencies and whims of reps, agents and breweries. To be sure, I think Beer Revolution is doing an admirable job trying to keep their list varied – so this is a small point.

And to pick an even smaller nit, their pint sizes are too small. They offer 16 oz (474 ml) glasses (and 8 oz/237 ml half-sizes as well) for the standard strength beer. Really? You are going to cheap out on me? Brewster’s offers a full 20 oz/592 ml. So do most places that take beer seriously. I like the half pint idea, and respect that the bigger beer come in smaller volumes, but there really is no excuse for short-changing me.