The Party’s Over: The State of Canadian Craft Beer, 2023

Craft beer in Canada has been on a pretty good ride in the last decade or so. Across most of the country we have seen big increases in the number of breweries and the size of market share they earn…. Continue Reading →

Familiar Names, New Faces Among Alberta Beer Award Winners

Last night the winners of the 2023 Alberta Beer Awards were announced. The list of winners includes breweries who have become very accustomed to the medal podium and some impressive accomplishments by some newbies to the Alberta beer scene. The… Continue Reading →

Caravel Shuts Brewery, Hopes to Contract Core Brands

A few weeks ago there were rumours flying around the Alberta beer industry that Calgary brewery Caravel Brewing had closed its taproom and the future of the brewery was in doubt. Then the COVID crisis hit and that story quickly… Continue Reading →

Alley Kat Sold to St. Albert Entrepreneurs

Neil and Lavonne Herbst, longtime owners of Alley Kat Brewing in Edmonton, one of Alberta’s oldest and most respected breweries, have announced the sale of the brewery to a pair of St. Albert entrepreneurs. The terms of the deal have… Continue Reading →

I’m Back Beer Fans!

Well, lookee here – who is long back from the dead? Okay maybe not dead, but this website has been pretty dormant for quite a while. The last post was over 15 months ago, long enough to make most regular… Continue Reading →

Alberta Beer Awards Full of Surprises

Last night was the awards ceremony for the first annual Alberta Beer Awards. And what a night it was! The Alberta Small Brewers Association really went all out, turning the event into an Oscars-style gala. The venue, the historic and… Continue Reading →

I’m Going on Hiatus, Here’s Why

So I have an unexpected admission. Starting in January I will be taking a step back from my beer work for a year or so. I am choosing to take a rare and temporary job opportunity of which one of… Continue Reading →

Are We Reaching Peak Craft?

A CBC news article posted yesterday (read it here) looking at Alberta’s booming craft beer industry offers the take that Canada might be reaching the limits to its market reach. It quotes a business professor, Dr. Larry Plummer, who hints… Continue Reading →

A Hop Association is Born

On Saturday afternoon Alberta witnessed the creation of something that I am pretty sure almost none of us coming a few years ago. I had the privilege to attend the launch of the Alberta Hop Producers Association. The group has… Continue Reading →

New Breweries and New Styles: A CBC Roundup

Regular readers of this site will know that every second Friday I do a beer column on CBC Radio’s Edmonton afternoon drive show – RadioActive. One of my ongoing struggles is to get a copy of the column online so… Continue Reading →

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YEG Hidden Gems Beer Pairing Dinner

November 7. The craft beer scene in Edmonton has been exploding in recent years with many new breweries and interesting beer being created. Come try a few of the city’s hidden beer gems, curated by beer writer and educator Jason Foster. Each beer will be paired with a dish specifically designed for the beer by Underground’s executive chef. It will be an evening of exploration, education and enjoyment!

Book an Event

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