Thirsty for a Canadian Trip? Here are 13 Craft
Breweries – One From Each Province – Worth a taste
As Canadians make their travel plans, domestic
travel is often a consideration for holidays, leisure, or recreation. And with
a craft brewery in every Province in Canada, there’s now even more opportunity
for some good cheer while vacationing.
Beer has long been a part of our
lifestyle, making appearances in popular culture, at festivals, and celebrations; bringing together the
company of friends and family to socialize and connect. And from this long tradition, has sprung
the modern day experience of the Canadian craft brewery. The number of breweries today
sits somewhere in the range of 1000 coast to coast.
As vast and varied as our landscape, so are our microbreweries.
Here’s a list of 13 microbreweries
across Canada, one from each Province and Territory:
Newfoundland’s largest craft brewery is located directly on the water in the fishing village of Quidi Vidi. Stop by for a 45 minute tasting at 11:00 a.m. and enjoy the famous iceberg beer made from local 20,000 year old iceberg water. Then satisfy your hunger afterwards at the Quidi Vidi Fish and Chips truck just outside.
The PEI Brewing Company designs small batch, limited edition beer allowing for frequent releases of new, fresh tasting recipes. Local ingredients like PEI blueberries and honey are used to bolster flavour. The taproom encourages some friendly competition with a variety of games like ping pong, foosball, cribbage, and board games. With tours every hour on the hour, it seems worth a visit if you’re planning a trip to the Island.
Natural, unfiltered, and preservative free. The beer sounds much like the landscape of Breton in Halifax, NS. And if you happen to be travelling in the fall, you might be lucky enough to enjoy a 20 minute helicopter ride to view Breton’s Fall foliage before landing for a beer at the Breton Brewing Company, that is, if they continue the event in 2020. And if not, there are 7 full-time beers plus seasonals from light to dark to enjoy.
Located near the Saint John River, Graystone Brewing offers more than 20 taps of year round and seasonal flavour profiles. Cozy up to the fire indoors during the winter months and enjoy a little spice with a Crown Winter Warmer or quench your thirst on the patio during the summer season with a light and refreshing Single Track Pale Ale. Be sure to request a tour at least 4 weeks prior to your visit. Brewery tours cost $21/person and include a flight of 4 (7oz) Graystone beers.
Brasserie Harricana is a microbrewery and restaurant. Serving elevated pub fare, the food pairs nicely with house brewed craft beer. Each beer is poured at the right temperature with the right amount of carbonation ensuring its best taste. Brasserie Harricana is located between Little Italy and Mile-Ex in Montréal, QC.
Located on the harbour, overlooking Lake Ontario, this brewhouse, brewery, and barrel house provides lots of seating options. First come, first served patio seating guarantees a spectacular view. Tours are free on Saturday and Sunday between 1:00 p.m. and 6:00 p.m. Tours last about 30 minutes and include a free tasting. Amsterdam BrewHouse also offers a delicious menu at an affordable price. In the mood for a fine tasting of multiple beer options? A beer flight will not disappoint.
Tours are not offered at the Barn Hammer Brewing Company in Winnipeg, Manitoba. However, with flavours like mustard, yerba mate, and birthday cake, how can your taste buds not be intrigued? The Barn Hammer welcomes patrons every Wednesday with a new flavour release, they prefer conversation over screen time, and offer a little fun with a game board library.
Feed your inner rebel at Rebellion Brewing Company in Regina, Saskatchewan with a stout, a red or pale ale, or a pilsner. From citrus, light, crisp flavours to bold and toasty, a seasonal offering awaits you on your tour. Free tours are offered on Saturdays at 2:00 p.m.
It’s quite a view from the top of the Town Square Brewing Co. With both a silver and a bronze medal from the Alberta Brewer Awards, the beer may also be worth experiencing. This community focused taphouse believes in a family-first philosophy, sources ingredients locally, and makes a donation to the charity of the month. They also promise a twist on traditional recipes from the brewery.
Located on the Peninsula tip, the small town of Tofino is surrounded by the natural beauty of the Pacific Ocean. And the Tofino Brewing Company claims to draw inspiration from this stunning area. With a philosophy of sustainability, Tofino Brewing Company not only brews small batch craft beer using local pacific northwest hops, they also focus their energy on community partnerships to help maintain the natural beauty of the coastline. From habitat restoration to animal care to beach restoration, their generous community spirit is bringing about big change from a small company. The tasting room is open 7 days a week. Tofino is just a 3 - 3.5 hour drive from one of Vancouver Island’s Airports.
11. NuBrewCo - Nunavut Brewing Co., Iqaluit, Nunavut
NuBrewCo is exactly as the name describes -- it’s new! According to the website, this most northerly microbrewery in Canada sits at the edge of Sylvia Grinnell Territorial Park in Iqaluit. They’re promising northern lagers and IPAs made with water sourced from a glacially fed river. Sounds worthy of a taste. But, we’ll have to take their word on it for now and watch to see when their first beer (or the first tour) is available.
12. NWT Brewing Company, Yellowknife, Northwest Territories
If the Aurora Borealis piques your interest, try a trip to the north west. Not only can you experience the ribbons of colour in the Earth’s natural light display, but you can also try the beer from Canada’s second northernmost brewer. The NWT Brewing Company has earned several medals from the Canada-wide, home-brew competitions with their brew made from Canadian-grown grains and some of the purest water in the world. Try NWT Brewing Company beer served at the Woodyard.
A conversation and a canoe trip led two friends to realize that the Yukon needed a beer that could capture the unique taste of the Territory. And the Yukon Brewery was born. Makers of the popular Yukon Gold English Pale Ale, these two brewers put entrepreneurship to the test, providing local beer, local jobs, and local fundraising. With a beer menu of 9 different types and an award winning single malt whiskey, it’s not surprising they’ve been open for more than a decade. Tours run daily, Monday to Saturday at 2:00 p.m.
While there are only 13 breweries mentioned here, there are many others to explore across Canada. Untapped, an app designed to help you find local breweries and stay up to date with brewery events will give you the opportunity to check in and to rate different beers.
Please enjoy responsibly...and happy tasting.
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