From Up! Magazine
Brewing Localism
By Stephen Beaumont
Sep 1, 2007
Maybe it’s all those Frosh Week students, or a last-ditch effort to keep the summer party going. Whatever it is, up! presents 10 Canadian brew pubs as big with locals as they are with visiting beer connoisseurs. So hit their patios if the weather cooperates or saddle up to the warm bar if it doesn’t (it is fall in Canada, after all) and sample some authentic local flavour, whether fruity, smoky or downright quaffable
Maybe it’s all those Frosh Week students, or a last-ditch effort to keep the summer party going. Whatever it is, up! presents 10 Canadian brew pubs as big with locals as they are with visiting beer connoisseurs. So hit their patios if the weather cooperates or saddle up to the warm bar if it doesn’t (it is fall in Canada, after all) and sample some authentic local flavour, whether fruity, smoky or downright quaffable
SPINNAKERS BREW PUB AND GUESTHOUSES
Victoria, British Columbia
Canadian brew pubs don’t come much more iconic than Spinnakers. The first of the modern age with an in-house brewery—now-antiquated B.C. law forced Canada’s original pair of brew pubs, now both defunct, to house their breweries in separate buildings—Spinnakers has notched first after first after first, from fermenting with hops that once visited outer space to recreating the beer of the Pharaohs and getting the first brew pub beers into B.C. Liquor Stores.
But owner Paul Hadfield’s pioneering spirit is just a small part of the reason that locals flock to this idyllic locale on the Pacific. They’re pulled, too, by the wide array of well-crafted, predominantly British-style ales, from the flagship Mitchell’s ESB to the Nut Brown Ale, the sophisticated “gastropub” cuisine and a genial, country pub-like ambiance that welcomes you the moment you enter.
WHAT’LL IT BE? The rotating cask-conditioned ale, poured from the bar top every Friday beginning at 4 p.m. until the cask is drained (
308 Catherine St.; 250-386-2739; spinnakers.com ).
HOWE SOUND INN & BREWING COMPANY
Squamish, British Columbia
Halfway between Vancouver and Whistler lies the district of Squamish, self-proclaimed Outdoor Recreation Capital of Canada. There, one may hike, climb, kayak, mountain bike, windsurf or simply sit and enjoy a pint or two in the Howe Sound pub.
Housed in a cozy, 20-room inn, the brew pub boasts some of the most picturesque views of any mainland brewery in Canada, and big, bright windows through which to enjoy them. But the view alone is not why locals and visiting outdoor adventurers keep coming back; the food and beer is. In particular, the Hang Dog Hefeweizen goes down a treat in summer, while the Devil’s Elbow India Pale Ale (IPA) serves well when the weather is less cooperative, accompanied by such upscale pub fare as thin crust pizzas and crispy fish and chips.
WHAT’LL IT BE? The coffee-ish Diamond Head Stout, when in season
(37801 Cleveland Ave.; 604-892-2603; howesound.com).
BREWSTER'S
Calgary, Edmonton and Regina
Despite their rampant success south of the border, few brew pub chains have lasted beyond a handful of years in Canada, with the notable exception of the Brewster’s group in Alberta and Saskatchewan. Founded and still run by the Lanigan family, the 11 Brewster’s locations are not big on aesthetics, but in a region where craft-brewed beer can still be hard to find, the chain is an oasis in a desert of bland beer.
The somewhat cavernous flagship Calgary location, for example, offers the chain’s signature selection of up to a dozen ales and lagers, including the toasty Flying Frog Lager and raisiny Hammerhead Red. Relative to what’s available elsewhere on the city’s old Electric Avenue strip, that lineup of taps can seem like a beer aficionado’s salvation.
WHAT’LL IT BE? The seasonal Blue Monk Barley Wine (
834 11th Ave. S.W., Calgary; 403-265-2739;
brewstersbrewingco.com )
BUSHWAKKER BREWPUB
Regina, Saskatchewan
Although brew pubs prosper across Saskatchewan, most are in the beer-making business because the provincial government long ago decided to offer beer store licenses along with brewing approval. Given the significant revenue such stores can provide, the hassle of brewing a few mediocre beers now and again must have seemed well worth it.
Happily, this was not Bev Robertson’s motivation for opening the Bushwakker in 1991. An accomplished homebrewer, his vision included a central Regina location, the renovation of a nearly century-old warehouse (complete with exposed wood and rustic beams), hearty fare and, of course, handcrafted ales and lagers like the citrusy Chinook ESB and nutty, balanced Regina Pale Ale. It is, as history notes, a vision well served.
WHAT’LL IT BE? The coffee-ish, dark chocolaty Palliser Porter (
2206 Dewdney Ave.; 306-359-7276; bushwakker.com).
PEPPERWOOD BISTRO
Burlington, Ontario
Usually, by the time a brew pub hits its third incarnation, you can pretty much write it off as a going concern. Not so the Pepperwood Bistro in downtown Burlington. For this bright and cozy jazz-themed brew pub by the water, the third time turned out to be the charm.
Founded as a Suds International, then converted into part of the ill-fated Luxembourg chain, the Pepperwood has stood in its current incarnation since 1993, serving fine cuisine—from heirloom tomato and spinach salads to pizzas and steaks—alongside a roster of five Britain-inspired house ales and the occasional seasonal specialty. Part-time brewer Paul Dickey’s aim is to offer a mix of approachable beers, like the lightly fruity cream ale, along with more traditionalist ales, such as the Best Bitter.
WHAT’LL IT BE? The Best Bitter, when dry-hopped—when extra hops is added to the barrel for aroma and flavour—and served cask-conditioned (
1455 Lakeshore Rd.; 905-333-6999; pepperwood.on.ca).
GRANITE BREWERY
Toronto, Ontario
The Toronto Granite may be the offspring of the original and pioneering Halifax Granite, but it has made up in influence what it lacks in age. Owner/brewer Ron Keefe took his big brother Kevin’s good idea in the Maritimes and made it even better, serving the Best Bitter in dry-hopped and cask-conditioned form, adding in his own excellent India pale ale and developing a roasty, invigorating stout to round out the lineup.
While the 16-year-old brew pub admittedly doesn’t exude the same high-end atmosphere of some of its tonier neighbours in the Yonge and Eglinton district (owing, in part, to its rambling floor plan), the quality ale and genial, welcoming staff keep the Granite’s regulars happy and the visitors coming back.
WHAT’LL IT BE? Cask-conditioned Best Bitter “Special,” with its leafy, woodsy appeal, and the bitter, balanced IPA (
245 Eglinton Ave. E.; 416-322-0723; granitebrewery.ca).
CHEVAL BLANC
Montréal, Quebec
As Montréal’s first brew pub, established in a tavern owned and operated by three generations of the Denys family, Cheval Blanc has never lacked for history. And with its vintage formica walls, Old World ambiance and diverse, often eclectic clientele, atmosphere has never been an issue for the funky, inviting brew pub, either.
What did happen was that the city’s other brew pubs prospered all around their predecessor, leaving the venerable Cheval Blanc, for a time at least, lingering behind. But that was before a new brewer, Eloi Deit, and new attitude revitalized the Montréal brewing institution in the late ’90s, with a slightly updated décor and new beers like the sublimely raspberry-flavoured, seasonal Framboise and the spicy Saison. Today, the pioneer is back and healthier than ever.
WHAT’LL IT BE? Almost any seasonal beer, but especially the malty Bock (
809 Ontario Est; 514-522-0211; lechevalblanc.ca).
DIEU DU CIEL
Montréal, Quebec
You could walk 10 minutes in any direction from the front door of Dieu du Ciel and enter a bar that looks similar. Like the brew pub you just left, it would be an unpretentious neighbourhood local with serviceable tables and chairs, a sparse food menu and, on weekend nights (at least), a bustling atmosphere.
What it would lack is Jean-François Gravel, one of the most intuitive and innovative brewers in the country. Which is why you and everyone else who knows good beer stays put in the box-like corner bar, enjoying a wealth of brewing excellence—from the smoked malt Charbonnière to the beautifully bitter Corne du Diable IPA to seasonals like the vanilla and cocoa-flavoured L’Aphrodisiaque.
WHAT’LL IT BE? Any of Gravel’s seasonal beers, particularly the black pepper-spiced La Route des Épices or any of his strong, Belgian-style ales (
29 Laurier Ouest; 514-490-9555; dieuduciel.com).
ROGUE'S ROOST
Halifax, Nova Scotia
“Bright” and “airy” are not necessarily the first words that come to mind when describing a typical brew pub’s décor. Then again, the long, thin, split-levelled Rogue’s Roost is no ordinary brew pub.
Designed with the bar running along one wall, expansive windows along the other and the brewery nestled in at the back, Rogue’s can at times more resemble a coffee shop than a bar, particularly when the sun is shining bright.
But no java joint offers the five or six varieties of well-crafted ales that brewer Lorne Romano creates here—from the aromatic cream ale to the dry and robust oatmeal stout. The “relax and linger” appeal of a great brew pub amplifies the flavours, even if the bright light does cause you to squint now and again.
WHAT’LL IT BE? The excellent, fruity IPA (
5435 Spring Garden Rd.; 902-492-2337; roguesroost.ca).
PUMP HOUSE
Moncton, New Brunswick
From modest beginnings in downtown Moncton, the Pump House has become one of Canada’s true Maritime beer success stories, now brewing and bottling beer for Atlantic Canada and even Ontario. But owner Shaun Fraser hasn’t forgotten that, at its heart, the brew pub still remains the cornerstone of his achievements.
That much is obvious from the moment you enter the Pump House, a firehall-themed brew pub with a welcoming bar, high ceilings and cozy, almost secretive booths designed to resemble wooden beer vats. Add to this atmosphere wood-fired pizzas, “Master Brewer size” steaks and ales—from the malty, citrusy Pail Ale (get it?) to the creamy, coffee-ish stout—and you, too, will understand what makes this a stalwart in an area that, frankly, hasn’t seen a lot of longevity in its brewing operations.
WHAT’LL IT BE? The fragrant Blueberry Ale, which is unquestionably flavoured with fruit, rather than, as many are, a fruit drink masquerading as beer (
5 Orange Lane; 506-855-2337; pumphousebrewery.ca).
© Copyright 2007 by Up! Magazine
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