Any Canadians out there?

[Professor Frink]

I've been up here in Canada for 4 days, and I can't find a decent beer. All the ales I can find are lighter in body and pretty much taste like cheap lagers? Is it just this part of Canada, is it this bad everywhere?

 

[Brakeman_Brewing]

Just stick to the Labatts and Molson eh!

 

[Fingers]

I've been up here in Canada for 4 days, and I can't find a decent beer. All the ales I can find are lighter in body and pretty much taste like cheap lagers? Is it just this part of Canada, is it this bad everywhere?

Are you serious? I live in a small town in Manitoba and we have LOTS of good beer here. About an hour ago I had a Hobgoblin. Hell, I'm a half hour drive away from getting a Kilkenny cream ale on tap. From what I hear, that's not even distributed in the States. Of course on the other side of the coin there are beers distributed in the States that we don't get here. Where are you and what are you looking for?

 

[ModlrMike]

I've been up here in Canada for 4 days, and I can't find a decent beer. All the ales I can find are lighter in body and pretty much taste like cheap lagers? Is it just this part of Canada, is it this bad everywhere?

We're a big country. It would help if you gave us some sort of reference city. There's plenty of good beer, just stick to the micros.

 

[mr x]

Is it just this part of Canada

Which part?

 

[Boston]

I've been up here in Canada for 4 days, and I can't find a decent beer. All the ales I can find are lighter in body and pretty much taste like cheap lagers? Is it just this part of Canada, is it this bad everywhere?

I just returned from 5 days in northern Ontario and I must agree: the beer sucked! I stayed away from Labatts, Molson, etc. but everything I did sample was bland, tasted like BMC. I was very disappointed, especially at $22 a 12 pack.

 

[mr x]

I think that's why I see a greater interest in home brewing up here. What you bought equals almost $100 per keg for garbage. I drink far better beer making it myself, plus I save a good amount of coin.

 

[barely]

When I hear Canada and Beer in the same sentence - I think UNIBROUE. That's about as far from BMC as you can get! I don't know if it's just a Quebec thing, those beers are soooo malty good! Ahh mes amis du Nord!

 

[Homercidal]

You are right. As the late, great John Candy said in "Canadian Bacon", "Their beer sucks too!" (Which prompted a rowdy hockey game to come to an instant standstill).

Ok, kidding aside, I can enjoy a Labatts or even a Molson.

 

[mr x]

The beer doesn't all suck. But for the most part you need to go out of your way to get the good beer. McAuslan/St. Ambroise is my fav.

 

[bradsul]

The beer doesn't all suck. But for the most part you need to go out of your way to get the good beer. McAuslan/St. Ambroise is my fav.

+1 I could drink the oatmeal stout all day. It's my yardstick for how my own oatmeal stouts turn out.

 

[swrittenb]

There are lots of great beers in Canada, but it's often a lot harder to find them. I lived in California (round San Francisco) for almost four years, and coming back was a real shock. The craft brewing industry isn't as strong as in the States, but it's having a real boost lately now that LCBO and the Beer Store are actually accepting more brands in-house!

Check out:
http://www.ontariocraftbrewers.com/

There are some really nice breweries near us here (Barley Days in the county is a recent startup with some good brews, for example).

 

[bradsul]

Since we're talking Canadian Micro's here, has anyone tried any King Brewery beers? I tried their dark lager (german dunkel style) and quite liked it. It's actually got me thinking about venturing into lager fermentation while it's still cold.

 

[LS_Grimmy]

Your crazy man Canada has some great beer as does the US. You can buy bad beer anywhere including the US if you don't know what your looking for. Next time ask around on the net before you go and we can give you a list of good beers!

 

[Professor Frink]

I was in Banff, and most of the beer I got there was just pretty bland. I did find a good darker beer by a brewery by Black Rock I think it was called, out of Calgary. Got me some Bundy rum though

 

[GilaMinumBeer]

Okay hoser.

Follow all the road signs to Elsinore Brewry, eh.

When you get to the fork in the road DONT turn right or it'll take you to the loony bin, right.

When you come to the gates at the brewery and they open, you gotta drive really fast ,eh, so the don't slam shut on your van, eh.

Once you get in, tell the receptioninst you have an appointment with the Big Man. If she doesn't budge, bribe her with a jelly donut.

Once you get to see the Big Man, pull out your bottle with the live mouse in it (prepared ahead of time whe the mouse is really small, eh) and they'll give a job on the bottling line and free cases of beer.

It really works. I saw it once in a Canadian documentary about two brothers.

 

[LS_Grimmy]

I was in Banff, and most of the beer I got there was just pretty bland. I did find a good darker beer by a brewery by Black Rock I think it was called, out of Calgary. Got me some Bundy rum though

Ya Black Rock makes a pretty good beer I must agree. My fav is Grasshopper!

 

[Kai]

The problem with Canada is that most provinces have provincially run liquor monopolies. They're usually better than an American gas station for selection, but not as good as any beer store worth its salt. The LCBO (Ontario) has a killer wine list, though, and it looks like they're expanding their beer selection.

Quebec is good for beer. Unibroue in the corner stores. If you visit Montreal, visit the brewpubs, especially Dieu du Ciel! - (amazing amazing amazing place!), Le Cheval Blanc, L'amère a Boire for good lagers, Benelux for Benelux beers. Have a meal at Fourquette Fourchette, the Unibroue mecca in-town. They cook with it and everything.

In some provinces, there are a few licensed private stores, but you kinda have to live there to know where to find them.

Cheers,
Kai

 

[bradsul]

...The LCBO (Ontario) has a killer wine list, though, and it looks like they're expanding their beer selection...

The LCBO definitely has an excellent wine selection. Their beer selection is getting better, I even saw Samuel Adams Boston Lager last time I was there, I was quite surprised. It's also getting easier to find Ontario craft beers, but it's still hit and miss for the most part.

 

[EricK The Red]

When I hear Canada and Beer in the same sentence - I think UNIBROUE. That's about as far from BMC as you can get! I don't know if it's just a Quebec thing, those beers are soooo malty good! Ahh mes amis du Nord!

That's exactly what I was gonna' say!

La Fin Du Monde and Maudite are some of my favorites.

 

[FlyGuy]

So I just took a trip south from Canada to North Dakota, and man does American beer suck! I grabbed what appeared to be the most popular stuff on the shelf, judging by the number of cases piled up. I had this beer called Budweiser -- no colour, no malt flavour, just indescript hop bitterness. Yuck. Then I tried something called Miller - same stuff. Somebody gave me a beer I hadn't tried called Coors Light, and it was the worst of the bunch. I really don't get why Americans drink this crap. Give me a rich, malty Trois Pistoles or Phillips Imperial Stout any day!

 

[Judd]

People keep mentioning Ontario craft brewers. All the Ontario breweries I've tried have been terrible. The best provinces, I've found, are Quebec and NS. What is a good Ontario craft brew?

 

[FlyGuy]

People keep mentioning Ontario craft brewers. All the Ontario breweries I've tried have been terrible. The best provinces, I've found, are Quebec and NS. What is a good Ontario craft brew?

Upper Canada used to have some decent brews, but I haven't lived in Ontario for a long time.

IMHO, Quebec and BC have the monopoly on best craft/micro-brews.

What are the good NS beers?

 

[Judd]

Propeller is fantastic. Their IPA is one of the best I've ver tried. Garrison recently got a new brewmaster, and now they're churning out some great stuff. There's a branch of the Granite brewery here, same as in Toronto. Also, a lot of local bars are brewpubs, with some really good stuff. Rogue's Roost is a great example.

Edit: I have no idea if these are available West of NB.

 

[FlyGuy]

Propeller is fantastic. Their IPA is one of the best I've ver tried. Garrison recently got a new brewmaster, and now they're churning out some great stuff. There's a branch of the Granite brewery here, same as in Toronto. Also, a lot of local bars are brewpubs, with some really good stuff. Rogue's Roost is a great example.

Edit: I have no idea if these are available West of NB.

I have heard of Propeller and Garrison, but they don't seem to be available in Alberta. Maybe we Canucks should arrange a beer swap sometime.

 

[Judd]

I've been thinking that. Is there a Canadian Mod we could dump it on?

 

[FlyGuy]

Not anymore.

 

[Judd]

Rats. Now I'll have to go mope again.

 

[Kai]

I've been thinking that. Is there a Canadian Mod we could dump it on?

We could do it anyhow. We're supporters.

I'm thinking:
-Propeller Revolution RIS (if available)
-Propeller ESB
-Propeller Porter
-Propeller IPA
-Garrison Imperial Pale Ale
-Garrison Weizenbock
-Whatever other Garrison specialty beer is available.

These are all available in bombers.
I don't know if all that Propeller is necessary. They're solid and familiar and I love them, and they set the bar for Atlantic Canada craft brewing, but they're not necessarily exciting. Except maybe the Revolution.

 

[mr x]

I'm heading down to the valley soon to check out the new restaurant/brewpub in Port Williams. I'll see what they have got there.

 

[mrfocus]

Well, I have a great little Dépanneur about 5 minutes from my house that has a HUGE selection of micros from Quebec. They have 3 Unibroue (750ml) for $13-14 (unfornatley, they don't have all of the selection, missing Eau Bénite and all the really special ones like La Terrible, Quelque chose, etc.). This is another one that has their complete selection on their website: http://www.legrandduc.com/HTML/bieres.php and they have basically the same selection.

 

[bradsul]

I've been trying to think of a list of great Ontario micros and the list is pretty short I'm afraid.

Wellington Brewery here in my very own Guelph makes some excellent beers (their Arkel Best Bitter is AWESOME, especially when served as real ale at the pub). I recently tried the Dunkel Lager from King Brewery and it was really good. Mill Street makes some nice stuff as does Granite Brewery.

Kawartha Lakes Brewing makes a really nice Raspberry Wheat beer that is great for hot summer days.

That's about all I can think of right now, pretty sad really.

 

[bradsul]

A Canadian beer swap would be awesome, seriously expensive, but awesome.

 

[boo boo]

Lemme see.
Beau's Lug tread and Bogwater
Anything by Trafalgar's, Heritage ,Mill St, McAuslan's. Unibroue, Propeller and Granite
Great lakes 666
Hockley Dark