Canadian Craft Beer

Is Nectarous long gone from shelves already?

 

Long gone here in Victoria, at least at all my regular stores.

I think it would have to be dumb luck to find it on any shelves right now.

 

4W are brewing more Nectarous, but don't expect more for another month or two.

@distantmantra keep an eye out for the Moon Under Water Port BA Blackcurrant sour ale that came out yesterday, Sang du Merle. Pretty good stuff

 

I'll keep my eye out for it, thanks! Anything else I should take back home to Seattle? Definitely stocking up on Four Winds stuff at the brewery.

 

Hmm... trying to think of local stuff that's currently available at BC that you wouldn't have access to:

Four Winds - Vexillum IIPA (fantastic)
Central City - BA Thor's Hammer
Upright - Copper & Theory 5th Anniversary (this I believe wasn't distro'd in the states, and while it wasn't great on release - tied to the anniversary it was targetted for - it's drinking really well these days and is really coming into it's own)
Fat Tug or CC IPA cans if fresh (Fat Tug is cap dated, CC IPA bottom of cans are dated - most recent is March 2nd)

WRT Four Winds - it's a bit akin to Fremont where the seasonals are IMO best in province, but the regular beers aren't really anything to write home about. Don't go crazy on the standard lineup.

 

Central City has actually returned to WA so we get their stuff. Sadly, Driftwood has not come back after that short run of distribution in Western Washington with $10 bombers of Fat Tug. You can still easily find old bottles of Old Cellar Dweller around for $20.

I really like Four Winds' pilsner, so damn good.

Thanks for the suggestions!

 

Visited Vancouver Island a few years ago, and besides Driftwood, my favorite beer was Okanagan Brewmasters Black Lagger. Absolutely delicious, and to my mind one of the most underrated beers (at 85) on this site. I had it on a cold, blustery, rainy night in a diner paired with a huge steaming plate of poutine (which I'd never heard of before and which was also wonderful.) Really hit the spot!

 

to be fair it's the same way around for American beers here.

 

The Los Angeles company who is now importing Central City has managed to keep costs down on their bombers and cans.

 

I am curious about craft beer selection in North Ontario - as I might be traveling from Thunder Bay to Sault Ste Marie this spring. I will most likely stop at Sleeping Giant, but anything else I should look for? I can get Unibroue here in Minnesota.

 

No more breweries in SSM anymore. Last one left quite a few years ago now. Only the LC mister Lahey! LOL Outspoken might open soon but who knows.

 

I'm still waiting to see Driftwood in Alberta. :-)

 

As someone pointed out earlier, best way to sample some amazing regional offerings is to join the Canbif. We typically do 2 rounds (spring and fall). Last few rounds have been quite incredible

We will be announcing the spring round later this month.

 

Yee-haw!!

 

Where do I find some info about Canbif?

 

My personal tastes lean toward traditional styles, but I think Bellwoods is one of the finest American-style breweries that I have tried. I have had about 20 of their beers, and they seem as good as the best I have had from the States. Bring out Your Dead and Skeleton Key are two of the best "BIG" stouts I have had.

Wizard Wolf is a great APA, Stay Classy is a great low abv beer (2.8?), Witchshark is a great DIPA (maltier side), Bimini Twist was a fine Berliner Weiss, and Barrel #119 was a top notch Flanders Red.

The hoppy beers from Great Lakes (Toronto) can hold their own against the finest from the states. Karma Citra, Thrust!, Lake Effect, and Robohop were great. Pompous Ass on Cask was a great British pale.

 

I think Outspoken Brewing is open in Sault Ste. Marie, ON now. It was in the works when I moved from the Sault in 2013 but pretty sure it opened last year.

 

From the Fall 2014 CANBIF:
Here is the rules thread (just read the first post).
Here is the hints and hauls thread (enjoy the pictures).

The Spring 2015 CANBIF should start soon-ish (he say from a place where it was -16 in the morning )

 

This is far from BC, but I think Quebec has a strong craft scene that goes far beyond Unibroue and Dieu du Ciel (although DdC's Moralité is I think tied for best IPA in QC). Yakima by Le Castor would be the other IPA the top two IMHO. But P'it Caribou and their Étoile du Brasseur series is excellent (and their recent Vin de Seigle too), Charlevoix has some great beers (eg Vache Folle series), and breweries like Le Naufrageur, Dunham, and l'Hermite make some good and interesting offerings. The problem as always is the lack of inter-provincial trade. I'm sure many of these are hard to come by outside of QC (and I can't get Bellwoods beers here...).

 

I haven't been there yet, but sounds like my kind of place:

https://www.facebook.com/pages/Breakwater-Taphouse/535193123265112