Hey guys I'm planning a trip in June to visit Calgary over the weekend to catch a CPL game at Spruce Meadows and was wondering if there are any Calgary BA's who could give me the lay of the land in terms which are the must visit locations or were interested in setting up a trade in person with brews from the Hamilton area as I am hoping to bring some beer home.
So....I guess not a lot of BA's from Calgary. Looks like I'll probably be heading around Cabin and The Establishment in terms of breweries.
Cabin is my personal favorite. Good selection of beers to go as well as on tap. Are you looking for bottle shops as well, or just bars?
Well I only have a limited amount of time, and even less then I originally expected due to the closure of Lynx Air, so mostly looking for stuff to go. Presuming the flight isn't delayed, pretty much just a bit of time after I've landed and checked into the hotel around 9ish and one afternoon till 3:30 before I need to leave for the game and maybe after the game, but that depends. A small problem is Alberta's top 100 is incomplete due to sample size and it looks like just a list of brewery flagship brews that have just past the 10 review mark, hence this forum post to get a better lay of the land. Trying to get a decent cream of the crop and gauging if anyone wanted to do an in person trade. Ideally somewhere between the airport and Spruce Meadows that I can take public transit to/from the airport and accepting that I may need to cab it to and from the game. So far, this area around MacLeoad trail seems to fit the bill, as it's close to Cabin, Banded Peak, The Establishment and a beer store that seems to have decent selection according to their website is nearby.
I live in Edmonton, but have been to breweries a couple times in the past year or so. Hands down Establishment is the best brewery in Calgary (if not Alberta) so that’s good it’s already in your list. Annex Ales is good too, and right next door to the Establishment. They have a burger joint inside which is delicious (Lil’ Empire). Cabin is another great choice. I love Eighty-Eight, mostly cause hazies are my favorite- their pizza is phenomenal too. Tailgunner and Fahr are pretty good- not my favorite styles but they are popular. 33 Acres is a Vancouver brewery that has opened in Calgary. I love the brewery in Vancouver but haven’t been to the Calgary location yet. hope that helps!
Cabin, Eighty-Eight, The Establishment, and Annex are all fairly close to each other and worth checking out, Tailgunner is top notch for lagers but not really close to the "Barley Belt" Check out the beer map of Calgary here..... https://yycbeer.ca/
You can always check out Social Beer Haus cause they do have a large selection of stuff on tap but also check out Minhas Brewing They make my favorite beer so i might be biased on that
I'm a bit late here, I live in Calgary-- I think you would've done pretty well going to Establishment, Annex, Eighty-Eight, and Cabin. Those are some of the most-highly-regarded breweries around. Tailgunner are great for a few of their trad styles, their brewer likes to decoct most things, so they have a few good CZ lagers on tap at all times (cans too). Right down the street from Tailgunner (literally a 1-2 minute walk) is Alberta Beer Exchange, which is a pretty good can/bottle shop. I'm surprised someone recommended Minhas, they are a really odd operation-- I recently went there to get a nostalgic beer for a visiting family member and wouldn't likely go back, lol. Dandy Brewing has great pizza by the slice, their beer is hit or miss these days (usually pretty decent, but a few things lately have me a bit leery). A long-time brewer of theirs recently left, and they restructured their business a bit so that Blindman has some ownership now (a brewery a couple hours north who are highly-regarded around here).
Hey everyone I ended up going to Cabin, Banded Peak, the Annex and the Establishment while I was there last year. Also picked up some Fahr Wheat and an Alley Kat mix pack at some stores on MacLeod trail. I'd say Cabin was the pick of the litter for my trip their Fuego Mexican Hot Chocolate Stout, Mish Mash Bier de Mars and Retrospectrum Pale ale I would say were highlights.
Alright, I just got back from a trip home (Calgary) and visited 5 breweries. The Establishment, Annex, Last Best, Cabin, and Eighty-Eight. The only one that I wasn't really a fan of was Last Best. The Establishment was fantastic - I had a great Kolsch and a barrel-aged sour. Great amber ale at Annex. Great stouts at Cabin. A nice stout at Eighty-eight. I had a porter at Last Best and it was pretty good, but the menu was limited. Highlights: At Cabin, you can look at all the cans and bottles in their fridge and buy them to open there. Plus the tap list is nice. My #1. Great atmosphere (but pretty small inside) The Establishment has so many beers to choose from. They have an extensive bottle list (750ml bottles of barrel-aged sours starting at $25 CAD) and a huge selection on tap (German, Czech, and sours). My #2. Fantastic atmosphere (lots of space inside) Annex had a smaller tap list, but quality beers. This is probably my #3 (good space inside and quite nice).
I’ve been absent from the site for a while but just got back from a trip to Calgary myself. I was visiting an old friend who isn’t much of a beer drinker. So, i limited my excursions. I did visit Annex, Establishment and Tailgunner. On my last trip, Establishment was my favourite; they seem to have the best variety of styles - made well - that I’ve discovered in the city. Establishment was very good once again, though they seemed to be a little BA sour and IPA heavy this time round. Annex was also very good. I brought home some of their ginger beer for my wife who loved it. Number one though was Tailgunner. If you like lagers, this is the spot. The head brewer used to work with Bim at Godspeed and it definitely shows in their Linton Stephenson Triple Decocted Czech Pilsner. Awesome beer. I didn’t eat there, but they share a nice space with Acme Pizza and it looked and smelled great. Definitely my first stop on future visits. I didn’t get to Cabin this time, but have enjoyed it a lot in the past. Cheers.
Reviving / hi jacking / updating thread!! Im visiting Calgary in a few weeks and staying on Mt Royal university campus. Wont have a car (uber or public transit) can have limited to go stuff and wont have unlimited beer time. Its a work trip So cant just beerify. Any changes in recommendations @Beersnake @Coronaeus @Teethoflions @wordemupg
My knowledge of Calgary geography is very limited. If you’re willing to cab/uber around, having Establishment and Annex basically next door to each other makes for a good option. Cabin is probably close enough to walk to from there as well. All three I liked. Hopefully one of the locals can chime in with more details. Have fun!
A bit late here, apologies-- I don't get on often. As previously mentioned, Establishment & Annex are good spots to check out-- I like Establishment the best overall for various reasons. Tailgunner has good beer but their vibe & service are not the best. Their head brewer recently left or was let go, not sure which, but last time I had their triple-decocted lager at a bar it didn't taste triple-decocted anymore. I'll have to revisit and see what I think. That being said, there are 2 other breweries and a bottle shop on the same road as Tailgunner so you could easily check out 3 spots in one go (Best of Kin & Two House, though they're not places I seek out). Rain Dog is a good beer bar-- they only have a few taps, but they have an extensive can/bottle list and have great food. The inside has personality, it's not just an industrial-chic sort of spot. Cabin is also pretty decent, they have a good variety of things. Calgary has a lot of breweries but many are just "meh." Dandy is ok, I like them more for their pizza than their beer these days though. Eighty Eight is well-loved, mostly known for their hazies (I hate hazies but they do a good job of them). I'd recommend checking out a beer store like Alberta Beer Exchange (down the road from Tailgunner), they have a great selection of local beers (singles) that you can stock up on if you'll not be getting around too much.
Also consider using the red & blue lines (C-Train) to get around-- you can cover a good bit of ground with those. The red line goes pretty close to Establishment & Annex, also intersects with the blue line which you can get to Alberta Beer Exchange / Tailgunner on (they're on the same street, like 2 blocks from each other).
This is super helpful!! Im a big fan of public transit, also dont really like hazies. So lagers ,big stouts and if anyone makes barleywines any more are my favs. Ill have some spotty time here and there but will also try to stock up at Alberta Beer Exchange. There is a spot looks walkable from Mount Royal, wild rose brewery. Website and marketing dont make it look too promising, but proximity may win some days. Really appreciate the assist and info! We land next Friday!!
I think Wild Rose may be owned by AB InBev now, but I could be wrong. Same with Banded Peak. There's another brewery out that way called Vaycay too, that shares space with a distillery called Burwood (my homebrew shop is also in the same building!). Both make decent stuff! I actually just bought a bottle of Burwood's bourbon-style whiskey yesterday. Have a great trip!!
