Hi NFLD BA's My wife is travelling to Newfoundland next week, bringing her 80 yo mom to her home for the first time in 20 years. I went there over 30 years ago when we were first married , way way before I was into craft beer, I remember drinking a beer with a red (or black) label and a horse on it that I thought was great at the time - Black Horse maybe? Anyway, if that is accurate it's probably not considered good nowadays... is there any beer around St Johns I should ask her to seek out and bring back? Thanks
Hi there, Except for the big guys, there are only three small breweries in Newfoundland. Quidi Vidi. It makes rather bland beer aimed at the mass market. Although they have upped their game and are starting to release some decent seasonal offerings. They sell Iceberg beer, made with water from icebergs. Novelty value. Not much in the flavour department. Storm Brewing are a very small brewery, the beer is hard to find. Inconsistant quality. The Coffee Porter is nice, but sometimes watery. The Yellowbelly Brewery makes my favorite beer in Newfoundland. The Yellowbelly Pale is a good sessionable pale ale. It is not as hoppy as an American pale ale, but quite nice pub ale. The Yellowbelly's seasonals have been very tasty beers. Most recently a summer wheat beer, dry hopped with Topaz hops. On tap only.
Have a look in at the Newfoundland beer forums at http://www.beerthief.ca/forum/index.php And have a look at the Newfoundland Liquor Corp online inventory. http://www.nlliquor.com/products/beer
If you want a quick guide to the craft breweries and best bars for beer, there is a beer tour guide here: http://nlbeerhistory.com/tour/ All the nostalgia brands (Blue Star, Black Horse, Jockey Club, Dominion, and India Beer - which is not an IPA) are brewed either by Molson or Labatts, so unless you like their other products, I'd give those a pass. Check out the tour guide for descriptions of all the local craft beers to see if anything is to your taste. But in terms of North American beer, there is nothing really interesting enough (aside from it being from Newfoundland) to buy to bring anywhere else.
I'll be in Newfoundland as well this upcoming week, any recommendations for pubs/restaurants/seafood?
