St John's

Hey! In terms of beer development, NL has been a bit slower, but we do have some hidden gems that really do work.

One of the first breweries to hit the scene when craft came out was Quidi Vidi Brewery, located in the Quidi Vidi region of the city (pronounced kiddy-viddy). They have some alright beers, although most of them cater to light beer enthusiasts. They do have a good British IPA (very traditional English style) and another traditional Newfoundland ale called 1892 which is very good. Their most popular right now is Iceberg beer, made with Iceberg water. It's a pretty bland lager in the end, however, as are many other beers they have such as Premium, Light, and Eric's cream ale. They have some other decent seasonals, though.

The next is Yellowbelly Brewpub, located on Water Street in downtown St. John's. They have four main beers and a cider, all of which are good, along with a seasonal, which is currently East Coast Cream Ale, which is really top notch stuff. They also have a restaurant, which serves decent pub style food. Their stout and red ale are really top contenders in the province.

In terms of newer developments, Mill Street has opened a brew pub in conjunction with Biermarkt in town that is very good, again serving some exclusive beers. If you are willing to take a trip outside of SJ, then Port Rexton has another craft brewery about 3 hours outside the city that has received very positive reviews. It is a bit more difficult to make that trip, though.

There are also some restaurants that are particularly good for beer availability apart from those mentioned. On the higher price end, there is Merchant Tavern and Adelaide Oyster House, which both offer great beer selections. Furthermore, some restaurants such as Gypsy Tea Room, St. John's Fish Exchange, and EVOO in the Courtyard offer a good selection in the downtown area at good prices.

Hope you enjoy your trip! We've had pretty decent weather lately so hopefully it lasts!

 

I was at the yellow belly on the opening night 8 years ago. I returned a couple months ago and it was essentially the same! Same beers on tap, which I guess is a testiment to how good they are. Nothing has really changed in the last 8 years, except Mill Street and the over-priced Bistro.

Quidi Vidi is in a beautiful spot, and while their brews are consistently good, they're not overly enticing. They're more of a regional Brewer for the general populace.

I recommend fish and chips at the Duke of Duckworth, with a pint of their bitter. The fish exchange is very good too (a lot more uppity).

 

Great recommendations from D-Hopsupreme, and I'll add that the Port Rexton crew are sending their beers into YYT now, just began last week. Adelaide Oyster House is where to get those, if they're available. Good idea to keep an eye on PR's twitter to keep up to date: https://twitter.com/portrextonbrew

The Mill Street stuff brewed onsite is quite good, worth trying.

YB is still my go-to, Brewmaster Liam Mckenna definitely knows what he's doing.

Storm Brewing is the other YYT brewery, and can be found on tap at a few spots, but your best bet may be to grab some bottles at the NLC.

 

Awesome, I've been meaning to head up there for a while but have been too busy with work to make it up. It's a great area, my family actually has a cabin nearby. Lots to see, especially if you take a walk through Trinity. Also, great news on PR bringing their stuff into town!

 

Great! Just a warning that their taproom is closed Wednesdays, open 2-10pm every other day. But if you tell them Chris from Halifax sent ya, they'll open up. (And charge you double! ) http://www.portrextonbrewing.com/

Quidi Vidi have a Kitchen Party every Friday @ 5pm (or at least did in the summer).

 

Out of city is best, Terra Nova is definitely very nice with regards to that. Brigus makes a nice day trip also, as well as the Ferryland Lighthouse Picnic (will need to reserve for the latter)

 

Port Rexton is great if you can make the trip, and Quidi Vidi has a great Taproom and has been trying to revamp their styles to making better, more diverse beer. There is also an outlet for Port Rexton beer opened on the weekend in the city's east end where you can pick up cans and growlers. Yellowbelly is starting to expand their brewing operations as well, and other restaurants like Bernard Stanley's and Adelaide Oyster House have great beer menus.