Local Breweries?

[kermitology]

Originally Posted by Ruttiger

If you're up for a day trip, Blindman Brewing in Lacombe is worth the drive. Add in a meal at Cilantro & Chive and you win.

**Spelling - Blindman is NOT bland...

Blindman is the best brewery in Alberta in my opinion. But for local, my favourites are Citizen, Cabin (best in Calgary IMO), Annex and Dandy are my favourites.

I also agree that Cold Garden has a nice taproom experience, but the beer is not very good. I'd rather have better beers at Ol' Beautiful. Establishment is good, but I find their beers to be too much for me. Also Fahr is Turner Valley is the most authentic German style beer I've found in Canada.

[Blaster86]

Well my go-tos are Wild Eye and Bridge for proximity, though Street Car and House of Funk aren't bad. Beere is actually quite good, but have major issues with keeping their product available, a first world problem for them to be sure. Deep Cove is much better for their spirits, their beer is run-of-the-mill crap ever since Gibbons bought them. Green Leaf is god awful, and if not for their location they'd have died years ago.Black Kettle exists still (I think).


If I'm willing to go a bit further out the golden mile is worth it. Bomber, Off the Rail, Strange Fellows, Luppolo, Callister, Slow Hand, Andina, Powell Street, and usually finish off with Parallel 49. Only real weak link in that line-up is Bomber, much the same reason as Deep Cove. Off the Rail, doesn't have anything exceptional, but nothing bad either. Strange Fellows has a spectacular pale ale and some really solid seasonal beers, like their amazing Blackberry sour. Big fan of Slow Hand who are really focusing on under utilized styles, Andina is mostly for the food, their beer is actually better outside of the tap room. Powell Street's ode to citra and Lazy D'haze make the stop their worth it every time. P49's beer is mostly average but they have a huge selection and with the absorption of Boombox they have some amazing beers on their huge selections of taps.

Now, if you aren't really interested in traveling in that area, you could hit up the other huge cluster over on Main. Big Rock, Main Street, Brassneck, 33 Acres, 33 EXP, Faculty, Red Truck and R&B brewing. Big Rock actually has amazing beer, but do a piss poor job of advertising it's from here and not being shipped in. Main Street is real bad. Brassneck is real good. 33 Acres and 33 EXP are both fantastic, probably because they're the same brewery, in two different buildings that are side-by-side. Faculty is probably my favorite brewery in this area, their London Fog ale is delicious. Red Truck is bleh, but good food. R&B is an indication of what happens when you don't adjust fast enough to the new market. Howe Sound has done a good job of resuscitating one of the OG breweries, but it still needs a lot of work four or five years on.




Blindman is actually probably my favorite Alberta brewery. In truth, not much else makes it out here. Troubled Monk tried to make a push, but I haven't seen or heard much from them in some time.

[CarlLester]

Took my daughter skating at Jimmie Condon and noticed that there is a new brewery opening up in the old Studio 82 space.

[shermanator]

Originally Posted by Blaster86

Now, if you aren't really interested in traveling in that area, you could hit up the other huge cluster over on Main. Big Rock, Main Street, Brassneck, 33 Acres, 33 EXP, Faculty, Red Truck and R&B brewing. Big Rock actually has amazing beer, but do a piss poor job of advertising it's from here and not being shipped in. Main Street is real bad. Brassneck is real good. 33 Acres and 33 EXP are both fantastic, probably because they're the same brewery, in two different buildings that are side-by-side. Faculty is probably my favorite brewery in this area, their London Fog ale is delicious. Red Truck is bleh, but good food. R&B is an indication of what happens when you don't adjust fast enough to the new market. Howe Sound has done a good job of resuscitating one of the OG breweries, but it still needs a lot of work four or five years on.

Last time I was in Vancouver I went to R&B and Brassneck. Both were awesome. Not so awesome later the next morning though.

[Blaster86]

Originally Posted by shermanator

Last time I was in Vancouver I went to R&B and Brassneck. Both were awesome. Not so awesome later the next morning though.

R&B looks like a run down ####-hole. They're trying their damndest, but they can only do so much with the location.


Brassneck is actually phenomenal.

[Bigtime]

Banded Peak just got bought by Labatt.

[chedder]

Originally Posted by Bigtime

Banded Peak just got bought by Labatt.

Well that's unfortunate. I'd rather support the local small business brewer than the giant global garbage beer maker.

[RedHot25]

Originally Posted by Bigtime

Banded Peak just got bought by Labatt.

Noooooo....

[Bobblehead]

Labatt says they aren't going to touch them. No staffing changes, the owners are sticking around, and brewing and tap room aren't changing.

[Blaster86]

For the record, everything Labatt has bought in Canada has remained untouched by them as far as I can tell.

Look at it this way, those guys who made beer you love just got told their beer is too good to be sold just in Alberta in the long run. They also got PAAAAAAIIIID, and still keep getting to do what they love.

It's not the direction I'd take a brewery I owned, but I have the luxury of sitting on the side lines. It won't affect the product they have, just maybe some future decisions.

[Kybosh]

My creative vision would be to make as much money as possible, so I'd sell out in a flash.

[Flabbibulin]

Originally Posted by Bobblehead

Labatt says they aren't going to touch them. No staffing changes, the owners are sticking around, and brewing and tap room aren't changing.

Im pretty sure this has been said in every single microbrewery purchase since forever.

Originally Posted by Blaster86

Look at it this way, those guys who made beer you love just got told their beer is too good to be sold just in Alberta in the long run.

For sure I would be willing to have an industry insider convince me otherwise and that these big companies are in fact beer lovers first and foremost, going around tasting at local breweries. I would speculate that the more likely scenario is that Labatt could just as easily have made this purchase without tasting a single Banded Peak beer, consulting a single online review, or having any interest in how good the beer is regarded by beer drinkers. All about numbers and the marketability of the beer. When you look at the micro breweries that are purchased, it is often not the breweries that are regarded by beer fans as the best. I am fan of Banded Peak and their beer, but perhaps the last local brewery purchase is good testament to this (fighting words perhaps).

[Blaster86]

Originally Posted by Flabbibulin

For sure I would be willing to have an industry insider convince me otherwise and that these big companies are in fact beer lovers first and foremost, going around tasting at local breweries. I would speculate that the more likely scenario is that Labatt could just as easily have made this purchase without tasting a single Banded Peak beer, consulting a single online review, or having any interest in how good the beer is regarded by beer drinkers. All about numbers and the marketability of the beer. When you look at the micro breweries that are purchased, it is often not the breweries that are regarded by beer fans as the best. I am fan of Banded Peak and their beer, but perhaps the last local brewery purchase is good testament to this (fighting words perhaps).

So for Labatt and Molson they're looking for three key things.



One: A following. They're not going to buy something that is poorly thought of or not well followed. What's the point? They don't need additional production space. They're looking for a product that offers them an ability to take back some of the market share they're losing as local breweries become a much bigger chunk of the pie in each region.

Two: A national presence. One of the reasons they purchased Mill Street is that it's already distributed across the country. There is little to no leg work on Labatt's part, they just make the switch over to the BDL/Beer Store delivery service and off they go.

Three: A good product. It's anecdotal ofcourse, but I've sat with merchandisers, reps, managers, VPs from Molson and Labatt and talked shop. They know the local market well. They have too. They know what's good and they know what's working. Do I think the CEO tried Banded Peak? No. But I guarantee you that local Labatt's employees know it, tried it and got consulted and said it was a good get. I am sure Labatt asked for the best, but if the best isn't willing to sell then you take what you can.


They found a brewery that was liked, and willing to sell.

[Flabbibulin]

Originally Posted by Blaster86

So for Labatt and Molson they're looking for three key things.



One: A following. They're not going to buy something that is poorly thought of or not well followed. What's the point? They don't need additional production space. They're looking for a product that offers them an ability to take back some of the market share they're losing as local breweries become a much bigger chunk of the pie in each region.

Two: A national presence. One of the reasons they purchased Mill Street is that it's already distributed across the country. There is little to no leg work on Labatt's part, they just make the switch over to the BDL/Beer Store delivery service and off they go.

Three: A good product. It's anecdotal ofcourse, but I've sat with merchandisers, reps, managers, VPs from Molson and Labatt and talked shop. They know the local market well. They have too. They know what's good and they know what's working. Do I think the CEO tried Banded Peak? No. But I guarantee you that local Labatt's employees know it, tried it and got consulted and said it was a good get. I am sure Labatt asked for the best, but if the best isn't willing to sell then you take what you can.


They found a brewery that was liked, and willing to sell.

Love the post/info. My thoughts were speculative, but based on the age old observation that the most popular/best selling beers are hardly ever "the best", so naturally assume that the big companies are only interested in what will sell.

I would be curious then how many of the breweries that are regarded as having the best quality lineup are either missing points 1 and 2, or simply turned down an offer.

[KTrain]

I would add a fourth to Blaster86's list. The owners of Banded Peak were likely vetted as well prior to the purchase. They're essentially employees at this point and Labatt wouldn't want to invest in a dysfunctional company that makes good beer. I don't know them personally but the Banded Peak guys must also have a solid business acumen and well run company for Labatt to invest.

[dubc80]

No love for Minhas brewery?

[Blaster86]

Originally Posted by Flabbibulin

I would be curious then how many of the breweries that are regarded as having the best quality lineup are either missing points 1 and 2, or simply turned down an offer.

In BC, they've rebuffed Labatt and Molson advances as far as I know.

The bigger ones don't need to take the large pay out to get rich, they already are rich and are making good profit off of what they're doing.


The smaller ones like the freedom of having no one to answer to.

[Fuzz]

Originally Posted by dubc80

No love for Minhas brewery?

Does barf count as love?

[Barnes]

Originally Posted by dubc80

No love for Minhas brewery?

Local brewery thread. Maybe there's some discussion on Monroe Wisconsin Puck.

[Boblobla]

Originally Posted by CarlLester

Took my daughter skating at Jimmie Condon and noticed that there is a new brewery opening up in the old Studio 82 space.

I noticed that this morning as well. Bitter Sisters. From their facebook page it sounds like a mid-feb opening. Will have to check it out, closer to home for me than the Barley Belt.