recipes, this truly almost makes up for the city being without a nanobrewery.
You may notice that the term ‘craft’ is a loosely defined term, as many of the large brewing corporations are now marketing new ‘craft’ products. Also known as macrobreweries (such as Molson and Labatt), they brew in such large quantities (Molson produces over 55 million hectoliters globally each year), that in order to maintain the shelf life of their beers and keep costs down, preservatives and adjuncts such as rice and corn are used. Craft beers, on the other hand, should use more barley malt and just pure, natural ingredients in their brewing process. Now that we’ve taken a look at what craft means, let’s identify the different scales of breweries, and what places each of them in their own categories. What makes a microbrewery a microbrewery? What is a brewpub? The different brewing establishments across this province, even Calgary alone, no matter the scale, are brewing products that range from traditional to inventive, and the demand for unique craft continues to climb.
Although smaller breweries exist (such as nano or picobreweries) they aren’t too common, microbreweries are the smallest licensed breweries found in Alberta, since the 5,000 hectoliters per year minimum production requirement in Alberta limits the possibility of nanobrewery start-ups. Nanobreweries all over North America are really becoming a big thing, and though it is difficult for these small guys to turn a profit, it opens the doors to smaller, more experimental brews, allows the capability to adjust recipes, and requires much lower start-up costs. Unfortunately due to the licensing restrictions, Alberta is without any nanobreweries. In time, and hopefully a change of heart, maybe the AGLC will one day allow for the itsy bitsy breweries to make it on the craft beer scene. The microbrewery is identified as any brewery that is able to demonstrate the ability to brew at least 5,000 hectoliters of beer per year. Calgary microbreweries are Village Brewery, Brew Brothers, Wild Rose, Tool Shed, and Minhas. Big Rock, though still considered a microbrewery, surpasses the minimum required hectoliters by brewing in the 195,000 hl range in order to meet the demand of their customers. Calgary craft beer producers are continuously rotating their available brews with seasonal recipes and limited edition brews to keep even the most curious palate from going thirsty. Due to Calgary microbreweries building such unique and diverse portfolios, and one-off
Foodies and beer lovers alike will love this next one. The brewpub is technically defined as a pub or restaurant that brews beer on the premises. Vagabond is the most recent brewpub to the city, and though they aren’t quite yet brewing on-site they will eventually be serving eight of their own brews in addition to eight other rotating taps, four European and four North American. Brewsters Brewing Company and Restaurant, an Alberta chain, is the longest operating brewpub in the city, and is also located in Saskatchewan. Though Brewsters doesn’t brew on premise, their format is very much that of a brewpub since they brew their own beer. The beauty of Calgary and craft is that residents are passionate for supporting their community and the small breweries operating within it. Now with just a bit more knowledge about this expanding and diverse culture of craft beer, go on out and support the local guys by trying the beer that Calgary breweries and brewpubs have to offer. Meaghan O’Brien is a self-proclaimed beer enthusiast with a passion for hunting down and tasting the most unique brews out there. With an extensive background in the food and beverage industry she can now be found in marketing.