Things are hopping in Edmonton and Calgary these days! Good beer appreciation seems to be popping up everywhere.

A couple of days ago, the formation of Edmonton Beer Geeks Anonymous was announced. This beer-y group with an ironic name has been launched to further craft beer appreciation in Edmonton. They claim their mandate is to “develop an outlet for craft beer enthusiasts and their passion – give them the atmosphere to actively taste, debate, and share all things beer. By doing so this group will foster the growing sense of community within the beer scene in Edmonton.”

Sounds like a noble and admirable mission. I approve.

I was hoping to get a bit more detail on the group, but as of yet they have not replied to my email. At any rate the inaugural meeting is Wednesday June 29 at 7:30 pm at the Wunderbar Hofbrauhaus, which is quickly establishing itself as one of Edmonton’s best beer locations. The special treat for that night will be a tapping of the first AND ONLY keg of Yukon’s Double Trouble Imperial IPA available in Alberta. Lucky geeks! The July meeting will feature special guest Sherbrooke Liquor’s mad genius, Jim Pettinger, to talk about his diabolical plans to foist more good beer on unsuspecting Albertans. The group plans monthly meetings at the Wunderbar. I imagine much beer geekery will ensue! Carry on geeks!

As for Calgary, the coming months will see, not one, not two, but THREE new pubs open with a specialization in craft beer. As this Edmonton Journal article reports, this month will see the launch of Craft Beer Market and Wurst Restaurant and Beer Hall. Craft Beer Market says they will have 104 (!!) beer on tap, while Wurst is offering a traditional German-style beer hall, complete with long wooden tables and large steins (will there be busty servers and lederhosen?), with about 20 German and Czech beer on tap. Then later this fall, we will see the opening of National Beer Hall, with 20 on tap and another 50 in the bottle. That is a lot of new beer for Calgarians.

Now, before we rent a bus and head down en masse, we should consider that 20 taps doesn’t necessarily mean great beer on those taps (although I imagine with 104 taps, you will find at least one you like…) – the big boys can take up up that and more. However, all are talking about providing quality beer, and two are emphasizing craft beer specifically. Obviously, I cannot reach a conclusion until I experience each of them, but I am cautiously optimistic Calgary may have just landed a couple of new quality beer establishments.

Hey, Calgary readers! When you get a chance to try the places out, please take two minutes to offer a review in the comments section. Those of us who travel there occasionally would appreciate the insider knowledge.