Quietly a new beer location opened up on 109 Street in the last week or so. The Three Boars (109 St & 84 Ave) is not a beer mecca, in and of itself, but more of a small, hip, cosmopolitan bistro/bar that emphasizes creative local cuisine. The beer list is, for the moment, short but impressive. Six taps mixing local and quality craft – when I was there last week they had Yellowhead, a couple of Alley Kat, including Black Dragon, a Belgian and had Anderson Valley on the way. The bottle list similarly displays a keen eye for quality craft beer.

This should come as no surprise, as two of the partners in the business are ex-Sugar Bowl employees, and know their way around beer. They are transferring their passion for beer to the new location. It also has an strong line-up of whiskeys (basically a sister to beer) to extend their appeal. Plus their is an interesting list of cocktails, but I am woefully unsuited to comment on that world.

The place clearly offers a nice alternative for beer-lovers to pop in for a good beer. It doesn’t have the extensive beer menu of the Sugar Bowl, and its atmosphere is more upscale than the Next Act, but it covers a niche needed in Edmonton’s restaurant scene. Its proximity to the Sugar Bowl is an issue, as that mainstay deserves loyalty from beer consumers, but my theory is that it will quietly steal business from some of the pretenders in the area, and Sugar Bowl will have no issues.

It is a small place, only a handful of bar seats on the main floor and a half-dozen tables upstairs. But even in its first few days, it was drawing a sophisticated, urbane crowd. I was there on a Monday at 6:30 and there was a line-up 10 deep. That could be called a strong start.

The highlight (and focus) of the place is its food menu. It changes weekly, almost daily, and accents local ingredients, creative flavour combinations and beautiful presentations. I suspect – despite my own biases – that the Three Boars makes or breaks it based on their food. They are creating original dishes, and if people take to it, Three Boars will be one of those places impossible to get a table in.

But my attraction is another location where I can sip on a quality craft beer, chat with a bartender who understands beer, and reliably trust that their beer menu will be high quality offerings. This is not to undermine the food – the meal I had was wonderful. I just know that I am one of those few people who ask for a place that combines excellent food with excellent beer. Three Boars, so far, meets both criteria, which is rare in Edmonton.

So give them a try. Just be prepared to wait a while for a table.