I know I am supposed to be in Halifax right now, but I made a short side trip to speak at a conference in Calgary last week (okay, “sidetrip” doesn’t really describe a cross-continent flight, but it was short time-wise). Taking advantage of my time there, I snagged a couple hours of free time to finally check out the latest in Calgary’s burgeoning beer establishment scene. I popped by Beer Revolution, which is the effort of the Brewster’s Brewpub chain to capture some of the growing interest in pubs with extensive quality beer selection.
They have grabbed on to one of the most intriguing, innovative, thought-provoking beer concepts to hit Canada since the Stubby. They are not the first to do it, but they are certainly the first in Alberta and (I believe) the first to add a bit of a high tech element to it. Let me explain the basic concept, and then I will go into more detail about my experience. Beer Revolution steadfastly rejects the idea of a stable beer list – where you can get the same beer no matter how many times you go. They have 23 tap lines, and another 8 in the bottle, and all (except three – see below) are in constant rotation. They bring in one or two kegs of something and once they are empty, off the list it goes to be replaced by something new.
Immediately you can see the fun in this concept. Every visit (unless you go daily) means new beer on tap. My favourite pub in Canada (for many reasons) also adopted this approach – the Winking Judge in Hamilton – but with the twist of offering only craft brewers, and mostly Ontario craft brewers
When I walked in, I was first taken by the subtle mix of genres for the interior decoration. Part rustic wood, part chrome modern. The layout was inviting and seemed like it was easy to have a private conversation, with lots of booths, tall tables and a triangular bar covering the back quarter. It was fairly quiet when I arrived (I went at an off-peak hour), but it didn’t feel cavernous even though mostly empty.
One of my personal highlights was their video beer list. A wall-mounted electronic menu that looks disturbingly like an airport departures screen. But it had the most addictive rotation of information – I watched it rather than the television. It listed every beer currently available, its origin, alcohol content, date tapped, volume remaining in the keg and an estimated “departure date” (when the beer runs out). It, of course, also had the prices for each size they offer. More than that, it had a scrolling list of beer “waiting to be tapped” to entice you to return in a couple of days.
The staff seemed reasonably well-educated on the beer, which increasingly for me is a prerequisite for a good beer place. They were liberal with samples and tried to work out what kind of beer the customer liked (a really good sign). And the beer didn’t disappoint either.
The list was impressive. A solid range of North American craft brewers, with some eclectic European beer to boot. Not a big boy beer to be found. Their commitment to craft can’t be questioned. The day I was there, they were a bit heavy on Rogue product, which they explained as being due to a one-time shipment of a series of kegs from this brewery. But there was also some Paddock Wood, Brooklyn, Anchor, Central City and others. The list also included some unknown (to me) brewers, such as Tamarack out of Montana (owned, I am told, by Lanny McDonald).
The only beer that remain regardless are three renamed Brewster’s house beer. This was a tad disappointing. If I wanted a Brewsters beer, I could go right next door (Beer Revolution shares a building with a Brewsters location). My advice would be to ditch the Brewster’s beer and go all in with craft selections.
I sampled a couple of nice beer (more on that another time), and reflected on this original approach to offering craft beer. I can see both its upsides and downsides.
On the up, knowing that every time you show up there will be a new beer to try is rather exciting. And their commitment to only carry independent breweries is praise-worthy. From my perspective most of the beer was of high quality and deserving of a listing. Even if not all of them were my cup of tea (pint of beer?), I could appreciate why they were there. Beer Revolution, at least the day I was there, did a good job of offering a mixture of styles, flavours to serve a variety of palates.
The downside? The selection of local beer, or even regional, was thin. Essentially there was Paddock Wood, Great Western, and that was it. I inquired with the bartender and he indicated they do carry Alberta and prairie kegs, but they rotate like every other beer – meaning often there isn’t one on the list. I find this problematic. Rotation of beer is enjoyable, but it comes at the price of making local and regional beer just one of dozens of beer out there. It is an odd form of equality that separates the pub from its local producers.
Also, the constant rotation also short circuits the development of a “go-to” beer – that reliable pint that you know you will enjoy any time. Sometimes I revel in the opportunity to spend 10 minutes mulling over which beer to choose. However, at other times, I just want to sit down, get an old reliable and enjoy. The latter is lost in this system. I also wonder if this set-up – at least in Alberta with its limited range of import options – may create less diversity than one might think. The stack of Rogue offerings when I was there is a case in point. It does leave the operators of the pub a bit vulnerable to the inconsistencies and whims of reps, agents and breweries. To be sure, I think Beer Revolution is doing an admirable job trying to keep their list varied – so this is a small point.
And to pick an even smaller nit, their pint sizes are too small. They offer 16 oz (474 ml) glasses (and 8 oz/237 ml half-sizes as well) for the standard strength beer. Really? You are going to cheap out on me? Brewster’s offers a full 20 oz/592 ml. So do most places that take beer seriously. I like the half pint idea, and respect that the bigger beer come in smaller volumes, but there really is no excuse for short-changing me.
June 7, 2012 at 9:16 AM
Sounds like a step in the right direction, thanks for the review.
Kind of bummed that a corporate-run type place stole the name of one of the best independently run beer bars in the US though….
http://beer-revolution.com/
June 7, 2012 at 10:39 AM
While Beer Revolution isn’t perfect, its leagues ahead of the other new ‘craft’ themed businesses in Calgary IMO. I really like that nearly the entire beer list is always rotating. If given the option, Calgarians will choose the familiar trite offerings (trad, grasshopper etc) 9 times out of 10. Leaving them off the menu will hopefully be the ‘nudge’ that inspires customers to expand their preferences.
June 7, 2012 at 11:09 AM
“This is one of the most intriguing, innovative, thought-provoking beer concepts to hit Canada since the Stubby. Let me explain the basic concept, and then I will go into more detail about my experience. Beer Revolution steadfastly rejects the idea of a stable beer list – where you can get the same beer no matter how many times you go.”
It’s definitely a great step for the Alberta market, but the better beer places in Canada have been doing this for years, not to mention countless bars in the US.
Beer Revolution is a cool place, but I think you’re overselling the concept. Having a rotating tap list isn’t innovative, it’s just the Alberta bar scene finally starting to catch up to the rest of the beer world.
You make a good point about the tap rotation suffering because it’s subject to what’s currently available in the province (I think this is partly due to the relatively weak Alberta brewing scene), but agents have been doing a pretty good job over the past year bringing new kegs into the market.
June 7, 2012 at 5:07 PM
Paul, indeed you are correct. That was a bit of conflated writing on my part (I MUST have a talk with my editor…). I completely realize they are not the first to do an exclusive rotating tap (the Winking Judge, as I mention, has done it for years). I think I was saying 3 things in the same sentence – always a bad idea. I think the rotating tap concept is the best thing since the stubby, they are the first in Alberta, AND that they have added the high tech element of the airport board (I am not aware of someone doing that elsewhere).
Poor writing on my part. I apologize. I have edited that paragraph slightly to more accurately reflect what I meant. Thanks for catching it!
Jason
June 8, 2012 at 9:06 AM
I apologize Jason, re-reading my comment I think it came off snarkier than I had intended.
June 8, 2012 at 5:43 PM
Paul, no worries. I did not think it was snarky. You raised good points, and that is why I shifted. I still stand by my general observation – it is a very positive development for Alberta. All is good.
June 8, 2012 at 10:06 AM
Jason, thanks for the review. I’ve only made it to Beer Revolution once and enjoyed it but I agree the concept of rotating taps isn’t too “revolutionary” any more. Pony Bar in NYC and ChurchKey in DC are two great places that have done a similar thing for a while.
I have a philosophical question for you, however. Why don’t you consider the Tamarack brewery as a “local” beer? Yes, I understand you have to cross an international boundry to reach the brewery, but according to Google Maps, Tamarack is about 170 kms closer to my house than either Paddock Wood or Great Western. By proximity of location, then, Tamarack is more “local” than either Saskatoon breweries. To me local and Canadian do not have to be synomymous.
June 8, 2012 at 5:48 PM
Ian,
You ask a very good question. My answer could be wrong, but this is what I believe. I do make a distinction about the border. The reason is that Canadian breweries have a particular set of rules and regulations to abide by. Their production is taxed at a particular rate. And they have to find a way to insert themselves into provincial liquor systems, which can be quite trying.
American breweries, even if they are just across the border, have a much easier time of it. I am not saying one system is better than the other. Simply I argue that the systems are non-comparable, meaning we can’t equate their situation.
It is much harder for a Manitoba or Saskatchewan brewery to find a way to distribute in other provinces than it is for a Montana brewery to send some beer northward. That is why I distinguish between U.S. and Canadian regional breweries. You are free to disagree.
Cheers. Jason
June 8, 2012 at 10:24 AM
I was there last Thursday night for the first time. Came away with pretty much the same impressions. Certainly enjoyed it, and was impressed.
I thought the pricing of the 16oz servings was fair, and I really liked that the 8oz servings were 50% of the cost, it encourages responsible drinking and sampling multiple offerings, not typical of most pubs half-pint prices.
Agree on the lack of local offerings, no reason why they couldn’t keep rotating through all the various offerings from all the various AB breweries. I’d rather drink fresh local beer than stale non-local beer which is unfortunately what you get when bringing in stuff from all over the place. My wife ordered the seasonal Brewsters Espresso Porter followed by the Rogue Mocha Porter, and it was painfully obvious which one was better. Sure, most consumers would think Rogue makes better beer than Brewsters, but the fresh coffee character in the Brewsters beer was oustanding, easily one of the best coffee beers we have ever tasted, while the Rogue beer was stale with a rough roasted aftertaste. We didn’t even finish the Rogue beer.
With all the new places opening in AB, Beer Revolution is certainly head and shoulders above the rest, though I still prefer the more established Hop in Brew (which does focus on local/regional offerings) and Wild Rose Taproom.
June 8, 2012 at 5:52 PM
Mark, as usual I agree with you. I very much appreciate Beer Revolution – as is obvious from my post, but (which I don’t mention) I still prefer the cozy, local atmosphere of Hop In Brew. I went there the next night and it still holds up for having a fantastic atmosphere which cannot be matched by a bigger operation like Brewsters. The Wild Rose Tap Room is also a blast, but harder to get to as a visitor.
My post was not intended to denigrate the other great places in Calgary, but to try to highlight a good new thing. I hope the proprietors of Hop In Brew and Wild Rose Tap Room are not too put out – as I love both places.
June 8, 2012 at 5:59 PM
To be fair to Beer Revolution it works on the ebb and tide of what agents and breweries bring in. I have been there at times where the board is dominated by Alberta Breweries seasonals and there is little from other global breweries. They don’t really want to stock stuff that other pubs have. That is clear in their mission statement so rarely will you find a WR IPA or a Full Moon on the menu and not is bad thing you just have to chose an establishment that supports that. That isn’t in Beer Revolution’s mission statement.
The brewers and owners of Beer Revolution have told they do partial batches of unique beers for Beer Revolution not rebrands but in the end who cares many America’s best brewpubs run their own beers with a host of guest taps. All the Pizza Ports are built on that platform. As to the glass size complaints they are honest about it, cheaping out is when they call it a pint and then bringing you a shaker glass. Many beer establishment only offer their high gravity beers in tulips or smaller glasses.
For those who do need the crutch as holdover beer here for their period on indecision their American Amber Bow Bugger Amber Ale is just that for a number of my friends or meant in jest you might have a drinking problem. Your next Calgary stop will have to National on 17th. 72 draft lines an extensive bottle list with a North American focus with some constants. It was the subject of my FFwd article last week.
Mark I am somewhat in agreement with you about the Brewster’s coffee beer it is a stellar example, the brewer Rob Walsh has talked to me the effort that goes into that beer. It is based on the owners favourite Blue Mountain Coffee if memory serves me right.
June 8, 2012 at 9:33 PM
I just got back from Calgary, and while I didn’t go to Beer Revolution this time, last time I was there I did. I wasn’t overly impressed with it really. The beer was good, the prices were good and they had some interesting beers, but a large tap line doesn’t impress me if the beer isn’t what I want. I think it may be that my drinking preferences have changed and they didn’t offer me anything to satisfy it, or offer me a local beer to replace it. This time around I hit up Wurst and Hop in Brew and was more impressed with those establishments.
That all being said to each his own, and other cliche things.
June 22, 2013 at 5:15 PM
Ya, I am here in Edmonton and really quite like it here. Problematic with staff here.Not friefriendly or welcoming by a long shot. Will come back for the beers and ignore the staff who are unfortunately ass holes.