In August we had a fabulous uptake on my online course with the University of Alberta Faculty of Extension, selling out both sections of the course (I estimate about 140 people attended in total). We enjoyed the experience so much that we decided to do it again. In November I will be hosting another online beer course, this time focused on Alberta and the Alberta beer scene.

Called Brewed in Alberta: Exploring Alberta’s Craft Beer Industry, we will take a deep dive into the history of Alberta beer, explore the culture of craft beer in the province and examine why Alberta has quickly become a hot spot for quality craft beer in Canada. There are, once again, two sessions. Tuesday nights (November 3 to 24) and Wednesday nights (November 4 to 25). Each class is one hour, over Zoom, and there will be time for a short lecture from me, questions and, of course, beer tasting.

There is no prerequisite – you didn’t need to attend the first incarnation to register for this one. I will make sure everyone is up to speed on the basics. All you have to do is pay $75 per household for the course and pick up the course-pack at Sherbrooke Liquor (price: $100 for 16 beer, which includes a couple of special selections).

Here is the Eventbrite links to Tuesday and to Wednesday.

To offer a bit more detail, here are some of the topics we will be covering over the four weeks.

  • The origins of the beer industry in Alberta and its evolution over the past 150 years
  • The rapid rise of craft beer in the province and its recent emergence as a craft beer powerhouse in Canada
  • The differences between Calgary’s and Edmonton’s craft beer scene
  • The realities of creating a craft brewery in rural Alberta
  • We will also discuss the basics of beer science, how to taste and evaluate beer and other related beer topics.
  • And, of course, sample 16 different Alberta-made beer, many of which I guarantee you will have not tried before

Zoom classes are not ideal, but we are most definitely not living in ideal times. I promise to do the best I can to make the evening engaging, interesting and fun.

Consider registering. What is the worst that can happen? You have to listen to me for four hours (over four weeks) and have to drink 16 amazing Alberta-made beer.

I hope to see you (or at least the little screenshot of you) there!