In the past few weeks, there have been, not one, but THREE significant brewery announcements on the prairies. The first, right after the new year, was Swift Current’s Black Bridge Brewing announcing it was closing its brewhouse and taproom and… Continue Reading →
It has been clear for a while now that the craft beer industry in Canada has been going through some rough times the last few years. COVID-19 followed by rampant inflation and now Trump tariffs hammering aluminum and other inputs… Continue Reading →
The winners of the 2025 Alberta Beer Awards were announced last night. This 8th edition of the competition brought an interesting mixture of familiar names and surprises. Here is my take on this year’s results. The big winners this year… Continue Reading →
I heard a radio ad the other day that left me angry. But likely not for the reasons the sponsor wanted. You see, Beer Canada has launched a new series of radio ads as part of its ongoing campaign against… Continue Reading →
I am admittedly a bit late to the table with this post – it has been a very busy month or so for me, but in the past couple of weeks the Alberta government quietly walked back to key policy… Continue Reading →
The first couple months of 2025 have been action packed in the Alberta beer world. In addition to being blindsided by sudden changes to mark-up policy and coping with the many lunatic (and increasingly imperialistic) tariff actions of President Donald… Continue Reading →
When your job is beer it is important to keep perspective on things at times like this. The growing economic storm due to Donald Trump’s maniacal rampaging is serious. It will harm millions of Canadians and Americans. In that context,… Continue Reading →
The 2025/26 Alberta Provincial Government was tabled last Thursday. Most of the talk revolved around the proposed income tax cut, the size of the deficit and what responses might come as a result of Trump tariffs. The government (and the… Continue Reading →
Last year in my annual-ish statistical analysis of craft beer in Canada, I declared the party was over (read it here, and you can find 2022 and 2020 as well, as well as my Quebec 2023 update). The period of… Continue Reading →
Most of you will have heard the news last week that Edmonton’s Blind Enthusiasm is closing its highly regarded restaurant Biera and Market brewery, at the end of December (you can read their statement here). Many expressed surprise at the… Continue Reading →
