News came last week that brewery taprooms and brewpubs (along with other licensees except nighclubs) will be included in the first phase of the Alberta government COVID-19 re-opening strategy, with restrictions. This news came as a bit of a surprise… Continue Reading →
A couple weeks ago I sat down (virtually) with Dalen Landis of Grain Bin Brewing in Grande Prairie. During the COVID crisis, he has been doing a series of informal conversations with various local personalities (including the Mayor!), people with… Continue Reading →
Late last week the AGLC released a Bulletin (which you can read here) making some amendments to their Liquor Manufacturer Policy. The big news is a relaxing of rules around contract brewing. The timing of the changes is a bit… Continue Reading →
There have been lots of questions and talk around the recent sale of Edmonton’s Alley Kat to a pair of St. Albert entrepreneurs. You can read the story of the sale here, and my analysis of what it might mean… Continue Reading →
With the forthcoming release of Blind Enthusiasm’s second Monolith beer on March 8, I thought it would be a good time to gaze inside this fascinating operation. I did my last CBC column introducing the Monolith to northern Albertans (which… Continue Reading →
I stumbled across a fascinating collaboration the other day. Apparently (I must have missed the memo), Banded Peak Brewing and Blind Enthusiasm Brewing recently got together to do a collaboration. Now collaborations are all well and good. At worst it… Continue Reading →
As I have been slowly working my way back into the beer world (and real life), I have been asked two questions countless times. “Why do you think Alberta beer is exploding?” And, “Are we going to max out?” The… Continue Reading →
My last Vue Weekly column offered up a theoretical beer trip down Highway 2 (which you can read here). In an afternoon you could hit a half a dozen or so breweries without really venturing off Alberta’s busiest highway –… Continue Reading →
Today marks the launch of Alberta Beer Week 2017. For the next 9 days (yes, I know that is more than a week, relax) breweries and beer-oriented pubs and stores will be offering a range of events, discounts and profiles… Continue Reading →