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… Continue Reading →
Ever dreamed of becoming a brewmaster? I imagine many of you have thought about completing the training to become a brewmaster. But I suspect an equal number of you have hesitated at the prospect of moving to the U.S. or… Continue Reading →
Most of you know I have been developing a theory about the general tendencies of brewers in each part of the country. In short, I argue that each region has its own distinct personality, linked to its history, culture and… Continue Reading →
Over the long weekend, I took a bit of time to get caught up on some online reading, getting to beer blogs I enjoy and haven’t gotten around to hitting in recent days or weeks. During my perusing, I read… Continue Reading →
It is a rare sad news day here at Onbeer. I have received confirmation that Calmar’s Roughneck Brewing is closing its doors. Rumours have been swirling for months that flagging sales and owner Terry Cameron’s need to earn income were… Continue Reading →
The March issue of Alberta Venture magazine features an article from me about the proliferation of discount beer in Alberta. Most of you will remember the small kerfuffle last fall around revelations that Minhas Brewing was receiving Alberta’s “transitional” mark… Continue Reading →
Late on Friday, Molson announced that it was de-listing Carling Black Label Big Ten from Alberta. For those of you unfamiliar with this beer (and I expect that is most of you) this is a cheap, high alcohol (10.1%) beer… Continue Reading →
For a number of years now, Alberta liquor stores have had a a good selection of craft beer from B.C. (Howe Sound, Central City, Cannery, Nelson and, recently, Phillips) and Quebec (Dieu Du Ciel, Charlevoix, Trois Mousquetaires). Of course there… Continue Reading →
A year or so ago, I was feeling rather hopeful about the state of craft beer in western Canada’s pub chains (as evidenced by this post). I was particularly bullish on Hudson’s Canadian Tap House, who had just initiated “Beer… Continue Reading →
My column in the current issue of Planet S Magazine revisits a longstanding beef of mine – date codes. I have never understood why breweries feel the need to mask the production/best before date in a jumble of letters and… Continue Reading →