By: Jeffery Straker
I am Jeffery Straker and I love micro-brewed beers and craft beers with intense, full flavor. I’m lucky enough to have had the luxury of sampling them in almost all the Canadian provinces while touring in support of my music.
I first developed my love of craft breweries and good beer while at university in Belfast, Northern Ireland when I realized they all didn’t need to be the kind of watered-down brews catering to the broadest spectrum of palates possible (although in general my hunch is that British and Irish people like more flavor in their beer than North Americans).
Some locally made craft beers can be gutsy and bold. They can be extremely hoppy, or really bitter. They can even incorporate local fruit flavors or coffees if they want, and they know they aren’t there to please everyone—which is just fine by me and those who love them.
I’ve been able to pick a favorite or two in many of the provinces in Canada that I have stopped in while on tour and I thought I’d share a few of them with you. If you come across any, you should give them a try. (Caveat: for all I know, some of these have been discontinued since I tried them! If so, try some other brews by these breweries—they’re all doing good things).
British Columbia: Granville Island Brewery (Vancouver) – Robson St Hefeweizen
Alberta: Wild Rose Brewery (Calgary) – Alberta Crude Oatmeal Stout
Saskatchewan: Bushwakker Brewpub (Regina) – Palliser Porter
Manitoba: Half Pints Brewing Company (Winnipeg) – Stir Stick Stout
Ontario: Mill Street Brewery (Toronto) – Mill Street Belgian-Style Wit Beer
Quebec: McAuslan Brewery (Montreal) – St Ambroise Oatmeal Stout
New Brunswick: Pumphouse Brewery (Moncton) – Scotch Ale
Nova Scotia: Propeller Brewing Co. (Halifax) – Propeller Porter
PEI: Prince Edward Island Brewing Co. (Charlottetown) – Iron Bridge Brown Ale
Yukon: Yukon Brewing (Whitehorse) – Midnight Sun, Espresso Stout
If you would like to follow more of my beer adventures while on tour or listen to my music you can do so on twitter @jefferystraker.
Featured image via Unsplash.