The Great Canadian Beer Thread

[sync]

tried some of the black lager from Guinness last night...was ok but i wouldn't buy it for home.

[Jimby]

flavoured beer is a bit of a gimmick, but I had to try chocolate flavoured beer - it was good - but I wouldn't buy it again.


chocolate beer by LUMIN8, on Flickr

[Calgarian]

Originally Posted by niwell

Speaking of hops, the biggest bullshit beer in my opinion is Keith's. Stop selling your slightly-flavoured lager at import prices by claiming it's an IPA. It's not. Their other short-lived speciality beers were even worse - a "stout" that was a lager with food colouring and added flavour? ok.

Keith's is basically the Mumford and Sons of beers (that's not a compliment).

I don't mind Keiths, its pretty good as far as mainstream beers go. I definitely agree about it being considered a premium beer though, definitely a mass produced lager, not a craft IPA, not even close.

[shreddog]

Originally Posted by Jimby

...Bowen Island Beer is produced in Vancouver and I can buy it at Calgary Co-op liquor stores.

Actually while Bowen Island's corporate office is based in Van, it is actually contracted brewed in Kamloops by KB Breweries - same brewery as Whistler and Bear. In fact, Bowen hasn't been brewed in Van since 2001

[niwell]

Originally Posted by Calgarian

I don't mind Keiths, its pretty good as far as mainstream beers go. I definitely agree about it being considered a premium beer though, definitely a mass produced lager, not a craft IPA, not even close.

Yeah I wouldn't have an issue if it was priced identically to Canadian or whatever, instead of trying to pretend to be something it isn't.

I guess Stella fits into this category too. How this became seen as a higher-end import in Canada I will never know. In the UK it's perceived as being pretty trashy.

[shreddog]

Originally Posted by Acajack

But we do have Lucky Lager!

My condolences!

[SHOFEAR]

/\ Whistler might be the best brewery in the country.

[shreddog]

Originally Posted by niwell

Speaking of hops, the biggest bullshit beer in my opinion is Keith's. Stop selling your slightly-flavoured lager at import prices by claiming it's an IPA. It's not. ...

Not if you just mean their mainstream beer or their special "Hops" series??

Regardless, while their beers are mildly hopped like all the big brands, the truth is that even these mild IPAs can intrigue the interest of future beer drinkers onto the path towards good brews. I think we all started drinking watered down NA lagers before moving to real flavoured beers.

[shreddog]

Originally Posted by niwell

I guess Stella fits into this category too. How this became seen as a higher-end import in Canada I will never know. In the UK it's perceived as being pretty trashy.

And commonly referred to as a "Wifebeater". Nearly bust a lung laughing the first time I heard this!

[Jimby]

Originally Posted by shreddog

Actually while Bowen Island's corporate office is based in Van, it is actually contracted brewed in Kamloops by KB Breweries - same brewery as Whistler and Bear. In fact, Bowen hasn't been brewed in Van since 2001

Thanks I did not know that!
Some beer pics from my drunken summer:


Howe Sound by LUMIN8, on Flickr


W8D by LUMIN8, on Flickr


Skin So Soft was for mosquitoes not for drinking!

Wraspberry Ale by LUMIN8, on Flickr


Black Cat by LUMIN8, on Flickr

[niwell]

Originally Posted by shreddog

Not if you just mean their mainstream beer or their special "Hops" series??

Regardless, while their beers are mildly hopped like all the big brands, the truth is that even these mild IPAs can intrigue the interest of future beer drinkers onto the path towards good brews. I think we all started drinking watered down NA lagers before moving to real flavoured beers.

I was referring to their mainstream beer. The hops series is better, for sure.

I see where you are getting at but having Keith's actually turned me off from trying IPAs for the longest time because it tastes like a standard lager. I went through the route of German weissbiers which led to trappist ales and eventually to the North American craft market.

[shreddog]

Originally Posted by SHOFEAR

/\ Whistler might be the best brewery in the country.

Interesting choice of words as Whistler is no more a "brewery" than Bowen Island. Whistler bought out Bowen Island and Coquihalla with all being contracted brewed by KB Breweries in Kamloops. (These labels were once owned by Big Rock too). Funny thing is KB Breweries owns these brands and their recipes, but keeps a "corporate" office in Vancouver called Bowen Island to give the allusion of it being this little craft brewery rather than a big one.

Whistler Brewing Company is primarily just a label that is now brewed by KB, though supposedly they truck in "glacier" water for the Whistler batches.

I don't know if it's still open, but in support of the Olympics, KB opened a brew pub in Whistler such that they could say that Whistler beer was brewed in its namesake!

[SHOFEAR]

Originally Posted by shreddog

Interesting choice of words as Whistler is no more a "brewery" than Bowen Island. Whistler bought out Bowen Island and Coquihalla with all being contracted brewed by KB Breweries in Kamloops. (These labels were once owned by Big Rock too). Funny thing is KB Breweries owns these brands and their recipes, but keeps a "corporate" office in Vancouver called Bowen Island to give the allusion of it being this little craft brewery rather than a big one.

Whistler Brewing Company is primarily just a label that is now brewed by KB, though supposedly they truck in "glacier" water for the Whistler batches.

I don't know if it's still open, but in support of the Olympics, KB opened a brew pub in Whistler such that they could say that Whistler beer was brewed in its namesake!

either way...its good. Bear Paw Honey lager...mmmm

[Calgarian]

Originally Posted by SHOFEAR

either way...its good. Bear Paw Honey lager...mmmm

That reminds me, Grizzly Paw out of Canmore is pretty good, I especially enjoy their Rutting Elk Red.

[Acajack]

Originally Posted by Calgarian

That reminds me, Grizzly Paw out of Canmore is pretty good, I especially enjoy their Rutting Elk Red.

A great thing about this thread is all the awesomely original names that many microbrews tend to have!

[Drybrain]

Originally Posted by Acajack

A great thing about this thread is all the awesomely original names that many microbrews tend to have!

Behold.

[Calgarian]

I like Rogue's naming of their beers (American Brewery but still relavant) Dead Guy Ale, Yellow Snow IPA, Santa's private Reserve... lol

[Wigs]

neat!
Unknown stories of Western NY
The Moose head of Moosehead

KENMORE, N.Y.- He has been gone for more than a decade, but Jean Masse's artwork lives on, and it has helped a little floundering brewery in Nova Scotia build itself into the largest Canadian-owned beer maker.

In 1979, Masse' and his wife Rose had moved back to Rose's hometown of Kenmore to live. Jean had much success on Madison Avenue, but now decided to slow things down and do freelance work out of his Western New York studio.

The phone rang one day, it was an offer to come up with a new logo for a floundering brewery in Nova Scotia. It was actually Canada's oldest brewery, but it's label needed an overhaul. The beer's name was Moosehead, so Jean went to the Buffalo Museum of Science to sketch some of their collection.

He came up with a design that appealed to the company and seemingly everyone else. The artwork won a CLIO (the advertising world's equivalent of the EMMY), Moosehead became a brewing giant. They entered the United States market that year and became one of the fastest growing brands.

Moosehead remains the largest Canadian-owned breweries, and its label is now one of the Unknown Stories of WNY.

video: http://bcove.me/jwfznc6e

[Jimby]

Originally Posted by Drybrain

Behold.

[CanadianCentaur]

Forgot to mention that I also like this stuff both on tap and in bottles!