Longtime readers may recall your humble narrator waxing poetic about the Brewsters chain of brew pubs a few times over the years.
Brewsters was started by two brothers in Regina, way back in 1989. A few years later, they had expanded to the Alberta market, and now have 6 locations in the Calgary area, 5 in Edmonton, and 3 in Regina.
In the beginning, each brew pub was also a self-contained brewery, with the delicious craft beers being kegged onsite and then served up to the diners in the attached restaurant.
However, as time went on, it because more cost-effective to consolidate brewing operations. Today, the Calgary location in the Foothills industrial park produces all the beer for the Calgary and Regina locations, with a smaller brewing facility in Edmonton producing for that part of the province.
Much to the chagrin of the beer nerds across the prairie provinces, it has never been possible to find Brewsters products at retail liquor stores.
No gentle reader, due to a byzantine maze of liquor regulations in our fair province, Brewsters was only legally allowed to sell their beer for onsite consumption in their restaurants, or for off-sales takeaway directly from the restaurant.
In a blinding flash of common sense, the Alberta Gaming & Liquor Commission has recently been slashing the red tape, removing unnecessary barriers from the brewing industry left and right, much to the delight of the brewers and consumers alike!
In addition to the recent abolishment of minimum production requirements that prevented small breweries from setting up shop in Alberta, the AGLC has just relaxed some of the brewery license restrictions, making it possible for brew pubs to bottle their wares for sale in retail liquor stores across the province.
As you can imagine, the fine folks at the Brewsters Brewing Company were beside themselves with joy, as they had been badgering the AGLC for nearly a decade to allow them to do exactly that.
Brewsters is putting the final touches on their labels now, and expect to have six-packs available in select Calgary liquor stores within the next 90 days, and a province-wide rollout soon after that. Keep your eyes peeled!
Your intrepid liquor reporter has long been a fan of Brewsters fine beers, and has made regular pilgrimages to all the locations in Calgary, as well as tourist visits to the Edmonton and Regina locations.
At one point near the turn of the millenium, there was even a Brewsters location in Calgary’s hip Eau Claire market, which closed to make way for the Hard Rock Cafe to open a Calgary location, much to the chagrin of your humble narrator, who enjoyed nothing more than a cool pint on the patio overlooking the river.
My long-term favourite brew has been the Lanigan’s Irish Ale, which bears the namesake of the family behind the Brewsters operation. Made in the style of an Irish Red, it pours a rich amber colour into the glass, with plenty of caramel malts to give the beer a solid structure. The hops are traditional European varietals, providing a clean finish without excessive bitterness.
The Rig Pig Pale Ale is most popular with the beer nerds, made with locally grown Alberta barley, and a zesty amount of Cascade hops from the Pacific Northwest. This is definitely a beer for lovers of aromatic floral hops, balanced nicely with a medium-bodied malt structure.
Wheat beer fans need look no further than the Wild West Wheat Ale. A 70/30 mix of barley and locally grown wheat, this beer is only lightly hopped, and is the perfect summer beer on a hot day.
For the unwashed masses who are afraid to stray from their steady diet of Coors Lite, fear not, for Brewsters has a brew for you too! The somewhat predictably named Brewsters Original Lager pretty much does what it says on the tin, a pale yellow fizzy beer with minimal hopping and a mild pale malt profile.
This is the beer that you give to your beer novice friend that you want to wean off the Coors Lite without frightening them with too much flavour. Just move them slowly through the different Brewsters offerings from lightest to darkest, and they will be beer snobs in no time!
Your intrepid liquor reporter will be watching the local liquor stores for signs of the long-awaited Brewsters six-packs, but it certainly won’t keep me from my regular visits directly to the brew pubs for a cold pint onsite, and maybe even an off-sales takeaway or two!
