Beer Guy: Cross Canada beer

In the July August Issue“The more we get together, the happier we’ll be.” –Raffi

Our brilliant new Governor General Louise Arbour had a Raffi song (Like You and Me) sung at her swearing-in ceremony in the Senate Chamber in June. No scandal there, who doesn’t like Raffi? (Monsters, that’s who.) A children’s song was mildly surprising for me as Louise Arbour is a formidable person, super smart and capable, a former scholar, prosecutor, Supreme Court justice and UN High Commissioner. But a glance at the lyrics shows the song is about tolerance and diversity, some of the themes of Arbour’s swearing-in speech. Her Excellency knows what’s she’s doing! Besides, it seems to me that children’s entertainers are some of our wisest philosophers. Mr. Rogers, Mr. Dressup, Bert & Ernie and the Friendly Giant—they’re all teaching the Golden Rule: treat others as you would like to be treated. In these divided times, we, the adults, should remember this.

My own insistent earworm by Raffi teaches the simple but deep truth that we’re happier when we’re together—it’s all about community. This truth has been the through line in my life, connecting my work life in libraries and my off-work life with politics, music, sports and of course, beer. One togetherness initiative that makes me happy is my Boys’ Weekend (BWE), an annual gathering of friends from undergrad days at the University of Alberta. Now living in cities across Canada and in Europe, for over 20 years we’ve gotten together in person at a city in North America. We’ve been to most of the best beer towns in Canada and the U.S.—from Portland to Halifax, Austin to Montreal and Denver to Quebec City. This summer is a special trip, with spouses, to Ireland to attend one of our numbers’ wedding in a coastal town near Belfast. Our usual agenda includes drinking IPAs, walking the streets and arguing about the Oilers and other nonsense. Since the re-election of the Orange Menace to the south we’ve gone elbows up and focused on Canada.

This year we went to Ottawa, coincidentally for Louise Arbour’s investiture as Governor General. The day before her swearing-in we were on a backstage tour of the Senate Building and happened upon Arbour in a dress rehearsal. Ottawa is an underappreciated city. It’s a pleasant city, about the size of Edmonton, with a similar government-university town vibe. Parliament Hill and the river and canal area around it is beautiful, with fantastic cultural attractions like the Canadian War Museum, the National Gallery and the Museum of Nature within walking distance. We took a water taxi across the river to the Canadian Museum of History—you can’t do that in Edmonton. We hit up breweries like Flora Hall, Beyond the Pale and Lowertown, plus Brigid’s Well, an Irish pub in the basement of an old church.

Our current elbows up moment is an opportunity for Canadians like me and the boys to get out and see our big, beautiful country from coast to coast. We’re meeting each other, finding out what we have in common and where we differ. Here’s what I know: beer people are good people. It’s hard not to like someone while sitting on a taproom barstool next to them. Having had beers at breweries from coast to coast, in every province, I can say that what unites us is all that comes along with a good pint—conversation, laughs and the weird and wonderful connections. How often does someone say to you; ‘you’re from Edmonton? Do you know so-and-so?’ and it turns out to that you do? Join me and make a Great Canadian Road Trip this summer, drink some great beer, and meet your neighbours. See you down the road.

Cross Canada six pack

As the Arrogant Worms sang, ‘Canada’s really big’. There are about 1,200 breweries in Canada, with at least one in every province and territory. Here’s a tiny selection from six of Canada’s regions: Maritimes, Quebec, Ontario, Prairies, BC and the North. All available at better Edmonton beer shops.

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Propeller Brewing: Slabtown West Coast IPA, Halifax, NS
Halifax is a great beer town, but look beyond Alexander Keith’s. Hit Garrison Brewing near Pier 21 before heading to Halifax’s historic North End, anchored by pioneering craft brewery Propeller on Gottingen Street, with Good Robot and Tusket Falls nearby. Slabtown is Propeller’s homage to hoppy west coast IPA.

Wills Brewery: Mile-Ex Pale Ale, Montreal QC
Montreal was a real leader in craft beer back in the day and continues to be a centre for great beer. Check out Cheval Blanc in the Village, Dieu du Ciel in the Plateau, McAuslan in Lachine and Messorem in Saint-Henri. Find upstart Wills and its sunny patio in Mile-Ex, a developing neighbourhood north of Mile End and west of Little Italy.

Blood Brothers: Dream Vine Hazy Pale Ale, Toronto, ON
Toronto has evolved into a good beer town over recent years, with about 50 breweries widely dispersed around town. Look for breweries like Bellwoods in Ossington, Left Field in Leslieville, Burdock in Bloordale, Godspeed east of Yonge near Little India and Blood Brothers in the grungy but developing Geary Avenue arts district.

Nokomis Hazy Pale Ale, Nokomis, SK
Prairie cities are full of great craft beer and worthy of a visit. There’s Kilter, Sookrams, Barnhammer and Nonsuch in Winnipeg, Rebellion and Pile O’Bones in Regina and Shelter and Prairie Sun in Saskatoon. But some of the best breweries are outside the big cities. Nokomis Brewing makes great beers in the village of Nokomis, about an hour southeast of Saskatoon.

33 Acres of Nirvana IPA, Vancouver BC
BC is full of fantastic beer towns—Victoria, Penticton, Port Moody—but with the World Cup in town, it’s Vancouver’s moment. Van has two key beer nodes, East Van with Superflux, Luppolo and Strange Fellows and Mount Pleasant (or Brewery Creek) with Steamworks, Brassneck and Main Street. There is no better place than the 33 Acres patio on a sunny afternoon.

NWT Brewing: Bug Repellent IPA, Yellowknife, NT
The north—Yukon, NWT and Nunavut—is a vast land with several breweries working against the odds to slake northern thirsts—Yukon Brewing in Whitehorse, Nunavut Brewing in Iqaluit and NWT Brewing in Yellowknife. NWT Brewing launched in 2015 as Canada’s most northern brewpub and quickly became a community hub. Bug Repellent is their flagship beer, a hoppy west coast IPA.