The Craft Beer Guide to Canada
Along with health care, maple syrup and the beaver, Canadians love their beer. It’s the most popular alcoholic drink in Canada, with more than $9 billion in annual sales.
No longer content to drink the watery blandness shilled by Molson, Labatt, and Sleeman, Canadians have been upping their craft beer game in recent years. But while some former craft brewers, like Creemore Springs and Granville Island have been absorbed by the larger multinational companies, more small brewers across the country are taking their beer to market.
The best Canadian craft beer is worth the trip—not to mention that the exchange rate makes travel in Canada very affordable. But you can find some of them stateside as well. As they expand production, more are sure to be heading south.
Here are 10 of the best craft beers from the Great White North.
Propeller IPA
Propeller Brewing Company
This list starts on the East Coast in Nova Scotia with Propeller IPA. This beer is a three-time World Beer Championship gold winner and it’s due to a smooth, strong caramel flavor that’s easy on the hops for an IPA. The toned-down bitterness makes it a good compromise between the IPA lovers and haters. You can pick it up at the Prop Shops in Halifax or Dartmouth, and it’s carried in beer stores across Canada.
Pump House Blueberry Ale
Pump House Brewery
The problem with fruit beer is how often they manage to taste more like juice than beer. This is not a problem with Pump House Blueberry Ale. While the blueberry flavor is unmistakable, this ale doesn’t sacrifice the taste of beer. It’s lightly hoppy and smells like blueberry muffins.
You can drive up to visit the Pump House restaurant in Moncton or find the Blueberry Ale at bars across Canada, all listed on the brewery website.
St. Ambroise Oatmeal Stout
McAuslan
From the McAuslan Brewery in Montreal, Quebec, this stout is sweet and dark, but not too heavy. It’s a good winter beer, though it’s light enough to drink year round, if you’re willing to be the oddball having a dark beer in patio weather.
St. Ambroise has been exporting to New England since the early ‘90s and can now be found across the country. Sadly, if you’re in Montreal, tours aren’t available, but St. Ambroise can be found on tap in pubs across the city.
La Fin Du Monde
Unibroue
From Unibroue in Chambly, Quebec, La Fin du Monde, aka “The End of the World,” is named for the European explorers who colonized North America. It’s an attempt at recreating medieval Trappist monk brewing, and a successful one. It’s spicy, fruity, and overall a tasty beer. La Fin du Monde is available across Canada, in several U.S. states, as well as in France, Switzerland, and Belgium.