Finally, a post about beer, eh? Appropriate since I named this blog Teardrops and ALES.
I’ve had a lot of great craft beer along the way this trip…. breweries from New Mexico, Arizona, Utah and Montana (I somehow missed Idaho beer… I hope to rectify that soon!), but not had the chance to visit many breweries (two, to be honest).
I’ve said it a million times… there’s nothing like finding the perfect brewery on the road. Last night, after a quick internet search I selected one to visit during my brief stay in Calgary, the Dandy Brewing Co. It’s a new brewery – established in 2014, and based on a quick internet search, I found it’s beer offerings most compatible with my tastes. (They currently have a grissette on tap, and a sour!).
The craft brew scene in Alberta is relatively young compared to my home state of North Carolina. Only recently (as in late 2013!) did “small” breweries have the ability to get licenses and brew beer in Alberta, and while the market is growing rapidly, it is still very young and growing. Calgary, a city much larger than my hometown of Asheville, NC, has only a handful of breweries and well, former Beer City USA has more than I can count.
I showed up to a small space in an industrial park, and nearly every single chair in the 20-seat tasting room filled. That was a good sign to me considering it was only about 4:00pm on a Thursday afternoon! Every beer on the four beer flight I had was delicious. It is truly craft beer, something I had never found before on my MANY trips to Canada.
After a few tastes, one of the owners who was sitting at the bar, Matt, revealed himself to me and offered to take me on a tour. I was impressed. It’s a small, still-new operation, and they are brewing everything themselves in 3 and a half barrel quantities, and their beer is REALLY GOOD. From Oyster Stouts (yum!) to saisons to IPA’s, everything I had was good, and I don’t usually say that about an entire brewery’s offerings.
Needless to say, I planned on staying for a pint and ended up staying about three hours. But the beer was delicious. And even more so, the people were amazing. Canadians are amazing. I chatted with beer enthusiasts about the evils of Donald Trump, the new brewery laws in Alberta and the craft beer scene, the Olympics (from the moron named Ryan Lochte to the Russian doping scandal to the supremacy of the American Women’s hockey team) and the beauty of the Canadian Rockies. It was a great first day in Canada, and one I’m sure I will build on as I continue the trip.
Dandy Brewing – you guys are awesome. I regret not getting a sticker for my teardrop camper, or a tshirt to wear. Keep up the amazing work, and I can’t wait to taste your brews in North Carolina one day!
Teardrops & Ales 