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Calgary Breweries – 10 Best Options For a Beer Lover

Calgary Breweries is where every beer lover should be at least once in his lifetime.

Calgary is home to great locally brewed beers. People from all corners of the globe visit these breweries at least once a year.

There are over 35 Calgary breweries, each with style, charm, and taste. Trying out some of the finest malty, bitter beers is a highly-rated experience around Calgary.

We have picked the ten best of them to help you choose which one to choose.

Explore the local brews that support and uplift local artists and craftspersons, hop on from one to another and get a different taste on your taste buds every time. After all, trying out different beers is probably one of the fun things to do.

Moving on, let’s check out the top 10 best Calgary breweries.

CALGARY BREWERIES
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Beer-a-Licious: The 10 Best Calgary Breweries

The Canadian craft tours have been associated with some of the best Calgary breweries to show you your favorite craft beers’ back scene.

If you wish to be guided in your craft beer exploration, consider visiting via a tour. Both public and private tours are included.

1. Citizen Brewing Company

Address: 227 35 Ave NE, Calgary, AB

Citizen Brewing Company is one of the most exotic Calgary breweries. It is a family-friendly, 50-seater taproom with live music. (How great is that!!)

Open seven days a week; Citizen Brewing Company is your hidden beer oasis. They are all about creating delicious craft beers and providing a lighthearted atmosphere because that’s how you can enjoy every sip of your beer.

It is the perfect place to forget all your worries and enjoy yourself on the outside patio with your friends. Yes, you have heard it right; Citizen Brewing Company has not only a taproom but also an amazing patio nestled just right outside.

The 150-seat patio is a favorite hang-out spot for many.

The two biggest competitors are its original two beers, the Batch One Session Ale & Batch Two Northwest Pale Ale. People go crazy over these two.

Citizens have won recent awards in the 2020 Alberta Beer Awards. It received the silver prize for its Royal Pine WCIPA.

And their shipping container kitchen offers you a mouthful of amazing pub food. One must try their burgers; they are the finest in the city.

CALGARY BREWERIES
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2. Eighty-Eight Brewing Company

Address: 2600 Portland St. Southeast Calgary, Alberta.

Opened just two years ago in 2018, the Eighty-Eight Brewing Company, named after the ’88 Olympics’, brings great experimental beers onsite to you.

Eighty-Eight Brewing Co. has two brewhouses and a cozy indoor taproom offering your delicious cold beer under the tap. The vibe inside is solely inspired by the coolness and awesomeness of the ’80s.

The brewing area is displayed creatively, with neon lights and a Nintendo entertainment system, creating rousing energy. From the beer choices to space, it’s all good in the hood.

The brewery experiments a lot with its flavors, offering you many choices. They are very good at developing creative new seasonal offerings, such as the Good Morning Coffee Stout. (Which is, by the way, a must-try.)

Tip: There are special pizza pop-ups on Friday & Saturday nights. Set your dates right!

3. Annex Ale Project

Address: 4323 1 St Southeast Calgary, Alberta.

Located in the Barley Belt, the Annex Ale Project is for the ultimate beer lover. Erica and Andrew’s owners aim to take their city’s microbrewery scene or culture to great heights. They experiment with beers to make the best of a kind for serious beer drinkers.

The vibe inside is all about the beers and life. The Annex Ale Project offers you the space to have a relaxing evening and great conversations.

Annex Ale has a new burger joint offering delicious burgers and taproom. They offer great non-alcoholic beer sodas as well.

Most recommended are the “Root Beer Racinette” and the “Saskatoon Lemonade.”

Annex Ale is also an award-winning microbrew. They won both silver and gold in the 2019 AB Beer Awards. Drop in for a pint or to fill a growler for home, whichever suits you best. An award-winning brewery is not one to miss.

CALGARY BREWERIES
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4. Cold Garden Beverage Company

Address: 1100 11 St Southeast, Calgary, Alberta.

Known for its microbrewery, The No. 4 for Calgary breweries is Cold Garden Beverage Company.

Located in Inglewood’s lively community, Cold Garden Beverage Company is a microbrewery that aims to revive the former brewing district of Calgary.

Cold Garden offers you a variety of traditional and eccentric beers with an overall casual and buzzing energy. It is the ideal space to introduce first-timers to the craft beer world. The local community vibe inspires the ambiance.

Their interior is quite unusual and different, based on the visual art genre of kitsch. The whole scene has a distinct happy charm, which makes the visit more memorable.

There is mismatched vintage furniture and a giant pineapple-look-alike disco ball. Also, it is dog-friendly. So don’t hesitate to bring your awesome friends to the place.

5. Big Rock Brewery

Address: 5555 76 Avenue Southeast Calgary, Alberta.

Explore the real art of craft beer at the Big Rock Brewery. Their craft beer scene is as big as the big rock they are named after.

Founded in 1985, the Big Rock Brewery knows its audience well. It is one of Canada’s leading craft breweries.

The taproom at Big Rock Brewery offers ten signature beers, four ciders, seasonal beers, and unique nano brews. They have something for everyone.

Their onsite eatery, The Grill, is about good food, beer, and company. The complete menu is beer-inspired, with great food that goes well with a mug of beer.

The founder of this fantastic brewery was Ed McNally over 30 years ago.

CALGARY BREWERIES
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6. Tool Shed Brewing Company

Address: 801 30 St, Northeast Calgary, Alberta.

Next up on the list of Calgary breweries is none other than the Tool Shed Brewing Company. And as the name suggests, this brewery was built in a tool shed.

The Tool Shed Brewing Company is owned by two friends, Jeff and Graham, who grew up in Calgary. So, with great handcrafted beers, they serve fresh backstories too.

Each of their beer variants is inspired by something and has a story. They print their beer cans with the stories behind them as a homage to each story or inspiration.

They aim to bring people together over a couple of beers and enjoy themselves the best way they can. And they are in business to promote Alberta barley.

Some say it is one of the best western North American breweries.

Tip: Check out their recent beer lineups: People Skills, Red Rage, and Star Cheeks.

7. Village Brewery

Address: 5000 12a St Southeast Calgary, Alberta.

Discover the amazing fresh beers on tap at Village Brewery, one of the most happening Calgary breweries.

The Village Brewery was started to support Calgary’s artists and craftspeople. Furthermore, it extends people’s vision toward the arts and community.

The interior of Village Brewery offers a pleasant ambiance to share a couple of beers with friends and family and make memories of a lifetime.

As their name suggests, the plus point of this brewery, compared to other Calgary breweries, is the community feels. The Village brewery now offers six different craft beers that fit various palates.

They are open every Monday-Friday, and on Saturdays for guided tours.

CALGARY BREWERIES
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8. Wild Rose Brewery

Address: 4580 Quesnay Wood Drive SW, Calgary, Alberta.

A funky-themed brewery among Calgary breweries is the Wild Rose Brewery. It was established in the year 1996.

The Wild Rose Brewery uses local techniques and ingredients for beer making. This brewery is the best fit for someone who is experimenting with their beer taste and wants to explore something unusual.

Their taproom has been voted Calgary’s favorite for six long years. Located in an old airplane hangar, their taproom is as unusual as their beers.

Their unusual approach to beer flavors sets them apart from the other Calgary breweries. Try out their 16 amazing beers on tap.

9. Bow River Brewery

Address: 5769 4 St SE, Calgary, AB, Canada.

Known for elite brewing best beer, an all-season family-friendly brewery awaits to be explored.

Bow River Brewing offers eight cool beers on tap and a wide variety of seasonal brews. Their family-friendly taproom has the perfect vibe for chilling.

They also offer great onsite pizza choices to go along when you drink beer from this establishment.

Bow River has reasonably fair prices, and visitors are nearly satisfied with the services. They are open Monday through Saturday.

Their ‘River Fest’ and ‘High Country Amber’ core beers are a must-try. The River Fest is a German-style beer brewed in traditional German ways.

CALGARY BREWERIES
Source: Shutterstock

10. Caravel Craft Brewery

Address: 12-10221 15 St NE, Calgary, Alberta

Last but not least on the list of Calgary breweries is the Caravel Craft Brewery.

Caravel Craft Brewery is another award-winning beer in Calgary. Three of its craft beers, Captain’s Log, Castaway Coffee Lagar, and Dunkel, won the 2018 Alberta Beverage Awards.

Caravel Craft’s name has a deep sense rooted in it; it is named after a specialty craft ship. The ship demonstrated a sense of exploration, and so did Caravel Craft Brewery, hence the name.

Located near the Calgary airport, their large taproom is mostly loved by travelers.

They bring a new touch to the old brewing traditions and bring back the old forgotten beers with a twist of their own. They offer you five core beers and three different seasonal beers.

Tip: Try out their seasonal ginger beer.

Closing Views

And that is all there is to know about the top breweries in Calgary. Therefore, keep these 10 in mind anytime you intend to visit a Calgary brewery and pick the top one for you.

Most of these Calgary breweries are pet-friendly, so you can always bring your pals to enjoy.

CALGARY BREWERIES
Source: Shutterstock

Also, besides these top 10 breweries and their great beer, here are a few more you can have a great time at, such as Railyard Brewing, Dandy brewing company, cabin brewing company, establishment brewing company, and Revival Brewing (it is not only has a taproom but an arcade, too, with video games).

Share your amazing experiences with us in the comment section when you visit any of the mentioned breweries, or you can put up your suggestions. Let us know what your thoughts on these Calgary craft breweries are!

And while you are in Calgary, here’s your guide to 25 amazing things to do: click here.

Also, if you wish to explore Alberta, we have you covered. Alberta is all about its rocky mountains, so here’s a guide to the rocky mountains.

Last Updated on by alishbarehman

Author

  • Kritika Hazarika

    Hola! This is Kritika. She is a part-time content writer, a full-time poet, and a Biotechnology graduate. She is the author of Dusk Till Dawn- her first poetry book which was published in 2018. To follow her writeups visit kritikahazarika.blogspot.com or check out her Instagram handle @ms.hazarika

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