The Great Alberta Beer Bonanza

Story by Rita Feutl
Photography by Martin Lipman

There’s a beer explosion happening in Alberta – here’s why…

IN THE LOFT OVERLOOKING ALLEY KATS’ BREWING operation, the surprisingly sweet smell of malted barley scents the air.

“Here, taste some,” says owner and brewer Neil Herbst, dropping a small cascade of golden grains into my hand. I sniff, I taste, and I want to take some home for snacks.

“This is what goes into our beer,” says Herbst. “Barley, it’s grown right here and it’s absolutely wonderful to use.”

Alberta grows about half of Canada’s annual barley production.While much of it is exported, some is shipped to Alberta’s micro-brewers who know a good product when they see one. Take the case of Ed McNally, a former barley farmer in southern Alberta who thirsted for a locally made brew.“I went into beer because I realized we were growing some very good barley,” says the owner of Calgary’s Big Rock Breweries. “And the big brewers were using more and more American corn rather than a malt. So I decided to make a real malt beer.”

TAILORED FOR CONNOISSEURS

Albertans seem to appreciate it. The Brewers Association of Canada reports that in 2001, each person in this province chugged down 88.8 litres of beer, above the national average of 85.06 litres. “People are switching from cheap wine to good beer,” says McNally.

“Basically there’s been an explosion of beer,” says Robert Walsh, Brewsters’ head brewer. “People are finding small-scale brewers are making products that are unique and well-flavoured. Mass-produced beers are made to be accepted by everyone, whereas our beers are tailored to a smaller market.”

THE HEART AND SOUL OF BREWING

Besides producing the normal ales and lagers, small brewing operations will often serve up more interesting suds, such as bitters, beers with a hint of raspberry or apricot and barley wine – highalcohol ale with an intense malt flavour.

“In a way we have a luxury because the bigger you get, the more you have to make products that appeal to a mass audience,” says Alley Kats’Herbst. “It wouldn’t be worth it for Molson’s to make a barley wine, because they wouldn’t sell it widely.”

He chews thoughtfully on a handful of barley. “The big thing about microbreweries is that we provide the heart and soul of brewing. I haven’t met a brewer yet who isn’t absolutely passionate about their craft or art.”•