Anyone who loves craft beers has a lot of choices in Canada. There are numerous breweries with a wide variety of selections, from IPAs to lagers to sours. Each year Expedia compiles a list of the best beer towns in the country to aid those with sophisticated beer palates who want to discover new and different brewpubs.
Towns were rated by their number of breweries and brewpubs, the awards they received, and originality, i.e., their ability to create unique flavours. Check out the top five:
- Vancouver, BC
This is the obvious winner. Mount Pleasant, aka Brewery Creek, includes 33 Acres Brewing Co., Faculty Brewing Co., and Brassneck Brewing, which explains on its website: “We like to experiment, not take ourselves too seriously and constantly try new things. The result is a busy, ever-changing chalkboard, full of choices showcasing a mixture of tried & true ‘dangerously drinkable’ beers, Nanosized experiments & lesser known styles from all over Europe & North America.”
East Vancouver, dubbed “Yeast Van,” has the award-winning Parallel 49, Bomber Brewing, and Luppolo Brewing Company, which explains on its website: “We love creating mixed fermentation beer, our wild yeast and bacterial strains impart complex flavours that would otherwise be impossible to achieve.”
- Penticton, BC
Penticton is a small town full of award-winning breweries. It’s also the home of the hugely popular annual Beerfest, Fest of Ale, and the Penticton Beer Run, which features tastings from the Cannery Brewery, Bad Tattoo, Tin Whistle, Barley Mill, Highway 97 and Firehall Breweries. The town is also part of the BC Ale Trail.
- Guelph, ON
Guelph dominated the 2018 Ontario Brewing Awards. Wellington Brewery snagged first place in Country Dark Ale and Rhubarb Saison, while Royal City Brewing Co. medaled in Oktoberfest. Expedia recognized the city’s breweries for their creative names, such as Double Trouble Brewing Co.’s Hops & Robbers IPA and Grow a Pear Cider and Brothers Brewing Co.’s Tropic Thunder Pale Ale.
- Regina, SK
Award-winning breweries in Regina include District Brewing Co., Bushwakker Brewpub, and Rebellion Brewing alongside newcomers such as Pile O’Bones Brewing and Malty National Brewing Corp., which is continually changing its beer offerings. Recent selections? Saskatoon Milkshake of Doom IPA and Aaron’s Duke of Earl with black tea and vanilla flavouring.
- Oakville, ON
Oakville features Cameron’s Brewing, which has been recognized locally, nationally and worldwide for its beers. All or Nothing Brewhouse features craft beer alongside liquor and mead, while Les 3 Brasseurs holds workshops for those who want to create their own beers with the help of experienced brewers.
