Labatt Local Series

As reported on Canadian Beer News, Labatt is set to launch its "local area code" brews throughout Canada.

Inspired by the Goose Island Brewery's popular 312 Urban Wheat from Chicago and Amsterdam's 416 Urban Wheat, Labatt will release many local beers including a 403 and 780 for Calgary and Edmonton.

Neat.

Big Rock Brewmaster's Series

The new Beer in Big Rock's Brewmaster Series will be out in January and it's a Dunkelweizen Dark Wheat Ale. The press release states that:

Dunkewlweizen is a dark wheat ale comprised of a blend of 5 distinctive malts. This unique bavarian masterpiece has a wide spectrum of flavours & aromas varying from chocolate, coffee, vanilla and a few other surprises lurking in the background.

We are loving the new beers from Big Rock - welcome back!

Craft Beer Hits Globe and Mail

The Globe and Mail did a nice article on the Canadian craft beer market and spanned the country. Great representation highlighted from the prairies.

Nice job Jim Gibbons from Ambers and Steve Cavan from Paddock Wood.

Globe Article

Prairie Picks

OK,

We were asked by a number of friends for advise on bringing various beers to holiday parties or to bring an "interesting 6 pack" as a gift for a host or beer lover more this year than ever before. The craft movement is here, my friends, roll with it.

Now we intended to blog and tweet and all that social stuff while we chatted about it but never got around to it - sorry. With more parties happening this week and NYE we have decided to post our picks.

Now in true Prairie Beer Blogging, we will give you our favourite prairie 6 pack. A great idea to bring a host is a sample of great beers from the prairies. So here we go ...

1 - Fort Garry Dark - I can be sure your host hasn't had a Fort Garry and we don't give this bee enough credit. It's dark, but they'll love it!

2 - Wild Rose Velvet Fog - depending on your recipient, this could be a tough sell when they pour it as it is VERY cloudy. But oh so delicious.

3 - Paddock Wood Bete Noire - Again, out of Paddock Wood's line-up, Bete Noire does not get the credit it deserves. A stout that all can enjoy.

4 - Alley Kat Charlie Flint - What a great beer and there hasn't been a person I've given this to who didn't like it.

5 - Half Pint Little Scrapper ipa - IPA's are tough gifts but to put together a sampler and not put one in seems wrong. This one is fun and a good taste.

6 - Grizzly Paw's Rutting Elk Red. Every Canadian loves a good red and this one is one your host will love!

Alternate - Brecknock Pilsner - ok we know we shouldn't but if if you're store is out of one these try a Brecknock pilsner. Your host will not have heard of it and will enjoy it. It's a great story beer.

OR - Great Western Pilsner. A lot of Great Western Beers sell but this is their best beer. Turn people on to it.

Enjoy putting together your Western Sampler (Hmm that would be a great name)

New TAPS finally here

Seems like I post this each time it FINALLY hits the west. That said, the winter issue of TAPS - The Beer Magazine is finally available in the west. Many great articles - a lot of international and food related ones this round. From the west, there's one on Festive Beers but there's a GREAT one on Ambers Brewing Co.

You know it's a great magazine - pick one up.

Maybe even write or email TAPS and tell them how much you love the articles that James Burla writes

Oh Happy Day Thunder Bay!!!!

OK, so some of you might not count Thunder Bay, ON, as the prairies, but I do and it's our site. It is Northern Ontario and the point where the Canadian Shield meets the prairies (well sort of). Anyway it's my home town and I am so very glad to see craft beer will once again flow through the Kaministiquia River.

Sleeping Giant Brewing Company is set to open its doors in the spring and according to their facebook page post on tasting we may see the likes of a wheat ale, oatmeal stout, porter, vanilla porter - the likes to which TBay has never had.

Great job guys. It's a tough go starting and a tough city to crack - I wish you well and will be having friends bring some of your beers out west the first chance I get.

Sleeping Giant Brewing Co.

Raspberry Blonde in Blonde

No, not a hot girl we saw there, the new beer on tap at Banff Ave Brewing. Its gotta be good - it's a raspberry blonde.

Now if they have a raspberry blonde waitress serve it you, not that's marketing!

Banff Ave Brewing

Big Bulge Saison back at Brewsters

Yeah - French Saison is back. Known for the French area of Belgium where the battle of the bulge took place, the saison is spicy, lemony and orangey. Nice.

Good excuse to go for dinner

Brewsters

Calgary's Minhas Brewery Finlly brewed in Calgary

According to the Calgary Herald, Minhas Beer will finally be brewed in Calgary. Minhas Brewery is spending 5 million on a facility in the NE and produce their Mountain Crest and Minhas beers. The beers have been produced in Wisconsin since a facility in the sate bought the company in 2006. Set to come back home, the brewery will now be renamed Minhas Craft Brewery.

There you go.

Calgary Herald