Beer Makes Edmonton a Better Place
Do you like beer? Do you like walkable neighbourhoods? Do you like having beer in walkable neighbourhoods? If you do, then Edmonton’s “Happy Beer Street” may be for you!
As someone who has frequented this area many times, in both the coldest and warmest of weather, I wanted to give my tier list opinion on why this area makes Edmonton so special. While we don’t have as many breweries per capita as Calgary, Victoria, or even Penticton, “Happy Beer Street” makes up for that in its proximity which fosters community and vibrance.
My top five breweries on “Happy Beer Street”:
Bent Stick Brewing- My personal favorite of the bunch. I have never had a bad experience here. The beer is good and cheap, the staff are great, they normally get quite busy but have a large interior seating area and a decent patio as well. They do not serve food but encourage you to bring or order food to enjoy with your brews! Oh, and they are very dog friendly! (Beth’s Recommendation- Haymaker Wheated Lager)
Shiddy’s Rumpus Room- Not technically a brewery but a sister company to Seachange Brewing, which sits right beside Bent Stick. They offer Shiddy’s Distilling and Seachange to drink. They are also the new home to Flatboy Burgers which is very excellent. They don’t have a huge interior but they just expanded their patio! Super cool retro vibe! (Beth’s Recommendation- Hard Arnie with Shlurp)
ODD Company Brewing- The larger of the two locations (the other being in Wîhkwêntôwin/Oliver). While this one is much more of a restaurant vibe, they have good food and a large interior and patio. (Beth’s recommendation- Tio Juanito Mexican Lager)
Long Roof Brewing- Decent sized interior and patio. Very Friendly staff. Also only offers snacks but allows outside food. Haven’t tried many of their house beers (I’ve mostly tried their specials for Wyrd Bier) but their collaboration with True North Cider is quite good! (Beth’s recommendation- Cherry Cider)
Alley Kat Brewing- An oldie but a goodie! I’ve met the owner a few times and he is very nice. Even though they are a big brewery, they still like to be adventurous and collaborate with their neighbours (cough cough SeaChange…..). Very small interior but a good place to check out nonetheless! (Beth’s recommendation- Six O’Clocker Lager)
My honourable mentions of other breweries in (and around) Edmonton:
Irrational Brewing- Sitting on 124th St in an old Streetcar station, this is a planner's dream of what adaptive reuse can look like. Their beer and snacks are also quite good! (Beth’s recommendation- Opuntia Mirage: Guava and Prickly Pear sour)
Polyrhythm Brewing- Small brewery near the Telus World of Science. Great hot dogs and nice staff. Very music forward vibe! (Beth’s Recommendation- Snare Buzz NEIPA)
The Growlery Beer Co- Small place tucked behind the air traffic control tower in Blatchford. Cool airport theming and nice staff! Dog friendly and good snacks (you can order takeout food here too). (Beth’s recommendation- Cran Tea Tangler)
Leduc Brewing- A bit of a drive but well worth it. They are only 2 years old but they have their sh*t together! Good beers, large interior and patio, very friendly staff. They have a partnership with Fox Burgers that will deliver directly to your table! (Beth’s recommendation- Leduc County Lite Lager)
Campio Brewing- About to open a second location just off “Happy Beer Street” which is very exciting. Much more of a restaurant but good beer as well. Excellent pizzas and appetizers. (Beth’s recommendation- Light Rail Pale Ale)
Analog Brewing- Very small interior and kinda tucked away in a parking lot but worth the hunt! Very friendly staff and a cool retro-nerdy vibe! I believe they just started offering some snacks! Also resides beside a very mysterious soup company but that is too long of a story for right now. (Beth’s recommendation- Proxy Lime Cerveza)
Most of these locations also participate in annual “contests” which allow for fun ways to explore the city and try new beers! “Wyrd Bier” which is run each January, is run by Analog Brewing and includes up to 17 different breweries! This past year we tried a shrimp cocktail beer, animal burger beer, avocado stout, and a sparkly ube beer (and many more)! While most of these were not ones I would ever order again, it was still fun to go on adventures with friends, brave the cold weather, support local businesses and try new things!
There are many other breweries within and around Edmonton that I don’t have the space to mention, so I strongly encourage you to check them out! Patroning these areas allow for a way to see new parts of the city that you may have never checked out. I personally think that this area makes Edmonton a much better place to live. It allows for a fun place to gather with friends, support local businesses, and get good beer! What could be better than that?
Please drink responsibly
Find more information about “Happy Beer Street” here!
-Written by GAPSS VP Internal Beth Bennett (Beer Enthusiast)