YYCTOURS Is Calgary's Only Locally Owned and Operated Craft Tour Provider.
YYCTOURS - 2023 Alberta Brewery AwardsÂ
The 2023 Alberta Brewery Awards wrapped up on October 18, and YYCTOURS shares all of the Calgary Breweries who took home some well deserved medals.
The Establishment
The team at The Establishment took home honours as the 2023 Alberta Brewery of the Year. They also won this award in 2021, and in that same year, won Canadian Brewery of the Year. On top of being named the best brewery in Alberta, Establishment was voted Best in Show (AKA best beer in Alberta) at this year's awards for "I Left My Wallet in El Segundo". El Segundo is a Lichtenhainer , which is a historical beer style that is sour and smoky originating from Thuringia, Germany. This version is an oak smoked sour beer with pineapple. Additionally, Establishment won gold in Low Alcohol for Chaise Longue and gold for My Best Friends Girl (which also won silver at the 2023 Canadian Brewery Awards). The Establishment does it all from lagers to barrel-aged mixed fermentation, and if you have not been, you are missing out on some of the best beer ever. In spring, YYCTOURS Calgary Brewery Tours reviewed the Establishment and you can check that out here.
Stony Slope
Stony Slope, the brewery we like to go to when we are not out on a tour, won New Alberta Brewery of the Year and for very good reason. Having just opened in Spring 2023, Stony Slope's focus is primarily on lost and forgotten styles of beer, which is something no other breweries are doing. From hundreds of years old Raw Ale recipes, to Finnish Sahtis and Imperial Porters, Stony Slope is going to be a name that you will see on trophies for a long time to come. Check out our Calgary Brewery Tour review of Stony Slope to learn more.
Two Pillars
Another Calgary brewery we have on our 'must visit' list is Two Pillars, who took home several medals and a Best in Show bronze for their Belgian Blonde. YYCTOURS reviewed Two Pillars in Spring of 2023 and we knew right away how special this brewery was. With a super small batch brewhouse, they are pumping out some incredible Belgian style beers. At this years 2023 Alberta Brewery Awards, Two Pillars took a silver for their 'Two Pillars Wit, a German Belgian Style Wheat Beer, another silver for Two Pillars Dark Strong in the Strong Belgian category, and a gold and bronze medal in the Belgian Ale category for Belgian Blonde and Two Pillars Pale. It should also be noted that Two Pillars took home a silver and bronze at the 2023 Canadian Brewery Awards. .
Cabin
Cabin is one of the more well known breweries in town. Located in the 'Barley Belt' brewery district, Cabin are usually known as the masters of hazy beers. At this years Alberta Beer Awards, Cabin showed their range, diversity and skill by netting three silvers and a gold. Sunshine Rain IPA (which also won a silver at the 2023 Canadian Brewery Awards) Cloud Nectar (sour,) and the famous Super Saturation all grabbed a silver, while Luminosity won a gold in the German/Czech Style Pilsner category.
Eighty-Eight
Another Calgary institution are our good friends at Eighty-Eight Brewing. No Alberta Brewery Awards are complete without the team at 88, who brew practically every style of beer and then some, winning medals. At the 2023 Canadian Brewery Awards, 88 took a Gold for Hammer Pants. At this years Alberta Brewery Awards, they brought home a silver for a Double Imperial Strength beer called Skeleton Crew, a bronze for Spiced Beer 'Good Morning', and a silver under sour beer for the classic 'Duotang'. Whenever we stop at Eighty-Eight for a Calgary Brewery Tour, our guests have nothing but great things to say about the beer, the staff, and the awesome Portland Street pizza and appetizers. Located in Alyth/Bonnybrook, 88 is a must visit if you are out on a walking tour in one of Calgary's several new brewery districts.
Meta
What a year it has been for Meta Brewing. Not only did they win a gold in the Double Imperial IPA category at this years ABA's, they also won two golds at the Canadian Brewing Awards.
OT
It's great to see the awesome folks at OT win medals. The super nice people that make up the team at OT really take pride in what they do and are always happy to see YYCTOURS stop in. Crafters of one of our all time favourite beers, Ghost Runner Mango IPA (discontinued) , OT scored a bronze in the Double Imperial Strength Beer category for Hurry Hard White Chocolate Imperial Stout, a whopping 10% abv beer, along with a gold in the popular Sour category for After Sour Hour. Located a little off Blackfoot and 42 Ave. SW. OT has a comfy and inviting taproom with lots of sports on TV and an always wide range of beers to try out.
Tool Shed
If you do not know who Tool Shed is, welcome to planet earth. One of Calgary's most famous breweries won a gold for Zero Red Rage from their very popular ZERO non-alcoholic series. We actually were just up at Tool Shed a couple weeks ago and wrote this review.
Brewsters
Brewsters has been brewing award winning beer since 1991. Although they have several locations across the province, In Calgary, their spots are off the beaten path and not very close to downtown. However, that does not mean they are not popular, in fact anytime we stop in, they are packed with guests enjoying beers, food and sports. This year, Brewsters won a silver for their German/Czech style pilsner and a bronze for Oh My Quad in the Strong Belgian Ales category. See our Calgary Brewery Tour review of Brewsters here.
Brewsters
Cold Garden
Located in the historic Inglewood district, Cold Garden Beverage Company (and Dog Park) is another famous Calgary landmark. A silver was awarded in the Amber Ale category for Red Smashed In Buffalo Jump, and a bronze was given for Dandelion's Blonde, a beer that also won a bronze at the 2023 Canadian Brewery Awards. No visit to Inglewood is complete without stopping in to Cold Garden who we feature on our Dog Friendly Calgary Brewery Map
Ol'Beautiful
Located right next door to Cold Garden Beverage Company is another brewery that our Calgary Brewery Tour guests always love. The atmosphere in Ol'Beautiful is very comfortable, the staff are great and the tacos from A1 are perfect. Fingers Crossed NEIPA won the gold for New England Hazy, a category that was swept by Calgary breweries. OL'B offers a wide range of beverages and is a very popular spot. make sure you get there early and nestle in for a night of great people and drinks.
Trolley 5
Trolley 5 is a very busy spot located on the Red Mile (17th Ave). Owner Ernie is a Calgary legend and voice for the community restaurant association. In a unique category called 'All Alberta Malt and Hops' , Trolley took 1st overall for Pop's Pub ale. Trolley also won gold at the 2023 Canadian Brewery Awards for Turntable Lager.
Village
Village Brewery is another one of Calgary's more famous breweries. They consistently make award winning beer on the Provincial, National and World stage with practically every batch. Their core brew, Village Wit took a gold at the ABA's for American Style Wheat Beer. Another core beer, Village Blacksmith, won bronze under Brown Ale and their CRFT Pale took a silver in the ever -trendy Non-Alcoholic category. Village just expanded last summer and offer beer styles for every drinker. YYCTOURS Calgary Brewery Tours reviewed Village here.
Annex
Another super popular spot in Calgary. Located next door from The Establishment, Annex took a bronze for Lil Kerouac sour and a silver in the craft soda category for Saskatoon Lemonade.
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Last Best
Last Best almost swept the seltzer and RTD (Ready To Drink) category with both a silver for Tom Collins and a bronze for Gin-Arita.
NEXT YEAR Predictions
This years Alberta Beer Awards saw several new breweries enter the scene, with many of them coming from Edmonton. YEG just underwent a massive increase in the amount of breweries opening this spring. Spots like Blind Enthusiasm, who swept an entire category, and Ale Architect, who won across several categories, are going to be coming for the big win next year which does nothing but benefit all of us lucky Alberta beer drinkers.
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To see all the winners, visit Alberta Beer Awards
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Cheers,
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If you are new to YYCTOURS, please do have a look around. We really enjoy sharing beer stories, beer history, Calgary brewery reviews, maps and more. We pride ourselves on being more than just brewery tours, and enjoy being able to share what we can about YYC's great craft scene.
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