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What a time to be alive

There used to be one or two breweries around town and look at us now!  Calgary has over 40 craft breweries!  So many that it's tough to visit them all, a good problem to have.  And the cool thing about the craft beer industry is that micro-breweries are so supportive of each other.  It's not a competition, there's enough customers to support all of these great places.  Well, as long as we are doing our job to GO THERE AND DRINK! So GO. Go support the local craft beer industry and check each of these off your "to drink" list. 


IMPORTANT NOTE: If you like hitting up breweries and want a heads up on various local brewery events you should check out YYC Sociables.  It's literally what I send you weekly. 

Calgary's Best Breweries

Like choosing your favorite child, it's hard to pick one when you love them all dearly.  So while I don't want to exclude any of these fantastic beer-making businesses, there are some breweries I will recommend visiting before others.  People ask me this ALL THE TIME, so here are my top 6.

Dandy Brewing company

Elite Brewing & Cidery

Dandy Brewing company

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When people ask for my top picks I always list Dandy because I just love the taste of their beers. They do a lot of sour beers that are damn delicious. They have a small but welcoming tap room and serve food as well.

Cold Garden

Elite Brewing & Cidery

Dandy Brewing company

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Cold Garden has created their own cult following.  It's known for it's crazy hipster decor, fluffy dog patrons and ability to order takeout, there is a reason it's always packed.  Also they have big delicious beer list.

Elite Brewing & Cidery

Elite Brewing & Cidery

Elite Brewing & Cidery

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I'm a big fan of the patio at Elite. I think it might be the best brewery patio in the city.  Perfect for cold beers on a sunny day, people watching and checking out cute patio pups! 

ol' Beautiful

REvival Brewcade

Elite Brewing & Cidery

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Ol' Beautiful makes the list because I like a flavorful dark beer and I think Ol' Beautiful does it better than anywhere else in the city. 

cabin Brewing

REvival Brewcade

REvival Brewcade

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Maybe wins for cutest brewery.  Love the 70's cabin theme.  It's so cozy, especially in the winter.  Note: it's not very big so expect it to be pretty full.

REvival Brewcade

REvival Brewcade

REvival Brewcade

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Revival Brewcade is a great way to spend an evening.  It's only $5 for all you can play games. Sooo fun. Also they have an amazing selection of crazy creative beers. Lots of sours on tap and other weird beer flavour combinations to try. Love it. 

List of All Calgary's Breweries

Here's a list of all of Calgary's breweries in reverse chronological order.


  If you're the competitive type you're gonna try to visit them all, you know, just so you can brag about how sophisticated you are. Not to brag, but I'm at like 24 breweries (hair flip). If you want a printed list to track your progress, download a pdf I made below.  I'll still beat you though.

Download this list

Calgary Craft Breweries May 2020 (pdf)

Download

Do it yourself Brew Tours

visit all the breweries

If you're still reading you're definitely the kind of person who wants brewery bragging rights.  You can visit all of Calgary's micro-brewery's in 6 weeks (one tour per weekend) if you follow each of the brewery tour maps I've included below.  Some are walkable brewery tours others require transportation.  Below each map is a link to the tour in Google Maps.  Send it to yourself or go old school and print it. 

INdustrial Tour - 9 Breweries

INdustrial Tour - 9 Breweries

INdustrial Tour - 9 Breweries

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Longest tour!  I recommend an early start and a full stomach of BBQ from Paddy's BBQ and brewery.

  1. Paddy’s Barbecue & Brewery
  2. Banded Peak Brewery
  3. Cabin Brewing Company
  4. Born Colorado Brewing
  5. Legend 7 Brewing
  6. O.T. Brewing Co.
  7. Annex Ale Project
  8. The Establishment Brewing
  9. Prairie Dog Brewing

Heaviest drinking tour

Inglewood Tour - 6 Breweries

INdustrial Tour - 9 Breweries

INdustrial Tour - 9 Breweries

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Heart of the Barley Belt!  These breweries are close enough you can walk, bike, jog, or stumble your way through. Ends at Revival Brewcade so you can finish with bonus video games!

  1. Eighty-Eight Brewing Co.
  2. The Dandy Brewing Co.
  3. Cold Garden Beverage Co.C
  4. Ol’ Beautiful Brewing Co.
  5. High Line Brewing
  6. Revival Brewcade

Walkable Inglewood Tour

Downtown tour - 5 breweries

INdustrial Tour - 9 Breweries

Downtown tour - 5 breweries

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Mostly made up of older restaurant/pub style breweries.  This tour can be walked or stumbled!  (note that Last Best is last, ha! the irony)

  1. Mill St. Brewery
  2. Trolley 5 Brewpub
  3. Inner City Brewing
  4. Brewsters Brewing Co.
  5. Last Best Brewing

Walkable downtown tour

South Tour - 6 breweries

Airport Tour - 2 breweries

Downtown tour - 5 breweries

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Requires a little more drive time. Some of the older breweries on here.

  1. Wild Rose Brewery
  2. Marda Loop Brewing Co.
  3. New Level Brewing
  4. Village Brewery
  5. Good Mood Brewery
  6. Big Rock Brewery

Deep South

North tour - 7 breweries

Airport Tour - 2 breweries

Airport Tour - 2 breweries

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Spread out in the North. The coldest tour, haha just kidding.

  1. Minhas Micro Brewery
  2. Zero Issue Brewing
  3. Citizen Brewing Company
  4. Elite Brewing & Cidery
  5. Common Crown Brewing
  6. Red Bison Brewing
  7. Tool Shed Brewing Co.

Deep north

Airport Tour - 2 breweries

Airport Tour - 2 breweries

Airport Tour - 2 breweries

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Its a drive to get to the start of this tour, but... then it's only 2 stops!

  1. Railyard Brewing
  2. Caravel Craft Brewery


If you want to add a 3rd bonus brewery, head out to Airdrie to check out Fitzsimmons Brewing!  They do brewery tours every Saturday at 3pm. 

Deepest North

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