Canadians love their beer. In 2014, they consumed over 22 million hectoliters of beer, 84% of which was Canadian. It’s also worth a mention that 56% of beer-drinking Canadians prefer lagers and 34% prefer ales. Here are some other facts that distinguish the brewing industry in Canada.
High-Quality Barley Is Canadian Breweries’ Competitive Edge.
Barley is an important ingredient in beer-making. Fortunately for Canadian brewers, barley is one of Canada’s most important grain crops.
Since 1948, the “Brewing and Malting Barley Research Institute” has supported the development and evaluation of new malting barley varieties. The country has, as a result, maintained a leadership role in barley research and production over the years.
Breweries in other countries appreciate Canadian barley’s level of quality and availability. Consequently, Canada-based breweries have been able to obtain licensing agreements with leading U.S. and offshore breweries to manufacture the foreign companies’ brands in the country.
Canada Is a Country of a Few Brewing Giants and Hundreds of Microbrewers.
In 2014, 520 licensed breweries were operating in the country. Interestingly, over half of these breweries operate in Ontario and Québec.
Two of all the breweries, Labatt Breweries of Canada and Molson Breweries, target the whole country. Then there are six regional breweries located in different territories and hundreds of microbreweries targeting local markets.
The Canadian Brewery Industry Is Highly Innovative.
The Canadian brewing industry is vibrant and advanced. Significant developments from Canada have included new yeast strains that are more alcohol-tolerant and others that produce low-calorie beer. New products have included seasonal beers, low-carbohydrate beers, and low-alcohol beer.
Canadian companies also pioneered the brilliant brewing techniques of continuous malting and continuous brewing. There also have been trials on new package formats and efforts to enhance the preservation properties of plastic to match those of glass bottles. Other notable contributions are the innovations around temperature-sensitive thermochromatic ink and high-tech insulator to help monitor beer temperatures.
The Canadian Brewing Industry Is a Pioneer Advocate for Responsible Consumption of Alcohol.
Canadian breweries were among the first brewers to address the issue of responsible drinking. The companies initiated and continued to fund programs that fight misuse.
The Canadian Beer Industry Holds an Impressive Environmental Record.
Canadian brewers have over the years utilized environmental-friendly policies in their brewing plant operations and control of packaging. Amazingly, an average 99% of Canadian beer bottles are returned. Other breweries such as Steam Whistle Brewing Company have very elaborate green initiatives.
Photo Credit: Pixabay.com
Steam Whistle Brewing is an independently owned microbrewery in Toronto, Ontario. Steam Whistle was founded by the “Three Fired Guys.” The present owners are “The Good Beer Folks.”
“The Three Fired Guys” refers to three guys who got fired after the micro they worked for changed owners. “The Good Beer Folks” is a group of private investors most of whom are employees, family, and friends.
Steam Whistle is renowned for its beloved Canada’s Premium Pilsner. The company’s founders made a conscious decision to brew only one kind of beer. The choice has enabled the company to focus all of its energy in brewing one Premium, proudly Canadian beer.
Steam Whistle is also a fantastic story of entrepreneurship with a big heart. The company is green, literally and figuratively. The brewery has even won many environmental awards. To help save the planet, the company has numerous green initiatives that include:
1. Green bottles are really green. The bottles can potentially be re-used for up to 45 times- the industry’s standard is 15 times. Their painted logo saves trees and eliminates the need for ink, varnish and glue. And every element from their packaging line is also recycled.
2. Reliance on all natural products. Incredibly, Steam Whistle uses only four ingredients that are all-natural and GMO-free. The ingredients are pure spring water, malted barley, hops, and yeast.
3. Since 2007, Steam Whistle Brewing has been using clean, renewable power.
4. Since 2006, the brewery has been using biodiesel in their delivery trucks.
5. The company’s building is also very environmental friendly.
6. Waste diversion program- Among other ways of diverting waste, their “spent grain” is used by Wellington County farmers as animal feed.
A story on Steam Whistle Brewing can’t be complete without a mention of the brewery’s green vintage vehicles. The company’s vintage vehicle fleet makes a spectacular sight. Each of the green delivery vehicles has a personality and a name. There are names such as Chuckles, Grumpy, The Party Bus, Lumpy, Betty, Shakey, and The Scout.
Edmonton’s International BeerFest endeavors to bring you all the good beer news and tales. We also honor amazing brewers who work hard to give beer lovers fantastic beer flavors. We also love talking about International Beer Fests that bring together good brewers and beer enthusiasts.
Photo credit: Steam Whistle
One aspect that is well known about Canadians is that they just love their beer. Canadian beer can be said to be pride of a nation. As a matter of fact, most events taking place in the region feature a variety of local brews. This will apply to both formal as well as informal. The social drink is not just another chilled drink but a symbol of the culture of the people. A beer brand that existed in the days of our grandparents still remains popular to this day. Talk about passing on of the drinking culture.
In line with keeping up the rich beer history, large as well as microbreweries regularly hold beer festivals. At the event, a person is able to sample what Canada has to offer. Whether you love your ice beer, fancy your cream ale, or simply cannot resist craft beer, then this is an event for you. Brewing beers is no longer a tightly kept trade secret as it was in the yesteryears. The modern brewer allows his customers sample the latest brews as well as have a tour of the brewery. This experience allows beer drinkers share their thoughts about their favorite drink. It also leads to people appreciating the big role the beer industry plays in the economy.
Friendships and strong social bonds are always established during the beer festivals or a tour of a brewing plant. This is even becoming a common pastime for many people. It is also viewed as a way of appreciating the local brewing sector that has been growing tremendously. Local brands are generally well received in the market. This is attributed to the provincial regulations which encourage local brewing. So next time you are sipping your cold Budweiser, Molson dry, Coors light, Labatt blue, pale lager, or any other beer brand, you may well appreciate the rich culture, strong friendship, as well as robust economy that is made possible thanks to the beer industry.
Since the advent of major breweries, there has always been tension between mainstream beers and those which are produced by local brewers. While major brewers have the benefit of providing consistent prices and brews, there is a distinct lack of choice in beer selection resulting from this homogenization. In fact, one of the leading sites for collecting information about the Canadian beer industry estimates that as little as four percent of all beer produced in Canada is brewed by independent craft beer breweries.
This is troublesome for a nation that is famed for its love of drinking and producing beers of every kind. The problem, by and large, is that many of the larger companies buy out the small breweries. The effect of these actions is that there are many fewer choices in the beer that is being consumed throughout the country. While each province has shown itself capable of producing distinct flavors to reflect their geography and culture, the craft beers are being diluted by the heavy influence of the major brewing industry.
However, this is still some hope left to keep a variety of choices available in Canadian craft beers due to initiatives such as the Ontario Microbrewery Strategy. This initiative provides government support to microbreweries that are trying to explore different marketing strategies, while simultaneously allowing them to hire more workers so that they can keep their breweries running smoothly. As a result, they will be able to keep providing liquor sellers with a wide selection of beers that are not simply copies of one another.
Having the choice to drink and enjoy a distinct flavor of beer is a necessity to anyone who enjoys drinking, and this choice can be maintained by supporting local breweries, buying craft beers, and embracing microbreweries all throughout the provinces and country as a whole.
The benefits of supporting your local brewery aren’t limited to the awesome beer, the great food or the wonderful camaraderie. Supporting your local brewery means that you are contributing to the local economy and ensuring that the brewery and your locality thrive.
It’s easy to see how being a patron of a local brewery contributes directly and indirectly to the local economy. The brewery pays taxes to the local government, which ensures that, with every bill you pay there, there is money going to the local economy. There is also the added factor of jobs being generated with the growth of the local brewery. Some of the better known local breweries go on to mass produce their beer to be sold across the country, and this generates even more jobs for the town. With brewing being a skill that takes years to perfect, interested individuals will benefit greatly from helping out at the brewery and learning on the job.
The Edmonton BeerFest has supported many start up breweries along the way. https://edmontonbeerfest.com/wp_sitemap_page/community-profile/
Pub food has always been a unique cuisine and local breweries go to great lengths to carry on the tradition. Most local breweries have a menu that pairs their food with the beer available and the combinations can be mouthwatering. It’s a good reason to choose the pub over a fast food chain for a hearty dinner.
Buying merchandise is also a great way to support your local brewery. Buying a t shirt or a cap not only helps you show your support for the brewery but also gives them some free publicity. Advertising can be expensive, so the small cost you pay for the t-shirt or the cap may mean huge savings for the brewery!
If your brewery is in a farming town, this means that some farmers can diversify their crop and add barley to their crop rotation. This will ensure that the brewery has a convenient source for their main ingredient and farmers have a permanent customer. Another boost for the local economy. Make mention to your local brewery to take part in Edmonton BeerFest we get a real kick out of helping businesses grow.
Molson Brewery’s
At the end of the day, it’s not a hard task to support your local brewery. The food is good, the beer even better and the merchandise is a great reminder of the place you love.
https://internationalbeerfest.com/
