Published by Allen Brown
Flavour and quality add a lot to good food! Craft beers, compared to the beverages produced by major companies, are a great example of quality over quantity. This article explores the history of craft beer in Canada and the challenges and rewards brewers experience.
A Brief History of Modern Canadian Beer
Let’s start by exploring the history of brewers, especially in Canada. Much of the inspiration for what we call craft beer comes from the consolidation of many breweries after prohibition and World War II. Prohibition devastated the Canadian brewing industry, as most breweries went out of business before prohibition ended in 1930.
With far fewer breweries trying to produce beer to appeal to the masses, competition lessened when soldiers returned from World War II. Canada ended up mostly relying upon three major brewers, with Labatt, Molson, and Canadian Breweries Limited leading the way as they managed to overcome the challenges of delivering reasonably fresh beer across the large, low-population-density land mass that is common throughout Canada.
Since the “Big Three” Canadian brewing companies didn’t have much competition outside of each other, they weren’t encouraged to innovate much by trying new flavours or methods. Instead, many Canadians complained that the beers were becoming bland, as though breweries were trying to appeal to every possible beer preference without offending any palates.
The Rise of Craft Beer
Dissatisfaction with the beer available in liquor stores and bars helped pave the way for innovation. In the case of craft beer, this meant producing beer locally, with local tastes and delivery methods in mind and none of the compromises that came with brewing a beer for a national audience.
A beer expert could say that the Canadian craft beer movement started in 1984 when Granville Island opened a brewery aptly named Granville Island Brewing, followed closely by Brick Brewing in Waterloo, Ontario. Growth wasn’t fast, though, as more explosive growth came in the late 2010s, when numbers doubled, effectively giving Canadians the chance to try beer from more than 700 breweries. In recent years, the growth of craft beer has mimicked the growth of another incredibly popular pastime, iGaming, which can be enjoyed easily since you can get started with a $10 deposit.
With a larger number of companies brewing locally, we have a more significant variety of smaller brands producing a wide range of flavours. A trip to the local pub or liquor store now involves exploring coolers and taps with many unique concoctions, from a grapefruit IPA to a peanut butter-flavoured lager.
Generally speaking, craft beers are high in quality. While this claim might seem a bit subjective since quality is in the eye of the beholder, we don’t think it’s too controversial to say that craft breweries dramatically improved the variety and flavours of beer compared to the basic types of drinks produced by major companies.
Why Craft Breweries are Different
A few decades ago, a foodie might venture to a restaurant to try something new and have a big selection of dishes to try and a limited selection of beer. The much larger number of craft breweries now available in Canada has opened the doors to a better overall food and drink experience. The development of an appreciation for the complex flavours of craft beer leads to the desire to explore other foods, too! While one can certainly find bars that don’t serve much food, a good beer combined with a menu of thoughtful recipes, including pizza, beer, chicken, burgers and more, elevates a dining experience beyond just a drink and simple snack like peanuts.
Even if a craft brewery doesn’t serve food, its ability to deliver local beer to a restaurant helps support local businesses trying to encourage customers to have a good time and stay a while.
The Challenges Faced by Craft Breweries
As they produce the beer that many Canadians enjoy for a wide range of occasions, from casual tastings to casino nights with friends, craft breweries have also encountered some challenges that stifle further growth. Some breweries face the precarious balance of producing enough beer to meet local demand and transporting beer to distant locations in Canada while maintaining the freshness that connoisseurs demand. In addition, while liquor stores offer a greater variety than they used to, local regulations can make selling outside of a brewery’s own location and nearby restaurants difficult. Breweries that do grow enough may be tempted by buyouts from larger brewing companies that are likely to change their brand.
Despite these hardships, we are truly enjoying the presence of handcrafted flavours, with brewmasters dedicating their time and expertise to ensure others get to try something different, even if the government doesn’t make it easy. Still, Canadian microbreweries don’t have the same massive hurdles they did when Canada went through prohibition and legal liquor production was halted.
Conclusion
The craft beer revolution grew out of dissatisfaction with the lack of diverse flavours from major brewers. Fortunately, options have grown considerably over the years as more small, local breweries began operations. We look forward to trying the many unique types of beer that Canadian microbreweries will produce!