Amid comically slushy streets and rather impressive parking lot snow mountains, 19 bustling breweries invited the patrons of Wyrd Bier Adventure to sample their creative concoctions over the last week, the sprawling flavour festival continuing on through Feb. 1 in and around the city.
As if built to please the deeply pregnant (though, responsibly, of course not), pickles and ice cream were high on the repeat beer inventions stirred up by our regional brewmeisters, and indeed one of my faves was more of a sundae cocktail than some bold Friday-night chugger.
Bitterness, fruity delectability and especially actual weirdness of the checklist pints were discussed and scored between old friends and new, some arguing a beer must stand alone without fancy garnishes, others delighted every time a green bean or some freeze-dried ice cream showed up on the rims – or not, in the case of the undersupplied edible scorpions.
As always, some of the harshest critics were the brewers themselves – unhappy such-and-such carrot flavour didn’t come out or the baklava had the wrong ingredients. But another of the best ones considered a miss by its maker quickly sold out all its takeaway cans.
What follows is a brewery-alphabetical review of all 19 new beers downed since Wednesday, mostly half pints which, like anything you buy from a brewery on the scavenger hunt, gets you a passport stamp on the way to your completist glass or medal on the 24th at noon at Analog.
Alcohol content in percentages, scores at the end.
Ale Architect (9918 76 Ave.), Skull Island Lassi, 5%
I love Ale Architect’s brews, pizzas and overall university vibe, but this tart mango ale was almost diverse to a fault, just hints of hops and sour transparently floating around in a watered-down blend that had me craving a Mike’s Hard Lemonade, of all dumb things. Great can design, but … 2.5/5
Alley Kat (9929 60 Ave.), Soju Bomb, 5%
One of many lactose larpers at this Wyrd year, Alley Kat’s radioactive green melon yogurt ale is super fresh and delectable, feeling almost healthy despite being 450 calories a pint. Nut allergenics among you might also want to try their velvety milk stout faux-nuts Nutty by Nature, which will indeed not kill you one bit! 4/5
Acadia (10712 120 St.), Strange Case of the Pickled Butter, 5.3%
Sweet, nutty and generally tasty, Acadia’s peanut butter pickle stout was low on pickle, but really well done. My companion Mike Mars has a nut allergy, so we went for the Back to Black Currant Sour Stout, even better than their Wyrd Bier. 3.5/5
Analog (8620 53 Ave.), Creature of the Baklava-Goon, 4.5%
There was some discussion amid the makers of this what baklava should taste like in this black lager – pistachio versus walnut – and they went for the latter in this tough, malty brew. Nuts here again, so we also sampled the amazing El Destructor Mexican hot chocolate stout – so good! 3.5/5
Bent Stick (9926 78 Ave.), 24 Carrotene, 7%
Bent Stick’s classic beer hall vibe is unmatched in the city, and they’re always swinging for the fences, which is why this Belgian golden strong, though basically almost a twin sister of delicious Hoegaarden, fell a bit flat as all that effort peeling “150 lbs. of carrots” made the beer orange, but didn’t add much of anything to the flavour with the turmeric overpowering. Good, but just. 3/5
Blind Enthusiasm (9570 76 Ave.), Still Cardamom, 6.5%
My favourite niche brewers in town, prone to multi-year cask experiments, this spiced still spontaneous beer has no carbonation with cardamom added to the base, so it’s about the best-smelling brew of the 19 – and truly delicious. Super classy venue with playful hoser servers, this date-night venue delivers once again. 5/5
Dog Island (at The Den at 10367 104 St.), The Bride of Frankenstein, 5%
This wheatgrass West Coast lager brought in from Slave Lake just tastes like a normal, slightly hoppy grassy beer. Nice, just not weird, in this basement across from Katz’ endlessly advertisement-flashing complex. 3/5
Endeavour (215 Carnegie Dr., St. Albert), The Mummy Returns… With Snacks, 4.6%
Um, actually “Without Snacks.” A fragrant, cloves and cinammon-tasty American lager keeping with the desert theme. But – boo! – they fast ran out of the Thailand scorpions which were, for the couple hundred that got them, anyway, for sure the weirdest thing in a festival named for that. Trying not to sulk over this fine brew. 3.5/5
The Growlery (40 Airport Rd.), Forbidden Cream, 4.5%
The idea of an “astronaut ice cream ale” is pretty compelling, concept well-executed by the freeze dried neopolitan ice cream on the rim. Below that, an acceptable ale, so it’s basically all about the saucy name and sweet garnish on this one. 3.5/5
Irrational (10643 124 St.), Be Kind, Babies, 6.5%
I don’t like hoppiness so go figure this tropical, ice cream IPA would be my favourite thing on the whole journey – vanilla beans and mango pulp in the beer below a nice scoop of Kind vanilla with whip cream and sparkles on top. Not too hoppy and with a cool spoon straw, this made me feel like a worriless kid at Dairy Queen for the first time, yum! 5/5
Leduc Brewing (4901 50 Ave., Leduc), Puttin on the Ritz, 7%
Whoa, great job, Leduc! This Frankenstein wing spice IPA has delicious Roker Hog Wild Pork Rub on the rim, and the green bean brings it all together. Also, so many happy dogs here to pet! Worth the drive. 4/5
Long Roof (9916 72 Ave.), Onibaba, 6.1%
Besides the missing scorpions (see above) lovely Long Roof’s California roll lager was the one I was most looking forward to. And while the brewer was apparently going for something else, this watermelon meets pickle juice blend made me want to jump on a dirt bike and spin around in the parking lot with joy. Best thing on Happy Beer Street! 5/5
Manual Labour (280 Portage Close, Sherwood Park), The Deadly Mantis, 4.5%
This chapuline – aka crickets – cerveza is a straight-ahead, easy-to-down lager with roasted, crunchy crickets floating on the foam, delicious as sunflower seeds even if they look just a little like goose poop. The Kobachi rice beer also on tap is light and delicious, if you’re not into putting bugs in your face hole. 4.5/5
Omen (9942 67 Ave.), Dracula’s Forbidden Kiss, 4.5%
Dark and Xmassy, this blood orange chocolate, black garlic stout leans into the latter, though you smell it coming in. Best named beer of the bunch, it’s like making out with a Ukrainian lover until dawn even though, yeah, you’re likely going to turn to dust for it. 3/5
Polyrhythm (11635 145 St.), Invasion of the Berry Snatchers, 5%
A big step up from last year’s beautiful but overhopped Koto Matcha Oat Cream IPA, this definitely desserty, strawberry-raspberry kettle sour parfait is delicious, refreshing and hits you with yogurt “on the nose” as the beer nerds like to say. 4.5/5
Southbound (9943 69 Ave.), Big Green Fairy, 11%
More bitter than a convoy trucker, this absinthe barley wine is one of the more controversial brews out there and certainly the most intense brew of all 19. I didn’t like it until I suddenly loved it, but it’s a super solid and intentional brew that’ll get right into your lymph nodes. 4/5
SYC (11239 180 St.), La Llorona, 6%
This cosy brewery always delivers, its coffee guava milk stout tasting about what that sounds like – so nothing especially freaky about it, but one you can take home to your parents. In the running for best label designs in town, too. 4/5
Talking Dog (10 Westwind Rd., Spruce Grove), Cujo’s Revenge, 5.5%
Stronger with the dill flavour over the advertised beet, this farmhouse saison missed the potential to be borscht in a pint glass – but still refreshing, if generic. Go for their Backyard Lunatic Crabapple Cream Ale instead, if only to keep with the brewery’s insane dog theme! 3/5
Town Square (2929 Ellwood Dr.), Super Kid, 4.2%
Nicely balanced and Gamma Ray green, this well-balanced ice cream sour sits somewhere between a gummy bear and your favourite flavour of Halls, freaky and sparkly like last year’s Unicorn Blood Taro Bubble Tea over at Alley Kat. The sour doesn’t overpower – this is the sweet stuff! 4.5/5
Wyrd Bier Adventure: Wyrd Tales, Wyrd’r Bier continues through Feb. 1.
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