#skcraftbeer

[daughtersofbeer]

Drinking Beer in Saskatchewan: Part II

When family reunions come up, just get your shit done and go. Did I need my cousin to remind me of this, and tell me he might spend the better part of the week curating the beer menu? No, but it was the kick in the arse I needed when feeling a little overwhelmed with work deadlines.

The sampling of Saskatchewan beer I tried over the weekend made me realize it’s time to hit the road for some cross country beer adventures. We know more good beer is out there, and while there are still barriers to inter-provincial liquor trade, we must go to it.

District Brewing (Regina). SMaSH pale ale, German Pilsner, and Bavarian Dark lager. Did I also try the Märzen? Likely.

Paddock Wood Brewing (Saskatoon). Yakima West Coast IPA. West coast hops tasted pretty good with the breeze off Brightsand lake. SK’s first mircobrewery still going strong.

Rebellion Brewing Co (Regina). Cerveza (paired surprisingly well with marshmallow), Amber ale, and their smooth and unique Lentil beer.

Black Ridge Brewery (Swift Current). Flagship beers IPA, Wheat Burst, and their malty Milk Stout. Beer born in wide open spaces, indeed.

And yes, Little Beast’s Woof [sic] Camp saison and Fort George’s 3-way IPA collaboration with Ruse and Cloudburst are from Oregon, and represented the Portland Wooffs who could not be there. Along with a sampling of BC’s Yellow Dog, Dageraad and Four Winds that travelled safely in my suitcase, it was an all around perfect family/beer reunion.  Blair, thanks again dear cousin of beer, let’s raise a glass together again soon.

[daughtersofbeer]

Drinking Beer in Saskatchewan: Part I

For the recent August long weekend I went to a family reunion in my dad’s hometown of Turtleford, Saskatchewan. It prompted a discussion with Cherryl that went something like this:

Annette: Hey I tried some great beer while I was in Turtleford - seems like the Saskatchewan beer scene has really grown since I was there in 2012. I’ll be sure to post what I tasted.

Cherryl: You know your unfinished post from the last trip is sitting in the drafts folder.

Where did those 7 years go?  It is interesting to see the beer I tried then. Only two of the breweries were local, Paddock Wood Brewing and the employee-owned Great Western Brewing. Half Pints is from Winnipeg (Cherryl and I would later have our fill of this beer when we went to Interstellar Rodeo), The Flying Monkeys Hoptical Illusion is from Ontario and the Chocolate Bunny stout is from Rhinelander Brewing in Wisconsin!  Interesting mix. Think I picked up these beers at the liquor store in Lloydminster, but who can remember now.

What I do remember is how much I love going back to SK and seeing all my dear uncles, aunts and cousins, diving into our family’s history and the unique beauty of the prairies. Makes for some nice beer photography. Let’s see if I can do a little better with our recent reunion in Part II, at which our Cousin of Beer Blair gathered up a bounty of beers for me to try.