Hopefully the mods let this stay open as long as people are responsive to it.
But I just recently really got into Innis and Gunn. I have drank it for a couple years but only the original and blonde. I recently tried the Highlander Cask and the Rum Cask and am now absolutely hooked on the stuff. But my only issue is that I live in Leduc and Sherbrooke Liquor store is the only place in Edmonton that I know of that sells more than just the original and blonde Innis and Gunn.
So does anyone know of any other liquor stores that sell a decent selection of Innis? Also does anyone know of a place where a guy can find those sweet Innis and gunn glasses with the stem? Or any other Innis and Gunn merchandise?
Also I'd love to hear other peoples recomendations for great beers that move away from the typical Canadian, Bud, Keith's, Rickards type of beers.
I agree - Innis and Gunn is a great beer. Was blown away the first time I tried it.
Some of my favorites:
Hoegaarden (inspiration for my username )
Sapporo
Leffe
Innis and Gunn
Pump House Cadian Ale
One of my favorite things to do while traveling is trying the local beers - some of my favorites that I've never found around here:
Lisbon, Portugal - Super Bock.
Granada, Spain - Alhambra Reserva 1925 - tastes like the original Innis and Gunn, except more "refreshing" if that makes any sense. Ridiculously good beer.
Cologne, Germany - Gaffel. The beer type is Kolsch. It's only made in the Cologne region. There are a few different brands, but Gaffel was my favorite.
Munich, Germany - Hofbrauhaus. One of the most famous beer halls in Munich, or even Germany for that matter. Somewhat touristy, but their beer is amazing.
Krakow, Poland - Warka.
Prague, Czech Republic - Budweiser/Budvar and Pilsner Urquell. They are MUCH better on tap than the stuff we get over here in the bottles and cans, but if you can get a fresh batch of the Czechvar (which is Budweiser), it is pretty damned good. The only problem is those stupid green bottles - hit and miss whether it's going to be skunked or not.
I agree - Innis and Gunn is a great beer. Was blown away the first time I tried it.
Some of my favorites:
Hoegaarden (inspiration for my username )
Sapporo
Leffe
Innis and Gunn
Pump House Cadian Ale
One of my favorite things to do while traveling is trying the local beers - some of my favorites that I've never found around here:
I have to agree with this. I am heading to the east coast this fall and plan on hitting up several breweries in Portland, Maine and possibly the Moosehead brewery in New Brunswick(although Moosehead to me is in a similar category of Canadian and Bud)
I have to agree with this. I am heading to the east coast this fall and plan on hitting up several breweries in Portland, Maine and possibly the Moosehead brewery in New Brunswick(although Moosehead to me is in a similar category of Canadian and Bud)
Well, if you come to Moncton, drop in to the Pump House Brewery. It's a restaurant/micro-brewery. The Cadian Ale on tap is amazing, and so is their wood fired oven pizza.
If you make it to Nova Scotia, the Keith's Brewery tour is pretty cool - touristy, but well done.
Erdinger Dunkel ( I prefer their weisse to hoegaarden as well)
Pfttt....
Yeah, I like that one. Also the Konig Ludwig is quite good.
The thing with Hoegaarden is I find it very inconsistent. Sometimes it's the nectar of the gods. Full of flavor. Others, it's watered down. No other beer I've ever had has been so inconsistent, but when I get the good batches, mmmmm....
Well, if you come to Moncton, drop in to the Pump House Brewery. It's a restaurant/micro-brewery. The Cadian Ale on tap is amazing, and so is their wood fired oven pizza.
If you make it to Nova Scotia, the Keith's Brewery tour is pretty cool - touristy, but well done.
Awesome, thanks for the info. Not sure if I will have time to go to Moncton but we do plan on going to Halifax. Any other cool places you advise in Saint John?
Awesome, thanks for the info. Not sure if I will have time to go to Moncton but we do plan on going to Halifax. Any other cool places you advise in Saint John?
Best thing about Saint John is the highway leading to Moncton
Seriously though, there's not much in Saint John and Moncton. Fundy National park (which is between the 2) is very nice depending on how much time you have. Some great hiking trails. Sea Kayaking the Bay of Fundy is kinda crazy - go out at high tide and come back to find the shore 500 feet away from where it was.
Depending on when you're coming, U2 is playing in Moncton on July 30 and Metallica in Halifax on July 14.
And if you are a beer lover - then I strongly recommend stopping in to Moncton on the way to/from Halifax and go have a meal (more importantly a drink) at the Pump House.
I would recommend going to sherbrooke liquor store (118 ave and st albert trail) in your pursuit of a bigger selection of innis & gunn. They have an amazing selection of beer, so you may walk out of there with a few more beers than you intended on buying when you walked in. They always have gift packs around christmas that include glasses.
The Sugar Bowl, Pourhouse, and Next Act are some pubs that go beyond the usual big brands in the city. Does anyone know of some other pubs with a good selection of beers?
Definitely love Innis and Gunn however I also enjoy two organic beers from Nelson B.C. Blackheart(stout made from oats) and Paddywhack from the Nelson Brewing Company.
I would recommend going to sherbrooke liquor store (118 ave and st albert trail) in your pursuit of a bigger selection of innis & gunn. They have an amazing selection of beer, so you may walk out of there with a few more beers than you intended on buying when you walked in. They always have gift packs around christmas that include glasses.
The Sugar Bowl, Pourhouse, and Next Act are some pubs that go beyond the usual big brands in the city. Does anyone know of some other pubs with a good selection of beers?
I stated Sherbrooke in my original post. I'm looking for any other places than Sherbrooke as it is like a 45 minute drive for me.
These are all some of the most prominent (in terms of popularity) beers from the country that they come from, and I like them all more than the popular Canadian beers.
But like already mentioned, if you travel you'll find even greater beers that are generally only availible locally. The greatest beer I've ever had was a brand called Augustiner Helles that is only found in Munich. Aboslutely incredible beer, I'm going to try and get Sherbrooke to import it or atleast get a flat shipped over from Germany. It was so wonderful, I cannot even describe how amazing this beer was. It has a long history in Munich and they are very careful to preserve the quality, which is why it isn't mass produced outside of Munich.
I was a bar manager at Original Joe's for a couple of years, and had the pleasure of bringing in whatever imports I wanted. Sampled a lot, and brought in a lot of great beers. Unfortunately our supplier was on Stony Plain rd, so that doesn't really give you a solution to the long drive to pick up good beer.
What you can do though, is check out http://www.liquorconnect.com which used the be the alberta liquor guide. You can look for particular items and bring up lists of stores that have previously ordered that item. I've found a few things on there and just called around to see where it was available and in stock.
As far as awesome beers go, I agree with Innis and Gunn! Such a solid and unique beer.
If you're into darks the St Ambroise Oatmeal Stout is unreal. Very dark and a bit heavy, but the flavors are great.
If you haven't tried anything from Unibroue out of Quebec, you should do yourself a favor. Pretty much all of their beers are refermented in the bottle, and have a higher alcohol content, but if you drink them in the right glass they are another one of those unique, crazy flavorful beers.
I have many more suggestions if you want them! Original Joe's used to use my old order guide, but they have changed things quite a bit since I left, but they still have a pretty solid selection. Also the Sugar Bowl has a great selection of imports, and some amazing beers on tap as well and is located just off 109th street just south of the high level bridge.
Well, if you come to Moncton, drop in to the Pump House Brewery. It's a restaurant/micro-brewery. The Cadian Ale on tap is amazing, and so is their wood fired oven pizza.
If you make it to Nova Scotia, the Keith's Brewery tour is pretty cool - touristy, but well done.
The Pumphouse Blueberry is one of my favorite flavored beers! Soooo good.
Innis and Gunn is pretty fantastic. So is the stuff from Brooklyn Brewery — I've had their Brown Ale and their Lager, and the latter is one of my favourites. Definitely worth trying and the one I'd recommend. You can get the Brown Ale at the Sugar Bowl, but I haven't found any Brooklyn beers at any liquor stores in town (though I'm sure you can probably get it at Sherbrooke.)
Discovered the Lager in, of all places, a liquor store in a pretty shady-looking part of Winnipeg. (I was in town at a conference, it was in walking distance from my hotel.) It was also at this same conference that I became acclimated with Young's Double Chocolate Stout. Somehow, chocolate and beer work really well together.
Trying out local area microbrews is also a great thing to do whenever you go somewhere new. Best one I've had, thus far, is at a restaurant in Burnaby called Anton's Pasta (and the food is quite fantastic as well.) I believe it was a Pale Ale back when I went, but I don't see it on their menu anymore, so they might not brew that particular one right now. Sad, if that's the case.
Also, perhaps it's entirely a psychological thing, but I had one Guinness ("a proper Guinness," as my Irish friend would say) at a pub in Dublin called The Long Hall, and it was better than any Guinness I've had poured over here. Fuller and creamier, I found.
Also, perhaps it's entirely a psychological thing, but I had one Guinness ("a proper Guinness," as my Irish friend would say) at a pub in Dublin called The Long Hall, and it was better than any Guinness I've had poured over here. Fuller and creamier, I found.
Same here. Had it just outside of London. I had tried it here a few times, and never finished a full one (this is when I was first starting to try new beers), but on one of my backpacking trips to Europe, we stayed at the George Green farmhouse close to Stansted airport and I had my first "proper" Guinness. And then had several more. Definitely tastes different (or like you said - maybe it doesn't )
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