10 of the World’s Best Beer Festivals
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What Makes Local Canadian Breweries Unique?
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
Interesting Facts about Steam Whistle – Canada’s Premium Pilsner
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
The Rich Culture Behind Local Canadian Beer
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.
