- Situated in a historic stone building in St. John’s is the Yellow Belly Brewery (288 Water Street, www.yellowbellybrewery.com). This five story building is a pub, brewery and dining destination offering succulent seafood and steak dishes, along with a selection of their own craft beers. Try the Wexford Wheat or Fightin Irish, which both pay tribute to the Irish immigrant heritage of Newfoundland. (Photo by jessica @ flickr
- Brewers of handcrafted ales, the Gahan Brewhouse (126 Sydney Street, www.gahan.ca) offers tours of P.E.I.’s only brewery. After the tour, grab some classic pub grub or local Prince Edward Island mussels and enjoy a few quiet pints in charming Old Charlottetown. Photo by ActiveSteve
- Our Nova Scotia nod of approval goes to the Rare Bird Pub in Guysborough (80 Main Street, www.rarebirdpub.com) for its unique Chedabucto Bay Brewing Company beers and picture-perfect setting. Home to the oldest commercial brewery in Atlantic Canada you can walk, drive or sail to this pub, which has its own marina. We suggest you grab a seat on the summer patio and order a Guysburger with a Hummingbird Ale.
- With a selection of ten regular beers and 16 seasonal beers ranging from a classic lager to a blueberry ale, the Pump House Brewpub (5 Orange Lane, www.restaurant.pumphousebrewery.ca) has won more than 20 brewing awards over the years, including Canadian Brewery of the Year. The Scottish Ale is our favourite, but we can’t blame you if you want to sample them all. Photo by Ben-I Photography
- The province of Quebec reigns supreme when it comes to the sheer number of micro-breweries and craft beers being produced in Canada. For a taste of the Quebec beer scene seek out Dieu du Ciel. This brewpub (29 Laurier West, www.dieuduciel.com) is renowned for pushing the envelope of flavours and ingredients in their beers and their aptly named Aphrodisiaque beer is hard to resist. Photo by Danielle Scott
- A cozy bar with a nice patio during summer, Bar Volo (587 Yonge Street, www.barvolo.com) has developed a world-class reputation for beer lovers in recent years. With their own ‘nano-brewery’ in their kitchen, and a daily changing tap list, this fame comes as no surprise. Ontario craft brewers like Mill Street, Beau’s and Great Lakes are all heavily represented, as are some rare gems from the US and Europe. Stop by on a Monday and enjoy $5 pints – a deal hard to beat in Toronto.
- Half Pints is the brewery in Manitoba and the Luxalune Gastropub is one of the best places to seek out their beers, as well as other local brews from Fort Garry Brewing. At Luxalune (734 Osborne Street South, www.luxalune.com) there are more than 150, mainly Canadian, beers available to choose from. With a daily happy hour special, their extensive and impressive Tapas menu is perfectly suited for sampling a range of different Manitoba beers.
- Beer Cuisine in Regina? Indeed! A casual dining destination, BeerBros (1801 Scarth Street, www.beerbros.ca) offers local beers from Paddock Wood and Great Western Breweries, as well as a long list of beers from across Canada. This gem of a beer bar infuses their cuisine with the flavours of beer and their menu comes complete with suggested beer pairings. We recommend a pint of Great Western Pilsner.
- Located in the heart of beautiful Banff, Alberta the Banff Avenue Brewing Company (110 Banff Avenue, www.banffavebrewingco.ca) has a welcoming family-friendly pub atmosphere. Their beers are all made with premium hops and malts, as well as glacier water from the Rocky Mountains. Their Head Smashed IPA beer is a tribute to the Head-Smashed-In Buffalo Jump UNESCO site in Alberta.
- On the edge of Gastown is a modern tavern called The Alibi Room (157 Alexander Street, www.alibi.ca), offering a selection of 50 beers on tap, including many local BC beers and cask ales. Head downstairs and be greeted by a blackboard wall of beer or take advantage of their locally sourced menu and dine in their main floor restaurant. Photo by world of jan









