Reading Time: 2 minutes Shoppers at provincially approved farmers’ markets can now crack open a brew or sip a bit of vodka. “We’re really excited with the news. It offers us the chance to expand our customer base and reach out to different sales channels,” said Marty Shaw, general manager of Ribstone Creek Brewery in Edgerton. The move puts […] Read more
Farmers’ markets allowed to offer local beer
Craft breweries and local distilleries excited by the chance to introduce their products to a wider range of Albertans
Hop in: Growing craft brewery market drives demand for local hops
The startup costs are significant, but demand for Alberta-grown hops is growing fast, and there’s money to be made for enterprising producers
Reading Time: 5 minutes A visit to an old grape orchard in the heart of B.C. wine country last summer has inspired two southern Alberta producers to try their hands at a different kind of viny crop — hops. “That was really the seed that started it all,” said Randy Adams, who owns and operates Pair O’ Dice Hops […] Read more
This malt’s for you — growers profit from ‘drink local’ movement
Alberta barley growers earn premiums — and satisfaction — by direct contracting with brewers
Reading Time: 4 minutes Wade McAllister didn’t expect to be a direct marketer when he returned to his family’s grain farm in 2010. But with the demise of the Canadian Wheat Board in 2012, McAllister found a whole new market open to him — direct contracts with breweries for his malt barley. “Ever since the wheat board was dropped, […] Read more
Whew, there’s no malt shortage after all
Don’t cry in your beer — Alberta’s craft brewers have ‘lots’ of good-quality malt
Reading Time: 4 minutes Don’t worry — your favourite beer won’t be in short supply this year, despite recent reports that late-season moisture had seriously harmed Alberta’s malt barley crop. “The barley quality in 2016 is better than the 2015 crop, hands down,” said Kevin Sich, grain department manager at Rahr Malting near Alix. “If I needed a lot […] Read more
Craft beer boom drives demand for new malt barley varieties
It’s all about consistency and efficiency for the big brewers, but the small guys want unique taste and also use more malt per batch
Reading Time: 4 minutes New malt barley varieties will soon hit the market to meet the growing demands of a burgeoning craft brewing industry. “The brewing and malting industry is changing,” said Pat Juskiw, a barley breeder with Alberta Agriculture and Forestry. “In the past, our industry has been composed of big companies — the Molsons, the Labatts, the […] Read more
Use for spent grains garners award
Reading Time: < 1 minute Turning spent grains left over from beer making into a substrate for growing mushrooms had earned an Olds College student business a $20,000 TEC VenturePrize award. “Traditionally, spent grains used in the production of beer have been looked upon as a waste byproduct,” said Alex Villeneuve, a student in the college’s Brewmaster and Brewery Operations […] Read more
Labatt owner AB InBev seeks US$275B tie-up with SABMiller
Brussels/London | Reuters — Anheuser-Busch InBev, the world’s largest brewer, has approached rival SABMiller about a takeover that would form a colossus producing a third of the world’s beer. A merged group would have a market value of around US$275 billion (C$363 billion) at current prices, and would combine AB InBev’s dominance of Latin America […] Read more
EU lawmakers urge calorie content labels to cover alcohol
Brussels | Reuters — European beer, wine and spirits makers should inform consumers about the amount of calories in their drinks via clear labelling, EU lawmakers said Wednesday. Most foods and drinks are subject to legislation mandating labels with nutritional and ingredient information, but alcoholic drinks are exempt. The European Parliament voted in favour of […] Read more
Malting barley list released
List has new, higher-yielding varieties that have the greatest likelihood of being selected for malting
Reading Time: < 1 minute The Canadian Malting Barley Technical Centre has released its list of recommended malting barley varieties for the 2015-16 crop year. The recommendations are based on varieties the industry has indicated will have the greatest likelihood of being selected by grain and malting companies for both domestic and export markets from the 2015 harvest. Members of […] Read more
The beer facts — beer drinking is good for Canadian economy
Study says ‘almost every industry in Canada is supported in some way by the beer economy — from grain production to retailing and serving’
Reading Time: 2 minutes If you’re an average beer drinker in Alberta, a new report pegs your consumption at about 260 bottles a year. That’s the fourth-highest per capita consumption of beer in Canada and slightly higher than the national average 235 bottles, according to a new report from the Conference Board of Canada. From Farm to Glass: The […] Read more