Canadian beers are a great way to learn about the country’s culture. Beer is popular in Canada, and it is consumed in greater quantities than any other alcoholic beverage. But what do you know about Canadian beer brands?
Many Canadian and international beer brands can be found in beer stores, restaurants, and bars all around the country.
Due to the popularity of microbreweries, you can get true locally brewed beers countrywide in addition to the major beer brands.
Learn all about Canada’s best breweries below!
Canadian Beer 101
Labatt’s and Molson have traditionally been the two prominent companies in the Canadian beer market.
Despite the fact that both companies still brew beer in Canada, neither is wholly owned by Canadians.
Since 1995, Labatt’s has been controlled by a foreign company, while Molson and Coors have amalgamated to form Molson-Coors.
Sleeman, a popular Guelph brewery in the 1980s and 1990s, was purchased by Japan’s Sapporo Brewery. This effectively makes foreign-based corporations responsible for the majority of Canada’s beer production.
Moosehead, based in New Brunswick, is the largest Canadian-owned beer company today, with various ales and lagers.
Kokanee is a popular beer manufactured in British Columbia on the other side of the country.
The Difference Between American and Canadian Beer
Canadians tend to brag about how much better they are at something than Americans.
After all, we are largely overshadowed by and somewhat insecure about their southern neighbors.
Beer making is one area where Canada thrives. Canadians agree that their beer is richer in flavor and less “watery” than American beer.
The perception that Canadian beer has a higher alcohol level than American beer contributes to Canada’s beer superiority.
In actuality, the alcohol level of American and Canadian beers is comparable. However, the two nations’ methods of measuring alcohol differ, resulting in American beer labels stating a lower amount.
Beer in both the United States and Canada contains between 4% and 6% alcohol by volume.
Related Reading: Learn About Beer Brewing Steps
The Best Canadian Beer Brands
Molson Canadian Beer
Molson Canadian beer is a classic Canadian beer that was first produced in Ontario in 1959.
It is brewed by Molson Coors Canada and has a 5% ABV worldwide, except in Ireland, where it has a 4% ABV.
Molson Canadian 67 Sublime, Molson Canadian 6.0 Cold Shots, Molson Canadian lite, and Molson Canadian 67 are the four varieties.
When poured, this award-winning lager has a deep golden hue and a long-lasting white frothy head.
This beer features a delicate citrus aroma as well as notes of bread, corn, and honey. It has a sweet malty flavor that is followed by a smooth, semi-dry finish that leaves a light sweetness on the tongue.
It’s a light, easy-to-drink beer with crisp, peppery tastes and nice carbonation.
Labatt Blue
This is the world’s best-selling Canadian beer. Brewed with premium ingredients, including renowned Hallertau hops, 2-row malted barley, and pure Canadian barley, Labatt Blue has a clean, refreshing taste with a unique hop fragrance, delicate fruit flavor, and a somewhat sweet aftertaste.
Plus, among other brands, Labatt Blue is an inexpensive Canadian beer. Young people tend to drink this a lot.
It was first released in 1951 as Labatt Pilsener, but due to its blue label, it was eventually renamed Labatt Blue.
Alexander Keith’s IPA
This beer is slowly brewed using premium malted barley and a unique yeast strain. The India Pale Ale with Alexander Keith’s best nugget and Zeus hops has a gentle bitterness and a subtle fragrance.
Alexander Keith’s brewery is located in Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada. Anheuser-Busch InBev, a holding company, based in Leuven, Belgium, owns it and manages over 400 beer brands worldwide.
The brewery was founded in 1820 by Alexander Keith, who had arrived from Scotland three years before.
In 1928, the company was sold to Oland Brewery, which Labatt Brewing Company later purchased.
After a series of mergers and acquisitions, Labatt is now part of Anheuser-Busch InBev.
Alexander Keith’s India Pale Ale (IPA) was Nova Scotia’s most popular beer by the 1990s.
This is due to parent companies that have maintained the brand since 1928. There is also a range of other styles to choose from.
La Fin Du Monde
This beer was created in 1994 in Chambly, Quebec, as the culmination of an 18-month study into a unique yeast strain.
The beer was first created by medieval monks, who were also the first to discover it. On certain occasions, these monks served beer.
Later, the brew was reintroduced in honor of European explorers who believed they had discovered “the end of the world” while exploring North America.
It was the first beer made and fermented in a bottle in the history of the American market at the time.
Unibroue’s La Fin du Monde is a Belgian Tripel and the company’s international flagship brand.
Honey, malt, spices, and coriander dominate the brew, which is golden amber in color.
The brew has a somewhat hoppy flavor with malt undertones, as well as a fruity and spicy character. It has a smooth, dry finish, and the notes are wonderfully balanced.
Sleeman’s Honey Brown
This beer was created using recipes from the Sleeman family’s cookbook.
It has a surprisingly light honey flavor and is made with all-natural ingredients and crystal clear well water. For a unique flavor, it is brewed with all-natural bee honey.
Sleeman Breweries, based in Guelph, Ontario, is a Japanese-owned Canadian brewery founded by John Warren Sleeman in 1988. It is also the third-largest brewing company in Canada.
The business is a continuation of the Sleeman family’s brewing tradition, which dates back to the 1830s.
Sleeman Breweries was founded in the 1850s and lasted for 50 years before losing its license due to smuggling and tax evasion in 1933.
Dieu du Peche Mortel
This imperial stout from Canada is all about coffee. If you want your coffee with a kick, you should definitely try this one.
It features rich roasted coffee characteristics that are integrated during the brewing process.
The stout has a deep black hue and good carbonation, resulting in thick tan froth when poured into a glass.
Peche Mortel is a Quebec-based beer that is widely regarded as one of the best in Canada.
The aroma of espresso is seductive, with undertones of chocolate and roasted malts thrown in for good measure.
The flavor is similar to the aroma, with a robust coffee flavor, dark fruit wisps, dark chocolate malts, and a hoppy finish.
It has a slightly creamy texture in the mouth and finishes dry with a bitter aftertaste.
KOKANEE Gold Amber Lager (Colombia Brewery)
This beer contains a combination of four malts as well as western-grown North American hops. It has a rich golden hue, and medium body, with a caramel note on the finish.
KOKANEE Gold is available for purchase in posh establishments throughout British Columbia, Alberta, Manitoba, and Saskatchewan.
The success of KOKANEE Gold is purely due to the brand’s appeal. Quality, craftsmanship, brewing tradition, water, and uncommon ingredients have all come together to create a fantastic beer.
So, savor the smooth, rich flavor of KOKANEE GOLD, a full-bodied lager from British Columbia’s heartland.
Big Rock Traditional Ale
This English-style brown ale is a classic brew from the Big Rock brewery.
It starts with a toasted malty and sweet caramel flavor, then transitions to a nutty flavor. The beer has a medium carbonation and a slight bitterness to it.
This is Big Rock’s flagship beer. It costs roughly $31 for a six-pack of bottles.
This famous Canadian beer has a modest 20 IBU and a 5% ABV. This beer, which has a balanced flavor, might be likened to Creemore springs beer and is well worth a try.
Mill Street Tankhouse Ale
This classic pale ale is a deep copper-red color with a considerably more balanced and complex flavor.
It has a spicy and roasted nut aroma and is brewed with five different organic malts and spicy cascades. The bittersweet flavor of this American pale ale-style beer is followed by a soothing and silky aftertaste.
The Tankhouse Organic Ale is another name for this ale made by the Mill Street Brewery in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. It was created in the company’s first distillery in 2003.
Unibroue Trois Pistoles
This Belgian strong dark ale-styled Canadian beer is a fantastic choice for dark beer lovers.
Unibroue is a well-known Canadian company that has produced numerous award-winning beers.
This Belgian-style ale was first brewed in 1997 in Les Basques, Quebec. The beer is made with four distinct malts and four exotic species.
It’s available in 341ml, 750ml, and draft varieties in a glass bottle. When poured into a Chalice glass, it appears dark brown with a head of strong off-white foam.
The aroma of the beer is roasted malt with hints of chocolate and fruits. It also has a bittersweet spicy flavor and a smooth, warm, dry finish with smoky rum and herb overtones.
As it heats up, the tastes intensify; it’s an ideal aperitif for the colder months.
Other Popular Canadian Beers To Try:
- Moosehead Lager
- Driftwood Fat Tug IPA
- Denison’s Weissbier
- St Ambroise Pumpkin Ale
- Red Racer IPA
- Propeller London Style Porter
- Beau’s Lug-Tread Lagered Ale
- Maudite
Related Reading: Brewery Story – Check Them out Here
Final Thoughts
There you have it: the best Canadian beers that money can buy!
When you visit a Canadian bar and ask for a beer, the locals will instantly accept you. Do you want to fit in even more?
“Une bière s’il vous plait” is the phrase to use if you wish to order a beer in a French-speaking part of Canada. That’s oon-beera-see-voo-play.
This literally translates to “one drink, please,” but it has a much more fabulous ring to it in French, doesn’t it? Now go on and sample the best Canadian beer brands yourself!
