Alberta Supports Craft Breweries

Visitor spending on food and beverage in Alberta accounts for 28% of tourism expenditures in the province and the government wants craft breweries to be an attraction that will further develop culinary tourism in Alberta.

A $60,000 grant to the Alberta Small Brewers Association (ASBA) will help develop the province’s local beer brand to establish craft brewing as a must-visit experience for beer fans and brewers from around the world.

Ben Leon, managing director, The Dandy Brewing Company says, “Craft brewing has a unique story in Alberta and we can trace our beer back to the seed planted in the ground and the farmer who put it there. Establishing an ‘Alberta Beer’ brand will help the province’s brewers to better share this story, grow and showcase the world-class quality of our products.”

With more than 65 brewing licence holders throughout the province, the craft brewing industry has grown significantly. In less than three years, the number of craft breweries and small brewpubs (defined as brewers producing less than 400,000 hL per year) has almost quadrupled.

Culture and Tourism’s grant will help further grow this industry through the development of the brand, a digital platform to promote local touring and staycations, and the creation of industry-focused education programs. Together, these ingredients will help share and promote Alberta’s beer story.

“Alberta’s exploding craft brewing industry has deep roots in things that make the province special: our agriculture, our natural environment and our entrepreneurial verve,” says Terry Rock, executive director, Alberta Small Brewers Association. “We look forward to building our industry into a signature attraction for Albertans and visitors alike.”

Photo: Terry Rock, Minister Ricardo Miranda and Ben Leon celebrate support for Alberta’s craft brewing industry.