Canadian Beer: Huffington Post Readers Weigh In On Favourite Brews And American Tastes
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All week, The Huffington Post Canada and OpenFile are looking more closely at how Canadians consume and enjoy beer as a part of our #BeerEh collaboration. We asked you to tell us if you thought Canadian beer is better than American beer, what brands you prefer, and what's the cheapest brew in your city.
Hundreds sent in tweets with the #BeerEh hashtag, voted and commented on Facebook and on our website to become a part of the conversation.
CANADIAN VS. AMERICAN BEER
It wasn't even close on our Facebook poll. Of the 269 votes cast by Wednesday morning on the choice between American and Canadian beer, 80 per cent of respondents picked Canuck brew.
And the American beer jokes came fast and furious:
- Papineau 2000: "How to make American beer? Easy. Take Canadian beer, add water, leave open overnight, recap in the morning and voila ! Budweiser. No after taste. No before taste. No during taste."
- Bud Latanville on Facebook: "There's a classic Monty Python bit from 'Live at the Hollywood Bowl.' Why is American Beer like making love in a canoe? It's F*&*#ing Close to Water.' Okay, that's a generalization. :) But any of the major breweries (USA'n or Canadian, or American-owned Canadian), produce the blandest, most boring beers..."
- Ryan Doherty on Facebook: "Yank beer is tired, bland and pointless. Canadian beer is fun, tasty, and loves to party."
- Rosemary Keutzer on Facebook: “Yellow alert - ‘We’re running out of beer’ Orange alert - ‘We’ll have to drink it warm’ Red alert - ‘There’s only american left!!!’”
Of course, you had plenty to say about the quality of beers outside North America. A sampling:
- rotary: "Nothing beats Hoegaarden from Belgium." #beereh
- @adventures_alc: "Schlenkerla is from #Bamberg, Germany the home of the Rauchbier/Smoked beer style. #beereh"
- @annkearnsphoto: "Stella!! Not just my dog, but a great beer, too! :) #beereh"
YOUR FAVOURITE BEERS
There's still time to vote in our poll of favourite beer brands. If you don't see your brew listed, mention it in the comments.
So far, the top three rated beers in the gallery are Alexander Keiths, Stella Artois and Steam Whistle.
Many of you had harsh words for our gallery of brews and argued in favour of microbreweries and smaller-scale Quebec beers over the big guys.
- ruffdeezy: "All these suck. My favourite is Phillips Amnesiac Double IPA. Regular Guiness is no good either, people should try Guiness foreign extra stout ."
- StephenMaturin: "There's lots of great Ontario beer that hasn't got a mention including the consistently lovely Creemore Springs Premium Lager. Also, branch out a little and try: Neustadt 10W30 Brown Ale, Sergeant Major's India Pale Ale, Mill Street Tank House Ale. (OK, apparently I'm a little ale biased but there are also lovely pilseners and lagers that are easy to obtain that aren't InterBrew clones with different packaging)"
Check out this list of beer suggestions on our Facebook page.
On Twitter, you had more than a few recommendations. Some we've heard of, many we haven't:
- Heineken (@atgiggleswick)
- Flying Monkeys Hoptical Illusion Almost Pale Ale (@mooreav)
- Alley Kat Aprikat (@duotang)
- Golden Horsehoe Lager (@Greatlakesbeer)
- Hop Yard Ale by Garrison Brewing Company, NS (@DDurnford)
- Tin Whistle Brewing's Cherry Chocolate Porter (@NEWSBOYCALLSEN)
- Central City's IPA -Surrey B.C. (@erinmillar)
Keep the recommendations coming! Tweet us with the #BeerEH hashtag
WHERE'S THE CHEAPEST & BEST BEER IN CANADA?
The Huffington Post Canada has teamed up with OpenFile, a collaborative local news organization operating in seven Canadian communities, to look more closely at Canada's thirst for beer.
OpenFile will examine the story of beer as told through the mouths and wallets of Canadians. Using input from the public and a network of professional reporters, we'll get answers to questions such as, what's the cheapest city and province in Canada to get a beer? Has a craft culture emerged and how is it changing beer-drinking habits? Do beer prices fluctuate during those hot summer months?
The result will be an interactive picture of the price and popularity of beer in different cities, and the culture of beer-drinking across Canada.
What's the best and cheapest beer in your city? Files are open and ready for your feedback in each of these cities:
Your city not listed? Tell us the best and cheapest beer in your city through our comments.
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The Huffington Post Canada Scaachi Koul First Posted: 06/22/11 01:13 PM ET Updated: 08/22/11 06:12 AM ET