Aug. 31, 2011 - Issue #828: Hollerado

To the Pint

Canada’s beer capital

Can Halifax rightly claim to be the first city of beer?

Normally when I travel it is often linked to my day job and is usually only for a few days. So I try to focus on the places that will give me the best sense of the beer scene. This spring, life circumstances landed me in Halifax for an extended period; enough time that I didn't have to triage and prioritize to get the best glimpse. I could explore at leisure and really soak in Halifax beer happenings.
And what did I find? Well, Halifax may have one of the liveliest and most intriguing beer scenes in the country. There is enough beer going on to keep any enterprising beer fan happy for many weeks.
I should start with the breweries. Halifax has two twin breweries (born within months of each other) and a couple of brewpubs. The two main craft brewers are Propeller and Garrison (both sell in Alberta). While they may be the same age, their personalities are vastly different. Propeller is, mostly, a British-inspired brewery. Its main line includes wonderful examples of English Ales—bitter, pale ale, IPA, porter. I enjoyed many a pint of the porter and bitter and never regretted the purchase. They have been branching off into more German-inspired beer lately, with a hefeweizen and a pseudo-pilsner. The largest brewery in Atlantic Canada, Propeller's beer is world-class when fresh, although it suffers a bit through age and transportation.
Garrison goes a different direction. Its main line follows the "how-to-open-a-craft-brewery" model—a brown ale, a light-bodied blonde ale, a red ale, a fruit wheat beer and a stout. All are well-made and make for a decent quaff. However, they also toss in two other regular beer that I consider their stand-outs. Garrison's Hopyard Pale Ale and Imperial IPA are assertively hoppy with a crisp malt base to keep them drinkable. The Hopyard ended up being a go-to beer for me when Propeller wasn't available. And the Imperial is perfect for sipping slowly while reading the Globe and Mail on a warm Saturday afternoon.

Canada's oldest operating brewpub is Granite Brewing. The brewery sells its beer almost exclusively out of the Henry House—which was my favourite physical space in Halifax. The pub is in the basement of an historic building with stone walls, a fireplace, very little light and a classic 19th-century British (or is it Scot?) atmosphere. I could (and did) spend hours there feeling very Victorian. The beer is a bit hit or miss, but the dark, malty Peculiar was always spot on.
While Henry House was my favourite space, the Hart and Thistle became my favourite haunt. It is right down on the water. The atmosphere is a bit generic, although the floor-to-ceiling windows overlooking the harbour create an enticing view. What kept bringing me back, however, was the beer. The crazy hoppy, one-of-a-kind beer brewed by hop genius Greg Nash. Out west few will know Mr Nash, but he is a mainstay of Atlantic brewing and has a national reputation for uncompromising, assertive, slap-you-in-the-face hoppy beer. Mr Nash loves his hops and it shows.
While I was there he released the hoppiest beer ever brewed in Canada. Hop Mess Monster v.2 rang in at 1012 IBUs (which stands for International Bitterness Units and, trust me, that is a hell of a lot of hops). It was far more drinkable than expected—a tribute to his brewing skill. The Hart and Thistle has two Nash beer on at a time and he never brews the same beer twice. Plus, don't mess with Tony, the formidable matron of the H&T (just a gentle warning).

Halifax's highlight has to be its pubs. I have never seen so many colourful, crowded, characterful pubs anywhere—and most are in walking distance of each other right downtown by the harbour. Each has its own feel and its own client base. The Split Crow (which inaccurately proclaims itself Canada's oldest pub) is a haven for music and a younger crowd. Maxwell's Plum has 60 beer on tap, include selections from all the regional craft brewers. The Wooden Monkey specializes in great food. Plus, there are many others. What is even better is that none of them dare exclude the local breweries. Finding local craft beer is easier than anywhere else in the country. Yes, Alexander Keith's dominates the market like nothing I have ever seen, but I could always find at least a couple taps of Garrison, Propeller, New Brunswick's Pump House or Quebec's St Ambroise.
Many tourists head to the Lower Deck, having been told it is some kind of Halifax rite of passage. Trust me, give it a pass. The beer selection is anemic and the atmosphere rather lame. There are plenty of better pubs within walking distance—in fact the Hart and Thistle is in the same building—so search out some local and get a real sense of Halifax.
Haligonians like to drink their beer in pubs. The local pastime is to head out with a few friends for a couple of pints, maybe watch a hockey game, but mostly talk and listen to music. As a result, pubs are far more developed and lively than anywhere I have been in Canada. So, if you like a good pub, Halifax is the place for you. V vueweekly.com comments: powered by Disqus