Expertly-Curated Selection of Craft Beer in Calgary

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A Beer for Any Occasion

Canada’s first recorded brewer was Jesuit Brother Ambroise, who began making beer in 1646 after the foundation of New France. A few decades later, in 1688, the first commercial brewery in Canada was founded by Great Intendant Jean Talon. It was so successful that its beer exported as far away as the West Indies.

While we appreciate the foundation built by the industrial beers of past generations, we are in the midst of a significant cultural shift. Today, there are nearly a thousand craft breweries from coast to coast. Science, art and passion have merged to create one of the most dynamic and delicious industries in Canada.

Come, let 5 VINES be your conduit to flavour country. Our vast craft beer selection changes almost daily as we work hard to bring you the latest and tastiest new brews.

Different Types of Beer

There’s a lot that goes into what makes beer taste the way it does. Alcohol By Volume (ABV) and International Bitterness Units (IBU) are 2 well-known scales used to describe a particular beer’s alcohol content and flavour profile.

Craft breweries use various traditional and unique ingredients to create a twist on classic, old-world beer styles. Many different types of beer are named after the region where they were made, but new styles are consistently emerging and evolving with new techniques, technologies, and methods.

Beer typically starts as an ale or a lager and then continues to evolve from there.

Pale Ales

A popular style of beer that can be hop forward with maltiness. You’ll find it from golden to amber in colour and typically with average abv. There are plenty of delicious pale ales in our local craft beer scene from Annex Forward Progress to Blindman New England Pale Ale and many others.

American Pale Ale
New England Pale Ale
English Bitters
Session Ale
Fruited Pale Ale

Dark

This is a cross-section of many different styles yet all have the common thread of being a “Dark” beer. Alberta craft breweries produce some fantastic dark beers all year round including the Dandy In The Underworld Oyster Stout, Born Colorado Arm Candy Milk Stout, Zero Issue Terraform Porter, etc.

Sout
Porter
Imperial Stout
Imperial Porter
Dunkel
Barley Wine
Dubbel
Doppelbock
Schwarbier

IPA

Easily the most popular style of beer in the craft beer scene right now. India Pale Ales can be found in what seems like countless different sub-styles. Canada has some killer IPAs which you must try like the Cabin Sunshine Rain IPA, The Establishment Sky Rocket, Superflux Pretty Much Yeah, and more!

Double IPA
Imperial IPA
Triple IPA
New England IPA
West Coast IPA
Black IPA
Milkshake IPA
Session IPA
Fruited IPA
White IPA

Wheat

An easy-drinking style of beer for the Anti-Celiac. Typically soft in mouthfeel and often fruited. Some notable wheat beers found on Alberta shelves would be Dieu Du Ciel Blanche Du Paradis, Banded Peak Plainsbreaker and Born Colorado Hi Cutie!

Hefeweizen
Witbier
American Wheat
Fruited
Dunkelweizen
Weissbier

Sour

These tart little gems have been expanding our palates like no other style in recent memory. From easy-drinking to bold flavours and barrel-aged expressions there is something for everyone! Try these favourites – Ile Sauvage Tropique, Strathcona Love Buzz, Quidi Vidi Pineapple Sour, Collective Arts Jam Up.

Gose
Kettle
Brett
Lambic
Farmhouse/Saison
Foeder Aged

Lager

A pale style lager is the dominant type of beer produced by the large Industrial Breweries in North America. Typically, you won’t find their beers in our stores as the focus at 5 Vines is to always be bringing in the latest and tastiest Craft beer. For some cool lagers we lean toward stuff like Trolley 5 Turntable Lager, Polar Park Man Of The North Pilsner, Ale Architect Lil Crispy Helles Lager.

Pilsner
Kolsch
American Lager
Helles

Specialty

The weird and wonderful brews which have no natural home. Sometimes brewmasters get creative and try new things. Here is where you will find things like the Root Sellers Ginger Beer.

Fruit-based
Honey-based
Radler

Macro

Here is where you’ll find our selection of mass production beers like Guinness, Steam Whistle, Corona and more!
Mix/Multi Packs – Most of our beer is sold as singles but sometimes you just want a six pack or a pre-selected mix of beers from a brewery. Here is where we keep those options.
Shop Mahogany

Shop Downtown

Shop Wildwood

Shop Bridgeland

Mix/Multi Packs

Most of our beer is sold as singles but sometimes you just want a six pack or a pre-selected mix of beers from a brewery. Here is where we keep those options.
Shop Mahogany

Shop Downtown

Shop Wildwood

Shop Bridgeland

Gluten Free

The options for beer lovers who can’t consume gluten keep improving and we’re always looking for tasty new gluten-free options like Heathens Kvasir’s Peanut Butter Stout or the Glutenberg American Pale Ale.