Grab a pint and a snack made by a NAIT grad!
The Alberta craft beer community continues to grow, with more than 120 breweries across the province and counting. And a growing number of them are operated or owned by NAIT grads (about half of the breweries in Edmonton have a connection to the polytechnic)!
So raise a glass to handmade lagers and ales, not to mention local businesses, with a glass of handmade lager or ale. Here's our list of great spots where you can sip, savour and relax.
(Are you a grad who should be on this list but isn't? Please let us know.)
Analog Brewing
8620 - 53 Ave.
780-919-2802
Reviews
Co-owner Bryan Launier (Marketing '09)
The self-billed "geekiest brewery" in Alberta pairs old-school videogame aesthetics with a new-school approach to craft beer. Drop in for a glass or flight, choosing from a selection of seasonal and year-round brews, some of which have earned regional and national awards.
Biera
9570 - 76 Ave., Suite 101
587-525-8589
Reviews
Head chef Christine Sanford (Culinary Arts '07)
Chef de Cuisine Davina Moraiko (Culinary Arts '05)
Sous chef Duncan Gommerud (Cook ’16)
Located in the Ritchie Market, Biera is a neighbourhood restaurant that pairs plates for sharing with beer brewed on-site. Instead of burgers or wings, you'll find charred cornichons with leek oil and dip, candied radicchio, and much more.
Campio Brewing Co.
10257 - 105 St.
587-635-1952
Reviews
Executive chef Hans Carlos Pinto (Cook '06)
Head brewer Brett Geislinger (Radio and Television – Radio '08)
Check out one of downtown Edmonton's most expansive patios while enjoying an array of snacks, salads, deep-dish pizzas, sandiwches and more. And, of course, the beer is made in house, including everything from a stalwart lager to a juicy pale ale to a refreshing sour.
Dog Island Brewing
250 Caribou Trail SW, Slave Lake
Reviews
Owners and brewers Ben Fiddler (Instrument Technician '01, Electrician '02) and Chad Paulson (Instrument Technician '09)
Since October, 2016, Ben Fiddler and Chad Paulson have applied their trades training to craft beer. Stop in for a taste or take home a growler (a.k.a. jug). There's lots to choose from the easygoing DIBS raspberry wheat ale to the pronounced but balanced Saints and Sinners IPA.
Familia Brewing
26 Village Dr, Westerose, AB
beer@familiabrewing.com
Reviews
Co-owner Mark Gluwchynski (Plumber '13)
Located at the Village at Pigeon Lake, Familia Brewing is a friendly place to stop for a pint, be it a simple and refreshing Mexican lager or a more complex and flavourful pale ale. Don't miss the rotating small-batch selection available inhouse only.
The Growlery Beer Co.
40 Airport Rd.
587-497-7714
Reviews
Owners Kevin Danard (Landscape Architectural Technology ’97) and Jeff Pollock (Business Administration - Finance ’95)
The Growlery represents the ever-expanding Alberta craft beer scene in north-central Edmonton with small-batch beers made fresh onsite. Core beers including a light kolsch, a bold IPA, a juicy hazy IPA and a crisp lager are served alongside a revolving cast of seasonal brews.
Longroof Brewing
#104, 9916 - 72 Ave.
780-435-0158
Reviews
Co-owner and lead brewer Troy Wassill (Radio and Television Arts '96)
Longroof Brewing serves up "respectfully defiant traditional style ales & fresh experimentals” in the alley off 99 Street and 72 Avenue, an area quickly becoming a popular spot for independent breweries, restaurants and shops. Take advantage of the spacious, dog-friendly patio (complete withe bike racks) while enjoying a flight. Grab growlers and howlers to go.
The Monolith
9919 - 78 Ave.
587-525-BEER (2337)
Reviews
Head chef Christine Sanford (Culinary Arts '07)
Sous chef Duncan Gommerud (Cook ’16)
From the people who brought you Biera, The Monolith offers a concise but thoughtful snacking menu. Choose from cheese plates, a sandwich on Belgian-style sourdough and other fancy delights. Pair it all with the brewery's unique and celebrated barrel-fermented beers.
Omen Brewing
9942 - 67 Ave.
780-760-6636
Reviews
Co-owner and brewer Rhys Oswald (Electrician '06)
This family-run brewery is the only operation in Alberta to focus on dark beer. Enjoy mainstays like an assertive rye-based roggenbier, a hoppy dark IPA, a rich milk stout and more, or seasonals such as a dark saison. (There are a few lighter beers for those afraid of the dark, but Omen hopes to cure you of that.) Every beer is made on site, on Edmonton's south side.
Polyrhythm Brewing
11635 - 145 St.
info@polyrhythmbrewing.com
Reviews
Co-owner and taproom manager Taylor Wacey (Electrician '19)
Polyrhythm Brewing opened in March 2023 to consistently good reviews. Tucked into a west Edmonton business park, it features a cozy, music-themed taproom and a wide selection of beers from an award-winning brewer. Wacey, as one might expect, also wired the place.
Town Square Brewing
2919 Ellwood Dr. SW
780-244-0212
Reviews
Co-owners Brandon Boutin (Steamfitter/Pipefitter ’05), Tyler McNaughton (Architectural Technology ’05) and Sterling Nordin (Heavy Equipment Technician ’02)
Drop in to this award-winning brewery not just for the beer (including unique and celebrated choices such as a smoky rauchbier or a beet-based sour), but for the artisanal pizza. Visit often, as new and inventive beers are always turning up on the taps.