Best Breweries and Distilleries
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Explore the Lakeland and discover top spots for craft beer and spirits on scenic outdoor patios
Options for refreshments have expanded exponentially in the last decade, especially with craft breweries and distilleries. Spring and summer are excellent seasons to investigate because most of these spots have outdoor decks or rooftop patios with dee—as in delicious—food to pair with drinks. BLT Sliders with a Kinosoo Beach Blonde ale anyone?
Plus, driving under a baby blue sky through the Lakeland’s lush forests, rolling hills and sparkling bird rich marshes beats all. Take a day. Stay overnight in choice locales to take in an open mic night in Lloydminster or bike the trails around Cold Lake.
First, pick a designated driver who will only partake of alcohol free cocktails, creative and as tasty or tastier than their counterparts. Plug the following into your navigational system and off you go!
Copper Creek Distillery, Vermilion
Copper Creek Distillery in Vermilion, or V-Town as they call it, has vodka, gin, and saskatoon moonshine and creates cocktails in house. Four Albertans started Copper Creek, a full fledged distillery, to do something they love. Try Passionate Pete, a mix of saskatoon moonshine, ginger beer and pear, passionfruit juice and ginger ale. If you want to dine at the outdoor deck here, pick up dill cheese curds at the nearby Old School Cheesery first.
Beaver River Brew Co., Bonnyville
Bonnyville`s Beaver River Brew Co. brews a crisp, golden beer, brewed with a fine balance of Noble hops and an addition of Saaz, which is classic to the style. One of the places to taste the brews are after a ropes course at Kinosoo Ridge’s Adventure Park. Try a Citrus Haze IPA or Midnight Beaver, a German style dark lager. Watch the FB page for live music events to wassail the orchard, an ancient ritual to fend off evil spirits so the apple trees bear fall fruit.
Lakeland Brewing, St. Paul
Lakeland Brewing creates small batch seasonal craft beers and sipping beverages in St. Paul, home of the world`s first UFO Landing Pad. Besides having hard iced tea, beers on tap, and pub snacks, this brewco knows how to bring people together. Try your hand at virtual golf or join in on a constant run of trivia, live music, open mic and cribbage nights, many of which support local groups.
Fat Unicorn Brewery, Lac La Biche
Lac La Biche`s Fat Unicorn Brewery brews six branded beers and a couple of seasonals with great flavour, taste and a clean crisp finish, using only natural ingredients with no additional sugars or flavouring chemicals. Sample Naughty Amber or Bitter Dispute, a Citra blend of malt and hops, balanced for flavour and bitterness. Connected to the brewer, an ambient and full service restaurant, complete with Model A in situ, has excellent food and weekend buffets—which happens to make it easy to pair your beer with a New York Striploin or Shrimp Po Boy, beer battered shrimp on a pretzel bun with fixin’s. Yum!
4th Meridian Brewing Co., Lloydminster
4th Meridian Brewing Co. brews up different ales and seltzers, different in a clever way. Light crisp Chillada Cerveza, for one, is a Canadian take on a classic Mexican Michelada. Pig Launcher, as you might think, is a big malty pale ale with a hoppy bine and citrus-piney aroma. Its wood barred taproom is open for private bookings but also hosts events such as comedy nights.
4th Meridian also has brews from Ribstone Creek Brewery, which it acquired in late 2022.
Cold Lake Brewing & Distilling Co., Cold Lake
Cold Lake Brewing & Distilling Co. is the Lakeland’s first local small batch distillery and craft brewery. Established in 2016, it strives to use and support local products such as honey and coffee in its nine different vodka, gin and rum varieties. The multi level location in Cold Lake North has a massive taproom with 21 taps rotating seasonal varieties. Two outdoor patios serve a full restaurant menu. The view from the rooftop patio overlooks Cold Lake Marina and minors are welcome before 8:00 pm. Beer and spirits are available across Alberta, but they also ship brews and spirits—in distinctive wax sealed bottles—across Canada.
