New Pub Comes to the Beltline: The Pig and Duke

Calgary's newest pub, The Pig and Duke, breathes new life into its location at 12th Avenue and 12th Street S.W., which was previously occupied by Crush Lounge. It’s out with the outdated and in with the new, and the new owners of The Pig and Duke are going above and beyond the standard pub fare when it comes to food and, of course, beer selection.

The menu is ambitious, offering everything from bar snacks (rib-eye crackle and chicharrones are among the highlights) and mains like meat loaf with Innis & Gunn mushroom peppercorn sauce ($15) to booze-inspired desserts. Here, the “Jager Bomb” ($9) comes in the form of short cake, Jagermeister ice cream and a Red Bull reduction, leaving you satisfied, sans the hangover.

Other notable menu creations include “The Hammer” ($14), a kielbasa sausage stuffed with black truffle cheddar, wrapped in smoked bacon. And, last but not least, “The Pig” ($19), a 12-ounce monster of a beef burger topped with ham, bacon, avocado, onion rings and cheddar. If you're Man Vs. Food enough to tackle this big boy, and manage to devour it in 20 minutes, you'll be officially inducted into their wall of fame.

The long, stained wood bar is home to more than 20 beer taps to choose from, as well as about 30 bottled options. The beer offerings were selected with the help of local beer expert, Kirk Bodnar. Here, there's a strong emphasis on craft brews and imports, with names as intriguing as the beers themselves. A glass of Pike XXXXX Stout or a bottle of Wychwood Hobgoblin anyone?

The Pig and Duke is located at 1312 12 Ave. S.W., 403-245-8487, pigandduke.com. For daily food and drink specials, follow the pub on twitter, @pigandduke.

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