Calgary’s identity is tightly woven with a history of craft brewing.
Alberta’s first brewery, Calgary Brewing and Malting Co., was established by A.E. Cross — one of the Big Four financiers of the Calgary Stampede — in 1892 and began selling beer in 1893. The brewery was influential. Before its purchase by Molson Breweries in 1989 and then the cessation of production in 1994, the brewery proudly served Inglewood, leading to the area where it was located being known as Brewery Flats.
Today, in partnership with Molson, Village Brewery pays homage to Calgary Brewing’s enduring legacy with Village’s Calgary Beer. The craft lager was reworked from Calgary Brewing’s original recipe for its flagship Calgary Export Lager, which included reimagining Calgary Brewing’s iconic buffalo logo with a bull.
“There’s so much rich history to the brand. So many people are fans and advocates of it, and to be able to add to that is important to us,” says Jackson Stuart, marketing director at Village Brewery.
Made with Alberta-grown barley and North American hops, Calgary Beer is a clean, crisp brew. The recipe was originally revived by Village in 2022 as an ale for a limited release, but the latest version of the lager is as close a comparison to the original Calgary Export Lager as possible. Perfect for a Calgary summer.