Now we ’ re seeing more nonalc beers pop up in more traditional drinking occasions . People are drinking more nonalc beers out of choice , not necessity .
– EVAN COHEN , THE PRESIDENT OF PARTAKE
fast-growing nonalcoholic Canadian brewer Partake .
“ There ’ s a really good beer-drinking culture in Canada , based around sports , the outdoors lifestyle , hunting and fishing ,” Cohen says . “ It makes people feel good about the beer .” This is a common sentiment throughout the industry . “ It goes back to the vacation mentality ,” explains Dave Esber , owner of Esber Beverage Co . ( founded in 1937 ) and Craft Beers of Canada . Their imports portfolio includes half a dozen Canadian craft breweries . “ Everything tastes better on a vacation . People go up north for vacation and bring back that sentiment ” in the way that they think of Canadian beers .
Esber , too , sees natural resources as a benefit to Canadian products .
“ Ninety-seven percent of beer is water , and all major rivers run towards the equator in the Northern Hemisphere ,” he says , implying a greater purity in the water up north before it flows southward . Natural resources can also include a country ’ s citizens . “ The types of people who live in Canada , they tend to be more on the frontier , and they take more chances ,” Esber says . “ People who work in Canadian breweries have great passion for the beers that they brew .”
NEW AGE IN CANADIAN BEER
While the Canadian brewing industry contains number of legacy breweries with roots into the 19th century or later , the country also boasts a thriving craft scene . Ontario is known for its craft beer culture , while individual cities like Toronto ,
Vancouver and the smaller Penticton contain much-celebrated scenes .
Esber from Craft Beers of Canada works to identify producers from this category that he thinks will work in the American market . Successfully importing these craft breweries since the mid−2000s , he is picky , settling on only a small group .
“ You ’ re looking for breweries that can distinguish themselves from the mass produced ,” he says . For instance , his portfolio includes Flying Monkeys Craft Brewery , a common sight for anyone who has bought beer in the Northeast or Upper Midwest America .
“ They will really push the bubble with what they brew ,” Esber explains . “ Their motto is ‘ Life is Weird ’.”
Flying Monkeys ’ eclectic offerings include Squishy , a Marshmallow IPA ; Psychedelic Puzzle Factory , a bumbleberry custard DIPA ; Chocolate Manifesto , a triple chocolate milk stout ; and 12 Minutes to Destiny , a hibiscus pale lager .
“ Some Canadian breweries are pushing the bubble more because they have to , in order to distinguish themselves . Distribution can be limited up there ,” Esber says . “ And remember , down here [ in America ] we have 10 times the population density .” In other words , catching on and standing out may be harder up north , with a consumer population that ’ s more spread out .
Another modern Canadian brewery pushing the boundaries is Partake . This nonalcoholic producer cans the kind of 0.0 % ABV beers that you would expect — pale ale , IPA , blonde — as well as styles not normally seen in nonalc : Dunkel , Peach Gose , Hefeweizen . This points to an expanding consumer appetite for these sorts of beverages .
“ The whole category was founded on health and wellness ,” says Cohen , of nonalcoholic . “ Now we ’ re seeing more nonalc beers pop up in more traditional drinking occasions . People are drinking more nonalc beers out of choice , not necessity .” This is counter to an older , false belief about Canadian beer . “ There ’ s an old myth that Canadian beer is stronger ,” Cohen says . “ But that ’ s because of the way Americans measure alcohol , based on volume , as opposed to measuring based on weight .”
8 2024 SPIRIT OF CANADA