Alley Kat Brewery
This popular Edmonton micro-brewery teaches visitors the secrets of beer and mead making. There is a range of beers to taste too, from dark ales to fruity blends.
Visit the Alley Kat Brewery on a Thursday or Friday early afternoon to join a free walk-in tour and learn the secrets to brewing fresh-tasting beers. Watch the experts brew their ales, from malting the grains, milling, mashing and boiling, to fermenting and filtering. The Alley Kat also produces mead.
The Alley Kat is the longest running micro-brewery in Edmonton and the fourth oldest brewery in Alberta. This is remarkable, because it only started up in 1994. Owned by a local couple, the micro-brewery soon made a name in Edmonton. The brews are made from quality, locally sourced ingredients and there are no stabilizers or preservatives used. The beer is not pasteurized either, resulting in a natural, fresh-tasting drink. The Alley Kat has the capacity to ferment 2.4 million bottles of beer each year.
Beer lovers can whet their taste buds with the brewery’s flagship beers, which include an apricot wheat ale, brown ale, lager and pale ale. If you have never tried mead, this is your chance to do so. The alcoholic drink is made from honey and water and spiced with fruit, hops or other natural flavors, which is then fermented.
Depending on when you visit, there will be a new unique seasonal beer at the brewery. Try refreshing fruit-flavored beers in the summer or warm dark ales in the winter.
Take some recipes home with you to pair your food with the beer. The Alley Kat has a number of suggestions, including pork chops with their brown ale, Thai green curry with pale ale and smoked salmon with organic lager.
The brewery is closed on weekends and at night, even though private group tours and tastings can be booked for weekday evenings or weekends. It takes about 10 minutes to drive to the Alley Kat Brewery from downtown Edmonton and there are public transport options.