Day 5: Canmore Breweries and Pubs
For our final day in Canada, we decided to keep the truck parked. The plan: wander around Canmore and enjoy local breweries and pubs.
We spent some time at the Resort in morning, enjoying the well equipped gym, and treating ourselves to a massage in their spa (hey, we were on our honeymoon after all).
Our first stop on our way into town was Rave Coffee… a small coffee roaster just outside of downtown. This was truly good coffee. They really know what they’re doing here. The coffee was dark and smooth, with almost no bitterness. It was the perfect walking beverage as we made our way up the rail trail towards Canmore Brewing.
We did a bit of a lap around the building that Canmore Brewing is in… it’s on the backside facing the railroad tracks if you’re looking for it. They’ve got a nice setup there, with a dedicated taproom, and a nice seating area that’s separated from the actual brewery by a short fence. It’s great to sit inside the brewery and sip a beer made on the equipment right in front of me. We had a few beers, all were good… and we had to have another Walk a Mile beer before we moved on.
Our first food stop was a rustic little pub called Tavern 1883. We were enticed by the menu board outside that promised Smoked Meat and Truffle Oil Poutine. They did not disappoint. We ordered that poutine and it hit the spot. We paired the poutine with a slightly healthier option… a nice garden salad, which paired nicely with the heavier meat, cheese, and gravy. They had a decent selection of craft beers to wash it down with as well.
Our next stop was for drinks only, and it was the second location of Grizzly Paw Brewing… the downtown Pub. This time we tried a fantastically complex, barrel aged imperial stout. It had a really nice roasted malt smell, and was very rich, with a warming feeling from the higher ABV.
After the beer stop we had to wander for just a bit, popping into a few shops on main street, deciding where to eat/drink next. We ended up a a quirky little spot called Where the Buffalo Roam Saloon. It’s a narrow little cocktail bar, with pretty minimal seating. We showed up just in time to nab a couple of bar seats. After taking a look at the drink menu, I decided to go for one of their handcrafted cocktails… a smoked mezcal old fashioned. The bartender got excited, saying it was one of his favorite drinks to make. He broke out this miniature smoker to fill the glass with hickory smoke before mixing in the rest of the drink. The smoke really infused and permeated the drink. I really enjoy smoky flavors, and this was like sipping on a campfire… absolutely delicious.
Our final stop for the day, on the way out of town, seemed like more of a local hangout: The Rose and Crown Pub. They do have a nice outdoor patio that overlooks the river, but it was chilly outside, so we bellied up to the bar. It wasn’t busy, but we were there for an early dinner on a Friday night. I could see that place getting busy during the height of the tourist season. They’ve got plenty of seating, and bar games like pool and darts. We ordered a few local pints, as well as a cup of their house-made Guinness, Cheddar & Jalapeno soup. Oh man… that soup was good. Super rich from the cheese, and just a hint of spice form the jalapeno. It was just the right heat to warm us up for our walk back to the resort. We made it an early night due to our early flight out of Calgary in the morning.
We really enjoyed our Canadian honeymoon. We’re already thinking about plans to head back into the Canadian Rockies in the future. We still want to do the Skyline Trail, and we’d like to check out the skiing in Lake Louise and Jasper. In any case, we’ll be back for sure, and highly recommend the area for anyone.
