It's funny, when you've built a beer truck, it comes that folks start to know you as
beer lovers. Purveyors of mobile bars, but also they come to rely on us for our beer recommendations. So one of the most important tasks we do weekly, is, well, try new craft beer from across Western Canada. Generally, we can find something redeeming in most beers. But when we find something memorable in a brewery or beer: that's when the magic happens.
At the end of last year, I made a trip to Calgary, where we once lived for 10 years. It should come as no surprise then, that we LOVE cow-town and still visit frequently (yes, we do do roadtrips too in case you're looking for a Tapped experience in YYC). There's a sense of community that is very hard to replicate or find in other major cities. On this trip, we ventured out to sample as many beers from as many breweries as we could. So, as you can imagine, that meant ALOT.
Which means, it took ALOT to stand out among the crowd. Taprooms start to blur (that is not the beer talking) and average just melts away into the long list of beers not remarkable enough to remember.
But there was one stop that knocked my socks off. One I hadn't anticipated, because you see, the tap room was relatively new. It hadn't popped up in the long list of recommendations online and from friends. And it was tucked away a bit.
Who was it, you ask? Outcast Brewing.
They didn't have a lengthy tap list at the time: which is never an indicator of quality anyways. We were able to try every beer they had on tap in one flight. And you wanna know what? They were all uniquely creative, fearlessly brewed and GREAT. Every single one. At the time, they had a pumpkin beer...which normally I steer clear of. But this one was made with some egregious amount of Costco pumpkin pies (seriously who does this?!)...and was DELICIOUS.
Ever since I've been coveting Patrick's creations. I finally got a friend to send us a delivery of the good brew...and I was taken right back!
In this order, we got their Strawberry Milkshake.
Guys, this beer is SO fun. It pours hazy and almost orange in color thanks in part to the natural strawberry. You read that right: actual strawberry and lots of it. Kinda like a fresh patch...in your beer. Add some lactose and vanilla, and you can almost feel the creaminess of a, well, milkshake. The wheat beer foundation provides for a light, easy-drinkin beer perfect for the summer days ahead. The team at Outcast describes this one as "Sweet, tangy and clean" noting it will "remind you of your childhood trip to the soda shoppe" ....or to the drive-in where you'd score a milkshake. Either way!
Brewer Patrick and his wife Krysten have a fabulous story. They started by renting brewery space around Calgary: getting a feeling for the business, learning the industry and experimenting with brews long before they opened their own shop. I just loved hearing about their journey, they were smart and deliberate. Their love for the craft and what they're building together comes out in everything they do: from the warm community feel in their taproom, to the courageous way Patrick approaches his brews right to the sheer volume of support they've gotten with their delivery offering during Covid. It's apparent through all of this, that my gut feel on my first visit, that this was a special brewery doing cool sh*t isn't just my own belief: the community is rallying to keep these guys creating.
So if you're in Calgary or headed that way: take the time to order some beer for delivery, orswing in and see what Outcast is brewing when its safe to do so! Say hi to the crew...and bring me back a souvenir dammit!
Have a beer or brewery you'd like us to showcase? Email us cheers@tappedevents.com and be sure to tag @tapped.events on your #thirstythursday Instagram posts!