Walking around town in Stanley, the capital of the Falkland Islands it doesn’t take long to understand how the people who live here often take pride in being “more British than Britain”.
It only takes about 30 minutes to walk the town in this proud British outpost, and if you have a keen eye you may spot one house with a Falkland Beerworks sign emblazoned on the front of it.
Chances are nobody will be home, as the vast majority of visitors to the Falklands come here on expeditions ships bound for Antarctica. The stop in Stanley occurs during the day, and lasts for 3-6 hours. But, Falkland Beerworks is really just a hobby brewery, as the founder Jeff Halliday has a full-time job during the day.
Falkland Beerworks, Brewery in Falkland Islands
As such, you’ll have to do some digging around town to come up with your beer swag and find bottles of the mostly English-inspired (and mostly 1982 Falkalnds War inspired names) beers.
At any one time you may be able to find up to six different beers around town from Falkland Beerworks. The local supermarket (The West Store) has a decent selection of craft beer, but nothing from Falkland Beerworks, so the beers are not as easy to track down as you might think.
Iron Lady Beer, Falkland Islands
To help you optimize your beer travel time in the Falkland Islands, here is a good plan of attack to find as many local beers as possible. Sadly, I was not able to sample the Cape Pembroke Pale Ale yet, so perhaps I’ll have to return to the Falklands?
Stop 1: Falkland Beerworks. Walk up Philomel from the waterfront, turn right on John.
A home that is set back from the road slightly. They don’t really post hours or anything, but if you catch Jeff home or working in the brewery then consider yourself lucky, and take advantage of getting beer straight from the source. Consider sending him a message ahead of time via Facebook or his website to let him know you’re planning to stop by.
Black Tarn Beer, Falkland Islands
Stop 2: Studio 52. On Ross Road along the Waterfront.
Since the actual brewery will likely be closed, this is one place to start your beer hunting adventure. From the outside it may appear similar to many other souvenir shops around town in Stanley, but this one sometimes has a beer advantage. They (usually) have a stock of Falkland Beerworks pint glasses, coasters and possible other Falkland Beerworks souvenirs for sale.
I was told that it is Jeff’s wife who runs this shop, which helps to explain why they seem to be the only shop in town with these specific souvenirs.
Make this one of your first stops, and be sure to ask the shop owner about any current information on best spots to grab a bottle or pint of the actual Beerworks brews, as they may have the most up to date information.
Other fine Falkland Islands souvenirs can be found here as well, so the shop really is worth checking out. Plus, they accept most major credit cards too, if you don’t happen to have any US dollars, British pounds, Falkland pounds or Euros handy.
The Falkland Islands does not accept any Argentine currency, as both the UK and Argentina lay claim to the islands. The Falklands war between these two nations in 1982 didn’t really resolve anything and there remains a large British military presence in the Falkland Islands, because if they leave it is expected Argentina will invade again.
Continuing your beer day in Stanley, the next best spots to visit for a pint or bottle of local brew are below.
Stop 3: Bittersweet Café. At the corner of Philomel and John.
This café is just a minute away from the brewery. It is a small café, which can fill up quite fast if there are some cruise or expedition ships in town, so try to get here ahead of the lunch-seeking crowd.
Bittersweet Cafe, Falkland Islands
While the food is good, they also have a wide selection of beer, including a solid lineup of bottles of Falkland Beerworks brews. On my visit they had five options in stock at a price of £ 3.90 (Falkland pounds). Yes, they will sell them for you to take away and bring home.
However, this shop does not accept debit or credit. So if you do not have cash you’ll need to hit the bank on Ross Road, or make a purchase at the West Store supermarket and get cash back. Unless you need a large sum of money, it is cheaper to get cash through the supermarket as their service charge may be lower.
Stop 4: Victory Pub. Located at Philomel and Fitzroy.
Just up the street from Bittersweet is the Victory Pub. This is the watering hole of choice for many visitors and locals alike. You’re bound to encounter some friendly people and have some fun conversation here. It is decked out wonderfully in kitschy memorabilia, Falkland history, pub games and flags.
Bullshit Corner, Victory Pub, Falkland Islands
If you didn’t grab food at Bittersweet Café and are hungry, the fish and chips is good here as well, but again – try and get in before the lunch rush as service can get slow as the place gets crowded.
If Bittersweet didn’t have all the bottles you wanted, you may find them here. There is always some selection of Falkland Beerworks beer here. One thing you will most certainly want to do is grab a pint of Falkland Beerworks here. Jeff is a real fan of real ale, and finding his beer on cask really showcases how he intended it to be enjoyed. On my visit they were serving the Rockhopper blonde ale on cask, in true British fashion.
It is quite possible you’ll have accomplished your Falkland Islands beer travels by the time you finish up here. After all, there really is only one decent town and one brewery! So sit back and enjoy another pint if you have time.
If you want to wander around town further and see what else is available, then the following pub may also be worth a stop as well.
Stop 5: The Globe Tavern. Located at Philomel and Crozier.
A minute walk from Victory Pub, this is another local watering hole worth visiting if you have the time. They also serve Falkland Beerworks on tap so it is possible you may score more than one local type of beer on tap in Stanley. I didn’t have enough time to stop in for a pint here, as I got busy chatting with people at Victory Pub and had to get going sooner than planned.
Globe Tavern, Falkland Islands
Bonus: Hotel stops, if you have more time in Stanley.
Stop 6: The Malvina House Hotel, located on Ross Road, across from the Falkland Islands Museum
The Malvina Hotel’s restaurant and lounge bar opening hours don’t always line up perfectly with the arrivals of ships, so it may be a hit or miss chance of stopping in for food or drink here, unless you’ve got a room booked and will be spending more than a few hours in town.
Stop 7: The Waterfront Boutique Hotel, located on Ross Road, at the base of Philomel
This is as close as you can get to the the start of town. Just a hop across the road from the Falkland islands Tourist Board, and where you’ll likely begin your journey of exploration in Stanley.
Stanley, Falkland Islands
The Kitchen Cafe serves up delicious baked goods, steaks, seafood and much more, plus Falkland Beerworks brews. For £4.95, grab yourself a pint right on the waterfront!
After this, any beer stops are going to be a bonus. Falkland Beerworks is considered to be the world’s most remote commercial brewery. While their beers range from average to very good, it is the people who call the Falkland Islands home that will add a bit of extra flavour to the drinking experience on a craft beer day in Stanley.
How to get to Stanley, Falkland Islands
Most visitors arrive by expedition ship on tours continuing to Antarctica, such as those run by Polar Latitudes. It is also possible to fly to Stanley. There are flights from Oxfordshire, UK and from Punta Arenas, Chile.
This coming Saturday is Brew Camp at Sawdust City Brewery and I’ll be there!
I’m sure our small group of beer campers will be a bunch of passionate beer lovers, so I am quite looking forward to brewing my first beer with them. As someone who has never done any home brewing, this is the perfect opportunity for me to get a bit more hands-on by seeing, and helping with, an actual brewing process. I realize home brewing and brewing on a large commercial scale are different beasts, but I’m kind of more interested in seeing how beer is brewed by one of my favourite Ontario breweries anyways!
A flight of beers at the Sawdust City Saloon
It has been 3+ years since the current Sawdust City Brewery facility opened, and I fondly remember my first visit shortly after they opened. The first beer I tried in their Saloon was Gourd Downie Pumpkin Ale. I tend to hate pumpkin beers (my least favourite style), but I did enjoy that one. I visited a number of times on trips up north and liked that they always had a couple of odd, “fun-off” type of experimental brews on tap in the Brewery Saloon like Pink Pajamas and The Salty Brine. They may not always have experimental beers on tap now, as they are more likely to have a guest tap or two, plus they’ve created too many solid beers the past few years that are often on tap!
Nowadays I have a few Sawdust City beers that are in my regular rotation. Lone Pine IPA still stands up to any other Ontario IPAs out there, which I can enjoy any time of year (and Juicin’ appeals to the soft, fluffy IPA drinkers now). The Blood of Cthulhu is a treat on any cold, winter day, and one of my go-to simple summer softball beers is Little Norway, which I always bring with me when playing a game at Little Norway park in Toronto. The beer name itself is tied to some pretty cool Canadian history too, which is something Sawdust City does with some of their beer names.
It is going to be a fun day on Saturday. I’m not sure what type of beer we’ll be making, nor am I sure how hard they’ll work us! I’m sure I’ll gain a new level of respect for all the brewery workers who spend their days working hard to create delicious drink treats for us beer consumers! I’m looking at this day as an amped up Brewery Tour, with some nice perks that I’ll have to work for!
Looking forward to some tasty Sawdust City beers at Brew Camp!
We’ll be learning all day long, and enjoying some food and brews along the way. Aside from lunch and a beer, we’ll get our very own Brew Camp shirts. Plus, of course we get to bottle and take home the beer we brew when it is ready in a few weeks! Will our beer turn out to be a winner? Will anyone fall into some tanks? Will I be the only one with zero brewing knowledge? I’ll find out in a few days – wish me luck!
As for Brew Camp, this isn’t the first time Sawdust City has put together the concept, and I’m sure it won’t be the last either. Check their website events list and social media channels for news on any future Brew Camps if it sounds like something you’d like to do!
I started drinking Unibroue beers about 15 years ago. That was when they were often considered the best brewery in Quebec, if not the best Canadian brewery.
Their beers were consistently ranked near the top of almost any “best beer” ranking when it came to styles like Belgian Tripels or Strong Belgian Dark Ales (and they still are). I had friends who thought I sometimes drank Unibroue beers simply because they were high alcohol and I wanted to get drunk. But I actually enjoyed the 8% and 9% beers.
Unibroue – Trois Pistoles
For a few years I’d treat myself to these great beers whenever I wanted something more than the generic lagers that dominated most nights out with the boys. But, slowly I was able to get others to start to enjoy trying different tasting beers. It started when I used to work near the original Bier Markt in Toronto. A group of us would go out and try different Belgian and German styled beers. Soon it wasn’t just the Belgian-influenced Unibroue beers I was picking up at the LCBO, but other fine beers like Westmalle, Rochefort and Chimay.
I had found a niche of beers that I really enjoyed, all thanks to Unibroue. If you like La Fin du Monde, then try Westmalle Tripel…if you like Trois Pistoles, then try Rochefort 8. Belgian beers were my thing. I started to shun all other beers.
Then, my next job was in Belgium. How cool was that? In Toronto at the time, you were almost limited to the Bier Markt or Beer Bistro when it came to trying some great Belgian brews. Now I found myself in a small town in Belgium, where every little restaurant and bar had 100 or so bottles of beer to choose from, it was overwhelming.
My beer growth started. I expanded into trying beers like lambics and sours. I discovered Oerbier, Delirium Tremens, Struisse, Bernardus and other fine Belgian beers. Well, I cut that job short after some colleagues were thrown in jail, and found myself back in Canada again.
My fascination and appreciation with Unibroue continued, this time working on an international marketing project to export their beer to Sweden. No, it wasn’t officially working for the brewery, it was for a course I was taking, but I made Unibroue beer my “research”, not bad huh?
This Unibroue passion continued on and soon I had new people experiencing and enjoying their beers. It wasn’t always the big, strong ales either. Quelque Chose became a favourite for a number of friends, especially when it was served warmed up at Beer Bistro in Toronto. It’s a beer that is still a sentimental favourite of mine, but sadly no longer in production. I have one bottle left from 2002 and the Unibroue website says it can age for 15 years, so I am hanging on to it for as long as I can.
Enjoying a La Resolution by Unibroue, at Beer Bistro in Toronto
Even after being bought out by Sleeman and then by Sapporo of Japan, Unibroue has maintained a unique identity. Their signature beers have a common yeast quality to them, which many people love, including myself. I think I could tell you I was drinking a Unibroue beer even if I was blindfolded.
Even with all this positivity, Unibroue has always been a source of frustration. I worked near a bar for about 5 years that served Unibroue beers on tap. They always had two rotating Unibroue beers. Usually one of the Éphémère fruit flavoured beers and one of the stronger ones like Maudite or La Fin du Monde. But never Trois Pistoles.
Far and wide I searched, for over a decade, to have a glass of Trois Pistoles in Toronto. But it seemingly only comes in bottles in Ontario. It is my favourite of the regularly produced Unibroue offerings, yet not even the LCBO carries it.
This beer is the only reason I ever go to the Beer Store in Ontario. When I need a fix for Trois Pistoles, I go and buy a 4-pack.
Recently, I got to share my Unibroue passion with people from around the world, as I was guiding tours in Quebec. Access to so much Unibroue! I could find beers we don’t get in Ontario, such as Noire de Chambly, Quatre-Centième, Don de Dieu and U Blonde. I’d take groups to bars like La Ninkasi in Quebec City, where they served many Unibroue beers on tap. My world travellers loved it, although I’d often have to make sure everyone stumbled back to the hotel safely later that night.
Jerry Vietz – Unibroue Brewmaster
The ultimate Unibroue beer experience for me was in Quebec was always hanging out at the funky hostel in Tadoussac, where Quebecois culture would embrace me and my travellers from around the world. Bonfires, live music and Unibroue on tap, it was a perfect little place. A full pint of Trois Pistoles went for $5. Crazy. Amazing.
And, every time I visited that little hostel I would be envious of their monstrous (empty) bottle of Unibroue they had on display. I think it was a 3L bottle of Maudite. It may have been 6L, it may have been La Fin Du Monde. But it was big and I could imagine the festive night that must have brought about.
So, when Unibroue recently announced that they were selling, for the first time ever, some 6L bottles of La Fin du Monde through the LCBO, I had to check it out. I had the pleasure of chatting with Unibroue Beer Sommelier Sylvain Bouchard and Unibroue Brewmaster Jerry Vietz at the event and learned that a new incarnation of Quelque Chose could appear down the road one day. I also nudged them to try and get Trois Pistoles on tap here in Ontario. As far as brewery folks go, these are two great guys who have a strong passion for their brand and their beer. Sylvain has been with Unibroue for 14 years and Jerry joined in 2003.
After enjoying the event, which officially launched the new beer La Résolution, I was lucky enough to obtain one of those huge 6L bottles of La Fin du Monde. It’ll be a big beer night whenever I crack the new bottle open, but I’m more excited about keeping it around as a memento and “thanks” to Unibroue for brewing so many great beers and kickstarting me down the path of enjoying flavourful craft beer in Canada.
Updated in January 2018! When I first published this list in 2014, I had 40 craft breweries listed in Ecuador. Now the list includes more than 135! Added and updated all social media and website links. New additions also include a bottle shop and some great beer bars, now that bottled craft beer is a possibility in Ecuador.
I’ve been lucky to visit Ecuador many times and see how the craft beer craze has taken off in the small South American country. Microbreweries, home brewers, nanobreweries, call them whatever you want – small, craft beer producers, are now found everywhere.
I originally wrote an article on the subject for the September/October 2014 issue of TAPS the beer magazine, you can download a digital copy here. Things have changed quite a bit in Ecuador since then.
A Selection of Craft Beer bottles from Ecuador
To add to that article, and my older post about Craft Beer in Ecuador taking on Pilsner and Club, here is a listing of all of the craft (artesanal) brewers in Ecuador. If you know of anyone who should be added to this list, let me know!
Craft beer, or cerveza artesanal, as it is called in Ecuador, now numbers well over 100 different breweries, msot of whom are listed below. This cerveza artesanal list is constantly changing and being updated. Pretty much all of them are on Facebook or Instagram, but not so many have their own functioning websites. Where possible, links have been provided below. Since these guys are all based in Ecuador, you may need to brush up on your Spanish to decipher the where/how to find some of these beers if you’re planning to visit this little country in South America.
Is this list 100% complete? Of course not, but it is more extensive than any list you will find on sites like Untappd or Ratebeer. So send me any information you may have on places that are new for me to check out on my next visit to Ecuador!
Note that some of the breweries above may not have official visiting hours. Additionally, some of them such as Indie Beer Company are bars that commonly serve other Ecuadorian craft beer, but may also serve their own branded beers from time to time. If you are looking to maximize your beer drinking time in Quito, watch for my upcoming “Beer Day in Quito” post!
Best Beer Bars in Ecuador
Sometimes you don’t need to hit an actual brewery to try some of the best beers. There are some great beer bars in Ecuador, mostly around Quito. Here is my quick list of recommendations. In Quito, La Reserva, HOPS Craft Beer Pub, Ciudad Cerveza, Ácrono Beer Pub, Bandido del Paramo, Sirka, Romero’s Burgers and Frida Tacos are my top places. In Tumbaco, it might be worth seeing what El Tasting Room (by Speck) is like or La Barra Restobar in Sangolqui may be worth stopping in at. In Ambato, Madame Bier Resto Pub is a spot to try. In Guayaquil, check out República de la Cerveza and El TapRoom. In Cuenca there is Lacraft Beer Garden as well. All these bars are easily found on Facebook.
Other Ecuador Beer Links
Buy bottles of local craft beer at Viva Cerveza, the best bottle ship in Quito, Ecuador. If you happen to head to Ambato, buy bottles at Im Hoppy. If you’re wanting to do a craft beer tour in Quito, look up Land of Hoppiness, although there are a handful of torus out there. And if you want beer delivered to your house or hotel, there are a few ever-changing services out there too, MotoBirra Beer Delivery may be worth contacting.
Ecuador Beer Festivals
There are many small-scale craft beer festivals popping up around Ecuador. Viva Cerveza happen to run the best and biggest Craft Beer Festival in Ecuador. There is also the Pichincha Beer Fest, which last ran November 2017 and the very small Los Chillos Beer Fest last held in April 2017. If you are in Quito, ask around at some local breweries to see if any festivals are happening soon.
Ecuador Craft Breweries that have been removed from the list:
RIAR Brewing Company (now Shaman Cerveza), Roche’s Brewing in Canoa (closed in 2015), Ambacht Bier in Guayaquil (closed in 2014. Became Región Cerveza Artesanal, which closed in 2015), Santaana Cerveceria / Cerveza Artesanal in Cuenca (reported as closed), Andean Brewing Company in Cuenca (closed in 2015). Vendetta Cerveceria in Quito (out of business), Red Dragon Brewing in Quito (out of business), Reina Cerveza in Guayaquil (out of business), La Cuchara de San Marcos in Quito (good restaurant, but no longer makes beer), Cervecería Cerro Negro in Sangolqui (out of business), Barracuda Cerveza Artesanal in Guayaquil (out of business), Averno Brewery in Quito (now Abysmo), Cerveza Artesanal Diablo en Botella (reported as no longer brewing).
Last year I wrote about the Evolution of Breweries in Torontoand how a handful of new brewers had popped up like Indie Alehouse and Bellwoods (named the 3rd best New Brewer in the World for 2012 by ratebeer.com). Those guys are all still doing great things, but the friendly competition has gotten even tougher since then.
It’s safe to say that the craft beer scene has been amped up big time, thanks to more new breweries and a huge influx of contract brewers. The established guys are, in some cases, now brewing so many contract beers that they’re running three shifts, brewing 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
Since the evolution began a couple of years ago, a few new twists have recently started to happen, which are making the Toronto beer scene even more exciting.
Maverick & Gose by Amsterdam & Great Lakes Breweries
Existing Toronto Breweries have Stepped up their Game
The biggest names here are Amsterdam Brewery and Great Lakes Brewery, which was recently named the best brewery in Ontario by ratebeer.com and 2013 Canadian Brewery of the Year at the Canadian Brewing Awards. They’re both pumping out one-off beers and limited edition beers on what seems a near-weekly pace. From Wheat Wines to Barrel-Aged Russian Imperial Stouts, it’s actually become impossible to keep up as a consumer – which is great! Amsterdam Brewery moved operations in the past year, and they have some big plans, including opening a new brewpub on the waterfront. Not to be outdone by these two brewers, Mill Street Brewery has also recently done an expansion in the Distillery District of Toronto, opening a Beer Hall and serving up Bierschnaps!
Invisible Contract Brews are more Common than Ever
With little risk and no overhead, utilizing the downtime at local breweries is a no-brainer for everyone in Toronto. I say invisible contract brews here, because I’m talking about beers with no store front, bar, distributed kegs or sales force. If you blink, you’ll miss their beer.
As long as a brewery has the capacity and staff on hand, they’re getting money to fund their own operations and growth plans from these invisible guys; while these little one-off contract brewers can focus on creating a unique beer with top quality ingredients for us – the consumers – to enjoy. It’s a win-win-win relationship! The best example of this is Radical Road and their Canny Man, a Barrel-Aged Scotch Ale. Radical Road doesn’t really exist anywhere except in the form of their bottles of beer. They’re a nano-brewery that got a product on the shelves of our provincially controlled liquor stores, the LCBO. That’s a pretty sweet feat!
Passion and Pride in Brewing
Something that has become apparent over the past year is that the Toronto beer scene is a tight one. The growing number of bars supporting craft beer, and brewers themselves, are all supporting each other. We’re even seeing the transformation of some stagnant sports bars into thriving, new havens for craft beer. People are literally excited to know what the ‘other’ guy is doing, as new ideas are sparking more interesting beers to show up in the marketplace. This passion has always been there, it’s just becoming more and more apparent to consumers now who are benefiting from more tap takeovers, tastings, beer events and overall access to craft beer around the city.
On the consumer side the most exciting change I’ve noticed over the past year is that people are talking about, and looking forward to, new local beers. A couple of years ago every craft beer drinker in Toronto would be lamenting about our lack of selection and how so many other cities in the US had it better than us. Not so much any more.
Left Field Brewery of Toronto, launched in 2013.
I know from experience that if you’re a day or two behind checking your Tweets or Facebook posts, you’re quite possibly going to miss out on the best, new Toronto beer as small batch brews are selling out the day they hit the shelves at local breweries. Fun times indeed.
More Collaboration Beers
An offshoot of the pride and passion is that brewers and breweries are teaming up more and more, to create unique collaboration beers. Amsterdam and Great Lakes recently came together to produce a gose beer, dubbed Maverick & Gose, a la Top Gun movie. A visit to beer bars around town and you’ll often see something from locals like Black Oak or House Ales that are mixing it up with brewers from outside Toronto or even beyond our borders, outside Ontario.
The fact that brewers from beyond are excited to work with the beer people in Toronto just goes to show how much excitement is coming out of the local beer scene.
The Quasi-Craft Movement
It was inevitable, as the craft beer scene has grown so fast around Toronto. The big guys want their piece of the action. To some, it’s sacrilege to drink anything from the big macro breweries, but I say try them all. Six Pints falls under this category and if the big guys have to set up new ‘craft beer’ companies to re-capture some of their sales, it’s fine by me – I’ll drink good beer from any brewery.
So Who are the Newest Breweries in Toronto?
Since last summer, the following breweries have come into existence. Some of them tiny operations that haven’t yet produced anything. Others are up and running with solid lineups of beers already on the market! Be sure to check them out…
Radical Road Brewing – mentioned earlier, this is a nano-brewery that has so far put out one stellar beer. Let’s just say if you like scotch, you’ll love their first beer.
Get Well Nano-Brewery – this Toronto bar started on the craft beer wagon and kept on rolling straight into their own nano-brewery! In similar fashion, The Only Cafe recently announced they’ll start up their own nano-brewing operation soon too.
Left Field Brewery – a smartly marketed baseball themed line-up of beers, which are tasty too. The high hopes of Blue Jays baseball in Toronto could help these guys soar to success.
Liberty Village Brewery– I got turned on to these guys when I saw they were experimenting with a Gummy Beer. Yes, a beer brewed with gummy bears! How cool is that? Sadly, no they did not decide to go with this beer at their official launch party.
Shacklands Brewing – These guys kind of caught me by surprise. They contract brew at Junction Craft and have gotten their initial beers into a few good bars around town like Bar Volo and Bryden’s.
The Only Cafe Nano-Brewery – what, another nano-brewery? yes! One of the finest beer bars in Toronto is also getting into the brew scene. They’ve grown and are taking beer even more seriously, with an ageing cellar and expanded tap list. Once just a dive bar with good beer, this is a now a true craft beer destination. No in-house beers yet, but coming soon.
Six Pints Beer Academy – this is the new craft beer arm of Molson Coors. Don’t let that scare you though, it’s a cool place that is brewing some tasty beers. Perhaps not as adventurous as many others, but they are worth keeping an eye on.
Look for beers from these new guys, as they’ll be showing up at more and more bars, or on the LCBO shelves, in coming months and don’t forget about the six other new brewers in Toronto that I wrote about last year!
