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Location:
5555 – 76 Avenue SE
Calgary, AB T2C 4L8
403.720.3239
Website: www.bigrockbeer.com
Email: [email protected]
Facebook: /BigRockBrewery
Twitter: @BigRockBrewery
Instagram: @bigrockbrewery
Products:
Traditional, Warthog, Honey Brown, McNally’s Extra, Grasshopper Wheat Ale, India Pale Ale, Saaz Republic Pilz, Scottish Style Heavy Ale, Abandoned Abbey Ale, Cracked Pepper Wheat Ale, Dead Reckoning Royal IPA, Juniper Mild Summer Lager, Purple Gas, Rhine Stone Cowboy Kholsh, Steel Cut Oatmeal Raisin Stout, The Anarchist, The Cascadian, Thresher Wheat Lager, Rock Creek Cherry Cider, Rock Creek Dry Cider, Rock Creek Pear Cider.
Availability:
Wide availability across Alberta and most of Canada. Some parts of the United States.
At a time in life when most people think about retirement, Ed McNally began his own brewery in 1984 at the tender age of 60. He set out to “make the beers that I want to drink, not what will be popular”. In 1985, Big Rock’s first brewmaster, Bernd Pieper created a bitter a porter and the Big Rock standard Traditional. Soon, other Big Rock classics were developed including Warthog cream ale, Grasshopper wheat ale, and McNally’s Extra strong ale.
By 1995, demand for Ed’s ales outgrew the facility they were brewed in. A new brewery was built and Big Rock began operations at their current location in 1996. The facility consists of three breweries. The main brewery can produced up to 200 hectolitres at a time. The Kaspar Schulz brewery is a smaller operation devoted to Big Rock’s smaller micro-brew program. They also have the Nano Brewery for their barrel program. Customers can even brew their own batches here.
Named after a nearby glacial erratic chunk of rock outside the town of Okotoks, Big Rock has always prided itself on being a local creation. From the beginning, local ingredients and home grown talent have been a focus.
Big Rock’s motto of brewing deliberately different beers has fuelled their passion for innovation. Their Brewmaster’s Editions are small batch one off creations. Shepherded by Brewmaster Paul Gautreau, this program has resulted in the creation of some truly unique beers including the Steel Cut Oatmeal Raisin Stout, the Thresher Wheat Lager, and the newly unveiled Abandoned Abbey dark Belgian style ale. They also produce a line of ciders.
The passing of Ed McNally in August of 2014 was a great loss not only to the Big Rock family but the brewing community at large. His legacy lives on in the trail blazing attitude of his breweries many beers. Many will forever consider him the “Grandfather” of the Alberta micro-brew scene.
The doors are almost always open at Big Rock. A friendly Beerologist will guide visitors on a 90 minute tour of the state-of-the-art brewery. The tour ends with a comprehensive tasting. The $25 tour fee includes a genuine Big Rock pint glass too. Contact Big Rock to book a space.
The “Well Crafted” series
The “Well Crafted” series spotlights the pioneering people – and the innovative things they make and do – that inspire them at Big Rock Brewery. This is their tip-of-the-hat to those who demonstrate the same passion in their pursuits, and the same overt attention to detail, and the same unwavering commitment to quality as they have for well-crafted beer.