BY TOM FIRTH

We did this for the first time last year and had fantastic feedback! We looked across the entirety of the results from our 2025 Alberta Beverage Awards and pulled out all the top scoring beer (and non-alcoholic beer), spirits, mead, and full proof cocktails, and put them into an easy to digest, clear list of the highest scoring, Alberta-made offerings.

The competition itself is a major undertaking, and we publish the results in their entirety in our October issue, and online at culinairemagazine.ca.

Our judges work exceptionally hard tasting all these entries blind – which means that they don’t know what it is they are tasting and are tasked, as beverage professionals, with finding the best products in each category, and also with an eye to what it is that the consumer is looking for. Armed with those results (and reams of data), we are proudly sharing our “Best of Alberta” for 2025.

All these products are either Best in Class in their category, or a Judges Selection at the 2025 Alberta Beverage Awards, but more importantly, we’ve identified them by score. It’s still rather new for us to publish the scores, but we know scores out of 100 seem to resonate with consumers of fine beverages, and seem to work for those making these drinks and wanting to share these accomplishments with their patrons, clientele, and partners. We are acutely aware of the perils of score inflation and the need to have near perfect scores of 96 or more to be considered “good,” but we are completely confident in our recommendations of all these excellent, Alberta-made beverages below.

BEER, MEAD, AND CIDER

91 points

Stolen Harvest Meadery 2024 Saskatoon Syrah Alberta, Canada CSPC 104898 $40

Tool Shed Zero Red Rage, Alberta, Canada $14-16 (4-pack cans)

90 points

Spirit Hills Flower Winery 2024 Bonfire, Alberta, Canada CSPC 786517 $29-32

Annex Ales Forward Progress Pale Ale, Alberta, Canada CSPC 124878 $18-21 (6-pack cans)

The Establishment Brewing Company My Best Friend's Girl Alberta, Canada CSPC 818449 $18-20 (4-pack cans)

Hard Knox British Brown, Alberta, Canada CSPC 103060 $17-20 (4-pack cans)

The Establishment Brewing Company Pilsgnar Alberta, Canada CSPC 819846 $18-20 (4-pack cans)

Fahr Alkoholfrei, Alberta, Canada $14-16 (6-pack cans)

89 points

Polyrhythm Beatbox Brown, Alberta, Canada CSPC 114012 $18-21 (4-pack cans)

Buffalo 9 Fighting Season Pale Ale, Alberta, Canada CSPC 854365 $18-20 (4-pack cans)

Blind Enthusiasm Greek Tragedy Alberta, Canada CSPC 109883 $22-25 (750mL)

Iron Hat Brewing Mellow Sunset Hazy Pale Ale Alberta, Canada CSPC 116670 $18-20 (4-pack cans)

Tool Shed Golden Hour Hazy Pale, Alberta, Canada CSPC 106597 $19-21 (4-pack cans)

High River Brewing Cruis'n West Coast IPA Alberta, Canada CSPC 841080 $18-21 (4-pack cans)

Blind Enthusiasm 2024 Spontaneous Manifesto Alberta, Canada $22-25 (750mL)

Banded Peak Brewing Gran Norte Mexican Style Lager Alberta, Canada CSPC 123095 $19-21 (4-pack cans)

Polyrhythm Matinee Lemon Cream Tea Tart Ale Alberta, Canada CSPC 4893480 $21-23 (4-pack cans)

Uncommon Cider Tropical Cider, Alberta, Canada CSPC 836844 $20-22 (4-pack cans)

One for the Road Proceed With Caution Amber Alberta, Canada $14-16 (6-pack cans)

Uncommon Cider Ginger Cider, Alberta, Canada CSPC 880486 $20-22 (4-pack cans)

Spirit Hills Flower Winery 2023 Wild Rosy Alberta, Canada CSPC 790915 $29-32

Spirit Hills Flower Winery 2023 Wild Rosy Alberta, Canada CSPC 790915 $29-32

Spirit Hills Flower Winery 2024 Blue Bonney Alberta, Canada $34-36

Stolen Harvest Meadery Mocha Bochet Alberta, Canada CSPC 887542 $40