ABOUT
WHAT WE DO
Mixed Culture Beer Shop is committed to providing Canmore with fresh, high-quality beer made by the best independent breweries. Local, Alberta beer, is a huge part of what we carry, but don’t be surprised to see beers from other parts of Canada, the US and Europe.
Along with an ever-changing stock of bottles and cans, there are 7 beers on tap for crowler and growler fills. What’s a crowler, you ask? A crowler is 32oz. aluminum can that we fill with draft beer and seal to order. We prefer cans for a number of reasons; less cumbersome, cans are better than glass at preventing beer from degrading and most of all, cans are safer and just plain easier to enjoy while spending time outdoors in the mountains. We have new growlers available for purchase or you can bring in your clean one from home for a fill.
While craft beer is our focus, we maintain the same standards for quality when curating the wine, spirits and cider selection. We pride ourselves on having a little something for everyone. Please ask questions or for suggestions and we won’t lead you astray.
WHAT IS MIXED CULTURE?
Most of the beer we drink, whether it be a lager, IPA or stout, is brewed with a single strain of yeast, called Saccharomyces, or “brewer’s yeast”.
Spontaneous fermentation is another process of inoculating beer with yeast/bacteria. This is where airborne microbes, such as the wild yeast strain Brettanomyces and lactic acid bacterias, Pediococcus and Lactobacillus, do the work for the brewer instead of pitching brewer’s yeast. This is how Lambics and other wild ales are made. Deliciously complex, tart and funky.
Combine any or all of these yeasts and bacteria together, and the result is a mixed culture fermentation. Although this is relatively a new phrase is the beer world, breweries like Rodenbach have been using this technique for nearly 200 years whilst brewing their famous Flanders Red Ale. Today, breweries are cultivating their own mixed house cultures with everything from lab grown saison yeast to natural yeast off local fruit skins. This allows breweries to produce beer that is unique and practically impossible to replicate. Differentiation goes a long way these days, with new breweries opening constantly. Having these proprietary blends allows brewers to add a bit of “terroir” to their beer.