One of my favourite parts about a great adventure is telling its tales over a hot meal and a cold beer. Because Calgary is a great home base for a variety of adventures, I’d like to share a few of the best places in town to unwind after a long day of being awesome.

For me, a great pub is made by a friendly environment, a great craft beer selection, and cozy food. The Calgary beer scene has exploded with gastropubs and hipster bars over the past few years, so it can be difficult to figure out which spots are worth your time and dollars.

I have done the research for you. I bore the burden of drinking many delicious beers so that you can select a prime beer drinking location with ease. (The things I have to go through for my readers.) I have mostly tried to keep my selections to the inner-city. The rabbit hole of suburban pubs and bars is deep indeed.

The Ship and Anchor: A Calgary Beer Staple

Neighbourhood: Beltline (click here for map)

If a Calgarian asks you if you want to go sailing later, this is probably what they are talking about. This is the type of place where regulars are the majority and friendships are forged on the daily. This is the ultimate friendly pint in Calgary.

You will occasionally find live music at The Ship, but there is a separate area if you aren’t into that. There are also enough televisions for you to be able to keep your eye on a favourite sports team.

Overall, The Ship is hands down the best pub in Calgary. The staff are generally excellent, you can get a handful of local beers on tap, and you can add gorgonzola to the grilled cheese. Love me some stinky cheeses.

If you head to The Ship late on a weekend you are guaranteed a wait in line, but the cold pint on the other side of those big wooden doors is worth the wait. Cabs are easy to come by at the end of the night, and if you need some hair of the dog in the morning, you can come right back for brunch.

Beltline honourable mentions:

Broken City is a hipster’s delight. Friendly staff, vegan options, live music, great patio. Try the cauliflower wings if you’re looking for something fun and different.

Hop in Brew is also ultra hipster, but quirky to the max. It’s in an old house. The service is pretty much terrible, but the clientele is hella friendly if you can get past their obnoxious mustaches, and the nachos are legit.

Kensington Pub: Calgary Beer with a British Slant

Neighbourhood: Kensington (click here for map)

Known locally as K-Pub or simply KP. Walking up to the front of the pub gives the impression of entering an authentic British pub. Right amount of darkness, big ol’ wood beams, and exposed brick. Old fellas drink throughout the afternoon, and the after work crowd starts showing up around 4.

There are only a dozen or so beers on tap, but they are all good ones, and a majority are local to Calgary and Western Canada. The menu is classic British pub fare, and they do a damn good job of it.

This is a frequent stop for me during the winter months – fish and chips with a Guinness after a long day of hiking or other adventures is my idea of a perfect day. Vegetarian and vegan options are limited, but if you want a friendly pint in Kensington, this is a great spot.

kensington honourable mentions:

Oak Tree Tavern was a very close second. In all honesty, I’d say they are a tie. Great service and kick ass servers. Great menu that they have no problem customizing for you (vegetarian/vegan/gluten free options abound). Great beers. Cozy atmosphere. Kid friendly. They also usually have a movie playing on silent on the big screen (once Tiffany and I cried here because The Croods is such a beautiful movie).

Side Street Pub and Grill is my go-to for watching football. This is a sports pub through and through. Great setup, and lots of TVs to make sure you get the game you want.

The Joyce on 4th: Best Selection of Calgary Beer

Neighbourhood: Mission (click here for map)

One of Calgary’s Best Pubs (which is a chain, not a title), The Joyce on 4th is their best location. The Joyce is a perfect marriage of traditional pub charm and special event capacity (watching football, hockey, basketball, whatever).

They also have weird little private booths, which are pretty fun if you are with a group of friends and you just know you are going to be obnoxious and annoy everyone around you. Know thyself, right?

The Joyce has the best selection of Canadian craft beers you are going to find in Calgary. Over 30 Alberta beers on tap, by my count. The food is mediocre pub food, so just order what you usually like. I typically go for the pickle spears.

I don’t head here often because it is so close to The Ship, which is my absolute favourite pub in Calgary. But, when I do, it is always a friendly experience. The other day when I went in, I wasn’t sure which new beer to try, and the bartender happily poured me a couple of samples to help me decide. So, if you are in Mission, check out The Joyce.

mission honourable mentions:

Just head to The Ship. It’s practically in Mission, and I’ll probably be there, too. It’ll be fun.

I know, you want to try everything. But trust me on this one. Go to The Ship, make some friends, have a good time.