Canada’s Mecca for Drinkers

If you’re thinking about spending some time in Edmonton, the capital of Alberta, anytime soon, beyond attending one of the numerous festivals offered to visitors year-round in Canada’s “Festival City”, you won’t have any difficulty planning the libations for a little spontaneous party in your hotel room.  Why?  The province’s second largest city is now home to the largest wine, beer and spirits store in western Canada.  It’s called Wine and Beyond, get it?  More than just wine and the Squire likes the sound of that.

As the name suggests this new Shangri-La of liquid libations is home to over 6,000 wines (almost half of which are exclusive to them), 2,500 spirits and 1,800 beers and all their products combined hail from over 44 countries.  With 625 different private label spirits, over 40 single malt cask whiskies from the Highlands, Speyside, Islay and the lowland region of Scotland and hand-crafted vodkas from Alaska and Hawaii, the world of international drink has arrived in Western Canada. Let’s be frank … these are impressive numbers.

As part of their grand opening Wine and Beyond attempted the virtually impossible. They decided to set the Guinness world record for simultaneous wine uncorking, opening 355 bottles. They are currently in the process of compiling this information before being awarded the world record.

Wine and Beyond publishes a weekly flyer that can be found on their website, which includes an extensive wine, beer and spirits guide allowing zealous customers to come to the store prepared. They certainly have not forgotten the beer connoisseur either, with a Growler station featuring 32 taps of draught beer changing seasonally.  Wine and Beyond also supports the local brewing industry, featuring over 56 different types of Canadian and locally produced beer.

Exclusively available at their two locations are ice wines from Canadian vineyards Inniskillin, Jackson Triggs and Whistler.  Ice wine is made from grapes that freeze while still on the vine, producing a more concentrated juice that is much sweeter than traditional wines.  Inniskillin grows in two locations, the Niagara Peninsula in the province of Ontario and the Okanagan Valley in British Columbia.  They produce an exceptional variety including a refreshing sparkling Vidal, a Spanish inspired Tempranillo and the classic Riesling.