Day 8 – Quidi Vidi Brewery – Beer, with a side of history
Share
The Quidi Vidi Brewery is housed in a former fish plant on the bank of the inlet at Quidi Vidi village. It was formerly a fishing area, until the moratorium on cod fishing was instituted in 1992. At that point, the economy had to shift; thus, the Quidi Vidi Brewery found its niche.
The wooden building, which is painted forest green, has a small gravel parking lot. Kegs are stacked upon kegs in the garage, and the vats where they make the beer are visible through the windows. We enter the small hop shop, and my eyes are drawn to the cold case loaded with colourful bottles and boxes. Another cruise guest is already making a purchase, and he suggests we head upstairs for a beer tasting.
Beyond the narrow, winding staircase is a set of corridors with offices off them, leading around to the tasting room overlooking the inlet. Our host, Charlie Rees, explains that the small houses built into the rock are fishing stages left over from when the town was a bustling fishery. He pours our first beer, Iceberg, and lets us taste as we admire the sunny seascape.
The water that goes into Iceberg beer is harvested annually from arctic icebergs. It's only fitting that the beer tastes both ice cold and perfectly crisp. We move on to their European style ale next, titled 1892 after the year of the great fire. The ale has a lovely amber colour and goes down smoother than your typical pulled pint.
We then try Erik's Red, created in 2000 to celebrate a millennium since the Vikings landed in AD 1000. A silver medal winner at the World Beer Festival in 2001, it has a rich colour and a warm taste. We next sample the Honey Brown, made with Canada's Billy Bee honey for consistency's sake. It carries the sweetness through to beer form.
The conversation shifts onto a tangent about rum running and Newfoundland schooner owners, and I cannot help but appreciate Charlie's passion for history and its fusion with his dedication to Quidi Vidi Brewery. We next sample Quidi Vidi's "7", a 7% alcohol beer described on the box as "high torque." Charlie relates a hilarious story of a message left on the brewery's answering machine one night. A guy who had purchased (and drank most of) a six-pack of "7" had phoned in and demanded, "It says 7 on the box, where's the other one?" We all burst into laughter and take another swig of the beer. It carries none of the heaviness saddled on many other beers of similar high alcohol content, so I have to remind myself to hold back. Still one more beer to go.
One of the most surprising productions from Quidi Vidi is the Cranberry Cloud. It tastes nothing like beer, but also avoids being sickly sweet like so many other beer alternatives. I find it pleasant and sparkly, and Charlie pours it into a wine glass, demonstrating the head. He suggests drinking it on a summer afternoon with frozen cranberries in the glass. I look out towards the fishing stages, and picture myself sitting there in sunshine with a Cranberry Cloud in hand. Perfect.
We head down to the exit, but stop in the hop shop to take some of Newfoundland home with us. I chose a box of Iceberg and one of Cranberry Cloud. I am sure my friends at home will appreciate this souvenir from my travels. Our tour guide drives us back to the city centre where our tour ends.
Before we board the ship again, we try to local specialty of fish and chips, with dressing (stuffing) and gravy on the chips. I had never thought of this Thanksgiving-style way to eat chips, but after one taste, I am sure I will put those leftovers to good use this year. I did not expect to learn anything new about fish and chips after living in England, but I guess you never know. Travel is full of lessons, including new interpretations of old favourites.
View interactive map of the voyage
Back to Travel Diaries
Read the other articles:
Day 12 - Air vs Sea
Day 12 - Homecoming
Day 10 - Battle of the Brews
Day 10 - A Taste of Halifax
Day 10 - Halifax: Ghosts and Breweries
Day 9 - The Cultural CV
Day 8 - Bird's Eye View
Day 8 – A Very Special Privilege
Day 8 – Quidi Vidi Brewery – Beer, with a side of history (you are here)
Day 8 - Signal Hill and the Village of Quidi Vidi
Day 8 - North America's Far East
Day 8 - New Found Land
Day 8 – Land! Land! St. John’s, Newfoundland
Day 7 – You Have Permission to Enter the Bridge
A Peak at the Inner Workings of the Norwegian Jewel
How to Pour Champagne in a Moving Vehicle
Days 5-6 Shetlands to Iceland
Days 0-4 Dover to the Shetlands
Useful links
Quidi Vidi Brewery
Average customer rating
awaiting 5 vote(s)...
Email
Add to your Pocket Guide
Why Register?
