Craft Beer Market

[Wrath]

http://www.craftbeermarket.ca/

Opened up in the old Mother Tuckers..My Bro works for Labatt and was super impressed. Amazing beer selection!!

He had the monster 20 Napkin Burger
http://i56.tinypic.com/5zf6zq.jpg
I think i'll have to stop by there

[natejj]

I have't been there, so I can't judge it, but I found this review on Urbanspoon, and it made me LoL

http://www.urbanspoon.com/u/reviews/1473469

CRAFT Beer Market Restaurant & Bar The newest rehash of a bad idea.
June 20, 2011
There is a dark underbelly to this city. A constant theme of capital gain and consumerist greed taking precedent over entrepreneurship, inspiration and originality. A good, novel, original idea on paper is quickly boiled down into something bland and obnoxious, something that should offend the sensibilities of all folk, but instead is greedily gobbled up by the vacuous masses whose addiction for the next big trend is fed by gussied up holes in the wall claiming to be the hippest place on earth.
Read the name, and think of what it conjures up "Craft beer market" I see something homely, something ever so slightly drab, but endearing in its unpretentious presentation. Fresh, locally made products, carefully brewed and fermented in small batches by artisans in a rustic shack in the middle of nowhere. Inside, a cosy atmosphere brought about by heavy oaken tables, wooden crossbeams hanging low on the ceiling and the lightly lingering aroma of stale beer wafting through the still air, punctuated by the hazy natural light peering through the windows.
This could have been. But it isn't, it is a pipe dream. The real "Craft beer market" is something so brutish, something so far removed from the olde world charm it's name illicits, that to acknowledge it as such is an insult to the true artisans and purveyors of fine fermented cereal beverages.
On arriving to the front door of an un-presuming brick building I was first greeted by red carpet, then by two doorman. I should have known then, I should have turned back and not spoiled the image I had in my head of the fine celebration of all things ale that must lie within. Alas, I entered and was instantly greeted by a lady who then proceeded to seat us. Seat us? What kind of formality is this? This should be the least formal, least pretentious place in Calgary where no amount of pomp and ceremony is needed to enhance the experience. This led me to believe something was amiss, and it didn't take long for Craft to show it's true colours.
Browsing through the menu of 104 beers it struck me that none of the entries stated the alcohol content and all measurements were done in centilitres, an odd manoeuvre for a country that measures pints in fluid ounces. The reason for this soon became clear after I ordered a Lambic cherry beer. I was expecting something grand, a soured lambic ale aged for 18 months in a barrel filled with cherries. A drink that smells like vomit, has a ruddy, red and brown hue not entirely dissimilar to a certain bodily fluid exuded by women at monthly intervals, but has a flavour of pure wonder. What I was presented with was a clear pink liquid in an exceptionally tiny glass that tasted of slightly funky Kool aid, on reviewing the menu I see that it states 0.3l. I don't mind smaller servings of beer if A) it has a high alcohol content, something I was never able to establish, and B) it didn't cost $9 a glass. Stating the measurements in metric is clearly designed to confuse the clientele so they are unaware of exactly how much they're getting and to also propose a somewhat elitist grandeur to the proceedings, inciting you to pretend to know what's going on and in an effort to not look like an idiot, spend more money and not complain when what you paid for isn't exactly what you wanted.
As I slowly sipped my overpriced Kool aid, I glanced across the clientele, there has never been a greater gathering of fake smiles and general douchebaggery seen in this fair city. Men, if you can call them that, draped in the most tawdry of rags, Ed Hardy shirts, polo shirts with popped collars, an insistence of wearing baseball caps indoors, at night, because apparently the dim lighting was still too bright for their eyes. Either that or the incessant sparkles emanating from a thousand tin earrings was burning their retinas. Each of them slouched in their chairs carelessly quaffing expensive beer with little regard to actually tasting what they were drinking. The women, a marauding cackle of bleached blonde hair, spray on tans and the essential, annoying, loud, slightly large lass. And these were just the waitresses, who seemed to spend most of their time gossiping in the corner rather than serving people drinks. Most of the female clientele ran in a similar vein and seemed to have a predilection for buying Vodka and coke, why, oh why would you go to a place called "Craft beer market" and not drink beer? Maybe they came to dance on the raised dance floor, occupied by a DJ who seemed to like 80's/90's synth pop and electronica a bit too much. Seeing half the bar start singing along with the chorus of Mr. Bon Jovi's "Living on a prayer" made me lose what little faith I had left in mankind at this point. I would have gratuitously face palmed if I wasn't risking tipping over the drink that cost more than it's weight in gold.
Another novelty that was seemingly enjoyed by the slack jawed knuckle draggers that infested this hole was a brief tour of the beer cellar, displayed behind a wall of glass stood all the beer kegs, in full view of the rest of the bar. People were indeed taking tourist style snaps of them next to a beer barrel. Why? Great, you got to stand a bit close to a metal container filled with beer you're probably not going to drink anyway. I wonder what most publicans would think if you asked them if you could go and scuffle about in their cellar and maybe take some stupid photos you'll inevitably put up on facebook with some inane comment about the prestige of standing next to a ton of beer (that's a metric ton, obviously)
Having finished my first beverage, I once again browsed the menu, paying close attention to measurements and price. On selecting a beer from the ESB/ Bitters section I was informed it was out of stock, nevermind, I'll choose another, once again, out of stock, and another, out of stock. The waitress, apparently sensing my growing despair, said "So you like dark beer? Maybe you should try this one, and I know we have this one" This is where I made another mistake, I assumed that the staff would have the first idea of what they were talking about. The drink I was given was a Belgian lager, incredibly far removed from the English style bitters I was originally trying to order. Nevertheless, I consumed it and pondered once more. Why is an establishment that seemingly boasts such a large beer selection out of stock on so many, three days after it opened no less. You would have thought it would have been stocked to the gills to make sure that this does not happen
The Craft beer market could have been exceptional, I wanted it to be. I wanted to fall in love with it. I wanted to laud it's very name to all those who love a fine ale. It could have been the jewel in Calgary's night scene, for the more cultured, sophisticated drinkers anyway. I'm sure it's very popular with the Bar-star Luddites it already seems to have attracted.

[ercchry]

I kinda think I would hate to have to meet the person that wrote that review

:banghead:

[Aerobat]

That was an awesome review, ill still go and try the place but i understand where hes coming from

[Johnny C]

Originally posted by natejj
I have't been there, so I can't judge it, but I found this review on Urbanspoon, and it made me LoL

http://www.urbanspoon.com/u/reviews/1473469

CRAFT Beer Market Restaurant & Bar The newest rehash of a bad idea.
June 20, 2011...

Review is spot on.

This place is garbage, Calgary will buy into anything.

[Davetronz]

I've been following them on Twitter and opening weekend didn't go so smoothly. Lots of customers complaining about lack of beers on-tap (64 of 100-some beers were out of stock), half-filled beers, etc. Didn't see any complaints about food though.

Might still check it out after the hype dies down.

[Wrath]

Originally posted by Davetronz
I've been following them on Twitter and opening weekend didn't go so smoothly. Lots of customers complaining about lack of beers on-tap (64 of 100-some beers were out of stock), half-filled beers, etc. Didn't see any complaints about food though.

Might still check it out after the hype dies down.

Yes....he did say something about running out of tonne of stuff

[Wrath]

Originally posted by Johnny C


Review is spot on.

This place is garbage, Calgary will buy into anything.

What was your experience?

[logi]

Went there last thursday as I had some VIP thing but turned out to be half VIP invites and the resturant side was open to the public. A few beers were empty but I chalked it up to the fact they were extremely busy and probably had a few openings before hand for the real VIPs.

Beers/drinks:
If you're looking for a place to venture out of the norm for beer this place has a good wide selection of beer. Staff could be a bit more knowledgeable in their beers but it was opening weekend and may need more time to try out all 100 beers. IF you're too afraid of getting a pint of beer you've never had they have Flight Samplers of beer avaible where you pick 6 off the menu.

They have a few of their creations with vodka and beers on the menu..didnt get a chance to get to these maybe next time. Nothing too weird or different like the salmon ceasar at Tilted Grill

4/5 - just because of the wide selection of beer.

Food:
The food is good nothing over the top creative...I had the Sphagetti and meatballs it was good...also shared an appie with a buddy..fast food sushi and it was something off of epic meal time that was different and good.

3.5/5 - Dishes are priced between 10-30 depending on what you get. My pasta was 16 bucks and very filling. Some items could be a bit more creative and include a few beers mixed with their dishes.
They do have a beer infused crave cupcake didnt try it..was too full.

Atmosphere:

4/5
Very busy when I was there. Not as dark as some pubs...the resutarant side maybe a bit darker as it sits above the main bar. Server was nice and as helpful as she could be on a busy night.

Crowd is working professionals and above.

I enjoyed the place and found it a good change from the local places with alot of different beers.

[tenth]

Just got back from lunch there. I also attended the Thursday "VIP" thing, although was disappointed that couldn't get a table even showing up at the 7PM opening. Both times I've come away with positive feelings, despite the hiccups of the Thursday event. Had the crab and lobster lasagna for lunch today, and it was fantastic. The veggie in the group enjoyed the veggie burger, and the club also got great reviews. Sizable portions and everything tasted great.

Haven't noticed an excessive douchebaggery quotient in either visit, although with it being still new and its location, I could see that having been a problem on Friday/Saturday night.

Servers aren't super knowledgable on the beers for sure, but luckily I am familiar with nearly all of them and with a list that size I can see it being an issue for non-beer lovers, especially remembering all of the seasonals, etc... Disappointed they've been out of the Hopworks organic IPA both times I've tried, but I will be back to try again.

After the numerous negative reviews, I was setting my expectations low for a proper meal visit, but lunch today was great. After a month or two when the hype dies down and they get their opening-glitches figured out, I suspect I will be a frequent visitor.

[Guillermo]

saw this posted on chowhound:

Craft beer Market, Calgary....What a disappointment

On paper it would seem that Craft has everything working in its favor. However, our first visit (and likely our last), put all that hard work to shame.

Firstly, the service was atrocious. I understand it takes awhile to iron the kinks out (all 3 of us spent many, many years in the food & beverage industry) , but that is no excuse to wait 10 minutes to be greeted and another 20 min for a drink when there are so many servers they are bumping into each other. To sit with an empty drink for another 20 minutes. The servers themselves add to the overall bad vibe of the place. We witnessed 3 servers fighting over tables, the bartender was telling some friends of our who were sitting at the bar, how hungover he was (as if this would be an excuse for the crummy service), and there was zero menu knowledge whatsoever. I asked what sauce was on the clubhouse sandwich, and our server didn't know. She checked with the kitchen and came back with the answer- nothing, just butter. Imagine my surprise when the sandwich arrived with mustard and mayo, the latter being the exact thing I was avoiding. Later we ordered a glass of red wine-Syrah to be exact which is pretty standard- to which she replied- would you like that on ice?? uhhhhh, no thanks. One has to wonder if there was any training done at all before the doors opened.

The amount of beer and lack of experience just adds to the confusion. Even the most seasoned server would have a hard time distinguishing different lagers apart when they are all served in the same glassware. My friend and I ordered one cider, one Wraspberry ale and those were mixed up on delivery- honest mistake. I drink the latter all the time- and that was not what I was poured. I kindly told the server, to which she brought back to who I found out after the fact was the GM- and he TASTED it, and sent it back to me, saying I was wrong. No thank you, I do not want that pint. She proceeded to bring me a sleeve of a very fruity, sweet beer that was much more raspberry in flavour. It seemed to be so condescending...here miss, you wanted a fruity beer? Try this, it's much more girly. I politely said, Thank you, but that is far too sweet- can I just please have something else?? She brought the beer back to the bar, and we proceeded to watch the General Manager pound back the beer I sent back. The same beer that all 3 of us at the table tasted and drank from. That is beyond gross. We couldn't believe we just witnessed it, from the GM of all people.

The 104 beers on tap- great concept...if there was actually 104 beers on tap. When we were there there we 40ish. Also, having alot of experience in the industry- one has to wonder how it is remotely possible to keep all those kegs (even 40) fresh. There is no new technology out there. One has to think come a month from now, there are going to be alot of unhappy customers with spoiled pints.
We were very clearly not the only ones not enjoying our visit. Everywhere you looked there were customers with pursed lips, looking impatiently around, waiting far too long for their drinks and starving because their food is taking an hour and their server is no where to be found. Everyone looked stressed- like they really wanted to like the place, but Craft is just digging their own hole.

As for the food- it was mediocre at best. Prosciutto flatbread was SUPER salty. Chicken Club, very dry and boring. Fries were cold and soggy on delivery. Food also took an hour to arrive.
Prices are very high, especially for the beer selection, considering they are served in 12 oz pint glasses. I have no problem paying for a pricey pint when everything else falls into place, but charging $8 for a domestic pint with everything being in a state of chaos, just seems cocky.

On the plus side- the bathrooms are very nice. However, only 4 stalls for the entire place. Thumbs down.

We appreciate opening a new restaurant and the kinks that come with that, but in this city where there is such a selection of places to go to, one has to make sure they are on the top of their game from the get go. It is a poor excuse to put forth- "oh give us a break we just opened". I compare to WURST which opened the same weekend- where the service is amazing and food is stellar.

It was a very disappointing visit at best for a pub/restaurant (still not sure what they are aiming to be) that we were very excited to see open it's doors. The way they are operating now, Stampede will eat them alive

[LadyLuck]

No wonder the staff is so uninformed and failing, Craft hired EVERYONE 2 weeks before opening night...not suprised at all.

Won a "Vip Pass" to that thursday opening night, waited 20 minutes in line without it moving and decided to leave...at this rate, Craft will never make it to Stampede!

[Swank]

You can't drive away from there drunk, almost impossible to get more than one drink per hour. It's a shame, it's a huge nice looking place. It'll probably feed off The Whiskey to survive.

[takkyu]

Hmm. that's a real shame, I had high hopes for this place. I guess I will stick to Bottlescrew Bill's.

[Cos]

Was there today. Was alright. Food is great which is a shame as the rest of the place lets it down. Our server was great but they let the other girl go home (so she was the only server for the restaurant) and the Expo and Busboy were getting us water and ordering our beers.

I figure once they get it sorted out it will be better but I was kind of upset as I ordered 3 different beers before they actually had one I wanted. I wanted the chocolate lager first, she came back to say they were out, then ordered a Newcastle. Again she came back and said they were out. Settled with a 1516.

Prices are good though, 3 beers and an appy for $19.00

[tenth]

Was back there Saturday night, and I enjoyed the night. Fast food sushi was interesting, and I really enjoyed the prosciutto flatbread. The lone complaint I had was that you had to flag down the waitress to get a drink, as they'd only ask 1 or 2 people at the table of 10 if they needed anything. Once I figured that out, was just more aggressive with my drink ordering.

There's some kinks for sure and I'm far from a picky person, so I'd say if you often come away from restaurants upset with the level of service I'd avoid Craft for the next couple months. If it weren't for the massive selection of draft, I would probably be doing the same.

[Disoblige]

Originally posted by Guillermo
Stampede will eat them alive

[cosmok]

Originally posted by takkyu
Hmm. that's a real shame, I had high hopes for this place. I guess I will stick to Bottlescrew Bill's.

Service at Bill's is going down the shitter

[Crymson]

I liked it.

Ended up there both friday and saturday night. The crowd friday was much cooler, more chill after work downtown crowd. The saturday crows was whiskey and tantra spill over/line rejects. Won't be going back on a saturday.

[R-Audi]

Went last Tuesday night, and it was packed.
Quick Cliff notes:

-Service was decent...
-Ambience was cool... loved the wide open loft style.
-It was painful that it often took 2-3 choices to find a beer that I wanted.

Manager took us on a tour of the beer room and explained most of it.. came down to 2 problems.
1. Distributor has been extremely slow at getting the beers, most the European ones come once a month.. and in small supply. For Stampede they will have two Semi trailers rented that will be full of kegs, so they dont have to worry about running out of the available beers. (But again the small batch stuff will always be tough to get)
2. Once a beer runs out, they have to let the new keg settle for some time before it is used, or else you get a ton of foam. If its late in the night, that beer will be gone till the next day.
Keg room was super impressive.. 3,000sf and cost ~500k to build.

-Food was AWESOME. We got the Beer Can Chicken for $36, and it fed 4 people! Great dish served on a beer keg top, loaded with fries and Brocolini. We also had fast food sushi (meh) and a side of Craft Dinner Mac and Cheese.

Anyways... besides having to have a few beers in mind when ordering, I had a great time there... after reading the reviews here I wasnt expecting much, but I was pleasantly surprised.

[Guillermo]

Originally posted by R-Audi
Manager took us on a tour of the beer room and explained most of it.. came down to 2 problems.
1. Distributor has been extremely slow at getting the beers, most the European ones come once a month.. and in small supply. For Stampede they will have two Semi trailers rented that will be full of kegs, so they dont have to worry about running out of the available beers. (But again the small batch stuff will always be tough to get)
2. Once a beer runs out, they have to let the new keg settle for some time before it is used, or else you get a ton of foam. If its late in the night, that beer will be gone till the next day.
Keg room was super impressive.. 3,000sf and cost ~500k to build.


sounds like a total load of crap as i've NEVER run into this problem anywhere else, even when they have a lot of beers.

[R-Audi]

Originally posted by Guillermo


sounds like a total load of crap as i've NEVER run into this problem anywhere else, even when they have a lot of beers.

Which part?
I have another friend who manages a downtown Wine Store and he said the stock with Kegs is totally true.. he can watch stock levels on beer and said some of the beers they have listed are not in stock anywhere in Alberta, and not surprised if they are a few weeks out. Unfortunately with small batch beers and smaller breweries, you have to deal with supply shortages.

If you look at a place like BottleScrew Bills the beer is mostly bottled... so its much easier to purchase and keep in stock. I highly doubt you'll find Craft out of any major label beers....like most other places.

As for letting the beers settle, they are going for a perfectionist attitude... Im sure come Stampede they will connect and pour kegs as fast as they can.

[JDMMAN]

Just got back from an event here. Good food and lots of eye candy! :thumbsup: I'm not a beer drinker so I can't really comment on that part.

[tenth]

Originally posted by Guillermo


sounds like a total load of crap as i've NEVER run into this problem anywhere else, even when they have a lot of beers.
Are there any other places in the province that have even half the number of beers on tap? I love my beer, and many of their rare beers are extremely unique, and likely not available anywhere else in the province.

[sdevils15]

Bottlescrew Bill's, come to Bottlescrew Bill's to sample our large selection of unique beers from around the world. We offer Calgary's largest selection of ales and lagers, over 200 at last count, with seasonal specialty brews and our very own Buzzard's Breath Ale always on tap to please the "stoutest" of beer enthusiasts.

[max_boost]

Went here late Friday night and it was quite the older/Stampede crowd. Not really feeling the vibe but thought the concept and layout of the place was nice.

[R-Audi]

Originally posted by sdevils15
Bottlescrew Bill's, come to Bottlescrew Bill's to sample our large selection of unique beers from around the world. We offer Calgary's largest selection of ales and lagers, over 200 at last count, with seasonal specialty brews and our very own Buzzard's Breath Ale always on tap to please the "stoutest" of beer enthusiasts.

And mostly in the bottle.


Im guessing most places have a bit different crowd during Stampede... seemed to be 25-40 when I was there before Stampede.

[ekguy]

that review is spot on for most new and old businesses in calgary. Customer service is a thing of the past out here.

Some places still do take care of their customers but what it boils down to is greed. A friend and myself are in the process of slowly working to open our own business in an industry we've both worked in for a long time and we both know the customer will come first.

I will try this place just to see the beer list and sample a few beers i may have never even heard of, but as far as the atmosphere i've heard from a few people that it's a douchey crowd.

[dimi]

Had a work function there. We had inquired about how long the food would take as we were limited on time. They answered 12 mins.

Took them 1 hour to get our food. By the time the food got there we had to get it to go. Med-rare steaks were well done and dry. My inferno burger was pretty good though.

They gave us these "Free Apetizer" coupons for the "next time we come in" for waiting so long. I would have used it right away so I didn't have to come back to that shithole, but I figured it would take them 45 mins for an apetizer and I had to go back to work.


Originally posted by Johnny C


Review is spot on.

This place is garbage, Calgary will buy into anything.

:werd: