There’s a good chance you wouldn’t even know Quidi Vidi Brewery was a brewery if you came upon it. The average green clapboard, after all, looks right at home among the tiny, colourful houses and fishing sheds clustered around the gut of Quidi Vidi Village.

But inside this modest green building is Newfoundland and Labrador’s most famous microbrewery—a veritable treasure trove for beer fanatics and casual drinkers alike.

A Lesson in Microbrews

Recognizing the growing popularity of microbreweries across the country, David Rees and David Fong started Quidi Vidi Brewery started up in 1996. The pair of Davids has since released eight different brands total of ale and lager that are currently distributed throughout the province and across Canada.

To kick off the tour, our guide led us to the brewery top floor that’s equipped with a bar. Then our guide started pouring out the drinks into miniature plastic cups while telling us all about the brewery.

We started with Eric's Red Cream Ale, named after Leif Ericson for his journey to North America 1000 years ago. The ale was a silver medal winner of the 2001 World Beer Championships in Chicago, Illinois—no small feat for a microbrew.

Next we tried the 1892 Traditional Ale (named after the great St. John's fire that took place in the same year), and some Honey Brown.

My choice for the two most unique beers, however, would have to be the Cranberry Cloud and Iceberg brands. Cranberry Cloud is exactly as the name suggests: a combination 6% alcohol beer, cranberry juice, and Purity syrup (a local favourite). The taste is incredibly sweet and perfect for the non-beer lover.

But Iceberg beer has the coolest selling point: it's made from 12,000-year-old pure iceberg water. No hidden danger here—this beer is light, smooth, and easy to drink.

As the group passed the jugs, the remaining beer kept somehow ending at my table until my friends and I had collected an impressive collection of ale and lager. We couldn't let good beer go to waste, could we?

Touring the Factory

Following the tasting (and feeling just a little tipsy), we headed to the factory tour, with one favourite beer each to take with us. We visited the brewing room holding enormous containers of booze, and then the bottling section of the plant.

Despite the large number of lager and ale products being pumped out daily by the plant, very few people are required to get the job done. The process is a delicate one, filled with tons of tedious tasks, including inspecting every single bottle for even the slightest crack.

Our lovely guide finally brought us to the gift store, where we were greeted with an assortment of locally made products, including special Quidi Vidi Brewery beer soap for diehard fans who want beer suds on the body, and not just on their tongue.

Experience Quidi Vidi Brewery for Yourself

Tours run daily at $10 per person, which covers one free beer of choice and all samples.

The brewery is located at 35 Barrows Road in the village. To get there from downtown St. John's: head east on Duckworth Street, turn left on Quidi Vidi Road, turn right on Forest Road which eventually turns into Quidi Vidi Village Road. Turn right at Barrows Road. 

Video

Watch a video tour of the Quidi Vidi Brewery.