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Cochrane is a small town located between Calgary and Canmore. Although it’s not well known as a place tourists visit, Cochrane still has some cool attractions including a few breweries and even distilleries.
In fact, for such a small town, Cochrane is a popular place to start a brewery or distillery. Within a short drive, you can visit two breweries and two distilleries. Considering Cochrane’s population is only 34,000, that’s pretty impressive!
So, if you’re planning a visit to Cochrane or just driving by, be sure to check out at least one of the breweries or distilleries in town. To help you choose, I’ve compiled all this blog about all of the distilleries and breweries in Cochrane and a little info on visiting!
Distilleries and Breweries in Cochrane
1. Rocky View Brewing Company
- Location: 420 1 St W, Cochrane
- Price for a pint: $6.75-7.75 CAD
- Serves food?: Yes. They have both a dinner and lunch menu.
The first of the breweries in Cochrane is Rocky View Brewing Company.
This local microbrewery was co-created by Lyle Thorsen who just loved brewing beer at home to share with his friends and family. However, his beer and skills became so popular he helped open Rocky View Brewing Company in 2016.
But what about the beer?
Well, I’m glad you asked. Rocky View Brewing Company brews some really tasty beers ranging from a hoppy IPA, a crisp Belgian style Witbier, and my favorite, the easy-drinking blonde ale.
Rocky View Brewing Company also serves up lunch and dinner. Expect lots of typical pub food for lunch including nachos, pizza, and a delicious IPA cheese dip! For dinner, I love the tapas-style menu. It’s perfect for groups who love to drink and eat small bites together. They even have a tapas tasting menu for $49 dollars that includes 6 tapas!
2. Half Hitch Brewing Company
- Location: 10 Griffin Industrial Point #1, Cochrane
- Price for a pint: $7-8 CAD
- Serves food?: Yes, they have a large menu serving hearty pub food.
Another brewery located in Cochrane is Half Hitch Brewing Company. This craft brewery is a family affair and their story is really nice to read about. In fact, they almost became cheesemakers! Bailey and I both agree they make excellent brewers so we are glad about their decision to open a brewery instead!
Although Half Hitch doesn’t have a huge selection of beers, what they do, they do really well. My favorite is their pale ale called the Farmer’s Daughter. It has a really nice citrus flavor and is the perfect summer drink.
If you visit their new restaurant called The Mash, you can try their delicious brews with their famous pizza. Pizza and beer? Yes, please!
3. Whispering Dutchman Distillery
- Price for a pint: N/A
- Serves food?: No.
If you consider yourself more of a spirits drinker, don’t worry, Cochrane has its very own distillery too! Whispering Dutchman Distillery is a craft distillery pushing the limits with flavored spirits.
On a visit, you have to try the lemon lavender gin – it’s simply out of this world good! Another favorite is the Dutch spiced tea which tastes just as good as its sounds!
You can do a tour through the distillery and not only learn about the process but also taste some of their spirits. I guarantee you won’t leave this distillery without buying a bottle to take home with you!
4. Krang Spirits Inc
- Price for a pint: N/A
- Serves food?:
Krang Spirits Inc, is a small distillery that’s well known in the local area. They have some really delicious spirits including a Canadian Whisky well known as a top choice! They also distill vodka, gin, and liqueurs.
Krang Spirits are open with limited hours on Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday from 11 am to 4 pm. You can come to pick yourself up a bottle or even join their distillery tour.
Thanks for reading!
Cochrane may not be a huge tourist destination in Canada, but that doesn’t mean you won’t enjoy your visit. Some of the best craft beer in Canada is hidden in small towns and Cochrane is one of them!
Thanks so much for reading! If you loved this blog about the best breweries in Cochrane, be sure to check out more of our Canadian Rockies blogs such as: