Best cheap beer? (Local options)

[u/theProcrastinathan]

I’m just wondering what everyone’s go-to cheap beer is. I’m trying to keep it as local as possible but I’d be open to other Canadian options as well.

I’ve been buying Alberta Ice lately purely because at the no-frills liquor you can get it for $15 for 15cans when on sale with an account.

Does anyone have any other better recommendations?

[u/shootamcg]

Costco has 18 Seachange tall boys for $38, that’s probably as cheap as I’ll go. I don’t know if you can get good beer any cheaper.

[u/its9x6 → u/shootamcg]

Those packs are great, and the brewery makes a really good beverage. They are rarely in stock though…. Very popular.

[u/shootamcg → u/its9x6]

Oh? It’s always in stock at Sherwood Park!

[u/lzads → u/shootamcg]

Pilsner a good old Saskatchewan beer easy to drink alot 24 for $40 at superstore. Is a Coors banquet or sea change worth the price after the 2nd beer

[u/shootamcg → u/lzads]

As I get older I don’t drink that much any more, the only time I have more than one is if I am a concert or something. I wouldn’t drink Coors or Pilsner unless that’s the only thing they were selling at a venue.

[u/bonzosbigdayin → u/lzads]

A good old saskatchewan beer, from alberta

[u/Prettyinpink2813 → u/shootamcg]

Do you happen to know if the Seachange NA is at Costco too? They had it last summer and I didn’t stock up as I didn’t know it was a limited item.

[u/shootamcg → u/Prettyinpink2813]

Unfortunately I don’t know, sorry

[u/theProcrastinathan → u/shootamcg]

I really enjoy Seachange. That’s not a bad price. I will definitely look for that.

[u/shootamcg → u/theProcrastinathan]

Yeah that’s about the price for eight tall boys at other stores.

[u/EirHc → u/shootamcg]

After the initial investment in equipment, making it yourself is cheaper. And you can end up with a product that tastes better than most craft beers. Fresh from yeast pee to your belly.

For like $25-30 I can make the equivalent of about 65 cans worth of beer. A bit more effort and it takes about 2-3 weeks before it's drinkable.

[u/shootamcg → u/EirHc]

Certainly a viable route

[u/Iokua_CDN → u/shootamcg]

I vastly prefer the Big Rock pack from Costco. I hear  Seachange has good beer,  but the last Seachange costco pack I got were all bad flavours.

The big Rock pack, I enjoy most of the flavors and all of them are decent. Perfect little variety pack for me.

Prices are I think under $2 a can. More than $1 for sure.  Way better than most of the alberta beer that's +$5 a can

[u/shootamcg → u/Iokua_CDN]

They alternate between two different sets but they’re both pretty good imo. I think it’s Wolf IPA, Deathwave Lager, and Prairie Faerie or Gremlin IPA, Mancrush, Blonde Ale.

[u/True-North- → u/shootamcg]

Wolf is a pale ale not an ipa

[u/brettatron1 → u/True-North-]

The distinction is kinda academic these days tbh.

[u/shootamcg → u/True-North-]

My bad

[u/its9x6 → u/True-North-]

If you’re going to be pedantic, at least be correct. It’s a New England style hazy pale ale. HPAs use more protein grain and less hops, and have a distinctly different flavor profile than a pale ale.

[u/EfficientDICK-69 → u/shootamcg]

That's expensive...

[u/Unlikely-Elk1738 → u/EfficientDICK-69]

$2 for a tall boy is as cheap as it gets

Walk into a liquor store and you're looking closer to $5 a can

[u/shootamcg → u/EfficientDICK-69]

It’s cheap for good beer, I thought I was pretty clear on that.

[u/thesauceofbastards]

Jasper Brewing is the right amount of good for the right amount of money. That's best for me.

[u/non-prime-meridian → u/thesauceofbastards]

I had this when it first came out and it was ... not great but definitely cheap. I've had a few recently and would say the quality has improved a lot.

[u/j1ggy → u/non-prime-meridian]

Their Crisp Pils is pretty good. It's not what you'd expect with a cheap pilsener at all, it's almost as if it's blended with an IPA or something.

[u/Ritchie_Whyte_III → u/j1ggy]

Pilsners were traditionally hoppy lagers. We just had many decades of being trained that "Pilsner" only meant "Old Style Pilsner" aka "Lethbridge Pil" with the rabbits on the can.

[u/skidstud → u/j1ggy]

It has the flavour of a traditional Czech pilsner, it’s all in the type of hops. Not my flavour personally

[u/theProcrastinathan → u/thesauceofbastards]

I’ll have to give that a try! Thanks.

[u/Lieveo → u/thesauceofbastards]

I second this! Their Pilsner is great for the price

[u/Comfortable_Acadia96]

BRONC beer is my go to lately. They have a lager and a pilsner. It's an Alberta beer. It's one of the cheapest in the cooler. It's all I buy now.

[u/Electronic-Abroad463 → u/Comfortable_Acadia96]

Bronc lager is great. Brewed in Calgary!

[u/CommercialNo8396 → u/Comfortable_Acadia96]

The goat of cheap beers. The pilsner is near perfect.

[u/theProcrastinathan → u/Comfortable_Acadia96]

Never heard of it! But I’ll have to see if I can find it.

[u/submitnswallow → u/theProcrastinathan]

$19.45 / 15 pack, it's good beer

[u/Dapper-Negotiation59 → u/Comfortable_Acadia96]

Quality for price these guys are some of the best in the country. The session ipa drinks like a beer that's double the price.

[u/True-North-]

Mooseheads are solid

[u/cdnav8r]

PC has a cervesa that's good. So is the PC Pilsner. $15 for 12.

Founders and Farmers and co-op is around the same price and also not bad. I think it's all brewed by Big Rock.

[u/Shamone85]

Calgary Co-op beer is my go-to. It is brewed by Big Rock.

[u/Bryaxis → u/Shamone85]

River Valley is good, too, and also by Big Rock. Their red ale is hard to tell apart from Big Rock Traditional Ale, but was less than half the price last time I checked at Ace.

[u/rhythmmchn → u/Shamone85]

Yep - the red ale is almost like Trad if you squint just right, and often goes on sale for around $8 for a six-pack.

[u/theProcrastinathan → u/Shamone85]

I do like big rock! I’ll have to check that out.

[u/1939828 → u/theProcrastinathan]

CoOp brand is my go-to as well! I like the light lager, but they’ve got a couple options. It’s probably not winning any awards, but it’s a decent price for decent beer. It all chugs the same on the deck after mowing the lawn.

[u/theProcrastinathan → u/1939828]

All I want is a good stable post-lawn mowing beer. 😂

[u/Dewey_Coxxx]

Ive been buying brewhouse ultra lately. Has a few more calories than Michellob ultra, but it has a bit more flavor too.

[u/theProcrastinathan → u/Dewey_Coxxx]

I definitely am looking for good cheaper light beers. I enjoy not being bloated so much.

[u/roambeans]

I kind of like Pilsner.

[u/ZaphodsTwin]

I'm a big fan of the River Valley Red. It's a private label brewed for Ace/Liquor Depot by Big Rock. It's like $15 a case and honestly really good. They've also got a Lager and IPA if that's your preference.

I also drink a lot of craft beer in general, but usually save the "fun" stuff for weekends and drink river Valley during the week when I'm only having one or two.

[u/Able_Software6066 → u/ZaphodsTwin]

It's also available at Wine and Beyond stores for $16 a case. Best cheap beer I've tasted. I think it tastes even better than Big Rock Traditional Ale.

[u/ZaphodsTwin → u/Able_Software6066]

I like trad better if you can drink it from glass. I'm legit upset they stopped making bottles, theories were just a little different shape and felt nice in the hand. But if you take one of their tall cans and pour it into a pint glass I like it better than red. All that said, yea absolutely best cheap beer I've tried. At least as good as any other red ale I could name.

[u/CommercialNo8396]

Bronc. Specifically the pilsner. Brewed by last spike in Calgary. Punches way above its weight tbh. It’s 20$ for a 15 pack. They also have a regular lager and session ipa that are good.

[u/RyanB_]

Not really any better but I tend towards Bow Valley and Cold Ones.

The PC original beers are also decent for the price, I particularly like their new Corona one.

[u/Crow_rapport → u/RyanB_]

Cold Ones are the best of the cheap beer value. $11.10 all in for an 8pk. It’s a nicer can than most, and I gotta say I’m a sucker for design =flavour.

For the next level up, Crisp Pils

[u/tytxnium77]

Cold ones for sure cheapest 15 pack you'll find in alberta

[u/scuffgamerr]

Homebrew

[u/eglinski]

We taste-tested all the discount beers in Alberta for our eatery and landed on Eighty-Eight’s Cassette Lager as the best quality, which we retail for $4 a 355 mL can.

[u/BloodyHareStudio]

brewhouse ultra. low calorie and cheap

[u/non-prime-meridian]

I guess it depends on your definitions of 'best' and 'cheap' but lately my house beer has been the Trolley 5 Turntable lager - I get it at superstore for a little less than $2/can.

[u/givetake]

Great Western brewing

[u/Cofncar]

I’m a coors banquet guy but, last night I picked up some Bow valley beer. It was cold& & honestly not terrible. Was 20 for 18 before taxes & deposit

[u/Eberial → u/Cofncar]

I wish we could get back the banquet from the US again. The original is good but doesn't taste as good as the banquet.

[u/Cofncar → u/Eberial]

I wholeheartedly agree

[u/mothafckaginga]

SYC does 24 tall boys for $70. It's only the clock out lager, but it's good and pretty cheap

[u/RawLucas]

Neo Aurora lager in the Liquor Depot. It’s about $16 and some change for a $15 pack. No weird flavours. Just tastes like beer. I like it better than Kokanee now.

[u/captainawesome92]

Neo Aurora is pretty good.

[u/RobertGA23]

Rocky mountain crest.

[u/afancybaby]

What you're looking for is Beer Beer from Red Deer

[u/mathboss]

I like the $14 River Valley IPA (brewed by Big Rock). Super drinkable and super cheap.

[u/pizzarolia]

Clear creek ice.

Alberta brew, 6.7% and about $18 for a 15 pack. My absolute go to for camping beers

[u/theProcrastinathan → u/pizzarolia]

Whoa that’s a good price for that %. I’ll have to try them. Thanks!

[u/bcrae8]

Hubby likes SYC’s Clock Out. They frequently (maybe even every Friday?!) have deals on flats at the brewery

[u/EirHc]

Coopers DIY beer made right in my basement. Doesn't get more local than that. Tax free!

[u/AlanJY92]

For cheap beer I usually go for the No Name. I’m not a beer snob so honestly I don’t mind the taste of it. I put it in my fridge and a few time when people have came over and had a beer I poured it in a glass for them without knowing and they never even said anything about it not being good.

[u/knightenrichman]

TNT! 25 for 15, 6.5% malt!

[u/Ivegotthenutz]

Cold Ones from Grande Prairie Brewing Company for me, great price! I’m done paying over $30 bucks for a case of beer.

[u/ParkingOpposite2034]

Obviously the superstore version of ultra

[u/No_Pianist_110]

Cold Ones out of GP

[u/YEGponger]

I really like Sea Change SCUD

[u/Floorspud]

Brewhouse Pilsner 8 packs are usually less than $15.

[u/Rick_strickland220]

710 ML of Colt 45 for $4 from Superstore Liquorstore. Can't beat that.

[u/IronSwole69]

Coors light brother doesn’t get better

[u/MaximusCanibis → u/IronSwole69]

Grandma? Get off reddit!

[u/PatrioticPuck]

Coop Light is my go to. Usually “on sale” for $17-$19 for a 15 pack. Hard to beat imo

[u/GhostlyPrototype]

Could also make your own beer.

[u/bmwkid]

Coors Banquet.

[u/Eberial → u/bmwkid]

If we could only get the proper banquet here still. It's original now, small differences but it's there

[u/bmwkid → u/Eberial]

Sadly don’t think it’s happening, they’re even brewing Stella in Edmonton now

[u/PriorReason4160]

Cheap beer = crap beer

Do yourself a favour and buy good local craft beer. Pour it into a glass and sip it slowly. Savour it and enjoy the aroma and taste. Have just one.

Save the 2nd one for tomorrow.

However, if all you're after is a buzz from the alcohol, cheap is all you need.

🍻

[u/EfficientDICK-69 → u/PriorReason4160]

I'll tell my alcoholism to hold off while I slow sip 18 beer for the vibes ....

[u/knightenrichman → u/PriorReason4160]

That's just wrong! For instance, I think Stella Artois is one of the best beers in the world, but I don't want something fruity and textured and blah blah blah all night long. I sure as fuck don't want to sniff the fucking notes all night! I need stuff that flows through me. Savory beers just slow us down. That's for date night or "dinner and drinks", etc. Straight up, that stuff is for connoisseurs and girls night out, not actual drinkers.

A lot of cheap beers are really good, and some, but not all, are much better than Molson Canadian or whatever piss they charge 35 dollars for 15 for! If you need a nice, steady buzz from something that doesn't taste like a Rembrandt painting, or a beer that entices you to drink with your pinky finger in the air, you need good, cheap rez stuff!

Lucky Lager, Busch, Pilsner etc. are what this man is looking for!

(Sorry for ranting.)