Prince Edward Island has a long history of brewing and distilling, dating back to the early 1800s. The island was home to several breweries and distilleries during this time, and many of these businesses were located in Charlottetown, the island’s largest city. In the mid-1800s, the island’s first commercial brewery, the Charlottetown Brewery, was established by a man named John Yeo. They produced a wide variety of beers, including ales, stouts, and porters.
These days there are 9 craft breweries open in Prince Edward Island all the way from Montague to Charlottetown, Borden, and Ellerslie brewing all manner of beer.
We’ll take a look at the local breweries that are making a splash on the island, and highlight some of their standout beers. From hoppy IPAs to rich stouts, there’s something for every craft beer lover in our guide to the best craft beer in PEI.
Copper Bottom Brewing
Website | 567 Main Street, Montague, PE
What to Try: Flux single-hop IPA series
Copper Bottom Brewing opened in 2017 and is run by a husband and wife team. Along with great beer, theyβre also building a great community at their taproom. Itβs somewhereΒ localsΒ canΒ gather,Β meetΒ newΒ friends,Β andΒ experienceΒ world-classΒ entertainmentΒ –Β allΒ whileΒ enjoyingΒ an award-winningΒ beer. As part of their gathering space, they have an amazing outdoor deck with a giant tree that makes you feel like youβre in a tree house. Inside the taproom you’ll find a clean, Nordic design with blond woods, white walls, and black accents. You’ll also find a small Neighbourhood Market where you can pick up eggs, cheese, and butter.
Their beer is a mix of year-round regulars like their Blueberry Sour (a true sour with just a hint of blueberry), Centennial Blonde Ale (easy drinking with a touch of caramel flavour), and Parkman Ave double IPA, seasonal brews such as Juno made with stone fruit andΒ NorthPaw rye IPA, and exclusive one-offs such as Birthday Beer 3, Field Trip: Tangerine, of Flux: Galaxy – one in a series of single-hop IPAs.
Our favourite was the Flux: Lotus which was another in the limited single-hop IPA series. It was an experimental brew that reminded us of candied lemon peels.
The PEI Brewing Company
Website | 96 Kensington Road, Charlottetown, PE
What to Try: Sir John A Honey Wheat Ale
Established in 2013, the PEI Brewing Company currently brews and distributes the Gahan line of handcrafted ales, the After Hours Series of seasonal beers, Colliding Tides Gin & Vodka coolers and Beach Chair Lager. They also operate a taproom in Charlottetown where you can book yourself a tour of the brewing facility.
What started as Gahan Brewing then became PEI Brewing is now the largest brewer on the island. They also own a chair of brewpubs in Atlantic Canada operating under the Gahan House name.
The Charlottetown taproom is a high-ceilinged spacious room with a few comfy chairs, picnic tables, and traditional tables and chairs where you can sit to sample some draft beers along with snacks.
Upstreet Craft Brewing
Website | 41 Allen St., Charlottetown, PE
What to Try: Rhuby Social Strawberry Rhubarb Witbier
If you like hop-forward IPAs, youβre really going to like Upstreet in Charlottetown. IPAs make up half of their flagship brews so youβll have no trouble filling your IBU quota.
Upstreet is big on hops but theyβre also big on community. Whether youβre getting together with friends for a board game and a pint or looking for a place to host your community fundraiser, Upstreet is there. In fact, they take 10% of sales and put it in their Do Good Fund, which supports local arts and culture initiatives.
Unique in PEI, they also brew several non-alcoholic beers. If youβre the designated driver but want to join your friends for a drink, try a Libra pale ale, IPA, pilsner, or stout.
Bogside Brewing
Website | 11 Brook St, Montague, PE
What to Try: Spiced cider
The small town of Montague, with a population of just 2,100,Β in eastern PEI is the one place outside of Charlottetown where youβll find two breweries. In fact, Bogside Brewing is just a short walk from Copper Bottom Brewing and opened . Makes the perfect tasting afternoon. While Copper Bottom is going for a cozy, Nordic design, Bogside is industrial chic with a tin ceiling, expansive taproom, and paved patio space.
We appreciated the number for a local taxi service prominently displayed by the wifi password sign. Friends donβt let friends drink and drive.
Bogside knows that a great taproom also has food options so theyβve made space for Crafters Smokehouse and Famous Peppers Pizza.
Flights are the perfect way to sample when visiting a new brewery. Bogside does things a little differently and doesnβt have a set number of options for their flights. Each sample is 5oz and you can choose as many as you like with a per sample pricing. Be sure to try Wheat Kings County, a traditional German-style wheat beer, with fruity banana and bubblegum notes. Very smooth drinking.
Along with beer they also serve up cider. Their spiced cider was the stand out for us as a perfect seasonal transition drink. Thereβs no mistaking the cinnamon, nutmeg, and cloves but itβs still light and refreshing.
Moth Lane Brewing
Website | 101 Mickey Allen’s Shore Road Ellerslie, PEI
What to try: Motorboatβr blonde ale
What we love about craft breweries in PEI is that many of them are the opposite of big, industrialised operations. Take Moth Lane Brewing. Itβs not in a town or even on a well-travelled road. Itβs at the end of a small lane surrounded by cottages. In fact, itβs the only brewery on PEI to have a water view from their patio. The owners created the brewery, not to get rich and famous, but because they enjoyed brewing beer and wanted a place to share it.
While some breweries like experimenting and love their hop-forward IPAs and fruity sours, Moth Lane sticks to the basics and thatβs what makes them one of the most approachable craft breweries for those who are most familiar with mass-produced beer. Think light lagers, blonde ales, and crisp Czech pilsners. They keep their IBUs low but their flavours high.
Barnone Brewery and Hop Farm
Website | 4248 Route 225, Breadalbane, PEI
What to try: MilkΒ Stout
Is it bar noneβ¦or barn one? Not even the owners really know, but what we do know is Barnone is one cool brewery inside a barn in the countryside of PEI. From tours of the brewery and hopyard, hosting local musicians and barn parties, or a quiet upstairs library to sip on a drink while you read a book or play crokinole Barnone has something special for everyone.
Their seasonal taproom includes an outdoor beer garden complete with picnic tables and lawn games. The upstairs area is a cool, quirky combination of theatre seating, bingo hall style tables and chairs, and a small library nook.
After a lengthy hiatus, Barnone is back with new owners and three beer options: IPA, Sessions, and Milk Stout, all made with hops grown right on the farm. There are plans to bring back all of their original brews over time.
Evermore Brewing Company
Website | 192 Water St, Summerside, PE
What to try: Batten Brown Traditional Brown Ale
Evermore, opened in 2018 as PEI’s 7th craft brewery, is primarily a restaurant that also brews their own beer rather than a dedicated brewery with a tap room. Located in the old Summerside train station, they specialize in a handful of American style beers with the odd sour or Hefeweizen. Stop by for dinner and order a pint or two or you can also get cans or growlers delivered the same day.
Lone Oak Brewing Co.
Website | 103 Abegweit Blvd, Borden-Carleton, PE
What to try: Fixed Link Maritime Pilsner
The first brewery to greet you as you drive off the Confederation Bridge arriving on Prince Edward Island is Lone Oak Brewing Co. They focus on crisp, sessionable beer while striving to use fresh and local ingredients. They have half a dozen solid flagship products complimented by some small batch specials.
In keeping with their name they even have an oak-barrel aged line of products.
In their taproom youβll find a lot of wood, metal, concrete, and repurposed barrels – maybe a bit of a Nordic industrial farmhouse vibe. Like any good community brewery they regularly host events like trivia nights and live music.
In 2022, Lone Oak opened a second location in Charlottetown as a full service restaurant.
Village Green
Website | 30 Church Street, Cornwall PE
What to try: Pale Ale
Modern Brewerβs Village Green is the newest addition to the PEI craft brewing scene. Opened in 2020 in Cornwall, diversity is one a key component of their business. Diversity in people and diversity in beer. Taking inspiration from micropubs in the UK, Village Green is designed to be community hub with diverse beers. They started with a blond ale and a pale ale and then added an IPA and others to the mix.
The brewery at Village Green is truly one of a kind. Their brewing gear was custom designed to minimize the necessity of kegs, making it more streamlined for working in a small taproom. Each batch is only 250 litres so the best way to sample their brews is to visit the taproom.
