We had the fortunate timing of coming back home near Black Diamond during Hard Knox Brewery’s opening weekend, so a short detour was (obviously) necessary to accommodate a quick peek. To be honest, it’s not what I was expecting for a small town brewery, size-wise anyway. Anticipatory of future demand, they have a large production area with a decent size tap room and even look to be constructing a wrap-around patio out front!

Located right along Center Ave, they’re perfectly situated to be a stop in for bikers, or campers such as ourselves, heading back after a weekend away.  The decor is simple and a bit rustic, I can see them adding to it as they settle in, there’s plenty of wall space for signs and trinkets. It has a bit of a biker bar feel which can be partially attributed to the main road location and some of the clientele, but it’s that grand saloon style building which I think really does it.

Beer-wise, their smooth and lusciously malty Vienna Ale is a clear standout among the other two staples; a blonde and an IPA. Along with a couple rotating taps I think they have made a good start and I’m looking forward to swinging back through when they are fully settled in.

The Calgary market is swimming in new breweries — lets be clear I’m by no means complaining — but it’s especially great to see someone branch out and open one in the outskirts. In my humble opinion, it’s a smart business opportunity and I hope to see Hard Knox Brewery flourish in the little town of Black Diamond!