Big Rock Brewery
Calgary, Alberta, Canada · Est. 1985
Tally's Take
Why this matters
Ed McNally started Big Rock in 1985 specifically to give Albertans something other than macro pale lager. Western Canadian craft has a founding date and this is it.
The founding thesisEd McNally started brewing in 1985 because Albertans could choose between 'lager A' and 'lager B' and nothing else.
The Museum
Timeline
- 1985Lager A or lager B
Ed McNally founds Big Rock in Calgary, motivated by a market where, in the brewery's own telling, beer was either 'lager A' or 'lager B'.
- 1985Named for the erratic
Takes its name from the 16,000-tonne boulder sitting alone on the prairie — a rock that 'stands out, inspiring in its seeming impossibility'.
- 2020sWestern Canada's veteran
Operates as Big Rock Brewery LP with brewery eateries across multiple Canadian cities, four decades into the run that started Alberta craft beer.
- 2025Recapitalisation
Closes an $8.4 million private placement concurrent with a $9.0 million debt settlement with VN Capital Fund I, LP, issuing 17.4 million common shares. Stays listed on the TSX.
The People
Behind the beer
Barley farmer and lawyer; founded Big Rock in 1985 to give Albertans an alternative to macro lager.
The Beer Library
Beers
Traditional Ale
Year-RoundEnglish Brown Ale
The beer that introduced Alberta to craft, and still the brewery's signature.
Drank this? Add it to your passport →Travel Guide
Plan a visit
- Full restaurant
- Big Sky BBQ kitchen
- Patio
- Brewery tours
- Family friendly
- Gender-inclusive bathrooms
- Merch
- Growler fills
- Keg sales
- Alberta-wide delivery
Open 11am–10pm daily. Dog policy not stated — confirm before bringing one.
Show your working
Sources
- foundedConfirmed
Big Rock Brewery was founded in 1985 by Ed McNally.
Big Rock Brewery — Brewery History · Big Rock Brewery
BreweryHigh reliabilityAccessed 2026-08-07Reviewed 2026-08-07
Only the claims above are sourced. Everything else on this page is the archive's own research and has not yet been tied to a document — which is worth knowing rather than hiding.
Straight answers
Common questions about Big Rock Brewery
- Who owns Big Rock Brewery?
- Big Rock Brewery is independently owned — there is no parent company above it on record. It is based in Calgary, Alberta, Canada.
- Is Big Rock Brewery independent?
- Yes. Big Rock Brewery is recorded as independent, with no parent company. Independence is recorded as the brewery states it; where a stake is a minority holding or joint venture, this archive leaves it unmapped rather than calling it ownership.
- When was Big Rock Brewery founded?
- Big Rock Brewery was founded in 1985 in Calgary, Alberta, Canada.
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