Calgary brewers are excited to add to their existing roster of beers with the new and upcoming trend many are jumping on. The steady increase of craft sodas are seeing a spike in sales and availability to consumers.

Annex Ale Project  in Calgary features flavours such as root beer, Saskatoon lemonade and craft cola. “We want to basically take the craft ideals behind craft beer and apply that to sodas,” said Andrew Bullied, director of brewing operations at Annex Ale Project. “We’re trying to basically bring sodas back to being this homemade and artisanal thing.”

Although beer is still the main business, the craft sodas — which are handmade and made with whole ingredients whenever possible — now make up a quarter of the brewery’s sales.

And they aren’t the only one’s jumping on this trend. Dandy Brewing Company started making soda this summer and now their product is being sold at 25 locations.

“People look to craft beers for ingenuity and what’s coming next, and there’s an expectation of quality,” said Ben Leon, Dandy co-owner.

“That procedure and everything is the best it can be at a craft brewery — but it doesn’t have to just be beer.”

“More consumers are looking for alternative options when they go to restaurants, in part because it’s now more socially acceptable to seek non-alcoholic options for a variety of reasons,” said Sylvain Charlebois, director of the Agri-Food Analytics Lab at Dalhouse University in Halifax. “It’s smart for businesses to expand and carry non-alcoholic options so they do not lose the patronage of those who do not consume alcohol,” said Charlebois.

Leopold’s Tavern carries a number of locally-produced craft sodas. “We’re just a gathering spot — we’re a spot for the community to come together and spend time, hang out and have fun and feel like a part of the mix,” said regional manager David Sauve.

Photos courtesy of Annex Ale Project/Facebook and Dandy Brewing Company/Facebook