Thirsty Tales – Block Kitchen & Bar

With only 48 hours in Banff for a Sales retreat, I had very limited time to explore what Banff had to offer.  I would have to save the tourist attractions for a future visit, but damn if I didn’t get to at least explore Banff’s nightlife.  On a recommendation from a friend, I decided to check out Block Kitchen & Bar on my last night in this town.

Block Kitchen & Bar

One of the newest tapas bars to open up in Banff, the Block Kitchen & Bar is located at the corner of Banff Avenue and Caribou Street right next to Wild Bill’s Legendary Saloon.  The first thing you will notice as you walk into Block is how small it is.  It’s so small that you could swear you were about to walk into a Man Cave than a trendy new bar.

Midnight Sun Stout - Yukon Brewing

After plopping myself up at the bar to watch some hockey playoffs on the television, I browsed through the beer menu in search of some interesting craft beers that I wouldn’t be able to get back home in Toronto.  The first one that piqued my interest was Midnight Sun Stout from Yukon Brewing.  I normally enjoy stouts, but this one fell flat big time for my tastes.  It was definitely the worst craft beer I have ever tasted, which is a shame as I had high expectations for a stout that was brewed from the Yukon Territory.

Aprikat - Alley Kat Brewing

My final beer for the night was Aprikat.  This Apricot wheat ale is brewed by Alley Kat Brewing, an Edmonton-based craft brewery.  While the thought of mixing apricot flavour with wheat ale seemed repulsive to me, I was astonished by how smooth tasting this wheat ale was.  Yes, the apricot flavour is over powering, but you hardly notice the alcohol content at all.  The Aprikat had definitely raised the bar for wheat ales in my book!

Full Moon over Banff on my final night

Since I had already eaten dinner at the Fairmont Banff Springs Hotel, I was not interested in the food menu at all.  I stayed until last call before moving onto Wild Bill’s Legendary Saloon.  However, Block Kitchen & Bar will always be remembered as my first real bar experience in Banff.

Block Kitchen & Bar

201 Banff Avenue

Banff, AB T1L 1H8

Phone:  (403) 985-2887

Hours:  7 days/week from 11:30am - 2am