The Growler B.C. • Volume 3 Issue 1 • March-May 2017

VOLUME

03 01 ISSUE

$2 B . C .

C R A F T

B E E R

Display until jun 15, 2017

$2

g u i d e

More coast for you to enjoy West Coast Pale Ale is now available at even more retail locations, giving you more chance to enjoy this refreshingly balanced, hop-forward Small Batch release. Find locations at gib.ca/West-Coast-Pale

DOPPELBOCK launching early March

honest and offbeat.

Vegetable tanned leather bags.

You can find our bags at one of these fine local retailers: Rowan Sky (Gastown) • Brooklyn Clothing (Yaletown) Howard Clothing (White Rock) • Suquet Interiors (South Granville) Gatley (Commercial Drive) • Charals (Robson Street)

BRITISH COLUMBIA NORTHERN B.C.

SEA TO SKY ISLANDS & COAST

1.778.840.5005 thegrowler.ca | @thegrowlerbc editor Rob Mangelsdorf editor@thegrowler.ca PUBlisher Gail Nugent gnugent@thegrowler.ca ContriBUting Writers Megan Cole Ryan Ingram Tret Jordan Joe Wiebe Jan Zeschky Jennifer Foden ProdUCtion & design Tara Rafiq Juliana Sauvé PhotograPhy Jonny Healy Meghan Kirkpatrick Lou Lou Childs Dan Toulgoet CoVer illUstration Tom Froese soCial media Danielle Boileau distriBUtion Craig Sweetman (Newsstand) Debbie Tang (Direct) orders@thegrowler.ca

KOOTENAYS

FRASER VALLEY

LOWER MAINLAND VANCOUVER VICTORIA

Copyright © The Growler Vancouver 2017

Published by Glacier Community Media 303 West 5th Avenue Vancouver, B.C., V5Y 1J6

THOMPSON OKANAGAN

Contents 06 16 26 38 50 68 80 90 100 106 115 116 121

mad sCientists of B.C. Craft Beer old dogs, neW triCks Beers in the ‘BUrBs Beerstory 101: st. hildegard of Bingen BreWer Vs. BreWer: the aUssie edition ViCtoria rallies aroUnd sPinnakers Who’s BreWing What in-Cider information traVel: PentiCton reCiPe: Beer and Cheese fondUe hoPPortUnity knoCks B.C. BreWPUB listings Beer to the groUnd

Breweries by Region

10 32 42 60 64 82 93 103 112

LEGEND GROWLER-APPROVED BADGE Keep an eye out for our 10 favourite beers this winter!

VANCOUVER

Brewery Details

SEA TO SKY LOWER MAINLAND

GROWLER FILLS

FRASER VALLEY

BOTTLES / CANS

VICTORIA

KEGS

ISLANDS & COAST

LOUNGE ENDORSEMENT

THOMPSON OKANAGAN

ON-SITE KITCHEN OR FOOD TRUCK

KOOTENAYS

TOURS

NORTHERN B.C.

KID FRIENDLY

i.e. you can order a pint or flight

GLUTEN-FREE BOOZE OPTIONS

Editor’s Note We did it! We survived the long, cold winter and society didn’t collapse and we didn’t even have to resort to cannibalism (mostly).

Suggested Glassware STANGE

Kolsch Marzen Bock

With spring around the corner, it’s time for a beer nerd’s fancy to turn lightly to thoughts of love. And with the changing of the seasons comes a changing of the beer list at your local brewery. Gone are the dark stouts and porters of winter, replaced instead with hefeweizens and pale ales.

PILSNER

Spring also means the beginning of craft beer festival season! In the coming months, I encourage you to venture outside of the cave you’ve been hibernating in and sample what B.C.’s craft brewers have been up to all winter long.

WEIZEN

On the calendar for this season is the Victoria Craft Beer Week (March 3-11), the Coquitlam Beer Fest (March 9-10), the Okanagan Fest of Ale in Penticton (April 3-4), the Siris Cask Festival in Port Coquitlam (April 22) and the Great Okanagan Beer Fest in Kelowna (May 13).

TULIP

That’s more than enough to keep you busy until the patios start opening up. (Make sure to come by The Growler booth and say hi!)

Cheers!

–Rob Mangelsdorf, editor

Lager Pilsner Witbier

NONIC PINT

IPA Stout Most ales, actually Hefeweizen Weizenbock Fruit beer Belgian ales Saison Strong ales

GOBLET

Berliner weisse Quad Tripel

SNIFTER

Barleywine Sours Anything weird

CIENTIS S D T A

S

M

Meet the

OF CRAFT BEER Having a PhD in science isn’t necessary to brew beer, but for these brewers, it sure helps

by Rob Mangelsdorf

C

ontrary to what your local craft brewery’s Instagram feed might suggest, making beer is anything but glamorous. There are no poignant shafts of light to catch motes of dust floating in the air – just fluorescent tubes incessantly flickering overhead.

It’s long, hot, backbreaking work. And it’s dangerous! There are thousands of litres of boiling wort, pressurized gases, confined spaces and metal bits and pieces jutting out in every direction. There’s all this math and chemistry involved, too, and that’s no fun either.

course, the joy in sampling and sharing your own handiwork.

It should come as no surprise, then, that many B.C. craft brewers were, in fact, scientists in their previous lives. After decades in academia, they traded Bunsen burners and centrifuges for mash tuns and brew kettles. Today in their beer laboratories, they conduct their experiments, combining water, grain, hops and yeast to create delicious craft beer, using many of the same scientific skills and techniques they used in their previous careers.

Except, that for a certain breed of individual, it is fun.

James Walton, Storm Brewing

Ask any brewer what they love about their job, and they will likely tell you it’s the thrill of experimentation, the satisfaction of creating something from scratch, the challenge of taking something and constantly refining it to make it better, and, of

It has been said that a messy office is the sign of creative mind, so judging by the looks of James Walton’s shambolic workspace, the man is a certified genius. There are beakers of tinctures and extracts sitting on every available surface, and the ground is

6

We like technology, and we’re not afraid to experiment, and we like solving problems and troubleshooting, so I think that’s why brewing appeals to us.” - Bart Larson near ankle-deep with a tangled detritus of hoses, buckets and random brewing equipment.

Here in his laboratory at the north end of Commercial Drive, Walton has not-so-quietly become a visionary force in the B.C. craft beer scene over the past 20-plus years.

Walton has never been shy about letting his freak flag fly. With his spiked hair, platform KISS boots, and leather everything, he definitely puts the “mad” in “mad scientist” – and that’s just the way he likes it.

As a bored teen in Port Alberni, Walton first began experimenting with beer after reading about brewing in an encyclopedia, of all places. He managed to malt his own barley and eventually created something resembling beer. It was barely drinkable, but it had alcohol in it, and for a 15-year-old without a fake ID, that was good enough.

Walton eventually earned a degree in mycology from UBC (yeast is a fungus, after all), going on to manage a massive mushroom farming operation in the Fraser Valley before moving on to the much cleaner environment of pharmaceutical manufacturing.

But as exciting and lucrative as pumping out intravenous bags and cough syrup was, Walton’s passion lay elsewhere.

“A lot of people thought I was crazy, because no one else was doing craft beer back then,” he says.

“But within a few months I knew I’d be successful.”

Unlike many other breweries, Storm Brewing started small and is determined to stay that way. Walton estimates he’s brewed more than 250 different beers since he first opened in 1994, and thanks to the size of his operation, he’s able to oversee each and every batch.

“I don’t want to take over the world,” Walton says.

“I just don’t want to sit in an office.”

Walton says he draws upon his scientific training, particularly his background in organic chemistry, on a daily basis. And nowhere is his penchant for

Storm Brewing's James Walton. Dan Toulgoet photo.

experimentation more evident than in Glacial Mammoth Extinction, believed to be Canada’s strongest beer. Walton ice distills the beer, slowly freezing it so flat ice crystals form and settle out.

The end result is sweet and syrupy, not unlike port wine, and weighs in at a hefty 25% ABV. Being a mad scientist of craft beer also has its perks, he notes. In addition to being able to wear leather pants to work, there weren’t any journalists showing up on his doorstep to interview him when he was farming mushrooms.

“I don’t mind the spotlight,” he says with a wry grin.

“There’s definitely a glam aspect to it that I like.”

Bart Larson, Mt. Begbie Brewing To hear Mt. Begbie Brewing owner and brewmaster Bart Larson tell it, his decision to pursue a career in science sounds like it was motivated by having nothing better to do.

“Yeah, I don’t know how I got into science,” he says. “It was more of an aptitude thing, I guess. I was in high school and I preferred science to art at least, you know. I just enjoyed mathematics, chemistry, physics.”

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He’s just being modest, of course. Larson didn’t just “get into science.” He holds a PhD in nuclear physics and has worked on some of the world’s most advanced particle accelerators in his quest to discover the secrets of the universe. For real.

So what made him decide to leave the Los Alamos National Laboratory and return to his hometown of Revelstoke and open a brewery, you ask?

“I’m a B.C. boy,” Larson says. “Growing up here, you just can’t think of anywhere better.”

Since there weren’t a lot of nuclear physicist jobs in Revelstoke (shocker, I know), he decided to turn his lifelong hobby of brewing into a business.

For Larson, brewing has always appealed to his analytical side, and he admits he’s “probably more of a scientific brewer than an artsy kind of brewer.”

“Scientists, we like technology, and we’re not afraid to experiment, and we like solving problems and troubleshooting, so I think that’s why brewing appeals to us,” he says. “It’s that manner of thinking. You’ve been taught this way, like, this is how to approach a problem. Knowing the scientific method and how to troubleshoot a problem, isolate a variable and do a proper series of tests, you can figure out what you really need to know or what’s really going on.

“Plus, you’re making beer, which is great!”

Michael Kuzyk, Category 12 Brewing With a PhD in microbiology and biochemistry, Category 12 owner and brewer Michael Kuzyk’s work in the field of human disease research helped to advance the understanding of cancer and metabolic disorders. But after years of working his way up the research ladder, he found himself at a point where he wasn’t really doing anything scientific any more.

“My research career kind of forced me into more of an administrative role,” he explains. “I was away from the lab and I felt like I was really missing out on that experimental day-to-day work. I was

8

Category 12's Michael Kuzyk. Meghan Kirkpatrick photo.

just really 100 per cent writing grants and doing administrative work.”

He had an outlet, though. Kuzyk had started making beer as a poor grad student in the 1990s because he couldn’t afford it otherwise. Lacking any scientific challenges at work, he found himself falling down the homebrewing rabbit hole as it helped scratch that scientific itch his previous desk job could not.

“My friends were always kind of joking – I thought they were joking, I guess – that I should open up my own brewery,” says Kuzyk “Then I’d just kind of laugh it off, like, how do you do that? But I felt the need to kind of reinvent myself, you know, as I got to midlife crisis range, and I began to think that I didn’t have to work for other people all my life.”

Kuzyk, too, discovered that his scientific background was invaluable in his new life as a brewer.

“I think if you’d talked to me four years ago, I would have felt like maybe I was leaving behind or turning my back on my training,” he says. “I’m really happy about how much it’s used every day. From the sanitary method perspective, as a microbiologist, sterile technique is just drilled in you. Just understanding what is going on at the microscopic level, none of what goes on feels like black art."

Kuzyk has fully embraced his role as “mad scientist,” and his scientific background has formed the inspiration for Category 12’s entire marketing and branding strategy.

“We kind of call it a mix of Mad Men and Breaking Bad,” he says. “We’re having a lot of fun with it!” j

CRAFT BEEr & CLASSIc cOcKTAILS OPEN WEEKDAYS 3PM TO LATE / WEEKENDS NOON TO LATE HAPPY HOUR 3-5PM DAILY • SUNDAY ROAST

2616 Main Street, Mt Pleasant | www.thecascade.ca I

@thecascaderoom

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33 Acres Andina Big Rock Bomber Brassneck Callister Coal Harbour Doan’s Craft

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Faculty Granville Island Luppolo Main Street Off The Rail Parallel 49 Postmark Powell Street R&B Red Truck

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Dockside Pat's Pub Steamworks Steel Toad Yaletown

BREW pUBS

19 Storm 20 Strange Fellows 21 Strathcona

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12 Kings Pub Alibi Room BierCraft The Blackbird Central City on Beatty Street 32 Craft Beer Market 33 Darby’s Gastown

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The Devil’s Elbow The Lamplighter St. Augustine’s Stateside Craft Tap & Barrel, Olympic Village 39 Tap & Barrel, Coal Harbour 40 Tangent Café

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VANCOUVER

33 ACRES BREWING CO. 15 West 8th Ave. | 33AcresBrewing.ca

MON-FRI 9AM-11PM ^ SAT-SUN 10AM-11PM EST. 2013 Oh-so-cool and oh-so-good, 33 Acres is so much more than its sleek, minimalist branding thanks to brewer Dave Varga’s exceptional beers.

33 ACRES OF LIFE CALIFORNIA COMMON

33 ACRES OF SUNSHINE

Availability: Year-round

FRENCH BLANCHE Availability: Seasonal

ABV

4.8%

IBU

40

This reddish amber ale balances caramel and toasted malt with a snap of hops and a dry finish.

ABV

5.0%

IBU

14

Sweet and refreshing with notes of orange peel, coriander and black licorice.

VANCOUVER

ANDINA BREWING CO.

1507 Powell St. | AndinaBrewing.ca DAILY 11AM-11PM EST. 2016

Andina promises a fiesta of flavour, with an enticing food menu and beer brewed using South American malts, served in a spacious tasting room.

MELCOCHA

MONITA

ANDEAN MILD ALE

B L O N D E I N D I A PA L E A L E

Availability: Year-round ABV

4.0%

IBU

27

A mild made wilder with Colombian panela cane sugar, lending notes of molasses, nuts and bread.

12

Availability: Year-round ABV

6.5%

IBU

60

A lighter, brisker IPA that delivers a bountiful hop profile of citrus and tropical fruit.

VANCOUVER

BIG ROCK URBAN BREWERY

310 West 4th Ave. | BigRockBeer.com DAILY 11AM-12AM EST. 2015 The Calgary brewery’s West Coast outpost delivers the goods, with an accomplished food menu and a rotating lineup of approachable beer.

CITRADELIC SINGLE HOP IPA

GRASSHOPPER KRISTALLWEIZEN

I N D I A PA L E A L E Availability: Year-round

W H E AT A L E Availability: Year-round

ABV

6.0%

IBU

67

If this doesn’t sell you on the citrus- and tropical-fruit fireworks of the Citra hop, nothing will.

ABV

5.0%

IBU

16

Big Rock’s crisp, classic gateway ale has been luring beer drinkers away from macro since 1994.

VANCOUVER

BOMBER BREWING CO.

1488 Adanac St. | BomberBrewing.com DAILY 12-11PM EST. 2014

Originally named after a beer league hockey team, Bomber hosts the third annual Beer League BASH charity ice hockey tourney, March 11.

APEX DOUBLE PILS

ABSOLUTE HORIZON

DOUBLE PILSNER

C A S C A D I A N DA R K A L E

Availability: Seasonal ABV

6.8%

IBU

48

An amplified pilsner with a big, piney hop profile.

Talk about peak beer!

Availability: Seasonal ABV

6.5%

IBU

72

A dark beer with a supernova of space-themed hops: Galaxy, Horizon, Comet and Apollo.

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VANCOUVER

BRASSNECK BREWERY

2148 Main St. | Brassneck.ca

MON-FRI 2-11PM ^ SAT-SUN 12-11PM EST. 2013 This cozy, beautiful 50-person tasting room, and the beers served within, makes it bucket list material for any proper beer enthusiast in the city.

PASSIVE AGGRESSIVE

MAGICIAN’S ASSISTANT

D RY H O P P E D PA L E A L E Availability: Year-round

D RY H O P P E D TA RT B L O N D E A L E Availability: Small batch

ABV

7.0%

IBU

N/A

Brewer Conrad Gmoser’s first Brassneck brew and still the gold standard.

ABV

6.0%

IBU

N/A

A pitch-perfect tart with a juicy hop finish. Now you see it. Now you don’t.

VANCOUVER

CALLISTER BREWING CO.

1338 Franklin St. | CallisterBrewing.com

MON-FRI 2-9PM ^ SAT 1-10PM ^ SUN 1-8PM EST. 2015 This unique brewery incubator plays host to Boombox Brewing, Real Cask, and Lightheart Brewing, along with Callister’s own brews.

RAD SEEKER (BOOMBOX)

BRAIN TEASER (LIGHTHEART)

N O RT H E A S T I N D I A PA L E A L E Availability: Limited

N O RT H E A S T PA L E A L E Availability: Limited

ABV

6.0%

IBU

Huge

This is a totally new Northeast IPA with massive amounts of Citra hops.

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ABV

4.6%

IBU

Lots

Brewed with Ahtanum, Amarillo, Citra, Mosaic and Simcoe hops, resulting in fruit and citrus notes.

VANCOUVER

COAL HARBOUR BREWING CO.

1967 Triumph St. | CoalHarbourBrewing.com HOURS N/A EST. 2010 2017 is the year Coal Harbour finally gets its taproom, allowing us to finally fill our growlers full of their award-winning beer.

SMOKE AND MIRRORS IMPERIAL SMOKED ALE Availability: Seasonal ABV

8.5%

IBU

311 HELLES LAGER HELLES LAGER Availability: Year-round

33

The smoky, peaty malts are right up front, giving way to dark chocolate and sweet molasses.

ABV

5.0%

IBU

19

The one and only. Made in accordance with the Reinheitsgebot, this may be B.C.’s best lager.

VANCOUVER

DOAN’S CRAFT BREWING CO.

1830 Powell St. | DoansCraftBrewing.com SUN-THU 2-9PM ^ FRI 2-11PM ^ SAT 12-11PM EST. 2015 Come for owner/brewer Evan Doan’s clean and balanced takes on German classic beer styles, but stay for the board games and Lego!

KOLSCH

WEISS

KO L S C H

WEISSBIER

Availability: Year-round ABV

5.0%

IBU

20

This traditional kolsch offers the crispness of a lager and the mild fruity character of an ale.

Availability: Seasonal ABV

5.0%

IBU

20

This Bavarian wheat ale finishes clean and dry and is sure to slay your thirst.

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OLd dogs, new tricks How B.C.’s legacy craft beer brands are changing with the times

T

by Ryan Ingram he neighbourhood has changed significantly since September 1997, when R&B Brewing poured its first beer.

At the time, co-founders Barry Benson and Rick Dellow were the only people making craft beer in the East Van ‘hood now known as Brewery Creek.

Today, the neighbourhood now counts eight breweries and brewpubs, with even more in the works.

The province’s craft beer industry is likewise unrecognizable from 20 years ago. From 2011 to 2015, the number of licensed breweries in the province doubled to more than 120, according to BeerCanada. The sudden competition between breweries and the dizzying array of new beer styles has understandably left some of B.C.’s trailblazing old guard brewers wondering where they fit in.

Benson first began to notice the effects of the craft beer revolution’s most recent wave when the popularity of growler fills rose, and R&B’s off-sales dropped. It was also tougher to get consistent lines for their kegs at restaurants and pubs, too, as rotating taps between emerging breweries became more frequent.

“So it wasn’t that much to have the respectability of a decade of good brews behind you,” Benson explains.

But the biggest change came just in the last few years – with Brassneck, 33 Acres and Main Street all opening up in walking distance – when R&B couldn’t logistically or financially create space for a tasting room in their building. Benson admits, delicately, that the brewery fell into “a bit of trouble.”

16

“Our business plan was 20 years old,” says Benson.

“Our business model was not where the industry is now.”

So in 2015, Squamish’s Howe Sound Brewing purchased the East Van brewery, providing the capital for a massive renovation. In addition to shiny new brewing equipment, Howe Sound’s investment allowed R&B to acquire the space next door, where they knocked down walls to finally build a tasting lounge: the R&B Ale + Pizza House. The impressively comfortable 60-person space feels somewhere in between your best buddy’s rec room and a neighbourhood pub, with 11 taps, including a few that are tasting-room exclusive experiments.

“The vibrancy in the neighbourhood in the last 20 years has exponentially increased,” Benson says, noting that the new space has finally let them become a bigger part of the neighbourhood, as well as the craft community.

The brewery will see more changes soon, too, as their core lineup of six-pack bottles, including Raven Cream Ale, will be swapped out for two new, very modern Vancouver-themed four-packs of cans: Dude Chilling Pale Ale and Stolen Bike Lager. And while six-packs of Ravens migrating will likely startle some longtime craft consumers, there’s an even bigger brewery changes on the horizon for one of the province’s biggest legacy craft breweries.

“Bold Moves” Cue that Michael Jackson song from Free Willy because the killer whale from Vancouver Island Brewing’s decades-old logo has finally been released. But when the brewery’s orca-free relaunch kicks off in March, expect a big splash.

Vancouver Island Brewing has been in the midst of a dramatic makeover that began last year when the brewery’s longtime owner, Barry Fisher, announced he had sold to Ontario businessman Bob MacDonald. The moves that followed the purchase have marked the most drastic example of an older brewery adapting to today’s craft beer revolution. “[Vancouver Island Brewing] spent so many years looking back that the industry passed them by,” says Chris Bjerrisgaard, VI’s new marketing director.

Vancouver Island Brewing's Danny Seeton and Chris Bjerrisgaard. Meghan Kirkpatrick photo.

Bjerrisgaard, formerly of Parallel 49, Central City and a founder of Vancouver Craft Beer Week, is up to the daunting task of turning the legacy brewery, which has been around since 1984 (originally named Island Pacific Brewing) into a major player.

“Frankly, from a marketing guy’s point of view, this is the dream job,” he says. “This is the test to see if you’re as good as you think you are. Can you take a brand that’s been in decline in an up-market and turn it around?”

At the helm of the new VI is former Central City president Tim Barnes, along with former Parallel 49 brewer Danny Seeton, who is designing new recipes for the brewery.

At the DNA-level of the new VI philosophy is figuring out “where next.” The new core lineup will see three “legacy” bottled products with drastic updates, plus four brand-new canned brews. Design-wise, it’s purposefully bright and clean.

The beer names – from Sombrio Citrus Session to Carmanah Ale – cover the geography of the Island, while each can and bottle will feature different longitude and latitude coordinates that will cue up to different Vancouver Island locales.

Also part of the “where next” mission: the lineup of canned beers will feature purposefully low ABV, going no higher than 4.8 per cent.

“For multiple reasons, we believe that session strength... is where a lot of beers are going to end up. We were so far behind the times, we actually wanted to leapfrog ahead of people,” explains Bjerrisgaard, admitting recipe designer Seeton

17

Can you take a brand that’s been in decline in an up-market and turn it around? - Chris Bjerrisgard Although established in 1984 – the same year as Vancouver Island Brewing – Granville Island Brewing has also been affected by the rippling waves of the local craft beer revolution.

R&B's Barry Benson. Dan Toulgoet photo.

was up to the challenge of “just mak[ing] the best thing,” focusing on making sure the session IPA can be held up against another seven per cent hop-bomb.

Piper’s Pale Ale will be the only VI legacy beer that keeps its name, but will feature changes beyond its hip new tartan packaging. “[Piper’s] had probably turned into, I’d say, a bit of a generic pale ale,” said Bjerrisgaard. The new beer will honour Canadian war hero Piper James Richardson and will attempt to turn it into “the quintessential English pub beer” – hopefully on point for another emerging trend, Bjerrisgaard adds.

With a near complete revamp set to kick off, Bjerrisgaard doesn’t mince words when it comes to the brewery’s loyalists.

“The customer who’s going to bemoan us isn’t buying enough of the beer, and that’s really the long and the short of it,” he says. “We need to shift our demographic. We need to think long and hard about the kind of customer we want and need. And hopefully the ones that we do have will join us, but we’re willing to risk it.”

The bottom line, Bjerrisgaard emphasizes: “Unless you’re willing to do bold moves, you’re not a relevant craft brewery anymore.”

Longtime head brewer Vern Lambourne left Granville Island in 2015 to co-found the Parkside Brewery, the fourth brewery on Port Moody’s Brewers Row. While Granville Island found a replacement in local boy-makes-good-beer Kevin Emms, who studied brewing in Edinburgh, and had earned a reputation creating recipes at Coal Harbour Brewing and Deep Cove Brewers.

While the lineup of core beers has seen some additions, like Infamous IPA, as well as a Small Batch Series, it hasn’t changed dramatically over the decades. But that doesn’t mean Emms isn’t given room to experiment.

Although most of Granville Island’s beers aren’t brewed at the Granville Island brewery itself, the brewery does serve as a test kitchen for Emms, allowing him to create what could be the company’s next big beer.

Emms emphasizes that the brewery – purchased

by Molson Coors through Creemore Springs in 2009 – is still targeting craft consumers.

“Granville Island Brewing, considering it was started to offer more flavorful, authentic beers to drinkers that didn’t have a lot of choice… is still very much engaged in doing that,” albeit on their own terms.

A Tale of Two Islands

Emms says Granville Island’s strategy to attract craft beer drinkers is to find a balance between honouring the past and staying on trend. A perfect example of that philosophy is Granville Island’s Burly Goat Dopplebock, a Canadian Brewing Award silver medal-winner.

No man is an island, and that’s true for breweries competing in B.C.’s craft beer market. Even when they literally have “Island” in their name.

“The focus isn’t on trying to do anything cutting edge and innovative,” says Emms, “it’s trying to do things really meticulously and traditionally.” j

18

VANCOUVER

DOGWOOD BREWING

8284 Sherbrooke St. | DogwoodBrew.com

WED-FRI 2:30-9PM ^SAT-SUN 11:30AM-9PM EST. 2015 Vancouver’s only all-organic brewery uses B.C. ingredients as much as possible, including hops from Lillooet and barley malted in Armstrong.

TRIPLE IPA

SPARKLING WIT

I M P E R I A L I N D I A PA L E A L E

BELGIAN WITBIER

Availability: Seasonal

Availability: Seasonal

ABV

10.0%

IBU

70

Crammed full of organic hops, this massive India Pale Ale is like liquid resin.

ABV

6.5%

IBU

10

This tasty glass of “liquid courage” might just awaken your own sparkling wit.

VANCOUVER

FACULTY BREWING CO.

1830 Ontario St. | FacultyBrewing.com

MON-FRI 2-11PM ^ SAT-SUN 11AM-11PM EST. 2016 True to its name, Faculty’s helpful crew is eager to educate craft newbies.

This “open-source” brewery share recipes online and welcomes collaboration.

340 DUNKELWEIZEN

778 IPA

D U N K E LW E I Z E N

I N D I A PA L E A L E

Availability: Seasonal ABV

5.0%

IBU

18

Clove, banana and vanilla aromas highlight this ode to the dark German wheat beer.

Availability: Seasonal ABV

7.0%

IBU

75

Dry-hopping Citra, along with Cascade and Centennial, has upped the citrus hop profile in this IPA. 19

VANCOUVER

GRANVILLE ISLAND BREWING

1441 Cartwright St. | GIB.com HOURS 12-8PM EST. 1984

Yes, this B.C. craft beer pioneer is now owned by Molson-Coors, but GIB is getting back to its roots by letting its talented young brewmaster, Kevin Emms, have free rein to brew delicious craft offerings in the original location on Granville Island.

BURLY GOAT DOPPELBOCK

WEST COAST PALE ALE

DA R K G E R M A N L A G E R Availability: Seasonal

N O RT H A M E R I C A N PA L E A L E Availability: Year-round

ABV

7.9%

IBU

25

This big, dark malty beer won a silver medal at the 2016 Canadian Brewing Awards.

SCOTTISH ALE

ABV

5.5%

IBU

38

An American pale ale bursting with fruity Australian hops. Confused? Just try it and see.

S C OT T I S H A L E

SAISON BELGIAN STYLE

Availability: Limited

SAISON Availability: Limited

ABV

6.5

IBU

20

This smooth-sipping Scottish ale balances roasted malt notes with caramel sweetness.

ABV

6.3%

IBU

30

This traditional recipe uses imported Belgian yeast to create a complex blend of fruity and spicy flavours.

A road runs through it...

According to Allen Winn Sneath’s 2001 book, Brewed in Canada: the Untold History of Canada’s 350 Year Old Brewing Industry, GIB founding partner Mitch Taylor had to call Prime Minister John Turner to ask him to strike down an old law requiring a “public road run between the brewery and the store.”

20

VANCOUVER

LUPPOLO BREWING CO.

1123 Venables St. | LuppoloBrewing.ca DAILY 12-11PM EST. 2016

Luppolo’s hip tasting room offers more than just brewer/owner Ryan Parfitt’s delicious beers – there’s Italian food, prosecco and kombucha too!

DOUBLE IPA

EXTRA STOUT

D O U B L E I N D I A PA L E A L E

F O R E I G N E X T R A S TO U T

Availability: Seasonal

Availability: Seasonal

ABV

8.0%

IBU

70

ABV

Heavily hopped, yet well-balanced, five northwest varieties provide aromas of citrus, peach and melon.

7.5%

IBU

50

Rich and creamy with moderate hop bitterness and subtle notes of licorice, vanilla and smoke.

FROM 16 UNDERDOGS TO THE PREMIUM PRAIRIE BEER Visit us at original16.com to learn about how our original 16 founders took matters into their own hands and risked it all to start their own brewery.

WE BREWED CRAFT BEER BEFORE THERE WAS CRAFT BEER.

BC’S BEST CRAFT BEER STORE since 2008!

Best 19th annual

City of the

2016

GOLD WINNER

CRAFT BEER is our PASSION and our SPECIALTY. Proudly offering the most sought after DOMESTIC & INTERNATIONAL selections.

Open 11-11 EVERY DAY 14th & Main • FREE PARKING AROUND BACK www.brewerycreekliquorstore.com 604-872-3373

Insta

21

VANCOUVER

MAIN STREET BREWING CO.

261 East 7th Ave. | MainStreetBeer.ca MON-THU 2-11PM ^ FRI-SUN 12-11PM EST. 2014 Main Street’s building, the Vancouver Breweries Garage, might be a century old, but the beer list is always fresh and exciting. Stop by for a taste of the past, present and future of craft beer, courtesy of brewmaster Jack Bensley.

MAIN STREET PILSNER

NUMBER SEVEN SAISON

PILSNER Availability: Year-round ABV

5.0%

IBU

22

The beer that started the brewery, as it were: bright, golden and medium-bodied.

HARLOT RED RYE TART SAISON SAISON Availability: Seasonal ABV

6.0%

IBU

35

The addition of rye grain and a liberal dose of hops results in a spicy, tart and dry saison.

Availability: Year-round ABV

6.0%

IBU

15

Fermented with a blend of yeasts, No. 7 has delicious fruit, pepper and citrus notes.

SLAM DUNKEL D U N K E LW E I Z E N Availability: Seasonal ABV

6.0%

IBU

15

This dark wheat ale pairs roasted malts with yeasty notes of banana and clove.

Fighting the good fight...

Main Street Brewing is generously sponsoring Growler editor Rob Mangelsdorf in his bid to lose even more of his teeth as he takes part in the Beer Wars charity boxing fundraiser. The main event takes place April 29 at the Croatian Cultural Centre in Vancouver. For more info, visit BCBeerWars.com.

22

VANCOUVER

OFF THE RAIL BREWING

1351 Adanac St. | OffTheRailBrewing.com SUN-THU 12-8PM ^ FRI-SAT 12-10PM EST. 2014

Located on the Adanac “bike highway,” this brewery is definitely popular with cyclists. The 15-tap tasting room always has something interesting.

RAJ MAHAL INDIA PALE ALE I N D I A PA L E A L E Availability: Year-round ABV

5.0%

IBU

38

This unique session IPA is delicately flavoured with kaffir lime leaf and lemongrass.

CLASSIC PALE ALE E N G L I S H PA L E A L E Availability:Year-round ABV

5.0%

IBU

40

A beautifully brewed English pale ale with a rounded caramel flavour and pleasant hop finish.

VANCOUVER

PARALLEL 49 BREWING CO.

1950 Triumph St. | Parallel49Brewing.com DAILY 11AM-11PM EST. 2012 One of Yeast Van’s pioneer breweries, P49 still anchors the scene today.

The brewery recently added a restaurant to its popular tasting room.

TRICYCLE

BODHISATTVA

GRAPEFRUIT RADLER

D RY- H O P P E D S O U R

Availability: Seasonal ABV

3.5%

IBU

11

Ruby red grapefruit juice + P49’s Craft Lager = a delicious, thirst-quenching radler.

24

Availability: Seasonal ABV

7.5%

IBU

10

Kettle souring and aggressive dry hopping creates this tart and fruity sour white ale.

VANCOUVER

POSTMARK BREWING

55 Dunlevy Ave. | PostmarkBrewing.com

MON-FRI 11AM-11PM ^ SAT-SUN 10AM-11PM EST. 2014 Under the guidance of brewer Dominic Giraldes, Postmark’s beer lineup is firing on all cylinders, matching the quality of its beautiful venue.

MOSAIC INDIA PALE ALE I N D I A PA L E A L E Availability: Limited ABV

6.2%

IBU

ISA INDIA SESSION ALE Availability: Year-round

52

Part of Postmark’s Experimental IPA series, this exudes bright tropical fruit notes.

ABV

4.2%

IBU

30

A recent recipe tweak to include Citra hops has enhanced this beer’s bright, lively quality.

VANCOUVER

POWELL STREET CRAFT BREWERY

1357 Powell St. | PowellBeer.com

SUN 12-8PM ^MON 2-8PM ^TUE-THU 2-9PM FRI-SAT 12-10PM EST. 2012 David Bowkett’s lil’ brewery that could, then did, just got a rebrand.

But it’s what’s inside that counts, and Powell beer counts for a lot.

CHEEKY SESSION

DIVE BOMB

SESSION ALE

DA R K A L E

Availability: Year-round ABV

4.5%

IBU

30

Your new lunchtime beer. Packs a fruit bowl of flavours in a relatively light package.

Availability: Year-round ABV

5.0%

IBU

33

It’s still a porter at heart, with a delicate malt palette of caramel, cocoa and nuts.

25

Get outside the bubble and discover these great Metro Vancouver breweries

by Rob Mangelsdorf

A

mere two decades after it was first proposed, the (very) long-awaited Evergreen Line SkyTrain extension opened in December, connecting the far-flung outposts of Coquitlam and Port Moody to the Metro Vancouver rapid transit grid.

For those diehard downtown-dwelling Vancouverites who might be unaware, the suburbs are that desolate region that exists beyond Boundary Road.

Some of your closest friends and family may have made the trek there – likely not long after having children – never to be seen again.

What does this have to do with beer? Well, now it’s easier than ever to visit some of B.C.’s most impressive breweries. And since driving is a really terrible way to go brewery-hopping, there’s no better excuse to load up your Compass card and venture into the vast unknown that is suburban Vancouver.

So what life exists in this seeming black hole? Is this hinterland a hellish hellscape from hell where the living envy the dead? It’s hard to say, but the beer is fantastic!

26

Seriously though, do yourself a favour, hop a train and get out of the downtown bubble.

THE NEXT STATION IS… MOODY CENTRE

I mean, it’s just all too perfect. The second stop on the new Evergreen Line drops you right off in the middle of the most densely populated brewing district in the province. With Twin Sails, Yellow Dog, Parkside, and Moody Ales all within a block and a half of each other on Murray Street, the area known as Brewers Row is a destination in it’s own right.

The four breweries couldn’t be more different, and whether you’re partial to the funky farmhouse ales at Yellow Dog, or Twin Sail’s Con Leche Horchata Milk Stout (7.5% ABV, 18 IBU), there’s something on this block to pique the interest of even the most jaded craft beer snob.

Also, when the sun is out, the adjacent Rocky Point Park is seriously beautiful. Walk off those pints with a jaunt around the waterfront trail.

THE NEXT STATION IS… SCOTT ROAD

Ah yes, scenic Whalley. Easily Metro Vancouver’s most maligned neighbourhood. Until Central City set up shop on Bridgeview Drive, there was really no reason to come here (unless your 1992 Dodge Neon needed a new radiator).

But just a short walk past the junk yards, car lots, and more junk yards, stands Central City’s glorious flagship brewery and distillery, like a shimmering diamond in the rough. The facility is so impressive, it’s even helping to spark a bit of a renaissance in the neighbourhood, with new development sprouting for the first time in decades Central City is really a must-visit destination for any craft beer fan. The dozens of towering stainless steel tanks give the building a cathedral-like feel, and truly, the 65,000-sq.-ft. building is a monument to the fermentable arts.

Central City also offers one of the best brewery tours in town, running Saturdays, Sundays and holidays. Be sure to pick up a bottle of the Sour No. 2 Kriek (10.8% ABV, 17 IBU) while you’re there, before they’re all gone. The second in Central City’s Sour Series, this Belgian-style kriek is infused with cherries and aged for two years in oak wine barrels.

THE NEXT STATION IS… PRODUCTION WAY-UNIVERSITY (You’re totally reading these in the SkyTrain Lady’s voice, aren’t you?)

Around the back of an unassuming industrial park at the bottom of Burnaby Mountain lies one of B.C.’s most impressive breweries.

Despite its humble location, Dageraad has been creating arguably some of the best Belgian-inspired beers this side of the Low Countries.

The recently-released Brune (7.5% ABV) is an abbey-style dubbel brewed with mission figs and is worth the trip alone.

Dageraad’s current tasting room is, shall we say, modest. However, the brewery has a new mezzanine tasting lounge in the works that should be open by April.

THE NEXT STATION IS… NEW WESTMINSTER

Since opening in 2014, New Westminster’s Steel & Oak have been producing a consistently impressive roster of European-inspired beers.

The small tasting room is tucked in next to an overpass, and is a popular hangout with proud New Westminsterites (New Westminsterians?) who love their local brewery.

One of Steel & Oak’s latest creations, Kaffee (5.1% ABV, 17 IBU), is a blonde ale that tastes almost nothing like it looks. The beer is infused with whole coffee beans, giving it a rich, roasty flavor despite it’s light golden hue.

The walk from the station to brewery can be a bit treacherous if you decide to follow Columbia Street, the main trucking route through town, so take the scenic route instead along New Westminster’s waterfront promenade along the Fraser River. It’s a couple minutes longer but totally worth it. j

27

VANCOUVER

R & B BREWING CO.

54 East 4th Ave. | RAndBBrewing.com

SUN-THU 11AM-11PM ^ FRI-SAT 11AM-12AM EST. 1997 This laid-back lounge is a contender for best beer space in the city. It’s cosy but spacious, with loads of charm. Most importantly, the beer and food are aces.

LAVENDER SAISON SAISON

WHITE INDIA PALE ALE

Availability: Seasonal

B E L G I A N I N D I A PA L E A L E Availability: Seasonal

ABV

5.7%

IBU

21

The yeast strain blend gives a spiciness that works well the subtle floral, lavender notes.

ABV

6.5%

IBU

50

Citrus, pear and orange notes from a variety of hops, plus the addition of natural pear juice.

VANCOUVER

RED TRUCK BEER CO.

295 East 1st Ave. | RedTruckBeer.com

MON-THU 11AM-10PM ^ FRI-SAT 10AM-11PM SUN 10AM-10PM EST. 2005 It all started with Old Weird Harold, the red ’46 Dodge delivery truck.

The good times are still rolling at their vintage-themed Truck Stop.

NORTH WEST STRONG ALE

BLACKBERRY BOURBON ALE

STRONG ALE Availability: One-off

ALE Availability: Seasonal

ABV

6.5%

IBU

50

Big floral and earthy hop aroma, like papaya and tropical fruit, without the IPA bitterness.

28

ABV

5.3%

IBU

25

A tartness from Fraser Valley blackberries, and a mellow, woody finish from Kentucky bourbon.

VANCOUVER

STORM BREWING LTD.

310 Commercial Dr. | StormBrewing.com TUE-SAT 10AM-6PM ^ SUN 1-6PM EST. 1994

Storm owner James Walton, bona fide brewing legend, has been concocting every known cure imaginable for boring beer since 1994.

IMPERIAL FLANDERS SOUR ALE

BLACK PLAGUE STOUT

FLANDERS SOUR Availability: Year-round

S TO U T Availability: Year-round

ABV

11.0%

IBU

N/A

A bracingly acidic sipper aged in oak barrels for at least a year. Go on, live a little.

is Vancouver’s only craft beer focused sports bar. Featuring 12 taps and casks plus multiple TVs.

395 Kingsway | 604-558-1208 12kingspub.com | @12KingsPub

ABV

8.0%

IBU

50

This mighty stout is made smooth with oats and complex with licorice and cocoa.

Live social.

Drink local.

1218 west pender, vancouver • 604.685.1212 coalharbourliquorstore.com 29

VANCOUVER

STRANGE FELLOWS BREWING

1345 Clark Dr. | StrangeFellowsBrewing.com MON-THU 2-11PM ^ FRI-SUN 12-11PM EST. 2014 The tasting room gets weird once a month to observe a Strange Day, inspired by obscure superstitions and folklore from around the world.

But really, any day is ideal for Strange Fellows. After all, strange times call for strange beers.

CYCLHOPS SERIES

JONGLEUR

S I N G L E H O P I PA

WITBIER

Availability: Limited ABV

6.5%

IBU

50-70

Iain Hill works his wizardry with a single hop, getting magical results with each brew.

Availability: Year-round ABV

4.5%

IBU

Refreshing hits of orange and coriander are balanced in this light, silky smooth wit.

REYNARD

TALISMAN

OUD BRUIN

W E S T C OA S T PA L E A L E

Availability: Limited ABV

6.5%

IBU

N/A

Aged for a full year in French oak casks, this Brett-kissed brown ale is tart and woody.

12

Availability: Year-round ABV

6.0%

IBU

29

This dry-hopped siren fills the nose with intoxicating tropical aromas, enticing you to take another sip.

WHat’s in a name?

Tucked next to Strange Fellows’ tasting room is the Charles Clark Art Gallery, providing a venue for Vancouver artists to share their work, with exhibits changing monthly. The gallery takes its name from the brewery’s location near the corner of Charles Street and Clark Drive.

30

Brewing

o f f e r i n g a f i c i o n a d o s w i t h a tas t e fo r

extraordinary beer the opportunity to receive rare, barrel-aged & exclusory

limited release beers

. . . . .

2 x 750 ml bottles of 4 releases = 8 bottles preferential price on additional bottles 15% off growler fills for the year fellowship shirt & 2017 patch two private fellowship events

$175 [$150 for 2015 fellows] w w w. s t r a n g e f e l l o w s b r e w i n g . co m

VANCOUVER

STRATHCONA BEER CO.

895 E. Hastings St. | StrathconaBeer.com DAILY 11AM-11PM EST. 2016

Thirsty Vancouverites are coming around to Strathcona’s über cool tasting lounge and their modern takes on traditional beer styles.

VIENNA LAGER

LEFT IMPERIAL IPA

VIENNA LAGER

I M P E R I A L I N D I A PA L E A L E

Availability: Seasonal

Availability: Seasonal

ABV

4.2%

IBU

21

Austrian by way of Mexico, this refreshing session-strength lager is dark, malty and subtly sweet.

ABV

10.0%

IBU

100

Careful, this citrusy IPA is smoother than it lets on thanks to the Azaca, Wakatu and Cascade hops.

NORTH VAN

BLACK KETTLE BREWING

106 -720 Copping St. | BlackKettleBrewing.com MON-SAT 11AM-7PM ^ SUN 1-5PM EST. 2014

Now in its third year, things are chugging along for Bryan Lockhart and Phil Vandenborre’s brewery, thanks to the thirsty North Van clientele.

PALE ALE

INDIA PALE ALE

PA L E A L E

I N D I A PA L E A L E

Availability: Year-round ABV

5.0%

IBU

N/A

No name required: malt-heavy with an earthy and floral hop bite and caramel finish.

32

Availability: Year-round ABV

6.4%

IBU

N/A

Made with pale and crystal malt. Hop notes of citrus and floral. No name required here either.

NORTH VAN

BRIDGE BREWING CO.

1448 Charlotte Rd. | BridgeBrewing.com SUN-THU 1-7PM ^ FRI-SAT 1-9PM EST. 2012

The North Shore’s oldest craft brewery, eco-conscious Bridge is also a 99 per cent waste-free facility. The beer is top-notch, BTW.

SIDE CUT IPA N O RT H E A S T I N D I A PA L E A L E

BOURBON BLOOD ORANGE WHEAT ALE

Availability: Seasonal

A M E R I C A N W H E AT A L E Availability: Year-round

ABV

7.3%

IBU

59

This juicy IPA is big and bold, with heaps of tropical hops aroma and fruit flavours.

ABV

5.5%

IBU

20

A taste of the Deep South, thanks to the addition of smooth bourbon and zesty blood oranges.

The Black Bear Neighbourhood Pub

26 Taps and

Great Food Lynn Valley Centre, North Van 604-990-8880

Visit our Liquor Store in Parkgate Village, North Van

500+ craft beer choices 604-983-3040

33

NORTH VAN

DEEP COVE BREWERS AND DISTILLERS

170 - 2270 Dollarton Hwy. | DeepCoveCraft.com DAILY 12-11PM EST. 2013 After a day of North Shore outdoors fun, this is a top spot to cool down with a beer. Or if you want to turn things up, the distillery can help you there. Don’t forget to check out the live music lineup, every Friday and Saturday night.

DRY DOCK DOUBLE IPA D O U B L E I PA Availability: Seasonal ABV

8.5%

IBU

APRICOT IPA F R U I T I N D I A PA L E A L E Availability: Small batch

70

A deceptively light malt body for a double, with Citra and Mosaic hops shining through.

ABV

6.2%

IBU

52

This hop-loaded brew is fermented on approximately a bajillion pounds of apricots. Works for us.

WATERSHED WITBIER

LOOKOUT SESSION ALE

WITBIER Availability: Seasonal

W E S T C OA S T PA L E A L E Availability: Year-round

ABV

5.0%

IBU

24

A flavorful farmhouse-style wheat ale with oats, spices and Japanese yuzu peel.

ABV

4.8%

IBU

N/A

Fragrant and fruity hop-forward session ale starring a trio of New Zealand hop varieties.

Wigged out...

Just up the Indian Arm from Deep Cove lies a relic from another time. The Wigwam Inn was built in 1910 as a fishing lodge, but during prohibition it gained popularity as a gambling den and speakeasy for the wealthy, and was even rumoured to have been a hideout for Al Capone.

34

NORTH VAN

GREEN LEAF BREWING CO.

123 Carrie Cates Crt. | GreenLeafBrew.com SUN 11AM-9PM ^ MON-THU 11AM-10PM FRI-SAT 11AM-11PM EST. 2013

Soak up the sun on Green Leaf ’s Lonsdale patio, where you can pair your pick of the Quay’s food with the brewery’s versatile beer selection.

BONFIRE AMBER LAGER AMBER LAGER Availability: Seasonal ABV

5.4%

IBU

PIE HOLE PALE ALE A M E R I C A N PA L E A L E Availability: Year-round

25

A robust, malty lager that showcases the tropical fruit and spice of the Ella hop.

ABV

5.6%

IBU

35

Green Leaf ’s chewy, fruity and piney flagship beer has been brewed here since opening day.

NORTH VAN

HEARTHSTONE BREWERY

1015 Marine Dr. | HearthstoneBrewery.ca DAILY 11AM-8PM EST. 2014

The wait for Hearthstone was worth it. It’s the only North Shore brewery with a full restaurant that can whip up Italian brick oven-baked pizzas.

BURNING BRIDGES DIPA

HEARTHSTONE INDIA PALE ALE

D O U B L E I N D I A PA L E A L E Availability: One-off

I N D I A PA L E A L E Availability: Year-round

ABV

9.0%

IBU

130

Piney resinous aroma and tropical undertones, with a sweet caramel body and light fruit hop profile.

36

ABV

6.5%

IBU

95

Amarillo and El Dorado fuel this hop-bomb, giving it stone fruit, citrus and tropical notes.

SQUAMISH

A-FRAME BREWING CO.

38927 Queens Way | AFrameBrewing.com HOURS TBD EST. 2016 Squamish locals have been loving their city’s second brewery. The tasting room is cozy and there’s a roster of excellent ales.

OKANAGAN LAKE CREAM ALE

SPROAT LAKE PALE ALE

CREAM ALE Availability: Year-round

PA L E A L E Availability: Year-round

ABV

5.3%

IBU

15

A refreshing, well-balanced, easy-to-drink ale with just enough hop and grain character.

ABV

5.2%

IBU

34

As hop profiles get ever exotic, it’s worth remembering the classics. Here’s a dry-hopped ode to Cascade.

37

st.

Hildegard The fascinating and complicated history of one of beer’s most revered figures

I 38

by Rob Mangelsdorf

n the annals of beer history, St. Hildegard of Bingen holds a unique distinction. The 12th century German abbess is responsible for the earliest surviving writings on the use of hops in beer, and for that she has been venerated as an unofficial patron saint of beer.

That might not seem like much, but the importance of hops in beer can’t be understated.

In addition to flavouring beer, hops kills off a lot of the microrganisms that will spoil beer, while creating an ideal environment for beer yeasts to do their thing.

“As a result of its own bitterness,” Hildegard wrote in the Physica, her classic text on health and healing, circa 1150, “[hops] stops putrification when put in [beer] and it may be added so that it lasts so much longer.”

The earliest proto-beers were more of a boozy porridge, likely discovered when an old loaf of bread was forgotten about in some damp corner, and wild yeasts had their way with it. Hunger will drive people to do

BEERSTORY 101

some desperate things, like tucking into that soggy mess. As beers came more refined, there became a greater need to preserve it, which was pretty much impossible until hops came along.

The Germans even included hops in the Bavarian Purity Law of 1516 – the Reinheitsgebot – which limited brewers to just four ingredients: water, malted barley, yeast, and of course, hops. (Well, technically, it was just water, barley and hops.

No one had any idea what yeast was. In fact, fermentation was literally believed to be an act of God.) In honour of Hildegard’s contribution, Driftwood Brewing recently released their Naughty Hildegard ESB. “We like Hildegard’s style and we can’t imagine beer without hops,” the beer’s label states.

However, as it turns out, her contributions to beer-making might be the least interesting thing about her.

Hildegard was born in 1098 to a noble family in the county of Sponheim, about 100km west of present-day Frankfurt. As a child she experienced visions of God, which she described as “living light.” She was given over to the care of a nun at the age of eight, who taught her to read and write, and by 14, she was a nun herself.

When her mentor passed away in 1136, Hildegard was unanimously chosen to lead her Benedictine monastery.

Hildegard also devoted her time to writing musical compositions, poems and plays, as well as theological texts, medical books and scientific essays. She founded two monasteries, and extensively travelled around Germany on numerous speaking tours. She lived into her 80s, and she pretty much never stopped working.

Amazingly, much of that work has been preserved, and for a woman in the highly patriarchal Middle Ages, that’s unique, says UBC historian Arlene Sindelar.

“She was a woman who wrote in the 12th century and that’s not the most common thing,” she says.

“She was somebody who men listened to and had significant authority, mostly in the church. They paid attention to her and she didn’t hold back when she was going to admonish somebody.”

Her most well-known work, the Scivias, details her many visions of God, and made her somewhat of a celebrity in her day.

“Any woman who makes this kind of an imprint on a culture, I think part of it is her personality, her drive, her desire to know, her desire to accomplish,” says Sindelar. “And she was supported in her fearlessness, I think, by her belief that God spoke to her truly.”

Beer, as it turns out, was never much of a priority for Hildegard, and her role in the development of brewing may not have been as pivotal as some make out.

Beer historian (yes, that’s a real thing) Richard Unger notes that there is evidence of hops use in beer in Northern Germany as early as the 6th century, well before Hildegard had written about it. As it turns out, Hildegard’s writings may not have even been the first to recommend the use of hops in beer, either – they are just the oldest historians have found.

“I think her importance lies in other things than her contribution to brewing,” says Unger. “That is a very minor part of what she writes about.”

And yet, Hildegard’s story endures. More than 800 years after she died, she’s revered as a proto-feminist icon, one of the founders of holistic medicine, a Christian mystic, as well as an important figure in brewing.

“She’s a giant among women, most of whom sink into obscurity,” says Sindelar. “But she hasn’t. She invoked the authority of God… she wrote about all these different things, from poetry to recipes to comments on health to these visions she had… and she did not hesitate to speak her mind.”

In other words, she was a total bad-ass. j

39

SQUAMISH

HOWE SOUND BREWING CO.

37801 Cleveland Ave. | HoweSound.com DAILY 11AM-12AM EST. 1996

If you can’t make it up to Squamish to visit this convivial brewpub in person, look for Howe Sound’s unique one-litre “potstopper” bottles in stores.

PILSNER PLUNGE PILSNER

SEA TO SKY DARK SAISON

Availability: Seasonal

DA R K S A I S O N Availability: Seasonal

ABV

5.2%

IBU

25

This traditional Czech pilsner is clean and crisp with a floral hop aroma.

ABV

5.0%

IBU

16

Toffee, chocolate and biscuit combine with yeast esters, orange peel, and peppery paradise seed.

WHISTLER

COAST MOUNTAIN BREWING CO.

Unit 2 1212 Alpha Lake Rd. | CoastMountainBeer.ca MON-WED 1-8PM ^ THU-SAT 1-10PM ^ SUN 11AM-8PM EST. 2016 A welcome addition to the Function Junction neighbourhood, Coast Mountain’s tasting room is focused on locals first. Tourists are welcome too!

THE SURVEYOR

FORECAST

I N D I A PA L E A L E

W E S T C OA S T PA L E A L E

Availability: Year-round ABV

7.0%

IBU

68

Solidly built with just enough malt to showcase a bunch of different Northwest hops.

40

Availability: Seasonal ABV

5.6%

IBU

38

The fresh-squeezed juicy character comes courtesy of dry-hopping with Amarillo hops.

WHISTLER

WHISTLER BREWING CO. 1045 Millar Creek Rd. | WhistlerBeer.com

MON, TUE & THU 1-8PM ^ WED & FRI 1-10PM SAT-SUN 12-8PM EST. 1989 Thanks to a logo redesign, spiffy new labels and some new beer styles recipes under brewer Matt Dean, Whistler’s looking pretty hip these days.

FUNCTION JUNCTION NW PALE ALE

LOST LAKE IPA I N D I A PA L E A L E

PA L E A L E Availability: Small batch ABV

4.8%

IBU

Availability: Year-round

38

ABV

Clean, approachable and quaffable, featuring seven varieties of new and old hops.

5.9%

IBU

70

Just like its namesake lake, it’s unfiltered. Has a hop bite of grapefruit and passion fruit.

LIQUOR LICENSING & DISPUTES

WE CAN HELP.

Dennis Coates Q.C.

Barry Carter

700 -275 Lansdowne St.

1380 -885 West Georgia St.

Kamloops, BC V2C 6H6

Vancouver, BC V6C 3E8

Cell: 250.319.4808

Ph: 604.682.6299

dpc@mjblaw.com

jbc@mjblaw.com

Site Planning • New License Applications • Buying or Selling Licenses Disputing Licensing Infractions, Penalties or Board decisions • Liquor Retail Stores (LRS) For a full listing of our lawyers and services, please visit our website mjblaw.com 41

BURNABY

DAGERAAD BREWING

114 - 3191 Thunderbird Cres. | DageraadBrewing.com MON-WED 2-8PM^THU 12-8PM ^FRI-SAT 12-9PM SUN 12-6PM EST. 2014 Dageraad could stand pat with its core lineup, but it continues to impress with a diverse bunch of seasonal and limited releases. Their new mezzanine tasting lounge is set to open any day now, so we’ve been promised.

BRUNE

WHITE

BELGIAN DUBBEL

BELGIAN WIT

Availability: Year-round ABV

7.5%

IBU

25

Brewed with mission figs and Trappist yeast, this malty, fruity beer is a religious experience.

Availability: Year-round ABV

5.0%

LONDEN

BELGIAN BLONDE ALE

P O RT E R

ABV

7.5%

IBU

N/A

This blonde is absolutely brilliant, and has backto-back golds at the B.C. Beer Awards to prove it.

20

Dageraad’s newest year-round beer is this classic witbier brewed with a secret blend of spices.

BLONDE Availability: Year-round

IBU

Availability: Year-round ABV

7.0%

IBU

N/A

A Canadian interpretation of a Belgian take on an English beer. Rich and malty with spicy yeast notes.

I’ll drink to that...

2017 got off to a rough start for Dageraad after a flaw in the brewery’s bottle conditioning room resulted in this year’s entire batch of 10° (as well as substantial amounts of Londen and other beers) having to be thrown out. If you can, support the good folks at Dageraad by picking up a bottle of their amazing beer.

42

NEW BREWERY LOUNGE OPENING! April 2017 (ish)

Near Lougheed Highway A 5 minute walk from Production Way Skytrain

BURNABY

STEAMWORKS BREWING CO.

3845 William St. | Steamworks.com SUN-WED 12-10PM ^THU-FRI 12-11PM EST. 1995 Steamworks’ Burnaby brewery and tasting room is the perfect place to sample the accessible and sublime beers of brewmaster Julia Hanlon.

PILSNER

JASMINE IPA

PILSNER

I N D I A PA L E A L E

Availability: Year-round

Availability: Year-round

ABV

5.0%

IBU

30

A rich, malty lager with a spicy, floral hop character, perfect for the warm days ahead.

ABV

6.5%

IBU

60

Made with Belgian yeast and jasmine flowers, this IPA is floral and fruity, refreshing and complex.

NEW WEST

STEEL & OAK BREWING CO.

1319 3rd Ave. | SteelAndOak.ca

SUN-WED 12-8PM ^ THU-SAT 12-10PM EST. 2013 Steel & Oak makes great beer, including some less commonly brewed German styles along with barrel-aged gems and wholly unique creations.

RED PILSNER

DRY-HOPPED ESB

PILSNER

EXTRA SPECIAL BITTER

Availability: Year-round ABV

5.0%

IBU

35

This full-bodied pilsner is slightly sweet with a floral aroma and a crisp, spicy bitterness.

44

Availability: Year-round ABV

4.6%

IBU

40

A West Coast take on the traditional British style: it’s malty with citrusy hop notes.

PORT MOODY

MOODY ALES

2601 Murray St. | MoodyAles.com MON-TUE 3-9PM ^ WED 1-9PM ^ THU 1-10PM FRI 12-11PM ^ SAT 11AM-11PM ^ SUN 12-8PM EST. 2014 Founded by two home-brewing buddies who decided to turn their hobbies into a business, Moody Ales anchors the west end of Brewers Row.

INTREPID MATCHA SAISON SAISON Availability: Seasonal ABV

6.9%

IBU

CHIPPER BLONDE BLONDE ALE Availability: Year-round

35

Based on local homebrewer Steve Sheldon’s recipe, this is crisp, earthy, spicy and unique.

ABV

5.5%

IBU

22

Three malts and a single hop variety go into this light, approachable and refreshingly crisp beer.

PORT MOODY

THE PARKSIDE BREWERY

2731 Murray St. | TheParksideBrewery.com

MON-THU 2-10PM ^ FRI-SAT 12-11PM ^ SUN 12-8PM EST. 2016 It’s been a bit chilly on the patio of late, but thankfully Parkside has a spacious, cosy interior where you can warm up with finely crafted beer.

DAWN

DUSK

PILSNER

W E S T C OA S T PA L E A L E

Availability: Year-round ABV

4.9%

IBU

20

Delicately grainy and grassy, with a crackle of spicy hops to keep your attention.

Availability: Year-round ABV

5.3%

IBU

35

A straightforward, satisfying pale ale with citrus hop character judiciously balanced by biscuity malt.

45

PORT MOODY

TWIN SAILS BREWING

2821 Murray St. | TwinSailsBrewing.com MON-TUE 2-10PM ^ WED-FRI 12-11PM SAT-SUN 11AM-11PM EST. 2015

Twin Sails has switched direction away from their original Germanstyle focus, and that’s excellent news for hop lovers.

DAT JUICE

STREET LEGAL

PA L E W H E AT A L E

I N D I A PA L E A L E

Availability: Seasonal

Availability: Seasonal

ABV

5.2%

IBU

25

A pale ale brewed with flaked and malted wheat, with a juicy Citra hop bite.

ABV

6.5%

IBU

45

A mix of dry-hopped Simcoe, Columbus and Centennial are fuelling this hop concoction.

PORT MOODY

YELLOW DOG BREWING CO.

1- 2817 Murray St. | YellowDogBrew.com

MON-THU 2-10PM ^FRI-SAT 11-11PM ^SUN 11-8PM EST. 2014 Widely considered one of the best breweries in B.C., and the first to open on Brewers Row, Yellow Dog recently opened a new tasting room.

SIT AND STAY

SHAKE A PAW

INDIA SESSION BELGIAN ALE

S M O K E D P O RT E R

Availability: Year-round

Availability: Seasonal

ABV

4.0%

IBU

32

Lots of different hop and yeast flavours converge in this spicy, citrusy, peppery beer.

46

ABV

5.0%

IBU

24

This award-winning beer is a delicious, rich and roasty porter with a background smokiness.

RICHMOND

BRITANNIA BREWING CO.

110-12500 Horseshoe Way | BBCO.ca DAILY 11AM-5PM EST. 2016 Britannia no longer rules the waves, but this Britannia has made waves in Steveston, where its taproom serves up a full menu of fresh food and beer.

CHAI SAISON

ASHORE RYE PORTER

SAISON

P O RT E R

Availability: Year-round

Availability: Year-round

ABV

5.7%

IBU

24

Flavoured with a rooibos tea blend featuring orange, star anise, clove and pepper.

ABV

5.1%

IBU

28

A fine, delicately sweet, traditional porter given a spicy kick with malted rye.

Local craft beer & casual dining on the Fraser River.

604-276-1954 pier73.com 3500 Cessna Dr. Richmond, BC 47

RICHMOND

FUGGLES & WARLOCK CRAFTWORKS

103-11220 Horseshoe Way | FugglesWarlock.com MON-TUE 12-9PM ^ WED-SAT 11AM-9PM ^ SUN 12-7PM EST. 2012 F&W lets its geek flag fly, with video game and sci-fi references. But its lounge is as welcoming as it gets, even if you have zero nerd cred.

SHIVA SESSION WHITE IPA W H I T E I N D I A PA L E A L E Availability: Seasonal ABV

5.0%

IBU

HAZE FOR DAZE H A Z Y PA L E A L E Availability: Small batch

58

American Belgo yeast and grapefruit notes give this the white IPA the best of both worlds.

ABV

5.0%

IBU

29

Resembling a sunset on the desert planet Tatooine, with a bright orange aroma and citrus flavour.

DELTA

FOUR WINDS BREWING

4 - 7355 72nd St. | FourWindsBrewing.ca DAILY 11AM-7PM EST. 2013

More expansions are underway at Four Winds, whose mix of Belgian and West Coast beer culture have made beer writers run out of superlatives!

JUXTAPOSE WILD IPA

LA MAISON

W I L D I N D I A PA L E A L E

WILD SAISON

Availability: Year-round ABV

6.5%

IBU

55

Yeah, those cloudy IPAs are juicy, but Jux balances their fruitiness with earthy spice and Brett funk.

48

Availability: Year-round ABV

4.5%

IBU

30

An impeccably balanced, refreshing saison full of citrus, tropical and stone fruit and peppery spice.

SURREY

CENTRAL CITY BREWERS + DISTILLERS

11411 Bridgeview Dr. | CentralCityBrewing.com MON-FRI 11AM-9PM ^SAT-SUN 10AM-9PM EST. 2003

Central City’s spirits are starting to soar (look for a new single malt whisky), but dependably flavourful Red Racer beer is still the driving force.

RED RACER IMPERIAL IPA I M P E R I A L I N D I A PA L E A L E Availability: Year-round ABV

9.0%

IBU

90

Simply stuffed with hops, this powerful ale oozes citrus, pine and tropical-fruit character.

RED RACER PILS PILSNER Availability: Year-round ABV

5.0%

IBU

25

Quality pilsner malt, Hallertau hops and a whole lotta lagering make for a classic pils.

THE BREWER’S CANDY STORE Homebrewers can shop where the professionals shop!

6908 Palm Ave, Burnaby 604-473-9463 • Toll Free 1-888-554-7273 bosagrape.com 49

The aussie invasion edition

by Rob Mangelsdorf

A

ustralia and Canada have always had a natural affinity for each other. Perhaps it’s the shared colonial heritage that’s responsible for that connection. Or maybe it’s the fact that both countries are sparsely-populated outposts at opposite ends of the Pacific; one encased in ice, the other scorched by the sun.

Personally, I think our common love of beer could have a lot to with it. Don’t believe me? Well, take a look at who’s brewing your favourite craft beer or

50

pouring your next pint. Don’t be surprised if they have a funny accent and a penchant for wearing flip-flops.

It’s true! Hordes of Aussies, Working Holiday Visa in hand, land on our fair shores every year, and the ones that don’t end up in Whistler working the ski lifts seem to gravitate towards the craft beer industry. In fact, plucky antipodeans like Dean McLeod at Victoria Caledonian Brewing (and previously with Lighthouse Brewing), Daniel Murphy at

Canoe Brewpub and former Steamworks brewer Caolan Vaughan have all had a role in the growth of the B.C. craft beer scene.

As it turns out, Australia is also undergoing its own craft beer revolution. From its humble beginnings in the gastronomic capital of Melbourne, craft beer has spread to every state and major city.

I sat down with fellow Aussies Mike Roberts (head brewer at Old Yale Brewing) and Joshua McGrogan (Field House Brewing’s tasting room manager and “Director of Experience”) to chat about what drew them to Canada (women, as it turns out), their perspective on B.C.’s craft beer scene, and what’s brewing Down Under.

Also, before I get any angry emails, I realize Josh isn’t technically a brewer, but he’s Australian, he knows his beer, and he was available.

GROWLER: So how the hell did you guys end up in Canada?

MIKE ROBERTS: I was travelling Europe and I met a bunch of Canadians travelling around, and they said if you’re ever in Canada, come stay with us… so I ended up coming out to Canada.

I had plans to go back to Australia and study to become a brewer – I was working at a brewery in Edmonton – and I stopped in to visit some friends in Vancouver, and met a girl at a party. We did the long distance thing, and she moved down to Melbourne for a year, then we moved back here and got married.

JOSHUA MCGROGAN: Yeah, similar story. I graduated from university at the end of 2012 with a bachelor’s of commerce and decided to move to England, to London. I ran a gastropub there, and that’s where I met my now fiancée, and we moved [to Abbotsford] where she’s from.

MIKE: Yeah, almost every person you meet from back home, you ask them, what brought you here, and they answer, “I married a Canadian girl.”

JOSHUA: Australia and Canada, our cultures are very compatible, and in a lot of ways we’re very similar. We both definitely have a love for beer.

MIKE: Yeah, we mix really well, we have similar drinking habits, and when Canadians and Austra-

We caught up with Mike Roberts (top) and Joshua McGrogan (bottom) at Old Yale Brewing's new tasting room. Photos by Lou Lou Childs.

lians get together, it’s always a good time.

GROWLER: So what’s the beer scene like in Australia right now? We’ve seen unprecedented growth here in B.C. in the past five years, but a lot of that had to do with the liquor laws finally changing. Has there been that same sort of growth in Australia?

MIKE: Australia has similar issues with taxation, so it’s very tough to turn a profit for a craft brewery. All the taxation laws were written by Foster’s, basically, back in the day. So they’re made for large scale [operations], so it’s just tough to do small batch. But [unlike B.C.] the laws haven’t really changed much, they are still lobbying for changes.

They’ve made it easier here, so you’ve seen that explosion, but it’s happening [in Australia], just not as fast. [The craft beer scene] started in Melbourne and blew up there, way earlier than Vancouver. The food and coffee scene and wine scene was always there, so beer just fit right in. And now other big cities are following. Sydney, Brisbane is really taking off, Adelaide is great, Perth is crazy, there’s some great breweries there.

JOSHUA: A lot of the craft breweries there are huge, though. Even the ones that are just your local brewery… they are pumping out a lot of beer. Everyone is doing large-scale packaging too.

51

It seems like the big difference here is, you serve your community first. In Australia, breweries serve all of Australia. - Joshua McGrogan

JOSHUA: Yeah, it’s basically a pale ale, but they call it summer ale. A lot of the beer styles are made for drinking lots of beer when it’s hot, so they’re really, really light flavor profiles. Which is great! Lately, every time I go back, I’ve seen more [breweries] popping up and they are being more adventurous with things that are going crazy over here, like lots of wild yeasts, Bretts, sours, big hoppy IPAs. So that stuff is starting to catch on.

A lot of those guys are keeping track of what’s happening over here, because it seems to start in North America, and that’s what’s really of interest.

I think [Australia] is definitely a bit behind the trends, but it’s slowly catching up.

GROWLER: Tell me about the perception of the B.C. beer scene in Australia. Do B.C. beers even register down there?

You’re just starting to see the first growlers coming to Australia. And even craft beers are still sold in 24-packs. Smaller bottles, like the 650mL bombers we have here, you barely ever see those. People still tend to buy beer in volumes.

GROWLER: That’s because it’s so hot out and everyone is so thirsty!

MIKE: That’s part of it, for sure! Yeah, the drinking culture is different. It’s a little more adult, almost, except that we get hammered all the time, so we’re like children in that way. In Melbourne, there are places where you can drink in public, so you can just take beers down to the park. I’ve taken kegs down to the park or to the beach. They give us a little more flexibility, I suppose. Here, if you have even an empty bottle in the car, they can fine you for it, and it seems ridiculous.

GROWLER: What have you noticed as far as trends in beer styles in Australia?

MIKE: I knew about the big American breweries.

The brewery I worked at in Melbourne (Mountain Goat Beer) had a sister brewery thing going on with Brooklyn Brewery… and if you’re into craft beer, you know about the American breweries.

But as far as Vancouver, B.C., I don’t think many people do know. Australia is in a bit of a bubble, too. We’re so far removed from everywhere else.

We’re a bit isolated.

GROWLER: What are some of the differences you see between the B.C. and Australian beer scenes?

JOSHUA: It seems like the big difference here is, you serve your community first. In Australia, breweries serve all of Australia. So they are pumping out big volume, as far as possible. Like, back home, all my favourite craft beers were made in really, really big breweries, like Little Creatures, Matilda Bay. It’s not really common to have a local brewery. I think Australians are still catching on to craft beer, because there’s not enough [smaller] breweries around experimenting and trying new things.

JOSHUA: Well, yeah, Australia is really hot, a lot hotter than over here. So there’s a lot of craft lagers, kolschs, and we have a beer called summer ale, which is not really a style…

MIKE: It’s uber local here, isn’t it? The population in Vancouver is smaller than Melbourne, but you have way more breweries, they’re just producing less beer. So they can experiment and try new things.

MIKE: It’s an Australian made-up thing!

JOSHUA: Yeah, it’s amazing, I love it! j

52

SURREY

RUSSELL BREWING CO.

202 - 13018 80th Ave. | RussellBeer.com HOURS N/A EST. 1995

You might not know it because they (still) haven’t opened their tasting room, but brewer Kevin Wilson has produced an impressive range of beers.

EASTERN PROMISES PILSNER

BARREL AGED ROOT BEER MILK STOUT

PILSNER Availability: Year-round

S TO U T Availability: Small-batch

ABV

5.8%

IBU

28

East meets West Coast: a strong pils backbone with a juicy bite of Citra hops.

ABV

8.0%

IBU

33

More bitter than you’d expect from an ESB, but still balanced with rich and roasty notes.

53

SURREY

WHITE ROCK BREWING

13 - 3033 King George Blvd. | WhiteRockBrewing.ca MON-SAT 11:30AM-7PM ^ SUN 11:30AM-5PM EST. 2015 It’s connected to a U-Brew, but South Surrey’s only brewery is far from an amateur operation. A core of loyal customers has kept business brisk.

WHITE ROCK OCEAN LAGER

FIRESIDE NUT BROWN ALE

LAGER Availability: Year-round

B R OW N A L E Availability: Seasonal

ABV

5.0%

IBU

22

This full-flavoured lager uses aromatic Hallertau and Saaz hops and a base of Munich and Crystal malts.

ABV

6.0%

IBU

32

Warming, rich and roasty, Fireside is well-balanced and with specialty malts and Cascade hops.

WHITE ROCK

WHITE ROCK BEACH BEER CO.

15181 Russell Ave. | WhiteRockBeachBeer.com FRI 4:30-7PM ^ SAT 11AM-3PM ^ SUN 10AM-3PM EST. 2014 The new tasting room brings the beach to uptown White Rock, while the bigger and better brewing system means the taps will never run dry.

WEST BEACH

EAST BEACH

A M E R I C A N PA L E A L E

A M E R I C A N B R OW N A L E

Availability: Year-round ABV

5.5%

IBU

36

A Pacific Northwest classic showcasing the floral, citrus flavours of Centennial hops.

54

Availability: Year-round ABV

5.0%

IBU

32

A mild-mannered Canadian take on the British staple using local malt and hops.

www.summitprint.ca

03.09.17 Where TRADITION Meets INNOVATION www.coquitlambeerfestival.com

PITT MEADOWS

FOAMERS’ FOLLY BREWING CORP.

19221 122A Ave. | FoamersFolly.ca

SUN-THU 10AM-10PM ^ FRI-SAT 9AM-11PM EST. 2015 An unconventional brewing set-up, including two brewhouses under the same roof, lets Foamer’s Folly experiment in just about any style they choose. The proof is in their ever-changing tap and growler-fill list.

NITRO HOT BOX IPA

BEE NICE HONEY ALE

I N D I A PA L E A L E

AMBER ALE

Availability: Year-round ABV

6.6%

IBU

80

A big ol’ piney, citrus hop-bomb that’s surprisingly smooth with a nice finish.

Availability: Seasonal ABV

5.9%

IBU

Honey from Pitt Meadows bees gives a nice sweetness that balances with the hops.

THE WRY SCOT

WHITE IPA

S C OT T I S H A L E

W H I T E I N D I A PA L E A L E

Availability: One-off ABV

4.9%

IBU

18

Dark caramel and fruit flavours never overstay their welcome, finishing clean and dry

40

Availability: One-off ABV

7.0%

IBU

60

Wheaty, fruity, big and juicy, this hazy IPA is perfect anyway, anyhow, anywhere you choose.

X marks the spot...

The Xs that adorn Foamer’s Folly’s branding are inspired by the nearby train crossing on Harris Road – the bane of every Pitt Meadows resident, especially during rush hour. If you’re tired of waiting for the world’s slowest train to pass, check out the 20 taps of craft beer available at Foamer’s Folly instead.

56

PINTS, FLIGHTS AND GROWLER FILLS. 6-PACKS AND BOTTLED BEERS AVAILABLE IN LIQUOR STORES ACROSS THE LOWER MAINLAND.

MADE BY THE TRACKS Pitt Meadows brewed.

Brewery & Tap Room: 19221 122a Avenue, Pitt Meadows, BC V3Y 2E9

Hours of Operation: Sun. – Thurs.: 11am—11pm Fri. & Sat.: 11am—12:30am

foamersfolly.ca  foamersfolly  foamersfolly

20 taps and only 45 minutes from downtown Vancouver.

MAPLE RIDGE

MAPLE MEADOWS BREWING CO.

22775 Dewdney Trunk Rd. | MapleMeadowsBrewingCo.com TUE-THU 2-7PM ^FRI-SAT 12-8PM ^SUN 12-6PM EST. 2014 Carlo Baroccio’s brewery has been turning out interesting styles since Day 1. The variety of beer – with up to 10 taps on the go – encourages lingering.

NEGRA NOCHE

WEST COAST ALE

BOCK

PA L E A L E

Availability: Seasonal

Availability: Seasonal

ABV

6.2%

IBU

20

A robust, dark-copper bock that slips down dangerously smoothly.

ABV

5.5%

IBU

30

There are hops aplenty in them thar Meadows... and most of them are in this refreshing ale.

MAPLE RIDGE

RIDGE BREWING CO.

22826 Dewdney Trunk Rd. | RidgeBrewing.com MON-THU 2-8PM ^ FRI-SAT 11AM-8:30PM SUN 11AM-6:30PM EST. 2015 Ridge’s family-friendly tasting room is home to its extensive selection of craft beers, as well as live music every other Monday.

WIND AND SEA

PUSSY CAT BLONDE

PA L E A L E

PILSNER

Availability: Year-round ABV

5.0%

IBU

33

This beer will get your senses going with its bright, tropical aroma and citrusy hop kick.

58

Availability: Year-round ABV

5.5%

IBU

15

This patio chugger lands somewhere between a Czech pilsner and an American lager.

LANGLEY

KPU BREWING LAB

20901 Langley Bypass | KPU.ca/Brew FRI 1-5PM EST. 2016

Come by the fully operational 4,500-sq.-ft. teaching brewery on Fridays to sample the handiwork of students in Kwantlen’s brewing program.

KPU WEST COAST IPA I N D I A PA L E A L E

KPU VANILLA PORTER

Availability: Seasonal

P O RT E R Availability: Seasonal

ABV

6.0%

IBU

N/A

Brewed with three types of malt and dry hopped with Cascade and Chinook hops.

ABV

5.5%

IBU

N/A

A substantial, smooth beer with a complex and flavourful dark malt character and notes of vanilla.

LANGLEY

TRADING POST BREWING

107 - 20120 64th Ave. | TradingPostBrewing.com

MON-THU 2-10PM ^ FRI-SAT 12-11PM ^ SUN 12-7PM EST. 2015 Trading Post has got their community covered for fresh brews with their central Langley tasting lounge and the Fort Langley taphouse.

WEST COAST IPA

TRIPEL

I N D I A PA L E A L E

BELGIAN TRIPEL

Availability: Seasonal ABV

6.3%

IBU

61

A fully-loaded hop-bomb: notes of tropical fruit, pomelo and grapefruit, pine and a bitter resin finish.

Availability: Seasonal ABV

8.7%

IBU

27

Fruity aroma and medium spiciness with notes of coriander, sweet orange and anise.

59

ALDERGROVE

DEAD FROG BREWERY

1 - 27272 Gloucester Way | DeadFrog.ca MON-FRI 10AM-5PM ^ SAT 12-4PM EST. 2005

Head brewer Cole Smith is keeping Dead Frog hopping with some memorable new creations that have slotted in seamlessly with the classics.

REINA DE FUEGO CHOCOLATE PORTER

OBSIDIAN DAGGER IPA NOIRE

S P I C E D P O RT E R Availability: Seasonal

B L A C K I N D I A PA L E A L E Availability: Seasonal

ABV

6.0%

IBU

16

Featuring chocolate and toffee flavours and a lick of chili heat in the finish.

ABV

6.5%

IBU

50

A great example of the style. Citrus and berry hop flavours, caramel malt and a roasty finish.

ABBOTSFORD

FIELD HOUSE BREWING CO.

2281 West Railway St. | FieldHouseBrewing.com

TUE-WED 12-8PM ^ THU-SAT 12-10PM ^ SUN 12-5PM EST. 2016 One of B.C.’s most interesting breweries is in Abbotsford?! This oneyear-old operation has a gorgeous tasting room and an eclectic beer list.

MULLED DARK SAISON - WINTER DA R K S A I S O N Availability: Seasonal ABV

6.0%

IBU

26

Brewed with orange peel, cardamom, peppercorn, cinnamon and clove, then conditioned on oak chips.

60

WILD MUSCARI FA R M H O U S E A L E Availability: One-off ABV

6.0%

IBU

20

This Steamworks collab was fermented with wild yeast harvested off flowers from atop Mt. Seymour.

ABBOTSFORD

OLD ABBEY ALES

1A - 30321 Fraser Hwy. | OldAbbeyAles.com DAILY 11AM-8PM EST. 2015 With more than 20 beers on tap at any time, even the pickiest beer drinker will find something to savour at Old Abbey.

PURPLE DRAANK

COASTAL IPA

FRUIT SOUR

I N D I A PA L E A L E

Availability: Year-round

Availability: Year-round

ABV

6.0%

IBU

10

Pucker up with this tart blueberry- and raspberry-festooned sour. Thaank us later.

ABV

6.5%

IBU

50

A recipe tweak has resulted in an impressively-balanced ale that retains plenty of citrus hop character.

Dry-aged beef, smoked meats, & award-winning sausages, all handcrafted by our in-house butcher team.

Much like craft beer, we believe locally raised, gourmet meats are

leppfarmmarket.com 33955 Clayburn Rd. 604.851.5377 Abbotsford, BC

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ABBOTSFORD

RAVENS BREWING CO.

2485 Townline Rd. | Ravens.beer

TUE-THU 12-8PM ^ FRI-SAT 12-9PM ^ SUN 12-6PM EST. 2015 This Abby brewery works closely with Fraser Valley farms to source its ingredients, putting a local twist on traditional beer styles.

FARMERS FRENCH SAISON SAISON Availability: Seasonal ABV

5.8%

IBU

GOLDEN ALE ALE Availability: Year-round

27

This summer sipper is light and hazy with hints of lemongrass, black pepper and a dry finish.

ABV

4.8%

IBU

18

Biscuity malt sweetness and subtle hop character make this ale balanced and sessionable.

MISSION

MISSION SPRINGS BREWING COMPANY

7160 Oliver St. | MissionSprings.ca

SUN-THU 11AM-11PM + FRI-SAT 11AM-12AM EST. 1996 One of B.C.’s oldest craft brewhouses, Mission Springs has been putting out an eclectic lineup of dependable beers for more than 20 years.

TRAILBLAZER PILSNER PILSNER Availability: Year-round ABV

4.5%

IBU

17

This crisp pilsner is designed solely to satisfy your thirst, which it does in spades.

62

CHERRY BOMB B E L G I A N FA R M H O U S E A L E Availability: Seasonal ABV

5.5%

IBU

23

Fermented with sour cherries, this approachable farmhouse ale is tart and refreshing.

CHILLIWACK

CHAOS & SOLACE CRAFT BREWING CO.

1 - 9360 Mill St. | ChaosAndSolace.com DAILY 11AM-7PM EST. 2016

Like its name, everything here is a contradiction: Fresh beers that pay tribute to the past, and a hip tasting room, with reclaimed wood and brick.

PARAMOUNT PORTER P O RT E R

LAKESIDE HEFE-WEISSE

Availability: Year-round

HEFE-WEISSE Availability: Year-round

ABV

6.3%

IBU

36

Honouring the fallen Paramount Theatre through a roasty and moderately dark traditional style.

ABV

5.4%

IBU

15

Fruity and spicy aromatics of banana, clove and citrus give life to this traditional wheat beer.

CHILLIWACK

OLD YALE BREWING CO.

404 - 44550 South Sumas Rd. | OldYaleBrewing.com TUE-SUN 11AM-7PM EST. 2000 The expanded brewery means brewer Mike Roberts can deliver more goods, while the tasting room has the vibe of being outdoors without the rain.

BC BACKYARD LAGER

WESTCOAST IPA

LAGER

I N D I A PA L E A L E

Availability: Year-round ABV

5.0%

IBU

15

A crisp rye craft lager made with 100 per cent B.C.-grown ingredients, including Chilliwack hops.

Availability: Year-round ABV

6.0%

IBU

75

Citra and Galaxy hops pack a big punch in this IPA that still has balanced drinkability.

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VICTORIA

CANOE BREWPUB

450 Swift St. | CanoeBrewpub.com DAILY 11:30AM-LATE EST. 2002

Housed in a 120-year-old former powerhouse on the Inner Harbour, Canoe might have the best patio of any brewery in B.C.

BOCK

PALE ALE

BOCK

N O RT H W E S T PA L E A L E

Availability: Seasonal

Availability: Year-round

ABV

6.5%

IBU

22

This traditional German-style Bock is rich in malt character with a subtle hop aroma.

ABV

5.0%

IBU

20

Pacific Northwest hops take centre stage, supported by a robust maltiness for a full-flavoured pint.

VICTORIA

DRIFTWOOD BREWERY

450 Hillside Ave. | DriftwoodBeer.com TUE-SAT 11AM-6PM EST. 2008

A watchword for craft beer quality in B.C., Driftwood’s commitment to brewing consistent staples matches its enthusiasm for innovation.

NAUGHTY HILDEGARD

FARMHAND SAISON SAISON

N O RT H W E S T E X T R A S P E C I A L B I T T E R Availability: Seasonal ABV

6.5%

IBU

65

What if hop pioneer Hildegard von Bingen had cultivated Mosaic 800 years ago? Here’s your answer.

66

Availability: Year-round ABV

5.0%

IBU

18

Classic Belgian yeast flavours of bubblegum, clove and banana are boosted by pink and black pepper.

VICTORIA

HOYNE BREWING CO.

101-2740 Bridge St. | HoyneBrewing.ca MON-FRI 12-6PM ^ SAT 11AM-6PM EST. 2011

Sean Hoyne first trained under B.C. brewing legend Frank Appleton at Swans, then moved to Canoe before opening his own shop six years ago.

HARD RAIN D O U B L E I N D I A PA L E A L E

HELIOS DORTMUNDER

Availability: One-off

GOLDEN LAGER Availability: Year-round

ABV

7.6%

IBU

N/A

Ideal for those West Coast winter days when it seems like the rain will never end.

ABV

6.0%

IBU

N/A

Traditionally brewed in Germany’s steel belt, this malt-forward lager is robust and satisfying.

PENNY FARTHING 250-370-9008 | PennyFarthingPub.com | 2232 Oak Bay Ave

For F or the or the th he Body Bod ody od dy Music Food Fo

For Fo or the the th he Soul Sou So oul ul For

Drink

For Fo or the the th he Spirit Spi Sp piririritit For

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The provincial capital proves craft beer runs through its veins in aftermath of brewery fire.

O

by Joe Wiebe

n Wednesday, November 23, 2016, just after the lunch rush at 1:30pm, patrons sitting upstairs at Spinnakers Brewpub noticed smoke gathering in the room. The large, central fireplace had a blaze going, as usual, but this was different. Something had gone wrong. Customers and staff evacuated the building and the fire department was summoned. Fire and smoke began pouring out of the roof around the chimney.

As the firefighters worked to fight the blaze, which had spread from the chimney through the roof, a plume of smoke rose into the sky, and could be seen across the Inner Harbour throughout the downtown area. City residents were transfixed, watching from a distance or on their screens, as firefighters climbed up on to the roof to pull apart the chimney to get at the source of the problem.

The thought of Canada’s oldest brewpub – built in 1984 and considered the “cradle of the craft beer revolution” – going up in smoke was devastating.

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It took hours to douse the final flames, and then came the questions that filled the talk radio shows and TV news hours. How extensive was the damage? Would Spinnakers be able to re-open?

Paul Hadfield, Spinnakers’ original architect and its owner since 1986, was in Hawaii with his wife Mary when the fire occurred. A text from their daughter Kala, who is part of the brewing team at Spinnakers, alerted them to “Call me ASAP!” Their first thoughts were that something had happened to their other daughter, Carly, who was in Mexico at the time, so when Kala told them the pub was on fire, Paul says he was actually relieved.

Later, when they checked the story online, Paul says he was amazed by how much attention the fire got. “CHEK did a ridiculous amount of time, and then we switched to Global and CTV and CBC, and everybody was running the story.”

Meanwhile, his cell phone was buzzing with calls

Photo: Times Colonist

and messages from people offering help and support.

“I guess what surprised me,” Paul admits, “was that so many people seemed to care. So many people saw this place as an institution in the country.”

Hadfield maintained his sense of humour despite the devastating event. When I texted him a question about the future the next day, he replied, “Rauchbier, Bamberger style?”

The Hadfields returned from Hawaii on the weekend after the fire. Paul had spent the days thinking about what needed to be done so when he arrived on the scene he was ready to act.

“Fortunately, I had not been traumatized by the event,” he says, “by the massive clean-up that everybody did over the four or five following days.

I got to walk in on Monday and see what needed to be done.”

While some predicted the remediation would take several months, Paul disagreed. Although not an active architect any more, his intimate familiarity with the building meant he was the best architect for the job. But he needed the assistance of a colleague, John Keay, to approve his drawings so that contractors could begin the necessary work. Hadfield figures that saved several weeks. He also decided not to wait for insurance before starting the work.

“The most expensive part of this whole thing was being closed,” he explains. “We were able to get the downstairs bar area along with some additional seats in the grain loft back online within nine days of the fire, and the whole [downstairs] restaurant came on four weeks to the day – to the meal – of when the fire happened.”

Repairs to the upstairs pub, where most of the damage occurred, would take longer. Ironically, with the fireplaces and chimneys pulled out, both the upstairs pub and the downstairs dining room are brighter and more open – actually improved by the fire, which, by the way, was deemed accidental.

Spinnakers has put out a special beer called Firefighters Thirst Extinguisher, a “hopped up West Coast session lager” (4.2% ABV, 35 IBU), as “an expression of our gratitude for the diligence and sensitivity of the dedicated crew who fought a great battle and saved our historic brewpub.” Par-

tial proceeds from sales of this beer will support the Victoria Firefighters Charitable Foundation.

Looking back, it was disarming to see how much the average citizen of Victoria cared about the Spinnakers fire. What resounded loud and clear was how much people care about Spinnakers, how important Spinnakers is to the fabric of Victoria, how people missed it when it wasn’t there for a while.

Back when Spinnakers opened more than 30 years ago, the term “craft beer” didn’t even exist, and neither did pubs, at least not in B.C. There were dingy, windowless beer parlours with no food service, and then there were restaurants, but Spinnakers helped to change all that. The fact that it brewed its own beer was simply a bonus at the time. Over the decades that followed, Hadfield fought many battles with the B.C. Liquor Distribution Board, first to be allowed to package beer for off-sales and then to be able to sell that beer in government liquor stores, which balanced the playing field for microbreweries and brewpubs and helped modernize tired old liquor laws.

Craft beer is part of life in Victoria now, part of the DNA of this community. This is not just because of Spinnakers, although its historic position as Canada’s first brewpub is certainly a big part of the story. There are three other brewpubs here, too, each unique and special for a different reason. Swans was built in 1989 by Frank Appleton, who helped John Mitchell build Canada’s first microbrewery in Horseshoe Bay in 1982 (Mitchell helped build Spinnakers next).

Canoe, where Sean Hoyne brewed for years before striking out on his own in 2011, is in

69

a stunningly beautiful, renovated power station from the 1880s. Its waterside patio is arguably the best in B.C.

So many people saw this place as an institution in the country. - Paul Hadfield The Great Canadian Beer Festival started here in 1993 with 70 different beers from 23 breweries from Canada and the Pacific Northwest. B.C. had fewer than 15 breweries then, compared to more than 130 now. Beerfest, as locals refer to it, has occurred annually on the weekend after Labour Day ever since. Last September, the two-day event featured more than 200 beers from 64 Canadian breweries, most of them from B.C., with more than 4,500 people attending each day.

Lighthouse Brewing also opened in the ‘90s, followed by a little one-man operation you probably have never heard of, called Phillips Brewing, which opened in 2001. My favourite anecdote about Matt Phillips comes from Mike Spence, the proprietor of the Drake Eatery, who operated another restaurant around the time Phillips opened.

He remembers calling Matt to ask if he could get some of his beer on tap. According to Mike, Matt replied that he already had seven accounts and that was more than enough. Last summer, a buddy of mine was visiting family in Newfoundland and spotted Phillips beer on sale there. Things have changed a little.

Then there’s Driftwood. Widely regarded now as one of B.C.’s top breweries, if not the best, Driftwood launched in 2008 with a trio of beers: two Belgian styles (White Bark Wit and Farmhand Ale) and a pale ale, then called Driftwood Ale, since renamed New Growth. No IPA in sight. At the time, co-founder Jason Meyer told me: “There are a lot of good IPAs out there. We know that the bar has been set high, and we intend to try and set it just a bit higher.” Perhaps you’ve heard of the IPA they eventually released? Fun fact: Fat

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Tug wasn’t actually Driftwood’s first IPA. That was 2009’s Sartori Harvest, the first wet-hopped IPA released in BC. In 2011, Hoyne Brewing opened across the parking lot from Driftwood, and the Moon Under Water Brewpub opened nearby. Since then, four more breweries have opened in Greater Victoria: the Four Mile Brewpub in View Royal, Category 12 Brewing in Central Saanich, the Axe and Barrel Brewhouse in Langford, and Victoria Caledonian Brewery and Distillery in Saanich, whose beer is packaged under the name Twa Dogs.

Another brewpub will be built in 2018 as part of the Hudson District development downtown, and although Phillips has not made any official announcements, it’s clear the brewery is making way for a new tasting room. Lighthouse is working on a tasting room in its Esquimalt location, too, and I wouldn’t be surprised to see Driftwood expand into a new, stand-alone brewery with a tasting room in the next few years.

Trace the history of all these Victoria breweries and you’ll end up back where it all started: at Spinnakers. Luckily, the fire didn’t destroy this special and historic place, but it did serve as a reminder not to take it for granted. If you haven't been there in a while, or even worse, if you never have, it’s time to plan a visit. j

The fourth annual Victoria Beer Week

returns March 3-11, 2017, with 16 events spread out over nine days. Highlights

this year include a new barrel-aged beer event on Saturday, March 4 and Lift

Off ! on March 11, where 12 brand new beers will be launched by B.C. craft

breweries. Visit VictoriaBeerWeek.com for the complete schedule and more information.

VICTORIA

MOON UNDER WATER BREWERY

350B Bay St. | MoonUnderWater.ca

SAT-THU 11:30AM-11PM ^ FRI 11:30AM-12AM EST. 2012 The Moon is often full with people full of the Moon’s fine beer and grub.

Clay Potter delivers handsome examples of German and West Coast styles.

THIS IS HEFEWEIZEN HEFEWEIZEN

LIGHTSIDE OF THE MOON

Availability: Seasonal

LAGER Availability: Year-round

ABV

5.5%

IBU

15

As authentic as it gets in B.C. Pair with a freshly baked pretzel and weisswurst, if you can.

ABV

4.2%

IBU

12

Here’s to quality adjunct beer. A mash containing 30 per cent rice makes for a super-brisk experience.

Drink. Local. Beer.

31TAPS | HAPPY HOUR 3-6 LIVE MUSIC NIGHTLY

777 courtney st victoria bc smithspub.com

71

VICTORIA

PHILLIPS BREWING & MALTING CO. 2010 Government St. | PhillipsBeer.com

MON 10AM-5PM ^ TUE-THU 10AM-6PM FRI 10AM-7PM ^ SAT 11AM-6PM EST. 2001 The only craft brewery in Canada that malts its own barley. That attention to detail is apparent in the consistency of Phillips’ award-winning beers.

HAMMER OAK AGED I M P E R I A L S TO U T

SAINTS B.C. BENEFIT BREW

Availability: Seasonal

IMPERIAL PILSNER Availability: Seasonal

ABV

8.3%

IBU

N/A

Phillip’s Hammer Imperial Stout gets the barrel-aged treatment with some toasted French oak.

ABV

7.0%

IBU

N/A

Full proceeds from this custom beer will help fund SAINTS end of life animal sanctuary.

VICTORIA

SPINNAKERS BREWPUB

308 Catharine St. | Spinnakers.com DAILY 8AM-11PM EST. 1984

Canada’s first brewpub suffered a scare in November, after a fire damaged the building. Luckily no one was hurt, and the beer is still flowing.

PEACH PARADISE HEFEWEIZEN W H E AT A L E Availability: Seasonal ABV

4.5%

IBU

CIDER/BEER Availability: Seasonal

20

Red Fife steeped in Silk Road’s Peach Paradise tea, with notes of citrus, clove and bright peach.

72

SNAKEBITE

ABV

6.5%

IBU

5

A blend between crisp, cold fermented beer and their house formulated B.C. apple cider.

VICTORIA

SWANS BREWPUB

506 Pandora Ave. | SwansHotel.com

MON-FRI 11AM-LATE + SAT-SUN 9AM-LATE EST. 1989 New brewer Chris Lukie (ex-Lighthouse) is churning out lots of interesting, new beers to go along with Swans’ lineup of old faithfuls.

DOPPELBOCK

BELGIAN BLONDE

DOPPELBOCK

BELGIAN BLONDE ALE

Availability: One-off ABV

8.0%

IBU

20

This malty beer was brewed with German Hallertau Blanc hops and cellared for eight weeks.

Availability: One-off ABV

6.8%

IBU

23

Smooth and tasty, this was brewed with French Aramis, German Opal hops, and a fragrant yeast.

1-866-549-1323

sales@thinkuniversal.com www.thinkuniversal.com

73

VICTORIA

VANCOUVER ISLAND BREWERY

2330 Government St. | VanIslandBrewery.com TUES-SAT 11AM-6PM EST. 1986 Thanks to a complete rebrand and the addition of former Parallel 49 brewer Danny Seeton, Vancouver Island Brewing suddenly has some serious craft beer cred. Look for an entirely new line of sessionstrength beers hitting shelves March 1.

VICTORIA LAGER D O RT M U N D E R E X P O RT

JUAN DE FUCA CERVEZA

Availability: Year-round

MEXICAN LAGER Availability: Year-round

ABV

4.8%

IBU

22

This pale golden lager comes correct with biscuity malts and a subtle hop bitterness.

19 IPA

ABV

4.8%

IBU

19

Unlike its import competitors, this beer has complexity coming from premium grain, malt and hops.

I N D I A PA L E A L E

SOMBRIO CITRUS SESSION

Availability: Year-round

SESSION ALE Availability: Year-round

ABV

4.8%

IBU

50

This fruity full-flavoured IPA is session-strength so you can drink it all day long.

ABV

4.0%

IBU

37

Tons of bright flavour thanks to a proprietary blend of citrus zests added to each batch.

WHat’s in a name?

Vancouver Island Brewing’s Piper’s Pale Ale is named after First World War hero and Victoria Cross recipient Piper James Richardson, who inspired troops during the Battle of the Somme with the rousing sound of his bagpipes.

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SAANICH

VICTORIA CALEDONIAN BREWERY AND DISTILLERY

761 Enterprise Cres. | VCaledonian.com DAILY 10AM-10PM EST. 2016

Victoria’s newest brewery is very Scottish. Everyone seems to wear kilts, even brewmaster Dean McLeod (he’s Australian, but with Scottish roots).

TWA DOGS SEAS BETWEEN US

TWA DOGS HOLY WILLIE’S

R E D I N D I A PA L E A L E Availability: Seasonal

R O B U S T P O RT E R Availability: Year-round

ABV

7.0%

IBU

Loads

This malty, hoppy beer is Twa Dogs’ first bomber and is also in a mixed 12-pack.

ABV

6.5%

IBU

25

Rich and malty, this tasty porter will disappear quickly, leaving you praying for more.

CENT. SAANICH

CATEGORY 12 BREWING

Unit C - 2200 Keating Cross Rd. | Category12Beer.com TUE-SAT 12-6PM ^ SUN 12-4PM EST. 2014 Barrel-aging, a strong bunch of core beers, a creative brewmaster, and a location near the ferry. C12 is the Four Winds of the Island. Just sayin’...

ELEMENTAL SERIES BRETT SAISON BRETT SAISON Availability: Small batch ABV

6.0%

IBU

25

Your funk and your fruit all in one delicious package… for a very limited time.

76

INSUBORDINATE S E S S I O N I N D I A PA L E A L E Availability: Seasonal ABV

4.5%

IBU

49

All of the flavour of an IPA at a much more manageable alcohol level.

ESQUIMALT

LIGHTHOUSE BREWING CO.

2 - 836 Devonshire Rd. | LighthouseBrewing.com

MON 8AM-4:30PM ^ TUE-FRI 9AM-6PM ^ SAT 11AM-6PM EST. 1998 Heading into its 19th year, Lighthouse is trying to increase consumer awareness about its beers. A new tasting room for 2017 should help.

SHIPWRECK

NUMBSKULL

I N D I A PA L E A L E

I M P E R I A L I N D I A PA L E A L E

Availability: Year-round

Availability: Year-round

ABV

6.5%

IBU

59

This fruity and floral hop-bomb is comparable to another Victoria IPA with a nautical name.

ABV

9.1%

IBU

65

Arrr, if hops be what you crave, this beer be what you seek. Arr!

VIEW ROYAL

4 MILE BREWING CO. 199 Island Highway | 4MileBrewingCo.com DAILY 11AM-11:30PM EST. 2014 This brewpub in one of Victoria’s oldest houses (dating back to 1858) has recently reinvigorated itself with a new brewer.

MOSAIC SESSION IPA

TANGERINE DREAM

S E S S I O N I N D I A PA L E A L E

A M E R I C A N W H E AT A L E

Availability: Year-round

Availability: Year-round

ABV

4.5%

IBU

40

Bursting with the fruity, tropical flavours of Mosaic hops, but lighter in alcohol.

ABV

4.2%

IBU

20

Brewed with wheat malt and oats, along with citrusy hops, sweet orange peel and coriander.

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LANGFORD

AXE AND BARREL BREWING CO.

2323 Millstream Ave. | AxeAndBarrel.com DAILY 11AM-7PM EST. 2015 Barbecue and craft beer are together at last at Axe and Barrel’s Langford brewpub. Bottles of brewer Andrew Tessier’s beer hit shelves this spring.

LANGFORD LAGER

AXE STOUT

AMERICAN LAGER

I R I S H S TO U T

Availability: Year-round

Availability: Seasonal

ABV

4.8%

IBU

10

This refreshing lager is just the thing to wash down that plate of smoked pork ribs.

ABV

4.0%

IBU

40

Full-bodied and malt-rich with a healthy dose of hop bitterness for a smooth, dry finish.

SOOKE

SOOKE OCEANSIDE BREWERY

1-5529 Sooke Rd. | SookeOceansideBrewing.com WED-SUN 12-8PM EST. 2016 Last stop for growler fills before you start the West Coast Trail! Sooke’s first brewery (yes, there’s another on the way) has proven to be wildly popular.

REENA O’REILLY

OTTER POINT

D RY I R I S H S TO U T

PA L E A L E

Availability: Seasonal ABV

4.5%

IBU

31

A classic roasty stout with hints of chocolate and coffee and an airy finish.

78

Availability: Small batch ABV

5.0%

IBU

Varies

A single malt, single-hop ale, using a sturdy Maris Otter malt base and rotating through hop varietals.

Who's brewing what THE GROWLER GUIDE TO SHADOW BRANDS, CONTRACT BREWERIES AND PROPRIETARY BREWS

by Jan Zeschky

I

t’s bloody difficult to keep up with the number of breweries opening in B.C. these days, let alone all the different beers they produce.

Making this task even more difficult are the many additional brands appearing on taps and in liquor stores that aren’t necessarily brewed in their own brick-and-mortar facilities.

Some brewing companies brew under contract at another brewery. Some breweries create different brands. Some breweries create different brands and make them look like they’re independent breweries.

Confused? Let’s try to fix that.

Here’s a list of made-in-B.C. beer brands, some of which you may have happened upon and wondered, “where the hell did they come from?”

Legend Contract brewery: An independent brewing company – usually one that’s starting out and doesn’t have its own facility – that brews its beer under licence at another brewery.

Proprietary brand: A brand that differs in name and appearance from the brewery’s main brand(s), but is still noticeably made by that brewery (i.e., it probably says so on the label).

Shadow brand: A brand that differs in name and appearance from the brewery’s main brand(s), with very little information to tell who actually makes it. Often masquerades as an independent brewing company.

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B.C. Brew Co. Sun Peaks Cream Ale, Honey Ale and Pilsner are brewed at Prohibition Brewing Company, Kelowna. A location outside Kamloops has been earmarked for a brewery, farm and malting facility.

B.C. Genuine Draft (Westline Brewing) Westline is “under a NDA with our current brewing facility,” but the location is “100 per cent B.C. owned and operated,” according to spokesman Elliot McKerr.

Big Surf Beer Co. Brewed by Prohibition Brewing Company, Kelowna, under the Allen Brands umbrella.

Bone Beer Brewed at Prohibition Brewing Company, Kelowna.

Boombox Brewing Company Brewed independently under licence at Callister Brewing Co., Vancouver.

Bowen Island Brewing Co. Ltd. Brewed by Northam Beverages, Kamloops.

Canterbury Dark Mild Brewed by Pacific Western Brewing, Prince George.

Canuck Empire Brewed at Dead Frog Brewery, Aldergrove.

Cariboo Brewed by Pacific Western Brewing, Prince George.

East Van Brewing Company This forthcoming brewery and tasting room in the 1600-block Venables Street is, according to its website, a “Product of Prohibition Brewing Co.” EVBC beer has been brewed at Prohibition in Kelowna since 2015, and has been available at Metro Vancouver venues operated by the Jennings Group, including London Pub, Manchester Pub, Narrows Public House, Two Lions Pub and Stateside Craft.

Good Company Lager Brewed at a facility in Kelowna. Co-owner Patryk Drozd, who runs the Cobalt, The American and Boxcar venues in Vancouver, says he can’t reveal the exact facility due to a non-disclosure agreement. Owners Drozd and Michael Kiraly (ex-Steam Whistle) plan to eventually open their own brewery in Metro Vancouver.

Hell’s Gate Brewing Co. Brewed by Turning Point Brewery in Delta, which is owned

by Labatt, a subsidiary of AB InBev. Ironhorse Original Brewed by Pacific Western Brewing, Prince George.

Kokanee Owned by Labatt, a subsidiary of AB InBev. Brewed at the Columbia Brewery, Creston.

Kootenay true ale Owned by Labatt, a subsidiary of AB InBev. Brewed at the Columbia Brewery, Creston.

Lightheart Brewing Brewed independently under licence at Callister Brewing Co., Vancouver. lucky lager Owned by Labatt, a subsidiary of AB InBev. Brewed at the Columbia Brewery, Creston.

Lululemon beer Curiosity Lager, Sunset Strawberry Wit and Courageous Blonde were all brewed at Turning Point Brewery in Delta, which is owned by Labatt, a subsidiary of AB InBev. Pacific Brewed by Pacific Western Brewing, Prince George.

Real Cask Brewing Brewed independently under licence at Callister Brewing Co., Vancouver.

Red Racer Brewed by Central City Brewers + Distillers, Surrey. scandal Brewed by Pacific Western Brewing, Prince George. Appears to have been discontinued, but bottles still available at government liquor stores.

Shaftebury Brewed by Tree Brewing Co., Kelowna.

Sneaky Weasel Craft Lager (Balderdash Brewing) Brewed by Northam Beverages, Kamloops.

Stanley Park Brewing Brewed by Turning Point Brewery, Delta, which is owned by Labatt, a subsidiary of AB InBev. Superflux Beer Company Brewed at Dogwood Brewing, Vancouver.

TNT Brewed by Pacific Western Brewing, Prince George.

Twa Dogs Brewed by Victoria Caledonian Brewery & Distillery, Victoria. j

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DUNCAN

RED ARROW BREWING CO.

5255 Chaster Rd. | RedArrowBeer.ca

SUN-THU 11AM-6PM ^ FRI 11AM-8PM ^ SAT 11AM-6PM EST. 2015 Red Arrow’s ivy-covered, red brick building stands out next to the highway just outside Duncan, and its gorgeous tasting room is one of the best in B.C.

HOP SHOP IMPERIAL INDIA PALE ALE

MIDNITE UMBER N O RT H A M E R I C A N B R OW N A L E

I M P E R I A L I N D I A PA L E A L E Availability: Seasonal ABV

7.5%

IBU

Availability: Year-round

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Supercharged with enough Zeus and Mosaic leaf additions to satisfy any hop-head.

ABV

5.1%

IBU

33

Ruby brown with notes of toffee and brown sugar balanced by Southern Hemisphere hops.

CHEMAINUS

RIOT BREWING CO.

101A - 3055 Oak St. | RiotBrewing.com MON-THU 11AM-9PM ^ FRI-SUN 11AM-11PM EST. 2016 Riot has its own purpose-built home as part of a new Chemainus retail development. With beer finally flowing, the tasting room’s a hit with locals.

JUNK PUNCH I N D I A PA L E A L E

WORKING CLASS HERO

Availability: Year-round

DA R K M I L D Availability: Year-round

ABV

6.0%

IBU

75

Brewer Fabian Specht learned under Gary Lohin at Central City. Guess what? It shows.

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ABV

3.8%

IBU

14

This tasty beer is proof positive that a low-alcohol beer can be rich and flavourful.

NANAIMO

LONGWOOD BREWERY

101A-2046 Boxwood Rd. | LongwoodBeer.com WED-FRI 2-6PM ^ SAT 12-5PM EST. 2013

Long a leading light in the Island’s beer scene, Longwood opened its production brewery in 2013 to allow brewer Harley Smith to expand his line.

INDEPENDENT PILSNER IMPERIAL PILSNER Availability: Seasonal ABV

7.0%

IBU

STEAM PUNK DA R K W H E AT A L E Availability: Year-round

70

A powerful declaration of independence. Lightly grainy and spicy and impressively balanced.

ABV

5.0%

IBU

19

A light-bodied, crisp dark ale given a brisk graininess from a generous use of wheat.

NANAIMO

WHITE SAILS BREWING

125 Comox Rd. | WhiteSailsBrewing.com

MON-WED 3-9PM ^ THU 3-11PM ^ FRI-SAT 12PM-12AM SUN 12-6PM EST. 2015 A new snack menu and locally roasted coffee are joining the regular music and cask nights at White Sails’ spacious yet cosy taproom.

CATHEDRAL GROVE COMMON

SHACK ISLAND STOUT

CALIFORNIA COMMON Availability: Seasonal

S TO U T Availability: Seasonal

ABV

5.2%

IBU

38

A classic Cali common with fruity and caramel sweetness balanced by light herbal hop bitterness.

ABV

5.4%

IBU

40

A smooth, hearty and roasty stout featuring hints of chocolate, molasses and coffee.

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NANAIMO

WOLF BREWING CO.

940 Old Victoria Rd. | WolfBrewingCompany.com SUN-MON 12-5PM ^ TUE-THU 12-6PM ^ FRI-SAT 12-7PM EST. 2010 Wolf ’s Liverpudlian brewmaster Kev Ward brings some Old World style to the burgeoning Mid-Island craft beer scene.

BELGIAN ABBEY

SCOTCH ALE

BELGIAN BLONDE ALE

S C OT C H A L E

Availability: Seasonal

Availability: Seasonal

ABV

6.6%

IBU

30

Full of spicy yeast character, with delicate pepper notes and herbal citrus hop aroma.

ABV

6.5%

IBU

34

Six different malts go into this dark copper take on a traditional “wee heavy.”

QUALICUM

LOVESHACK LIBATIONS

#1-4134 Island Hwy. West | LoveShackLibations.com SAT 12-4PM EST. 2016 Dave Paul does it all, from brewing to bottling. The LoveShack is a little old place where we can go to drink beer made with heart.

CRAFTY CREAM ALE

PRECIOUS PORTER

CREAM ALE

P O RT E R

Availability: Small batch ABV

5.5%

IBU

15

This golden beaut is a quencher with a subtle sweetness on a smooth and soft body.

84

Availability: Small batch ABV

5.0%

IBU

25

This porter has a chocolaty richness and is not based on the novel Push by Sapphire.

CUMBERLAND

CUMBERLAND BREWING CO.

2732 Dunsmuir Ave. | CumberlandBrewing.com SUN-WED 12-9PM ^ THU - SAT 12-10PM EST. 2014 Cumberland Brewing is very much a reflection of the town it calls home: small, creative and full of personality.

BLACKCURRANT SAISON SAISON Availability: Seasonal ABV

4.5%

IBU

CBC PORTER P O RT E R Availability: Seasonal

N/A

The latest in a long line of fruity saisons from Cumberland brewmaster Mike Tymchuk.

ABV

5.0%

IBU

N/A

Cumberland’s first porter, so-named because it is assistant brewer Caitlyn’s Best Concoction.

COURTENAY

FORBIDDEN BREWING CO.

1590 Cliffe Ave. | ForbiddenBrewing.com WED-SUN 12-10PM EST. 2015

Located in the Westerley Hotel, Forbidden’s beers are all made with organic ingredients, and – bonus – there’s even a free pool table.

WILD IPA

HELLES BOCK

W I L D I N D I A PA L E A L E

HELLES BOCK

Availability: Seasonal ABV

6.5%

IBU

50

Wild Sacc. trois yeast helps impart tropical pineapple flavours in this hoppy IPA.

Availability: Seasonal ABV

6.5%

IBU

25

This medium-hued bock balances a smooth maltiness with a crisp spicy hop finish.

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COURTENAY

GLADSTONE BREWING CO.

244 4th St. | GladstoneBrewing.ca DAILY 11AM-12AM EST. 2015

With brewmaster Tak Guenette at the helm and a new canning line about to start production, the future looks bright for this Comox Valley brewery.

MUNICH HELLES

BELGIAN DUBBEL

HELLES LAGER

BELGIAN DUBBEL

Availability: Seasonal

Availability: One-off

ABV

5.3%

IBU

20

Old World hops and malts combine for traditional dark golden palate pleaser.

ABV

7.8%

IBU

20

This spicy, warming dubbel was brewed in honour of Gladstone’s second birthday.

CAMPBELL RIVER

BEACH FIRE

594 - 11th Ave. | BeachFireBrewing.ca TUE-SUN 11:30AM-8PM EST. 2016 Campbell River has welcomed Beach Fire with open arms. The space includes a restaurant serving an extensive assortment of tapas.

BEACH BLONDE ALE

HIGH TIDE PALE ALE

SINGLE-HOPPED BLONDE

PA L E A L E

Availability: Year-round

Availability: Year-round

ABV

4.9%

IBU

36

A basic, lager-like blonde ale with a slightly sweet malt profile and a light, hoppy finish.

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ABV

5.5%

IBU

40

This pale ale has some citrusy hop character in the taste but very little hop aroma.

PORT ALBERNI

TWIN CITY BREWING CO.

4503 Margaret St. | TwinCityBrewing.ca TUE-SUN 11:30AM-9PM EST. 2017 Twin City looks set to make Port Alberni proud, serving inventive beer and food in a sleek venue originally built in the 1940s.

SWEDISH GYMNAST

PORTER ALBERNI

SINGLE-HOPPED BLONDE

P O RT E R

Availability: Year-round

Availability: Seasonal

ABV

4.9%

IBU

36

A light blonde with great balance and a lot of hops. These guys are good at beer names.

ABV

5.3%

IBU

36

Twin City’s tribute to what it calls “the much-under-appreciated Valley we call home.”

TOFINO

TOFINO BREWING CO.

Units C & D, 681 Industrial Way | TofinoBrewingCo.com DAILY 11AM-9PM EST. 2011 No trip to B.C.’s Pacific playground is complete without a stop at Tofino Brewing. Their solid lineup of beers is easy to find if you can’t make the trip.

SPRUCE TREE ALE

TOFINO LAGER

GOLDEN ALE

LAGER

Availability: Seasonal ABV

6.5%

IBU

N/A

You can literally taste the West Coast in this golden ale thanks to foraged Sitka spruce tips.

Availability: Year-round ABV

5.0%

IBU

N/A

This light lager is the perfect refresher after a long day of surfing at Long Beach.

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POWELL RIVER

TOWNSITE BREWING

5824 Ash Ave. | TownsiteBrewing.com DAILY 11AM-7PM EST. 2012

A standout gem of the sparkling Sunshine Coast. The brewery oozes historic charm, and Cedric Dauchot’s beer is consistently great.

PERFECT STORM

ZWARTE WHEAT

OAT M E A L S TO U T

DA R K W I T B I E R

Availability: Year-round

Availability: Year-round

ABV

5.5%

IBU

30

PR isn’t too far to go to get Canada’s best oatmeal stout. Thankfully, it’s widely distributed, too.

ABV

5.2%

IBU

20

The addition of midnight wheat makes for a nourishing, bready take on a zesty citrus witbier.

GIBSONS

PERSEPHONE BREWING CO.

1053 Stewart Rd. | PersephoneBrewing.com DAILY 11AM-7PM EST. 2013

B.C. agriculture laws that apply to breweries, but not cideries and wineries, have put Persephone in a tough spot. Grab a bottle and help them out.

WEST COAST KETTLE SOUR D RY H O P P E D K E T T L E S O U R Availability: Small batch ABV

5.0%

IBU

10

The brewery’s second kettle sour is red in colour and packs big-time tropical hop aromas.

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BEST BITTER BEST BITTER Availability: Seasonal ABV

4.0%

IBU

40

Interesting hop aroma of blackberry and peach on a sessionable English Bitter.

SALT SPRING

SALT SPRING ISLAND ALES

270 Furness Rd. | SaltSpringIslandAles.com DAILY 12-5PM EST. 1998

This idyllic cottage brewery makes its beers with water from its own natural mountain spring, as well as organic and non-GMO ingredients.

EARL GREY IPA

SPRING FEVER GRUIT

I N D I A PA L E A L E

GRUIT

Availability: Year-round

Availability: Seasonal

ABV

7.0%

IBU

45

Tea time meets happy hour with this bergamot-infused, British-style IPA.

ABV

5.2%

IBU

0

Made without hops and brewed with wild herbs, spices and roots for a bright, cider-like flavour.

MAYNE ISLAND

MAYNE ISLAND BREWING CO.

490 Fernhill Rd. | MayneIslandBrewingCo.com FRI-SAT 1-4PM EST. 2016 It’s been two years in the making, but there’s another Gulf Islands brewery. It’s focusing on small batches to serve the local community.

MAYNE ISLAND FORAGER SAISON Availability: Year-round ABV

5.2%

IBU

10

Different locally-foraged additions, like blackberries, juniper and nettles, are used in each batch.

SINGLE HOP IPA I N D I A PA L E A L E Availability: Year-round ABV

5.6%

IBU

40

The plan with this IPA is to showcase the different “workhorse” hops for each brew.

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InCider Information Another craft revolution is growing as B.C. cideries boom

by Megan Cole

N

early a decade ago it seemed like B.C. was watching the decline of one of its oldest products; apples. The Okanagan was becoming the destination in Western Canada for wine enthusiasts, and with the growing popularity of B.C. wines came the devaluation of the apples, which had long been one of the staple crops in the area. Farmers were tearing out their apple trees to make way for more lucrative grape vines. But what those farmers didn't see coming was the wave of interest in local craft products, which has brought with it craft cider.

The renewed interest in apples has meant some young entrepreneurs who are pursuing cider are heading back to the land where apples were once a focus, to plant the seeds of their new business.

BACK TO THE ROOTS Robin Cairns and his business partners at Dominion Cider, Mike Harris and Luke Cyca, are country boys who'd met while doing their undergraduate degrees at SFU. Like many young students, the trio had been brewing beer and cider in their apartments. But when Harris and his wife bought a farm in his hometown of Summerland two years ago, they were faced with the option of

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taking the cider hobby and making it a career.

“We started the process to get a licence and moved into an operation on the 10-acre farm,” says Cairns. “We're in market with two products we did in our first year.”

Like many farms in the area, a portion of Cairns’ land is currently used to grow grapes for the wine industry.

“We harvest them and sell them to Saxon Estate Winery next door,” he says. “We're planning to remove the two acres of vineyard in the next year or two so that we have more room to plant apples, which is kind of the opposite of what a lot of the orchardists in the Okanagan Valley have done of the last few years.”

Despite how ubiquitous the wine industry has become in the Okanagan, Cairns says there is a lot of interest from locals in getting back to the agricultural roots of the area, which is in orcharding and tree fruits.

“A lot of the people who come through the farm and the cidery are pretty keen that we're trying to bring back that heritage,” he says.

History was also a contributing factor to how Salt

We get a lot of cross-over with the craft beer drinkers, and they already know what's up. - Dane Brown, Sunday Cider Spring Wild Cider got its start. For an island that is 182.7 square kilometres, Salt Spring Island has a rich apple history dating back to 1860. According to the Salt Spring Island Apple Festival, held annually in October, more than 450 varieties of apple are grown organically on the Island.

“My partner Gerda [Lattey] and I were both sort of in an endless search for jobs on Salt Spring,” says Mike Lachelt, co-owner and director of Salt Spring Wild Cider. “I was newer to the Island than Gerda, and was noticing all the apple trees, and we got to talking together and decided to make a bunch of cider.”

The first batch of cider that Lattey and Lachelt made wasn't from apples harvested from a local orchard, instead the pair went around knocking on doors and calling neighbours asking for their apples. Enjoying the fruits of their labour, Lattey and Lachelt thought cider might be the perfect business for them, and Salt Spring Island.

As Salt Spring Wild Cider was getting its start, Lachelt says he was doing some research on the craft cider industry and saw the swell of enthusiasm south of the border and thought it was a good time to get into the business.

“It seems to have started mainly down in the States, in the Pacific Northwest, in Oregon and Washington State,” he says. “What's going on down there has been quite incredible with cider.

You go into pubs and there are three local ciders on tap, and there are some places that only serve cider.”

In B.C., domestic craft cider sales were worth $55 million in 2015. According to BC Liquor Distribution Board, domestic cider sales increased by 11.8 per cent in 2015, and numbers from 2016 indicate continued growth with more cideries coming into the market.

THE OTHER CRAFT REVOLUTION With craft beer having exploded in popularity across the province over the past five years, the craft cider industry has also experienced a leg-up, thanks to consumers’ increased interest in locally -made craft beverages.

“We get a lot of crossover with the craft beer drinkers, and they already know what's up,” says Dane Brown, director of operations at Sunday Cider. “We kind of position ourselves with craft breweries. There are some cideries that position themselves with wine, but it's about the same >>

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alcohol content as beer, you can buy it in a pint, and you can fill a growler with it. It feels closer to beer for us.”

Thanks to the fact that cider is gluten-free, it’s also become popular as an alternative for those who can’t stomach craft beer, but still want a local craft beverage. Many B.C. craft breweries reserve a guest tap in their tasting room for local cider, so they have something to offer gluten-free drinkers.

Even though Sunday Cider doesn't fall under the definition of a farm-based cidery, they are working to produce a high quality craft product made from real apple juice pressed in Keremeos from apples harvested from an orchard they work with in the Okanagan.

We can help ourselves out by putting better cider on the shelves so that more people will be interested in drinking craft cider.

- Mike Lachelt, Salt Spring Wild Cider

Brown says the cider industry provides a unique opportunity for apple growers, by providing a market for irregular apples that might not be pretty enough for grocery stores.

“Orchards are having a tough time, so the cider industry is going to be huge for the province,” he says. “B.C. is definitely the apple basket of Western Canada… and [cider] is going to help out a lot of the orchardists who didn't know what things were going to look like 10 years down the road.

GOOD THINGS GROWING Much like the craft beer industry’s spirit of cooperation – where breweries regularly collaborate on beers, share large orders of ingredients, and even deliver product on the same truck – Lachelt says the community amongst cider houses has grown, too.

“It's interesting in B.C., because a lot of the local cider producers have gotten together and problem-solved, and shared all kinds of information about the process,” he says. “There is this feeling that there is no cost in being helpful to our competition, in fact we can help ourselves out by putting better cider on the shelves so that more people will be interested in drinking craft cider.”

Some of the province’s most long-standing craft cideries are helping to create those connections, for the betterment of the industry.

Jason Child and his family bought Merridale Cider in 1999, and up until recently, Merridale (which was founded by Al Piggot in 1990) had been the lone B.C. “land-based” cidery, which means their apples were all grown on site. Child has been working to form the B.C. Farm Crafted Cider Association with over 20 other similar operations in the province so they can lobby, advertise and source things together. Their shared success has meant Child has been able to expand his operation and experiment with new products.

“Now we can try new and different things, and we know people will support that,” he says. “It's nice to have this camaraderie. We aren't just competitors, we're a community as well.” j

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T HOM P SO N O K A NAGAN 05 5

SORRENTO

18

10

15

KAMLOOPS

TO W H I STL ER

1

97

SALMON ARM VERNON

5

97B

97A

97

5A

17

VERNON

TO VANCOUVER

16

KELOWNA

97C

5A

6

02 03 09 12 13

06

SUMMERLAND

01 04 08 11

14

PENTICTON 33 3

N

3A

W 07

OLIVER

BREWERIES

01 Bad Tattoo 02 BNA 03 Boundary Brewing

04 Cannery 05 Crannóg Ales 06 Detonate

07 Firehall 08 Highway 97 09 Kettle River 10 Red Collar 11 Tin Whistle 12 Tree Brewing 13 Tree Brewing Beer Institute

BREW PUBS

14 Barley Mill 15 Barley Station 16 Freddy's 17 M arten Brewing 18 The Noble Pig

BRITISH COLUMBIA

E

KAMLOOPS

RED COLLAR BREWING CO.

355 Lansdowne St. | RedCollar.ca

TUE-WED 4-10PM ^ THU-FRI 3-10PM ^ SAT 1-10PM EST. 2014 The temple to beer that David Beardsell built aims at proving what the lifelong brewer has always known to be true: Life is better with beer.

RYE, RYE, RYE (& GINGER ALE) RY E PA L E A L E W I T H G I N G E R Availability: Seasonal ABV

5.0%

IBU

18

A golden ale with subtle spice and a light heat from fresh ginger root.

RAD ALE AMERICAN RED ALE Availability: Seasonal ABV

5.0%

IBU

30

Presumably named after the 1980s BMX movie due to its impressive balance between malt and hops.

SORRENTO

CRANNóG ALES

706 Elson Rd. | CrannogAles.com DAILY 8:30AM-4:30PM EST. 2000

Don’t expect to see a huge expansion any time soon. Sorrento’s organic farm brewery is a pioneer of sustainability that works just fine as is, thanks.

GAEL’S BLOOD P OTATO A L E

BLACKSTRAP BOOTSTRAPPER

Availability: Year-round

B R OW N A L E Availability: Seasonal

ABV

5.2%

IBU

46

Turns out you can mash potato in a mash tun.

Smooth, rich in malt and lavishly hopped.

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ABV

5.2%

IBU

20

This collab with Ontario’s Beau’s All Natural Brewing is a malty monster.

KELOWNA

BNA BREWING CO.

1250 Ellis St. | BNABrewing.com

SUN-THU 1PM-LATE ^ FRI-SAT 11AM-LATE EST. 2015 BNA might be the coolest place to drink craft beer in the Okanagan, but if you can’t make it there, its beer is now available in liquor stores.

FUBAR

PAMELA

WITBIER

BELGIAN BLONDE

Availability: One-off

Availability: Year-round

ABV

5.0%

IBU

15

This refreshing and surprisingly complex wit dazzles with notes of orange and chocolate.

ABV

5.0%

IBU

21

BNA’s original blonde recipe gets a makeover with a touch of lime zest and kaffir.

KELOWNA

BOUNDARY BREWING

2 - 455 Neave Crt. | BoundaryBrewing.beer DAILY 12PM-LATE EST. 2016

Lineups have stretched out the door at Kelowna’s newest brewery, where owner/brewer Oliver Glaser cooks up classic German styles.

DOUBLE BALTIC PORTER BA LT I C P O RT E R Availability: Limited ABV

8.8%

IBU

25

This big, boozy beast is described as “a northern German take on a traditional English stout porter.”

ALTBIER A LT B I E R Availability: Year-round ABV

5.5%

IBU

35

A traditional alt that’s malt forward, delicately hopped, crisp and satisfying.

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KELOWNA

KETTLE RIVER BREWING CO.

731 Baillie Ave. | KettleRiverBrewing.ca DAILY 12-10PM EST. 2016 The DIY attitude and indie ethos of Kettle River has made them a welcome addition to Kelowna’s brewery scene.

GENTLEMAN COWBOY SESSION IPA

RED CURRANT GRISETTE

I N D I A PA L E A L E Availability: Seasonal

GRISETTE Availability: Seasonal

ABV

4.4%

IBU

45

Swings first with a big citrus and grapefruit wallop, but finishes refined and quaffable.

ABV

4.6%

IBU

12

Light bodied with spicy aromas, it’s refreshing, complimented with a nice tartness from the red currant.

KELOWNA

TREE BREWING BEER INSTITUTE

1346 Water St. | TreeBrewingBeerInstitute.com SUN-TUE 11AM-9PM ^ WED-SAT 11AM-10PM EST. 1996 This is Tree’s R&D lab where small batch brews are poured fresh from the tanks. Enjoy pizza made with spent grains and cask nights on Thursdays.

MEXICAN LAGER

OAT’N ABOUT

MEXICAN-STYLE VIENNA LAGER

OAT M E A L S TO U T

Availability: One-off

Availability: One-off

ABV

4.0%

IBU

15

This clean and refreshing amber lager originated when Austrian brewers emigrated to Mexico.

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ABV

5.0%

IBU

22

Slightly sweet with a smooth body, this is quite simply a good, old-fashioned oatmeal stout.

KELOWNA

TREE BREWING

1083 Richter St. | TreeBeer.com MON-FRI 11AM-5PM EST. 1996

Tree Brewing’s main production facility and tasting room in Kelowna’s North End is also worth a visit.

KELOWNA

CUTTHROAT

PILSNER

W E S T C OA S T A L E

Availability: Year-round

Availability: Year-round

ABV

4.8%

IBU

15

This award-winning pilsner is mildly hopped and well-balanced, just the thing for hot Okanagan days.

5.0%

ABV

IBU

36

Five different hop varieties and five different malts go into Tree’s workhorse ale.

TICKETS Early Bird

SOLD OUT

Advance

SOLD OUT

All Access + G.A.

MAY 11 - 13, 2017

ON SALE NOW - AVAILABLE AT GOBF.CA

Main Event May 13, Waterfront Park

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SUMMERLAND

DETONATE BREWING

#104 - 9503 Cedar Ave. | DetonateBrewing.com HOURS TBD EST. 2017 The beer scene in the Okanagan continues to grow! This nanobrewery is the first in Summerland. Pop in for samplers and growler fills on weekends.

CALL THE HOPS

CITRA PALE ALE

I N D I A PA L E A L E

PA L E A L E

Availability: Year-round

Availability: Seasonal

ABV

5.6%

IBU

74

A hop-forward beer with a significant malt character to balance the hops.

ABV

5.0%

IBU

27

This lighter pale ale has a tropical citrus flavour coming from the Citra hops.

PENTICTON

BAD TATTOO BREWING CO.

169 Estabrook Ave. | BadTattooBrewing.com DAILY 11AM-11PM EST. 2014

Unlike some regrettable ink you might see at the nearby beaches, Bad Tattoo is an excellent Penticton fixture, thanks to Robert Theroux’s brews.

VAGABOND PILSNER PILSNER

GHOST RIDER BLACK IPA

Availability: Small batch

C A S C A D I A N DA R K A L E Availability: Small batch

ABV

4.5%

IBU

25

Brewed traditionally and using only Czech Saaz hops, it’s light, crisp and pairs well with sun.

98

ABV

6.6%

IBU

80

Have a fire extinguisher nearby for this barrel-aged black IPA brewed with habanero peppers.

PENTICTON

CANNERY BREWING

198 Ellis St. | CanneryBrewing.com

MON-THU 12-8PM ^ FRI 12-9PM ^ SAT 11AM-9PM SUN 11AM-8PM EST. 2000 The Cannery has settled into its spacious digs, offering the most taps in town. Probably the only B.C. brewery with a British bar billiards table.

HOP CHOWDAH N E W E N G L A N D I PA

THE MUSE AND THE GOLDEN PROMISE

Availability: Small batch

E X T R A PA L E A L E Availability: Year-round

ABV

6.5%

IBU

35

An ex-beer-iment that taps into the latest craze.

Smooth juicy, citrus notes with light bitterness.

ABV

6.5%

IBU

35

The generous dose of Simcoe hops sings, making this a hoppy, harmonious extra pale ale.

PENTICTON

HIGHWAY 97 BREWERY

954 Eckhardt Ave. | Hwy97Brewery.com DAILY 11AM-9PM EST. 2016

Situated in Tin Whistle’s former home, Penticton’s newest craft brewery offers an Okanagan twist on traditional beer styles.

APRICOT HEFEWEIZEN

ROASTED CARAMEL PORTER

F R U I T W H E AT A L E Availability: Seasonal

R O B U S T P O RT E R Availability: Year-round

ABV

4.5%

IBU

22

This light and refreshing ale is infused with fresh apricots from local Okanagan farms.

ABV

5.8%

IBU

30

Sweet and creamy, with roasted malts right up front and just a hint of hops.

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SPONSORED

I Penticton

Penticton isn’t just about the beach, the peach, and the Naramata Bench. This small, South Okanagan city within easy driving distance of the coast has a thriving, cutting-edge craft beer scene that includes four breweries, a quaint brewpub, and one of the longest running annual beer festivals in B.C. Here’s a rundown on one of my favourite, undiscovered craft beer communities in B.C.

by Joe Wiebe Bad Tattoo Brewing BadTattooBrewing.com

Bad Tattoo’s custom-built facility, located within walking distance of the beach, includes an on-site pizza restaurant, making it one of the most popular dinner options in town. The beer is good, too, thanks to the creativity of the biggest brewmaster in B.C., Robert Theroux, an ex-football player from Montreal. A specialty is La Resureccion, a Belgian Quad aged in spirit barrels, which is released on November 1st each year.

Barley Mill Brewpub BarleyMillPub.com This two-level brewpub has a large, pub-style restaurant downstairs and a family-friendly bistro upstairs that is decorated with a huge collection of sports memorabilia. The atmosphere is friendly and welcoming throughout with a kitchen that will sat-

100

isfy every appetite. During the Okanagan summer months, join them on their patio for a frosty pint.

Cannery Brewing CanneryBrewing.com This brewery was named for its original venue, the Cannery Trade Centre, a historic building in the heart of Penticton where it was based from 2001 until it opened its own facility in 2015. The “new” Cannery is a busy spot – its popular tasting room has the best nachos in town and a busy calendar featuring musicians and other events. Look for Cannery’s new Hop Chowdah New England IPA this spring.

Highway 97 Brewing Hwy97Brewing.com Penticton’s newest brewery just opened in Tin Whistle’s old location following extensive ren-

ovations to the building. Right off the highway as you drive into town next to the popular Kettle Valley Station Pub, the new operation is an open warehouse-style brewery with a tasting room at the front. Look for a solid group of core beers with seasonal releases in coming months, including Red IPA and Highway 97 ESB.

Tin Whistle Brewing When Cannery moved into its new facility, Tin Whistle jumped at the opportunity to take its spot in the Cannery Trade Centre. This marked a big step up in terms of space and Tin Whistle has taken advantage of that by trying new things such as barrel-aging. Its first attempt, Pinot Noir Raspberry Blonde Ale, won First Place at the B.C. Beer Awards last fall.

Okanagan Fest of Ale FestOfAle.ca The best way to experience Penticton’s craft beer culture is at the Okanagan Fest of Ale, a two-day beer festival held in early April at the Penticton Trade and Convention Centre annually since

1996. This year, more than 60 craft breweries and cideries will be featured, along with food vendors and live entertainment.

Check out the Fest of Ale website for a listing of off-site events, including an IPA-focused seminar led by me at Bad Tattoo Brewing on Thursday, April 6, and the infamous Murderer’s Row cask night held at the newly renovated Kettle Valley Station Pub on Saturday, April 8. CAMRA B.C. members, make sure you pack your membership card for benefits all around the South Okanagan.

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PENTICTON

THE TIN WHISTLE BREWING CO.

112-1475 Fairview Rd. | No website MON-SAT 11:30AM-5:30PM EST. 1995

Things at the Okanagan’s first craft brewery have been a little quiet as of late, but we’re hoping to hear more soon, and taste some new brews too.

OSPREY WHITE ALE

KILLER BEE

W H I T E I N D I A PA L E A L E

P O RT E R

Availability: Year-round

Availability: Year-round

ABV

6.5%

IBU

45

An Okanagan take on the Belgian-inspired ale.

Freshly-pressed pear juice with crisp hop bitterness.

ABV

6.0%

IBU

N/A

Strong, sweet honey notes buzzing around in this dark-bodied ale, with a touch of caramel.

OLIVER

FIREHALL BREWERY

6077 Main St. | FirehallBrewery.com

SUN-THU 12-8PM ^ FRI-SAT 12-9PM EST. 2012 Based in a converted firehall, this Okanagan brewery opened its Beer Shop & Social tasting room last summer following a Kickstarter campaign.

HOLY SMOKE STOUT

BACKDRAFT BLONDE

S M O K E D S TO U T

BLONDE ALE

Availability: Year-round ABV

4.5%

IBU

25

Well balanced with smoke and roasted coffee/ chocolate flavours from the fire-dried barley malt.

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Availability: Year-round ABV

5.2%

IBU

15

An easy-drinking but not simple blonde ale that will extinguish your thirst like no other.

KOOT E NAYS 93

N W

E

A L B E R T A 09

LAKE LOUISE

GOLDEN 23

1

1

BANFF

04

REVELSTOKE

93

TO KA M LO O P S

95

B R I T I S H C O L U M B I A

40

01

INVERMERE

6

31A

95

06

KIMBERLEY

6

95A

02 05 08

11

NELSON

CRANBROOK ROSSLAND

3A

3

FERNIE 93

95

07

3B

6

3

ROSSLAND

03

10

UNITED STATES

BREWERIES

01 Arrowhead 02 Backroads 03 Fernie 04 Mt. Begbie 05 Nelson

06 Over Time 07 Rossland 08 Torchlight 09 Whitetooth

BREW PUBS

10 The Heid Out 11 The Savoy

ALBERTA BRITISH COLUMBIA

ROSSLAND

ROSSLAND BEER CO.

1990 Columbia Ave. | RosslandBrewing.com SUN-THU 12-7PM ^ FRI-SAT 12-9PM EST. 2012

It won’t be long before Rossland erects a statue of Ryan Arnaud and Petri Raito, thanks to their remarkable beer and their much-loved brewery.

PAYDIRT PALE ALE PA L E A L E

SEVEN SUMMITS MILK STOUT

Availability: Year-round

M I L K S TO U T Availability: Year-round

ABV

5.2%

IBU

37

Tropical Citra and citrusy, floral Cascade bring the juice to this very easy-going pale ale.

ABV

5.8%

IBU

20

Peak deliciousness: A smooth luxurious feast of mocha and chocolate.

NELSON

BACKROADS BREWING CO.

460 Baker St. | BackroadsBrewing.com HOURS TBD EST. 2016 Experienced brewmaster Mike Kelly is at the wheel for this new venture, which, contrary to its name, sits right in the centre of Nelson.

MANDARINA KELLYBIER

WHITE INDIA PALE ALE

KELLERBIER Availability: Seasonal

W H I T E I N D I A PA L E A L E Availability: Seasonal

ABV

5.0%

IBU

23

An unfiltered Helles lager that features the citrus notes of the Mandarina Bavaria hop.

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ABV

6.5%

IBU

60

A transatlantic fruit salad combining coriander and orange-peel notes with a blast of New World hops.

NELSON

NELSON BREWING CO.

512 Latimer St. | NelsonBrewing.com DAILY 8:30AM-4:30PM EST. 1991

B.C.’s largest all-organic brewery has been putting out medal-winning brews for more than 25 years. Their tasting room can’t come soon enough!

HAPPY CAMPER SUMMER ALE A M E R I C A N PA L E A L E Availability: Seasonal ABV

4.2%

IBU

HOOLIGAN PILSNER Availability: Year-round

34

Go to your happy place with this easy-drinking ale that refreshes with notes of orchard fruit.

ABV

5.0%

IBU

22

Clean, crisp and crushable. Everything you want in a pilsner and nothing you don’t.

NELSON

TORCHLIGHT BREWING CO.

511 Front St. | TorchlightBrewing.com

TUE 11AM-6PM ^ WED-THU 11AM-7PM FRI-SAT 11AM-9PM EST. 2014 Torchlight is moving into an expanded new facility two blocks down the road this spring and soon hope to have their beer available across B.C.

NOCTIS

BROADSIDE IPA

DA R K K E T T L E S O U R

E N G L I S H - S T Y L E I N D I A PA L E A L E

Availability: Seasonal ABV

6.3%

IBU

8

Talk about a complex beer: it’s dark, dry-hopped, and kettle soured, with lavender and hibiscus.

Availability: Year-round ABV

6.0%

IBU

70

Experience the full power of malt and hops in this full-bodied ale. Fire all guns!

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RECIPE

Photos by Dan Toulget

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old Jalopy cheese fondue

BY TRET JORDAN

Old Jalopy Pale Ale from Powell Street Craft Brewery is one of my favourite local beers. I’m a fan of pale ales and Jalopy is a well-balanced brew – malty, hoppy and delicious. I also love cheese, so why not put them together? I cooked at a Swiss-German restaurant many years ago and fondue was one of our most popular dishes. Such a simple dish made with quality ingredients and cheese. Fondue is a perfect dish on a rainy evening and great for friendship.

Tret Jordan is the executive chef at Homer Street Cafe and Bar, Tableau Bar Bistro and Musette Caffe.

Serves: 4-6 Cooking time: 20 minutes I N g r ed i ents 1 cup Powell Street Old Jalopy beer ½ lb grated gruyere cheese ½ lb grated gouda cheese 1 tbsp cornstarch 1 tbsp grainy mustard 1 clove minced garlic 1 dash Worcestershire sauce Salt and pepper to taste Step 1 In a small bowl, add the cornstarch with a touch of water or beer. Stir to combine; this forms the slurry that will be needed later.

Step 2 Put the minced garlic and beer into a fondue pot or another suitable pot.

Step 3 Bring to a boil and slowly add the grated cheese while stirring with a wooden spoon.

Step 4 Once the cheese has been added and is melted in, stir in the cornstarch slurry and continue to boil while stirring.

Step 5 The fondue will start to come together and smooth out as the cornstarch cooks.

Step 6 Turn down the heat and add the mustard and Worcestershire.

Step 7 Season with salt and pepper.

Step 8 Serve warm with fresh baguette, pickles, sausage and boiled potato. The fondue is also delicious with roasted florets of cauliflower or Brussels sprouts. j

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FERNIE

FERNIE BREWING CO.

26 Manitou Rd. | FernieBrewing.com MON-SAT 10AM-6PM EST. 2003

When you’re done shredding Fernie’s five legendary bowls, treat yourself to some of the fine beers being produced by the mighty Fernie Brewing Co. Fernie’s new brewmaster, Jeff Demaniuk, is picking up where his father, Gord, before him left off, offering a wide and varied selection of styles.

THE REAL PEEL GRAPEFRUIT IPA I N D I A PA L E A L E Availability: Seasonal ABV

6.4%

IBU

OLD BARN SAISON SAISON Availability: Seasonal

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Grapefruit peel is paired with citrusy hops to produce this fruity unfiltered IPA.

ABV

6.0

IBU

35

This surprisingly light saison packs a punch of flavour with spicy, peppery and fruity notes.

PROJECT 9 PILS

SLOW DRIFT WITBIER

PILSNER

WITBIER

Availability: Year-round ABV

5.0

IBU

Availability: Year-round

35

A traditional take on a Bavarian pilsner, perfect for après ski refreshment.

ABV

5.0

IBU

10

A classic Belgian white ale brewed with coriander and orange peel.

Enjoy your stay!

One of Fernie’s best known sayings is, “Come for the winter, stay for the summer.” While most people come to Fernie to enjoy the epic pow pow, once they hear how awesome it is the rest of the year, they find themselves still there, 10 years on. Wonder how many new permanent residents Fernie will have this spring?

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KIMBERLEY

OVER TIME BEER WORKS

136A Wallinger Ave. | OverTimeBeer.ca DAILY 10AM-7PM EST. 2016 Over Time’s “Beer Works” tasting lounge is a great place to polish off pints après ski, whether you’re a local or just in town for the weekend.

PRESENT

GOOD EVENING

I N D I A PA L E A L E

B R OW N A L E

Availability: Year-round

Availability: Year-round

5.7%

ABV

80

IBU

This enthusiastic West Coast IPA is brimming with citrus and pine hop notes.

ABV

5.1%

IBU

37

This chocolate, roasty, toasty malt-forward beauty is full-bodied, but smooth enough to be sessionable.

INVERMERE

ARROWHEAD BREWING CO.

481 Arrow Rd. | ArrowheadBrewingCompany.ca SUN-WED 11AM-7PM ^ THU-SAT 11AM-8PM EST. 2012 Inspired by Portland’s diverse beer scene, Shawn and Leanne Tegart have been Keeping the Kootenays Weird since 2012.

BERRIES OF THE NIGHT

ORIGINAL 83 HONEY ALE

R A S P B E R RY W H E AT A L E Availability: Seasonal

H O N E Y B R OW N Availability: Year-round

ABV

4.5%

IBU

N/A

Clean and crisp wheat ale complimented with a nice tart accent from B.C.-grown raspberries.

110

ABV

5.0%

IBU

N/A

Not too heavy, not too sweet, and easy to drink.

Brewed with honey from local bees.

GOLDEN

WHITETOOTH BREWING

623 8th Ave. North | WhitetoothBrewing.com WED-MON 2-10PM EST. 2016 Golden’s sole brewery is just over four months old and brewer Evan Cronshaw has already established a solid line of six core beers.

WHITETOOTH SESSION

TRUTH, DARE, CONSEQUENCE

BLONDE ALE Availability: Year-round

N O R D I C I M P E R I A L S TO U T Availability: One-off

ABV

4.8%

IBU

17

Light and easy like a Sunday morning. Also, easy to drink on a Sunday morning.

ABV

10.0%

IBU

84

A hearty take on the Scandinavian farm stout that isn’t messing around. Balanced with juniper berries.

REVELSTOKE

MT. BEGBIE BREWING CO.

521 1st St. West | Mt-Begbie.com DAILY 9AM-5PM EST. 1996

Last year, Bart and Tracey Larson’s institution moved from its downtown location linto a bigger facility that allows them to make way more beer.

BRAVE LIVER SCOTCH ALE

REVELSTOKE LAGER OLD-STYLE LAGER

S C OT C H A L E Availability: Year-round ABV

6.5%

IBU

22

Aged for one month on single malt-soaked American oak to bring complexity to this wee heavy.

Availability: Seasonal ABV

4.5%

IBU

12

A sudsy tribute to Enterprise Brewing, the 60year-old Revelstoke Brewery that closed in 1957.

111

VALEMOUNT

THREE RANGES BREWING CO.

1160 5th Ave. | ThreeRanges.com WED-SAT 3-8PM ^ SUN 1-6PM EST. 2013 If you’re a community of barely 1,000 people and don’t have your own brewery yet, you’re missing out. Just ask the townsfolk of Valemount.

ALPENGLOW AMBER ALE

MUDBOGGER DARK LAGER

AMBER Availability: Seasonal

DA R K L A G E R Availability: Seasonal

ABV

5.8%

IBU

30

ABV

A robust, full-flavoured and balanced ale featuring Crystal malt and Simcoe and Sorachi Ace hops.

5.5%

IBU

18

There’s a little roast, a little smoke and a whole load of satisfaction in this muddy-coloured lager.

QUESNEL

BARKERVILLE BREWING CO.

185 Davie St. | BarkervilleBeer.com MON-WED 12-6PM ^ THU 12-8PM SAT 11AM-6PM

^ FRI 12-9PM

EST. 2014 Located in Quesnel, 80km away from its historic namesake, Barkerville is producing some of the best beers in Northern B.C.

52 FOOT STOUT

WANDERING CAMEL

E X P O RT S TO U T

I N D I A PA L E A L E

Availability: Seasonal ABV

7.0%

IBU

70

Named for the depth at which Billy Barker struck gold and made with locally-sourced birch syrup.

112

Availability: Year-round ABV

6.5%

IBU

48

This bold thirst-quencher features a heaping humping of tropical fruit and citrus flavours.

PRINCE GEORGE

CROSSROADS BREWING

508 George St. | CrossroadsCraft.com HOURS TBD EST. 2016 If all goes to plan, PG’s first craft brewery will be open by the time you’ve read this. We’re looking forward to what brewer Patrick Moore has in store.

GEORGE STREET BROWN ALE

IRON BRIDGE OATMEAL STOUT

B R OW N A L E Availability: Year-round

S TO U T Availability: Year-round

ABV

5.0%

IBU

25

Toffee, chocolate and biscuit malt aromas and flavour highlight this quaffable English style.

ABV

4.7%

IBU

25

Rich and dark in colour, but silky smooth with big chocolate and coffee notes.

We design, fabricate and install: Custom stainless steel brew tanks Tables • Countertops • Sinks & more for breweries, restaurants and other hospitality services.

www.abcss.ca 113

TERRACE

SHERWOOD MOUNTAIN BREWHOUSE

Unit 101 - 4816 Hwy. 16 West | SherwoodMountain.beer MON-FRI 11AM-7:30PM ^ SAT-SUN 12-6PM EST. 2014 Terrace’s own craft brewery has expanded its capacity, giving brewer Darryl Tucker the opportunity to explore a wider variety of beer styles.

MUNICH LAGER

PARKER’S IPA

DA R K L A G E R

I N D I A PA L E A L E

Availability: Small batch

Availability: Small batch

ABV

5.1%

IBU

12

A classic brown lager showcasing the depth and complexity of Munich malts. Think bread crusts.

ABV

5.6%

IBU

55

A lighter, English-style India Pale Ale dryhopped with Mosaic and Cashmere hops.

PRINCE RUPERT

WHEELHOUSE BREWING CO.

217 1st Ave. East | WheelhouseBrewing.com THU-FRI 4-11PM

^ SAT 2-11PM ^ SUN 2-6PM

EST. 2013 The craft beer from this outpost at the edge of the world is still a rare find outside Prince Rupert, so reel in some Wheelhouse beer if you see it.

BENTHIC INDIA BLACK ALE B L A C K I N D I A PA L E A L E Availability: Seasonal ABV

7.0%

IBU

75

As inky as the ocean’s depths but as bracing as a spring storm, thanks to Amarillo and Simcoe hops.

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FLAGSHIP PALE ALE PA L E A L E Availability: Year-round ABV

5.3%

IBU

38

This pale ale flaunts five different malts and fruity-fresh Citra, Cascade and Centennial hops.

SPONSORED

How a “retirement project” grew into the largest hop farming business in Canada

S

by Jennifer Foden

ix years ago, John Lawrence decided to get into hop farming after encouragement from a friend who used to work in the business himself. Lawrence, a former mechanic, started off with two acres as a retirement project.

Today, his business, Chilliwack Hop Farms has 300 acres of land and 15 employees.

“Retirement went sideways,” he says with a laugh.

While Lawrence only got into hop farming a few years ago, the industry has a long history in the Fraser Valley.

“Hops was a mainstay in Chilliwack for many years,” he says. For more than a century, nearly 2,000 acres of land in the Valley was used for growing hops. In the 1990s, the last hop farm closed after the owner passed away and his 1,000-acre farm was sold off.

However, with the boom of the craft beer industry over the past five to 10 years, there has been a resurgence of hop farming in the area.

“Between the weather and the high quality soil, growing hops in the Fraser Valley just works so well,” says Lawrence.

He also saw an opportunity to sell his hops to smaller craft breweries that didn’t have the capacity to buy from larger suppliers in the United States and Europe.

“Often small breweries only want to buy 10, 20 or 50 pounds of hops at a time,” Lawrence says. “However, most suppliers require that you buy 200 pounds at once, which is fine for big businesses, but not so much for the smaller craft breweries.”

For Chilliwack Hop Farms to grow, though, there was a definite challenge: farmland in B.C. is very expensive. So, when Lawrence saw the potential and opportunity in his original two acres, he decided to expand the business by crop sharing. He approached several landowners who had the acreage, but not the equipment or knowhow to grow hops. They would provide the land, Lawrence and his team would do the work, and together, they’d share in the profits. Today, the majority of the 300 acres Chilliwack Hop Farms operates on is owned by other farmers.

“It’s like a farm co-op,” says Lawrence. “On that shared land, we grow over 15 different varieties of hops that are sold around the world.”

So, does the owner of the largest hop farms business in Canada ever get to try the beer made from his crops?

“Occasionally,” he laughs.

Cheers to that “retirement” John.

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BREWPUBS

Here it is again! The brewpub section!

The brewpub is a unique place in which to imbibe craft beer. The focus of the brewpub may not necessarily be on the beer itself, but instead, the food, or the patio, or the hockey game on the giant projection screen.

But while the brewing operations in many of these pubs are modest, that doesn’t stop them from making some seriously fantastic beer.

Since few brewpubs bottle and keg their own beer – or even offer growler fills – if you want to try what they are brewing, you’re going to have to go to the source.

Which is a great excuse for a road trip!

V AN C OUVER

V ANCOUV ER

DOCKSIDE BREWING CO.

PAT’S PUB & BREWHOUSE

1253 Johnston St. | DocksideVancouver.com

403 East Hastings St. | PatsPub.ca

In addition to a wide selection of approachable session ales and lagers, Dockside has one of the most impressive patios in the city.

In addition to more than 20 craft beers on tap from local breweries, Pat’s also offers their own line of craft beers brewed on-site.

HAUPENTHAL HEFEWEIZEN HEFEWEIZEN Availability: Year-round ABV

4.8%

IBU

N/A

Named after veteran brewmaster Peter Haupenthal, this wheat ale is perfect for the patio.

116

SKID ROAD I N D I A PA L E A L E Availability: Year-round ABV

6.6%

IBU

66

A hop profile of tropical and stone fruit, with a dry finish.

BREWPUBS VAN C OUVE R

V ANCO UVER

STEAMWORKS BREW PUB

STEEL TOAD BREWERY

375 Water St. | Steamworks.com/Brew-Pub

97 East 2nd Ave. | SteelToad.ca

Steamworks’ original location in Gastown is still one of Vancouver’s best places for an after-work pint and a bite, with eight dining areas and two patios.

Head brewer Chris Charron holds down the fort at this hip and inviting Mount Pleasant pub. Keep an eye out for some strong guest taps too.

EMPRESS IPA

HOP EXCHANGE

I N D I A PA L E A L E

S I N G L E H O P PA L E A L E

Availability: Year-round ABV

5.5%

IBU

75

This IPA has five varieties of hops for a strong nose and delicious hop flavour.

VAN C OUVE R

ABV

5.5%

IBU

40

The Toad’s rotating experiment, featuring a new hop each batch.

WH ISTLER

YALETOWN BREWING CO.

1111 Mainland St. | MJG.ca/Yaletown

With eight taps of craft beer made in-house and an excellent kitchen, Yaletown is still one of the best places to drink beer in Vancouver.

ROUNDHOUSE WHEAT HEFEWEIZEN Availability: Year-round ABV

Availability: Year-round

4.8%

IBU

12

An unfiltered wheat beer brewed in the traditional Bavarian style.

BREWHOUSE HIGH MOUNTAIN BREWING

4355 Blackcomb Way | MJG.ca/BrewHouse

With a prime location, an extensive food menu and the experienced Derrick Franche in the brewhouse, this is the Village’s top beer destination.

5 RINGS IPA I N D I A PA L E A L E Availability: Year-round ABV

7.5%

IBU

70

West Coast IPAs don’t come much more classic than this.

117

BREWPUBS SU RREY

DUNCAN

BIG RIDGE BREWING CO.

CRAIG STREET BREW PUB

5580 152 St. | MJG.ca/Big-Ridge

25 Craig St. | CraigStreet.ca

New brewmaster Ashley Brooks hasn’t wasted any time making her mark, picking up a gold and a silver at the 2016 B.C. Beer Awards.

The Cowichan Valley’s original craft beer destination is environmentally-focused, community-minded (free shuttle bus!) and lays on all kinds of deliciousness.

SCHWARZBIER DARK LAGER

SHAWNIGAN IRISH RED ALE

S C H WA R Z B I E R Availability: Seasonal

IRISH RED ALE Availability: Year-round

ABV

5.0%

IBU

22

Toasted malts, caramel, and notes of coffee and chocolate come together with a subtle hop bitterness.

NANAI MO

ABV

5.4%

IBU

22

Malt forward and rich with pronounced caramel notes and just enough hops to balance.

KAMLO O PS

LONGWOOD BREWPUB

THE NOBLE PIG BREWHOUSE

5775 Turner Rd. | LongwoodBrewpub.com

650 Victoria St. | TheNoblePig.ca

Whether it’s the spacious restaurant or cosy downstairs pub, Longwood has been a haven for thirsty Nanaimoites since 2000.

Believe it or not, Fascist Pig Pilsner was around before last year’s American election. The beers here will leave a much better taste in your mouth too.

EXTRA SPECIAL BITTER EXTRA SPECIAL BITTER Availability: Year-round ABV

5.5%

IBU

30

A strong, copper-coloured English-style bitter, well hopped with British varietals.

118

IMPERIALIST PIG IPA I N D I A PA L E A L E Availability: Year-round ABV

6.0%

IBU

63

Heavily hopped with Columbus, Willamette, Cascades and Styrian Goldings.

BREWPUBS SALMON A R M

V ERNON

BARLEY STATION BREW PUB

MARTEN BREWING CO.

20 Shuswap St. North | BarleyStation.com

2933 30th Ave. | MartenBrewpub.com

No matter how fast you’re cruising along Highway 1, this is a required craft beer pitstop to check out brewer Damon Robson’s latest and greatest.

Located right in the heart of Vernon at 30th and 30th, Marten boasts a big, beautiful, two-level room with the brewery right in plain view.

BUSHWACKER BROWN ALE E N G L I S H B R OW N A L E Availability: Year-round ABV

5.0%

IBU

15

Chocolaty, nutty English brown ale. Gold winner at 2016 Canadian Brewing Awards.

B.C. BUD I N D I A PA L E A L E Availability: Year-round ABV

6.1%

IBU

70

Citrusy orange and grapefruit hop notes balanced with medium malt.

Handmade high quality wooden crates We specialize in store display and home décor, custom branding and display solutions.

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119

KELOWNA

PENTICTON

FREDDY’S BREWPUB

BARLEY MILL BREW PUB

124 McCurdy Rd. | McCurdyBowl.com

2460 Skaha Lake Rd. | BarleyMillPub.com

Connected to the McCurdy Bowling Centre, Freddy’s beer list isn’t going to blow you away, but it’s fine for a fun night of bowling and brews.

This English-style community pub has served Penticton for almost 20 years, offering all-malt beer, an extensive food menu and frequent live music.

CHANNEL CAT PA L E A L E

NITE MARE BROWN ALE

Availability: Year-round

E N G L I S H B R OW N A L E Availability: Year-round

ABV

5.0%

IBU

22

A pale ale dry-hopped with Cascade and Amarillo hops.

NELSON

ABV

5.0%

IBU

50

Rich with specialty malts, this pub favourite features a dry, roasty finish.

CRANB ROO K

THE SAVOY BREWERY

THE HEID OUT

198 Baker St. | SavoyHotel.com

821 Baker St. | TheHeidOut.ca

The Savoy Hotel’s brewery produces creative styles to pair with the locally sourced food offered in the café and live-entertainment lounge.

The East Kootenays’ only brewpub is an unassuming, très cool spot. Everything is brewed on-site, including six core beers and the occasional seasonal.

SAVOY STOUT

WILD HORSE WIT

D RY I R I S H S TO U T

WITBIER

Availability: Year-round ABV

4.7%

IBU

34

A classic dry stout served on nitro for a luscious mouthfeel.

120

Availability: Year-round ABV

5.0%

IBU

21

A Canadian-style Belgian wheat ale with cloves, coriander and fresh Valencia oranges.

BEER GROUND To the

The Growler team has been hard at work, tracking down the latest intel on the many new B.C. breweries in the works.

If you thought the craft beer revolution was slowing down, boy were you wrong! Here's our list of new breweries we hope to see opening up across the province in the coming months.

ANGRY HEN BREWING CO.

Kaslo (mid-2017) Former Steamworks and Big Ridge Brewpub brewer Shirley Warne is behind this brewery in the tiny hamlet of Kaslo on Kootenay Lake. Kaslo village council approved Angry Hen’s development permit in November, and the owners of the brewery are hoping to be operational by mid-2017. The perfect time for a Kootenay beer-cation!

ANOTHER BEER CO.

New Westminster (mid-2017) There was a time when Sapperton was the brewing capital of B.C., but since the Labatt brewery closed in 2005, there’s been sad lack of beer in an area now known as “The Brewery District.” Alex Jopson and Clete Hanson are hoping to change that and are planning to open Another Beer Co. just a few blocks away from where the historic brewery used to stand (it’s a Save-On-Foods now).

FACTORY BREWING

Vancouver (spring 2017) Factory will be a contract brewer offering support to breweries that don’t have tank capacity to match demand.

It will also brew some American brands that normally aren’t distributed here.

GIBSONS TAPWORKS

Gibsons Tapworks (early spring 2017) This one kinda snuck up on us – by the time you read this, it will probably already be open. Launched by three friends, this community-focused operation is located close to Molly’s Reach, the famous restaurant from The Beachcombers.

MOUNT ARROWSMITH BREWING CO.

Parksville (late spring 2017) Local boy David Woodward (formerly of Tofino Brewing, Axe and Barrel Brewing and The Whistler Brew-

House) is returning home and is bringing his 15+ years of brewing experience with him. The focus will be on “crisp and tasteful West Coast and British-inspired beers,” with much of the ingredients being sourced locally.

NORTHPAW BREWING

Tri-Cities (fall 2017) This brewery is aiming to open in Coquitlam, but is still looking for a space. In the meantime, it has done a collaboration brew with Foamers’ Folly and will appear at the Coquitlam Craft Beer Festival on March 9.

SILVER VALLEY BREWING

Maple Ridge (early 2017) Silver Valley Brewing is hoping to become downtown Maple Ridge’s third craft brewery, alongside Maple Meadows and Ridge Brewing. A 1,600-sq.ft. tasting room and brewery is in the works, and owners are hopeful the city will approve their application for a lounge licence.

SOOKE BREWING

Sooke (summer 2017) Not to be confused with Sooke Oceanside Brewing, Sooke Brewing will be located in the South Island hamlet’s “downtown,” in a stunning 3,500-sq.-ft. purpose-built brewery. The tasting room will have a lounge endorsement, making it one of the few breweries in the region to offer pints on site.

TRENCH BREWING & DISTILLING

Prince George (late spring 2017) Trench will be offering spirits as well as craft beer when it opens its doors this spring, and promises to “have something for everyone. Our styles will be diverse, clean and inspired by flavors native to the North.” Co-owners Jesse Hoefels and Craig Schwenning will be handling brewing duties and plan to offer pilsners and lagers “brewed in the traditional Czech brewing method.” j

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