VOLUME
06 01 ISSUE
B.C.
$3 CRAFT
BEEr
&
Display until JUNE 15, 2020
cider
$3
guide
BRITISH COLUMBIA NORTHERN B.C.
SEA TO SKY / SUNSHINE COAST VANCOUVER ISLAND
cONTRiBUTiNG WRiTeRS Ted Child Kristina Mameli David Ort Rob Mangelsdorf Joe Wiebe pRODUcTiON & DeSiGN MANAGeR Tara Rafiq tara@thegrowler.ca pHOTOGRApHY Jennifer Gauthier Rob Mangelsdorf Lara Zukowsky cOVeR iLLUSTRATiON Cynthia Frenette SOciAL MeDiA Danielle Boileau DiSTRiBUTiON Craig Sweetman (Newsstand) Rob Mangelsdorf (Direct) ordersbc@thegrowler.ca SUBScRipTiONS bc.thegrowler.ca/subscribe Copyright © The Growler 2020
No part of this publication may be reproduced in any form without the written permission of the publisher. Every effort is made to avoid errors and omissions. If you notice an error, please accept our apologies and notify us.
pUBLiSHeD BY Glacier Media Group thegrowler.ca | @thegrowlerbc
KOOTENAYS
FRASER VALLEY
LOWER MAINLAND / NORTH SHORE VANCOUVER VICTORIA / GULF ISLANDS
pUBLiSHeR Gail Nugent gnugent@thegrowler.ca eDiTOR Rob Mangelsdorf editor@thegrowler.ca 778-840-5005
THOMPSON OKANAGAN
Contents 06 08 12 14 18 20 22 24 28 30 32 33 34 36 38 40 105
THe GROWLeR iS FiVe! BReWeR VS BReWeR: MANiFeST DeSTiNY eDiTiON cRAFT BeeR iS DeAD UNSUNG HeROeS OF cRAFT BeeR: "UNcLe" BeN GiNTeR WeST cOAST ipAS: DON'T cALL iT A cOMeBAcK ciDeR 101: WTF iS peRRY? WHeN GRAiN MeeTS GRApe NYc: NeW cRAFT ciTY WHeReFORe ART THOU, cASK ALeS? FOR THe LOVe OF BeeR, pLeASe USe A GLASS B.c. cRAFT BeeR eVeNTS B.c. BeeR LOVeRS BURNeD BY DOUBLe STANDARD SiSTeRS ARe BReWiN' iT FOR THeMSeLVeS ReMeMBeRiNG GReG eVANS Recipe: SAVOURY cLAMS WiTH LAMB AND LeeKS B.c. BReWeRY LiSTiNGS BeeR TO THe GROUND
LEGEND
Breweries by Region 40 VANCOUVER 52 LOWER MAINLAND / NORTH SHORE 63 FRASER VALLEY 68 SEA TO SKY / SUNSHINE COAST 72 VICTORIA / GULF ISLANDS 80 VANCOUVER ISLAND 84 THOMPSON OKANAGAN / KELOWNA 91 KOOTENAYS GROWLER-APPROVED Keep an eye out NORTHERN B.C. 94 for our 10 favourite beers and ciders this spring! 96 CIDERIES Editor’s Note This issue marks the fifth anniversary of The Growler, and we’re celebrating by changing things up. The first thing you’ll probably notice is that we’ve streamlined and condensed our brewery listings. This has allowed us to do something we’ve been wanting to do for a very long time: adding cideries.
That’s right, The Growler is now B.C.’s Craft Beer and Cider Guide.
Just as craft beer has exploded over the past decade, so too has cider. It seems British Columbians can’t get enough of delicious, locally produced craft beverages! One of the many things that makes B.C. cider so great is that it’s largely made with B.C. fruits, thus supporting local agriculture. And just as breweries have experimented with beer styles, so too have cideries, with offerings ranging from traditional dry ciders all the way to funky wild-fermented Basque-style sagardoa, and everything in between. There’s a good reason nearly every craft brewery tasting room in the province has at least one cider on tap, and now you’ll be able to discover all of B.C.’s cideries, all in one place. Of course, we’ve still got plenty of beer. In fact, we’ve increased the number of informative articles, entertaining features and interviews with the most interesting personalities in B.C. craft beer. And we’ve got more great maps, too, so whether it’s beer or cider you fancy, you’ll find what you’re looking for.
Thanks for sharing the past five years with us, we look forward to many more! —Rob Mangelsdorf, editor
Brewery Details GROWLER FILLS BOTTLES / CANS TASTING ROOM ON-SITE KITCHEN OR FOOD TRUCK TOURS KID FRIENDLY DOG FRIENDLY GLUTEN-FREE BOOZE OPTIONS
Suggested Glassware STANGE
Kolsch Marzen Gose
PILSNER Lager Pilsner Witbier
NONIC PINT
Stout Pale ale Most ales, actually
WEIZEN
Hefeweizen Wheat ales Fruit beer
TULIP
IPA Saison Strong ales
GOBLET Dubbel Tripel Quad
SNIFTER
Barleywine Sours Anything funky
TEKU
Dry-hopped sours Fruited sours Heirloom ciders
SIDRA
Still cider Basque cider
C R A F T
B E E R
H A N D B O O K
VOLUME
02 03 ISSUE
$2
C R A F T
B E E R
H A N D B O O K
Craft Beer Handbook
SUMMER 2016
H A N D B O O K
ISSUE
T h e G row l e r
02.02
T h e G row l e r
T h e G row l e r
VOLUME
Craft Beer Handbook
Craft Beer Handbook
03 03 ISSUE
Display until dec 15, 2016
B . C .
C R A F T
B E E R
$2
g u i d e
VOLUME
VOLUME
VOLUME
04 02
04 03
04 04
ISSUE
ISSUE
$2 B . C .
C R A F T
B E E R
g u i d e
ISSUE
$2 B . C .
C R A F T
B E E R
g u i d e
B . C .
C R A F T
SI NER NSID E IN st
1
an
nual * 2 0
years
18
!
W
R
02 02
02.03 2016 T h e G ro w l e r FALL Craft Beer Handbook
VOLUME
B E E
E R
Y A D H T R I HAPPY B TO US! T
his issue marks the fifth anniversary of The Growler, and we’re pretty excited. This is a major milestone for us, the first of many we hope. The B.C. craft beer scene has come a long way in the past half decade, and we feel incredibly fortunate to have been there to tell the story.
The very first issue of The Growler debuted on Jan. 31, 2015. At the time, there were barely 90 craft breweries and brewpubs around the province, the vast majority in Metro Vancouver and Victoria. Today, there’s more than double that, reaching every corner of the province. “B.C.’s craft beer industry has grown so quickly, especially in the Lower Mainland, that it’s nearly impossible to keep up with who’s where and what’s when,” wrote Stephen Smysniuk, The Growler’s founder and original editor in that first issue. Five years later, and it’s still nearly impossible to keep up with all the awesomeness.
In 2that short time we’ve seen the craft beer scene evolve in ways g u i dwe e could have never imagined. We’ve seen breweries open and breweries close. We’ve witnessed the birth of new beer styles, and the death of others. And thanks to collaboration, creativity and a commitment to quality, B.C. craft beer has become globally recognized. $
And just like B.C.’s craft beer scene, The Growler has grown considerably since that first adorable 66-page issue. We’ve expanded across the entire province and even to Ontario. We launched our own line of collab beers. We created The Growler’s B.C. Craft Beer Readers’ Choice Awards, a.k.a. the Growlies, to give beer fans a voice. As of this issue, we’ve even added craft cider coverage. We’ve also launched sister publications, including craft cocktail digest The Alchemist and wine culture magazine Vitis. So as we look forward to the next five years and beyond, on behalf of the entire Growler team, I’d like to say thank you to all of our supporters in the craft beer industry and beyond. Most of all, I’d like to say thank you, dear reader. Because without you, none of this would be possible. Cheers, The Growler Team
7
BREWer BREWer THE MANIFEST DESTINY EDITION!
T
by Rob Mangelsdorf
he Yankees are coming! The Yankees are coming! That’s right, Laura Secord, the word is out about the B.C. craft beer scene down south, resulting in talented American brewers spilling over our borders (well, trickling at least) and into to the Great White North. The whole free healthcare thing helps, too. They’re bringing their new-fangled fancy beer ideas with them, and we couldn’t be happier. So we sat down with recent arrivals Tim Juul, head brewer at Container Brewing, and Trever Bass, director of brewing operations at 33 Acres, to talk about the American invasion and what their plans are for the new 51st state. I, for one, welcome our new craft beer overlords.
8
The Growler: Well hey, welcome to Canada, guys. Tell me a bit about your first impressions so far. Tim Juul: I love it up here. It’s a big change from the eastern United States where I’m from. My wife dragged me out here, she’s working at UBC. After Trump got elected, my wife and I joked that we were going to move to Canada. Growler: It doesn’t matter who gets elected, there’s always a portion of Americans who are like, fuck it, I’m moving to Canada! We’re everyone’s plan B. Juul: Yeah, we had no real intentions of moving here, but my wife is doing her post doctorate, and UBC was one of the ones that was available, one
I think craft beer came on a bit later here, but West Coast consumers are definitely educated. —Tim Juul, Container Brewing
of the better ones that’s available, so we thought it would be a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to check out Canada. And the political scene is way more mellow, which is nice. Trever Bass: I moved up the beginning of September, but I have family here and I’ve been coming to Vancouver for 20 years. Growler: How are you adjusting to life in Canada? Bass: Moving to a new country, even if you have family there, it’s a process. It’s the little things. Like, I just got my phone today, with a Canadian phone number and that felt like a really big deal. You know, I’m still trying to find my home bar. Growler: So what’s your background? Where were you brewing before you came to Canada? Juul: I started brewing at Fort Hill Brewing in western Massachusetts. Started out just helping out and moved up into a brewing role and head brewer. It was a fully-automated 60 hL system, 240 hL tanks. It’s a big change going from that down to the 20 hL system at Container. We were in the same market with Trillium, Tree House, all that. Bass: I was in Portland, I was the head brewer at Migration for a year and a half and was at Hopworks for six or seven years before that. I started out as a delivery driver at Hopworks, and worked my way up. I had some brewing experience, but that’s where I started. 33 Acres is pretty similar in size to Migration. Growler: What are some of the differences you’ve noticed up here, in terms of the beer scene? Is there anything that strikes you as strange or bizarre? Anything we’re missing out on? Juul: Actually, I think B.C. is skipping over some of the bad aspects of the U.S. beer scene. We have a lot of gigantic retail breweries that are suf-
Jennifer Gauthier photos
fering right now. And I don’t think B.C. is really going to go through that, with massive equipment that’s not getting utilized, people getting laid off. B.C. has just skipped right to the local scene. Growler: Have you noticed a difference in what the Canadian craft beer consumer wants? Is the market different up here? Juul: The consumer is different for sure, at least from the Northeast. All people want is hazy IPAs and milkshake IPAs. People here are a little more open to trying new things. I think craft beer came on a bit later here, but West Coast consumers are definitely educated. They might be over educated! But that education opens up the market more. Bass: My first impression was 10 years ago when I first started visiting. I’ve seen the B.C. craft beer scene change a lot. Back then it was Steamworks, Granville Island, and now those are the old school breweries. It’s shifted a lot from 10 years ago to five years ago, then shifted radically in the last five years. Brassneck and 33 Acres were two breweries that I went to as soon as they opened. It feels a lot more like Portland now. There’s so many breweries coming up and they each have a specialty. Growler: I think you have to find a niche when there are so many breweries in the same market. Bass: Yeah, when I moved to Portland 10 years ago, there were 35 breweries and everyone was saying, this place is saturated, there’s no way it could support 40 breweries. And it happened in six months. And now there’s 70-plus, 80-plus breweries. It's crazy.
9
People think there can’t possibly be any more breweries, but we’ll see six breweries close and 20 breweries open. —Trever Bass, 33 Acres Juul: Do you think that the thing that’s keeping them afloat is the hyper-local aspect of the consumer? Bass: Yeah. Juul: Do you think in Vancouver, it’s kind of the same idea? Bass: I don’t think Vancouver’s there yet. I feel like Vancouver is where Portland was when I first moved there. People think there can’t possibly be any more breweries, but we’ll see six breweries close and 20 breweries open. Bigger breweries will start to sell less beer and smaller breweries will serve their neighbourhood. Growler: The margins are so much better when you’re selling pints in your own tasting room. Bass: Totally. And when you have that sort of brewery scene, you have to specialize. You can’t say, oh we made an IPA, and it’s the same as the one down the street. Because people are just going to go to the one down the street or the one closest to their house. So it’s got to be good, it’s got to be well made and it’s got to have a unique twist to it. Growler: The idea of terroir in beer is kind of a new concept, at least here. Is there anything you see here as being distinctive? Bass: I think a lot of beer is still pretty malt forward in B.C., especially with hoppier styles. You see a lot less of that in the U.S., at least in the Oregon beer scene. I don’t know what it’s like back east. Juul: Back east you don’t put caramel malts in anything, except maybe a stout. Bass: Yeah, the old school style still has legs, and that’s shifting, but it’s definitely here. There’s a regional palate, and a B.C. IPA is different from an Oregon IPA, which is different from a South-
10
ern California, San Diego IPA. And I think that because of all these other influences that come to B.C., we’re still seeing what the new B.C. IPA smells and tastes like. Growler: What are some B.C. beers that you guys like? Anything that’s jumped out at you? Juul: Actually, 33 Acres, the French blanche [33 Acres of Sunshine] was one of the first ones that I drank here, and it’s a delicious beer. It’s one of my go-tos when I hit the liquor store. Bass: I hate to be the guy that talks about the place I work now, but yeah, 33 Acres of Sunshine was the first beer that I had at the Great Canadian Beer Festival probably six or seven years ago, right when 33 Acres had opened. And I was like, whoa, this isn’t like any of the other beer I’m seeing in Vancouver right now. My little brother lives up here and he’s always slinging stuff at me. Nectarous is one of those beers when I tried it… four years ago? I don’t think there’s a better version of that beer in the Pacific Northwest. For a dry-hopped sour to have that much depth of flavour and impact. Growler: It was a turning point beer for sure. It won Beer of the Year at the Canadian Brewing Awards [2016] and the style just exploded. Soon everyone was doing them. Bass: Yeah, I think that’s a beer that all of B.C. can be proud of. j
by Ben Coli
12
T
he term “craft brewery” dates back to some time in the 1980s, originally coined by beer writer Vince Cottone. The word “microbrewery” was current at the time, but Vince thought a broader term less specifically focused on size was needed. Since then, “craft” has been celebrated, defined, dogmatized, argued over, redefined, subverted, declaimed, reclaimed, re-redefined, co-opted, borrowed by other industries, co-opted by other industries, and shot and left for dead in a urine-soaked alley. In the words of the mighty Superflux Brewing Company: Craft Beer is Dead. It’s time that we buried it, recited fond words over its grave and moved on. “Craft” was never a big enough word to encompass all the definitions that we piled on top of it. It came to mean too many different things, some of them in direct contradiction to one another. In my years of talking to craft beer fans and industry professionals, it’s become clear that the term is based on a false consensus. I’ve been standing in a crowd of people loudly applauding “craft,” imagining we’re supporting the same thing, while each of us has our own entirely solipsistic definition of the term. Is “craft” innovation or is it tradition? Is it Reinheitsgebot or Cap’n Crunch in the mash tun? Is it about beer quality or about brewery size? Can you know “craft” when you taste it, or do you have to exhaustively research the ownership structure and total output of a brewery before you know that’s what you’re drinking? Is “local” so important that a beer stops being “craft” when it’s shipped out of market? Or is “craft” whatever tastes best? The most commonly cited definition is from the Brewers Association, the American arbiter of all things craft. They have defined and redefined what it is to be a craft brewery. Here is their current opinion:
SMALl: Less than six million US beer barrels of annual production (that’s about 700 million litres: enough to flood an NFL field to a depth of 131 metres; enough to supply every man, woman, child and suckling infant in British Columbia with 293 tall cans. If you produce more than that, you’re no longer SMALL).
INDEPENDENT: Less than 25 per cent of the brewery is owned by a member of the beverage alcohol industry that isn’t a craft brewery (but it could be owned by, I don’t know, Monsanto or General Motors). BREWER: Makes beer.
Notice that there’s nothing in there about the beer being good, or about the brewery even trying to make good beer. It would have been too tough for them to define and measure, so they settled on breweries that aren’t enormous, and aren’t owned by AB Inbev or Diageo. It certainly isn’t anything you can taste. They’d originally tried a narrower definition that referred to processes and ingredients, but they failed because a narrower definition always excluded breweries that everyone agreed were craft. What the BA really needed was a definition of an independent brewery, which is what they spent 15 years paring the definition down to. It would have been less confusing if they’d just switched words from “craft” to “independent.” The term “craft beer” isn’t serving consumers particularly well. When someone asks a server at a bar about “craft beer,” what are they asking? Is it local? Is it from a small brewery? Is the brewery independently owned? Is the beer good? Or as they just asking for a beer in a “craft” style, like a pale ale or an IPA? All of those are totally valid questions, but the conversation is being confused by this word nobody understands the same way. And the term “craft brewery” isn’t really serving the breweries anymore, either. Boston Beer Company is technically a “craft brewery” and they make 500 million litres per year. I want a different word to describe Dageraad, which made less than 300,000 litres last year. I’d love to have a term to differentiate my little Belgian-style nerd-brewery from lagerand-pale-ale breweries. For years I’ve used the words “craft beer” and “craft brewery” about a hundred times a day, but I’m going to try to stop. I want to replace them with more specific words and start saying what I’m really trying to say. I’m going to need help, though, because I need to develop a whole new vocabulary to do it. Here’s my first try at using a post-craft vocabulary: “Dageraad is a small, independent, specialty brewery. We make Belgian-inspired beers for beer nerds.” So far so good? (I accidentally typed “craft” three times while I was writing that. This is going to be a tough habit to break.) j • Ben Coli is the owner and founder of Dageraad Brewing in Burnaby.
13
UNSUNG HEROES OF CRAFT BEER...
by Rob Mangelsdorf Canadian beer pioneer Ben Ginter and his Prince George-based Tartan Brewery fought to break open the macro beer monopoly in Canada for more than 20 years. Photo courtesy of The Exploration Place, Prince George.
I
n the days of monopolized beer sales, when just three companies had a stranglehold on the beer market in B.C., only one man was brave—or possibly naïve enough—to thumb his nose at the corporate juggernauts of the day. That man was “Uncle” Ben Ginter, and while his Prince George-based Tartan Brewing never produced anything that could remotely or conceivably be considered craft beer, his plucky determination and anti-establishment attitude helped embody the spirit of the craft beer revolution that would follow. Ginter was a Polish immigrant who grew up in rural Manitoba before dropping out of school at 14 to go into business for himself. He started his
14
own construction company and, by the 1960s, had amassed a fortune of close to $30 million by paving the roads and highways of the rapidly expanding B.C. north. In all, his many trucking, construction and paving companies employed more than 9,000 people. Ginter knew nothing about beer when in 1962, he bought the former Caribou Brewing Co. plant in Prince George for $150,000 which he intended to use as a storage yard for his heavy road construction equipment. The brewery was only five years old, and its brewhouse was still operational, however. At the time, Prince George had the highest per capita beer consumption in the country—possibly the continent—so after
being convinced by a group of local hotel owners, Ginter instead decided to get the brewery back up and running under the name Tartan Brewing. Canadian Breweries, whom he had bought the brewery from, now offered him $150,000 just for the copper brewhouse so that he wouldn’t brew beer to compete with them. But Ginter’s mind was made up, and the offer, which he took as an insult, only further convinced him. Initially, Tartan produced a series of knock-off beers with names like Budd, Paap’s, High Life, and Pil’Can. After a predictable series of cease and desist orders, Ginter rebranded yet again, and this time decided to put himself on the labels—complete with a fake beard—and launch Uncle Ben’s Malt Liquor in 1969. The beer was an instant success thanks to the fact that it was cheap and… well, that’s about it. It was so cheap, the B.C. liquor board actually forced Ginter to increase its price to bring it in line with the likes of Molson, Labatt and Carling O’Keefe. So Ginter started taping a dime to the inside of every 12-pack of beer to refund his loyal customers. Ever the innovator, Ginter was one of the first Canadian brewers to adopt the beer can and later the pull tab. He was also the first in Canada to offer a refund on empties. “He was a true maverick,” says Chad Hellenius, assistant curator at Prince George’s Exploration Place Museum and Science Centre. The museum recently recognized Ginter as one of 100 Prince George Icons. “You have to look at him as a pioneer of viral marketing campaigns.”
He was a true maverick. You have to look at him as a pioneer of viral marketing campaigns.
—Chad Hellenius, Prince George Exploration Place Musem and Science Centre
Ginter hired Austrian-born Eugene Zarek to be his brewmaster and by many accounts, the quality of the beer initially ranged from merely terrible to borderline undrinkable. “It was improperly aged,” according to Hellenius. “It was described at the time as being ‘green and chewy.’” The quality did improve, however, and by 1977, beer expert Michael Weiner would proclaim that Uncle Ben’s Malt Liquor was “almost perfect” in his book, The Taster’s Guide to Beer. Ginter was every bit the rough and tumble frontiersman he depicted on his beer labels. Big and barrel-chested, he was a gruff self-made man, usually wearing blue jeans and a red flannel shirt instead of a businessman’s three-piece suit. He worked tirelessly to build his empire, and he expected everyone around him to do the same, which resulted in predictable labour conflicts. “Ginter is a work addict,” wrote Allan Fotheringham in Maclean’s magazine in 1968. “Just as
During his two decades in the beer business, Ginter's Tartan Brewery produced dozens of products—many with his face plastered on them. Photo courtesy of The Exploration Place, Prince George.
15
He was dangerous. He was sticking that big middle finger up at them because he played by his own rules.
—Chad Hellenius
hooked as the dope addict, the booze addict, perhaps just as unhappy and guilty about it.” For close to 20 years, Tartan Brewing was a thorn in the side of the Big Three breweries: Labatt, Molson and Canadian Breweries (later renamed Carling O’Keefe). In the late ’60s and ’70s, he sought to expand his empire across the country, opening breweries in Alberta and Manitoba, while plans for breweries in Ontario and Newfoundland proved to be costly failures. The Big Three—and the provincial governments that supported them—fought him every step of the way. “He was dangerous,” says Hellenius. “He was sticking that big middle finger up at them because he played by his own rules.” The constant opposition caused him stress, and paranoia. Ginter famously accused his competitors of hiring actors who would order Tartan beer and then loudly complain to the bartender about how bad it was and dramatically pour it out, only to ask for a “real” beer by one of the Big Three instead. Eventually, the ill-advised expansion resulted in Ginter overextending himself. In a last ditch effort to raise funds, he offered public shares in his company in return for bottle caps, according to Allen Winn Sneath in his book, Brewed in Canada. Two hundred caps could be traded in for a block of 10 shares valued at $200. Despite the incredible value being offered, the promotion failed to increase sales. By 1978, Ginter was bankrupt and much to the joy of the Big Three breweries, Uncle Ben’s was done. Ginter died of a heart attack in 1982, his fortune gone. Nothing remains of Ginter’s empire, not even his once opulent, ostentatious Prince George mansion. According to Fotheringham, it featured preserved butterflies mounted in the ceiling, Japanese silk wallpaper in the bedroom, a royal purple velvet headboard, stuffed woodpeckers and squirrels over the fireplace and the clock in the simulated-leather
16
TOP: On the first label of Uncle Ben's Malt Liquor, Ginter is wearing a fake beard. Photo courtesy of The Exploration Place, Prince George. BOTTOM: The Drake Eatery in Victoria has a few Tartan Brewery bottles on display. Lara Zukowsky photo
cowboy boot, a 20-by-40-foot indoor pool, backed by an artificial waterfall that, “at the touch of a button sends water cascading over the plaster elves and their fishing poles.” In the den, beneath the velvet painting of the fighting stallions, is the bar, covered in the soft skin of unborn calves. The original Tartan Brewery in Prince George is still in operation, however, albeit under a different name and ownership: Pacific Western Brewing, home of Cariboo Lager. “Although he was only a player for 15 years,” writes Sneath, “his unorthodox approach to business reserves him a permanent place in Canada’s modern brewing history.” He may have been ahead of his time, but Ben Ginter’s anti-establishment attitude and dissatisfaction with the status quo would become hallmarks of the craft beer revolution to come. j
West Coast IPAs are back in a big way, and this beer nerd couldn’t be happier by Rob Mangelsdorf
M
was a beer that was deceptively strong and bursting with flavours of grapefruit, citrus and pine, blowing the minds of those of us who were raised on limp, lifeless lagers.
The first hop-forward IPAs heavily featured Cascade hops and the other “Big C” hops (Centennial, Columbus, Chinook), because at the time, they were pretty much the only varieties commercially available locally. These hops were largely developed to pack as much alpha acid as possible, allowing industrial-scale macro beers to use far less hops to bitter their beers.
“I can say without a doubt that the West Coast style of IPA is what really got me obsessed with beer,” says Aaron Colyn, brewer and owner of Twin City Brewing in Port Alberni, and maker of one the finest West Coast-style IPAs in the province right now, Run of the Mill IPA. “During my university days, Driftwood’s Fat Tug was still very new, Phillip’s Hop Circle was a staple in my fridge and Central City’s Red Racer IPA was pushing some bright grapefruit-pine hop flavours that no one could really match at the time.”
The whole idea behind what become known as the West Coast-style IPA is that the beer would feature a slightly stronger, maltier character than, say, a pale ale, and that added sweetness and body would help balance out the high hop bitterness, which would, in turn, dry out the finish. The result
But soon, things got a bit crazy. Breweries tried to out-do each other with the amount of IBUs they could pack into their beer. It became a hops arms race and the West Coast-style IPA soon became associated with unpalatable bitterness. We all know someone who’s been put off of craft beer
ore than any other style, the India pale ale has become synonymous with craft beer. Back in the 1980s and ’90s, when the craft breweries here on the West Coast first decided to make beer with actual flavour, they adapted the English IPA style by loading it up with a metric shit-ton of hops.
18
recent years and there are some exciting flavours there to explore. “However, West Coast IPAs have been around a bit longer, the style is a little more clearly defined, and I think people will and do go back to them.”
West Coast IPAs have never tasted better, thanks to the end of the IBU arms race, new hop varieties and a greater focus on balance and drinkability. Rob Mangelsdorf photo
because it’s “too hoppy.” Probably because they were looking for an Alexander Keith’s IPA and got Red Racer IPA instead. And the beer world moved on. The West Coast-style IPA became passé, supplanted by an ever-growing list of IPA variations that captured the public’s imagination. White IPAs, black IPAs, session IPAs, Belgian IPAs. Finally, an IPA style emerged that was everything the West Coast style wasn’t: the East Coast IPA, a.k.a. New England IPA, a.k.a. Northeastern IPA, a.k.a. hazy IPA. Popularized by American breweries like Alchemist and Tree House, the East Coast-style IPA focuses on fruitier hop varieties like Citra, Amarillo, Mosaic and Southern Hemisphere hops like Galaxy and Vic Secret, as opposed to the Big C hops. While West Coast-style IPAs are known for their bitterness, East Coast-style IPAs are nowhere near as bitter, and can even be slightly sweet. And whereas the West Coast style generally features a clean yeast character to avoid overshadowing the hop profile, the East Coast style uses fruity, ester-rich English ale yeast strains to complement the more fruity hops. Then there’s the most obvious difference: East Coast IPAs are hazy AF, with a thick, pulpy body that can resemble orange juice. “I think the West Coast-style hasn’t been in the spotlight with all the other rapidly evolving trends,” says Colyn. “I think many brewers and consumers have enjoyed the variety of new tropical and juicy hop strains that have emerged in
And for good reason. Out of the spotlight for the past five years, the West Coast-style IPA has been quietly evolving, becoming more refined and approachable. It’s learned some valuable lessons from its East Coast cousin: it’s gained balance, incorporated new hop varieties and got back to its roots and played to its strengths. The classic resinous grapefruit and pine character is still there, but now there’s more depth thanks to an increased focus on aroma hops and complementary malt and yeast profiles. A better understanding of the effects of dissolved oxygen and improved production techniques—a major concern for East Coast-style beers—has also benefitted the West Coast style. The result is flavourful, increasingly sessionable and infinitely pairable with food. It’s telling that the winner of Beer of the Year in The Growler’s 2019 Craft Beer Readers’ Choice Awards was Driftwood’s Fat Tug, a classic West Coast-style IPA. If you’ve been avoiding West Coast-style IPAs lately, it might be time to get reacquainted. “You might flirt with New England IPAs, hook up with a tropical hazy once in a while. Heck, even a fling with the odd Brut IPA if you can still find one,” says Colyn. “But the West Coast IPA is gonna be the one you bring home and introduce to mom and dad.” j
Drink this Run of the Mill IPA // Twin City North by Northwest // Steamworks IPA // Four Winds Good Clean Fun // Twin Sails IPA // Gladstone Jagged Face IPA // Mount Arrowsmith Red Racer IPA // Central City Play Dead IPA // Yellow Dog
19
C I DER 1 0 1
WTF is
PERRY? by Rob Mangelsdorf
W
ith the explosion in B.C. craft cider in recent years, local cideries are expanding their lineup to include different styles and flavours. Enter the humble perry; it’s cider’s dry, delicious cousin and an increasing number of B.C. cideries are producing this pear-based beverage. Often referred to as pear cider, perry is just that; a cider variant made with heirloom perry pears instead of apples. Perry originates from Northern France and Southern England and Wales, where special perry-specific pear varietals were cultivated—some with amazing names like Mumblehead, Merrylegs and Stinking Bishop. In the U.K., the West Midlands counties of Herefordshire, Gloucestershire and Worcestershire are known for having hundreds of varieties of perry pears. Perry pears are full of astringent, bitter and tannic qualities, which make them inedible, but perfect for cider-making and offer more complexity of flavour and sweetness compared to perry made from table pears. Traditionally, English perry was incredibly dry and served still from the cask, while French perry was bottle-fermented like champagne with considerably more sweetness. “Perry tends to be more delicate than cider but with some tannins, acid and astringency with a bit of sweetness from unfermentable sugars, even when fermented all the way to dry,” according to Sidney's Sea Cider makes its Ginger Perry with heirloom perry pears from its orchard in the Similkameen Valley. Contributed photo
20
Adrian Gatt, service manager at Sea Cider Farm and Ciderhouse. Sea Cider has been producing a perry and ginger perry made with traditional heirloom perry pears grown on its farm on Vancouver Island, as well as a farm it leases in the Okanagan. “Don’t be confused by ciders with pear juice added or pear ciders made with culinary pears,” says Gatt. “A true perry is very hard to come by in the Pacific Northwest. It’s unique, interesting and most importantly, rare.” j
grape s t e e m in a r g Wh e n
The rise of beer/wine hybrids in B.C. by Joe Wiebe
B
eer and wine have long seemed to inhabit separate worlds. Lately, however, a trend has been bridging those two worlds: wine-beer hybrids. Several B.C. breweries have experimented with them, whether by blending wine and beer, or fermenting grape juice or grape must (freshly squeezed grape juice with skins, seeds and stems still in it) or even just the pomace (the solid portion of the must) along with typical beer ingredients, and often aging them in foeders or barrels. Some brewers in Italy have been making uva birra or grape beer for more than 15 years already. Italian grape ale, or uva birra, even made it into the “Local Styles” appendix of the 2015 update of the BJCP (Beer Judge Certification Program) guidelines. According to Italian beer writer, Maurizio Maestrelli, IGA was first brewed commercially at the Barley Brewery in Sardinia, whose founder, Nicola Perra, “has to be considered the father of the Italian grape ale style.” Around 2003, Perra started experimenting with brewing an imperial stout with
22
sapa, a boiled-down concentration of grape must derived from local Cannonau grapes that is often used in desserts. This beer, BB10, is considered the original Italian grape ale, and is still produced by Perra today, along with several other IGAs. Maestrelli says Gianriccardo Corbo, Italy’s first BJCP-certified beer judge, has identified around 70 different grape ales brewed in Italy today. The intention “is to emphasize the wine contribution rather than other flavours,” Maestrelli explains. “Only a few of them use Belgian or British yeast and very rarely wine yeast.” The hops are intentionally subtle, and they are rarely soured. With so many different styles of grapes grown in a variety of terroirs in Italy, the flavour possibilities seem limitless. “The same grape, Chardonnay for example, can be sharp and mineral when it comes from the north and very opulent and round when from the south,” says Maestrelli. “So there can be many differences from an IGA to another because we have this wine variety.”
Here in B.C., grape beers first started showing up about three years ago. Several breweries have dabbled in the style, including Brassneck, Luppolo/Temporal, Twin Sails/Coalesce, Steamworks, Steel and Oak, and House of Funk. But leading the charge has been Field House Brewing in Abbotsford, which has released more than a dozen grape ales. Parker Reid, head brewer at Field House, said he was first inspired by a beer called Bumo 2 that he tasted at Burdock Brewing in Toronto three years ago. A collaboration with a Niagara winery called Pearl Morissette, it featured a blend of Pinot Noir, Pinot Rosé and one-year-old barrel-aged saison. “It just blew me away,” Reid remembers, adding that he soon realized “there are so many different grapes and so many different flavours. That was three years ago. We’ve just been experimenting ever since.” The first one Reid made was Wild Riesling Ale, a collaboration with the head brewer from Dogfish Head, the famously experimental Delaware brewery. It featured Riesling grapes blended with a tart farmhouse ale, elderflower and sweet woodruff, and fermented with wild yeast. Over the past few years, Reid has learned that there are a few different ways to approach brewing a grape ale. Blending fermented wine and beer is one direction to take, but “you get totally different flavours if you ferment them together.” By steeping a fermented beer on pomace or must, “you’re going to get totally different flavours. You almost get more peppery notes because of the stems and the skins.” Wild Brettanomyces yeast on the grape skins has an effect as well. “We’ll add grape must directly to the foeder or we’ll take a beer that’s primary fermented in steel and then put it on the must to give it some wild character. Or you can put it on the must for a week and just pull flavour and colour from the skins.” Some B.C. breweries have done that to make rosé beers. Field House’s main winery partner in this endeavour is Whispering Horse in Yarrow, near Chilliwack. Reid’s favourite of their grapes is called L’Acadie, which reminds him of the Nelson Sauvin hop. Speaking of hops, Reid sometimes doesn’t even add hops because the grapes have
The beer/wine hybrid trend started in Italy (of course) with uva birra, a style of beer in which wort is fermented on grape must. Vessel Liquor Store in Victoria carries dozens of examples of the style made right here in B.C., many using local grapes and must. Lara Zukowsky photo
so much flavour. In other cases they “use hops to accentuate certain flavours.” Field House would like to work with bunches of whole grapes directly, but they are very expensive and difficult to find, apparently, so the brewery is putting in grapes at its own farm, a project that began in 2018 to support the food program at the brewery. As well, the brewery is moving its entire barrel program and foeders to the farm, which has its own manufacturing licence: the Field House BRRL Room. It takes two or three years for grape vines to mature enough to bear fruit, so they won’t be making any beers with their own grapes for a while yet. There are already some Concord grapes there, which aren’t typically used in winemaking, but Reid says he’ll still use them in a grape ale at some point. And why not? As the two worlds of beer and wine blend together, the rules are thrown out along with the pomace and trub. All that matters is that the results taste good. j
REQUIRED DRINKING Chardonnay Sour // Vancouver Island Brewing Alexandria // Strange Fellows Brewing Ultraviolet Frequency // Temporal Artisan Ales Sour Noir – Pinot Noir // Field House Brewing Sanctuary // Steamworks Brewing
23
New craft City The view of Manhattan and the Queensboro bridge is soon forgotten as your discover the inventive and creative beer near Hunter’s Point in Long Island City and Brooklyn. Julienne Schaer/NYC & Company photo
Get to the outer boroughs of Queens and Brooklyn to find some of the most creative craft breweries in the United States
T
by David Ort
he space for New York City in everyone’s imagination is already pretty full. That’s partly because it does such a wonderful job of promoting itself—I can think of more cultural references to individual bridges in New York City than other major cities—but also because of the variety of experiences. NYC boroughs seem to take turns in the spotlight. As Manhattan completed its revitalization in the 2000s, Brooklyn became the centre of the hipster world. And now that ad agency directors are the only creatives in that part of town, Queens is the new darling for early adopters.
Throughout these transformations (and much further back through New York’s waves of immigration) beer has played an outsize role.
24
Back in the early 2010s, Beer School: Bottling Success at Brooklyn Brewery was one of the first beer books I read. It’s remarkable that Steve Hindy and Tom Potter were already writing about their craft beer success in 2007. Food & Beer is another signpost of New York’s rarefied love of beer. It’s a high-gloss cookbook created as a collaboration by the brewer at Tørst and the chef of Luksus. Fittingly, it’s in New York that beer finally took a seat at the fine-dining table. Luksus closed in 2016, but for a few years, it was the poster child for craft beer in restaurants. In 2014, it became the first restaurant to be awarded a Michelin star without pouring wine or liquor— instead, each course on the tasting menu was paired with a different beer.
LEFT: Brooklyn Brewery makes a dizzying array of beers from coal-black stouts to tropical, heat-beaters like Bel Air Sour. RIGHT: The cult-ish following is never more apparent than at their special events. Supplied photos
Others have taken up the challenge and new breweries have joined Brooklyn on their mission to make some elbow room amongst the wine bars and brown-liquor speakeasies. You won’t find too many sprawling beer gardens or production breweries in Mannhattan these days. But, luckily, the Queensboro, one of those movie-star bridges, will take you to a neighbourhood in Long Island City (yes, that’s still very much in NYC) with six breweries within easy walking distance of each other.
Look also for Black Ops (11.5% ABV), an annual take on a Russian imperial stout. For 2019, they managed to hide an entire black forest cake (taste-wise, at least) in each bottle of opaque goodness.
Other Half
Brooklyn Brewery
After paying respects at the OG, we’re off deeper into the borough. Three decades of gentrification have pushed brewery founders from areas like Williamsburg to neighbourhoods like Industry City, where Other Half runs their gritty-aroundthe-edges operation.
The headquarters in Williamsburg (they also have an upstate outpost at the Culinary Institute of America) is a must-visit for the history mixed with innovation. Try to stick to what you can only get onsite—that means veering away from Brooklyn Lager.)
Broccoli (7.9% ABV) is an imperial IPA made with a quartet of hops that give it a smooth citrus profile to match its opaque haziness. If you feel you need to ease gently into the hop-dominated madness, Forever Ever (4.7% ABV) is their session IPA, but it still packs in five hop varieties and fits into the juicy, tropical New England-style family.
Having clocked more than 25 years of selling beer, Brooklyn Brewery deserves a spot on the list of essential American craft breweries. And it’s not just a beer factory. Their dashing brewmaster, Garrett Oliver, is the author of Brewmaster’s Table and the editor of The Oxford Companion to Beer so it should come as no surprise that his brewery offers a complete experience.
You’re in luck if one of the Brooklyn Quarterly Experiments or something from the Brewmaster’s Reserve programme is pouring. Bel Air Sour (5.8% ABV) is a year-rounder that graduated from the BR. It combines the tartness from their house strain of lacto with tropical fruit from simcoe and amarillo hops.
Where some breweries make a style or two that pushes the borders of what beer is expected to taste like, Other Half slams on the afterburners as they cross into airspace usually reserved for everything from smoothies to wine to milkshakes.
Alewife Brewpub
What’s the difference between Brooklyn and Long Island City? Fresher tattoos and even more tech companies with offices in old warehouses. Plus LIC is the home to the current boom in New York City’s craft beer scene.
25
Rockaway, ICONYC, Big Alice and LIC Beer Project—that are worth a visit. The best part is that it will only take a half-hour walk for the grand tour.
Where else to go
With Broadway and world-class shopping (and hundreds of other attractions) Manhattan beckons those who can’t live on beer alone. We get it. The Jeffrey NYC is at 60th Street under the Queensboro bridge. This rustic-looking bar has an exceptional beer list that covers strong ales from Belgium, cult IPAs from California and whatever’s in-season from NYC breweries. Further downtown on Bleeker, Blind Tiger is a 24-year-old institution. Nearly 30 taps pour outstanding brews from (mainly) the northeastern U.S. You’ll also find a deeper-than-average food menu of bar favourites. TOP: The original John's in Greenwich Village is still the best slice. Supplied photo BOTTOM: Fifth Hammer strikes an eclectic mix with their 15 in-house taps. Molly Flores photo
The beer menu splits between taps from other breweries and the house options. Among the latter there are plenty of IPAs (including the double and dry-hopped variety) but Thousand Stars pilsner (5.2% ABV) has a good malt backbone that helps refresh the hop-tired palate. Meadow Maker (7.5% ABV) is a smooth, New England-style reintroduction to IPAs with notes of peaches and tropical fruit. With everything from Buffalo fried pickles to the Mother Clucker fried chicken sandwich, this is a tough spot to stick to just beer.
Fifth Hammer Brewing
Next stop north is relative newcomer Fifth Hammer. It’s a casual space anchored by a long bar and with plenty of seating. Fruited sours like Palate Pigment (5.2% ABV) are a mainstay on the good-sized list of creative options. You’ll also find a seasonal focus like the Iron Lotus (10.5% ABV) porter for the end of winter. Their four-ounce taster glasses are a great way to tour the catalogue. Once you’re done at Fifth Hammer there are four more breweries in this part of Queens—
26
For a pint before you pick up a few bottles to take home, Top Hops Beer Shop should be your go-to. They cover a wide range including New York options like Other Half, Finback and Sixpoint. I could ramble on for pages about pizza and hot dogs—two classics from the New York cannon. In a nutshell: get a slice from John’s on Bleeker Street and, on a nice day at least, it’s worth the trip to Coney Island for the Nathan’s dog.
Where to Stay
Expensive cities have expensive hotel rooms. So, for my money, you have two options. Either hunt for a good deal at one of the iconic Manhattan piles (the Algonquin, Pierre, Warwick, Roosevelt and Washington Square have patina without the sky-high price tag) or snag an AirBnB in LIC.
Getting to NYC
If you happen to swing a flight through JFK, BKLYN offers 20 good beers on tap and top-notch food by chef Laurent Toroundel. The (slightly bizarre) consolation prize at LaGuardia is an outpost by the Boston Beer Company, makers of Sam Adams and fans of the Boston Red Sox. The subway system is vastly cleaner and safer than it was in the days of Serpico and Taxi Driver. Now you’re more likely to need to keep your wits about you to avoid accidentally getting on an express train. j
Wherefore art thou, cask ales? Owner Paul Hadfield serves up a proper hand-pulled pint of Mitchell's ESB off the cask at Spinnakers n Victoria. The venerable brewpub is one of the few places left in B.C. serving real cask ales. Lara Zukowsky phtoto
Cask ales have a chequered past in this province, but there’s hope for this misunderstood style yet
A
by Rob Mangelsdorf
few years ago it seemed that hand-pulled cask ales were finally finding an audience in this province. The traditional English beer style was being celebrated with festivals, craft beer bars like the Alibi Room had cask engines devoted to real ale and the B.C. Beer Awards even chose the English Mild as the style of the year for its annual Brewers’ Challenge. There was even a brewery based out of Callister Brewing devoted to nothing but real cask ales, appropriately named Real Cask Ales. And then… nothing. The cask nights became fewer and far between, Real Cask Ales closed up shop in 2018 and in
28
what many saw as the death knell for the cask, the Alibi Room ripped out its cask engines. For lovers of real cask ales—like myself—it’s becoming increasing difficult to find. So what the hell happened? One of the problems is that cask ales are misunderstood, predictably so. They are everything we North Americans have been told that beer should not be: they’re not served ice cold, they’re not fizzy, they’re not bursting with hops and they’re not boozy. “I don’t think that’s what the North American drinker is looking for,” says Adam Chatburn, founder of Real Cask Ales. “Palates have been
wrecked by years of hop bombs.” Cask ale is beer in its most raw form. It’s unpasteurized, it’s unfiltered, it hasn’t been force-carbonated and it’s refermented in the vessel it’s served from—either by a spigot or a manually-operated hand pump. It’s quite literally a living thing. “Cask ale is what beer was like 150 years ago,” says Paul Hadfield, founder of Spinnakers Brewpub, where cask ales have been a mainstay since it first opened in 1984. “It’s beer that’s produced in a very natural way, before industrialization.” Something so radically different has a tendency to turn people off. And brewers who don’t understand the style are part of the problem. “I think some brewers see it as a gimmick,” says Main Street Brewing brewmaster Ted Fine. “I remember one brewery did a fruitcake beer with an actual piece of fruitcake in the beer. They don’t treat it with respect.” Main Street boasts four cask engines and a dedicated brewer in charge of the cask program, all of which is brewed on its 100 L pilot system. Unfortunately, years of ridiculous, poorly conceived and even more poorly executed cask ales may have turned many people off of them for good. “I think there’s a lack of understanding about cask ales [amongst brewers],” says Hadfield. “When you go to these cask events, there’s pressure to experiment and you need to one-up the guy at the next table. And you lose perspective.” Hadfield says his brewery is going in the opposite direction, instead choosing to focus on traditional ales that are suited to the cask. “When we get crazy and we try to put lagers or imperial IPAs in casks, it turns people off,” he says. “Those beers don’t do well in casks. They can’t carry the volume of carbon dioxide to support all the crazy fruity esters and aromas. So when we make cask beers we do so with understanding what styles make sense, being considerate of the attractiveness of cask conditioning.” And there’s a lot that’s attractive about cask ales. Cask ales are the ultimate session beer, designed to be enjoyed for hours on end. The English pub serves as a communal living room for the community it supports, and the low alcohol—often in the 3.0-4.0% ABV range—means that once you knock off work at the textile mill or coal mine, you
can crush pints all night without worrying about falling off your horse. And the low carbonation means no gassy bloating. “There’s something about the refermentation in the cask that produces smaller bubbles,” says Bill Riley, Main Street Brewing’s dedicated cask ale brewer. “You can feel it in the mouthfeel. It’s creamy and there’s no carbonic bite.” Flavour-wise, traditional real cask ale styles like mild and bitter are malt-forward and exceptionally balanced. Serving them “warm” at 10-13 C allows the malt character to develop. However, cask ales can be a pain in the ass to store and serve, and many bars want nothing to do with them. Casks must be allowed to settle for 24 hours before tapping, and because they are actively refermenting, they are very susceptible to temperature and spoilage. The shelf life for a cask, once tapped, is generally only a few days. Unfortunately, few pubs and bars in B.C. have the infrastructure or training to serve proper cask ales. “They are a lot more work, a lot more mess and so many things can go wrong,” admits Chatburn. “There were only a few places that trusted. Bars would approach me and tell me they want to carry my beer and I’d go have a look at their set-up and I’d have to tell them no.” There may be hope yet for cask ales, however. Jamie Overgaard of Smugglers’ Trail Caskworks is currently hard at work building his new brewery in the Langley neighbourhood of Port Kells. Once completed this summer, the tasting room will feature eight hand-pulled cask engines, the most of any brewery or pub in B.C., perhaps in all of Canada. The former rugby player developed a fondness for the style while living in London, and he’s hoping to carve out a niche as one of the only breweries in the province to specialize in the traditional style. “I’m hoping we can bring it back and get people interested in cask ales again,” he says. j REQUIRED DRINKING Mitchell’s ESB // Spinnakers Dumbell // Main Street Luceo // Callister Irish Stout // Moody Ales
29
LOVE BEER, please glass by Ted Child
I
f our fathers, grandfathers and jaded detectives in the movies are to be believed, beer was meant to be drunk directly from the bottle. Who needs a glass? It’s just an extra dish to wash! But like so many of the decisions of previous generations, we now realize that this is a truly terrible idea.
By drinking your beer straight from the can or bottle, you are diminishing it by two very significant ways, mainly by not being able to see it and by not being able to smell it. Appearance—such as clarity (or lack thereof ), carbonation, head retention and lacing—is an important component to assessing and appreciating a beer. Even more important to enjoying beer is the aroma. Science has shown that aroma plays a large part in the human flavour experience. In order to appreciate a beer’s aroma, and ultimately its flavour, it needs to be decanted into a vessel that releases the carbon dioxide and the stored aroma compounds. That
30
gorgeous IPA you’re drinking will not be the same coming directly from the bottle. Unless, of course, you really don’t want to smell the beer. My dad’s favorite beer, for instance, I do not recommend pouring into a glass because it smells like cat barf, despite my father’s stubborn brand loyalty. So it’s settled, then. A glass it is. But what glass should you use? There are plenty of helpful guides for what glass to use with what beers, such as at the beginning of every issue of The Growler. But maybe that much glassware seems a bit too much to start. A simple way to start a beer glass collection is with a two-glass system. One glass, something like a pint glass, is for your everyday, session strength beers and another, say a tulip or a snifter, for your big or fancy beers. If you wanted to be even more pragmatic, you could just use the glass that has
If you're not prepared to shell out big bucks for 18 different kinds of beer glassware, a tulip (on left) and a nonic pint glass (on right) will get the job done. Rob Mangelsdorf photo
been widely considered the best glass to assess any alcoholic drink, the big wine glass. But even your beer nerd friends might roll their eyes if you start walking around house parties with your big wine glass full of beer. The two-glass system begins to show its flaws fairly early, however, when is comes up against one specific beer style and that is the hefeweizen. German weiss beers demand a weiss glass. Hefeweizen creates a huge, billowing head when poured and any other glass but a weiss vase will force you to stop pouring before you get a proper amount of beer. Plus, when it comes to being a modern beer fan, exploring and discovering all the crazy new beers on the shelves, who wants to be pragmatic? One of beer’s great, yet sometimes
In order to appreciate a beer’s aroma, and ultimately its flavour, it needs to be decanted into a vessel that releases the carbon dioxide and the stored aroma compounds.
overlooked, joys is the joy of exploring beer glassware. Two of the best places to explore and expand your glass collection are the thrift shop and your local craft brewery. Thrift and antique shops often offer a bounty of funky beer glasses and remind us of beer’s long history but also of its ephemeral nature. On the other hand, you can learn a lot about a brewery by the glassware they sell. If you see a bunch of pint style glasses good for session strength beers, that's probably what many of the beers will be as well. Alternatively, if you see a lot more fancy stemmed glasses, like the tulip, the Teku or others, you can bet that the brewery will be brewing something appropriate for them. It is odd how much a branded glass with an appropriate beer from one of your favourite breweries seems to make the beer better. It is important to remember that there is no point in being too pedantic when it comes to glassware. Certain styles definitely seem to work better with certain styles of glasses. However, your favourite brewery is going out of their way to break all the rules and you should probably do the same with your glassware, at least once or twice. Or you could drink your beer straight out of the can, like a teenager on their first camping trip without their parents. Yes, you could do that. But now you know better. j
31
Everything you need to know about everywhere you need to be! MARCH 6–14 Victoria Beer Week (Victoria) This nine-day festival features more than 50 B.C. craft breweries at 15 events all over the city with a focus on education and diverse craft beer selection. The fun gets started with Lift Off ! on March 6, featuring 15 brand new, unreleased beers (as well as dozens of popular favourites), and the Ultimate Craft Beer Quiz at Northern Quarter on March 9, featuring The Growler’s Rob Mangelsdorf and Joe Wiebe. For the full event schedule and online ticket sales, visit VictoriaBeerWeek.com.
MARCH 7 Coquitlam Craft Beer Festival (Coquitlam) More than 50 craft breweries, cideries and distilleries are descending on Westwood Plateau Golf and Country Club for this popular festival—as well as hundreds of thirsty beer lovers. Tickets start at $45 and are all-inclusive, so no more beer tokens! CoquitlamBeerFestival.com
APRIL 17-18 Okanagan Fest of Ale (Penticton) Mark this one on your calendars: Fest of Ale turns 25 this year and it is going all out to celebrate. Close to 90 breweries and cideries will be taking part as the festival marks its silver anniversary by expanding from the Penticton Trade and Convention Centre to take over the South Okanagan Events Centre next door as well. Tickets starting at a highly appropriate $25. FestOfAle.ca
APRIL 18 Beer Wars (Vancouver) Come watch the people who make your favourite craft beer beat the crap out of each other, all for a good cause. Proceeds from this charity boxing
32
event go to help fund the non-profit Eastside Boxing Club’s afterschool and outreach programs. BeerWars.com
APRIL 25 Sunshine Coast Ciders and Sours Festival (Sechelt) This inaugural fundraiser for Sunshine Coast Food Bank features more than 100 different ciders and craft beers on offer, along with live music, food and good times. Tickets start at $45 and are all-inclusive of alcohol. Tickets online at Share-there.com.
MAY 10 Great Okanagan Beer Festival (Kelowna) More than 3,500 people are expected to take in this idyllic beer festival, located lakeside at Kelowna’s Waterfront Park. Expect 60-plus breweries and cideries, food trucks, live music, as well as events running all week long all over town. GOBF.ca
MAY 28-30 Canadian Brewing Awards and Conference (Victoria) The biggest craft beer awards event in the country is coming to the Victoria Convention Centre for 2020, with more than 55 style categories being contested. In addition to the awards, there’s a trade show, keynote speeches, seminars and lots of beer and food. CanadianBrewingAwards.com
MAY 29-JUNE 7 Vancouver Craft Beer Week (Vancouver) VCBW enters its second decade with a new venue at Concord Community Park at False Creek for the main event, June 5–7. Beer events will be happening all week long all over town, starting with the VCBW launch party on May 29. Check out VCBW.ca for the full schedule of events and ticket sales. j
BURNED BY DOUBLE STANDARD
B
by Rob Mangelsdorf
ack in 2012, the B.C. Liberal government of the day made sweeping changes to the province’s liquor laws that paved the way for the coming craft beer revolution. For the first time, craft breweries could operate tasting rooms, and sell flights of beer directly to their customers. One of the other liquor laws that changed at the time was the introduction of Bring Your Own Bottle or corkage. This program allows you to bring your own bottle of booze to a restaurant, and the restaurant can charge you a corkage fee for drinking it in their establishment. And if you don’t finish the bottle at dinner, you can take it home with you, too. It’s a sensible common sense provision, similar to what most other Canadian provinces and many other countries around the world already allow. However, corkage only applies to wine. If you are a craft beer drinker, you are shit out of luck. Despite the fact that wine generally has a higher alcoholic content than beer, you are forbidden from bringing that bottle of B.C.-brewed barrel-aged lambic-style sour ale with you to your local restaurant. But that big ol’ jug of Carlo Rossi is somehow A-OK! Likewise, when the provincial government finally allowed the sale of alcohol in grocery stores, it was B.C. wine only—no beer. And last year when the B.C. NDP government reviewed that program, they updated it to include imported wine and cider—but still no beer! “Every year we’re warned by the public health officer of binge drinking hospitalizations and binge drinkers,” explained attorney general David Eby to News 1130. “We’re going entirely the wrong direction on this so increasing the number of outlets that sell alcohol is not on the table.” He added that if the province were to allow grocery stores to sell beer, it would have to allow imported beer as well as local craft beer, and that could cause harm to the B.C. craft industry, in his opinion.
“If you go to a grocery store, they stock Tide and Coca Cola. They don’t stock small boutique producers of laundry detergent and soft drinks,” he said. Except, of course, that grocery stores absolutely do stock small boutique laundry detergent and soft drinks. Let’s be honest, and call it for what it is: there is a prejudice against beer and beer drinkers. Wine is apparently viewed as a beverage for the upper class, and so it’s treated differently, as though those who drink it are somehow more responsible. Why? Probably because it’s the alcoholic beverage of choice for the highfalutin muckety-mucks who make our liquor laws. Meanwhile lowly beer, a.k.a. “The Champagne of the Working Class,” is somehow considered more problematic. Clearly, working class people can’t be trusted. It’s a classist distinction that unfairly inconveniences beer drinkers and unfairly punishes the thousands of women and men who work in the B.C. craft beer industry. Beer drinkers should not be singled out just because their beverage of choice is made from barley and not grapes. There have been recent efforts to bridge the gap between beer and wine, and the government should be commended for that. The NDP quickly fixed Agricultural Land Reserve rules passed by the Liberals that allowed wineries on farmland but not breweries. However, there is clearly still a long way to go before beer gets the same consideration wine does. If it’s a question of public safety, then put a limit on the ABV of alcohol that’s eligible for corkage and sale in grocery stores, as well as a limit on the amount you can bring/buy. That would be equitable thing to do. But the time has come to stop treating beer drinkers like second-class citizens. j
33
Sister are brewin' it for themselves The women of B.C. craft beer celebrate International Women’s Day 2020 by helping to shape the future of the industry
G
by Kristina Mameli
reat things happen when women come together: creativity, passion and conversation flow as freely as the pints. Indeed, the women of the B.C. craft beer industry remind us of that everyday. All around the province, they are taking part in charity brew days to mark International Women’s Day to honour and champion not only women in industry, but all women. Who wouldn’t drink to that? For the third year, I’ve had the privilege of participating in the planning and brewing process of an all-female collaboration at New Westminster’s Steel & Oak Brewing, which benefits a local charity that supports and empowers women. This year, we’ve chosen to support the Elizabeth Fry Society
35
of Greater Vancouver with a beer to be launched on International Women’s Day on March 8. It’s heartening to learn that this is only one of many collaborations happening across B.C., championed by the women of the industry who are connecting to create something meaningful that not only helps us support each other, but also gives back to our communities through charitable initiatives. Lundy Dale is the Vancouver Chapter Leader of the Pink Boots Society, an organization that aims to assist, inspire and encourage female beer industry professionals to advance their careers through education. Since the first brew five years ago at Dogwood Brewing, she has been instrumental in bringing together B.C. women from throughout the industry to collaborate and network.
35
to do a tour of Germany about a year and a half ago,” she says. “So as a result of that I’ve done official Pink Boots brews the last two years to try to pay back and try and support them and their mandate.” In conjunction with hosting a Pink Boots brew day, McKenzie is expanding on the spirit of the two by hosting female led brews year round. “We do a little pilot batch or something to be more inclusive and invite home brewers and other women to help take the mystique out of brewing and get more women involved and encourage more of that culture. I’m doing a lot of women’s brews and events all the time.”
This Pink Boots brew day at Cumberland Brewing Co. was one of many around the province to celebrate International Women's Day. Alexandra Stephanson photo
“We want to make it bigger and better every year and get more women involved,” she says. “I’ve had a chance to connect and meet so many women: everyone from tasting room mangers to reps, to people who sell malt, sell hops. So it’s not just brewers, it’s women in the industry that all get together.” Each year, a specific Pink Boots hop blend is created by members and scaled up and distributed through Yakima Chief Hops. A portion of the proceeds from all Pink Boots sales goes towards educational scholarships and programming. The host brewery then decides on a style with the help and creativity of the women involved. Dale has relocated to Penticton, where Slackwater Brewing will be host a brew on International Women’s Day with up to 15 women, including Rebecca Kneen from Crannóg Ales and Shirley Warne from Angry Hen. Similar brews are happening all over the province, including ones hosted by Cumberland Brewing, Callister Brewing co-founder Diana McKenzie was the recipient of a Pink Boots scholarship and has been involved with the society ever since. “I was lucky enough to earn one of their scholarships Pink Boots Society all-female brew days, like this one at Steel & Oak, help raise money for women's charities and scholarships for women considering a career in beer, as well as connect women in the craft beer industry. Jordan Megahy photo
36
Her goal is to have a series of Callister Women’s Collaborations each month of 2020, starting with a lichtenhainer, a traditional German smoked sour wheat ale, with Roxanne Cartwright from The Bakery Brewing Co. in January. These brews also serve to raise the profile of women’s roles in the industry. There are women brewers, women owners, women marketers, women working in the tasting room, hell—we even write about beer. “There’s perceptions out there and, hopefully, by more women making themselves known, we can kind of make it a bit more of an inclusive industry,” McKenzie says. Penticton has a longstanding craft beer community, with trails blazed for women in industry by people like Cannery’s Patt Dyck and Tin Whistle’s Lorraine Nagy. “They were women in craft beer before the conversation even started,” says Kim Lawton, marketing director of Penticton’s Cannery Brewing. “They’re such incredible icons and mentors for what we have as women in Penticton craft beer. I don’t feel like I ever had to push the boundaries the way that other people do in other areas because we have such incredible trailblazers. I just feel so blessed to be in an industry that has those women legends ahead of us.” The women of Cannery are collaborating on the second in their Goddess series for Pink Boots this year. “We wanted to really do a beer that was celebration of women, by women,” she says. “All of the breweries that are supporting this are helping to create a future for more women in this industry. It’s pretty exciting to know that money is being allocated to help women grow their careers in this industry.” j
REMEMBERING
Evans Greg Evans by Joe Wiebe
T
he death of Greg Evans at age 67 in December 2018 affected many people in Victoria’s craft beer community, as well as many others who knew Greg from his profession as a historian. Born in Nanaimo in 1951, Greg moved to Victoria at a young age and eventually received his master’s degree in history at the University of Victoria, completing his thesis, entitled, The Vancouver Island Brewing Industry, 1858–1917. Following a stint in the mid-1980s as executive director of the Vancouver Museum over on the mainland, Greg returned to Victoria to become the executive director of the Maritime Museum of British Columbia. Later, he worked as an archivist at the Township of Esquimalt. At the time of his death, Greg was working on a series of books on B.C.’s brewing history for the Royal B.C. Museum. Sadly, that project was never completed. Greg co-founded B.C.’s original branch of CAMRA (the Campaign for Real Ale) in Richmond and then became involved with the Victoria branch when he lived there. He was well known for his entertaining, engaging presentations of various aspects of beer history, including several Beer School classes he led at Victoria Beer Week on topics such as B.C.’s prohibition and Victoria’s early brewers. He was also a consultant for start-up breweries. One of his favourite gigs was the Craft Beer & Culinary Cruise he hosted annually for Maple Leaf Adventures. He always put a lot of thought into the food-and-beer pairing, and the participants definitely appreciated his entertaining stories. To celebrate the legacy of Greg Evans, Victoria Beer Week has asked Chris Adams of Discover the Past (Ghostly Walks) Tours, to design and host a special downtown walking tour as part of
Victoria Beer Week will be hosting the Greg Evans Memorial Beer Walk on March 11. Contributed photo
its VBW Beer School program. Scheduled for Saturday, March 7, the Greg Evans Memorial Beer Walk will visit various downtown historic locations where Chris will share beer-soaked stories from Victoria’s early days. This entertaining and engaging tour will finish at Swans for a pint of beer (included in the ticket) and a chance to check out an exhibit showcasing some of Greg’s collection of beer-related artifacts and photos (provided by CAMRA). j
GREG Evans Memorial Beer walk Saturday, March 7, 11am or 2pm Price: $25 / $20 for CAMRA/VBS Members Tickets: dash.ticketrocket.co/tour/85
37
Fresh Craft on Tap. Ready When You Are.
Craft beverage storage optimized for mobility. Keeps beverages cold, fresh and carbonated. Perfect for craft sodas, kombucha, cider, sparkling wines, cocktails and craft beer.
149
$
00
Available at growlerwerkscanada.com from March 2020. Coming soon to retailers near you!
Use code GASUPANDGO to receive a free box of carbon dioxide ($20 value) with the purchase of a uKeg GO! Offer expires May 31, 2020
RECIPE
Savoury clams with lamb and charred leeks with Hoyne Pilsner BY CHEF TORIN EGAN, NORTHERN QUARTER
Lara Zukowsky photos
S
ince opening in 2015, Victoria’s Northern Quarter has brought the best of B.C. under one roof, whether it’s food, craft beer, wine, spirits, or hosting local artists and performers. And with its impressive cellar of bottled craft beer— arguably the most extensive and well-curated in the province—it’s absolutely a beer nerd’s paradise.
Chef and co-owner Torin Egan’s love for local craft beer is evident in Northern Quarter’s menu, which features fresh B.C. ingredients paired and prepared with B.C. brews. When cooking with beer, Egan warns to be mindful of the beer’s flavour.
39
“Although hoppy flavours can pair well with spicy foods, using a hoppy beer in a dish can make it too bitter,” he says. But using the right beer with the right ingredients can add another layer of complexity to a dish. “Sour beers are a great way to add acidity to seafood dishes, such as a sour beer mignonette on fresh oysters. Darker malty beers like stouts and porters are a great addition to desserts as well, like in an ice cream, or just substituting beer for any liquid in the dish.” Egan’s savoury clams with lamb bacon and charred leeks are a popular menu item at Northern Quarter. This deliciously simple take on steamed clams brings new meaning to “surf and turf,” and substitutes Hoyne Brewing’s Pilsner for wine or stock—the clean and crisp lager is the perfect addition and won’t overpower the clams. “There are a lot of favourite flavours of mine in this dish,” explains Egan. “The smokiness of the lamb bacon, the savoury saltiness of miso, the char of the leeks and the subtle sweetness of the clams… it all works very well together. “Hopefully people will see this and realize how quick and easy it is to make!” —Rob Mangelsdorf
I N g r ed i ents • 1 pound (450 g) washed and scrubbed clams or mussels • 3 rashers of lamb bacon • 1 leek; trimmed, sliced lengthwise, washed, and charred on a grill or in a cast iron pan • 1 tbsp pureed garlic confit (recipe below) • 1 tbsp miso butter (recipe below) • 1 cup Hoyne Pilsner
d i r ecti o ns Garlic confit 1. Take 20 cloves peeled garlic (two bulbs) and place in a small pot and cover with canola oil. Bring to a simmer and reduce heat. 2. Cook slowly until garlic cloves are soft. Drain, while reserving the garlic oil. Add to a blender and puree, while adding in some of the reserved oil until smooth. 3. Cool and keep refrigerated until use.
40
Northern Quarter chef and co-owner Torin Egan loves the simplicity of this delicious dish.
Miso butter 1. Cream 4 tbsp of room temperature unsalted butter and 2 tbsp of shiro miso together with a fork until fully mixed. 2. Season with black pepper. 3. Roll into a log with plastic wrap and refrigerate. Prepare the clams 1. Slice lamb bacon into lardons, and cook in large frying pan on medium heat until crispy. 2. Add clams, garlic confit puree, and leeks. Add beer, cover. 3. When clams have opened and beer has reduced slightly, add miso butter. Stir until butter has fully melted into the sauce and remove from heat. 4. Discard any unopened clams, top with fresh parsley or chives and serve with grilled or toasted sourdough. j
E
31
YALETOWN
7
W 6TH AVE
GRANVILLE ISLAND
38
D
U
N
S
M
U
30
IR S
12
ST
W 12TH AVE
MOUNT PLEASANT
01 02
11 19
W 2ND AVE
W 5TH AVE
25
T
37
GASTOWN
W 7TH AVE
DOWNTOWN CENTRAL
35
N
W
99
33
O
N W BROA DWAY
1A
LS
27
R
COAL COAL HARBOUR HARBOUR34
ST
13
WEST END
B
U
W
O
H
D
R
A
R
E
ST
29
T
R
S
G
ST
ST
ST
LE
IL
V
N
A
IC
M
IF
E
S
N
Y
PA
C
E
E
W
R
IA
M
H
U
G
S
IT
O
R
ST
CAMBIE ST
O
ST
26 1A
QUEBEC ST
G
E
S
15
MAIN ST
36
05
MAIN ST
W
G
20
28 24
TER
M IN
PRIO R ST
AL
E BROADWAY
AV E
E 12 T H AVE
7
STRATHCONA
E HASTI N GS ST
POW ELL ST
GREAT NORTHER N WA Y
32
09
08
14
23
10
22
21
VENABLE S ST
P OW
ST ELL
17
GRANDVIEWWOODLAND
18 03
va n Couver
16 04
07 06
CLARK DR
A
IN
COMMERCIAL DR
H
ST
01 02 03 04 05 06 07 08 09
7
33 Acres 33 Acres Exp. Andina Bomber Brassneck Callister Container Craft Collective Dogwood
49 49 45 45 49 49 46 49 49
Br ew ery Cr eek
01 02
Breweries
COLUMBI A ST
11
10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20
East Van Electric Bicycle Faculty Granville Island Luppolo Main Street Off The Rail Parallel 49 Powell R&B Red Truck
E BROA DWAY
E 8TH AVE
E 7 TH AVE
E 6TH AVE
49 49 50 46 50 48 48 50 50 50 51
E 4TH AVE
E 5TH AVE
19
05
25 26 27 28 29
21 22 23 24
TR
E 3R
IAL
S TAT I O N S T
D A E
T A V
20 1S
V
E
AV E
E
Big Rock BREWHALL Dockside Hastings Mill Stanley Park
Brew puBs 49 46 46 50 42
Slow Hand 51 Storm 51 Strange Fellows 48 Strathcona 44
15
US
23
VERNON DR
32 Greenhill
Cideries
E HASTIN GS ST
FRANKLI N ST
T ART S
22
P OW
ELL
ST
16
04
103
51 51
10
33 34 35 36 37 38
ADANAC ST
Ballyhoo Brass Fish Cinema Sing Sing The Lamplighter The Railway
TRIUM PH ST
NAPI ER ST
Walking Route
Bike Route
Water Taxis
SkyTrain
legend
y east va n
E PENDER ST
CHA RLES ST
E GEORGIA ST
FRANCES ST
tap rooMs
VENABLE S ST
17
PANDORA ST
21
GRANDVIEW-WOODLAND
06
WILLIAM ST
CLARK DR
30 Steamworks 31 Yaletown
14
07
18
03
STEW
SA L S B U RY D R
C S T
E 3RD AVE
IND
S COT I A S T
EBE
QU
E 2ND AVE
MOUNT PLEASANT
M A N I TO B A S T
12
O N TA R I O S T
1A
M A IN ST
26
B R U N SW I C K ST
E 1ST AVE
VERNON DR
ATHLETES WAY
ODLUM DR
AL A VE
MCLEAN DR
M IN
V I C TO R I A D R
TER
COMMERCIAL DR
SEMLIN DR
VANCOUVER
STANLEY PARK BREWING RESTAURANT & BREWPUB
8901 Stanley Park Dr. | StanleyParkBrewing.com DAILY 11AM-11PM EST. 2009
You can now enjoy your next Stanley Park brew at its picturesque brick and mortar location! Nestled in Vancouver’s West End, just at the tip of its namesake, the Stanley Park Brewing Restaurant & Brewpub is serving up casual West Coast fare and the same great beer, now brewed onsite.
DAY TRIP
WINDSTORM
W E S T C OA S T L A G E R
W E S T C OA S T PA L E A L E
Availability: Year-round ABV
4.4%
IBU
Availability: Year-round
25
ABV
Smooth tasting and sessionable, with light citrus hop character. Well balanced and full of flavour, inspired by the West Coast.
LIGHT LAGER Availability: Year-round
Availability: Year-round IBU
65
ABV
Full bodied, aromatic and juicy. This delicious IPA gets its bold flavour from generous additions of Citra and Simcoe hops.
4.0%
IBU
10
A clean tasting, flavourful light lager, brewed with sea salt and late-hopped to add notes of citrus— and only 90 calories!
NOBLE PILSNER
1897 AMBER ALE
Availability: Year-round
Availability: Year-round
EUROPEAN-STYLE LAGER
ABV
5.1%
IBU
AMBER ALE
12
ABV
Crisp, clean and inviting, with light malt body and subtle floral hop aroma.
42
35
ELECTRO LIGHT LAGER
I N D I A PA L E A L E
6.8%
IBU
Tropical fruit and citrus hop character, medium body and full, unfiltered flavour.
TRAIL HOPPER
ABV
5.4%
5.1%
IBU
15
A traditional pub-style amber ale, with soft caramel aroma and toasted malt flavour.
Sponsored content
VANCOUVER
STRATHCONA BEER CO.
895 E. Hastings St. | StrathconaBeer.com
MON-THU 12-11PM ^ FRI-SAT 11AM-12AM ^ SUN 11AM-11PM EST. 2016 The team at Strathcona combines their love for their community, art, music, skateboarding and design (and beer) to push the boundaries of craft beer.
PREMIUM PILSNER
BIG SEXY FUNK
Availability: Year-round
Availability: Year-round
PILSNER
ABV
5.0%
IBU
32
ABV
This smooth and crisp Czech-style pilsner features a slight floral, spicy aroma thanks to noble Saaz hops.
44
I N D I A PA L E A L E
5.5%
IBU
55
This dry, hazy IPA is audaciously aromatic with big citrus accents and fresh tropical fruit notes.
Sponsored content
VANCOUVER
VANCOUVER
BOMBER BREWING CO.
ANDINA BREWING CO.
1507 Powell St. | AndinaBrewing.ca
1488 Adanac St. | BomberBrewing.com
This charming East Van brewery brings some Latin spice to the B.C. beer scene. Come for twice monthly limited releases, stay for the ceviche.
Bomber might have changed ownership, but with four medals at the B.C. Beer Awards, clearly the beer is as good as ever!
PĂ LIDA
RUSSIAN DOLL
JALEA
H A Z Y PA L E A L E
G UAVA S A I S O N
Availability: Year-round ABV IBU
5.0% 45
RUSSIAN IMPERIAL S TO U T
Availability: Year-round ABV IBU
Availability: Year-round
6.5% 25
Searching for more? Visit our website for breaking beer news, recommendations, event info and other exclusive content.
ABV IBU
9.5% 65
OUTSPOKEN IPA
W E S T C OA S T I N D I A PA L E A L E Availability: Year-round ABV IBU
6.3% 65
On put easy a beers few after. Blundstone boots make a lot of sense. No laces to stumble over. Grippy treads. Beer-proof leather. Dance till dawn comfort.
#587 Leather Lined Classic Rustic Black $229.95
bc.thegrowler.ca Sponsored content
45
VANCOUVER
VANCOUVER
CONTAINER BREWING
BREWHALL BEER CO.
97 E. 2nd Ave. | Brewhall.com
1216 Franklin St. | CBrew.ca
Great beers, great food and Street Fighter II, what more could you want in a brewery? Brewhall’s award-winning beer is now available in tall cans, too.
The brew kid on the block in Yeast Van has quickly become a popular haunt thanks to its sleek tasting room and delicious beers. Look for lots of outdoor events once the weather clears up.
AZEDO TROPICAL FRUIT SOUR
TWENTY FOOTER
SOUR ALE
Availability: Seasonal ABV IBU
6.5% 7
KÖL STORY BRO KÖLSCH
KÖ L S C H - S T Y L E LAGERED ALE Availability: Year-round ABV IBU
W E S T C OA S T PA L E A L E
K V E I K FA R M H O U S E I N D I A PA L E A L E
Availability: Year-round
5.0% 24
VANCOUVER CITY
VOYAGER
ABV IBU
Availability: Year-round
4.3% 25
ABV IBU
6.2% 22
VANCOUVER
DOCKSIDE BREWING CO.
1253 Johnston St. | DocksideVancouver.com
GRANVILLE ISLAND BREWING
1441 Cartwright St. | GIB.ca
Spring is here, so head down to Granville Island and enjoy stunning views and delicious brews on Dockside’s famous patio.
Canada’s original microbrewery is a great place to try GIB’s small batch, tasting roomonly brews. Try your luck at trivia night, every Wednesday at 6pm.
PIRATE BREAKFAST
ISLAND CERVEZA
MAPLE BOURBON BA C O N B E E R Availability: Seasonal ABV IBU
46
6.0% 20
THREE SHEETS TO THE WIND H A Z Y PA L E A L E
C U BA N - S T Y L E L A G E R
Availability: Seasonal ABV IBU
5.5% 30 Sponsored content
Availability: Seasonal ABV IBU
4.5% 20
WATERMELON LAGER LAGER
Availability: Seasonal ABV IBU
5.0% 20
freshly open
fresh st. market at vancouver house
1423 continental st.
freshstmarket.com
YOU’VE READ ABOUT THEM, NOW WORK WITH THEM. Join our team and work with all your favourite local breweries
vesselpackaging.com/jobs
VANCOUVER
VANCOUVER
MAIN STREET BREWING CO.
OFF THE RAIL BREWING
261 E. 7th Ave. | MainStreetBeer.ca
1351 Adanac St. | OffTheRailBrewing.com
This rocking tasting room is a must-visit if you’re in the neighbourhood. It’s also one of the few breweries to offer cask ales on traditional hand-pulled cask engines.
If you recognize the staff at Off The Rail, that’s probably because they all seem to be amazing artists and musicians. Check out what’s new at the monthly cask night.
PEACH FRUIT BOMB
KAMA CITRA
KETTLE SOUR ALE
Availability: Seasonal ABV IBU
HIGHWAY TO HELLES (COLLAB W/STEEL & OAK)
SESSION ALE
HELLES BOCK Availability: One-off
4.0% 5
ABV IBU
RAISING HAZE
N O RT H E A S T E R N I N D I A PA L E A L E
Availability: Seasonal
6.6% 30
ABV IBU
Availability: Seasonal
4.4% 33
ABV IBU
6.5% 50
VANCOUVER CITY
STRANGE FELLOWS BREWING
1345 Clark Dr. | StrangeFellowsBrewing.com
YOUR AD
This Clark Drive brewery celebrates all things strange and extraordinary with a beer lineup that is influenced by old world traditions and contemporary craft creativity. GUARDIAN
BAYARD
I N D I A PA L E A L E
Contact Kristina Mameli to discuss your advertising options in the Growler. kmameli@glaciermedia.ca 48
Sponsored content
FA R M H O U S E S A I S O N
Availability: Year-round ABV IBU
6.5% 60
Availability: Year-round ABV IBU
5.5% 25
VANCOUVER
33 ACRES BREWING CO. 15 W. 8th Ave., Vancouver 33AcresBrewing.com
33 ACRES EXPERIMENT
DOGWOOD BREWING
8284 Sherbrooke St., Vancouver DogwoodBrew.com
EAST VAN BREWING CO.
25 W. 8th Ave., Vancouver 33BrewingExp.com
1675 Venables St., Vancouver EastVanBrewing.com
BIG ROCK BREWERY VANCOUVER
ELECTRIC BICYCLE BREWING CO.
310 W. 4th Ave., Vancouver BigRockBeer.com
20 E. 4th Ave., Vancouver ElectricBicycleBrewing.com
BRASSNECK BREWERY
2148 Main St., Vancouver Brassneck.ca
CALLISTER BREWING CO.
1338 Franklin St., Vancouver CallisterBrewing.com
CRAFT COLLECTIVE BEERWORKS
1575 Vernon Dr., Vancouver CraftCollective.beer
is a B.C. craft beer and cider-focused pub showing sports on multiple TVs with pinball, foosball and pool. Trivia on Thursdays, Karaoke on Saturdays & Live Comedy on Sunday nights. 395 Kingsway | 604-558-1208 12kingspub.com | @12KingsPub
49
VANCOUVER
FACULTY BREWING CO.
1830 Ontario St., Vancouver FacultyBrewing.com
HASTINGS MILL BREWING COMPANY
POWELL BREWERY
1357 Powell St., Vancouver PowellBeer.com
403 E. Hastings St. PatsPub.ca
LUPPOLO BREWING CO.
1123 Venables St., Vancouver LuppoloBrewing.ca
PARALLEL 49 BREWING CO.
1950 Triumph St., Vancouver Parallel49Brewing.com
R & B BREWING CO.
54 E. 4th Ave., Vancouver RAndBBrewing.com
Proud to be your choice for the BEST CRAFT BEER SELECTION in Vancouver!
nd
2
an
nual * 2 0
GO
19
LD
Craft Beer is our passion and our specialty. Offering the very best international and domestic selections. 14th & Main • Free parking around back! • 604-872-3373 www.brewcreek.ca • @BreweryCreek • Open 11-11 daily
LIQUOR LICENSING, CANNABIS LICENSING & DISPUTES
50
VANCOUVER
RED TRUCK BEER CO.
295 E. 1st Ave., Vancouver RedTruckBeer.com
SLOW HAND BEER COMPANY
1830 Powell St., Vancouver SlowHandBeer.com
STORM BREWING
310 Commercial Dr., Vancouver StormBrewing.com
YALETOWN BREWING CO.
1111 Mainland St., Vancouver MJG.ca/Yaletown
STEAMWORKS BREW PUB
375 Water St., Vancouver Steamworks.com/Brew-Pub
WE’VE GOT YOUR BREW.
Come shop our large selection of local craft beer.
Supplier to the Commercial Beverage Industry
BREWING
Production Equipment • Ingredients Packaging Supplies • Tanks & Barrels Fermentation • Filtration Tasting Room Equipment • Lab Equipment
BREWING…
1218 w. pender st., vancouver • 604.685.1212 coalharbourliquorstore.com
we’ve got you covered TF: 1.877.460.9463 • cellartek.com
51
BREW PUBS
60 61
33 John B Pub
TAP ROOMS
30 Cedar 102 31 Fraser Valley 102 32 West Coast 104
CIDERIES
28 Big Ridge 29 Monkey 9
BREWERIES 01 3 Dogs 60 02 Another Beer Co. 60 03 Barnside 57 04 Britannia 60 05 Camp 60 06 Central City 60 07 Dageraad 54 08 Dead Frog 57 09 Farm Country 58 10 Five Roads 58 11 Foamers' Folly 60 12 Four Winds 57 13 Fuggles & Warlock 61 14 KPU 56 15 Maple Meadows 61 16 Mariner 61 17 Northpaw 61 18 Patina 61 19 Ridge 61 20 Russell 61 21 Silver Valley 61 22 Steamworks 62 23 Steel & Oak 62 24 Taylight 62 25 Tinhouse 62 26 Trading Post 62 27 White Rock Beach 59
W
N
E
04 13
99
29
1A
7
North Shore map page 53.
RICHMOND
99
99
12
17
DELTA
03
91
1
99
91
17
02
33
16
20
06
WHITE ROCK 01
10
27
Port Moodymap map Tri-Cities pagexx. 53. page
SURREY
07
NEW WEST 23
BURNABY
22
7A
7
99
28
18
17
24
32
11
30
10
1
09 14
LANGLEY
05 10 26
08
7
MAPLE RIDGE
PITT MEADOWS
25
15
17
COQUITLAM
31
15 19 21
lowe r m a inl a nd
N o rt h Sh o re NN LY
N
DR
.
S T.
B OR LY
O
20 TH
N
AR
13TH ST.
VA
. RD
GRAND BLVD.
15TH ST.
KEITH RD. W.
02
ST ST. W. 1
ST. GEORGES
R.
CHESTERFIELD
RIN ED
LONSDALE
PEMBERTON
MA
RS LA
JONES
FEL L
06
N
23RD ST.
Y
MOUNTAIN HWY.
1
E LL
PL AN AD E
N W
01 07 08 3RD ST.
KEITH RD. E.
03 MA IN
MT. SEY
KWY O UR P
M
09 05 ES
04
10 ST.
W DOLLARTO N H
E
Y
1
BREWERIES 01 Beere 02 Black Kettle 03 Bridge
04 05 06 07
60 60 60
Deep Cove Green Leaf Hearthstone House of Funk
08 North Point 09 Streetcar 10 Wildeye
60 61 61 58
58 62 59
P o rt M o o dy N W
E
02 03
05 06
04
MURRAY ST.
CLARKE ST.
KLAHANIE D R.
01
SPRING ST.
7A
7A
BREWERIES 01 Fraser Mills 02 Moody Ales 03 The Bakery
60 61 62
MORAY ST.
62 62 62
JANE ST.
BULLER ST.
HUGH ST.
04 The Parkside 05 Twin Sails 06 Yellow Dog
HENRY ST.
WILLIAM ST.
MOODY ST.
GRANT ST.
ST. GEORGE ST.
MARY ST.
ELGIN ST.
ST. ANDREWS ST.
BURNABY
DAGERAAD BREWING
114 - 3191 Thunderbird Cres. | DageraadBrewing.com SUN-THU 12-9PM ^ FRI 11AM-10PM ^ SAT 11AM-9PM EST. 2014 Dageraad makes some of the finest bottle-conditioned Belgianstyle beers this side of Flanders. And who can blame them for being Belgophiles? In addition to some of the finest beers on earth, Belgium is also the birthplace of French fries, Jean Claude Van Damme, roller skates and the internal combustion engine.
SRI LANKA
THE BRIGHT SIDE
A B B E Y D U B B E L W I T H TA M A R I N D
TA RT L E M O N S A I S O N
Availability: Small batch ABV
7.5%
IBU
Availability: Seasonal
15
ABV
The tropical flavours of Sri Lanka meet the traditional Belgian abbey ale with sweet treacle and tart tamarind.
15
BURNABARIAN
BLONDE ALE
B E L G I A N - S T Y L E TA B L E B E E R
Availability: Year-round
7.5%
IBU
Lightly tart, gently hopped and finished with fresh lemon zest and lemon juice—the perfect sunshine beer.
BLONDE
ABV
4.2%
IBU
Availability: Year-round
N/A
ABV
Fruity, spicy and capped with a citrusy aroma and fluffy white head, Blonde is not only a go-to, it’s a must go-to.
4.5%
IBU
N/A
Secondary fermentation breeds a natural carbonation and extra layer of complexity with notes of coriander and oat-brewed for a silky mouth feel.
WHat’s in a name? Dageraad Brewing is named for the Dageraadplaats, an unassuming city square in Antwerp. Over several trips there, Ben Coli spent many sunny afternoons exploring the world of Belgian beer sitting with friends at café patios there. And it’s largely why he decided to open a brewery of his own. 54
Sponsored content
THE FORGOT TEN FUTURE, DAGERAAD’S
WITH BL ACK LIME AND WHITE PEPPER
REMEMBER THE FUTURE WITH
NEW TABLE SAISON SPICED
LANGLEY
KPU BREWING LAB
20901 Langley Bypass | KPU.ca/Brew FRI 1-6PM EST. 2014
You might have heard KPU was named 2019 B.C. Brewery of the Year, but did you know it was also the 2019 Grand National Champion at the U.S. Open College Beer Championship? You do now!
HAMMERSCHLAGER
KUMMERSPECK
Availability: Small batch
Availability: Small batch
MUNICH HELLES LAGER
ABV
5.2%
IBU
A LT B I E R
20
ABV
Delicate and balanced with a lingering note of hops. Brewed by students Matt Pereszlenyi and Gabriela de Faria Castanheira.
5.0%
IBU
19
This Dusseldorf-style amber lagered ale is all about the malt. Brewed by students Sebastian Peterson and Kai Neubauer.
K W A N T L E N P O LY T E C H N I C U N I V E R S I T Y
BC's only diploma in Brewing & Brewery Operations KPU BREWING & BREWERY OPERATIONS #1 Teaching Brewery in North America 2019 Grand National Champion | US Open College Beer Championship. Recognized by the Master Brewers Association.
kpu.ca/brew 56
Sponsored content
DELTA
FOUR WINDS BREWING CO.
4 - 7355 72nd St. | FourWindsBrewing.ca
Four Winds’ freshly renovated tasting room is now open 11am-9pm every day, so it’s easier than ever to get your hands on its God-tier awardwinning beer. If you’re into that sorta thing. NECTAROUS
D RY- H O P P E D S O U R A L E
LA MAISON WILD SAISON
Availability: Year-round ABV IBU
Availability: Year-round
6.5% 6
ABV IBU
4.5% 30
DELTA
LANGLEY
BARNSIDE BREWING CO.
DEAD FROG BREWERY
6655 60 Ave., Delta | BarnsideBrewing.ca
105 - 8860 201st St. | DeadFrog.ca
Barnside is a true farm-based brewery, crafting unfiltered and fresh-tasting beer using its own farm-grown ingredients.
You want variety? Dead Frog’s tasting room features 25 taps of craft beer and there’s cask nights featuring one-off creations every other Thursday.
HOP YARD SOUR
PEACH LEMONADE SOUR ALE
D RY- H O P P E D S O U R A L E Availability: Year-round ABV IBU
4.4% 10
CRANBERRY TART ALE PA L E A L E
PURPLE HAZE
H A Z Y I N D I A PA L E A L E
SOUR ALE Availability: Year-round ABV IBU
4.5% 40 Sponsored content
Availability: Small batch ABV IBU
6.0% 12
Availability: Year-round ABV IBU
6.0% 45 57
LANGLEY
LANGLEY
FARM COUNTRY BREWING
FIVE ROADS BREWING
#5-20555 56 Ave., Langley | FarmCountryBrewing.com
6263 202nd St. | FiveRoadsBrewing.com
Farm Country may have just opened but it’s already expanding with more seating and a 22-seat patio on the way.
This new addition to the burgeoning Langley beer scene offers an ever-changing array of fresh options on tap along with pizzas, paninis, pretzels and other snacks.
GERMAN PILSNER
PERMANENT RESIDENT
BIG DAY ISA
INDIA SESSION ALE
PILSNER
Availability: Year-round ABV IBU
I N D I A PA L E A L E
ABV IBU
4.5% 35
NORTH VAN
PA L E A L E
Availability: Year-round
Availability: One-off
5.0% 35
SHAKE ‘N’ BAKE
ABV IBU
Availability: Year-round
6.5% 64
ABV IBU
5.0% 40
NORTH VAN
HOUSE OF FUNK BREWING CO.
NORTH POINT BREWING CO.
350 E. Esplanade | HouseOfFunkBrewing.com
266 E. 1st St. | NorthPointBrewing.com
Challenging the status quo and cultivating an environment of experimentation, House of Funk’s small batch system pushes boundaries to serve up fresh and unique flavours.
North Point was started by three lifelong friends who grew up on the North Shore together and decided to live the beer dream and open a craft brewery back where it all started.
FLORA
LIFE OF RILEY HAZY IPA
DEBAUCHERY
SOURWEISSE
I M P E R I A L S TO U T
Availability: Year-round ABV IBU
58
2.8% 0
Availability: Small batch
N O RT H E A S T E R N I N D I A PA L E A L E Availability: Year-round
ABV 10.5% IBU 40
Sponsored content
ABV IBU
6.0% 25
STRAWBERRY BLONDE BLONDE
Availability: Year-round ABV IBU
5.5% 18
NORTH VAN
WHITE ROCK
WHITE ROCK BEACH BEER CO.
WILDEYE BREWING
1385 Main St. | WildeyeBrewing.ca
15181 Russell Ave. | WhiteRockBeachBeer.com
Stop by the brewery and try everything from fruity sours to nitro stouts, and don’t forget to stick around for some of those famous nachos and live music every Thursday and Saturday night.
Expect some new beers and a new attitude thanks to veteran brewmaster Michael “Mash” Stewart taking the reins at this downtown White Rock brewery.
OBERON’S ELIXIR
PEACE ARCH
CLOUD BANK
DA R K B L A C K B E R RY SOUR ALE Availability: Seasonal ABV IBU
H A Z Y PA L E A L E
6.0% 7
PILSNER
Availability: Year-round ABV IBU
5.5% 11
STORMY RIPTIDE RED ALE
Availability: Year-round ABV IBU
4.8% 22
Availability: Seasonal ABV IBU
6.0% 50
Give your customers a reason to
drop in
AND
hang out
Carry us in your brewery, tap room or store and your customers will keep coming back for more. Contact ordersbc@thegrowler.ca to order your copies.
B.C. craft beer guide
Sponsored content
59
LOWER MAINLAND
3 DOGS BREWING
1515 Johnston Rd., White Rock 3DogsBrewing.com
ANOTHER BEER CO.
BRITANNIA BREWING CO.
110-12500 Horseshoe Way, Richmond BBCO.ca
CAMP BEER CO.
#11 - 30 Capilano Way, New Westminster AnotherBeerCo.com
19664 64 Ave., Langley CampBeer.ca
BEERE BREWING COMPANY
CENTRAL CITY BREWERS + DISTILLERS
312 E. Esplanade, North Vancouver BeereBrewing.com
BIG RIDGE BREWING CO.
5580 152 St., Surrey MJG.ca/Big-Ridge
BLACK KETTLE BREWING
106 -720 Copping St., North Vancouver BlackKettleBrewing.com
BRIDGE BREWING CO.
1448 Charlotte Rd., North Vancouver BridgeBrewing.com
60
11411 Bridgeview Dr., Surrey CentralCityBrewing.com
DEEP COVE BREWERS AND DISTILLERS
170 - 2270 Dollarton Hwy., North Vancouver DeepCoveCraft.com
FOAMERS’ FOLLY BREWING CO.
19221 122A Ave., Pitt Meadows FoamersFolly.ca
FRASER MILLS FERMENTATION CO.
3044 Saint Johns St., Port Moody FraserMillsFermentation.com
LOWER MAINLAND
FUGGLES & WARLOCK CRAFTWORKS
103-11220 Horseshoe Way, Richmond FugglesWarlock.com
GREEN LEAF BREWING CO.
MOODY ALES
2601 Murray St., Port Moody MoodyAles.com
NORTHPAW BREW CO.
123 Carrie Cates Crt., North Vancouver GreenLeafBrew.com
2150-570 Sherling Pl., Port Coquitlam NorthpawBrewCo.com
HEARTHSTONE BREWERY
PATINA BREWING
1015 Marine Dr., North Vancouver HearthstoneBrewery.ca
MAPLE MEADOWS BREWING CO.
22775 Dewdney Trunk Rd., Maple Ridge MapleMeadowsBrewing.com
MARINER BREWING
1100 Lansdowne Dr., Coquitlam MarinerBrewing.ca
MONKEY 9 BREWING
14200 Entertainment Blvd., Richmond Monkey9.ca
2332 Marpole Ave., Port Coquitlam PatinaBrewing.com
RIDGE BREWING CO.
22826 Dewdney Trunk Rd., Maple Ridge RidgeBrewing.com
RUSSELL BREWING CO.
202 - 13018 80th Ave., Surrey RussellBeer.com
SILVER VALLEY BREWING CO.
#101 - 11952 224 St., Maple Ridge SilverValleyBrewing.com
61
LOWER MAINLAND
STEAMWORKS BREWING CO.
3845 William St., Burnaby Steamworks.com
STEEL & OAK BREWING CO.
1319 3rd Ave., New Westminster SteelAndOak.ca
STREETCAR BREWING
123A East 1st St., North Vancouver StreetcarBrewing.ca
TAYLIGHT BREWING
402-1485 Coast Meridian Rd., Port Coquitlam | TaylightBrewing.com
THE BAKERY BREWING CO.
2617 Murray St., Port Moody TheBakeryBrewing.com
THE PARKSIDE BREWERY
2731 Murray St., Port Moody TheParksideBrewery.com
62
TINHOUSE BREWING CO.
550 Sherling Pl., Port Coquitlam TinhouseBrewing.ca
TRADING POST BREWING
107 - 20120 64th Ave., Langley TradingPostBrewing.com
TWIN SAILS BREWING
2821 Murray St., Port Moody TwinSailsBrewing.com
YELLOW DOG BREWING CO.
1 - 2817 Murray St., Port Moody YellowDogBrew.com
Fr as e r Va l l e y 02
7
MISSION
7
05
CHILLIWACK
04
07 1 11
ABBOTSFORD 03 06
08
N
01
W
1
09 BREWERIES 01 Field House 64 02 Flashback 67 03 Loudmouth 67 04 Mission Springs 67
11
CIDERIES 05 Mountainview 66 06 Old Abbey 66 07 Old Yale 67 08 Ravens 66
09 Taves Estate
104
E
ABBOTSFORD
FIELD HOUSE BREWING CO.
2281 West Railway St. | FieldHouseBrewing.com MON-SAT 11AM-11PM ^ SUN 11AM-8PM EST. 2015
It’s shaping up to be a big year for Field House. Not only is a second brewery set to open in downtown Chilliwack, there’s also the newly opened BRRL ROOM at Field House Farms, the new home of the brewery’s barrel-aging program. Do these folks ever sleep?
GUAVA GOSE
PLUM SOUR
GOSE
FRUITED SOUR ALE
Availability: Limited ABV
4.2%
IBU
Availability: One-off
10
ABV
This sour and sessionable gose features pink guava and Field House Farms dried coriander.
6.0%
IBU
0
This foeder-aged sour was conditioned on fresh golden plums from Field House’s own farm. Expect huge fruit flavour and lactic character.
HOUSE WHITE
DUTCH PALE ALE
Availability: Seasonal
Availability: Year-round
WITBIER
ABV
4.0%
IBU
PA L E A L E
16
ABV
This modern take on a traditional Belgian-style witbier is light and refreshing, with a fluffy body, subtle tartness and a bright cirus finish.
4.8%
IBU
16
Unassuming new world hops combine with traditional Dutch sensibilities to create a brew that is mellow in malt and bitters, with a hint of wheat.
field house farms With the Field House Farms project, the brewery is reclaiming underutilized farmland to produce as much of its own ingredients as possible for both its beer and its ever-growing Canteen Kitchen— including barley, tree fruits, herbs and vegetables. 64
Sponsored content
With its vision of “crafting goodness,” Field House Brewing is as well known for its Fraser Valley community-building as for its unique take on classic beers. Between its East Abbotsford tasting room and upcoming Downtown Chilliwack location, Field House is connecting the Valley with a space to gather. Grab a seat on their beer lawn to enjoy drinkable ales and aged sours, local food, and weekly concerts. @FIELDHOUSEBREWING
INTRODUCING BRRL ROOM BY FIELD HOUSE The latest expression of the Field House vision is the BRRL ROOM. This program presents wild aged farmhouse ales crafted from Field House farm-grown grain, wild cultivated yeasts, and other diverse hand-grown ingredients. The result is a unique marriage of complex flavours featuring the best that the Valley has to offer. @BRRLROOM_FIELDHOUSE
ABBOTSFORD
OLD ABBEY ALES
30321 Fraser Hwy. | OldAbbeyAles.com
EXPERIENCE OUR RUSTIC ARTISAN CRAFT BREWERY. Offering the biggest tap list in Abbotsford, including 15+ Beers, 6+ Sodas and Nitro Coffee, all made from local ingredients in-house, there’s no better time to stop in for a glass or sample flight! Take home your favorites in our newly redesigned cans, or a refillable growler.
Art. Innovation. Passion. Science.
With a minimum of 15 beers on tap at all times there is always something delicious and different to try at this Abbotsford brewery. SCOTTISH MONK
SOUR RASPBERRY
S C OT T I S H A L E
1A-30321 Fraser Hwy., Abbotsford Just off Mt. Lehman
SOUR ALE
Availability: Year-round
OldAbbeyAles.com
Open 7 days a week from 11am
ABV IBU
MENTION THIS AD FOR 10% OFF!
ABBOTSFORD
Availability: Year-round
7.0% 22
ABV IBU
7.0% 7
HOPE
MOUNTAINVIEW BREWING CO.
RAVENS BREWING CO.
390 Old Hope Princeton Way | MountainviewBrewing.ca
2485 Townline Rd. | Ravens.beer
This Fraser Valley brewery takes full advantage of the bounty at its doorstep, featuring local ingredients in its beers whenever possible.
Owners Adam and Danielle grew up as neighbours on Mountainview Crescent in Hope. Now they’re set to open their hometown’s first craft brewery this spring.
SPACE CADET STRATA PALE ALE
WILLOWWISP PILS
PA L E A L E
Availability: Seasonal ABV IBU
66
5.4% 30
DRY IRISH STOUT S TO U T
PILSNER
Availability: Seasonal ABV IBU
4.8% 33 Sponsored content
Availability: Year-round ABV IBU
4.8% 22
SWEETHEARTS IPA I N D I A PA L E A L E
Availability: Year-round ABV IBU
6.7% 43
FRASER VALLEY
FLASHBACK BREWING CO.
1 - 9360 Mill St., Chilliwack FlashbackBrewing.ca
OLD YALE BREWING CO.
404 - 44550 South Sumas Rd., Chilliwack OldYaleBrewing.com
LOUDMOUTH BREWING
103 – 2582 Mt. Lehman Rd., Abbotsford LoudmouthBrewingCompany.ca
MISSION SPRINGS BREWING COMPANY
7160 Oliver St., Mission MissionSprings.ca
Get dressed! Look as good as the beer you drink. shop growler merch at
thegrowler.ca subscriptions • t-shirts • hats • and more
67
S ea to sk y 10
BREWERIES 01 02 03 04 05 06 07 08 09 10 11 12
A-Frame Backcountry Batch 44 Coast Mountain Howe Sound Pemberton Persephone Tapworks The 101 The Beer Farmers Townsite Whistler
PEMBERTON 06 70 69 70 70 70 70 70 70 70 70 69 69
WHISTLER POWEL 11 POWELL
99
RIVER
14 15 16
101
101
13 Brewhouse High
CIDERIES 14 15 16 17 18
Cliffside Geo Northyards Sunday Brickers
70
19
N 101 101 103 103 101
01 02 05
SQUAMISH
BREW PUBS Mountain
13
04 12
W
18
03 17
07 08 09
GIBSONS E
Follow us! @THEGROWLERBC
CITYRIVER POWELL
CITY SQUAMISH
BACKCOUNTRY BREWING
TOWNSITE BREWING
5824 Ash Ave. | TownsiteBrewing.com
#405 - 1201 Commercial Way | BackcountryBrewing.com
Belgian-born brewer Cédric Dauchot brings some old world flavour to the beers at Townsite. Discover his latest creation every Thursday at the brewery’s cask night.
Missed out on Backcountry’s latest pop-culturereferencing hype can release? You’re in luck because their award-winning beers are now available through its online store!
VIDAL LAGER
WIDOWMAKER
TRAILBREAKER
Availability: Year-round
Availability: Year-round
PASSIONFRUIT GOSE
EUPEN LAGER
GOSE
Availability: Seasonal ABV IBU
4.8% 35
I N D I A PA L E A L E
Availability: Seasonal ABV IBU
5.5% 20
ABV IBU
PA L E A L E
5.0% 67
ABV IBU
5.0% 35
WHISTLER CITY
WHISTLER BREWING CO.
1045 Millar Creek Rd. | WhistlerBeer.com
The recipe for Black Tusk hasn’t changed since it debuted 30-plus years ago and it’s still picking up awards, including gold medals at the World Beer Awards in 2017 and 2018. BLACK TUSK ALE
ENGLISH-STYLE DA R K A L E Availability: Year-round ABV IBU
5.0% 17
NEED CANS? Give us a call for all your can and Crowler® packaging solutions.
FORAGER PALE ALE GLUTEN-FREE PA L E A L E Availability: Year-round ABV IBU
5.0% 40
www.mile37.com @mile37canning MILE 37 CRAFT CANNING CO. Port Coquitlam, BC | 778-217-1137
Sponsored content
69
SEA TO SKY
A-FRAME BREWING CO.
38927 Queens Way, Squamish AFrameBrewing.com
BATCH 44 BREWERY & KITCHEN 5561 Wharf Ave., Sechelt Batch44Brewery.com
BREWHOUSE HIGH MOUNTAIN BREWING
4355 Blackcomb Way, Whistler MJG.ca/BrewHouse
COAST MOUNTAIN BREWING CO.
2 - 1212 Alpha Lake Rd., Whistler CoastMountainBeer.ca
HOWE SOUND BREWING CO.
37801 Cleveland Ave., Squamish HoweSound.com
PEMBERTON BREWING CO.
1936 Stonecutter Pl., Pemberton PembertonBrewing.ca
70
PERSEPHONE BREWING CO.
1053 Stewart Rd., Gibsons PersephoneBrewing.com
TAPWORKS BREWING CO.
537 Cruice Lane, Gibsons GibsonsTapworks.com
THE 101 BREWHOUSE + DISTILLERY 1009 Gibsons Way, Gibsons The101.ca
THE BEER FARMERS
8324 Pemberton Meadows Rd., Pemberton TheBeerFarmers.com
Save money. Act locally. impact globally. Let’s hit the trail! The Craft Beer Crawl is a great way to save money while supporting Rotary. For $25 you will receive more than $100 in offers from breweries and brewpubs on Vancouver Island, the Sunshine Coast and Sea to Sky (Lower Mainland to Pemberton). Download the free DonorTrail app and visit circlealetrail.com for details.
Gr eat e r v IC T O RIa & G u lf I s lan d s 05
14
N
MAYNE ISLAND
12
W
E 06
17
SALT SPRING ISLAND 1
13
03
15
02
17a
SAANICHTON 17
16
09 1
SAANICH 10 1A
01
SOOKE
14
CIDERIES
BREW PUBS
BREWERIES Bad Dog Category 12 Howl Lighthouse Mayne Island Salt Spring Island
11
VICTORIA
08
07
01 02 03 04 05 06
04
77 78 77 78 78 78
07 Sooke Brewing 08 Sooke Oceanside
09 Twa Dogs
79 79 76
10 4 Mile 11 Spinnakers
78 78
12 13 14 15 16 17
Ciderworks 102 Merridale 100 Salt Spring Wild 103 Sea Cider 103 Tod Creek 104 Twin Island 104
V I C T O RI A
1A
01 02 B R ID GE
B AY
ST
04
QUE ENS AVE
RB O UR
HERALD ST
RD
09
IM
07
BAY HW Y
HA
RD
08
K TA R
PA ND OR
D
Water Taxis
VICTORIA
05
PATR IC IA
EE
10 Smiths
A AV E
JO H N
SON
LA S ST
W HA RF ST
YATE S
DOUG
LEGEND
STORE ST
TY
TAP ROOMS
E
17
TRANS-CA NADA HWY
BREW PUBS
RD
W 1
06
ST
WILSON ST
78 79
N
ST
01 Driftwood 78 02 Hoyne 78 SKINNE 03 ÃŽleR Sauvage 78 ST 04 Moon Under Water 77 05 Phillips 77 06 Vancouver Island 74 07 Whistle Buoy 79
08 Canoe 09 Swans
ST
QU AD RA
BREWERIES
ID D AV
GOVERNME NT ST
03
V IE W
10
FORT
COUR
TN E Y
ST
ST
ST
9 DAY S 14 EVENTS 5 0 B C C R A FT B R E W ER IES Tickets on sale now! VictoriaBeerWeek.com
ST
ST
VICTORIA
VANCOUVER ISLAND BREWING
2330 Government St. | VIBrewing.com
MON-THU 12-6PM ^ FRI-SAT 12-8PM ^ SUN 12-5PM EST. 1984 Good news everyone! After two years of waiting, Vancouver Island Brewing finally has its lounge licence, which means you can now get full pints of its award-winning beer at its Rock Bay tasting room. Plans are also in the works for a dedicated brewhouse just for small batch experimental beers.
TIDAL SERIES: CHERRY COLA MÄRZEN M Ä R Z E N
BEACHCOMBER
Availability: One-off
Availability: Seasonal
ABV
5.8%
IBU
HEFEWEIZEN
20
ABV
Inspired by a classic cherry soda, this full-bodied German-style märzen is rich and malty with aromas of dark fruit and caramel.
H A Z Y I N D I A PA L E A L E
Availability: Year-round IBU
12
BROKEN ISLANDS
SOUR ALE
5.0%
IBU
Not your typical German beer, this hef is hazy as heck with flavours of banana and clove.
POINT BREAK
ABV
5.3%
Availability: Year-round
10
ABV
This West Coast sour hits your palate like a wave crashing against The Point at Jordan River.
6.0%
IBU
57
This hazy IPA offers the best of both coasts, with bold citrus flavours leading to a lingering, juicy finish.
Pod fest returns Join Vancouver Island Brewing for Pod Fest at Victoria’s Market Square on May 23. This outdoor block party features a beer garden, food vendors and live music to celebrate the launch of the Pod Pack collaboration mix-pack, which supports efforts to save the Southern Resident Killer Whales. 74
Sponsored content
GET A TASTE OF THE ISLAND.
SAANICH
TWA DOGS BREWERY AT VICTORIA CALEDONIAN
761 Enterprise Cres. | VCaledonian.com
SUN-THU 12:30-6:30PM ^ FRI 11AM-10PM ^ SAT 11AM-9PM EST. 2016 Twa Dogs is also home to Victoria Caledonian Distillery, so drop by the taproom to try a flight of whisky with your pint of beer.
DROUTHY NEIBOR
KEEKIN’ GLASS
Availability: Year-round
Availability: Year-round
I N D I A PA L E A L E
ABV
7.0%
IBU
PILSNER
60
ABV
Brewed with only Canadian barley and a fourhop blend of citrus, tropical and stone fruit flavours.
5.0%
IBU
25
Bold and refreshing, this pilsner uses Pacifica and Motueka hops for an unconventionally delicious twist.
BREWERY-DISTILLERY INVESTMENT Starts at $
500
Investors receive company shares that could generate a return on their investment. Investments are RRSP/ TFSA qualified and are eligible for a 30% tax credit. AWESOME PERKS include free branded merchandise, product discounts, access to our 3-day brewing + distilling academy & more!
Every Pint You Drink Will Help Grow Your Investment! LEARN MORE frontfundr.com/Company/ caledonian-brewery-distillery DISCLAIMER: There are risks associated with any investing. This document is for informational purposes only and does not constitute an offer to sell or a solicitation to buy any securities in MBD. This document is not an Offering Memorandum and should not be construed as such. Anyone who wishes to invest in MBD should refer to MBD’s Offering Memorandum and should carefully consider the risk warnings and disclosures contained therein before making an investment decision.
76
Sponsored content
NORTH SAANICH
SOOKE
BAD DOG BREWING COMPANY
HOWL BREWING
1780 Mills Rd.
7861 Tugwell Rd. | BadDogBrewing.ca
One of the smallest breweries in the province, Howl is also one of the most interesting, with a focus on historical, obscure and experimental beer styles. FUNGUS AND FLOWERS SPRING GRUIT GRUIT
Availability: Seasonal ABV IBU
GOTLANDSDRICKA
SUNNY’S DAY
J U N I P E R FA R M H O U S E ALE Availability: Seasonal
6.0% 10
ABV IBU
Bad Dog’s recently expanded tasting room now features 12 delicious beers on tap. The perfect excuse for a roadtrip to Sooke! H A Z Y I N D I A PA L E A L E
HONEY BLONDE BLONDE ALE
Availability: Year-round
6.0% 10
ABV IBU
VICTORIA
Availability: Year-round
5.8% 40
ABV IBU
5.0% 18
VICTORIA
MOON UNDER WATER BREWERY
PHILLIPS BREWING & MALTING CO.
Moon Under Water brews some of the best German-style beers in B.C. on its Germanbuilt brewhouse. Check out the monthly Night at the Brewery beer education seminars.
Phillips’ tasting room is where they test out new ideas on very willing guinea pigs, including daily beer blends and cocktails.
MOON JUICE
GLITTER BOMB
350B Bay St. | MoonUnderWater.ca
R A S P B E R RY S O U R A L E Availability: Year-round ABV IBU
5.5% 0
2010 Government St. | PhillipsBeer.com
SEA BERRY HAZE
NEW ENGLAND INDIA PA L E A L E Availability: Seasonal ABV IBU
H A Z Y PA L E A L E
7.0% 40 Sponsored content
W H I T E I N D I A PA L E A L E
Availability: Year-round ABV IBU
ELECTRIC UNICORN
5.0% 25
Availability: Year-round ABV IBU
6.5% 75 77
VICTORIA
DRIFTWOOD BREWERY
SPINNAKERS BREWPUB
450 Hillside Ave., Victoria DriftwoodBeer.com
308 Catharine St. | Spinnakers.com
Canada’s first brewpub has been producing top-notch craft beer for more than 35 years and it’s not slowing down, with a growing barrelaging program and heaps of new releases. VITIS ENRICO SHIRAZ SOUR SAISON SOUR ALE
HULL AND OATS
H A Z Y I N D I A PA L E A L E
Availability: Small batch ABV IBU
6.0% 20
Availability: Seasonal ABV IBU
6.2% 60
4 MILE BREWING CO.
2 - 836 Devonshire Rd., Esquimalt LighthouseBrewing.com
CANOE BREWPUB
MAYNE ISLAND BREWING CO.
450 Swift St., Victoria CanoeBrewpub.com
CATEGORY 12 BREWING
ÎLE SAUVAGE BREWING CO.
2960 Bridge St., Victoria IleSauvage.com
LIGHTHOUSE BREWING CO.
199 Island Hwy., View Royal 4MileBrewingCo.com
490 Fernhill Rd., Mayne Island MayneIslandBrewingCo.com
C - 2200 Keating Cross Rd., Central Saanich Category12Beer.com
78
HOYNE BREWING CO.
101-2740 Bridge St., Victoria HoyneBrewing.ca
SALT SPRING ISLAND ALES
270 Furness Rd., Salt Spring Island SaltSpringIslandAles.com
Sponsored content
GREATER VICTORIA
SOOKE BREWING CO.
2057 Otter Point Rd., Sooke SookeBrewing.com
WHISTLE BUOY BREWING CO.
560 Johnson St., Victoria WhistleBuoyBrewing.com
SOOKE OCEANSIDE BREWERY
1-5529 Sooke Rd., Sooke SookeOceansideBrewing.com
SWANS BREWPUB
506 Pandora Ave., Victoria SwansHotel.com
79
Va n c ou v e r I sl a nd BREWERIES 01 02 03 04 05 06 07 08 09 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19
Ace Beach Fire Cliffside Cumberland Dog Mountain Gladstone Land & Sea Longwood LoveShack Mount Arrowsmith New Tradition Red Arrow Riot Small Block Tofino Twin City Ucluelet White Sails Wolf
BREW PUBS
20 Craig Street 21 Longwood
82 81 82 82 82 82 83 81 83 82 83 83 83 83 83 80 82 83 81
19
CAMPBELL RIVER
N
02
W 01 06 07 11
COURTENAY 24 CUMBERLAND 04 19
QUALICUM 09
10 PARKSVILLE
05 16
15
TOFINO 17
21
PORT ALBERNI
Affinity Gabbies Ravens Moon Valley
23
03 08
NANAIMO
UCLUELET
18 19 19
13 CHEMAINUS CHEMAINUS
82 81
25 20
CIDERIES 22 23 24 25
E
DUNCAN 12
14
102 103 103 104
22
14
17
PORT ALBERNI
TWIN CITY BREWING
4503 Margaret St. | TwinCityBrewing.ca
Haven’t been yet? Stop by! We make award-winning beer and great food that can only be enjoyed in person right here in our little PA-radise!
Twin City’s ever-changing beer and food menu are two of the best reasons to make a detour off the highway and spend a little time in Port Alberni. HUSH MONEY S A LT E D L I M E A N D A G AV E S O U R A L E
nd
2
an
WI
nual * 2 0
NN
Availability: Seasonal
19
ABV
ER
IBU
80
Sponsored content
5.1% 10
RUN OF THE MILL
W E S T C OA S T I N D I A PA L E A L E Availability: Year-round ABV IBU
7.0% 51
CAMPBELL RIVER
NANAIMO
LONGWOOD BREWPUB & RESTAURANT
BEACH FIRE BREWING
594 11th Ave. | BeachFireBrewing.ca
5775 Turner Rd., Nanaimo LongwoodBrewpub.com
Not just great beer, but also amazing food, including beer-infused dishes on the twicedaily changing menu. Save room for a giant wedge of double chocolate stout cake!
This classic English-style brewpub in North Nanaimo is the perfect place to cosy up with a pint, grab a delicious meal and check out the live music every Thursday.
PUMPHOUSE PILSNER
LONGWOOD ALE
CZECH-STYLE PILSNER Availability: Seasonal ABV IBU
CHERRY PLUM SOUR SAISON
FRUITED KETTLE SOUR ALE Availability: Seasonal
5.1% 40
ABV IBU
BLONDE ALE
STEAMPUNK D U N K E LW E I Z E N
Availability: Year-round
4.9% 5
ABV IBU
NANAIMO
Availability: Year-round
5.0% 25
ABV IBU
5.0% 19
NANAIMO
WOLF BREWING COMPANY
LONGWOOD BREWERY
101A-2046 Boxwood Rd., Nanaimo LongwoodBeer.com
940 Old Victoria Rd. | WolfBrewingCompany.com
Longwood is partnering with the Rugged Coast Research Society to create a lime gose with proceeds from each can sold going to help clean up B.C. beaches.
Nanaimo’s Wolf has new ownership and is now serving full pints in the brewery’s tasting room, aka the Wolf Den!
RUGGED COAST
IRISH RED ALE
LIME GOSE
QUINCE TART LAGER GRAFF
Availability: Seasonal ABV IBU
4.5% 11
RED ALE
Availability: Seasonal ABV IBU
5.5% 0 Sponsored content
WEE HEAVY SCOTCH ALE S C OT C H A L E
Availability: Seasonal ABV IBU
5.8% 20
Availability: Seasonal ABV IBU
6.5% 34 81
PARKSVILLE
UCLUELET
MOUNT ARROWSMITH BREWING CO.
UCLUELET BREWING COMPANY
109-425 East Stanford Ave. | ArrowsmithBrewing.com
1601 Peninsula Rd. | UclueletBrewing.ca
Parksville is known for sandy beaches and mini golf—it’s also the home of the 2017 B.C. Brewery of the Year! Now you can find Mount Arrowsmith’s entire lineup in tall cans.
After an extensive renovation, the former St. Aidan’s on the Hill Church has been resurrected into one of the most unique and stunning craft breweries in the province.
WEEKEND RAMBLER
ST. AIDAN’S PORTER
THE BOSS
D RY- H O P P E D PINEAPPLE SOUR ALE Availability: Seasonal ABV IBU
PILSNER
5.0% 25
P O RT E R Availability: One-off ABV IBU
ACE BREWING CO.
SOUTH SWELL IPA I N D I A PA L E A L E
Availability: Year-round
5.0% 35
ABV IBU
5.5% 24
Availability: Year-round ABV IBU
CUMBERLAND BREWING CO.
150 Mansfield Dr., Courtenay Facebook.com/AceBrewingCompany
2732 Dunsmuir Ave., Cumberland CumberlandBrewing.com
CLIFFSIDE BREWING CO.
DOG MOUNTAIN BREWING
11 Cliff St., Nanaimo CliffsideBrewCo.ca
CRAIG STREET BREW PUB
25 Craig St., Duncan CraigStreet.ca
82
6.5% 55
3141 3rd Ave., Port Alberni DogMountainBrew.com
GLADSTONE BREWING CO.
244 4th St., Courtenay GladstoneBrewing.ca
Sponsored content
VANCOUVER ISLAND
LAND & SEA BREWING CO.
2040 Guthrie Rd., Comox LandAndSeaBrewing.ca
LOVESHACK LIBATIONS
1 - 4134 Island Hwy. West, Qualicum LoveShackLibations.com
TOFINO BREWING CO.
691 Industrial Way, Tofino TofinoBrewingCo.com
WHITE SAILS BREWING
125 Comox Rd., Nanaimo WhiteSailsBrewing.com
NEW TRADITION BREWING
215 Port Augusta St., Comox NewTraditionBrewing.com
RED ARROW BREWING CO.
5255 Chaster Rd., Duncan RedArrowBeer.ca
RIOT BREWING CO.
101A - 3055 Oak St., Chemainus RiotBrewing.com
Local Beer Here
SMALL BLOCK BREWING CO.
203-5301 Chaster Rd., Duncan SmallBlockBrewery.com
777 Courtney St Victoria BC smithspub.com
83
TO WH IST L E R
T hOm p SO n O K A nAgAn 5
02 25 01 05 08
1
09 12
10
1
97A
SALMON ARM
KAMLOOPS
15
97
5A
18
1
SORRENTO
07 13 8
97C
5
6
21
VERNON
03 97
MERRITT
TO VANCOUVER
97C
5
22 06
5A
KELOWNA Kelowna map page 85.
11 33
97
PENTICTON Penticton, Summerland & Naramata map page 85.
3
3A
CAWSTON
W
17 04 OLIVER
20 23 24
N E
14
BrewerieS 01 02 03 04 05 06 07 08
Bright Eye Crannóg Empty Keg Firehall Iron Road Kind Marten Red Collar
Brew puBS 88 87 88 88 89 89 89 90
09 10 11 12
Alchemy Barley Station Elevation 57 The Noble Pig
88 88 88 90
16 19 OSOYOOS
3
ciDerieS 13 14 15 16 17 18 19
BX Press 102 Dead End 102 Farmstrong 102 Faustino 102 Howling Moon 100 Left Field 103 Orchard Hill 103
20 21 22 23 24 25
Rustic Roots Tony’s Craft Truck 59 Twisted Hills Untangled Woodward
103 104 104 104 96 104
penticton SUMMERLAND
BrewerieS 01 02 03 04 05 06 07
02
Bad Tattoo Breakaway Cannery Detonate Highway 97 Slackwater Tin Whistle
88 87 86 88 87 87 90
04
10
NARAMATA
97
11
12 13
Brew puBS 08 Barley Mill
88
ciDerieS 09 10 11 12 13
09 97
Creek & Gully 101 Dominion 102 Naramata 103 Nomad 98 Summerland Heritage 103
N W
01 03 06
05
PENTICTON
E
07 08
Ke l o w na 97
02 09 14
05 06 07 08 10
G
04
L
M EN
OR
E
D
R
13
15
11
16 97
03
12
01
LA
K
ES
H
O
R
E
R
D
N
W
17 33
E
BrewerieS 01 02 03 04
Barn Owl BNA Boundary Copper
86 86 88 88
05 06 07 08 09
Jackknife 89 Kettle River 89 Red Bird 90 Rustic Reel 86 Tree Brewing Beer Institute 90
10 Vice & Virtue 11 Wild Ambition
90 90
Brew puBS 12 Freddy’s 13 Kelowna
88 89
ciDerieS 14 15 16 17
BC Tree Fruits Scenic Road Upside Wards
102 100 104 104
KELOWNA
KELOWNA
BARN OWL BREWING CO.
BNA BREWING CO.
4629 Lakeshore Rd. | BarnOwlBrewing.ca
1250 Ellis St. | BNABrewing.com
True to its name, Barn Owl calls a barn home—a lovingly restored 1921 heritage barn complete with massive chandeliers, a rustic stone fireplace and shuffleboard, that is.
BNA’s tasting room recently underwent a massive expansion with seating now for 100+ along with arcade games, skee ball, darts, board games, cards, Lego… oh yeah, and great beer!
BOHEMIAN RED PILSNER
THRILLER
PILSNER
Availability: Year-round ABV IBU
4.8% 34
EXPRESSO NIGHT OWL PORTER
H A Z Y I N D I A PA L E A L E
C O F F E E P O RT E R Availability: Seasonal ABV IBU
L E M O N I N D I A PA L E A L E
Availability: Seasonal
6.0% 34
KELOWNA
GABE’S A SUPERSTAR
ABV IBU
Availability: Seasonal
6.5% 37
ABV IBU
6.5% 37
PENTICTON
RUSTIC REEL BREWING CO.
CANNERY BREWING
760 Vaughan Ave. | RusticReel.com
198 Ellis St. | CanneryBrewing.com
This bright and spacious brewery in Kelowna’s North End features daily fresh-baked spent grain breads and pastries available at its Tackle Box Marketplace.
Penticton was just named Canada’s Craft Beer Capital by Lonely Planet travel guide, and Cannery is a big part of the reason why.
HAZY IPA
MEADOWLARK
H A Z Y I N D I A PA L E A L E Availability: Year-round ABV IBU
86
6.0% 30
BLACK IPA
B L A C K I N D I A PA L E A L E
SAISON
Availability: Year-round ABV IBU
7.0% 60 Sponsored content
Availability: Small batch ABV IBU
5.5% 20
CERES (PINK BOOTS FUNDRAISER)
M A N G O M I L K S H A K E D I PA Availability: One-off ABV IBU
8.0% 30
PENTICTON
PENTICTON
HIGHWAY 97 BREWERY
SLACKWATER BREWING
954 Eckhardt Ave. | Hwy97Brewery.com
218 Martin St. | SlackwaterBrewing.com
The Hwy 97 route runs 2,081 km through Canada to the United States border, passing directly in front of this Penticton brewery along the way.
Fun fact: The owners of Slackwater are avid fishers and many of their beers are named after famous fishing flies and lures.
HIGH ALPINE IPA
WHAT THE FOG?!
H A Z Y I N D I A PA L E A L E
PROVINCIAL PARK PALE ALE H A Z Y PA L E A L E
Availability: Year-round ABV IBU
Availability: Year-round
5.0% 58
ABV IBU
NEW ENGLAND INDIA PA L E A L E Availability: Year-round
4.8% 35
SORRENTO
INTRUDER
ABV IBU
6.8% 39
I N D I A PA L E A L E Availability: Year-round ABV IBU
6.0% 62
SUMMERLAND
BREAKAWAY BREWING CO.
CRANNÓG ALES
706 Elson Rd. | CrannogAles.com
13224 Victoria Road N. | Instagram.com/BreakawayBrewingCo
Crannóg is celebrating 20 years of stubborn existence this year with a slew of events including a long table dinner, live music, art shows, a speaker series and cask nights.
Breakaway’s expanded tasting room and production facilities should be ready by the spring, which means more beer and more people to share it with!
WILD GAEL POTATO ALE
DRY HOP PILSNER
IRISH ALE
WOBBLY TODDLER MILK ALE I R I S H A L E W I T H L A C TO S E
Availability: Year-round ABV IBU
4.8% 58
PILSNER
Availability: Seasonal ABV IBU
VANILLA STOUT
4.5% 25 Sponsored content
VA N I L L A S TO U T
Availability: Year-round ABV IBU
5.0% 20
Availability: Year-round ABV IBU
5.5% 30 87
THOMPSON OKANAGAN
ALCHEMY BREWING CO.
650 Victoria St., Kamloops Facebook.com/AlchemyBrewingCompany.ca
BAD TATTOO BREWING CO.
COPPER BREWING CO.
102 - 1851 Kirschner Rd., Kelowna CopperBrewingCo.com
DETONATE BREWING
169 Estabrook Ave., Penticton BadTattooBrewing.com
104 - 9503 Cedar Ave., Summerland DetonateBrewing.com
BARLEY MILL BREW PUB
ELEVATION 57 BREWING COMPANY
2460 Skaha Lake Rd., Penticton BarleyMillPub.com
BARLEY STATION BREW PUB
20 Shuswap St. N., Vernon BarleyStation.com
BOUNDARY BREWING CO.
2-455 Neave Crt., Kelowna BoundaryBrewing.beer
BRIGHT EYE BREWING
292 Tranquille Rd., Kamloops BrightEyeBrewing.com
88
20 Kettleview Rd., Big White SessionsTapHouseAndGrill.com
EMPTY KEG BREW HOUSE
2190 Voght St., Merritt EmptyKegBrewHouse.ca
FIREHALL BREWERY
6077 Main St., Oliver FirehallBrewery.com
FREDDY’S BREWPUB
124 McCurdy Rd., Kelowna McCurdyBowl.com
THOMPSON OKANAGAN
IRON ROAD BREWING
980 Camosun Crs., Kamloops IronRoadBrewing.ca
JACKKNIFE BREWING
KETTLE RIVER BREWING CO.
731 Baillie Ave., Kelowna KettleRiverBrewing.ca
KIND BREWING
727 Baillie Ave., Kelowna Facebook.com/JackknifeBrewing
KELOWNA BREWING CO.
975 Academy Way, Kelowna KelownaBrewingCompany.com
2405 Main St., West Kelwona Facebook.com/KindBrewer
MARTEN BREWING CO.
2933A 30th Ave., Vernon MartenBrewpub.com
Supplier to the Commercial Beverage Industry
CIDER MAKING
Fruit Processing Equipment • Pumps Packaging Supplies • Tanks & Barrels Fermentation • Filtration Tasting Room Equipment • Lab Equipment
SAVE $5 WITH PROMO CODE
THEGROWLER2020
120
60
5
35
TICKETS AT GOBF.CA. WE’LL SEE YA THERE!
CIDER MAKING…
we’ve got you covered TF: 1.877.460.9463 • cellartek.com
89
THOMPSON OKANAGAN
RED BIRD BREWING
1086 Richter St., Kelowna RedBirdBrewing.com
RED COLLAR BREWING CO.
355 Lansdowne St., Kamloops RedCollar.ca
THE NOBLE PIG BREWHOUSE
650 Victoria St., Kamploops TheNoblePig.ca
LOVE CRAFT? Keep up on your local beer news & seasonal listings.
SUBSCRIBE NOW at BC.thegrowler.ca/subscribe
90
THE TIN WHISTLE BREWING CO.
112-1475 Fairview Rd., Penticton TheTinWhistleBrewery.rocks
TREE BREWING BEER INSTITUTE
1346 Water St., Kelowna TreeBrewingBeerInstitute.com
VICE & VIRTUE BREWING CO.
1033 Richter St., Kelowna ViceAndVirtueBrewing.ca
WILD AMBITION BREWING
1 - 3314 Appaloosa Rd., Kelowna WildAmbition.beer
KOO T EN AYS 93
N W
E
A L B E R T A 14
LAKE LOUISE
GOLDEN 23
1
1
06 10
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
02
INVERMERE
6
31A
16
95
01
KASLO
08
KIMBERLEY
6
95A
03 07 12
11 3
NELSON
CRANBROOK ROSSLAND
3A
04
01 Angry Hen 92 02 Arrowhead 93 03 Backroads 92 04 Erie Creek 93 05 Fernie 93 06 Mt. Begbie 92 07 Nelson 93
FERNIE 93
3B
6
95 3
ROSSLAND
BREWERIES
05
15
CASTLEGAR
13 09
BANFF
UNITED STATES
08 Over Time 93 09 Rossland 93 10 Rumpus 93 11 Tailout 93 12 Torchlight 93 13 Trail Beer Refinery 94
14 Whitetooth 92
BREW PUBS
15 Fisher Peak
ALBERTA
93
CIDERIES 16 Burton City 100
BRITISH COLUMBIA
GOLDEN
KASLO
WHITETOOTH BREWING
ANGRY HEN BREWING
623 8th Ave. N. | WhitetoothBrewing.com
343 Front St. | AngryHenBrewing.com
Have no fear, the patio should be open by April—once the folks at Whitetooth can dig out the snow! Until then there’s always great beers, live music and regular cask nights inside.
Historic Kaslo’s first brewery opened in 1892 and closed in 1903. Angry Hen hopes to be around a good while longer, which shouldn’t be an issue given how tasty the beer is.
ICEFIELDS BELGIAN PALE ALE
BLACK HOLE
B E L G I A N PA L E A L E Availability: Year-round ABV IBU
6.0% 25
SICKBIRD NW PALE ALE A M E R I C A N PA L E A L E
ALE
Availability: One-off ABV IBU
H A Z Y PA L E A L E
Availability: Seasonal
5.2% 36
NELSON
WILD ROOSTER
ABV IBU
Availability: Year-round
6.0% 66
ABV IBU
5.0% 55
REVELSTOKE
BACKROADS BREWING CO.
MT. BEGBIE BREWING CO.
460 Baker St. | BackroadsBrewing.com
2155 Oak Dr. | Mt-Begbie.com
The brewery on Baker Street celebrates its third birthday on March 28—stop in for live music and some special beer releases.
The 2017 Canadian Brewery of the Year, Mt. Begbie also took home six medals at the World Beer Awards in 2019—the most of any Canadian brewery!
STADTISCH
DARKSIDE OF THE STOKE
BA R R E L - A G E D KO L S C H Availability: One-off ABV IBU
92
5.0% 14
SIPASAURUS REX
D RY- H O P P E D WHITE ALE Availability: Small batch ABV IBU
S TO U T
5.7% 30 Sponsored content
Availability: Year-round ABV IBU
4.8% 22
BEGBIE GRAND CRU BELGIAN STRONG ALE
Availability: Seasonal ABV 10.6% IBU 50
REVELSTOKE
FISHER PEAK BREWING CO.
RUMPUS BEER COMPANY
208 1st Street E. | RumpusBeerCo.com
821 Baker St., Cranbrook TheHeidOut.ca
Rumpus is averaging one new beer release every week with a tap list that’s as deep as the Revy snowpack.
512 Latimer St., Nelson NelsonBrewing.com
ACID DROP
D RY- H O P P E D S O U R
SPIDERMOUTH C A S C A D I A N DA R K A L E
Availability: Small batch ABV IBU
4.4% 9
Availability: Small batch ABV IBU
5.5% 35
ARROWHEAD BREWING CO.
481 Arrow Rd., Invermere ArrowheadBrewingCompany.ca
ERIE CREEK BREWING CO.
117 Fourth St., Salmo ErieCreekBrewingCo.com
FERNIE BREWING CO.
26 Manitou Rd., Fernie FernieBrewing.com
NELSON BREWING CO.
OVER TIME BEER WORKS
136A Wallinger Ave., Kimberley OverTimeBeer.ca
ROSSLAND BEER CO.
1990 Columbia Ave., Rossland RosslandBeer.com
TAILOUT BREWING
1800 8th Ave., Castlegar TailoutBrewing.com
TORCHLIGHT BREWING CO.
125 Hall St., Nelson TorchlightBrewing.com
Sponsored content
93
T he N o rt h N
BREWERIES 01 02 03 04 05 06 07 08 09 10 11 12
Barkerville Beard's Bulkley Valley CrossRoads Jackson's Mighty Peace Sherwood Mountain Smithers Three Ranges Trench Ursa Minor Wheelhouse
95 95 95 95 95 95 95 95 95 95 95 95
W 37
E
97
02 06
FORT ST JOHN
2
SMITHERS
12
07
03 08
43
97
16
PRINCE GEORGE
TERRACE PRINCE RUPERT
40
04 10
11
16
01
QUESNEL
09
VALEMOUNT 100 MILE 05 HOUSE
BRITISH COLUMBIA
5
97
WE ARE PROUD TO SUPPORT LOCAL BEER, WINE & SPIRITS.
TRAIL BEER REFINERY
1299 Bay Ave., Trail TrailBeerRefinery.ca
Pick up a copy of The Growler’s sister publications at a distillery or winery near you. FA L L/ W I N T E R 2019
FREE FA L L / W I N T E R 2 0 1 9
FALL/WINTER
FALL/WINTE R 2019
13
B . C .
W I N E
C U L T U R E
2019 / 13
Issue 04 O R GA N I C O K A N AGA N SCIENTIFIC PLANTINGS V E GA N V I N TAG E S CELLAR SECRETS H E R I TAG E V I N E YA R D S L I L LO O E T R I S I N G O L D V I N E S, N E W L I F E S O U T H A F R I CA N S I P S
VITIS
H O M E B LO C K C O M F O R T
THE ALCHEMIS T
PLEASE ENJOY RESPONSIBLY.
HEAD GAMES Mental health behind the bar
VERMOU TH Bitter, sweet and so delicious
VEGAN COCKTA ILS Drinks made with compassio n
B.C. W I N E RY L I S T I N G S
PACK A PUNCH The key ingredien t for all your parties
thealchemistmagazine.ca @thealchemistmag
vitis.ca @vitismag
NORTHERN BC
BARKERVILLE BREWING CO.
185 Davie St., Quesnel BarkervilleBeer.com
BEARD’S BREWING CO.
10408 Alaska Rd. N., Fort St. John BeardsBrewing.ca
BULKLEY VALLEY BREWERY
SHERWOOD MOUNTAIN BREWHOUSE
101 - 4816 Hwy. 16 West, Terrace SherwoodMountain.beer
SMITHERS BREWING CO.
3832 3rd Ave., Smithers SmithersBrewing.com
THREE RANGES BREWING CO.
3860 1st Ave., Smithers BulkleyValleyBrewery.ca
1160 5th Ave., Valemount ThreeRanges.com
CROSSROADS BREWING & DISTILLERY
TRENCH BREWING & DISTILLING
JACKSON’S SOCIAL CLUB & BREWHOUSE
URSA MINOR BREWING
508 George St., Price George CrossroadsCraft.com
175 Hwy. 97, 100 Mile House JacksonsSocialClub.com
MIGHTY PEACE BREWING CO.
10128 95th Ave., Fort St. John MightyPeaceBrewing.ca
399 2nd Ave., Prince George TrenchBrew.ca
45249 Ootsa Lake Rd. E., Burns Lake Facebook.com/Ursa-Minor-Brewing
WHEELHOUSE BREWING CO.
217 1st Ave. E., Prince Rupert WheelhouseBrewing.com
95
CAWSTON
UNTANGLED CRAFT CIDER
725 Mackenzie Rd. | UntangledCider.ca
DAILY 11AM-5PM (TASTING ROOM) DAILY 11AM-9PM (RESTAURANT/LOUNGE) EST. 2019 Untangled Craft Cider is one of the newest cideries in the Similkameen and is also home to Row Fourteen Restaurant. Untangled and Row Fourteen are planted in the middle of the orchard at Klippers Organic Acres, a certified organic farm established in 2001 in sunny Cawston. If you’re planning to visit, the farm also has its own luxury guest suites.
HOPPED APRICOT
BLUE PEAR
Availability: Year-round
Availability: Year-round
O F F - D RY
ABV
SEMI-SWEET
5.0%
ABV
Made with organic Moorpark apricots, Mutsu apples and wild hops for a lingering finish of tangerines and passion fruit.
5.5%
Luscious organic blueberries are blended with Red Crimson Star pears to create this crisp, light-bodied cider.
NEWTOWN
LIONHEART
Availability: Year-round
Availability: Year-round
D RY
ABV
SEMI-SWEET
6.5%
ABV
Organic Newtown Pippin apple, this cider has a refreshing bright minerality and a long, tannic finish.
5.8%
Organic Lionheart plums and heirloom apples blend beautifully, offering notes of anise, mint and basil.
Row fourteen restaurant Row Fourteen was named the No. 1 New Restaurant of 2019 by the Globe and Mail, and offers a memorable dining experience focusing on local and sustainable food. Sample seasonal delights harvested from right outside the restaurant’s doors at this must-visit culinary destination. 96
Sponsored content
Necessarily Uncomplicated. K lippers Organics was founded in 2001 with the belief that food should be organic, fresh, and grown free of pesticides or genetic modification—just as nature intended. Our fruits and vegetables are farmed organically and harvested at peak ripeness to preserve freshness, taste, and nutritional value.
SUMMERLAND
NOMAD CIDER
8011 Simpson Rd. | NomadCider.ca TASTING ROOM REOPENS MAY 16 EST. 2015 Nomad’s Summerland tasting room reopens in May and it’s the only place you’ll find its one-off micro-batches of fruited seasonal ciders, including raspberry, peach and rhubarb. Enjoy them al fresco in the shaded, dog-friendly picnic area, and grab a game of bocce while you’re at it.
SEMI-DRY
TRADITIONAL DRY
Availability: Year-round
Availability: Year-round
S E M I - D RY
ABV
E N G L I S H - S T Y L E D RY C I D E R
6.5%
ABV
Made from a blend of cider and dessert apples, this crisp and refreshing cider offers a fruitforward apple aroma and palate.
6.5%
Made entirely from cider apples, this cider has complex tannins and balanced structure.
PEAR
MAPLE BOURBON
Availability: Year-round
Availability: Year-round
O F F - D RY P E A R C I D E R
ABV
BA R R E L - A G E D C I D E R
6.5%
ABV
An elegant semi-dry cider made from Bosc, Anjou and Bartlett pears.
7.0%
Aged two months in Woodford Reserve Kentucky bourbon barrels and then backsweetened lightly with a touch of maple syrup.
In-cider information The first commercial orchard in Summerland was planted in the 1890s back when the town was still known as Trout Creek. More than 125 years later, Summerland produces some of the best cider and table apples in the province.
98
Sponsored content
HANDCRAFTED CIDER MADE FROM FRESH-PRESSED, LOCAL, BC APPLES + PEARS.
VISIT OUR CIDER HOUSE AND TASTING ROOM 8011 Simpson Road, Summerland nomadcider.ca | 250.469.6601
BURTON
COBBLE HILL
MERRIDALE CIDERY & DISTILLERY
BURTON CITY CIDER
5470 BC-6 | BurtonCityCider.ca
1230 Merridale Rd. | Merridale.ca
Located in the West Kootenays on the shores of Arrow Lake, this picturesque cidery specializes in dry ciders made from pure juice, with no sugar, sulfites or water added.
Merridale is celebrating 30 years of farmgrown craft cider this year. In fact, it’s the province’s oldest estate cidery.
APPLE-N-RYE
MO’MORO
BA R R E L - A G E D D RY CIDER
CURRANT
D RY C I D E R W I T H BLACKCURRANTS
Availability: Year-round ABV
Availability: Year-round
7.5%
ABV
D RY- H O P P E D S E M I - D RY CIDER WITH BLOOD ORANGE Availability: Year-round
5.8%
ABV
KELOWNA
SCRUMPY
BA R R E L - A G E D D RY CIDER Availability: Year-round
6.0%
ABV 11.0%
OLIVER
HOWLING MOON CRAFT CIDER
SCENIC ROAD CIDER CO.
770 Packinghouse Rd. | ScenicRoadCider.com
7952 BC-97 | HowlingMoon.ca
Housed in an 80-year-old repurposed fruit packinghouse, you’ll quickly understand how Scenic Road got its name when you drive to this Glenmore Valley cidery.
Howling Moon’s Oliver apple orchard was planted in 2012 with heirloom cider varities, perfect for its handmade and hand-bottle artisan ciders. Tasting room reopens in April.
RAZZ
REVIVAL
R A S P B E R RY A P P L E CIDER Availability: Year-round ABV
100
5.9%
NEARLY DRY S E M I - D RY
Availability: Year-round ABV
REBELLION
S E M I - D RY
7.0% Sponsored content
SEMI-SWEET
Availability: Small batch ABV
6.5%
Availability: Small batch ABV
6.0%
PENTICTON
SECHELT
THE BRICKER CIDER COMPANY
CREEK & GULLY CIDER
1053 Poplar Grove Rd. | CreekAndGully.com
6642 Northwest Bay Rd. | BrickersCider.com
All of Creek & Gully’s unfiltered and pasteurized ciders are made from certified organic apples grown on its fifth generation family farm. Tasting room reopens in spring.
This 100% family owned and operated cidery now has a lounge licence, so come and have a full pint of cider… or beer!
PÉT-NAT
BRICKERS PEAR
ANCESTRAL METHOD S PA R K L I N G C I D E R
ORCHARD BLEND
T R A D I T I O N A L D RY
Availability: Small batch ABV
Availability: Small batch
7.0%
ABV
BA R R E L - A G E D PEAR CIDER Availability: Small batch
7.5%
ABV
SQUAMISH
6.1%
BRICKERS STOUT CIDER
N I T R O S TO U T- S T Y L E CIDER WITH COFFEE Availability: One-off ABV
5.0%
SQUAMISH
CLIFFSIDE CIDER
GEO CIDER CO.
103-37760 2 Ave. | CliffsideCider.com
318-1201 Commercial Way | GeoCider.com
This hidden oasis in Squamish is tucked down an alley just past Howe Sound Brewing, but its creative cider blends are well worth seeking out.
What do you get when you cross a sailor, a stuntman, a racecar driver and a veteran bartender? The talented team behind Squamish’s Geo Cider, that’s what!
FRESCA
OLD WORLD APPLE CIDER
MANGO APPLE CIDER W I T H VA N I L L A Availability: Year-round ABV
5.3%
TINA LOUISE
GINGER APPLE CIDER
T R A D I T I O N A L D RY
Availability: Year-round ABV
6.6% Sponsored content
Availability: Year-round ABV
5.0%
DARK FRUIT APPLE CIDER
S E M I - D RY W I T H B E R R I E S A N D S TO N E F R U I T Availability: Year-round ABV
5.0% 101
VERNON
THE BX PRESS CIDERY & ORCHARD
CIDERWORKS
4667 E. Vernon Rd. | TheBXPress.com
529 Fulford-Ganges Rd., Salt Spring Island SaltSpringAppleCompany.com/Ciderworks
BX Press is named after Barnard’s Express & Stage Line, which operated a 6,000-acre horse ranch called BX Ranch, later known as Vernon, where its third generation orchard is located.
620 Sumac Rd., Cawston ForbiddenFruitWine.com
THE HOSTLER
N E W WO R L D O F F - D RY
THE BANDIT
APPLE CIDER WITH C H E R RY
Availability: Year-round ABV
Availability: Year-round
7.3%
ABV
6.8%
AFFINITY CIDERHOUSE
5155 Samuel Rd., Duncan AffinityCider.com
BC TREE FRUITS CIDER CO.
880 Vaughan Ave., Kelowna BCTreeFruitsCider.com
CEDAR CIDER
340 184 St., Surrey CedarCider.ca
102
DEAD END CIDER
DOMINION CIDER CO.
10216 Gould Ave., Summerland DominionCider.com
FARMSTRONG CIDER CO.
4305 Maw Rd., Armstrong FarmstrongCider.com
FAUSTINO ESTATE CIDERY
14000 BC-97, Osoyoos FaustinoEstateCidery.ca
FRASER VALLEY CIDER CO.
22128-16th Ave., Langley FraserValleyCider.ca
Sponsored content
BC CIDERIES
GABBIE’S PREMIUM CIDER
RAVEN’S MOON CRAFT CIDER
1120 Coats Dr., Gabriola Island GabbiesCider.com
4905 Darcy Rd, Courtenay RavensMoonCraftCider.ca
GREENHILL CIDER
RUSTIC ROOTS WINERY & CIDERY
55 Dunlevy Ave., Vancouver GreenhillCider.com
LEFT FIELD CIDER CO.
2238 Hwy. 3, Cawston HarkersRrganicsRusticRoots.com
SALT SPRING WILD CIDER
Mamit Lake Rd., Logan Lake LeftFieldCider.com
151 Sharp Rd., Salt Spring Island SaltSpringWildCider.com
THE NARAMATA CIDER COMPANY
SEA CIDER FARM & CIDERHOUSE
2370 Aikins Loop, Naramata NaramataCider.com
2487 Mt. St. Michael Rd., Saanichton SeaCider.ca
NORTHYARDS CIDER CO.
SUMMERLAND HERITAGE CIDER CO.
9 - 38936 Queensway, Squamish NorthyardsCider.com
ORCHARD HILL ESTATE CIDERY
3480 Fruitvale Way, Osoyoos OrchardHillCidery.com
3113 Johnson St., Summerland SummerlandCider.com
SUNDAY CIDER
1632 Sunshine Coast Hwy., Gibsons SundayCider.com
103
BC CIDERIES
TAVES ESTATE CIDERY
333 Gladwin Rd., Abbotsford TavesFamilyFarms.com/Hard-Cider
TOD CREEK CRAFT CIDERS
273 Prospect Lake Rd., Victoria TodCreekCider.com
TONY’S CRAFT CIDERY
6167 Hwy. 6, Coldstream TonysCraftCidery.com
TRUCK 59 CIDER HOUSE
3887 Brown Rd., West Kelowna Truck59Cider.com
TWIN ISLAND CIDER
5601 Lupin Rd., Pender Island TwinIslandCider.com
TWISTED HILLS CRAFT CIDER
2080 Ritchie Dr., Cawston TwistedHills.ca
104
UPSIDE CIDERY
2555 Gale Rd., Kelowna UpsideCider.com
VALLEY CIDER COMPANY
7661 Mays Rd., Duncan ValleyCider.com
WARDS CIDER
2287 Ward Rd., Kelowna WardsHardCider.com
WEST COAST CIDER CO.
2071 Kingsway Ave., Port Coquitlam WestCoastCider.ca
WOODWARD CIDER CO.
5505 Westsyde Rd., Kamloops WoodwardCiderCo.ca
BEER GROUND To the
The Growler’s vast network of beer and cider spies have gathered the latest intel on new openings across the province. Have a look and see what’s coming to your neck of the woods.
BRICKLAYER BREWING Chilliwack (spring 2020) Award-winning homebrewer Kristopher Schmidt is at the helm of this hip new brewery, which plans to offer creative takes on traditional styles, as well as a focus on sour ales. BricklayerBrewing.com
DEVIL'S BATH BREWING Port McNeill (summer 2020) The first craft brewery in the Tri-Port area is located in a former gas station and features the old brewhouse from Courtenay’s now-defunct Forbidden Brewing Co. DevilsBathBrewing.ca
FIELD HOUSE DTWN CHWK Chilliwack (fall 2020) Field House’s second location in downtown Chilliwack will feature indoor seating for 150, a patio, a full open kitchen with a wood burning pizza oven, and 15 taps of beer. The 5 hL brewhouse will be dedicated to brewing beers available only onsite. FieldHouseBrewing.com
FOX MOUNTAIN BREWING CO. Williams Lake (summer 2020) Biologist/ homebrewer Dave Reedman is behind Lake City’s first craft brewery, which will take over the old Greyhound bus depot. Facebook.com/FoxMtnBrewCo
GRAND FORKS BEER CO. Grand Forks (summer 2020) The first modern craft brewery tasting room in Boundary Country is coming to historic Grand Forks, where the Grand Forks Brewery once operated from 1896 to 1918. GrandForksBeerCo.com
HERALD ST. BREW WORKS Victoria (spring 2020) We love a good collab and this joint venture between The Drake Eat-
ery and Steel & Oak in Victoria’s Old Town has some serious potential. HeraldStreet.com
HOMETOWN BEER MAKERS Grand Forks (fall 2020) Tiny Grand Forks is set to get two new breweries this year, with Hometown Beer Makers setting up shop in the former Sunshine Lanes bowling alley. Instagram.com/HometownBeerMakers
HORNBY ISLAND BREWING CO. Hornby Island (2020) Currently contract brewing out of Small Block in Duncan, Hornby Island Brewing has plans in the works to open a modest brewery on its namesake island. HornbyIslandBrewing.ca
HUDSON TAPHOUSE AND BREWPUB Victoria (fall 2020) Endless delays thanks to the City of Victoria have pushed back construction of this 300-seat brewpub located across the street from Memorial Arena.
LAKESIDER BREWING CO. West Kelowna (fall 2020) Craft beer is coming to West Kelowna’s Wine Trail neighbourhood after city council unanimously approved Lakesider’s brewery and tasting room. LakesiderBrewing.com
LOCALITY BREWING Langley (spring 2020) This rural Langley farmhouse brewery is going to be all about terroir: In addition to growing their own hops, the Locality crew plans to grow and malt their own barley,. Facebook.com/localitybrewing
MERRIDALE BREWERY AND DISTILLERY Victoria (2021) This spectacular 12,000-sq.-ft. LEED certified facility in Vic West’s Dockside Green development will feature a brewery,
a distillery, a restaurant and an events space— that is, if the City of Victoria ever gets around to approving it. Merridale.ca
made from barley grown on site. RustedRakeFarm.com
MILLIONAIRES ROW CIDER CO.
North Vancouver (2021) B.C. brewing legend Dave Varga (formerly of 33 Acres) is at the helm of this new craft brewery coming to East Esplanade in Lower Lonsdale, stumbling distance from Beere Brewing and House of Funk.
Summerland (summer 2020) This family-run cidery is located on an apple orchard in the Prairie Valley area of Summerland, which was known as Millionaires' Row in the early 1900s. Facebook.com/MillionairesRowCider
MORROW BREWING CO. Salmon Arm (2020) Details are scarce so far, but if Instagram is to be believed, there’s another craft brewery on the way for the Shuswap. Instagram.com/morrowbeerco
NEIGHBOURHOOD BREWING
SHAKETOWN BREWING
SHORELINE BREWING Kelowna (summer 2020) A fire at The Shore development at Kelowna’s Gyro Beach has sadly delayed Shoreline, but word is things are back on track for an opening later this year.
SMUGGLERS’ TRAIL CASKWORKS
Penticton (summer 2020) Penticton is breathlessly awaiting its newest craft brewery as the good people behind Port Moody’s Yellow Dog Brewing bring their award-winning beer know-how to the Okanagan. NeighbourhoodBrewing.com
Langley (summer 2020) This award-winning contract brand will soon be moving out of Craft Collective and into its own digs in Langley’s Port Kells neighbourhood. True to its name, Smugglers’ Trail Caskworks will feature eight hand cask engine taps pouring real cask ale. SmugglersTrailCask.com
RUSTED ARROW CIDERY
STUDIO BREWING
Vernon (fall 2020) This apple farm next to Vernon’s Swan Lake is hoping to have its first batch of cider ready later this year. Facebook.com/RustedArrowCidery
Burnaby (2020) Details are scant about this proposed brewery for south central Burnaby, but they recently posted a want ad for a brewmaster, so that's a good sign they're getting close.
RUSTED RAKE BREWING Nanoose (spring 2020) This beloved farmhouse restaurant will be reopening soon with a brewery where it will be brewing its own beer,
TIDAL BREWING CO. Qualicum Beach (2020) This craft brewery will be the centrepiece of the new East Village development in “downtown” Qualicum Beach.
TIKI JON’S TIKI LOUNGE AND BREWERY Pitt Meadows (2021) Craft beer gets a tiki-twist at this proposed Polynesian-inspired craft brewery and cocktail lounge in Pitt Meadows. TikiJons.ca
UNLEASHED BREWING CO. Kelowna (2021) Forget wine, Kelowna is all about craft beer these days as Unleashed hopes to be the city’s newest watering hole. UnleashedBrewing.ca j • Got a hot brewery tip? Let us know at editor@thegrowler.ca
NOW OPEN
385 burrard street @donnellygroup
Happy Hour EVERYDAY // 3PM-6PM
103-888 burrard st @donnellygroup
honest beer high tea
brunch on weekends