The Growler B.C. • Issue 4 Volume 2 • Summer 2018

puBlisHeR

BRITISH COLUMBIA

VANCOUVER ISLAND

Gail Nugent gnugent@thegrowler.ca

e DitOR

Rob Mangelsdorf editor@thegrowler.ca

778-840-5005

cOntRiButing WRiteRs

Rob Mangelsdorf

Brittany Tiplady

Joe Wiebe

Rebecca Whyman

Jan Zeschky

pRODuctiOn & Design ManageR

Tara Ra q tara@thegrowler.ca

cOntRiButing DesigneR

Juliana Sauvé

pHOtOgRapHy

Meghan Goertz

Jon Healy

Rob Mangelsdorf

Dan Toulgoet

cOVeR illustRatiOn

Cai Sepulis

sOcial MeDia

Danielle Boileau

DistRiButiOn

Craig Sweetman (Newsstand)

Debbie Tang (Direct) orders@thegrowler.ca

suBscRiptiOns

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Copyright © e Growler 2018

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Contents

BReWeR Vs BReWeR: tHe nanO eDitiOn

(yOu gOtta) FigHt FOR yOuR RigHt tO paaatiO!

tRaVel: nORtHeRn B.c.

#lageRlOVe

B.c. cRaFt BeeR eVent listings

eleMental seRies: yeast

King gaMBRinus: tHe Real King OF BeeRs

BeeR MytHs... BusteD!

BeeR & FOOD paRing 101

laBOuR OF lOVe: B.c BReWeRs get FunKy

Recipe: sea-tO-sKy RaD-leR cOcKtail

B.c. BReWeRy listings

BeeR tO tHe gROunD

Breweries by Region

38 68 54 74 78 90 94 101 109

VANCOUVER

LOWER MAINLAND

FRASER VALLEY

SEA TO SKY / SUNSHINE COAST

VICTORIA / GULF ISLANDS

VANCOUVER ISLAND

THOMPSON OKANAGAN

KOOTENAYS

NORTHERN B.C.

Well, it looks like we’ve collectively survived another cold, wet West Coast winter (and spring… and fall), so how about we celebrate with a beer (or six)!

Lagers are all the rage right now, as Joe Wiebe details (pg. 18), but if you’re hoping to enjoy one on the patio at your favourite brewery, you might be out of luck, as Rebecca Whyman explains (pg. 10). If you’re looking for a new beverage to slake your thirst, try out master bartender Shaun Layton’s Sea to Sky RAD-ler cocktail recipe (pg. 36).

If you’re planning a road trip this summer, Northern B.C. has to be on your hit list (pg. 13). Don’t forget to visit the many tiny nanobreweries along the way (pg. 6), and as always, our up-todate, informative brewery listings will help you guide your way.

Summertime means summer beer festivals, and there’s plenty of events on the horizon (pg. 20). If you’re hosting your own party, make sure to check out cicerone Chester Carey’s tips for pairing beer with food (pg. 30). And to help you make sure you don’t commit any beer faux pas, we’ve busted the top ve beer myths we hear the most (pg. 26).

at about covers it, folks. Have yourself a great summer and make sure to celebrate responsibly. Cheers!

—Rob Mangelsdorf, editor

GROWLER-APPROVED BADGE

Keep an eye out for our 10 favourite beers this spring!

Brewery Details

GROWLER FILLS

BOTTLES / CANS KEGS

TASTING ROOM

ON-SITE KITCHEN OR FOOD TRUCK

TOURS

KID FRIENDLY

GLUTEN-FREE BOOZE OPTIONS

Suggested Glassware

STANGE

Kolsch

Marzen Bock

PILSNER

Lager

Pilsner

Witbier

NONIC PINT

Stout

Pale ale

Most ales, actually

WEIZEN Hefeweizen

Weizenbock

Fruit beer

TULIP

Saison

IPA

Strong ales

GOBLET

Berliner weisse

Quad

Tripel

SNIFTER

Barleywine Sours

Anything weird

brewer brewer VS the nano edition

by Rob Mangelsdorf

Some people start breweries for the money. For others, it’s all about the beer. And for nanobrewers like Michael Garratt of Mayne Island Brewing and Dave Paul of Loveshack Libations, it’s clearly because they’re masochists. What other reason could there be for someone with a full-time day job to open a one-person brewery that requires every waking moment of their time and attention? A brewery that’s so small there’s probably no chance it’ll ever become your sole source of income.

To listen to Garratt and Paul tell it, they actually enjoy the long hours, heavy lifting and time away from their families. It’s a good thing, because they make some pretty unique beers, and while nanobreweries like theirs might be a little o the beaten path, they are always worth the e ort to visit.

I sat down with the owner/operators of two of B.C.’s smallest breweries at e Drake in Victoria recently to pick their brains about what compels them to abuse themselves for the sake of good beer.

Meghan Goertz photos

THE GROWLER: My rst question is why? Why would you do this?

MICHAEL GARRATT: It’s a midlife crisis. It was this or a sports car. But I love it! At the end of the week, you’re tired, and you still have so much to do, but I love it so much!

DAVE PAUL: It’s de nitely a labour of love. It’s technically a second full-time job; I’ve worked 36 hours in the last three days.

GROWLER: So how did you get into brewing?

GARRATT: I started when I was 14, making cheap extract homebrew. I had some bottles explode in my mom’s cupboard so that was the end of that for a while, but my wife got me back into it about eight years ago. I sell wine for a living and we moved to Mayne Island about 13 years ago, so when I’d be in Vancouver, I’d stop at Dan’s [Homebrewing]. I would give my beers to clients in the restaurant industry at Christmas and people were telling me I should open a brewery. Mayne didn’t have a brewery or winery or cidery at the time, so since I’m a workaholic, I decided to open one. But it’s a family business. Without my wife and kids, I couldn’t do this.

GROWLER: What about you, Dave?

PAUL: My mother-in-law got me a Coopers kit, and I did that for years and thought I was making good beer, until I went all-grain. at was like going from Betty Crocker to Martha Stewart.

Eventually my wife said I should open a brewery, and at that point I was only working 20 hours a week. We opened a year and three months ago and we’ve been busy, busy, busy ever since.

GROWLER: How much beer are you guys producing?

PAUL: I did 142 brews in the last year and bottled 29,000 bottles. By hand.

GARRATT: I’m about the same. I’m brewing three or four times a week. In 16 months, I’ve done about 175 brews and 40,000 bottles.

GROWLER: How big is your system?

GARRATT: I’ve got a 45-gallon [170L] Blichmann system, gravity fed.

PAUL: I have a 100-litre capacity.

GROWLER: at’s not much bigger than a home brew system. When you’re that small, are there some things you can do that bigger breweries can’t?

GARRATT: Absolutely, like our Forager series. We can forage for stu right on our doorstep, so we put di erent ingredients in it each time we brew it. We’ve done salal berry, stinging nettle, blackberries, rosehips. A big brewery wouldn’t be able to do that, because they would need a huge volume. >>

Michael GARRATt

dave paul

PAUL: It’s great for hop availability, too, because you’re always buying in small quantities. And you can have more variety. I’ve done 25 di erent beers in the last year.

GROWLER: Do you have any aspirations to grow beyond where you’re at now?

PAUL: Everyone is asking me if I’m going to expand, but I want to work less.

GROWLER: What would change if you got bigger?

PAUL: It’s all about character, that’s what makes a nano. ere’s so much love that goes into each batch. If we expand, we’re going to lose that personal touch. We’re selling a personal experience; people want to hangout with the guy who made their beer.

GARRATT: ere are restrictions, too. Everything I use, I bring that over to the island myself. But I’m over every week for work, so I’m always bringing back bags of this and that with me.

GROWLER: What do your families think about this?

GARRATT: ey’ve been very supportive! It’s a family business. Without my wife and kids, there's no way I could do this.

PAUL: Both my wife and daughter have done their fair share of bottling. My wife does the books, I couldn’t do this without her.

GROWLER: How important has it been to get the community on board with what you’re doing?

GARRATT: ere’s only 1,000 people on Mayne, so we really rely on the community and the weekenders.

GROWLER: What are some of the di culties with brewing on such a small scale?

PAUL: When you’re brewing, it’s just you, you’re a one man show. While you’re waiting for your water to boil, you’re labeling bottles. And you have to do all the cleaning yourself. But I’ve got things down to a routine now, I can brew and bottle in eight hours.

GARRATT: We learn to do things very di erently from the big guys, but they run into the same problems we do, just bigger in scale.

PAUL: Finding equipment that’s the right size is di cult. ere’s not a lot available between home brew-sized set-ups and eight-hec brewpub systems.

PAUL: Yeah, the community support has been unbelievable for us. On Wednesday nights, 90 per cent of the customers are the same people, week after week. Out tasting room is only open eight hours a week, but we sell nearly all our beer there, we’re only in one liquor store and a couple restaurants. On Saturdays, it’s lined up out the door.

GROWLER: Are you ever going to quit the day job?

PAUL: As a business model, we’re making money, I’m able to pay myself a bit each month. But I’m still working two nights a week at the [Parksville Beach Club Resort], and I don’t think that will change any time soon.

GARRATT: We’ve put everything back into the brewery. I haven’t paid myself anything yet. I don’t think I’d be able to support a family of four on this.

PAUL: If you don’t love brewing, don’t open a nano! j

It’s all about character, that’s what makes a nano. —Dave Paul, Loveshack Libations

(you've gotta)

For your right to Paaatio! Paaatio! FIGHT FIGHT

by Rebecca Whyman

Picture it—it’s warm, the sun is shining, the beer is cold (but not too cold) and you’re on a patio enjoying it all. If you live in Vancouver, you’d better get up really early in the morning if you want to make that picture a reality.

ere are a lot of us in the city, and not a whole lot of patio seats. If you count only craft-beer-serving establishments, the number is so low I could have gone out and sat in each seat in the time it took you to read this paragraph. Some hyperbole there, but the struggle is real—there is a paucity of patio seats in Vancouver.

I’m sure there are a number of reasons for the lack. But I’m equally as sure those reasons mostly fall under the “No Fun City” banner.

ink about all the craft-beer-serving patios in the city. Notice anything about them? ey all boast a shiny food primary licence. Yup, that’s the magic ticket to getting a patio in the City of Vancouver.

But hang on—there are brewery patios in other places… Like up and down Murray Street in Port Moody, for example. ose folks don’t have food

primary licences, do they? Lucky them, their city council doesn’t require them to. eir uber-supportive mayor also went to bat for breweries to change the zoning to allow patios. While food and liquor primary licences are provincial, patios are municipally ruled. All municipalities are not created equal. PoMo 1, Vancouver 0.

In Vancouver, it boils down to pay to play. Only those who can a ord it get to serve you beers in the elusive Vancouver sunshine.

It’s not that food primary licences are prohibitively expensive—a mere $950 application fee and a 12-week processing time versus the $4,400 application fee and seven to 12 month processing time for a liquor primary licence—it’s more about that pesky little requirement of a fully equipped kitchen. Because space and capital aren’t at all tight in most breweries…

And then there’s that other thing. at whole “most brewers didn’t get into brewing to be restaurateurs” thing. ey just want to make beer and earn a little money doing so.

Pay to play seems to work OK for the bigger guys. But what are the little guys going to do? If you’re Steve Forsyth from O the Rail, you bug city hall every few weeks to ask how that review of the food primary only rule is coming. You get told the review won’t happen until later this year, but you keep the pressure on.

e need for a food primary licence aside, getting a permit for a sidewalk patio in Vancouver ain't easy. Among the 999 requirements: 2.43 metres (that's eight feet for those of us not yet embracing metric) clearance for pedestrians from the patio to the nearest sidewalk obstruction. What's a sidewalk obstruction? Street signs, parking meters, garbage cans, all those ubiquitous sidewalk features people will have to sidestep while walking merrily along. Apparently, we are a clumsy and easily distracted people, who need oodles of room to avoid crashing into stationary things. And that’s before we’ve sat out on a patio and gotten pleasantly buzzed.

e patio has to be capable of being removed with 24 hours’ notice. And if you want to serve alcohol on it, you'll need a liquor license extension. And railings. And so on and so forth.

Many cities in B.C. don't make it easy for craft breweries to open a patio. Parallel 49 was allowed to add outdoor seating last year only after it built a full-service kitchen for its tasting room. Dan Toulgoet photo

en there’s what I fear is the nail in the co n for tasting rooms already at capacity—the total number of guests including the patio can’t be greater than what is approved by their occupancy permit. For those already at their occupancy maximum, adding a patio won’t be a way to increase the number of people they can serve—it just gives some of them fresh(ish) air to sit in.

Is there any way around the food primary requirement? Currently, the only option is holding special events—up to 24 per year. Twice a month during the good weather you can have a beer garden, provided you have an appropriate outdoor space to hold it in. Not a great solution, but it might just tide some breweries over until the rules change ( ngers crossed).

It’s a shame to see city folk having to head to the ‘burbs to sit on a patio (and take up all their seats). And when we resort to taking the future fast train to Portland in search of a patio, it’ll take money out of the local economy.

May I suggest that when you join Steve in his “open dialogue” with city hall, you add in advocating for drinking in parks. at might just ease the need for patio seats.

Or you could get a beer fridge on your balcony and just stay home. j

BREW North

The craft beer revolution comes to Northern B.C.

by Rob Mangelsdorf

It’s safe to say the craft beer revolution has been fought and won. If you live in Vancouver or Victoria—or just about any reasonably-sized town in southern B.C.—you probably have a craft brewery within walking distance. But until recently, our brothers and sisters in the north had few options for good beer—it was Bud or Canadian, and that’s about it.

ankfully the craft beer revolution has come to liberate them from the clutches of macro swill, with ve breweries opening in the past year and two more ready to open any day now. ese breweries are on the frontlines, ghting the good ght to convert the masses to locally made beer, often with local ingredients, with styles ranging from approachable lagers and gateway pale ales to double IPAs and birch syrup infused stouts.

e blossoming beer scene in the north is also a great excuse to get up there and visit the other 80 per cent of the province we city folk rarely experience. And that’s a damn shame, because as I found out, Northern B.C. is completely, ridiculously beautiful, and packed full of surprises.

Misty mountain hops

My wife and I start our journey in the bustling port town of Prince Rupert, after an awe-inspiring overnight ferry trip up the Inside Passage. is is the wild edge of North America and that wildness is evident as we stroll around the colourful town centre, surrounded by rainforest and rugged mountains. ere’s an independent, creative streak that runs through Prince Rupert; most businesses are locally owned, drive-through fast food franchises are refreshingly sparse, and quirky cafés and restaurants abound.

“ ere’s a real culture of supporting your own up here,” says Craig Outhet, brewer and co-owner of Wheelhouse Brewing Co.

Located in the charming and walkable Cow Bay neighbourhood north of downtown, Wheelhouse’s tasting room is rustic and cosy, with semaphore ags and shing oats hanging from the wooden rafters. While the best-seller is still the Gillnetter Golden Ale, the locals are warming up to hoppier beers like the tropical Kazu Maru IPA (6.7% ABV, 75 IBU), a lovely light-bodied, >>

citrus fruit-forward East Coast-ish IPA with Idaho 7, Mosaic and Summit hops.

Following the highway inland through the Coast Mountains, along the impossibly wide and impossibly beautiful Skeena River brings us to Terrace. is town of about 12,000 is nestled among snowcapped peaks and raging rivers, which form much of the tourism draw for the area—world-class skiing, kayaking and shing.

Sherwood Mountain Brewhouse has gained a loyal following here since it opened in 2014 with its focus on German-style lagers, with owner Darryl Tucker and brewer Jake Lambert both having trained in Berlin. In fact, four of the seven beers on tap the day I visited were lagers.

“ is is a lager town and 60 per cent of what we sell are lagers,” says Lambert. “We focus on easy-drinking beers everyone can enjoy.”

e Munich Lager (5.1% ABV, 12 IBU),

Sherwood’s take on the classic dunkel, was the standout of the beers I tried, with balanced notes of caramel and roast malt.

Moving east, the mountains open up into the broad Bulkley Valley as we continue to Smithers. You could be forgiven for thinking you’d stumbled into an East Kootenays ski town like Golden or Revelstoke, what with the faux Bavarian architecture and Hudson Bay Mountain Resort looming overhead. Indeed, Smithers has been referred to as the Nelson of the North, and with two new breweries, this young and funky town is clearly on the right path, beer-wise.

e newly opened Bulkley Valley Brewery o ers classic West Coast styles in its solar-powered, après-themed tasting room. e easy-drinking Broken Arrow Golden Ale (4.5% ABV 18 IBU) has proven popular with locals; refreshing and fruity, it’s reminiscent of an Australian summer ale with its pilsner malt base and late addition hops.

A block away at the soon-to-be opened Smithers Brewing Co., brewer Cam McKeigan says while he plans to have mainstays to keep the locals happy, he’s looking forward “to going o the deep end.”

Smithers Brewing’s gorgeous local timber-framed building is one of the few purpose built craft breweries anywhere in B.C. and when it opens (any day now), it will have 10 taps fed by its brand new 1,200-litre brewhouse.

On a Plain

Passing through the historic hamlets of Telkwa and Houston, the snow-capped peaks give way to the low rolling hills and lakes of Cariboo-Chilcotin plateau and, eventually, Prince George, the capital of the north with a population of 80,000.

Wheelhouse Brewing has become a local favourite in Prince Rupert since it opened in 2013. Rob Mangelsdorf photo

FROM LEFT: Terrace's Sherwood Mountain Brewhouse specializes in lagers, such as its Coast Mountain Pilsner; Bulkley Valley Brewery is the place for aprés in the ski town of Smithers; Owners Cam McKeigan and Adin Bennett hope to have Smithers Brewing Co. open by the time you read this. Rob Mangelsdorf photos

PG, as it’s known locally, has seen a revitalization of late, and the downtown has been key to the turnaround. CrossRoads Brewing, which celebrated its rst birthday in March, is located in a former service station that had been vacant for years. Its impressive patio is now a hive of social activity, bringing life to a once empty downtown block.

“We’re passionate about our community, so we wanted to do something for downtown,” says co-owner Bjorn Butow. “We want to make this city liveable.”

Butow and business partner Daryl Leiski—who’s a local ER doctor—tapped Central City’s Gary Lohin help them set up the brewery, while former Howe Sound brewer Patrick Moore is heading up the brewing duties.

e Cloud 9 Witbier (4.4% ABV, 12 IBU) was originally intended to be a summer seasonal, but it sold so well it’s become a year-round mainstay. A classic take on the refreshing Belgian style, the requisite orange and coriander are in perfect harmony here.

Not far from CrossRoads is Prince George’s newest craft brewery, Trench Brewing and Distilling, which opened in April. Whereas CrossRoads has more of a brewpub feel, Trench, with its location in the gritty, industrial east end of downtown, feels straight out of East Van. e tasting room is anything but gritty, however, with big communal tables, lots of local timber and stylish antler-based décor.

Pine Pass Pale Ale (5.0% ABV, 40 IBU) was my favourite out of Trench’s lineup; a hazy, hoppy citrus-forward pale with a welcome touch of lin-

gering sweetness, the perfect thing for those long northern summer nights.

Rocky Mountain High

Heading north over the Rockies takes us through scenic Pine Pass and into Peace River country, a.k.a. B.C.’s Alberta. It’s kind of surprising craft beer didn’t catch on sooner up here, given all the malting barley grown in the region. at said, Fort St. John is making up for lost time in a major way. Beard’s Brewing Co., the region’s rst craft brewery, opened in November, and Mighty Peace Brewing Co. is set to open any day now.

At Beard’s, the bay doors were ung open to the prairie sunshine while locals lined up for growler lls on the day I visited the modest nanobrewery. Black Beard (4.8% ABV, 22 IBU), >>

Brewer Adam Keele (on left) and owner Scott Spence of Mighty Peace Brewing Co., soon to be the largest craft brewery in Northern B.C. Rob Mangelsdorf photo

FROM LEFT: Why is Prince George's Crossroads Brewing so popular? How about wood- red pizzas, a huge sunny downtown patio and quality craft beer; Co-owner Bailey Hoefels is part of the team behind PG's newest brewery, Trench Brewing; Beard's Brewing in Fort St. John became the rst brewery in the Peace region when it opened late last year. Rob Mangelsdorf photos

a well-balanced stout with notes of co ee and chocolate, stood out for its smooth, approachable character. Truly a dark beer for people who don’t like dark beers… yet.

Currently, Beard’s is the northernmost craft brewery in B.C., but that will change once Mighty Peace opens (it’s two blocks north). With its 1,800-litre brewhouse, Mighty Peace will also be the biggest craft brewery in the north, and will be expanding into distilling in the near future.

After the Gold Rush

Having reached the northernmost brewery in B.C., we headed south again, stopping in the picturesque—if somewhat isolated—town of Valemount. Here, Michael Lewis of ree Ranges Brewing works tirelessly to keep the beer owing, regularly brewing three or four times a day on his tiny 300-litre system. A retired US Army veteran, Lewis clearly comes by his work ethic honestly.

Up Swift Creek Pilsner (4.7% ABV, 30 IBU) is one of Lewis’s original beers, and still one of the favourites. is hop-forward pilsner has a distinctly Northwest character, with oral, herbal hop notes, B.C. malt and a clean, crisp nish.

Following the Fraser River downstream along the Cariboo Gold Rush Trail is the quaint town of Quesnel and Barkerville Brewing, which takes its name from the nearby ghost town/tourist attraction. e gold rush theme is evident throughout the welcoming tasting room with pioneer relics and a rustic wooden communal table dominating the space.

e Hurdy Gurdy Hibisicus (4.6% ABV, 32 IBU) pays homage to Barkerville’s hurdy gurdy girls and was originally brewed as a Pink Boots Brew for International Women's Day back in March. Flavoured with hibiscus and dry-hopped with El Doradao, it’s a tart, oral, citrusy treat.

As we continue on towards Jackson’s Social Club and Brewhouse in 100 Mile House, the startling aftermath of the 2017 Plateau wild re becomes evident in the blackened hillsides and scarred landscapes. At its height, the re covered more than 4,500 sq. km and forced the evacuation of tens of thousands of Cariboo residents—including Keith Jackson, who had to abandon his brewery for a week. With a brand new patio (built by Jackson, himself), this summer should hopefully be kinder to the brewery.

I particularly enjoyed the Giddy Up Brunette (4.6% ABV, 28 IBU), a brown ale made with organic Mexican co ee beans, roasted by Jackson, himself. Smooth and well-balanced, the co ee notes were nicely countered by the slightly sweet malt character.

With the sun starting to sag low, we continued along the highway, and as we came down o the plateau and into the familiar dry valleys of the ompson, we soon realized we were almost home. In many ways, Northern B.C. seems a lot further away than it actually is—and that’s a big part of the appeal. e nal frontier is closer than you think.

ree Ranges Brewing in tiny Valemount is proof that any town can support a brewery if the beers is good enough.

LEFT: Quesnel's Barkerville Brewing produces some of the nest beers in Northern B.C. and has the B.C. Beer Awards to prove it.

RIGHT: Jackson's Social Club and Brewhouse owner Keith Jackson does it all himself, from brewing the beer to roasting the co ee beans, to building the brewery's new patio.

Rob Mangelsdorf photos

Drink beer. Plant trees.

The Laughing Loon Pub in Williams Lake, with support from The Growler, Barkerville Brewing, Jackson’s Brewhouse, CrossRoads Brewing, Trench Brewing, Three Ranges Brewing and Wheelhouse Brewing are helping to reforest B.C. one pint of craft beer at a time!

We will donate 25 cents from every cra pint sold to buy seedlings in order to replant areas devastated by last year’s devastating wildfires. This works out to one seedling per cra pint sold! Our goal is to donate 15,000 seedlings by April 30, 2019—enough to reforest over ten hectares of land!

In addition, to further support this initiative, we’re o ering 12 wings for only $5.50 with the purchase of any cra pint 7 days a week a er 4pm. So you get a cra pint and a dozen wings for $12!

Stop by and see us at the Laughing Loon and try any of these great Northern B.C. cra breweries, a dozen wings and help us to reforest B.C. one pint of cra beer at a time!

by Joe Wiebe

Ask a beer lover what their favourite is, and odds are they’ll pick something on the extreme edge of the avour spectrum: a hoppy/hazy IPA, tart sour, or barrel-aged imperial stout. Rarely will a lager make it on to a beer geek’s bucket list.

I think lagers are underappreciated, and I’ve enlisted the help of two brewers who have a serious case of #LagerLove themselves: Conrad Gmoser (Brassneck Brewery) and Sean Hoyne (Hoyne Brewing).

Sean Hoyne agrees that “lagers have always been underrepresented in the craft beer world.” When he started brewing at Swans Brewpub in 1989, his mentor Frank Appleton designed recipes for several di erent English-style ales, but as soon as Hoyne could, he “got some yeast from a brewery

in Munich and some German and Czech hops” and brewed Old Towne Bavarian Lager, which became a staple on the Swans lineup for many years. He continued to brew lagers when he moved over to Canoe Brewpub a few years later, and then when he opened his own brewery in 2011, “It wasn’t even an option for me to not make a pilsner,” he says. is despite the fact that lagers take longer to brew, which is why many new breweries abstain from brewing them until they can expand their tank capacity.

Hoyne’s most popular beers, Hoyne Pilsner (5.5% ABV) and Dark Matter (5.3% ABV), are both lagers. Over the years, Hoyne has also added Helios Golden Lager (6% ABV) and Vienna Lager (5.3% ABV; previously called O the Grid) to his lager lineup.

Lager vs. Ale

Most beer styles fit into two general groups based on the type of yeast used: Saccharomyces cerevisiae for ales and Saccharomyces pastorianus for lagers. Lager yeast is called “bottom-fermenting” because it falls to the bottom during fermentation while ale yeasts sit on top. Lager yeasts also work best at colder temperatures (6-13 C compared to 15-23 C for ale yeasts). Lagers take longer to brew—several weeks compared to just two or three weeks for most ales. Lager yeast works more thoroughly, resulting in a crisper, cleaner beer if aged properly. Lagers actually come in all colours and cover a wide range of flavour profiles, from light and crisp to sweet and malty, smoky, and yes, even hoppy. Lager yeast tends to stay in the background while many ales derive significant flavours directly from the yeast itself.

Meghan Goertz photo

Dan Toulgoet

Hoyne loves researching the history of beers, and says he feels like he is “standing on the shoulders of giants” when he brews a beer correctly according to style. For lagers, that means using region-speci c ingredients and aging the beer properly, not rushing it to open up tank space. Hoyne orders container loads of German malts and speci c Czech and German hops to ensure they taste correct.

Helios is my favourite of Hoyne’s lagers. A Dortmunder export style, it’s slightly stronger than a pilsner with a complex malt character. According to Hoyne, it was made to quench the thirst of coal miners in the Dortmund region of Germany and then became so popular that the brewers developed an export version that was slightly stronger than the local one.

“At one point,” Hoyne says, “It was the biggest selling style in continental Europe.”

To Hoyne, lagers are about subtlety.

“If ales are about making them bigger than everyone else’s, then lagers are about making them better than everyone else’s.”

Over at Brassneck, Conrad Gmoser agrees.

“Lagers are tough,” he says. “You can’t really knock it out of the park. ey’re way more about balance. You don’t have much to hide behind if there are aws in the lager.”

When Gmoser rst started at Steamworks in the mid-1990s, he says, “I had a lot of respect for lager so I was worried about doing it well and making enough.” With the smaller brewpub system it was challenging to let a lager age long enough, but he was rewarded for his diligence when his pilsner was named B.C.’s Beer of the Year for two years running in 2011 and 2012.

When he joined forces with Nigel Springthorpe to open Brassneck, lagers were in the plan from Day 1. In fact, one of the rst beers Gmoser brewed there was No

Brainer (4.5% ABV), a pre-prohibition style lager that is made with 20 per cent corn, an adjunct often used by the big breweries to cut costs and make their beer as avourless as possible. Gmoser calls it his desert island beer.

“For some people it’s a bit of a surprise to see corn used that way,” he admits. “It makes the body nice and light and really allows the hops to shine through.” But it takes eight weeks to condition properly, which is a long time in such a small brewery. Interestingly, Brassneck’s King Maker (5.5% ABV), a pilsner that is my favourite lager there, only needs six weeks despite being a bigger beer.

Of course, Hoyne and Brassneck are not the only breweries in B.C. with strong lager programs. Check out the list of some of my favourite local lagers and hey, why not give lager a chance? You never know: you might develop some #LagerLove yourself! j

Required drinking

Elementary Lager // Four Winds Brewing

Ridge Runner Pilsner // Backcountry Brewing

Lipslide Lager // Riot Brewing

Vienna Lager // Moody Ales

Creepy Uncle Dunkel // Moon Under Water Brewpub

Black Lager // Spinnakers Brewpub

Smoked Honey Doppelbock // Steel & Oak Brewing

Doppelbock // Swans Brewpub

Hermannator Eisbock // Vancouver Island Brewing

Brassneck brewer Conrad Gmoser has a great deal of respect for the oft-misunderstood lager, which means you should, too, OK?

photo

MAY 25-JUNE 3

Vancouver Craft Beer Week

e big one! A week long of awesome beer and food events culminates in a two-day craft beerapalooza at the PNE Fairgrounds with more than 100 breweries and cideries, food trucks a-plenty, live music and DJs, a games area and tons of good times. Don’t forget the sunblock! Tickets still available at VancouverCraftBeerWeek.com.

JUNE 1

e Growler Tap Takeover & Launch Party

Celebrate the new issue of e Growler and the release of the latest beer in our B.C. Brewer Collaboration Series. e party gets started at 7pm at 12 Kings Pub in Vancouver, and entry is free.

JUNE 2

Penticton Beer Run

is is a literal beer run: a 10km jog through the hop farms and scenic Okanagan countryside, with stops for beer at local breweries, before nishing at the Kettle Valley Station Pub. For entry and more info, visit HoodooAdventures.ca.

J UNE 9

HOPoxia 2018

More than 1,200 hop-loving beer nerds will converge on Phillips Brewery’s backyard for this celebration of hoppy beer. 50 B.C. breweries will be taking part, along with cideries and food trucks, too. Info and tickets at PhillipsBeer.com/events.

J UNE 10

Siris Cask Festival

B.C.’s premier event celebrating women brewers is coming to 12 Kings Pub in Vancouver. More than 40 beers brewed by women will be available, with proceeds going to fund a bursary for KPU'’s Brewing Studies program. Tickets at TriCitiesCaskFestival.com.

JUNE 16

Truck Stop Concert Series

e rst of Red Truck Beer’s Truck Stop Concert Series takes place at the East Van brewery, with Coleman Hell, Pickwick, Sam the Astronaut and Aviator Shades performing. Visit RedTruckBeer. com/events for tickets and info.

J ULY 7

Farmhouse Fest

e UBC Farm is an urban agricultural oasis, and the perfect place for Farmhouse Fest, returning for it’s fourth year. Here the focus is on the funky and wild beers and ciders typical of rustic, farmhouse brewing. Info at FarmhouseFest.com. SOLD OUT.

JULY 7

Squamish Beer Festival

If you couldn’t get tickets to Farmhouse Fest, fear not! Take a scenic trip up Howe Sound, where more than 50 B.C. breweries and cideries will be showcasing their latest releases. Tickets and info at SquamishBeerFestival.com.

JULY 14

Truck Stop Concert Series

e second of Red Truck Beer’s Truck Stop Concert Series takes place at the East Van brewery, with Allen Stone, Nick Waterhouse, Antonio Larosa and the Eleven Twelves performing. Visit RedTruckBeer.com/events for tickets and info..

JULY 20-22

e Phillips Backyard Weekender

Phillips is kicking out the jams at their annual Backyard Weekender, with three solid days packed with amazing music and delicious craft beer. e lineup this year includes Reggie Watts, e Revolution (as in, Prince’s backing band), Kelis, and more. Tickets and info at BackyardWeekender.com.

AUGUST 10-12

e Grandstand: A Craft Beer Experience

Part of the Abbotsford Air Show, this beer fest features a dozen B.C. craft breweries, food trucks and prime stadium seating. Tickets include air show admission. AbbotsfordAirShow.com

A UGUST 11

Clover Valley Beer Festival

Gibbons Whistler is launching this craft beer festival at the Cloverdale Rodeo & Exhibition Grounds. More than 40 breweries and cideries will be on hand, along with live music and food trucks. Tickets and info at GibbonsWhistler.com. j

Everything you need to know about everywhere you need to be!

THE GROWLER B.C. BREWERS COLLABORATION SERIES

Weiss Weiss Baby dry-hopped weissbeer

5.0 ABV / 20 IBU

Summer is here (almost), so we brought together Kelowna’s Kettle River Brewing Co. and Vancouver’s Doan’s Craft Brewing Co. to create something to help us beat the heat. This delicious weissbier is a refreshing West Coast take on the traditional German wheat ale, with a generous dry-hopping of Mandarina Bavaria and Hallertau Blanc hops.

Fruity, crisp with a dash of citrus, pine and berries, this beer is the perfect company for the beach and sunshine to come.

Ask for it at your liquorindependentfavourite store in B.C.

TheelementalSeries

YEAST

by Jan Zeschky

So, after water, grains and hops, we come to the nal ingredient we need to make beer: magic.

Snort if you will, but magic—or the divine blessing of “goddisgoode,” God’s good, as it was known in Middle Ages England—really was the secret ingredient for brewers before the age of microbiology.

What else could explain the transformation of barley soup into a zzy, heady beverage of wonder?

Today we know this magical/heavenly power is, in fact, a single-cell fungus called yeast—and it’s the ingredient that brewers respect the most. As the well worn adage has it, brewers just make wort; it’s yeast that makes beer, through the process of fermentation.

Yeast is everywhere, on everything, oating around, looking for food and a good home like any other organism with common sense. In the creation myth of beer, some wandering yeast came into contact with steeped grains and thousands of generations of mutations later—thanks to natural, then scienti c selection—the species and strains for brewing were optimized.

Today, two species of yeast dominate brewing and give the beer world its two principal families: Saccharomyces cerevisiae is responsible for the diverse range of the world’s ales, while Saccharoymces pastorianus gives us lagers. eir most basic function is to convert the sugars in wort into alcohol and carbon dioxide.

But fermentation is much more complex than that. Beer yeast has been isolated into a beard-boggling range of thousands of strains, many of which give de nition to beer styles thanks to the particular aromatic and avour compounds like esters and phenols they produce during fermentation.

ese can create characteristics such as the peppery bite of saison yeast to the clove note of hefeweizen yeast and the orangey avours of English strains.

But even in the neutral fermentation pro les of the cleanest lagers—which rely on malt and hop avours—yeast has a profound e ect.

“Every beer has fermentation character, even when we call it clean,” says Ben Coli, the owner of Dageraad Brewing in Burnaby, whose Belgian-style beer is driven by yeast characteristics.

Part 4 of a four-part series exploring the basic building blocks of beer, and how they combine to make something so wonderful.

“If beer wasn’t fermented by yeast—if you could somehow synthesize the barley without the sugars plus alcohol—it wouldn’t taste anything like beer.

ere are trace elements of thousands of chemicals that the yeast produces: that’s the avour of beer.” Faced with such choice, brewers have a challenge in selecting the right yeast for their beer. As with many challenges in life, drinking helps.

Without yeast, there would be no beer. While it might be microscopic in size, yeast has a profound e ect, producing alcohol and a wide array of avours. iStock photo

“It’s all about experience—and by that I mean drinking. If you drink a tremendous amount of beer while paying attention, you develop an idea of what [di erent] yeasts are like,” says Coli, who settled on the Belgian Ardennes and Chimay varieties as Dageraad’s two house strains. However, anyone making beer has to respect the fact that yeast is a ckle employee. It needs an optimum working environment, in terms of the wort’s temperature and acidity; and it needs to be well fed, with enough oxygen to replicate, enough sugars to feast on and enough minerals to keep it healthy.

Change any of these Goldilocks factors and you’ll get di erent results. Change them signi cantly and your poor yeast can get stressed out. at’s when it can start producing some unsavoury byproducts: unforgettable odours such as Band-Aids, butter and solvent.

“ e trick is always getting the good byproducts out of the yeast without enough of the byproducts that makes it bad,” Coli says.

Even after fermentation is complete, yeast can provide further avour through the process of bottle conditioning. A little yeast and sugar is

added to each bottle, kickstarting secondary fermentation in the vessel. As well as sealing in all that estery and phenolic deliciousness, bottle conditioning increases a beer’s shelf life as the yeast gobbles up any oxygen that creeps in.

Other species of brewing yeast have come to the fore of late, most notably “wild” yeasts (most of which are now propagated in labs) such as Brettanomyces, which inoculate the traditional ales of Belgium such as lambic and saison, and are responsible for their dryness and a distinct, funky, “farmyard” character.

(Bacteria can also play a role in these ales; species like Acetobacter, Lactobacillus and Pediococcus that lend sour beers their acidity.)

Many di erent species and strains can even work together in splendid harmony. Mixed-culture beers—usually by Belgian brewers, or brewed in the Belgian style—are some of the most deliciously complex drinks on the planet.

It all amounts to some next-level brewing skill that’s well worth further research for the science-inclined. Whether that’s you or not, it’s worth appreciating the microscopic magic that helped create the beer you’re raising to your lips right now. j

If you drink a tremendous amount of beer while paying attention, you develop an idea of what [di erent] yeasts are like.

—Ben Coli, Dageraad Brewing

KingGambrinus

Meet the real king of beers

by Rob Mangelsdorf

Move over Budweiser, the original King of Beers is back to reclaim his throne. His name is King Gambrinus and he learned how to brew from the Egyptian gods Isis and Osiris. He sold his soul to the devil to become the rst mortal brewer, then outdrank the devil when he came to collect. He once drank for three days and three nights at a banquet, and everyone was so impressed, they crowned him king. He lived to be 100 years old and was buried in a beer barrel instead of a co n.

He also likely never existed, but why should we let that get in the way of a good story! If the name Gambrinus rings a bell, that’s because he’s a friggin’ legend. Literally.

e story of King Gambrinus begins more than 500 years ago in Flanders, the Dutch-speaking region of Belgium, Netherlands and France. Like many folk heroes, Gambrinus routinely performed incredible feats (of drinking) and was able to out-smart (and out-drink) all who tried to best him. When the brewers of Flanders needed to choose a leader, they decided to hold a race to see who could carry a full barrel of beer the fastest. Gambrinus, being the genius alcoholic that he was, decided to drink it dry before sauntering to the nish line, empty barrel in hand.

He was even named the patron saint of beer and brewing, despite not being canonized, because, you know, he didn’t actually exist.

Like many folk tales, there is a tiny kernel of truth to the story of King Gambrinus, however. Historians believe the inspiration for the story likely began with a couple of dukes in the Middle Ages. John the Victorious (a.k.a. Jan Primus), the Duke of Brabant, ruled over much of Flanders in the late 13th century and was known for his physical strength, bravery in battle, conquering Limburg (now a Dutch province) and fathering several illegitimate children—all of which greatly impressed his people.

Eighty years after John the Victorious died, along came John the Fearless, a duke from nearby Burgundy who inherited the title of Count of Flanders

in 1405. He is credited with rst introducing the use of hops in brewing to Flanders, and instituting the Order of the Hops, which recognized exemplary Flemish citizens and celebrated them by getting everyone really, really drunk.

Again, this greatly impressed the people of Flanders.

One hundred years later, the character of Gambrinus starts to pop up as a folk hero and by now he’s the inventor of beer, possibly a giant, descended from Noah himself and the undisputed greatest drunk of all time.

He’s got a big ol’ beer belly, a bushy beard and always has a stupid grin plastered on his face. He’s usually depicted straddling a keg of beer with a stein in hand, kind of like a drunken Santa Claus, handing out good times and alcohol poisoning instead of presents and coal.

However, Gambrinus was still pretty obscure until French author Charles Deulin’s 1874 collection of short stories, Contes du roi Cambrinus (Tales of King Cambrinus). In Deulin’s stories, Gambrinus really comes into his own—he outwits the devil, becomes a super badass musician, discovers lager beer and is named both the Duke of Brabant and the Count of Flanders. e popularity of the book, along with its stage adaptation, made Gambrinus somewhat of a household name by the end of the 19th century.

Today, the in uence of Gambrinus can be seen throughout the beer world. e legendary Pilsner Urquell Brewery in the Czech Republic brews a beer called Gambrinus, dating back to 1869. ere’s also the now-defunct Gambrinus Brewing Co. in Oshkosh, Wisconsin. Closer to home, Gambrinus Malting in Armstrong, B.C. takes its name from the mythical Flemish folk hero.

So let us hoist a pint to this Bacchus of Beer, this Dionysus of Draft. May our own drunken antics be remembered so fondly.

Sources: Oxford Companion to Beer, Encyclopedia Britannica, Wikipedia (of course). j

by Rob Mangelsdorf

Here at Growler HQ, we get a lot of questions from readers asking us debunk common misconceptions about beer. We thought we’d address some of the most persistent myths with some help from the top beer minds in B.C.

Draft beer is always better

Draft beer is better—only sometimes. While it’s true that if you’re drinking a beer style that lends itself to being consumed fresh (like a pilsner or a West Coast pale ale), and you’re drinking it at an establishment that regularly ushes its lines and keeps its taps clean, then draft is preferable—especially if you’re getting it fresh o the serving tanks at the brewery itself.

and it will be served the way the brewery wants it to be.

“A secondary source that maintains its lines and understands the beer, like the Alibi Room, is a great place for draft beer,” says Dale. “But [the quality of draft beer] mostly depends on where you get the beer.”

BUSTED! BUSTED!

Beer should always be served as cold as possible

But some beers bene t from cellaring, and an extended stay in a bottle can help smooth out the body and temper harsh tannins.

“I’ve had a few beers that need to sit and mellow out, and you just can't do that with draft,” says R&B Brewing’s Lundy Dale.

When it comes to draft beer, Dale says the best option is always to get it from the source at the brewery tasting room, as the beer will be freshest

“Coldness is enshrined as one of the most important qualities of beer and the race to the bottom of the thermometer has spawned ice towers and frosty mugs and all kinds of frozen hellish gimmicks,” says Adam Chatburn of Real Cask Ales. “ e reason why draft beer is actually served cold is that variations in the dispensing temperature can lead to foaming and therefore beer waste. Foaming will also occur when beer is poured into a frosty mug pulled from a freezer as the ice creates nucleation points.”

But how does it a ect the avour of beer? Unfortunately, beer served close to freezing will numb your tongue and prevent you from tasting much of anything, which might be bene cial if you’re pounding back pints of macro swill.

“If we let the beer warm slightly we will start to pick up avours quickly,” says Chatburn. “ is is very noticeable in darker beers like stouts and porters where subtler avours like tobacco and chocolate could be missed served ice cold.”

It’s fine to store beer at room temperaturE

BUSTED!

Any beer intended to be consumed fresh should be kept refrigerated to maintain freshness. How fast that freshness fades will depend on how well the beer was packaged and how much the beer's avour depends on hops.

“Beer changes as it ages and the warmer it's stored, the faster those changes happen,” says Dageraad’s Ben Coli. “Some of the changes will never happen at cold temperatures, others will happen very slowly.”

Many higher alcohol beers, however, such as barleywines, imperial stouts and big Belgian quadrupels, taste better with age.

“Complex processes slowly happen in the beer, with acids combining with various alcohols to form new esters, which can taste rich and fruity,” says Coli. “ ese processes will happen way faster out of a fridge than in one.”

Temperature stability is important: aging beer is better done at cellar temperature (15 C) as opposed to room temperature (22 C).

Import beer is, well, imported

BUSTED!

You might assume that the “import” beer you’re drinking is, in fact, imported from its country of origin, but sometimes that’s not the case. A number of international brands are actually brewed under licence for the Canadian market right here in Canada. Budweiser might be America’s King of Beers, but it’s actually brewed in Creston, B.C., at Labatt’s Columbia Brewery, home of Kokanee. American brands such as Coors Light, Pabst Blue Ribbon and Old Milwaukee are also brewed north of the border. Japanese lager Sapporo is brewed at

the Sleeman Brewery in Guelph, which is owned by Sapporo. Heineken and Beck’s were both at one point brewed here in Canada, but are currently imported from Europe.

If you’re curious about where your beer is brewed, all you have to do is look at the label: under B.C. law, labels are required to state where the beer was brewed.

Bottles are better than cans

Cans o er a ton of advantages for breweries: namely, they’re cheaper than bottles to produce, they’re not as fragile and they’re lighter and therefore cheaper to ship. Cans are also more environmentally friendly (often containing close to 70 per cent recycled aluminum).

But how do cans a ect the taste of the beer?

Scienti c testing has found that consumers perceive beer that’s been poured out of a bottle to taste better than canned beer, but in a blind tasting, they couldn’t tell the di erence. In fact, cans are better at preserving beer by keeping oxygen and light out, you are less likely to experience o avours with canned beer.

So what’s the downside? Glad you asked. Aluminum beer cans have an epoxy lining that contains BPA, a thyroid-disrupting chemical that has been linked to numerous health issues when consumed in high concentrations. While a very, very small amount of BPA does leach into canned beer, your exposure is roughly equal to breathing in household dust. Let's be honest, you should be way more concerned about what the alcohol is doing to your body.

As a result, canned beer shouldn’t be cellared for years on end—which is why most beer that’s suitable for aging is bottled. j

If we let the beer warm slightly we will start to pick up avours quickly. —Adam Chatburn, Real Cask Ales

BUSTED!

BC Hop Co

Beer pa ir i ng101

by Rob Mangelsdorf

Company’s coming, dinner’s almost ready, but you forgot to pop out to the liquor store to grab a bottle of wine. Obviously, you have a fridge stocked full of delicious, local craft beer, so screw it! Who needs wine with dinner? Beer it is!

Guess what? Beer is a vastly superior beverage to pair with food than wine. Don’t believe me? Ask Chester Carey, Canada’s rst certi ed cicerone and a sommelier.

“Anywhere you can use wine, you can use beer, often to better e ect,” he says. “Beer has that bread-like base avour that works so well with so many di erent kinds of foods and it’s carbonation and wide variety of avours also helps.

“It’s fairly hard to nd food that won’t pair with most beer.”

While pairing beer with food is hard to get wrong, with a little practice and knowledge, you can get it

so right that it elevates your meal and your whole dining experience. Sure, some foods, like pizza and most salty pub grub, can pair with just about any beer—but we’re going deeper.

It all comes down to the fundamentals of beer and food pairing, which Carey calls the three Cs: complement, contrast and cutting.

Complementing avours are similar avours that work well together, such as a fruity beer and fruity dish. Contrasting avours are pairs of avours, which while di erent, can enhance each other, like fat and acidity, salty and sweet or sweet and sour. As for the cutting e ect, that refers to beer’s ability to lift spicy or oily avours o of the tongue and scrub your palate clean, thanks to its carbonation and acidity.

So with that in mind, here’s e Growler’s guide to pairing beer and food.

e Growler's guide to serving beer and food together without looking like a total goof.

PILSNER

Pairs with: bread, seafood, cheese, salty snacks

ere’s a good reason why sausages and pretzels are staples of European beer halls—they are a natural pairing with a bready pilsner.

“Well-brewed pilsners actually have a lot of complexity,” says Carey. “ e buttery character of the malt bill can make foods seem richer, while the hop notes will liven up the avour.”

Try rich seafood dishes like caviar or spaghetti alle vongole, or even escargot.

STOUT

Pairs with: roasted meats, cured meats, seafood, chocolate

e bitterness of a dry stout will help temper the saltiness of seafood (like oysters) and cured meats, and let the natural sweetness shine through. Meanwhile, the malt character in stouts pairs well with roasted meats, as well as chocolate.

bourguignon. e notes of dried fruit and spice lend this style to dishes like lamb tajine, while the caramel avours help enhance rich desserts like Black Forest cake.

WHEAT BEERS

Pairs with: salad, chicken, seafood

Wheat beers tend to work well with salads due to their light and slightly sweet character. A Belgian witbier, with its subtle lactic note and citrus, is equally at home next to moules frites as it is a summer salad with bitter greens and goat cheese. A hefeweizen, meanwhile, would work well with a breaded chicken breast.

ENGLISH MILD

Pairs with: sandwiches, charcuterie, cheese

INDIA PALE ALE

Pairs with: spicy food, grilled meats, Asian dishes

e hop character of IPAs works well with avours of lemongrass and ginger found in many Asian dishes, especially ai food. A simple steak grilled on the barbecue and seasoned with cracked pepper will bene t from the acidity of the IPA, “which plays nicely with the fat of the meat,” says Carey.

3 4

WEST COAST PALE ALE

Pairs with: pizza, burgers, grilled meat, apple pie

When it comes to “beer- avoured beer,” Carey says you can’t go wrong with pub classics like burgers and pizza. “Pale ales often have a bready note with some hop complexity that works well with salty, bready foods,” he says.

BELGIAN DUBBEL

Pairs with: red meat, North African cuisine, chocolate- and fruit-based desserts

Darker Belgian beers, with their rich malty character, are a go-to for any kind of slowcooked red meat, from Irish stew to bœuf

6 7 8

“A simple straight-forward beer that pairs with simple straight-forward food,” says Carey. With its light bready avours, the mild is the perfect sandwich beer—but we’re not talking about grilled paninis with bell peppers and arugula. Meat, cheese, mustard, bread—simple. Try it with a ploughman’s lunch, a cheese platter or cold meats.

SOUR ALES

Pairs with: fruit dishes, fatty meat

Sour beers are known for their acidity, which Carey says you should use to cut through fatty cuts of meat like duck breast or pork chop. e fruity character in many sour ales lends itself to pairing with fruit-forward dishes and spicy Asian cuisine, not unlike IPAs. j

Cicerone Chester Carey tucks into a full rack of ribs accompanied by a hazy pale ale at Whiskey 6 BBQ in Vancouver. Dan Toulgoet photo

SUNSHINE COAST, BC

POWELL RIVER

SALTERY BAY

EARL’S COVE

GIBSONS VANCOUVER

GIBSONS TAPWORKS

Three friends opened this small brewery in Lower Gibsons with the goal of creating a community hub—and they succeeded. The attractive taproom features coastal-inspired decor, local musicians and delicious atbread pizza. A rooftop patio overlooking the harbour is on track to open July 2018.

PERSEPHONE BREWING CO.

Persephone is the Sunshine Coast’s farm based brewery and cider house. Partnering with the Community Living Association to employ persons with disabilities, they operate a full scale market garden, orchard and hop yards while reusing composted grain and treated brewery wastewater on the farm. Bring the family and enjoy our award winning beers in the tasting room or outside with some wood red pizza from Farm to Feast. It doesn’t get much better than this!

THE 101 BREWHOUSE + DISTILLERY

Previously an auto repair shop, the building has been transformed into a brewery, distillery, lounge and kitchen with a two story dining area and an open garden patio. The 101 offers a diverse array of ales, lagers, spirits, beer cocktails and beer-centric plates bursting with avour and is quickly becoming a favourite destination for visitors and locals alike.

TOWNSITE BREWING

Townsite Brewing makes its home in the original Federal Building of Powell River, an architectural treasure with beautiful Art Deco brickwork built in 1939. In 2012 they opened with devoted support from the local community, and have never looked back. With their newly renovated space carrying 16 beers on tap, including a rotating BC cider and at least one BC Ale Trail guest line—a visit to the original Sunshine Coast brewery is a must.

THE BRICKER CIDER COMPANY

Based in West Sechelt and located half a kilometre from Grandma Bricker’s original orchard, they are a family owned and operated business serving crisp, dry ciders. Visit their cozy tasting room or hang out in the sunny picnic area at the farm and try their six ciders made from 100% BC grown apples!

Illustration by Adam Ball: FactorCreative.ca

LABOUR OF LOVE

B.C.brewersget funky

withtheir

side hustles

Vancouverites, us millennials in particular, love to gripe about the high cost of living in this city; in fact, it’s our favourite topic of conversation. Rent? Astronomical! Gas? Despicable! Dining out? Deplorable! Don’t even get us started on the topic of homeownership and the housing market—pour yourself another beer because we’ll be here all night.

e costs of opening a craft brewery in Vancouver can easily exceed $1 million in start-up expenses which, naturally, is a hurdle for many who dream of opening up their own tasting room. In spite of this, young people are becoming increasingly entrepreneurial; it’s as if we are emboldened by the current economic challenges and inspired to revolt.

As the proverbial phrase goes: when life gives you lemons, you make lemonade. Or in this case, funky, sour, inventive craft beer. For some young B.C. brewers, that means developing their own experimental beer brands as side projects separate from their regular brewing gigs.

Because as every millenial knows, these days, you’ve got to have a side hustle.

Mixed fermentation and wood-aged beer isn’t something we often see on a tap list. It’s time consuming, tricky and involves a hefty amount of research and tedious microbiology. Ryan Voigt, the head brewer at Port Moody’s Twin Sails,

by Brittany Tiplady

has merged his career and passion for mixed fermentation ales into a side brewing project that’s pleasing the palates of craft beer a cionados all over the Lower Mainland.

Meet Coalesce Brewing.

“Coalesce started here at Twin Sails, supported by ownership,” says Voigt, who’s one half of Coalesce alongside his partner Adrienne Cafe. “ ese are the styles and types of beers that I’m passionate about that we [at Twin Sails] don’t do regularly.

e ownership approached me suggesting that I experiment in the back, and then it snowballed into my own little business supporting Twin Sails as well. I rent the space and the barrels and use their equipment and then I release beers that are complementary to the Twin Sails beers.”

Coalesce’s elegant branding is thanks to American designer Tim Skirven, who worked closely with Voigt and Cafe to create the natural and vintage-inspired iconography for the brand’s 375mL bottles and online aesthetic.

Coalesce released its rst brew in October; a mixed fermentation historical saison called Foreward brewed with oats, spelt malt, raw wheat and hopped with Hallertau Hersbrucker and Saaz and fermented with a diverse culture of yeast and bacteria in oak barrels.

“ e name represented the foreward in a book; it was the start and my introduction to the beer

and to the public,” explains Voigt. “We wanted to visit the roots of a saison beer and how it would have been brewed in the 1800s or 1900s when sanitation wouldn’t have been as accessible: everything would be done in wood with no stainless tanks with in uence of wild yeast and bacteria and brewed with whatever grains they had on the farm.”

Coalesce has released six beers since its inception (only 30-40 cases are released of each beer sold at the Twin Sails tasting room), and one most recently in collaboration with Daagerad Brewing. ere are three releases left for Coalesce all due to be ready for the public before August, although, the beauty of mixed-fermentation brewing is in the surprise: these ales cannot be tailored to a tight timeline. e process is slow and methodical—it takes anywhere from six to nine months for a beer to come to its nal fruition—but it opens the door to a new world of and experimental creativity.

“When blending, you’re really using your palate. If you have beer that’s too acidic and a barrel that’s not acidic enough, maybe if you combine those two you’ll produce a beer that’s balanced. It’s like being a painter,” says Voigt. “You can create a unique beer from a bunch of di erent components that might not taste good on their own.”

Coming down the pipeline in East Vancouver is a similar project: Temporal Artisan Ales, a side project spearheaded by Luppolo’s assistant brewer Tristan Stewart.

Temporal’s beers are on a similar vein as Coalesce: funky, sour, farmhouse ales comprised of grassy, high-quality malt and a smorgasbord of yeasts and

bacteria that are barrel aged and oak-fermented. Stewart rents a small space at Luppolo for his 34 barrels (he’s got a selection of gin, cognac, tequila and wine barrels for blending) and production needs.

“I like making funky, sour beer. It’s something I’ve always wanted to do and there’s certainly a lack of barrel-aged beers in our market. Some breweries dabble in sour, funky beers; Luppolo being one of them, and I like to think I have an in uence on what we brew here,” says Stewart. “My goal was always to focus on these styles of beers without investing in a full operation and of course, it’s always the end goal to grow and get bigger.”

Temporal got its legs through a crowdfunding campaign last year and is set to release its rst batch in the late spring or early summer, for sale at Luppolo in 375mL bottles.

e common denominator in these projects isn’t so much their similarity in styles but the passion that drives these tedious endeavours. ey are more than just passion projects, and these guys are more than just craft beer lovers—these are die-hard craftsmen turned entrepreneurs, juggling full-time jobs with their own more elaborate labours of love.

“You’re a partner with the beer, you’re not controlling it. It’s more of a fermentation journey rather than just a process,” says Voigt. “It’s a way of letting go of control and there’s a lot more chance. But within that is the ability to create avours you wouldn’t be able to a regular scale.” j

Luppolo's assistant brewer Tristan Stewart is behind Temporal Artisan Ales, his funky, barrel-aged side project at the East Van brewery. Dan Toulgoet photo

Twin Sails brewer Ryan Voigt collaborated with Burnaby's Dageraad Brewing to create Preamble, a rustic dry-hopped saison, under his Coalesce brand. Rob Mangelsdorf photo

Seato Sky RAD-ler cocktail

with Vancouver Craft Beer Week’s 2018 Collaboration Beer, Sea to Sky Double Dry-Hopped Pilsner

BY BARTENDER SHAUN LAYTON, B ACKCOUNTRY B REWING

If you’ve been following the burgeoning cocktail scene in Vancouver over the past decade, there’s a good chance you’ve come across bartender Shaun Layton and his spirited creations. Having managed the bar programs at hotspots like George, L’Abattoir and Juniper, Layton has a well-earned reputation as one of the West Coast’s top cocktailiers. He’s been named Vancouver’s Bartender of the Year by Vancouver Magazine, Westender, Western Living and Georgia Straight, and coming this fall, he’ll be opening his own Spanish-themed bar in Mount Pleasant, Como Taperia.

Lately, when he’s not creating cutting edge cocktails, Layton has been exploring the world of craft beer while working at Backcountry Brewing in Squamish.

“Learning about and pouring some of the best craft beer in the province has been a humbling and glutinous adventure,” he says.

But the worlds of craft beer and cocktails need not be separate, Layton contends. In fact, craft beer is increasingly showing up in summer cocktails—and for good reason.

“Anything that is oral and full of citrus will naturally pair well with beer,” he says. “Like beer, a beer cocktail should make you want to have more than just one. Stay away from classic style, booze heavy cocktails, and ice lighter ingredients to pair with beer, like gin, vodka or tequila.”

Case in point, Layton’s Sea to Sky RAD-ler, made with Vancouver Craft Beer Week’s 2018 collaboration beer, a Double Dry-Hopped Pilsner by Backcountry, North Van’s Beere Brewing and Whistler’s Coast Mountain Brewing. Everything is local in this light and sessionable cocktail— aside from the grapefruit—and it couldn’t be more perfect for patio season.

“ e citrus punch is balanced by the oral honey, and the amaro gives it a bit of bitterness,” says Layton. “But at the end of the day, the beer is the star.” —Rob Mangelsdorf

• Vancouver Craft Beer Week runs May 25 to June 3. Visit VancouverCraftBeerWeek.com for tickets and info.

things light and refreshing.

INgredients

• 0.5 oz Gillespie's Fine Spirits Raspberry Gin

• 0.5 oz Odd Society Spirits Mia Amata Amaro

• 1 oz freshly squeezed grapefruit juice

• 1 bar spoon local wildflower honey

• 1 can VCBW 2018 Collaboration Double Dry-Hopped Pilsner

directions

1. Shake ingredients (except beer) over ice in a cocktail shaker.

2. Strain into a chilled pilsner glass.

3. Top with beer, drink, then top with more beer. j

Bartender Shaun Layton (on right) created the Sea to Sky RAD-ler using local ingredients (above), including Vancouver Craft Beer Week's Double Dry-Hopped Pilsner collaboration beer. When making beer-based cocktails, he says to stay away from booze heavy recipes and instead keep

Dan Toulgoet photos

GRANVILLE ISLAND BREWIN G

1441 Cartwright St. | GIB.ca

MON-THU 12-8PM ^ FRI-SUN 11AM-9PM

EST. 1984

Housed under the Granville Street bridge, GIB’s brewery lounge is a cosy spot for some tasters after a hard day’s grazing at the island’s market. On tap are GIB’s tried and true staples and brewmaster Kevin Emms’ small-batch releases, three of which are now available year-round.

WEST COAST

Availability: Seasonal

SAISON

I NDIA PALE A LE

Availability: Year-round

Availability: Year-round

40 VAN CO UVER

A BV I BU 5.9%36 A BV I BU 6.0%32 A BV I BU 7.8%80 A BV I BU 5.5%38

A mighty beer that balances big citrus and pine hop notes with a full maltiness.

WEST COAST PALE ALE PALE

ALE

A harmonious blend of roastiness and tingly pine makes for quality qua ery.

R ight place, right time

Small Batch, unlimited release.

ree great Small Batch beers - available all year.

ST RAN GE F ELL O WS

BREWIN G

1345 Clark Dr. | StrangeFellowsBrewing.com

DAILY 12-11PM

EST. 2014

You don’t have to be strange to dig this beer. In a sea of East Van plaid, journeyman brewer Iain Hill’s creations routinely go beyond the ordinary into the realm of the sublime. For access to the latest small batch releases, make sure to sign up for the brewery’s Fellowship program.

Availability: Seasonal

Hints of marmalade and red apple from the yeast support a malty back bone with a dry nish.

Availability: Seasonal

With the earthy character of noble hops, this pilsner drinks bright and clean, with a refreshing nish.

Availability: Seasonal

Aged in oak barrels, the conditioning imparts notes of oak, vanilla, chocolate, malt and black cherry.

Availability: Year-round

It’s a hazy and juicy tasting trip through the tropics with this mildly funky pale ale.

S trange days

Each month the crew at the Clark Street spot celebrate a “strange day” inspired by superstitions and folklore from around the globe. Like Up Helly Aa, the pagan festival of re of the Shetland Islands, or Setsubun, the ancient Japanese celebration of the end of winter. We all need more things to celebrate, after all!

RED T R UCK BEER CO.

295 E. 1st Ave. | RedTruckBeer.com

SUN-WED 11AM-10PM ^ THURS 11AM-11PM ^ FRI-SAT 11AM-12AM

EST. 2005

While setting up its new brewery in Colorado, Red Truck has also been busy launching new packaging and the Truck Stop summer concert series.

WICKED SMAHT

N ORTHEAST I NDIA PALE ALE

Availability: Seasonal

A BV I BU 6.8%43

Practice your Boston accent while sipping this tasty and hazy IPA. Perfect for the summah!

Availability: Year-round

A BV I BU 5.8%25

is purple beer has a light, tart berry character with a mellow, woody bourbon nish.

WILD THING BLACK-BERRY BOURBON ALE A LE

33 ACRES BREWING CO.

15 W. 8th Ave. | 33AcresBrewing.ca

ANDINA BREWING CO.

1507 Powell St. | AndinaBrewing.ca

Beer, co ee, cider, brunch, and sometimes yoga—pick your pleasure. ere’s something for everyone at this iconic brewery. Needless to say, we prefer the b33r.

is East Van spot carved out its avour bringing malts from Chile to serve unique brews alongside the best ceviche in town, complemented by plantain and cassava chips.

BIG ROCK URBAN BREWERY

EATERY

310 W. 4th Ave. | BigRockBeer.com

BOMBER BREWING CO.

1488 Adanac St. | BomberBrewing.com

Like its namesake, a 16,000-ton rock face in the Prairies, this ever-expanding brewery stands the test of time.

Whether on a summertime cycle tour or your ride home after work, Bomber is the perfect place to pause for refreshment on the Adanac bike route.

VANCOUVER

BRASSNECK BREWERY

2148 Main St. | Brassneck.ca

VANCOUVER

BREWHALL

97 E. 2nd Ave. | TapAndBarrel.com

Ever the minimalist, Brassneck is branching out with 500ml cans and 1L “Brasscans” hand lled every few days, and on sale on site only.

KING MAKER

EUROPEAN-STYLE PILSNER

Availability: Small batch

NEBULOUSNESS INDIA PALE ALE

Tap and Barrel’s new brew lab will be focusing on collaborations with other B.C. breweries under the able hand of brewmaster Kerry Dyson.

PALE ALE PALE ALE

CALLISTER BREWING CO.

1338 Franklin St. | CallisterBrewing.com

A co-op and collaborative concept makes for a constant rotating cast of eclectic European brews straight from the heart of Vancouver’s craft community.

GOOSED (CALLISTER)

FARMHOUSE ALE

Availability: Small batch Availability: Small batch

COAL HARBOUR BREWING CO.

1967 Triumph St. | CoalHarbourBrewing.com

e tasting room is waiting on permits, but in the meantime, check out one of the monthly open houses and sample CHBC’s many new beers.

IMMORTAL (MORNINGSTAR)

CRAFT COLLECTIVE BEERWORKS

1575 Vernon Dr. | CraftCollective.beer

DOAN’S CRAFT BREWING CO.

1830 Powell St. | DoansCraftBrewing.com

e former Factory contract brewery has changed its name and its game, producing its own craft beers now. Hopefully a tasting room to sample them is in the works, too!

Arcade games, Lego, local art and delicious, German-inspired craft beer—Doan’s truly does have it all.

WITH OVER 1,000 CRAFT BEERS TO CHOOSE FROM, YOUR ADVENTURE STARTS HERE

VANCOUVER VANCOUVER

DOCKSIDE BREWING CO.

1253 Johnston St. | DocksideVancouver.com

DOGWOOD BREWING

8284 Sherbrooke St. | DogwoodBrew.com

With Craig Ludtke recently promoted to brewmaster and rebooting the beer list, Dockside is aiming to shed its reputation as Vancouver’s forgotten brewery.

OLD BRIDGE

EAST VAN BREWING

1675 Venables St. | EastVanBrewing.com

One of three organic breweries in B.C., Claire Wilson’s South Vancouver brewery also uses local ingredients in all of its beers.

COCONUT CHAI GOLDEN ALE

ELECTRIC BICYCLE BREWING

CO.

20 E. 4th Ave. | ElectricBicycleBrewing.com

Not only can you spin your vinyl every Wednesday from 5-10pm, but this urban oasis houses bees on the roof, to brew the Humble Hive Brown Ale.

ALLEY SHACK

IPL

INDIA PALE LAGER

Vancouver’s newest brewery is a breath of fresh air, promising bold avours, bright colours, creative beer styles and tasty grilled cheese sandwiches.

BENCH REST

IT’S NO GAME

Availability: Seasonal

FACULTY BREWING CO.

1830 Ontario St. | FacultyBrewing.com

HASTINGS MILL BREWING COMPANY

403 East Hastings St. | PatsPub.ca

is brewery strives to educate and empower people with craft beer knowledge; it numbers its beers like university courses, and even publishes its recipes online.

e latest chapter of the Patricia Hotel’s storied history involves the feat of squeezing a brewery inside its 1914 frame—and immediately winning a Canadian Brewing Award.

LUPPOLO BREWING CO.

1123 Venables St. | LuppoloBrewing.ca

MAIN STREET BREWING CO.

261 E. 7th Ave. | MainStreetBeer.ca

is East Vancouver brewery is proud of its Italian heritage as well as the fact that its ownership and sta are 50 per cent women.

OFF THE RAIL BREWING

1351 Adanac St. | O eRailBrewing.com

A stalwart of Vancouver’s Brewery Creek area, Main Street balances solid takes on traditional styles with edgy sours. All that plus good food equals a tasting room that’s always full.

PARALLEL 49 BREWING CO.

1950 Triumph St. | Parallel49Brewing.com

Multiple Canadian Brewing Awards tell the story, but the proof is in the pint glass: drop by O the Rail to taste some delicious beer.

HAZE

is rapidly expanding brewery has been pivotal in opening Vancouver’s tastebuds to quality beer. e tasting lounge, replete with food truck-based kitchen and experimental taps, is awesome.

POSTMARK BREWING

55 Dunlevy Ave. | PostmarkBrewing.com

POWELL BREWERY

1357 Powell St. | PowellBeer.com

Postmark’s adjoined restaurant, Belgard Kitchen, might be serving up the best food of any brewery in the province—perfect for pairing with Dominic Giraldes’s beers.

From West Coast styles to east, Powell’s love of the hop is evident in its lupulin-lavish range, but there’s also a healthy stack of barrels bubbling away in the back.

VANCOUVER

R & B BREWING CO.

54 E. 4th Ave. | RAndBBrewing.com

VANCOUVER

STEAMWORKS BREW PUB

375 Water St. | Steamworks.com/Brew-Pub

is East Van original has enjoyed a revitalization since opening its Ale & Pizza House. Winning Best IPA at the 2017 B.C. Beer Awards doesn’t hurt.

e best of both brewers: Tony Gratl’s in-house creations are complemented by Steamworks brewmaster Julia Hanlon’s agship output, as well as great grub and million-dollar views.

EMPRESS IPA

INDIA PALE ALE

Availability:

VANCOUVER

STORM BREWING LTD.

310 Commercial Dr. | StormBrewing.com

VANCOUVER

STRATHCONA BEER CO.

895 E. Hastings St. | StrathconaBeer.com

Stop by the brewery to check out their salvaged and upcycled equipment and Brainstorm specialty beers. Now open on Monday afternoons as well!

HURRICANE

INDIA PALE ALE

Availability: Year-round

BLACK PLAGUE STOUT IMPERIAL STOUT

Availability: Year-round

INDIA PALE ALE Availability: Seasonal Availability: Year-round VANCOUVER SPECIAL IPA INDIA PALE ALE IBU ABV 58 6.5% IBU ABV 60 6.0% 52

Vancouver’s oldest residential neighbourhood is home to one of the city’s most modern—and inviting—craft brewery tasting rooms.

LOVE BUZZ

Availability:

ALL THAT AND THEN SOME

DA G ERAAD BREWIN G

114 - 3191 underbird Cres. | DageraadBrewing.com

MON-WED 12-9PM ^ THU 12-10PM ^ FRI-SAT 11AM-10PM

SUN 11AM-9PM

EST. 2014

Burnaby’s little piece of Belgium boasts a gorgeous two-level tasting room and some of the best Belgian beer on this side of the pond. ere’s a very good reason Dageraad continually cleans up at the B.C. Beer Awards.

THE BRIGHT SIDE

Availability: Seasonal

Light and bright and zesty—perfect for outdoor summer sipping.

BLONDE IPA

Availability: Seasonal

Availability: Year-round

A love letter to Dageraad’s hometown, this table beer is light and refreshing with a touch of coriander.

Availability: Year-round

Candi sugar and spice and everything nice go into this strong ale, inspired by the Belgian port city.

WHat’s in a name?

Last year, Dageraad owner Ben Coli decided to brew a pair of beers named after each of his twins for their rst birthday: Louise and Oscar. Louise, a blonde ale, won gold at the 2017 B.C. Beer Awards, no doubt sparking a lifelong sibling rivalry between the two kids. “Oscar won nothing,” says Coli. “So I have some explaining to do to my son.”

Dageraad’s rst IPA is a complex, fruity Belgian twist on the Northwest style.

MONKEY 9 BREWING CO.

14200 Entertainment Blvd. | Monkey9.ca

MON-THURS 11:30AM-11PM ^ FRI-SAT 11:30AM-12AM

SUN 11:30AM-10PM

EST. 2017

Located next to Richmond’s Lucky 9 Lanes bowling alley, Monkey 9 has lled the void left by the closing of BRB Brewing Co. three years ago. In addition to craft beer made onsite, the brewpub o ers a full menu, complete with delicious wood- red forno-style pizzas.

BEACHFIRE BLONDE ALE BLONDE ALE

Availability: Year-round

JAMES BROWN ALE BROWN ALE

Availability: Year-round

A sessionable blonde ale with a light maltiness and subtle hopping.

RED TAIL ALE RED ALE

Availability: Year-round

ABV IBU 5.0%20 ABV IBU 5.0%35

Notes of caramel and biscuit, with a citrusy snap from the Cascade, Warrior and Citra hops.

Balanced to ee, nut, caramel and roasted malt avours in this smooth brown ale.

HOP MONKEY IPA INDIA PALE ALE

Availability: Year-round

ABV IBU 6.0%24 ABV IBU 6.2%67

Classic Northwest style IPA with Cascade, Chinook and Citra hops.

Double duty

In addition to being Monkey 9’s brewer, Travis Lang was originally hired as the brewery’s graphic designer. After bringing the Monkey 9 team some of his homebrew, they decided Lang should be designing the beers as well. You can try pints of his handiwork for just $5 during happy hour daily from 2-5pm.

FOU R WINDS BREWIN G

4 - 7355 72nd St. | FourWindsBrewing.ca

DAILY 11AM-7PM

EST. 2013

e Mills family has collaborated with breweries across the country to keep you coming back with exciting one-o s and award-winning mainstays.

Availability: Seasonal

A BV I BU 5.5% 8

Aged on nectarines in oak barrels, notes of red wine swirl with peach, apricot and a hint of toasted nuts.

Availability: Seasonal

A BV I BU 4.5%45

Fresh lemon juice, coupled with pink Himalayan salt creates a bright burst to quench your thirst.

STEAMWORKS BREWING CO.

3845 William St. | Steamworks.com

MARINER BREWING

1100 Lansdowne Dr. | MarinerBrewing.ca

Award-winning brewer Julia Hanlon debuts a new cask creation the last ursday of every month at Steamworks’ Burnaby tasting room.

TROPICAL

Mariner’s new outdoor beer garden is open just in time for summer, and you can bring your dog, too.

LANGLEY LANGLEY

KPU BREWING LAB

20901 Langley Bypass | KPU.ca/Brew

TRADING POST BREWING

107 - 20120 64th Ave. | TradingPostBrewing.com

Get the inside track on what B.C.’s future brewmasters are dreaming up. Students regularly o er their latest brews for you to try… in the name of research, of course.

It’s all about tradition at Langley’s rst locally owned craft brewery with an eatery in Fort Langley and another planned for Abbotsford in the fall.

RASPBERRY

WHEAT ALE FRUIT WHEAT BEER

MAPLE MEADOWS BREWING CO.

22775 Dewdney Trunk Rd. | MapleMeadowsBrewingCo.com

RIDGE BREWING CO.

22826 Dewdney Trunk Rd. | RidgeBrewing.com

Homebrewer turned craft connoisseur Carlo Baroccio didn’t just open a brewery—he started a movement. Out in Maple Ridge, he’s now one of three craft breweries.

Ridge is celebrating three years of open mic nights, tap takeovers, collaboration beers and tasty brews. With 12 taps for tasters and growler lls.

SILVER VALLEY BREWING

#101 - 11952 224 St. | SilverValleyBrewing.com

STEEL & OAK BREWING CO. 1319 3rd Ave. | SteelAndOak.ca

If you can’t make it to this family-owned brewery in downtown Maple Ridge, they’ll be at the Haney Farmers’ Market every Saturday this summer.

Plans for 2018 at this iconic New West brewery include an expanded tasting room capacity, more IPAs, and lots of beer releases in cans.

BEERE BREWING COMPANY

312 E. Esplanade | BeereBrewing.com

BLACK KETTLE BREWING

106 -720 Copping St. | BlackKettleBrewing.com

With a name like that, Matt Beere was destined to brew. Watch out for new canned releases all summer long.

FANNY PACK NORTHEAST INDIA PALE ALE

Tucked away in an industrial park near the North Van waterfront, this neighbourhood favourite is always packed come quitting time.

GRUMPY UNICORN INDIA PALE ALE

BRIDGE BREWING CO.

1448 Charlotte Rd. | BridgeBrewing.com

DEEP COVE BREWERS AND DISTILLERS

170 - 2270 Dollarton Hwy. | DeepCoveCraft.com

North Van’s rst brewery of the craft beer era is now blazing a trail in sustainability, pursuing a zero-waste agenda to admirable e ect. Beer’s pretty darn good, too.

LEMON GIN

GREEN LEAF BREWING CO.

123 Carrie Cates Crt. | GreenLeafBrew.com

Deep Cove will be celebrating their fth anniversary in late August—be on the lookout for their rst whisky and a special anniversary beer.

HEARTHSTONE BREWERY

Dr. |

Green Leaf’s new extended patio at Lonsdale Quay is now open, so grab a ight of fruity kettle sours and enjoy the sunshine.

CHERRY SOUR

SOUR ALE

New brews and a new patio to enjoy them on, Hearthstone is your new favourite Lower Mainland spot you haven’t tried yet.

MOODY ALES

2601 Murray St. | MoodyAles.com

19221 122A Ave. | FoamersFolly.ca

Foamers is already one of B.C.’s most inventive breweries, with two separate brewhouses easily lling all 20 tasting room taps—and now it’s starting a barrel program.

e western terminus of the Murray Street brewery crawl is both a great place to whet appetites for the beer odyssey ahead, or bring it to a avour-packed conclusion.

THE PARKSIDE BREWERY

2731 Murray St. | eParksideBrewery.com

TWIN SAILS BREWING

2821 Murray St. | TwinSailsBrewing.com

After two years in, Parkside has it all going on: the beer is dialed in and the patio is one of the best summer spots around.

Your local purveyor of all things hop-forward, Twin Sails produced 50 di erent beers in 2017— and is aiming to beat that in 2018.

SINGLE

YELLOW DOG BREWING CO.

1 - 2817 Murray St. | YellowDogBrew.com

110-12500

Yellow Dog seems to love collaborating with other breweries, whether it’s their neighbours on Brewers Row or their pals at Dageraad, Powell and Steel & Oak.

BEACH DOG

Summertime in Steveston is ideally spent on a patio with delicious craft beer and food. Britannia’s taproom and restaurant has you covered in all of those areas.

SEA

FUGGLES & WARLOCK CRAFTWORKS

103-11220 Horseshoe Way | FugglesWarlock.com

Ready player one? Drag your console-playing carcass out of your parents’ basement and play some games at F&W instead. e beer is in nitely better than your parents’, too.

GIN & LIME PILSNER PILSNER Availability: Year-round

CENTRAL CITY BREWERS + DISTILLERS

11411 Bridgeview Dr. | CentralCityBrewing.com

Celebrating 15 years with a June 9 open house, you can also enjoy their Across the Nation collaboration beers at the brewery and brewpubs this summer.

RED RACER

RUBY SUNSET

KETTLE SOUR WITH POMEGRANATE

BIG RIDGE BREWING CO.

5580 152 St. | MJG.ca/Big-Ridge

A brewpub serving Surrey since 1999, Big Ridge features three year-round beers and a variety of seasonal o erings. Now available in cans!

RODEO RED ALE RED

RUSSELL BREWING CO. 202 - 13018 80th Ave. | RussellBeer.com

We’re still waiting for that tasting room—but in the meantime, Russell is putting out an impressive range of styles that frequently hit the mark.

BELGIAN SAISON BELGIAN SAISON

CLOVER IPA INDIA PALE ALE IBU ABV 14 5.0% IBU ABV 17 6.0%

DAZY

HAZY DOUBLE INDIA PALE

ALE IBU ABV 34 5.8% IBU ABV 46 8.5% 68 SURREY SURREY RICHMOND SURREY

2 COAST ANCIENT IBU ABV 65 6.5% IBU ABV 22 6.6%

Availability: Seasonal Availability: Seasonal

WHITE ROCK BREWING

13 - 3033 King George Blvd. | WhiteRockBrewing.ca

3 DOGS BREWING

15214 North Blu Rd. | 3DogsBrewing.com

After operating a U-Brew next door since 1994, the owners opened this nano-brewery in 2015. e tasting room is conveniently located just o Highway 99.

WHITE ROCK MOUNTAIN ALE AMBER ALE

Availability: Year-round

U-13 WHITE INDIA PALE ALE

A brewery and tasting lounge with 11 taps and plenty of community vibes. A great spot for a post-beach beer.

OLD YELLAR DOUBLE INDIA PALE ALE

S.P.C.A. SPRUCE TIP COASTAL PALE ALE

WHITE ROCK BEACH BEER CO.

15181 Russell Ave. | WhiteRockBeachBeer.com

Availability: Year-round

Availability: Seasonal

Handmade high quality wooden crates

We specialize in store display and home décor, custom branding and display solutions. Start your own bike gang or join ours! Flying Frenchman bike crates available at a bike shop near you.

Now with a bigger brewhouse to keep up with Beach Beer-goers demands, Peter Adams’ and Bill Haddow’s hobby brewery has become something of a White Rock landmark.

EAST BEACH

AMERICAN BROWN ALE

Availability: Year-round

OXFORD HILL HEFEWEIZEN

Availability: Seasonal Availability: Seasonal

cumberlandcratecompany.com

WHITE ROCK

We are Northwest Hop Farms—a full-service hop farm and hop distribution company based in beautiful British Columbia, Canada.

From our family farm in Chilliwack, we harvest, package, and ship hops to 17 countries worldwide. In addition to our own hops, we partner up with the best farmers in B.C., U.S.A., and around the world, to offer over 180 varieties of quality hops to the brewing industry.

Our mission is to raise the profile of our many partner farmers in the area, as well as to promote the resurgence of hop farming in British Columbia. We are incredibly passionate about hops and the craft brewing industry and we are excited to share our passion with you!

NORTHWEST HOP FARMS

Chilliwack, B.C.

604-845-7974 • sales@northwesthopfarms.com

www.northwesthopfarms.com

O N S P RIN G S

BREWIN G COMPANY

7160 Oliver St. | MissionSprings.ca

MON-SAT 11AM-10PM ^ SUN 10AM-10PM

EST. 1996

It’s always been this Fraser Valley’s brewhouse’s mission to keep up the never-ending search for the perfect pint, something they know a bit about after 22 years in the business. Drop in to see what’s pouring from the rotating sour taps.

Availability: Seasonal

Centennial, Cascade, and El Dorado hops bring pine and citrus to this light and creamy white pale.

Availability: Seasonal

Bold citrus, oral and pine provide a big mouth feel as the malt takes a backseat to bursting hops.

Availability: Seasonal

Light in body, but big in avour, it starts fruity, but ends with a oral feel with hints of bergamot.

Availability: Seasonal

Cranberries and white grape juice meets a ginger infusion for a refreshing zing.

Fill ‘er up!

No game? No problem! Every Friday, Saturday and Sunday from 5-9pm you can still nd a full stock of eats at Mission Springs’ Tailgate Bu et, perfect to wash down with a signature brew. Make sure to save room for brunch on Sundays, from 10am-2pm.

FIELD HOUSE BREWING CO.

RAVENS BREWING CO.

2281 West Railway St. | FieldHouseBrewing.com CHAOS & SOLAC

2485 Townline Rd. | Ravens.beer

With three new white oak foeders to age wild and sour beers, these guys will also host a sour beer and music festival in August.

DEAD FROG BREWERY

1 - 27272 Gloucester Way | DeadFrog.ca

Commited to working with local growers to source ingredients for its beers, Ravens’s e orts paid o with a gold medal at the recent World Beer Cup.

E CRAFT

1 - 9360 Mill St. | ChaosAndSolace.com

Dead Frog is moving into a new facility just o Highway 1 in Langley later this year, which will feature a big tasting room with indoor and outdoor seating.

Honest beer for honest people who make an honest living, but still think outside the box, forging their way into the future of craft beer one local ingredient at a time.

ALDERGRO VE

HILLI WACK

GIBSONS GIBSONS

THE 101 BREWHOUSE + DISTILLERY

1009 Gibsons Way | e101.ca

GIBSONS TAPWORKS

537 Cruice Lane | GibsonsTapworks.com

Hand crafted vodka and gin, a full kitchen, a patio, live music, bingo, and a brewhouse—the 101 in picturesque Gibsons has it all.

HEFEWEIZEN HEFEWEIZEN

Availability: Seasonal

Availability: Seasonal

is brewery’s new rooftop patio will be the perfect summer spot to sip one of its small-batch creations and enjoy a tasty snack.

STORMRIDER

GIBSONS

PERSEPHONE BREWING CO.

1053 Stewart Rd. | PersephoneBrewing.com

PEMBERTON

PEMBERTON BREWING CO.

1936 Stonecutter Pl. | PembertonBrewing.ca

Celebrating their fth anniversary with the Tough Kegger on Aug. 19—a rugged seven km adventure race in teams of four carrying a full 20L keg!

KELLER PILSNER PILSNER

Availability: Seasonal

e Pemberton Valley has long been a hopgrowing hotbed so it’s only natural it should get its own brewery, too.

TOWNSITE BREWING

5824 Ash Ave. | TownsiteBrewing.com

A-FRAME BREWING CO.

38927 Queens Way | AFrameBrewing.com

Take

SQU AMI SH

BACKCOUNTRY BREWING

#405-1201 Commercial Way | BackcountryBrewing.com

H

OWE

37801 Cleveland Ave. |

e ever-evolving Squampton hot-spot now boasts a menu with a variety of vegan options, a regular Hoppy Hour, and all your old faves on tap alongside constant new brews.

SAI S ON Availability: Seasonal Availability: One-o QUARTZ WILD ALE I BU A BV 28 6.5% I BU A BV 8 6.2% OKANAGAN LAKE CREAM ALE CREAM ALE Availability: Year-round Availability: Seasonal BOYA LAKE SUMMER WHEAT ALE A MERICAN W HEAT ALE I BU A BV 15 5.0% I BU A BV 20 4.8% WIDOWMAKER EAS T C OA S T I NDIA PALE A LE Availability: Year-round Availability: Year-round TRAILBREAKER A MERICAN PALE A LE I BU A BV 50 6.7% I BU A BV 35 5.0% SUPER JUPITER MANGO ISA I NDIA SE SSION A LE Availability: Seasonal Availability: Seasonal JAM SESSION RASPBERRY CREAM ALE C REAM ALE I BU A BV 25 4.5% I BU A BV 15 5.0% 78

SQU AMI SH

SQU AMI SH PO W ELL RIV ER

BREWHOUSE HIGH MOUNTAIN BREWING

4355 Blackcomb Way | MJG.ca/BrewHouse

COAST MOUNTAIN BREWING CO.

Unit 2 1212 Alpha Lake Rd. | CoastMountainBeer.ca

Located right next to the Olympic Plaza in Whistler Village, this food-focused brewpub is a must-visit any time of year.

VIENNA LAGER

Skip the gondolas and single-track: a visit to Coast Mountain for a few jars of Kevin Winter’s superb beer is worth the journey alone.

WHISTLER BREWING CO.

1045 Millar Creek Rd. | WhistlerBeer.com

Boasting Whistler-grown hops in some of their beers and live music every Friday, Whistler Brewing is just a quick jaunt from the Village.

VANCOUVER ISLAND BREWERY

2330 Government St. | VanIslandBrewery.com

TUES-THU 11AM-6PM ^ FRI-SAT 11AM-7PM

EST. 1984

After mis ring on its rebrand attempt last year, Victoria’s oldest production brewery is reloading with a new look. It promises to listen to its customers more, and will return to its roots by embracing Vancouver Island culture and bringing back some old favourites. e beer, however, has never been in doubt.

BROKEN ISLANDS

HAZY INDIA PALE ALE

Availability: Year-round

Citrusy, fresh and juicy, this should be a big hit for VIB this summer.

TWISTED STALK

BLACKBERRY HELLES

Availability: Seasonal

VIB’s brewery setup is ideally suited for lagers so you know this one tastes good.

UKIDAMA

LYCHEE AND YUZU SAISON

Availability: Seasonal

is session saison features a unique marriage of Asian fruits and peppery Belgian yeast.

FALLER

NORTHWEST PALE ALE

Availability: Year-round

A new hoppy pale ale to balance out the more traditional Piper’s brand.

WHat’s in a name?

One of the rst three B.C. microbreweries that opened way back in 1984 (along with Spinnakers and Granville Island), VIB’s original name was Island Paci c Brewing and it was located in Saanichton. e name was changed in 1991 and the brewery moved to downtown Victoria a few years later.

CAT EGOR Y 12 BREWING

Unit C - 2200 Keating Cross Rd. | Category12Beer.com

MON-SAT 12-6PM ^ SUN 12-4PM

EST. 2016

As any beer lover knows, C12’s location halfway between the ferry terminal and downtown Victoria is always worth the e ort because the tasting room vibe is welcoming and, most importantly, the beers are exceptional across the board.

SOUR

Availability: Seasonal

is beer is soured with a mixed Lactobacillus culture and fermented with Saccharomyces trois yeast.

Availability: Seasonal

Now available in tall cans, this unique and unusual beer is the ideal summer refresher.

Availability: Small batch

Category 12’s rst lager, look for it at the brewery and in cans.

Availability: Year-round

Sacc trois yeast and experimental hops result in delicious waves of fruit, citrus and spice.

It’s a brewtiful thing

Once upon a time, C12’s co-founder Karen Kuzyk was a devoted wine drinker. One fateful day she tasted a Belgian tripel-style beer her husband Michael had homebrewed... and then asked for more. Years later, when he proposed they open a brewery, she agreed—as long as he kept brewing Belgian beer.

TWA DOGS BREWERY AT VICTORIA CALEDONIAN

761 Enterprise Cres. | VCaledonian.com

MON-WED 12-7PM ^ THU-SAT 11AM-8PM ^ SUN 12-7PM

EST. 2016

With beer names inspired by the works of Robbie Burns, this brewery is adding a little Scottish air to the Victoria brewing scene.

CLOUD CHAMBER DIPA

DOUBLE INDIA PALE ALE

Availability: Seasonal

ABV IBU 8.6%N/A

is one is all about the Azacca hops with huge avours of tropical passion fruit and guava.

SILVER FLOOD BELGIAN WITBIER

Availability: Year-round

ABV IBU 5.0%12

is classic wit is as refreshing as the cold waters of the River Tweed its name references.

CANOE BREWPUB

450 Swift St. | CanoeBrewpub.com

DRIFTWOOD BREWERY

450 Hillside Ave. | DriftwoodBeer.com

With a German- and West Coast-focused beer list and a varied menu that relies on local suppliers, there’s something to oat everyone’s boat here.

Not just purveyors of ne beers, Driftwood is also renowned for the striking artwork on their labels and new growler design.

HOYNE BREWING CO.

101-2740 Bridge St. | HoyneBrewing.ca

MOON UNDER WATER BREWERY

350B Bay St. | MoonUnderWater.ca

Stop in for a ight of beer to donate to Hoyne’s local charity of the month—the brewery matches all donations collected.

Classic European styles, cutting-edge New World craft beers, barrel-aged sours, great food, a fun vibe, and now a distillery. e Moon just keeps getting better!

2010 Government St. | PhillipsBeer.com

HOPoxia returns to the Phillips Backyard this June, but in the meantime, there’s a brand new taproom waiting to be christened with exclusive experimental brews.

It’s always been a family a air for the Had elds, who this year will celebrate 34 years in the hops, with their 7,000th brew out in late summer.

SWANS BREWPUB

506 Pandora Ave. | SwansHotel.com

LIGHTHOUSE BREWING CO.

2-836 Devonshire Rd. | LighthouseBrewing.com

Often one of the forgotten pioneers of modern B.C. beer, Swans’ output has been given fresh impetus recently thanks to the work of awardwinning head brewer Chris Lukie.

You’ll be able to check out Lighthouse’s newly renovated tap room at their 20th Anniversary Block Party BBQ at the brewery on Aug. 17.

LIGHTHOUSE 20TH

“We were somewhere around the Gila River, on the edge of the desert, when the Gose began to take hold.”

473mL can | 4.4% ABV

LANGFORD

2323 Millstream Ave. | AxeAndBarrel.com

MAYNE ISLAND

MAYNE ISLAND BREWING CO.

490 Fernhill Rd. | MayneIslandBrewingCo.com

You’ve got two options at this West Shore brewery: samplers and growler lls in the tasting room or food and beer in the neighbouring pub.

Put this brewery on your summer travel bucket list, but be warned: you might never want to leave this island paradise! Open Fridays and Saturdays only.

SALT SPRING ISLAND ALES

270 Furness Rd. | SaltSpringIslandAles.com

Based in a converted barn at the base of Mount Bruce, the beer is made with water from a natural spring on the hillside above.

HAZY IPA

Availability:

Year-round

SHORE IPA INDIA PALE ALE Availability: Year-round Availability: Seasonal FRUITY MOTHER PUCKER FRUIT BEER IBU ABV 75 6.8% IBU ABV 12 4.5% 90

BAD DOG BREWING COMPANY

7861 Tugwell Rd. | BadDogBrewing.ca

INDIA

Sooke’s newest microbrewery might be one of the smallest pups at the park, but its beers are good enough to play with the big dogs.

DOGS

PALE ALE IBU ABV N/A 4.5% IBU ABV 33 6.6% IBU ABV N/A 6.2% IBU ABV 54 7.0% DIZZY

Availability:

SOOKE BREWING CO.

2057 Otter Point Rd. | SookeBrewing.com

SOOKE OCEANSIDE

BREWERY

1-5529 Sooke Rd. | SookeOceansideBrewing.com

Curious locals and tourists alike are drawn to visit this custom-built brewery in the centre of Sooke, and the delicious beer keeps them coming back.

I

With expanded spring and summer hours at SOB, you’ve got no excuse not to make the trip out to Sooke to visit its three breweries.

C

4 MILE BREWING CO.

199 Island Hwy. | 4MileBrewingCo.com

Head over to the brewpub to try their pilot series brews. ey have a one-keg pilot system releasing a new beer every second week

BEACH FIRE BREWING

594-11th Ave. | BeachFireBrewing.ca

RIOT BREWING CO.

101A - 3055 Oak St. | RiotBrewing.com

Vancouver Island’s northernmost brewery keeps locals and visitors happy with a solid core beer list, a tasty food menu, and regular Tuesday small batch brews.

HIGH TIDE PALE

APRICOT SOUR

FORBIDDEN BREWING CO.

1590 Cli e Ave. | ForbiddenBrewing.com

Fresh o a big win at the World Beer Cup, Riot will be the only beer you’ll nd on tap at Victoria’s Ska and Reggae Fest this June. And in the taproom now—pinball machines!

CURRANT-LY

GLADST

SORRY WE TOOK SO LONG

ONE BREWING CO.

244 4th St. | GladstoneBrewing.ca

Forbidden hopes to add a new locally made brew kettle even while it ghts a protracted legal battle with its landlord to stay in its location.

A recent brewhouse expansion increased their brewing capacity by 40 per cent, allowing Gladstone to take their beer as far south as Nanaimo.

CUMBERLAND BREWING CO.

2732 Dunsmuir Ave. | CumberlandBrewing.com

CRAIG STREET BREW PUB

25 Craig St. | CraigStreet.ca

is little brewery that could is getting a much-needed expansion in time for summer. e perfect excuse for a visit!

Enjoy Craig Street’s beer here, next door at Just Jake’s restaurant, or at Jake’s at the Lake at nearby Lake Cowichan.

RED ARROW BREWING CO.

5255 Chaster Rd. | RedArrowBeer.ca

SMALL BLOCK BREWING CO.

203-5301 Chaster Rd. | SmallBlockBrewery.com

On the Island, it’s all about bringing big ideas to fruition in small batches guarded by Christopher the all-seeing gargoyle. Hot tip: He likes a midnight ale.

SIDE TRACKED

e Cowichan Valley’s newest brewery promises beer with greatly reduced levels of gluten but all the avour you’ve come to expect from craft.

LONGWOOD BREWERY

101A-2046 Boxwood Rd. | LongwoodBeer.com

LONGWOOD BREWPUB

5775 Turner Rd. | LongwoodBrewpub.com

Where else can you bring your pet to hang out with a beer, and brush up on your skills on the built-in putting green?

Longwood’s popular brewpub on the north end of town o ers fresh beer made with local ingredients and live music on ursday nights.

WHITE SAILS BREWING

125 Comox Rd. | WhiteSailsBrewing.com

WO

F BREWING CO.

White Sails’ taproom o ers Friday night casks, monthly trivia nights, and Yoga On Tap with mindful beer tasting the rst Sunday of the month. ROTATING

940

Rd. | WolfBrewingCompany.com

While Wolf awaits con rmation of its full lounge licence you can still visit the tasting room for samples and a “howler” ll. Get it? Wolf, howler?!?

MOUNT ARROWSMITH BREWING CO.

109-425 East Stanford Ave. | ArrowsmithBrewing.com

TWIN CITY BREWING

4503 Margaret St. | TwinCityBrewing.ca

Check out their new kitchen, and the re-launch of Sea Run saison—brewed this year in partnership with the Deadliest Catch’s Dwyer family, supporting ALS Research in Canada.

Fittingly, the building Twin City calls home was originally built as a B.C. government liquor store in 1947. We’re willing to bet the beer’s much better now.

LOVESHACK LIBATIONS

#1-4134 Island Hwy. West | LoveShackLibations.com

BREWING CO.

691 Industrial Way | To noBrewingCo.com

is nanobrewery is a great place to visit on a summer road trip, but plan ahead—it’s only open on Wednesday evenings and Saturday afternoons.

After opening its gorgeous new tasting room last winter, To no is now o ering three beers in cans: Blonde Ale, Tu Session Ale and To no Lager.

ELEVATION 57 BREWING COMPANY

20 Kettleview Rd. | SessionsTapHouseAndGrill.com

IRON ROAD BREWING

980 Camosun Crs. | IronRoadBrewing.ca

Billed as Canada’s highest brewery, 5,700 feet above sea level, Elevation 57 is housed in Sessions Taphouse & Grill, right beside the piste and trails of Big White.

BLONDE

Kamloops’ newest brewery recently released its rst barrel-aged beer: Dark Signal, an East India Porter conditioned with brett and then blended with fresh porter and raspberries.

RED COLLAR BREWING CO.

355 Lansdowne St. | RedCollar.ca

THE NOBLE PIG BREWHOUSE

650 Victoria St. | eNoblePig.ca

Lucky Kamloops. David Beardsell has brought decades of brewing experience to bear here with a range of expertly crafted beer in a homey pub setting.

e ne folks of Kamloops get to savour house made brews with scratch kitchen bites at the rst and only brewpub in the Interior town.

TRADITION-ALE DRY-HOPPED

BNA BREWING CO.

1250 Ellis St. | BNABrewing.com

BOUNDARY BREWING

2-455 Neave Crt. | BoundaryBrewing.beer

BNA recently hauled an Airstream trailer up to its second oor to house another bar in what is one of the Okanagan’s top spots for food and beer.

PURPLE RAIN BERLINER WEISSE

FREDDY’S BREWPUB

124 McCurdy Rd. | McCurdyBowl.com

Best known for their anti-fascist stance, Boundary is also the only oak kettle brewery in Canada, producing tasty German-style beers.

KETTLE RIVER BREWING CO.

731 Baillie Ave. | KettleRiverBrewing.ca

Located inside the McCurdy Bowling Centre, this longtime Kelowna brewpub also has growlers and crowlers to go.

WISECRACK BELGIUM WHITE WITBIER

Tucked away in Kelowna’s north end, this small-batch operation is all about experimentation, hosting beer nerds of all levels in a cosy, yet eclectic space.

SUMMER SANDS ALE

ALE

BUSINESS IN THE FRONT

RED BIRD BREWING

1086 Richter St. | RedBirdBrewing.com

TREE BREWING BEER INSTITUTE

1346 Water St. | TreeBrewingBeerInstitute.com

is tiny nanobrewery is a place for people to come together, with live music, crib tournaments and absolutely no TVs.

SAWMILL

Availability: Seasonal

Availability: Year-round

Where all the experimentation happens! A tasting room right on the water, boasting great pizza and interesting brews and views.

Availability: Year-round

Availability: Year-round

FIREHALL BREWERY

6077 Main St. | FirehallBrewery.com

Bunkered below an old rehall, this familyowned brewery is an oasis of craft beer in Wine Country.

BACKDRAFT BLONDE

FALSE ALARM BITTER

Availability: Year-round

Availability: Year-round

BAD TATTOO BREWING CO.

169 Estabrook Ave. | BadTattooBrewing.com

BARLEY MILL BREW PUB

2460 Skaha Lake Rd. | BarleyMillPub.com

Pair some of the Okanagan’s best beer with some of the Okanagan’s best pizza and you have one bad-ass combination.

LUCKY 12 IIPA IMPERIAL INDIA

Availability: One-o

CANNERY BREWING

Penticton’s original brewpub proudly takes its place as one of ve breweries now located in this outdoorsy town, serving locals and tourists alike.

Availability: Small batch

198 Ellis St. | CanneryBrewing.com

Located next to Okanagan Lake and the Kettle Valley Trail, Cannery’s dog-friendly patio is a great place to nish a perfect Penticton day.

Availability: Year-round

HIGHWAY 97 BREWERY

954 Eckhardt Ave. | Hwy97Brewery.com

is warehouse-style brewery features a taproom completely open to the brewery oor below, and meat pies made from their grain and beer.

Availability: Seasonal Availability: Small batch

Availability: Year-round Availability: Seasonal Availability: Seasonal

THE TIN WHISTLE B

Tin Whistle has been tooting the horn for quality beer since 1995, making the most of the Okanagan’s abundant fruit in its many avoured ales.

OBSESSION

Hop vines grow along the outside of this onestop malt halt, where spent grains are fed to the livestock of local farmers and used in the homemade bread.

CRANNÓG ALES

706 Elson Rd. | CrannogAles.com

DETONATE BREWING

#104-9503 Cedar Ave. | DetonateBrewing.com

A brewery and farm, Crannog grows 17 varieties of hops for use in their own brewery, and sells hops plants to homebrewers and commercial hopyards.

FRUIT

Availability:

MARTEN BREWING CO.

2933A 30th Ave. | MartenBrewpub.com

Small but mighty, Summerland’s newest brewery puts to use tanks formerly living life on dairy farms, but re-purposed to pour o a tasty brew at any moment.

KIND BREWING

2405 Main St.

Availability:

Beer is literally at the centre of Marten, with the brewhouse taking pride of place in the middle of this bustling pub. Great food, great selection of small-batch brews.

West Kelowna’s newest—and so far only—craft brewery focuses on West Coast styles at its spacious tasting room.

Availability:

Availability:

F ERNIE BREWING CO .

26 Manitou Rd. | FernieBrewing.com

MON-THU 11AM-7PM ^ FRI -SAT 11AM-8PM SUN 11AM-6PM

EST. 2003

After a day of adventuring in the mountains, FBC’s tasting room is a great place to wind down and re ect upon your accomplishments. To keep in the loop about their seasonal and limited release beer launches, like them on Facebook.

Availability: Year-round

Light and cloudy, it’s low in bitterness but high in hop avor and aroma.

Availability: Seasonal

A bold IPA, brewed with actual grapefruit peel as well as those citrusy hops.

Availability: Year-round

Crisp, clean Bavarian pilsner using Munich, pilsner and pale Western Canadian malts.

Availability: Seasonal

Easy-drinking and refreshing, it’s dry-hopped with Mandarina Bavaria and Lemondrop hops.

Challenge accepted!

Do you have what it takes to complete the Trail to Ale challenge? Climb three of Fernie’s peaks, on bike or foot, within a 24-hour period, then show your ontrail, timestamped sel es to FBC’s tasting room sta , and you'll be rewarded with a cold beer, a handcrafted medal and ultimate kudos.

MT. B EGBIE BREWING CO .

2155 Oak Dr. | Mt-Begbie.com

MON-SAT 9AM-8PM

EST. 1996

Revelstoke is a town of superlatives, from its stunning scenery to its continent-leading ski-run vertical. Not to be outdone, its longrunning brewery took home brewery of the year at the Canadian Brewing Awards last year—a just reward for satisfying thirsts for more than two decades.

Availability: Seasonal

Sure to be a summer hit, this saison gets a tart twist from added sour cherries.

Availability: Seasonal

Availability: Year-round

Availability: Year-round

WHat’s in a name?

e brewery takes its name from a local mountain, but Mt. Begbie itself is named for B.C.’s rst chief justice. Matthew Begbie was a controversial chap, who has been both praised for his progressive (for the 19th century) views and condemned for delivering many hanging verdicts—he was posthumously nicknamed the “Hanging Judge.”

A Begbie classic, with a full malt pro le complemented by a hint of clover honey.

A crisp, gently bitter lager made with all-B.C. ingredients.

A powerhouse WIPA dosed with Mosaic hops, coriander, chamomile, lemon and orange peel.

CRANBROOK GOLDEN

FISHER PEAK BREWING CO.

821 Baker St. | eHeidOut.ca

WHITETOOTH BREWING

623 8th Ave. N. | WhitetoothBrewing.com

Sample six artisanal ales from this Kootenay brewery at the attached Heid Out Restaurant, with a few seasonal surprises.

As of late spring, food trucks are now permanently parked beside this Golden brewery every weekend, so if you have a snack, you can also have more beer!

PROSPECTOR PILSNER PILSNER

INVERMERE KASLO

ARROWHEAD BREWING CO.

ELEPHANT THE DERF BLUEBERRY TEQUILA HEFEWEIZEN

RUN IPA Availability: Seasonal Availability: Seasonal Availability: Seasonal Availability: Seasonal

481 Arrow Rd. | ArrowheadBrewingCompany.ca

IBU ABV 56 6.4% IBU ABV 12 5.3% IBU ABV 40 6.5% IBU ABV N/A 4.8%

FANCY FOOTWORK INDIA PALE LAGER

ANGRY HEN BREWING

343 Front St. | AngryHenBrewing.com

IBU ABV 23 4.8% IBU ABV 40 9.0% IBU ABV 60 5.5% IBU ABV 35 6.0% 108

Shirley Warne’s brewery in the middle of nowhere is worth the trip if you like amazing beer and gob-smacking views.

TREPANATION TRIPEL BELGIAN-STYLE TRIPEL LOST HEN NORTHWEST INDIA PALE ALE

TOMORROW Availability: Year-round Availability: Seasonal Availability: Seasonal Availability: Seasonal

OVER TIME BEER WORKS

136A Wallinger Ave. | OverTimeBeer.ca

BACKROADS

460 Baker St. | BackroadsBrewing.com

is little brewery in picturesque Kimberley turns two years young this June. Join them on Canada Day for the Charity Smoke O to bene t the local food bank.

COPPER TOP RED WHEAT ALE

Availability: Seasonal

PRESENT

Small-batch brews from a small town brewery make for big o erings, with lesser-known and forgotten styles for a new generation of tastebuds.

HEFEWEIZEN HEFEWEIZEN

Availability: Year-round

Availability: Seasonal

Availability: Year-round

NELSON BREWING CO.

512 Latimer St. | NelsonBrewing.com

Ever the innovator, NBC kickstarted the Kootenay craft beer scene back in 1991 and has been certi ed organic since 2006.

AFTER DARK BRITISH BROWN ALE

Availability: Year-round

Availability: Year-round

THE SAVOY BREWERY

198 Baker St. | SavoyHotel.com

TORCHLIGHT BREWING CO.

125 Hall St. | TorchlightBrewing.com

Tucked away in the Savoy Hotel in Nelson, the small Savoy brewery features gourmet food, live music and two nitro taps.

SEPTEMBER

Torchlight o ers innovative, all natural beers and sodas to the thirsty folks of Nelson. Some of their beers have made it into cans now too!

IDYLLIC

Availability: Year-round

Availability: Seasonal

Availability: Seasonal

Availability: Year-round

ROSSLAND BEER CO.

1990 Columbia Ave. | RosslandBeer.com

TRAIL BEER REFINERY

1299 Bay Ave. | TrailBeerRe nery.ca

Tiny Rossland is a little slice of paradise in the West Kootenays where the beer is as good as the world-class skiing and mountain biking.

INDIA

Availability: Year-round

120 years after the lead and zinc processor set up in Trail, a new re nery is producing precious fermented products, along with addedvalue community in its cosy pub.

Availability: Year-round

The North

MIGHT Y P EACE B REWING C O.

10128 95th Ave. | MightyPeaceBrewing.ca

HOURS TBD

EST. 2018

B.C.’s northernmost brewery (by a few hundred metres) is an oasis of craft beer along the Alaska Highway, with 15 taps, including cider, guest breweries and the only hand-pulled cask engine in town. Mighty Peace is also looking to add distilled spirits to its portfolio in the future.

Availability: Year-round

Clean, crisp and refreshing, perfect for those long summer nights up north.

Availability: Small batch

A juicy, hazy hop bomb that’s big on avour, but not bitterness.

Availability: Year-round

is gateway beer is an absolute crusher looking to convert the locals to craft.

Availability: Year-round

Sweet and complex, this malt-forward ale will warm your bones on a cold day.

WHat’s in a name?

Mighty Peace takes its name from the mighty Peace River, the only river that completely passes through the Rocky Mountains. Part of the Mackenzie river system (the second longest in North America), the Peace River region is also a major center of malting barley production, with some of that barley making it into Mighty Peace's beers.

Now open in fort st. john!

We’re proud to be your craft beer oasis.

We have more taps than any brewery in northern B.C..

Whether you live here, or you’re just passing through, we’re the place to visit for interesting craft beer, cider, spirits and wine.

We look forward to seeing you at B.C.’s most northern brewery!

JACKSON’S SOCIAL CLUB & BREWHOUSE

175 Hwy. 97 | JacksonsSocialClub.com

BEARD’S BREWING CO.

10408 Alaska Rd. N. | BeardsBrewing.ca

Rumour has it that the old garage has a ghost in it. ere’s nothing scary about the smallbatch beers or friendly, casual atmosphere, though!

It’s far from grim up north, especially when you’ve got a welcoming local brewery to ease you out of hibernation and toast the long summer days.

CROSSROADS BREWING

508 George St. | CrossroadsCraft.com

TRENCH BREWING

& DISTILLING

399 2nd Ave. | TrenchBrew.ca

Owned by the dudes who brought you Prince George’s rst ever craft beer fest, these smallbatch brews are putting northern B.C. beers on the map.

CINDERS RED

In Prince George, they love beer. But they also love vodka and gin, so watch for an expansion to distill spirits this summer.

PRINCE RUPERT QUESNEL

WHEELHOUSE BREWING CO.

217 1st Ave. E. | WheelhouseBrewing.com

BARKERVILLE BREWING CO.

185 Davie St. | BarkervilleBeer.com

If you nd yourself in the ocean, you’ve gone too far. e vision of three friends who fell in love with a remote North Coast town is the westernmost brewery in all of B.C.

FIRST

Women are still underemployed at breweries, but Barkerville bucks the trend: ve of six employees there are female, including the head brewer and general manager.

SMITHERS SMITHERS

BULKLEY VALLEY BREWERY

3860 1st Ave. | BulkleyValleyBrewery.ca

SMITHERS BREWING CO.

3832 3rd Ave. | SmithersBrewing.com

Joining passion for the outdoors with a love of beer, this new brewery is a place for locals and tourists to kick back and enjoy life.

One of the few purpose-built breweries in B.C., SBC is looking to bring some creativity to the northern craft beer scene.

SHERWOOD MOUNTAIN BREWHOUSE

Unit 101 - 4816 Hwy. 16 West | SherwoodMountain.beer

Way up north, nestled deep between snowcapped peaks and green forest lies a friar who not only brews, but now cans his wares, as well.

ree Ranges is proof that if you build it, and you have great beer, they will come. Brewer Michael Lewis is even working on an expansion to his tasting room.

the

BEER GROUND To

A NOTHER BEER CO.

New Westminster (2018) We’re hoping ABC opens soon and Sapperton’s Brewery District nally gets the brewery it deserves! AnotherBeerCo.com

C AT & F IDDLE BRE WPUB

Port Coquitlam (2018) Port Coquitlam’s favourite pub will soon be brewing its own beer after getting approval from the city to add a 3,200 sq. ft. microbrewery on site. CatAndFiddlePub.ca

F RA S ER M ILL S F ERMENTATION C O.

Coquitlam (2019) is brewery/cidery/winery/ distillery will be the centerpiece of the sparkly new 85-acre development on the site of a former lumber mill o of United Blvd. FraserMillsFermentation.com

HO US E OF FU NK BRE W ING

North Vancouver (fall 2018) Focusing on wild ales and funky brett beers, this brewery will be setting up shop right next to Beere’s and will be using its brewhouse.

ÎLE SA UVAGE B RE W ING C OM PANY

Victoria (2018) e City of Victoria's newest brewery in many years will be focusing on wild ferments and barrel-aged beer.

LOU DMO U TH BRE W ING CO.

Abbotsford (summer 2018) From the ashes of Old Abbey Ales comes this brewery started by some of the former employees. e opening date is slated for June 21. LoudmouthBrewingCompany.ca

N ORTH PAW BRE W CO

Port Coquitlam (summer 2018) e tanks are in the building, and the beer is already being brewed at nearby Foamers’ Folly. It won’t be long now! NorthpawBrewCo.com

PEM B ERTON VALLEY BEER WORK S

Pemberton (2018) e Miller family farm has been in operation for 120 years and now it’s growing organic barley and hops for the brewery on site. eBeerFarmers.com

STANLEY PARK B RE W ING

Vancouver (2019) e renovations to the historic former Fish House are coming, as AB InBev-owned Stanley Park Brewing nally gets a brewery in its namesake park. StanleyParkBrewing.com

STREETCAR BRE W ING

North Vancouver (fall 2018) Lonsdale is becoming the new Port Moody with breweries popping up everywhere! Streetcar joins Beere, Black Kettle, Green Leaf and House of Funk all within walking distance of the SeaBus terminal. StreetcarBrewing.ca

TAYLIGHT B RE W ING

Port Coquitlam (fall 2018) Construction is coming along at this new PoCo brewery, located near Mary Hill Bypass and Coast Meridian. TaylightBrewing.com

UCL U ELET BRE W ING C O.

Ucluelet (fall 2018) Housed in a former church, this craft brewery promises divine beers and heavenly food.

VICE AND VIRT U E BRE W ING C OM PANY

Kelowna (summer 2018) e corner of Richter and Baillie might be losing Tree Brewing, but it’ll be gaining this new brewery, which will join Kettle River and Red Bird in the ‘hood. ViceAndVirtueBrewing.ca

WILD AMB ITION BRE W ING

Kelowna (summer 2018) Mitchell Kehoe’s Wild Ambition will be joining Boundary Brewing in the Reid’s Corner neighbourhood at the north end of town.

WILDEYE BRE W ING

North Vancouver (late 2018) Beer is already being contract brewed and canned, and the brewery tasting room will be opening up this fall on Main Street. WildeyeBrewing.ca

• Got a hot brewery tip? Let us know at editor@thegrowler.ca j

ere’s new breweries opening up across the province every week it seems. Here’s the latest intel from our vast network of beer spies.