The Growler B.C. • Volume 9 Issue 1 • Spring/Summer 2023

B.C. CRAFT BEEr & cider guide

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PUBLISHER

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COPY EDITOR

Rob Mangelsdorf editor@thegrowler.ca

LISTINGS EDITORS

Rob Mangelsdorf

Joe Wiebe

PRODUCTION & DESIGN MANAGER

Tara Rafiq tara@thegrowler.ca

COVER ILLUSTRATION

Lea Linin

COMICS

John Heim

SOCIAL MEDIA

Kristina Mameli

ADVERTISING

Megan Dueck mdueck@glaciermedia.ca

DISTRIBUTION

Craig Sweetman (Newsstand)

Megan Dueck (Direct) ordersbc@thegrowler.ca

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OUR CONTRIBUTORS

MATT CAVERS

Matt once dreamed of being an academic. But in 2013, he quit his Ph.D. to become a brewer, and he never looked back. Now he's the head cidermaker at Banditry Cider in Gibsons, B.C.

TED CHILD

Ted is a Recognized BJCP judge and an award winning homebrewer, cider and mead maker. Find his beer reviews at Beer Me BC.

MAX MORIN

Max Morin is the sales and communications coordinator at Godspeed Brewery, BJCP judge, and Prud'homme Beer Sommelier. His passion for beer led to his start with Goose Island Brewing Company, where he organized Ontario's first craft lager festival, Lager Day.

NO Ë LLE PHILLIPS

Noëlle has a PhD in medieval literature from UBC and published her first book, Craft Beer Culture and Modern Medievalism, in 2019. She is currently working on a book about the craft beer industry in Vancouver.

JORDAN ST. JOHN

Jordan St. John is the editor of The Growler Ontario, head of the Beer Certificate at Toronto's George Brown College, author of five books, podcaster, bon vivant, and man about town.

SANDRA THOMAS

Sandra is an award-winning journalist and freelance writer and editor based in Vancouver, who can now add “beer aficionado” to her resumé.

JOE WIEBE

Based in Victoria, B.C., Joe is the author of Craft Beer Revolution: The Insider's Guide to BC Breweries. He is a co-founder of Victoria Beer Week and the BC Ale Trail, for which he is the content manager.

LEA LININ

Our 2023 cover artist, Lea is a Vancouverbased illustrator working in editorial illustration. Often inspired by the themes of wandering and life’s simple pleasures, she loves drawing people, places and plants. www.lea-linin.com

ANOTHER WORLD

Reflections of a trip through B.C.'s Northwest Ale Trail.

by Max Morin

STYLE SNAPSHOT: HEFEWEIZEN

A guide to this zesty and cheerful beer.

by Jordan St. John

THE BEER OR THE BREAD?

The debate rages over whether beer or bread was responsible for the birth of civilization.

by Ted Child

JUDGING BEERS IN THE BIG SMOKE

Given the variety of quality beer options in the Six, maybe Toronto should be known as the Six-Pack. by Joe

Wiebe

BREWER VS BREWER: THE OKANAGAN EDITION

The Growler chats with Sid Ruhland of Firehall Brewery and Josh Wyatt of Kelowna Brewing Co.

BEER AND CIDER IN THE LAND OF THE LONG WHITE CLOUD

Matt Cavers discovers the craft beer and cider coming out of Aotearoa is worth the trip.

by Joe Wiebe

MALTING

B.C.'s hidden beer industry.

by Noëlle Phillips

R ECIPE: SALMON GRAVLAX HASH WITH IPA BEET PURÉE

This colourful dish salad pairs great with Settlement Brewing's Railtown IPA.

by Sandra Thomas

B.C. BREWERY AND CIDERY LISTINGS

A compreshensize listing of B.C. breweries and cideries to plan your next outing.

BEER TO THE GROUND

The craft beer revolution continues with these soon-to-open breweries.

by Joe Wiebe

Joe Wiebe photo

Max Morin photo

Matt Cavers photo

Photo courtesy of Belgard Kitchen

BRITISH COLUMBIA

VANCOUVER

LOWER MAINLAND

FRASER VALLEY SEA TO SKY / SUNSHINE COAST

Brewery

LOWER MAINLAND

VANCOUVER

VICTORIA / GULF ISLANDS

VANCOUVER ISLAND

THOMPSON OKANAGAN KOOTENAYS

BOTTLES / CANS

TASTING ROOM

Beer Colour Guide

EXTRAPALEPALE PALEGOLDGOLD

ON-SITE KITCHEN OR FOOD TRUCK

TOURS

ONLINE SALES / DELIVERY

PALEAMBERMEDIUMAMBER

PATIO / OUTDOOR SEATING

GLUTEN-FREE BOOZE OPTIONS

DEEPAMBERBROWN RUBYBROWNBLACK LIGHTROSÉDARKROSÉ

STANGE Kolsch

Marzen Gose

PILSNER Lager

Pilsner

Witbier

WEIZEN Hefeweizen

Wheat ales

Fruit beer

TULIP

IPA

Saison

Strong ales

SNIFTER

Barleywine Sours

Anything funky

TEKU

Dry-hopped sours

Fruited sours

Heirloom ciders

SIDRA

Still cider

Most

Basque cider

AnotherWorld

AnotherWorld

Reflections of a Trip

Through B.C.’s Northwest Ale Trail

Despite recent social, economic, and environmental turmoil, a love of delicious craft beer connects the communities of Northern British Columbia.

by Max Morin

Last summer, I traveled to the edge of Canada in northwestern B.C., where breweries dot communities backdropped by snow-capped mountains, raging rivers, and ancient forests. I’d never been west of Winnipeg so it may as well have been the edge of the world. I went there on an organized tourism trip run by the BC Ale Trail looking for beer–I was on the hunt for the seasonal Spruce Tip beers in particular–but ended up leaving with a crystalized sense of where beer sits, for this community and me, in this socalled return to normalcy.

After a layover in Calgary, I flew to Prince George, the gateway and economic hub of Northern B.C. The town sits at the confluence of the Nechako and Fraser rivers and is a hop, skip, and a jump from the dazzling Chun T'oh Whudujut/Ancient Forest, a portion of the only inland temperate rainforest in North America. Prince George boasts three breweries, each with differing tap lists and points of view: Cross Roads Brewing, Trench Brewing, and the newly opened Deadfall Brewery. At my first stop, CrossRoads Brewing, sampling Pidherney Pale Ale was better for my jet lag than the Gravol. Their classic northwest pale ale screamed grapefruit pith and pine with distant fieldberry notes. Head brewer Tyson Brooks walked us through the brewery but beyond its shiny facade something else grabbed my attention–a blue and yellow label emblazoned with “Putin is a Dick.” The worldwide collaboration initiative called "Resist” was launched by Pravda Brewery after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and Brooks had just released CrossRoads’ own interpretation in order to raise money to support refugee relief.

The Skeena River in Northern B.C. Max Morin photo

Across town at Trench Brewing, the locals drink The Fang IPA, their best-selling flagship hazy, but I was blown away by their subtle and spicy Czech Lager, Arctic. Getting to drink straight from their bright tanks was a privilege afforded by Joe Wiebe, our guide and author of Craft Beer Revolution: The Insider's Guide to B.C. Breweries.

From Prince George, we made our way by car down Highway 16, the lifeline of northwestern B.C. that travels all the way to Prince Rupert on the coast. The scenic spell got interrupted by faded red dresses dangling from trees. Highway 16 is known by another name, The Highway of Tears, from where dozens of First Nations women have disappeared or been found dead. Just as with the Putin label, the red dresses are symbols of a crisis still simmering beneath the surface.

Ursa Minor Brewery sits off the shores of Ootsa Lake on a 540-acre ranch a few hours east of Smithers. Using his father’s old bush plane hangar, owner Nathan Nicholas and wife Gwyn finally opened their doors in 2021 after a devastating wildfire charred the region in 2018 and the pan-

demic sidetracked their plans. The brewery is only accessible by dirt roads and a ferry or float plane from communities nearby; which are known more for their fishing and hunting lodges than for craft beer. Put another way, Ursa Minor is arguably Canada’s most remote brewery, and perhaps its most beautiful. We arrived by float plane and the moment I stepped off, it felt like being touched by God. I’ve never seen green be so green. Vibrant beds of yellow sunflowers led up to their taproom.

Nicholas travels hundreds of kilometers to pick up his malt and hops, and forages on their farm for his other ingredients. Their beers are intentional and rooted in place, especially their malty, sessionable Red Squirrel Red Ale. Your brewery bucket list needs a rewrite and Ursa Minor has to be on it.

From there we headed west to Smithers, a recreational town known for its larger-than-life personalities and even larger ski slopes. Bulkley Valley Brewery, a ski shop-turned local favourite, was fresh off a silver medal at the Canadian Brewing Awards for their Ullr Oatmeal Stout and it was easy to taste why. The interplay of roast, light acidity, and chocolate was a study in restraint and delight.

Head brewer and owner Dave Harris built what’s clearly a community hangout spot, but the thing

LEFT: CrossRoads Pidherney Pale Ale is the cure for Max Morin's jet lag. RIGHT: The view from the taproom at Ursa Minor Brewing. Max Morin photos.

Beer flights at Trench Brewing. Max Morin photo

Your brewery bucket list needs a rewrite and Ursa Minor needs to be on it.

on most locals’ minds was the worrying spring thaw and the rising water levels of the Bulkley and Skeena Rivers, which were threatening to flood the town or disconnect Smithers from neighboring communities.

A few blocks away, Smithers Brewing Company crafts modern styles in their modern taproom, with a draught list replete with sours, hazy IPAs, and barrel-aged farmhouse ales. However, I was struck by Bootlegger Brown Ale, which showcased a hard-to-nail malt depth without being sweet. Black tea, caramel, and a hint of backing bitterness merged to create one of the trip’s best beers.

Traveling from Smithers to Prince Rupert by way of Terrace is breathtaking and many consider it to be the most scenic drive in all of Canada. From Seven Sisters Peak to Ksan First Nation Village, I never stopped feeling a sense of gratitude and wonder.

If there’s such a thing as a godfather of brewing in Northern B.C., the title surely belongs to Craig Outhet who opened Wheelhouse Brewing in Prince Rupert back in 2013. Along with Chef Dai Fukasaku at nearby Fukasaku, they led a jaw-dropping beer pairing dinner: tuna tataki from Haida Gwaii with a crispy pils, steamed sidestripe shrimp from Kitimat Sound with white IPA, maple miso glazed black cod with West Coast pale ale. There was no time for note taking–only eating, drinking, and good conversation. In this small 14-seater restaurant in Cow Bay, the meal towered above the surrounding mountains.

The following day, Prince Rupert was getting set to welcome only the second cruise ship to port since the start of the pandemic. What was once a bustling tourism destination became an isolated paradise during the Covid-19 outbreak. I walked by shuttered businesses on the main street. Outhet told me Wheelhouse would be closed for the day despite the thousands of tourists coming to town. When I asked him why he’d turn down the business he smiled and said, “because I brew for people here.”

As I walked back to my hotel room with views of the Prince Rupert Harbour, I still couldn't shake the duality of the trip. Beer has an incredible ability to keep us grounded and connected. Beyond the headlines and anxieties that inevitably surround us. Whether it was the late spring thaw, reconciliation, or fishing caps, beer remains a gateway to having these difficult conversations or gracefully shelving these problems for another time. Local beer is as constant as the scores of bald eagles that soar overhead.

As I prepared to call it a night, the hotel receptionist stopped me in my tracks. “Did you see them?” She pointed to the inn’s small deck with a view of the harbour. I walked out and saw a few cars parked by the water as people stood in amazement.

They were looking out but I couldn’t tell why until I saw one gracefully leap out of the water. A family of orcas breaking through the grey. I cracked open my can of Wheelhouse Scurvy Dog Spruce Ale–the beer I had come looking for–and sat there on the deck. More cars came. I was alone with my beer. All at once the world felt big again. j

A charcuterie spread at Smithers Brewing Company is enjoyed with their Bootlegger Brown Ale. Max Morin photo

A Wheelhouse beer-paired dinner at Prince Rupert's Fukasaku was inspired and delicious. Max Morin photo

A guide to the zesty, cheerful

HEFEWEIZEN

by Jordan St. John

WHAT IS IT?

A top fermented ale, frequently made with up to 70% malted wheat, renowned for its fruity, spicy nose and lightly tart, quaffable body. It literally translates as “yeast-wheat.”

ORIGIN STORY

DRINK WITH

DANGER LEVEL

Brunch-adjacent GLASS Weizen

STYLE STATS

ABV 4.3-5.6% IBU 8-15

COLOUR Straw to burnt orange

BODY Medium full

BUBBLES Spritzy

Although the Reinheitsgebot of 1516 suggested that beer could only be made with barley, hops, and water, that rule doesn't apply to the royal family of Bavaria. The privilege of making beer with wheat was reserved for them. At a time when the majority of beer on the market was brown, a brilliant, heavily carbonated beer in a much lighter colour was something that separated you from the peasantry. Also, frequently drunk before lunch.

WHY IS THERE A BANANA IN MY BEER?

Hefeweizen yeast strains ferment fairly hot when left to their own devices. The fruity character is natural. It’s isoamyl acetate, something that chemists refer to generically as “banana oil.” The slightly spicy clove notes are as a result of phenolic compounds like 4-vinyl guaiacol and eugenol. You might also experience vanilla, juicy fruit, and bubblegum. This is normal if you’re a Bavarian princeling.

SIX MUST-TRY B.C. HEFEWEIZEN

1 3 5 2 4 6 Beachcomber

Hefeweizen, Vancouver Island Brewing

This is Hefeweizen, Moon Under Water Brewery

50/50 Hefeweizen, KPU Brew Lab Umlaut, Brassneck Brewery

Der Klassiker, Steel & Oak Brewing Red Hef, Abandoned Rail Brewing

—Beer picks by Joe Wiebe

Weisswurst and a pretzel Eggs Benedict Chicken Korma

WHAT CAME FIRST? The beer or the bread?

by Ted Child

One of the big questions of human history is what was the catalyst that prompted humankind to largely give up their hunter/gatherer ways and settle down to mow lawns and clean gutters in permanent settlements. After field work in the 1950s, archaeologist Robert J. Braidwood believed he had discovered just such an impetus: the domestication of cereal for making bread. Almost immediately, a botanist named Jonathan D. Sauer asked if it might not have been beer, rather than bread, that was the initial motivation for grain cultivation and agriculture. Could beer have caused the agricultural revolution?

Braidwood responded to Sauer’s challenge by organizing a now-famous symposium of leading figures. The problem is not a simple one considering the challenges of cereal cultivation, malting,

brewing, breadmaking, and archeology. The responses were moderate, some taking intermediate positions between the two camps, others pointing out the lack of archeological evidence. Yet it was a somewhat caustic comment by Paul C. Mangelsdorf that seemed to win the day: “Are we to believe that the foundations of Western Civilization were laid by an ill-fed people living in perpetual state of partial intoxication?”

Thus the beer before bread debate lay fallow until the ‘80s, when Solomon Katz and Mary Voight published a now equally-famous paper advocating the hypothesis that the domestication of barley and wheat “could have stemmed from the desirability of alcohol containing beer.” The authors reasoned from a better understanding of the cultural significance of alcohol and pointed

In anthropological circles, debate rages over whether beer was responsible for the birth of civilization

Old engraved illustration of courtiers hoisting tankards of beer in the palace at Palace of Sargon II of Assyria at Dur-Sharrukin, Khorsabad, Iraq. Getty Images photo

to the lack of archeological evidence for the very paradigm of the bread first theory. As can be seen by Mangelsdorf’s comment, it was widely believed that agriculture was primarily motivated by overpopulation and the need to meet over-stretched food resources. The archeological record then and since has shown that domesticated cereal was only a minor part of the Near East diet for hundreds, if not close to a thousand years (Hayden, 2012). Since then, much work has been done that supports the beer side of the debate. Brian Hayden and others have argued that the high labour inputs, low yield and easily ruined crops of early cultivation would have made cereals unsuitable for a sustenance diet, while the social, cultural and ritual importance of beer “was likely a major motivating factor for cultivating and domesticating cereals in the Near East.”

A recent discovery of what appears to be a very ancient brewhouse at Raqefet Cave in present-day Israel, that predates the invention of pottery and domestication of cereals by thousands of years, further complicates things. Incredibly it seems that these early brewers utilized stone and cave mortars for the malting and fermentation. However, a different site has evidence of bread production around the same era (around 13,000 years ago). It appears that humans were well into both beer and bread before they fully committed to the sedentary lifestyle.

In the earliest known depiction of this motif, this clay seal from Tepe Gawra, Iraq, ca. 3850 B.C., shows two thirsty individuals thought to be imbibing beer through drinking tubes. Supplied photo

It’s not the domestication of cereals in the Near East that is the most damaging to the bread first idea, but the domestication of maize on the other side of the world. Genetic research has provided an overwhelming amount of evidence that a wild grass called teosinte was the direct ancestor of maize. Unlike maize, teosinte has almost no nutritional value. So what would have caused our human ancestors to start cultivating it? Hugh H. Iltis and others have argued that it was for the sugar content of the stock, rather than the nutritional value of the tiny cob, which is protected by a case so hard “that human use of the grain is out of the question.” Chicha is a maize beer that continues to be traditionally brewed to this day. Its most famous feature is that no malting is required, as the brewmaster uses an enzyme from the human mouth to convert the starches into sugar. Mastication of the stalk of an otherwise nutritionally poor wild grass was likely the very first tool of ancient Mesoamerican brewhouses.

Although it is unlikely there will ever be conclusive evidence that beer rather than bread was the primary motivation for the domestication of cereals, recent discoveries in the genetic ancestry of maize and the very early brewing in Raqefet Cave undoubtedly point to just how motivated humans were to turn wild and domesticated cereals into beer. Ultimately, this motivation to ferment is the most likely reason that humans made the effort to domesticate nutrient poor, difficult to process and digest wild cereals, and is further proof of the lengths we human beings will go to for the sake of good beer. j

Rock mortars in Israel's Raqefet cave, used to malt and ferment beer around 13,000 years ago. Wikimedia Commons photo

Judging beers in the

by Joe Wiebe

Early last fall, I had the opportunity to travel to Toronto to be part of the judging panel for the inaugural Canada Beer Cup. I got there a few days early to spend some time with family and friends. Although it was the first week of October, the summer-like weather gave me the chance to go for a bike ride along the lakeshore with my brother. On the way back, he mentioned we could visit a brewery that wasn’t very far off our route. Little did I know it was the very brewery I most wanted to visit on this trip.

A little backstory: back in the spring, on a BC Ale Trail media trip to Northern B.C. that I co-hosted, I befriended a Toronto beer writer named Max Morin (check out Max’s story on page 8). Over our time in B.C.’s North, I pestered him with questions about Toronto’s beer scene, and especially Godspeed, the brewery where he works as the sales and marketing coordinator. So I was thrilled when I found myself at Godspeed Brewery after a short ride up from the lakeshore. And I was even happier when I found Max inside. The date actually coincided with their annual Oktoberfest weekend and they had just tapped their Nonbe Oktoberfest Lager, a glass of which quickly found its way into my hands.

Located in a building that once housed a Bargain Harold’s (ask someone who grew up in Ontario), Godspeed’s stylish tasting room felt both expansive, thanks to the high ceiling and the view of the brewery in the back, and cosy at the same time, probably because of all the dark and distressed wood, metal and stone used throughout.

Given the variety of quality beer options in the Six, maybe Toronto should be known as the Six-Pack

Luc "Bim" Lafontaine enjoys a schnitt at Godspeed Brewery while he chats with Joe. Joe Wiebe photo

We sat down at a long table where we were soon joined by the owner, Luc “Bim” Lafontaine. Max brought him a schnitt, which turned out to be a half-litre glass of beer that was about three-quarters full of foam. Apparently, it’s a traditional order in Bavaria and Bohemia when you want to enjoy some beer but maybe not a full serving (i.e. while you’re still supposedly working).

I tried not to guzzle the delicious festbier too quickly as I listened to Lafontaine’s origin story: born and raised in Gatineau followed by a long stint at Montreal’s famed Brasserie Dieu du Ciel where he worked his way up from server to Head Brewer before deciding to move to Japan, his wife’s homeland, to open a brewery there with some business partners. Eventually, he returned to Canada to open his own brewery but surprised his friends and fans in Quebec by choosing to do so in Toronto.

Much of Godspeed’s branding and décor is influenced by that stint in Japan, and some of the beers feature Japanese ingredients like yuzu and green tea, but the brewery is best known for Bim’s gorgeous, complex, perfect lagers.

Many craft brewers hold high respect for the great lager brewing tradition in the Czech Republic. For Bim, that respect is more like reverence. Back in 2018, he experienced a brewing epiphany on a trip where he made strong connections with the folks at Pilsner Urquell and Budějovický Budvar, the original Budweiser. In 2021, he returned to Plzeň to work with the master coopers there to make two enormous, pitch-lined barrels in the traditional way Pilsner Urquell has produced them since 1842. After several months of seasoning, the barrels were shipped to Toronto—the first time the famous brewery for which the Pilsner beer style is named has ever sent its unique barrels anywhere else.

Lafontaine hoped the barrels would be at the brewery in time for the Canada Beer Cup judging so he could show them off to the international team of judges, but shipping delays meant they wouldn’t arrive until after our visit. Once they did show up, however, batches of his Sklepník Plzeň-Style Pale Lager would be conditioned in the barrels, which are designed to be able to hold beer under pressure, recreating the authentic and unique Czech lagering process.

Before departing I was lucky enough to enjoy a perfectly poured řezané: a glass of half dark (tmavé) and half light (světlé) lagers expertly layered by Godspeed’s bartender, Jan Strnad, who hails from Prague. It tasted as good as it looked. The judges’ reception was held at the Society of Beer Drinking Ladies’ Clubhouse, which includes a taproom, bottle shop, artisan market, and event space. It is open seven days a week and also offers event rentals. The organization that runs it was founded in 2014 by five women who wanted to shake up the male-dominated beer industry.

Following this mix-and-mingle social event Max took me to a favourite spot of his not too far away: Paradise Grapevine. If that sounds like a wine

Joe enjoys a perfectly poured řezané: a glass of half dark (tmavé) and half light (světlé) lagers at Godspeed. Joe Wiebe photo

Judging beers for the Canada Beer Cup at Amsterdam Brewery. Joe Wiebe photo

bar, it is, but it also has a solid draft list of rotating beer taps, which is what we sampled from while we sat on the leafy back patio where we were entertained for a time by a visiting raccoon. The beer judging began in earnest the next day: approximately 50 judges spent three long days holed up at the Amsterdam Brewery in Leaside, repetitively tasting small quantities of very, very similar beers and scoring each one out of 50, with points awarded in a variety of categories. In total, I tasted more than 100 beers in several different style categories, but everything was anonymous so I honestly don’t know what the beers I judged were. Our reward after the first day was a special dinner and tasting at Left Field Brewery, a baseball-themed brewery that opened in 2013. Co-owner Mark Murphy and his team treated us judges like visiting royalty, serving delicious pizza from a local place along with excellent beer, including two Oktoberfest-themed lagers—it was surprising how thirsty we all were after judging dozens of different beers.

Following the second day of judging, a large group of us visited a historic Toronto brewpub, the Granite Brewery & Tied House, which has been brewing “real ale” since 1991. Reminiscent of classic British-style brewpubs like Spinnakers and Swans here in B.C., I felt right at home.

Nothing formal was planned following the final day of judging, but I wanted to check out another one of Max’s recommendations. Avling Kitchen & Brewery is based in a building that once housed an A&P and was thoughtfully renovated into a multi-purpose facility that includes a basement brewery, a gorgeous, airy restaurant on the main level, and a rooftop garden where a lot of the ingredients used in the kitchen are grown. I had plans to join some of my fellow judges for a farewell bowl of ramen later on so I didn’t get a chance to eat there, but the menu looked fantastic.

Avling’s brewmaster, Brandon Judd, had previously brewed at Godspeed, so I was excited to check out the beer list, which featured a long list of classic styles under the “Draught” heading as well as two more pages of barrel-aged and sour options. With so many choices I asked the bartender to pick one, and he brought me a tall, dark and foamy glass of the Foxtail Zwickelbier, a delicious brown lager with a caramel character. And as a follow-up before catching the streetcar downtown, I couldn’t resist trying the playfully named Salieri Vienna Lager. Let me just say this one played second fiddle to no one.

A few weeks later, it was gratifying when Vancouver’s Callister Brewing won the inaugural Canada Beer Cup. As far as judging Toronto’s beer scene goes, I’d say it deserves high marks, too. j

Judging beers for the Canada Beer Cup at Amsterdam Brewery. Joe Wiebe photo

Avling Kitchen & Brewery's Foxtail Zwickelbier. Joe Wiebe photo

brewer brewer

by Joe Wiebe

The Okanagan has long been a haven for craft beer, with some of the province’s most well-established craft breweries calling the region home. But precisely which part of the Okanagan produces the best craft beer is a topic that’s hotly debated (at least in the Okanagan). So to settle this once and for all, we asked two brewers from the Okanagan—one from the North and one from the South—to represent their region. Sid Ruhland helped pioneer the craft beer movement when he opened Firehall Brewery in Oliver back in 2012. Josh Wyatt of Kelowna Brewing Co. is a bit of a newer arrival. Here’s what they had to say.

Joe Wiebe: Josh, I detect a bit of an accent…

Josh Wyatt: I’m from England. I was actually an English teacher before I became a brewer. I was teaching in South Korea where I met my girlfriend, who is Canadian. We travelled and taught in places around the world for eight years. I kinda just picked up home brewing along the way. We lived in Colombia and Istanbul, and these are not places where there’s a huge amount on offer for craft beer so, just out of necessity, I ended up figuring out how to brew my own beer and cobbled together whatever sort of equipment I could find. And then the thought was: move to Canada and maybe I can put my teaching aside for a little while and take up brewing. I ended up getting a job at Boundary Brewing a few days after we arrived in Canada.

Joe: Were you involved in starting up the Kelowna Brewing Co.?

Josh: They had the system set up here and the pub was actually open a year before we could start

making beer. There was some sort of licencing process that they had to go through. So the brewer who had helped them set up the system ended up getting a job somewhere else because it was taking so long. I was just down the road—Boundary Brewing was less than five minutes drive from here—and the manager knew who I was so he just came in and said, “Hey, we got our licence. Do you want to just come in and brew a couple batches and we’ll see how it goes?” So I ended up doing the first brew here with Mitchell from Wild Ambition, but he was busy with his brewery after that point. Boundary was slowing down so it actually worked out really well. I was working at both breweries for a while and then just completely switched over here because the beers were coming out really good and they were happy with me.

Joe: Sid, it’s been 10 years, even more, since you opened!

Sid Ruhland: I guess time flies but at the same time it does feel like a lifetime ago in some regards. One thing that we always keep saying is “The next time we build a brewery we’ll do it this way…” because, you know, you set things up and then you realize, oh, that wasn’t great. Now it’s

Sid Ruhland (Firehall Brewery) visiting Josh Wyatt at Kelowna Brewing Co. after promising to do so in our interview. Supplied photo

been enough time that all of our “new” equipment is 10 years old and breaking so we get the opportunity to refresh things. Time for new hoses, new pumps, new compressors, all those fun things.

Joe: I’m going to ask each of you to defend your territory. I’ll start with Sid. Why is the South Okanagan better than the North?

Sid: One thing about the South Okanagan is it is less populated so you’ve got a little bit more breathing room. It’s more laid back. It’s got some hippie vibes threaded throughout. You can get away from the hustle and bustle of city life. Up there you have to get through Kelowna traffic to get from one brewery to another while in Oliver you can just hop on a bike and ride around. I’ll go with the chill, laid-back environment.

Josh: You just gotta look at Kelowna and the recent explosion in how many craft breweries we have. When I started brewing here there were eight breweries and now there are more than 20! And I think with the explosion of breweries we’ve also seen a huge diversity in what kind of experiences you can get here in Kelowna. If you want those chill, lakeside, laidback vibes you can get those, if you want an underground heavy metal bar we have that, if you want a British pub we have that. You can go where your desires take you and find good beer along the way.

Sid: I think I like your answer better! Like, wait a second, you can jump on your bike in Kelowna too…

Josh: We have like 10 breweries within walking distance so you don’t even need to get on a bike.

Joe: But for the longest time Kelowna didn’t have much going on…

Josh: Obviously I’ve only seen a snapshot of the progress that’s happened here. I wonder if the cost of things is slightly higher here, whether that’s a barrier to entry for new breweries? You just have to look at the story of how Sid got started—he basically built a big homebrew system and went from there.

Sid: A bit more on a shoestring…

Josh: Exactly. I don’t know how possible that would have been in Kelowna. Also, Kelowna has seen a lot of people moving here from other places and bringing in their ideas and influences. That

helps develop a progressive perception rather than beer just being light lagers. Exposing people to more modern styles of craft beer and educating people on what those are and why they should try them. I think that has taken a little bit of time to develop, but we are very much there now.

Joe: Sid, you spent some time in Kelowna when you went to school, right?

Sid: The college years about 10 years ago. My friends and I definitely made fun of Kelowna a lot. It helped that we weren’t from Kelowna. You know, we’re there because we have to go to the “Big City” to go to school. But the culture was just more about Jägerbombs and big boats and nightclubs. My friends and I felt like we were nerds going to RauDZ to get Backhand of God Stout because it was the one place where it was on tap. But slowly it did catch up. Perhaps it was an effect of Kelowna being a second home for wealthier people from other places, but then that would drive up the prices, like Josh said, so the barrier to entry would keep the grassroots beer nerds from taking over. But we took over!

Sid Ruhland at the Okanagan Fest of Ale. Supplied photo

Joe: Where does Penticton fit in?

Sid: One thing Penticton had was a head start over Kelowna in terms of the sheer number of breweries, especially per capita. And it goes way back to the Fest of Ale, which is 26 or 27 years old now. I think Penticton embodies what I was getting at before where the South Okanagan has that Nelson vibe, not a copycat of Nelson, but just the progressive laidback feel to it, you know, sandwiched between two lakes, so you’re just living the tropical beach life and it’s such a good place to have a beer.

Josh: Penticton has done a fantastic job—they market themselves as a destination for both wine and craft beer. And, obviously, they also make fantastic beer as you can see from every awards competition where Penticton breweries walk home with two or three awards whether it’s Slackwater or Cannery. Even Abandoned Rail, the new guys, have even been picking up awards. I’d say it probably still is the place for craft beer in the Okanagan, but I think Kelowna is catching up at a fast rate. There is so much going on up here that it will be interesting to see where Kelowna and Penticton stand five or ten years from now.

Joe: What about wine? How do beer and wine mix?

Josh: I don’t think there necessarily has to be this perception of beer versus wine. What we’re seeing more and more around the world is more respect for beer and what you can do with beer. It’s not like beer is this cheap, working-class drink and wine is this expensive, upper-class beverage, right? It’s more like there’s another level to beer.

Sid: I know this is supposed to be North versus South, but I completely agree that beer and wine should be sitting on the same table. They’re complementary. If I was going to stand up for beer versus wine, I would say beer has the opportunity to have more dimensions than wine, because wine, while complex and there are effects from the terroir and the process, it’s grapes and you put it in an oak barrel. That’s just like barley in beer, but there’s a much wider range with barley because you can roast it and caramelize it and acidify it, and then there’s hops and all the roles they can play, and then you can put it in a barrel anyway. It can be sour, it can be sweet, it can be all over the place. So I think beer can be a lot more dynamic.

Josh: You see wine and beer collaborations more and more. Being right here where they’re making the wine there’s access to grape pomace and all the ingredients they’re using for wine and that can easily be imported into a beer collaboration as well.

Sid: We did the Table Beer series that included a few different styles aged in wine barrels. They were great, but we just ran out of space for putting barrels anywhere so if we were to do more barrel projects now we’d have to do them at the winery or some other location where the barrels can be stored properly. That’s actually what I was doing this morning—emptying stout out of whiskey barrels at the local distiller, Dubh Glas.

The conversation continued for a while until we got the warning that our Zoom session was about to end. Sid and Josh promised to visit each other’s breweries soon.

Sid: Now that I’m a dad and fully into family mode I haven’t done nearly enough of getting up to Kelowna.

Josh: You should come on up. We make a fantastic Jägerbomb.

Sid: Perfect! j

Josh Wyatt at Kelowna Brewing Co.

Supplied photo

With our focus on quality, innovation and sustainability, Boxmaster is proud to evolve with our industry partners.

Beer and cider in the land of the long white cloud

Beer and cider in the land of the long white cloud

New Zealand has much to offer visitors, from stunning mountains to beautiful beaches. As Matt Cavers discovers, the craft beer and cider coming out of Aotearoa is also worth the trip.

by Matt Cavers

New Zealand: it’s a long way from here. Like, a really long way. In fact, if it were any further away, it would actually be closer. But despite it being incredibly inconvenient to get to, my family and I decided it would be the perfect spot for a holiday this past December. I knew that a bounty of delicious beer and cider offerings awaited me on the other end of the 13hour flight.

On my last Aotearoa sojourn, the country’s craft cider and beer scene was in its infancy. Since that trip years ago, I’d heard that New Zealand cideries and breweries had come a long way, and I had a lot of catching up to do.

Jet-lagged and thirsty, we arrive in our home base of Christchurch, the South Island’s largest city, a week before Christmas. I haven’t slept more than an hour or two in the last day and a half, but I’m still lucid enough to find the spacious beer and cider cooler in the local New World supermarket. Instantly, I’m overwhelmed by rows of brightly coloured cans with names I’ve never heard.

A friendly Kiwi helpfully recommends a hazy IPA from Wellington’s Garage Project—says it’s “the best one on this whole shelf.” It’s the only one left. I lunge for it. On the other side of the cooler, I spot cans of Peckham’s Cider, and I pick up the Kingston Dry. I tried Peckham’s at CiderCon a few years

New Zealand's picturesque landscapes, like these limestone bluffs outside Pōhara, pair perfectly with a delicious glass of locally-produced craft beer or cider. Matt Cavers photo

back and I’ve been longing to have it again. We pile a few other necessities in our cart—including some luminous-looking golden kiwifruit and “pie and mash”-flavoured potato chips.

Back at the flat, the hazy IPA is fruity, creamy, and incredibly fresh, bursting with New Zealand-grown Nelson Sauvin and Rakau hops. And the Peckham’s is as perfect a UK-style traditional cider as you could ask for: light gold in colour, with an aroma reminiscent of apple skin and leather. It’s

made from Kingston Black apples—a sought-after English bittersharp variety.

Also, the chips really do taste like pie and mash. A few days later, I’m outside Punky Brewster, a beer spot in the Christchurch suburbs, and at a glance, I can imagine that I’m visiting a brewery anywhere in North America: youngish people, some with children, sip beer around upended barrels and wooden picnic tables, while a hundred metres away cars whiz across an overpass between box stores. But inside, it’s a species of drinking establishment unknown at home: it’s a “bar and fillery,” which means it’s a beer store, a bar, and a place to fill growlers (or, in local parlance, “riggers”), all in one.

I ask a bartender what to buy and I end up with an armful of IPAs in brightly coloured cans, just like I would at home. But at the last minute I grab one more thing: a bottle of 8 Wired Brewing’s Wild Feijoa sour ale. The feijoa is an odd fruit—native to South America, it’s a ubiquitous backyard crop throughout New Zealand. Back at our flat, the 8 Wired beer conveys the strange and wonderful feijoa flavour you have to fly overnight

Punky Brewster in Christchurch has a concept that's entirely foreign to us in B.C.: it's a bar, beer store, and growler-fillery all in one. Matt Cavers photo

The local beer and cider board at Canterbury Brewers Collective in Christchurch. Matt Cavers photo

to experience: something halfway between lime and mint, with an odd-yet-compelling sharpness. Feijoas aren’t in season, so I’ll spend the rest of this trip chasing this weird bouquet in feijoa gummies, chocolates, and bottled smoothies.

On Boxing Day, our rented Corolla takes us north from the agricultural Canterbury Plain, across the lushly forested Southern Alps, and back down into the bucolic Motueka Valley, at the north end of the South Island. For kilometre after kilometre, tall hop vines border the highway, and then, as we come closer to the coast, the hop yards give way to densely planted orchards. It’s warm and humid and it feels like a good place to grow things.

By happy coincidence, across the road from the ice cream stand where we pull over in Riwaka, sits Hop Federation Brewery. I finish my kiwifruit soft serve and stroll into the brewery, where I chat with the manager. Hop Federation, he explains, is part of a Māori-owned food and beverage company that grows all the hops used in their beers. Later that day, on the front porch of our vacation suite in Golden Bay, I toast the early evening sun with a Hop Federation IPA. It’s crystal clear, and the hop aroma reminds me in passing of Sauvignon Blanc wine—but—no other way to put it—dank. It’s beautiful.

I’ve also made progress on my quest to consume as much feijoa as possible, having found a bottle of locally-produced Left Branch Cider whose charmingly lo-fi label advertises that it contains “Real Feijoas!!” I wonder if there are artificial feijoas.

On New Year’s Eve, two days before we leave, I’m back in Christchurch, drowning my sorrows at the Riverside Market. At lunch I washed down a pair

of hand pies with a delicate, refreshing glass of feijoa and rātā honey “session mead” at the Buzz Club mead bar. Soon I’m surveying the chalkboard at the Canterbury Brewers Collective, and I suddenly know that I’ve only scratched the surface of the craft beverage scene here in Christchurch, let alone in New Zealand, and I’m almost out of time. But I’m not one to give up, so I order a glass of grapefruit zest-infused apple cider from Christchurch’s Seismic Cider, whose name refers to the city’s devastating 2011 earthquake. The bartender tells me that some of Seismic’s products are made with fruit harvested from areas of the city abandoned after the quake. It’s a poignant reminder of how we can tell stories with the things we brew and make. I wish I had longer here to get to know these stories—but, somehow, someday, I’ll be back. j

Hop Federation Brewery is part of a Maori-owned food and drink company that grows all the hops used in its beers. Matt Cavers photo

LEFT: Made by bees: A refreshing feijoa and rātā honey session mead at the Buzz Club mead bar. RIGHT: Left Branch Cider is made with real feijoas! Matt Cavers photos

Malting

B.C.’s hidden beer industry

by Noëlle Phillips

Craft brewing has become big in B.C.–but what about craft malting? The maltster’s craft is a specialized one, comprising both art and science. The malting process involves steeping grains in water, allowing them to germinate, then roasting them in a kiln. This process is critical as it allows the starches in the grain to be converted into easily fermentable sugars and prolongs its shelf life, almost indefinitely. The longer the roasting time, the more browning and caramelization occurs, resulting in a darker, sweeter beer.

Despite the grain bill being so integral to a beer’s flavour, malting has always lived in the shadow of its more popular sibling, brewing. It’s time to bring it into the light.

Making Malting History

The history of malting and brewing run alongside and across one another. Big breweries in the Middle Ages would often malt their own grain (they had the money and space needed), while smaller brewers and households patronized maltsters who set up shop in town markets.

When European immigrants settled in B.C., brewing was one of the earliest industries to take root. Although most of the earliest brewers also malted their own grain, the increasing number of breweries after 1880 meant that brewers relied on malt imported from the large facilities in the US.

In 1891, when there were only five malthouses in all of Canada, Vancouver’s Columbia Brewery

was the first post-1880 brewery to become truly local and make its own malt (from Lulu Island barley). Papers happily speculated that the “venture may lead to others doing likewise and thus add further to the growth of local industries and general provincial prosperity.” Columbia continued malting and selling malt to other breweries until at least 1896.

By 1900, however, local malting had disappeared. Seeing an opportunity, beer baron Henry Reifel lobbied for B.C. farmers’ support to build a malt house near his Union Brewery in Nanaimo. By 1910, Reifel had also built Canadian Brewing and Malting in Vancouver, a huge facility that fell under BC Breweries—a business that would eventually become part of what is now Molson-Coors.

B.C.’s New Maltsters

Reifel’s idea of a malting/brewing partnership connecting brewers with farmers never fully blossomed. However, his passion is currently being resurrected. So far, three craft breweries in B.C. now have malthouses: Phillips Brewing in Victoria, Locality Brewing in Langley, and the Beer Farmers in Pemberton. However, with the support of organizations such as the Craft Maltsters Guild, many others are starting to use local maltsters’ services. Numerous B.C. breweries purchase malt from Field Five Farm in Saanichton. Longwood Brewing in Nanaimo uses White Malting. Locality plans to produce specialty malts for other breweries. And there’s more to come.

Field Five Farm has been a driving force behind independent malting in the province.

“They’re incredible!” Locality’s Andy Hamer says of Field Five. “They’ll be huge in this space [of local malting]–a craft malt house selling to multiple breweries.”

Field Five emerges from a long tradition of family farming. Co-owner Kyle Michell and his wife have been farming grain since 2015 (they now have 15 varieties) and malting it since 2021. Every eight days, Field Five malts five tonnes of grain under the direction of maltster Mike Doehnel, who has been floor malting in his home for decades. Phillips Brewing was one of their first customers, but Field Five now has a bustling business providing malt to B.C.’s craft breweries.

Why We Need Craft Malting

Gambrinus Malting Corporation in Armstrong has been the main B.C. malthouse for decades. Breweries can send their grain there to be malted, or they can buy ready-to-use malt–with the option of selecting B.C.-only grains. For many breweries, Gambrinus is the closest thing to a local maltster. However, even though Gambrinus isn’t nearly as big as global malting juggernaut Canadian Malting Co., it still requires minimum batch sizes for their malting services. This makes things challenging for small breweries who might grow or source their own barley but don’t have their own malthouse. The Beer Farmers and Abandoned Rail

both fall into that category. There are also shipping costs. While Gambrinus is located in B.C., for some breweries, Armstrong is a long way away and they feel the financial pinch when it comes to transporting grain. Introducing craft malthouses in key areas of the province, such as the Lower Mainland, would meet the needs of the rapidly growing beer industry and fill a gap in the market. There are tangible benefits for breweries who use craft malt. Vancouver Island breweries find the transport costs particularly prohibitive, since the grain needs to go across the water to get to Gambrinus. Field Five’s presence on the Island has created an environment in which craft malting can thrive. Island breweries save on shipping and support the agriculture industry by simply buying their malt locally.

Field Five Farm's malthouse, where fives tonnes of grain are malted every week. Facebook.com/FieldFiveFarm photo

Barley in the germination drum at Locality Brewing.

Noëlle Phillips photo

They’ll be huge in this space—a craft malt house selling to multiple breweries.

—Andy Hamer, Locality Brewing

Decreased shipping means a decreased carbon footprint, which is part of the reason Matt Phillips of Phillips Brewing decided to build his own malthouse. Maltster Alexander Schneider transfers the malt to the brewhouse next door with minimal “touches,” thus reducing carbon emissions further. According to Phillips, the brewery’s craft malting program also builds strong relationships with local farmers and boosts the beer industry as a whole.

The Beer Farmers began malting when they realized that their little farm brewery couldn’t make enough grain to fulfil Gambrinus’s requirements for batch size. Instead, the Beer Farmers use Field Five for half their malting needs, and they do the rest in-house. Their small, makeshift malting system is unusual, but it has led to some delicious beers. Turner says that his brewery has embraced the inconsistency of a small malting program and used their house-malted grain for specialty beers where the unique flavours can truly shine.

For some, Gambrinus is the best option: Lillooet Brewing, like many breweries in B.C., prioritizes local production and takes advantage of Gambrinus’s B.C.-only malt offerings. Barnside Brewing in Delta grows its own barley and malts its base grains at Gambrinus, but uses Locality for smaller

batch specialty malts. Penticton’s Abandoned Rail, on the other hand, is too small for Gambrinus, so they send their grain to the independent Red Shed malthouse in Alberta.

But these options aren’t enough. B.C.’s craft beer industry, led by the Craft Brewers’ Guild, is lobbying the government to incentivize malting in the province. Many breweries are calling for a craft malthouse in the greater Vancouver region, citing Red Shed as a model. The decrease in shipping costs and emissions would benefit everyone.

There’s also the issue of government markups. Unlike wineries, B.C. breweries don’t receive a financial benefit for using B.C. ingredients. According to Barnside’s Ken Malenstyn, reducing the 40 cents per litre provincial markup for breweries using local malt would incentivize growth in brewing and malting, boosting both brewers and farmers.

Ultimately, craft malting is the natural extension of what craft brewing is all about. People love craft beer because it uniquely embodies their local community. Similarly, craft malt connects the final product—the beer—to the local land in a tangible way. j

The Beer Farmers in Pemberton (left) and Locality Brewing in Langley (right) are just two of a growing number of breweries that are growing and/or malting their own barley.

Facebook.com/TheBeerFarmers photo

Noëlle Phillips photo

SALMON GRAVLAX

WITH IPA BEET PUR É E

paired with Settlement Brewing's Railtown IPA

FROM BELGARD KITCHEN

Executive chef Andrew Hounslow says Settlement Brewing is the third component of culinary creativity making up the Settlement Building Brand Collective, located in Vancouver’s Railtown Design District. Influenced by the West Coast lifestyle, the teams that make up the collective share a love and passion for fresh local food, B.C. wines, and craft beer and cider.

“We first opened in 2012 as Vancouver Urban Winery, adding Belgard Kitchen in April of 2014,” says Hounslow. “The brewery followed a few months later in June 2014.”

Hounslow notes while the three businesses weren’t necessarily influenced by one another, they were certainly designed to complement each other.

“The food was created to incorporate the beer and the beer to be food friendly,” he says. “Originally, we wanted to create seasonal beers that could be enjoyed in every aspect of one's daily lifestyle. And now, we have several dishes using beer as an ingredient.”

Hounslow says the inspiration behind pairing the Salmon Gravlax Hash with IPA Beet Purée was the colour.

“As I was developing this dish, it was quite colourful and I thought that purple beets would add both in flavour and visually,” he says. “I was also looking for new ways to incorporate beer into our dishes in unique ways and tested adding IPA to the purée. The hoppy bitterness in the IPA complemented the earthy sweetness of the beets. And, a beautiful swipe of the purée was a great visual addition to the dish.”

“The brew team also just finished their first test run on a funky Dragon Fruit Sour. And, we are always experimenting and developing new beers and dishes,” he says. “So safe to say you’ll find something unique to try on the menu at any given time.”

—Sandra Thomas

Photos courtesy of Belgard Kitchen and Settlement Brewing

INGREDIENTS

Salmon Gravlax

• 80 g white sugar

• 80 g salt

• Zest of 1 lemon

• 1 tbsp black pepper

• 1 tbsp loose leaf green tea

• 1 side sockeye salmon (skin on, pin bones removed)

Pickled Onions

• 500 ml rice vinegar

• 4 tbsp white sugar

• 1 tbsp salt

• 2 pcs star anise

• 2 red onions (finely julienned)

Parmesan Cream Sauce

• 500 ml whipping cream

• 1 serrano pepper (charred over an open flame, stem removed)

• 60 g grated white cheddar

• 60 g grated parmesan

• 1 tsp salt

IPA Beet Purée

• 460 g red beet (roughly 2-3 beets)

• 70 mL Settlement Railtown IPA

• 1 tbsp honey

• 2.5 tbsp olive oil

• 1 tbsp lemon juice

• 1 tsp salt

Assembly

• 1 heaping tbsp IPA beet purée (see step 4)

• 1 portion of your favourite brunch potatoes/ hashbrowns

• Handful of arugula (10-15 pieces)

• Pickled red onions (see step 2)

• 1/4 avocado (diced)

• 30-40 g sliced salmon gravlax (see step 1)

• 2 eggs done to your liking (preferably poached soft)

• 4 tbsp parmesan cream sauce (see step 3)

DIRECTIONS

1. Cure the salmon

Combine sugar, salt, lemon zest, black pepper and green tea and stir until well mixed. Lay salmon, skin side down onto a large piece of plastic wrap. Cover with gravlax cure ensuring all flesh is heavily coated. Wrap up the salmon in plastic wrap. Place into a suitable sized baking sheet/pan. Place

Settlement Building Brand Collective executive Chef

Andrew Hounslow is always looking for new ways to incorporate beer into his dishes.

another baking sheet/pan on top and place a couple of canned vegetables or sauces on top to weigh it down. Refrigerate for 48 to 72 hours. Check each day and pour off any liquid that accumulates. Once salmon is firm to the touch, it’s ready. Rinse off all excess cure from the salmon under cold running water. Using a sharp knife, slice salmon as thinly as possible.

2. Pickle the onions

Place the first four ingredients into a pot and bring to a boil. Immediately pour over sliced red onions and allow to cool at room temperature. Refrigerate until fully cooled, preferably overnight.

3. Make the Parmesan Cream Sauce

Bring whipping cream to a very gentle simmer and reduce for 15 minutes until slightly thickened. Stir in remaining ingredients until the cheese is melted. Transfer to a blender and purée until smooth.

4. Make the IPA Beet Purée

Place beets in a large saucepan and cover with water. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer until fork-tender. Let cool, peel, and chop into smaller pieces. Combine beets with remaining ingredients in a blender and purée until smooth. Yields 500 mL. Store in the refrigerator for up to a week.

5. Assemble

Swipe IPA beet purée across a large plate. Pile the potatoes onto the center of the plate. Neatly pile the arugula on top and garnish with pickled onion and avocado. Lay out the salmon gravlax on and around the entire dish. (Roll into little roses for style points!) Top with eggs and parmesan cream sauce and serve immediately. j

BOMBER BREWING CO.

1488 Adanac St. | BomberBrewing.com

ELECTRIC BICYCLE BREWING

CO.

20 E. 4th Ave. |

Welcome to the West Coast, Marc Mammoliti! Marc was previously at the Goose Island Brewpub in Toronto, and is now the head brewer at Bomber.

This brewery’s brightly painted exterior makes it stand out in Mount Pleasant. Stop by for happy hours on Fridays and Saturdays from 9 to closing.

GRANVILLE ISLAND BREWING

1441 Cartwright St. | GranvilleIslandBrewing.ca

MAIN STREET BREWING CO.

261 E. 7th Ave. | MainStreetBeer.ca

Vancouver’s original home for craft beer is still one of the country’s oldest continuously operating craft breweries.

FALSE CREEK PEACH SOUR SOUR ALE

Fresh off a big win at the Canada Beer Cup, Main St. continues to make fresh and delicious beers in a wide range of styles.

In addition to brewing lots of different delicious beer styles, this brewery also produces a lineup of non-alcoholic, hop-infused sparkling water beverages called Bine.

VANCOUVER VANCOUVER

R & B BREWING CO.

54 E. 4th Ave., Vancouver RAndBBrewing.com

STEAMWORKS BREW PUB

375 Water St., Vancouver

Steamworks.com/Brew-Pub

This Vancouver institution has been brewing craft beer for 25 years, and offers a full menu of snacks, sandwiches, pizza, and more, all made fresh in house. Their weekend brunch is a must. HIPSTER

This original Gastown location has 750 seats, many offering a “brew with a view” of Vancouver Harbour and the North Shore mountains. Now serving weekend brunch.

VANCOUVER

STEAMWORKS MOUNT PLEASANT

2275 Main Street | Steamworks.com

VANCOUVER

STRATHCONA BEER CO.

895 E. Hastings St. | StrathconaBeer.com

Although not a brewery, this taphouse features classic favourites and special brews unique to this location while showcasing the neighbourhood with 10 ever-changing guest taps.

GUMMY

Strathcona is planning an expansion this year. Check their site and social media for more info, but in the meantime keep enjoying their delicious beer.

33 ACRES BREWING CO.

15 W. 8th Ave., Vancouver

33AcresBrewing.com

BRASSNECK BREWERY

2148 Main St., Vancouver Brassneck.ca

33 BREWING EXPERIMENT

25 W. 8th Ave., Vancouver

33BrewingExp.com

BREWHALL BEER CO.

97 E. 2nd Ave., Vancouver Brewhall.com

ANDINA BREWING CO.

1507 Powell St., Vancouver

AndinaBrewing.ca

BREWING AUGUST

1614 W. 3rd Ave. BrewingAugust.com

CALLISTER BREWING CO.

1338 Franklin St., Vancouver CallisterBrewing.com

PARALLEL 49 BREWING CO.

1950 Triumph St., Vancouver Parallel49Brewing.com

CONTAINER BREWING

1216 Franklin St., Vancouver CBrew.ca

POWELL BREWERY

1357 Powell St., Vancouver PowellBeer.com

DOGWOOD BREWING

8284 Sherbrooke St., Vancouver DogwoodBrew.com

RED TRUCK BEER CO.

295 E. 1st Ave., Vancouver RedTruckBeer.com

EAST VAN BREWING CO.

1675 Venables St., Vancouver EastVanBrewing.com

SETTLEMENT BREWING

55 Dunlevy Ave., Vancouver SettlementBrewing.com

FACULTY BREWING CO.

1830 Ontario St., Vancouver FacultyBrewing.com

SLOW HAND BEER COMPANY

1830 Powell St., Vancouver SlowHandBeer.com

LUPPOLO BREWING CO.

1123 Venables St., Vancouver

LuppoloBrewing.ca

STANLEY PARK BREWING

RESTAURANT & BREWPUB

8901 Stanley Park Dr., StanleyParkBrewing.com

STORM BREWING

310 Commercial Dr., Vancouver

StormBrewing.com

STRANGE FELLOWS BREWING

1345 Clark Dr., Vancouver

StrangeFellowsBrewing.com

YALETOWN BREWING CO.

1111 Mainland St., Vancouver

MJG.ca/Yaletown

SUPERFLUX BEER CO.

505 Clark Dr., Vancouver

SuperfluxBeer.com

Vikings believed that a giant goat whose udders held unlimited amounts of beer was waiting for them in Valhalla.

KPU BREW LAB

20901 Langley Bypass | KPU.ca/Brew

FRI 1-6PM

EST. 2014

KPU offers B.C.’s only Brewing Diploma program and was the first institution in Canada recognized by the Master Brewers Association of the Americas (MBAA) for a standard of excellence in brewing education. Join the mailing list at kpu.ca/brew to learn about upcoming Brewing Diploma Info Sessions, teaching brewery tours, beer releases, and more!

Availability: Seasonal

A multiple award-winner, this malt-forward American amber ale is made with New World hops.

Availability: Seasonal

This classic German-style wheat beer is called 50/50 because the recipe includes 50% wheat malt and 50% barley malt.

Availability: Seasonal

This traditional German-style Festbier will have you dancing the polka and singing “Ein Prosit” before you can say “Eins, zwei, drei!”

Availability: One-off

A dry-hopped beer made with experimental hops developed by KPU’s hop breeding program and local growers.

Did you know KPU has a hop breeding program?

Kwantlen Polytechnic University (KPU) is home to NextGen Hops, a breeding program developing new hop varieties in collaboration with the KPU Applied Genomics Centre, Green Flora Greenhouses, the BC Hop Growers Association and the KPU Brew Lab, where customers can purchase experimental hop beers on Fridays from 1-6 pm on the Langley campus.

CAMP BEER CO.

19664 64 Ave. | CampBeer.ca

MON-WED 12-9PM ^ THURS-SAT 11AM-11PM ^ SUN 11AM-9PM

EST. 2019

How rad is Camp’s tasting room? Rad enough to not only win the Best Tasting Room award at The Growlies, but from the BC Ale Trail and B.C. Craft Brewers Guild, too!

S’MORES STOUT MILK STOUT

Availability: Seasonal

18

This rich and smooth chocolate stout boasts sweet vanilla and graham cracker notes.

Availability: One-off

7

This tart and fruity beer is perfect for the campfire or the patio.

EXPERIENCE BC’S MOST CELEBRATED TAPROOM

VISIT US IN LANGLEY AND ENJOY BEER AS FRESH AS THE GREAT OUTDOORS. JOIN THE ADVENTURE AT CAMP.

BETTY CAMPER BLUEBERRY PEACH COBBLER SOUR SOUR ALE

ABV IBU 5.6%

ABV IBU 5.3%

BRAVE BREWING CO.

2617

Murray St, Port Moody | Brave.beer

SUN-WED 12-9PM ^ THURS 11AM-10PM ^

FRI-SAT 12PM-11PM

EST. 2022

The most recent addition to Port Moody’s Brewer’s Row is setting itself apart with an interesting and delicious array of lagers, IPAs and more.

GRACE UNDER PRESSURE

LAGER

Availability: Year-round

ABV IBU 4.5% 22

Crisp and clean, with a light herbaceous hop character and a dry finish.

FIRST DATE

HAZY INDIA PALE ALE

Availability: Year-round

ABV IBU 6.0% 10

This full bodied IPA brings a lot to the table, including citrus, melon and floral hop notes.

DAGERAAD BREWING

114-3191 Thunderbird Cres. | DageraadBrewing.com

STEAMWORKS BREWING CO.

3845 William St. | Steamworks.com

Dageraad’s traditional aging and conditioning processes may take more time, but the nuance and complexity that results sets their Belgian-inspired beers apart. Availability:

It’s amazing to think that Steamworks’ Burnaby brewery is 10 years old! Celebrate by trying something from the core lineup or a special seasonal release.

STUDIO BREWING

5792 Beresford St. | StudioBrewing.ca

FOUR WINDS BREWING CO.

4-355 72nd St., Delta | FourWindsBrewing.ca

Burnaby’s newest brewery is a communityfocused local favourite with a passion for lagers, IPAs and delicious, salty pretzels.

This iconic Delta brewery celebrates its 10th anniversary in June as one of the cornerstones of the Canadian craft beer scene. VÉLO PALE

DEAD FROG BREWERY

105-8860 201 St. | DeadFrog.ca

FARM COUNTRY BREWING

#5-20555 56 Ave. | FarmCountryBrewing.com

Dead Frog has developed a strong following for their Imperial Warhead sours, Juice Box mixed packs, and Creamsicle beers.

The tasting room here is always hopping thanks to an extensive beer list and a great food menu, as well as events like Trivia Tuesdays.

PUT ME IN KOLSCH

FIVE ROADS BREWING

6263 202nd St. | FiveRoadsBrewing.com

LOCALITY BREWING

7111 252nd St. | LocalityBrewing.ca

The original Langley location has a new kitchen and food menu with all fresh, in-house prepared ingredients. Also, check out the tasting room in Steveston Village.

If beer has terroir, here’s where you’ll find it: Locality in Langley grows its own barley and hops, and even malts its own grain.

THE WILD SIDE OF 248TH WEST COAST INDIA PALE

YELLOW DOG BREWING CO.

1-2817 Murray St. | YellowDogBrew.com

RUSSELL BREWING CO.

202 - 13018 80th Ave. | RussellBeer.com

As Yellow Dog approaches its 10th anniversary, it gets ready for its next big chapter: a second location in Penticton!

HIGH 5

HAZY INDIA PALE ALE

After more than 25 years operating as a production-only brewery, Russell finally opened their own tasting room last year. Have you checked it out yet?

HONEY

3 DOGS BREWING

15181 Thrift Ave., White Rock

3DogsBrewing.com

BEERE BREWING COMPANY

312 E. Esplanade, North Vancouver BeereBrewing.com

ANOTHER BEER CO.

#11-30 Capilano Way, New Westminster

AnotherBeerCo.com

BLACK KETTLE BREWING

106-720 Copping St., North Vancouver BlackKettleBrewing.com

BARNSIDE BREWING CO.

6655 60 Ave., Delta

BarnsideBrewing.ca

BOARDWALK BREWING

2155-575 Seaborne Ave., Port Coquitlam BoardwalkBrewery.com

BRAGGOT BREWING

102-370 E. Esplanade, North Vancouver Braggottery.com

FRASER MILLS FERMENTATION CO.

3044 Saint Johns St., Port Moody FraserMillsFermentation.com

BRIDGE BREWING CO.

1448 Charlotte Rd., North Vancouver

BridgeBrewing.com

FUGGLES

103-11220 Horseshoe Way, Richmond FugglesBeer.com

BRITANNIA BREWING CO.

110-12500 Horseshoe Way, Richmond BBCO.ca

GALAXIE CRAFT BREWHOUSE

1122 Vidal St., White Rock GalaxieCraftBeer.com

BROOKSWOOD BREWING CO.

102-4061 200 St., Langley

BrookswoodBrewing.com

DEEP COVE BREWERS AND DISTILLERS

170 - 2270 Dollarton Hwy., North Vancouver

DeepCoveCraft.com

FOAMERS’ FOLLY

BREWING CO.

19221 122A Ave., Pitt Meadows

FoamersFolly.ca

HOUSE OF FUNK BREWING CO.

350 E. Esplanade, North Vancouver HouseOfFunkBrewing.com

LA CERVECERIA ASTILLEROS

226 E. Esplanade, North Vancouver

Cerveceria-Astilleros.com

MAPLE MEADOWS

BREWING CO.

22775 Dewdney Trunk Rd., Maple Ridge

MapleMeadowsBrewing.com

MARINER BREWING

1100 Lansdowne Dr., Coquitlam MarinerBrewing.ca

PATINA BREWING CO.

2332 Marpole Ave., Port Coquitlam PatinaBrewing.com

MONKEY 9 BREWING

14200 Entertainment Blvd., Richmond Monkey9.ca

POCO BROTHERS BREWING

1979 Brown St., Port Coquitlam PoCoBrothersBrewing.com

MOODY ALES & CO.

2601 Murray St., Port Moody MoodyAles.com

RED RACER

11411 Bridgeview Dr., Surrey CentralCityBrewing.com

NORTH POINT BREWING CO.

266 E. 1st St., North Vancouver NorthPointBrewing.com

REWIND BEER CO.

2809 Murray St., Port Moody RewindBeer.com

NORTHPAW BREW CO.

2150-570 Sherling Pl., Port Coquitlam NorthpawBrewCo.com

RIDGE BREWING CO.

22826 Dewdney Trunk Rd., Maple Ridge RidgeBrewing.com

PARKSIDE BREWERY

2731 Murray St., Port Moody

TheParksideBrewery.com

SHAKETOWN BREWING

105-288 Esplanade Ave. E., North Vancouver ShaketownBrewing.com

SILVER VALLEY BREWING CO.

#101 - 11952 224 St., Maple Ridge SilverValleyBrewing.com

TRADING POST BREWING

107-20120 64th Ave., Langley | TradingPostBrewing.com

SMUGGLERS TRAIL

140-9339 200a St., Langley SmugglersTrailCask.com

TWIN SAILS BREWING

2821 Murray St., Port Moody TwinSailsBrewing.com

STEEL & OAK BREWING CO.

1319 3rd Ave., New Westminster SteelAndOak.ca

WHITE ROCK BEACH BEER CO.

15181 Russell Ave. WhiteRockBeachBeer.com

STREETCAR BREWING

123A East 1st St., North Vancouver StreetcarBrewing.ca

WILDEYE BREWING

1385 Main St., North Vancouver WildeyeBrewing.ca

TAYLIGHT BREWING

402-1485 Coast Meridian Rd., Port Coquitlam TaylightBrewing.com

The Stanley Cup can hold 14 cans, or about 5 litres, of beer.

TINHOUSE BREWING CO.

550 Sherling Pl., Port Coquitlam, TinhouseBrewing.ca

BC Breweries Win Big at the 2022 Canada Beer Cup

B.C. breweries brought home 46 trophies at the inaugural Canada Beer Cup presented by the Canadian Craft Brewers Association, which were announced on October 23, including “Best in Show” for Vancouver’s Callister Brewing’s Wee Laird Wee Heavy. The Scottish Ale was matured for 10 months in freshly emptied barrels, previously used to age the famed single malt whisky, Laird of Fintry, by Okanagan Spirits.

Overall, B.C. breweries achieved excellent results, with 29 different breweries winning a total of 46 awards, about 26% of the 176 total awards.

Callister Brewing impressively took home three medals in total. Their Wee Laird Wee Heavy won gold in the Wood-Influenced category before being chosen as Best in Show; Cuban Taxi Guava Gose won gold in the Gose category; and In Bloom Lambic Style Ale won bronze in the Spontaneously Fermented Beer category.

Here are some other notable winners from British Columbia:

Container Brewing: two silvers for Seawise Giant and Three Legged Mare, and a bronze for Seeing Doppel.

KPU Brew Lab: gold for Das Fest and bronze medals for Birra Rossa and Italian Pilsner.

Dageraad Brewing: silver for Field Theory and bronzes for Blonde and Brune.

Dog Mountain Brewing: two golds for Lit Wit and Technically a Blonde.

Farm Country Brewing: two golds for Farmhouse Ale and Sausage Party.

Main Street Brewing: gold for Naked Fox IPA

Neighbourhood Brewing: gold for Pursuit Pilsner

Phillips Brewing and Malting: gold for Blue Buck Ale

Silver Valley Brewing: gold for The Lion: ESB

—by

on the Canada

FIELD HOUSE – ABBY

2281 West Railway St. | FieldHouseBrewing.com

BRICKLAYER BREWING

46128 Yale Rd. | BricklayerBrewing.com

Field House’s O.G. location in Abbotsford features weekly live music outside on the magical beer lawn, farm fresh food from the Canteen, and 1-3 new beer releases every week.

SALTED

Availability: Seasonal

Availability: Year-round

Located in the recently reinvigorated area of downtown Chilliwack’s Five Corners. Did you know that all of Bricklayer’s beers are named after songs?

HEY NONNY NONNY HABANERO WIT

Availability: Seasonal

Availability: Year-round

FIELD HOUSE – DWTN CHWK

#102-9251 Woolly Dog Alley | FieldHouseBrewing.com

Field House’s Chilliwack location features its own exclusive beer offerings, including local favourite, CHWK Lite Lager

CHWK LITE LAGER LAGER

Availability: Year-round

Availability: Seasonal

Contact

CANUCK EMPIRE BREWING

Unit C-33797 King Rd., Abbotsford

CanuckEmpireBrewing.com

MOUNTAINVIEW BREWING CO.

390 Old Hope Princeton Way, Hope

MountainviewBrewing.ca

FARMHOUSE BREWING CO.

6385 Lickman Rd., Chilliwack

FarmhouseBrewing.co

OLD ABBEY ALES

30321 Fraser Hwy., Abbotsford

OldAbbeyAles.com

FLASHBACK BREWING CO.

1-9360 Mill St., Chilliwack

FlashbackBrewing.ca

OLD YALE BREWING CO. – ABBOTSFORD

33738 Laurel St., Abbotsford

OldYaleBrewing.com

HUBCO BREWING COMPANY

33211 North Railway Ave., Mission

HUBCoBrewing.com

OLD YALE BREWING CO. –CHILLIWACK

404-44550 South Sumas Rd., Chilliwack

OldYaleBrewing.com

LOUDMOUTH BREWING

103 – 2582 Mt. Lehman Rd., Abbotsford

LoudmouthBrewingCompany.ca

MISSION SPRINGS BREWING COMPANY

7160 Oliver St., Mission

MissionSprings.ca

RAVENS BREWING CO.

37455 Kilgard Rd., Abbotsford

RavensBrewing.com

SIDEKICK BREWING

45530 Vedder Mountain Rd., Chilliwack

SidekickBrewing.com

This spot in beautiful Pemberton Valley is expanding its patio this year, adding more seating and food options. Remember, you can’t spell Pemberton without beer!

Howe Sound has some big plans for this year, including six different barrel aged imperial stout releases! Swing by for Beer-A-Palooza on April 23rd and try some of them in person.

A-FRAME BREWING CO.

38927 Queens Way, Squamish AFrameBrewing.com

PERSEPHONE BREWING CO.

1053 Stewart Rd., Gibsons

PersephoneBrewing.com

BACKCOUNTRY BREWING

#405-1201 Commercial Way, Squamish BackcountryBrewing.com

BATCH 44 BREWERY & KITCHEN

5559 Wharf Ave., Sechelt Batch44Brewery.com

COAST MOUNTAIN BREWING

2-1212 Alpha Lake Rd., Whistler CoastMountainBrewing.com

TAPWORKS BREWING CO.

537 Cruice Lane, Gibsons

GibsonsTapworks.com

THE 101 BREWHOUSE + DISTILLERY

1009 Gibsons Way, Gibsons The101.ca

THE BEER FARMERS

8324 Pemberton Meadows Rd., Pemberton

TheBeerFarmers.com

HIGH MOUNTAIN BREWING CO.

4355 Blackcomb Way, Whistler MJG.ca/BrewHouse

TOWNSITE BREWING

5824 Ash Ave., Powell River TownsiteBrewing.com

LILLOOET BREWING

104 Main St., Lillooet

LillooetBeer.ca

WHISTLER BREWING CO.

1045 Millar Creek Rd., Whistler

WhistlerBeer.com

TWA DOGS BREWERY AT MACALONEY DISTILLERY

761 Enterprise Cres. | VCaledonian.com

SUN-THU 12-6:30PM ^ FRI-SAT 11AM-8PM EST. 2016

Drop by Twa Dogs for a pint or a flight of beer tasters—perhaps paired with a wee dram of whiskey distilled on site.

LIFE & LIBERTY PALE ALE

Availability: Year-round

ABV IBU 4.7% 30

A West Coast pale ale that pairs crystal malt with German Hallertau Blanc hops.

KEEKIN’ GLASS PILSNER

Availability: Year-round

ABV IBU 5.0% 20

An unconventional Pilsner brewed with Pacifica and Motueka hops.

Join

761 Enterprise Crescent, v8n 2l8

LIGHTHOUSE BREWING CO.

2-836 Devonshire Rd. | LighthouseBrewing.com

CATEGORY 12 BREWING

C-2200 Keating Cross Rd. | Category12Beer.com

This maritime-themed brewery located in Esquimalt is celebrating a quarter century of brewing excellence in 2023. Watch for an Anniversary Party on August 17.

RACE

Category 12’s Michael Kuzyk leveraged his PhD in biochemistry and microbiology to produce a line of gluten-removed beers with less than 10 ppm of gluten!

BAD DOG BREWING COMPANY

7861 Tugwell Rd. | BadDogBrewing.ca

MOON UNDER WATER BREWERY

350B Bay St. | MoonUnderWater.ca

By the time you read this, Bad Dog’s lounge license should be hanging on its wall, which means this Sooke brewery will be able to pour full pints for the first time.

SPACEWALK

SPINNAKERS BREWPUB

308 Catharine St. | Spinnakers.com

98% of the barley used here comes from Field 5 Farms just 20km away in Saanichton. Drop by the brewpub for two Happy Hours daily.

VANCOUVER ISLAND BREWING

2330 Government St. | VIBrewing.com

Canada’s oldest independently owned craft brewery is still one of the best craft experiences in B.C., offering beer, cider and spirits in a charming pub atmosphere overlooking scenic Lime Bay.

Check out VI’s newly renovated taproom, complete with live music, 18 taps, local art installations, pop-up restaurants, plus rotating local cider and snacks. MYSTIC

4 MILE BREWING CO.

199 Island Hwy., View Royal

4MileBrewingCo.com

HOWL BREWING

1780 Mills Rd., North Saanich

HowlBrewing.ca

BEACON BREWING

9829 Third Street, Sidney

BeaconBrewing.ca

CHECKERHEAD BREWING

10602 Sherburne Drive, Shirley

CheckerheadBrewing.com

CRAFT BEER MARKET

450 Swift St., Victoria

CraftBeerMarket.ca

DRIFTWOOD BREWERY

836 Viewfield Rd., Victoria

DriftwoodBeer.com

HERALD STREET BREW WORKS

506 Herald St., Victoria

HeraldStreet.com

HOYNE BREWING CO.

101-2740 Bridge St., Victoria

HoyneBrewing.ca

ÎLE SAUVAGE BREWING CO.

2960 Bridge St., Victoria

IleSauvage.com

MAYNE ISLAND BREWING CO.

490 Fernhill Rd., Mayne Island

MayneIslandBrewingCo.com

MILE ZERO BREWING

4495 Happy Valley Rd., Metchosin

MileZeroBrewing.ca

MILLSTREAM BEVERAGE CO.

103-2323 Millstream Rd., Langford

MillstreamBeverage.com

PHILLIPS BREWING & MALTING CO.

2010 Government St., Victoria

PhillipsBeer.com

SALT SPRING ISLAND

BREWING CO.

270 Furness Rd., Salt Spring Island

SaltSpringIslandAles.com

SMALL GODS BREWING

9835 Third St., Sidney

SmallGods.ca

SOOKE BREWING CO.

2057 Otter Point Rd., Sooke SookeBrewing.com

SOOKE OCEANSIDE BREWERY

1-5529 Sooke Rd., Sooke SookeOceansideBrewing.com

SWANS BREWPUB

506 Pandora Ave., Victoria SwansHotel.com

WHISTLE BUOY BREWING CO.

560 Johnson St., Victoria WhistleBuoyBrewing.com

Beer supposedly helps prevent cardiac disease and cognitive decline. It also lowers blood pressure as it helps dilate blood vessels.

ACE BREWING CO.

150 Mansfield Dr. | Facebook.com/AceBrewingCompany

RED ARROW BREWING CO.

5255 Chaster Rd. | RedArrowBeer.ca

Fly into this aviation-themed brewery located near the Courtenay Air Park to enjoy some delicious food and beer, including BC Beer Award winners like those listed below.

With live music, an outdoor patio, a full kitchen, an outdoor sports court, food trucks, and of course, great craft beer, Red Arrow is the place to be in Duncan.

LONGWOOD BREWERY

101A-2046 Boxwood Rd., Nanaimo LongwoodBeer.com

Longwood partners with local farmers for many ingredients, resulting in an obsessively local product. Pop into the tasting room on Boxwood Road to sample the results.

Availability: Year-round Availability: Year-round

Availability: Year-round

Availability: Year-round Availability: Year-round Availability: Year-round

Availability: Year-round

RUSTED RAKE BREWING

3106 Northwest Bay Rd. | RustedRakeBrewing.ca

Award-winning brewer Dave Woodward crafts his beers with barley grown on site at this farm-based brewery.

Availability: Year-round

TWIN CITY BREWING

4503 Margaret St. | TwinCityBrewing.ca

BC Ale Trail’s 2020 Best Brewery Experience Award winner is the perfect place to pop in for a pilsner or pizza when passing through Port Alberni.

ALBERNI BREWING CO.

4630 Adelaide St., Port Alberni AlberniBrewingCompany.ca

CLIFFSIDE BREWING CO.

11 Cliff St., Nanaimo CliffsideBrewCo.ca

BAYVIEW BREWING CO.

204 Dogwood Dr., Ladysmith BayviewBrewing.com

CRAIG STREET BREW PUB

25 Craig St., Duncan CraigStreet.ca

BEACH FIRE BREWING

594 11 Ave., Campbell River BeachFireBrewing.ca

CUMBERLAND BREWING CO.

2732 Dunsmuir Ave., Cumberland CumberlandBrewing.com

DEVIL’S BATH BREWING CO.

1616 McNeill Rd., Port McNeill

DevilsBathBrewing.ca

LONGWOOD BREWPUB & RESTAURANT

5775 Turner Rd., Nanaimo

LongwoodBrewpub.com

DOG MOUNTAIN BREWING

3141 3rd Ave., Port Alberni

DogMountainBrew.com

LOVESHACK LIBATIONS

1 - 4134 Island Hwy. West, Qualicum

LoveShackLibations.com

MOUNT ARROWSMITH

FERN + CEDAR BREWING CO.

680 Berwick Rd S., Qualicum Beach

FernAndCedar.ca

GLADSTONE BREWING CO.

244 4th St., Courtenay

GladstoneBrewing.ca

BREWING CO.

109-425 East Stanford Ave., Parksville

ArrowsmithBrewing.com

NEW TRADITION BREWING

215 Port Augusta St., Comox

NewTraditionBrewing.com

HORNBY ISLAND

BREWING CO.

HornbyIsland.beer

RIOT BREWING CO.

101A - 3055 Oak St., Chemainus

RiotBrewing.com

LAND & SEA BREWING CO.

2040 Guthrie Rd., Comox

LandAndSeaBrewing.ca

SMALL BLOCK BREWING CO.

203-5301 Chaster Rd., Duncan

SmallBlockBrewery.com

TOFINO

691 Industrial Way, Tofino

TofinoBrewingCo.com

UCLUELET

1601 Peninsula Rd., Ucluelet

UclueletBrewing.ca

WHITE SAILS BREWING

125 Comox Rd., Nanaimo WhiteSailsBrewing.com

WOLF BREWING COMPANY

940 Old Victoria Rd., Nanaimo WolfBrewingCompany.com

In 1814, a 1.4 million-litre wave of beer flooded London after a massive vat ruptured.

UNLEASHED BREWING CO.

207 -880 Clement Ave. | UnleashedBrewing.ca

CANNERY BREWING

198 Ellis St. | CanneryBrewing.com

This is the first B.C. brewery to be approved by the health authority to allow friendly dogs into the taproom, as well as on their patio.

The Cannery Backyard is great for the warmer months with a full line-up of beer and other beverages, food, and live music all summer long.

LONDON DOG SPECIAL-TEA ALE BIRRA BELLISSIMA ITALIAN-STYLE PILSNER

Availability:

HIGHWAY 97 BREWERY

200 Ellis St. | Hwy97Brewery.com

OF

SLACKWATER BREWING

218 Martin St. | SlackwaterBrewing.com

Visit the awesome new downtown location where you will find 22 taps of delicious beer, food, and live entertainment every Saturday night on the feature stage.

BANDITO LAGER & LIME CARIBBEAN-STYLE LAGER

Penticton’s Slackwater isn’t just a great place for delicious craft beer and fresh-made food–it’s one of the best live music venues in town, too!

NAUTICAL NONSENSE PINEAPPLE GOSE Availability:

ABANDONED RAIL BREWING CO.

1220 Davenport Ave., Penticton AbandonedRailBrewCo.ca

BRIGHT EYE BREWING

292 Tranquille Rd., Kamloops

BrightEyeBrewing.com

ALCHEMY BREWING CO.

650 Victoria St., Kamloops AlchemyBrewingCompany.ca

COPPER BREWING CO.

102 - 1851 Kirschner Rd., Kelowna

CopperBrewingCo.com

BARLEY MILL BREW PUB

2460 Skaha Lake Rd., Penticton BarleyMillPub.com

CRANNÓG ALES

706 Elson Rd., Sorrento CrannogAles.com

BARLEY STATION BREW PUB

20 Shuswap St. N., Salmon Arm BarleyStation.com

DETONATE BREWING

104-9503 Cedar Ave., Summerland

DetonateBrew.com

BARN OWL BREWING CO.

4629 Lakeshore Rd., Kelowna

BarnOwlBrewing.ca

EMPTY KEG BREW HOUSE

2190 Voght St., Merritt

EmptyKegBrewHouse.ca

BNA BREWING CO.

1250 Ellis St., Kelowna

BNABrewing.com

FIREHALL BREWERY

6077 Main St., Oliver

FirehallBrewery.com

FREDDY’S BREWPUB

124 McCurdy Rd., Kelowna McCurdyBowl.com

KELOWNA BEER INSTITUTE

1346 Water St., Kelowna

TreeBrewingBeerInstitute.com

GIANT’S HEAD BREWING

13224 Victoria Road N., Summerland GiantsHeadBrewing.com

GREY FOX BREWING

105 310 Hiram Walker Crt., Kelowna GreyFoxBrewing.com

IRON ROAD BREWING

980 Camosun Crs., Kamloops

IronRoadBrewing.ca

KETTLE RIVER BREWING CO.

731 Baillie Ave., Kelowna KettleRiverBrewing.ca

LAKESIDER BREWING

835 Anders Rd., West Kelowna LakesiderBrewing.com

MARTEN BREWING CO.

2933A 30th Ave., Vernon MartenBrewpub.com

JACKKNIFE BREWING

727 Baillie Ave., Kelowna Facebook.com/JackknifeBrewing

NEIGHBOURHOOD BREWING

187 Westminster Ave. W., Penticton NeighbourhoodBrewing.com

KELOWNA BREWING CO.

975 Academy Way, Kelowna

KelownaBrewingCompany.com

NORTH BASIN BREWING CO.

15 Park Pl., Unit 226, Osoyoos

NorthBasinBrewing.com

RAILSIDE BREWING

1186 High Rd., Kelowna

Instagram.com/RailsideBrewingKelowna

THE HATCHING POST

2850 Boucherie Rd., West Kelowna

Instagram.com/TheHatchingPost

RED BIRD BREWING

1086 Richter St., Kelowna RedBirdBrewing.com

THE NOBLE PIG BREWHOUSE

650 Victoria St., Kamloops TheNoblePig.ca

RED COLLAR BREWING CO.

355 Lansdowne St., Kamloops RedCollar.ca

THE OFFICE BREWERY

890 Clement Ave, Unit 301, Kelowna OfficeBrewery.ca

RICOCHET BREWING

3865 Sunnybrae Canoe Pt. Rd., Tappen Instagram.com/Ricochet.Brewing

THE TIN WHISTLE BREWING CO.

112-1475 Fairview Rd., Penticton

TheTinWhistleBrewery.rocks

RUSTIC REEL BREWING CO.

760 Vaughan Ave., Kelowna

RusticReel.com

TRADING POST BREWING

102–100 Enterprise Way, Oliver TradingPostBrewing.com

SHORE LINE BREWING CO.

3477 Lakeshore Rd., Kelowna

ShoreLineBrewing.com

VICE & VIRTUE BREWING CO.

1033 Richter St., Kelowna

ViceAndVirtueBrewing.ca

FISHER PEAK BREWING CO.

821 Baker St. | TheHeidOut.ca

FERNIE BREWING CO.

26 Manitou Rd. | FernieBrewing.com

Fisher Peak’s award-winning beers and award-winning food have established it as a must-visit Kootenay brewery.

BEER, WINE & SPIRITS.

From its roots as a barn-based brewery to the regional brewery it is today, Fernie Brewing has grown considerably over the past 20 years.

WHITETOOTH BREWING

623 8th Ave. N. | WhitetoothBrewing.com

ANGRY HEN BREWING

343 Front St. | AngryHenBrewing.com

Golden, B.C. might be known for its stellar skiing and snowboarding, but the golden pilsners and ales at Whitetooth are worth sticking around for once the snow melts.

BACKYARD BIVOUAC PILSNER PILSNER

Availability: Seasonal

DOES IT GO?

Angry Hen’s newly expanded patio offers even grander views of Kootenay Lake, while a recent kitchen addition pairs some tasty new dishes with the ever stellar brews.

GOODFELLA ITALIAN PILSNER

Availability: One-off

BACKROADS BREWING CO.

460 Baker St. | BackroadsBrewing.com

Celebrate Backroads’ 6th anniversary on March 24th with music and a special beer release in the taproom of this popular spot located on Nelson’s main drag.

FRESHLY SQUEEZED JUICY IPA

Availability: Small batch

HAZY MINI IPA HAZY PALE ALE VIOLET

Availability: Small batch

Availability: Seasonal

Availability: Year-round

ARROWHEAD BREWING CO.

481 Arrow Rd., Invermere ArrowheadBrewingCompany.ca

ENCORE BREWING CO.

1400 4 St. N., Cranbrook EncoreBrewing.ca

ERIE CREEK BREWING CO.

117 Fourth St., Salmo ErieCreekBrewingCo.com

GRAND FORKS BEER CO.

334-A Market Ave., Grand Forks

GrandForksBeerCo.com

ROSSLAND BEER CO.

1990 Columbia Ave., Rossland RosslandBeer.com

GRIST AND MASH BREWERY

345 Wallinger Ave., Kimberley

GristAndMash.com

RUMPUS BEER COMPANY

208 1st Street E. | RumpusBeerCo.com

MT. BEGBIE BREWING CO.

2155 Oak Dr., Revelstoke Mt-Begbie.com

TAILOUT BREWING

1800 8th Ave., Castlegar TailoutBrewing.com

NELSON BREWING CO.

512 Latimer St., Nelson

NelsonBrewing.com

TORCHLIGHT BREWING CO.

125 Hall St., Nelson

TorchlightBrewing.com

OVER TIME BEER WORKS

136A Wallinger Ave., Kimberley

OverTimeBeer.ca

TRAIL BEER REFINERY

1299 Bay Ave., Trail TrailBeerRefinery.ca

RADIUM BREWING

7537 Main St. W., Radium Hot Springs

RadiumBrewing.ca

WILD NORTH BREWING CO.

125 16th Ave. N, Creston

WildNorthBrewery.ca

CASK AND CLEAVER

175 Cariboo Hwy.,

100 Mile House | CaskAndCleaver.com

CROSSROADS BREWING & DISTILLERY

508 George St., Price George

CrossroadsCraft.com

DEADFALL BREWING CO.

1733 Nicholson St. S., Prince George

DeadfallBrewing.com

SMITHERS BREWING CO.

3832 3rd Ave., Smithers

SmithersBrewing.com

THREE RANGES BREWING CO.

1160 5th Ave., Valemount

ThreeRanges.com

TRENCH BREWING & DISTILLING

399 2nd Ave., Prince George

TrenchBrew.ca

FOX MOUNTAIN BREWING CO.

215 Donald Rd., Williams Lake

FoxMountainBeer.com

URSA MINOR BREWING

45261 Ootsa Lake Rd. E., Burns Lake

UrsaMinorBrewing.ca

MIGHTY PEACE BREWING CO.

10128 95th Ave., Fort St. John

MightyPeaceBrewing.ca

SHERWOOD MOUNTAIN BREWHOUSE

101 - 4816 Hwy. 16 West, Terrace

SherwoodMountain.beer

WHEELHOUSE BREWING CO.

217 1st Ave. E., Prince Rupert

WheelhouseBrewing.com

DOMINION CIDER CO.

10216 Gould Ave. | DominionCider.com

Named after Summerland’s former Dominion Experimental Farm, famous for work in apple breeding, Dominion Cider keeps the spirit of experimentation alive with its innovative ciders.

SUMMERLAND HERITAGE CIDER CO.

3113 Johnson St. | SummerlandCider.com

From growing to pressing and fermenting, everything at Summerland Heritage is seriously branch to bottle! Visit the barn this season and take advantage of the new lounge license!

PORTER’S DRY HERITAGE CIDER

Availability: Year-round Availability: Seasonal

BOWEN CIDER HOUSE

1125 Grafton Rd. | BowenCiderHouse.ca

RILEY’S CIDERY

620 Laura Rd. | RileysCider.com

Riley’s boasts one of the most diverse orchards in North America with more than 950 apple varieties growing on their farm. SEYMOUR

This family owned and run orchard-based craft cidery produces small batch ciders using heritage apples hand picked from its orchards.

SUNDAY CIDER

1632 Sunshine Coast Hwy. | SundayCider.com

SOMA CRAFT CIDERY

4485 Sallows Rd. | SomaCidery.com

Before making the jump to the Sunshine Coast, Sunday Cider was making craft cider in East Van from 2014-2019, making them the city’s first proper cidery.

TWICE IS NICE–SYRAH CIDER/SPARKLING WINE HYBRID

Soma blends tradition and imagination to produce exceptional cider made from 100% fresh pressed apples that’s naturally gluten-free with no artificial flavours or sugar added.

Availability: Year-round

Availability: Year-round

Availability: Seasonal Availability: Seasonal

WARDS CIDER

2287 Ward Rd. | WardsHardCider.com

NORTHYARDS CIDER CO.

3181 11 Ave. NE, Salmon Arm

Specializing in small-lots and traditional ciders with a modern flair, all Wards ciders are crafted from heirloom cider apples grown on their family farm.

Northyards’ 117-year-old 29-acre orchard is right in the Salmon Arm city limits and is currently transitioning to organic farming.

TUTTI FRUTTI MODERN SEMI-DRY Availability:

SUMMERLAND SUMMERLAND

MILLIONAIRES’ ROW CIDER CO.

14113 Dale Meadows Rd. | MillionairesRowCider.com

NOMAD CIDER

8011 Simpson Rd. | NomadCider.ca

Each bottle of handcrafted cider is made with apples from this 100+ year-old orchard and tells a part of the inspiring story of Summerland’s early days.

HOP ON BOARD HOPPED CIDER

Availability: Year-round

MAKIN’ A MINT

Availability: Year-round

NOMAD’s picnic area is a great place to unwind and enjoy orchard-grown ciders or eat some in-house smoked meats from their food stand.

SEMI-DRY MODERN

Availability: Year-round

Availability: Year-round

JUNCTION ORCHARD & CIDERY

273 Prospect Lake Rd. | JunctionVictoria.com

THE BRICKER CIDER COMPANY

6642 Norwest Bay Rd., Sechelt BrickersCider.com

This eight-acre orchard near Prospect Lake offers delicious ciders and bucolic bliss just minutes from downtown Victoria.

COFFEE CIDER NEW WORLD

HOPPED CIDER

HOPPED NEW WORLD CIDER

AFFINITY CIDERHOUSE

5155 Samuel Rd., Duncan AffinityCider.com

BURTON CITY CIDER

5470 BC-6 , Burton BurtonCityCider.ca

CAMBIUM CIDER CO.

4667 E. Vernon Rd., Vernon CambiumCider.com

CEDAR CIDER

340 184 St., Surrey CedarCider.ca

BANDITRY CIDER

538 Pratt Rd., Gibsons BanditryCider.com

CIDERWORKS

529 Fulford-Ganges Rd., Salt Spring Island SaltSpringAppleCompany.com/Ciderworks

BC TREE FRUITS CIDER CO.

880 Vaughan Ave., Kelowna BCTreeFruitsCider.com

CLIFFSIDE CIDER

103-37760 2 Ave., Squamish CliffsideCider.com

CREEK & GULLY CIDER

1053 Poplar Grove Rd., Penticton CreekAndGully.com

GREENHILL CIDER

55 Dunlevy Ave., Vancouver GreenhillCider.com

DEAD END CIDER

620 Sumac Rd., Cawston ForbiddenFruitWine.com

HOWLING MOON CRAFT CIDER

7952 BC-97, Oliver HowlingMoon.ca

FARMSTRONG CIDER CO.

4305 Maw Rd., Armstrong FarmstrongCider.com

KOOTENAY CIDER WORKS

1638 Granite Rd., Nelson KootenayCiderWorks.com

FRASER VALLEY CIDER CO.

22128-16th Ave., Langley

FraserValleyCider.ca

LA PETITE ABEILLE CIDER

1085 Fleet Rd., Penticton LPACider.com

GABBIE’S PREMIUM CIDER

1120 Coats Dr., Gabriola Island

GabbiesCider.com

LAKE BOTTOM CIDER

4490 Boundary Rd., Chilliwack LakeBottomCider.com

GEO CIDER CO.

318-1201 Commercial Way, Squamish

GeoCider.com

LEFT FIELD CIDER CO.

Mamit Lake Rd., Logan Lake LeftFieldCider.com

MERRIDALE CIDERY & DISTILLERY

1230 Merridale Rd., Cobble Hill Merridale.ca

THE NARAMATA CIDER COMPANY

2370 Aikins Loop, Naramata NaramataCider.com

SCENIC ROAD CIDER CO.

770 Packinghouse Rd., Kelowna ScenicRoadCider.com

SEA CIDER FARM & CIDERHOUSE

2487 Mt. St. Michael Rd., Saanichton SeaCider.ca

ORCHARD HILL ESTATE CIDERY

3480 Fruitvale Way, Osoyoos

OrchardHillCidery.com

SHUSWAP CIDER CO.

#100-2090 10 Ave. SW, Salmon Arm | ShuswapCider.com

RAVEN’S MOON CRAFT CIDER

4905 Darcy Rd, Courtenay

RavensMoonCraftCider.ca

RUSTIC ROOTS WINERY & CIDERY

2238 Hwy. 3, Cawston

HarkersOrganicsRusticRoots.com

SALT SPRING WILD CIDER

151 Sharp Rd., Salt Spring Island

SaltSpringWildCider.com

TAVES ESTATE CIDERY

333 Gladwin Rd., Abbotsford

TavesFamilyFarms.com/Hard-Cider

UPSIDE CIDERY

2555 Gale Rd., Kelowna UpsideCider.com

TONY’S CRAFT CIDERY

6167 Hwy. 6, Coldstream

TonysCraftCidery.com

VALLEY CIDER COMPANY

7661 Mays Rd., Duncan ValleyCider.com

TRUCK 59 CIDER HOUSE

3887 Brown Rd., West Kelowna

Truck59Cider.com

VICTORIA CIDER CO.

9635 W. Saanich Rd., North Saanich | VictoriaCiderCo.ca

TWIN ISLAND CIDER

5601 Lupin Rd., Pender Island

TwinIslandCider.com

WINDFALL CIDER

250 Esplanade E., North Vancouver WindfallCider.ca

TWISTED HILLS CRAFT CIDER

2080 Ritchie Dr., Cawston

TwistedHills.ca

UNTANGLED CRAFT CIDER

725 Mackenzie Rd., Cawston

UntangledCider.ca

WOODWARD CIDER CO.

5505 Westsyde Rd., Kamloops WoodwardCiderCo.ca

BEER GROUND TO THE

It seems like the pandemic and economic conditions have led to a slowdown in new brewery development, but there still are several breweries in the works that we expect will open in the next year so.

BOLTAGE BREWING

Squamish (2023) is is a new venture from the owner of Streetcar Brewing in North Vancouver. Boltagebrewing.com

CONNECTOR BREWING

West Kelowna (2023) Look for this new spot to open in the fall or winter. What makes it unique is that its kitchen menu will be entirely vegan. Connectorbrewing.com

HOUSE OF LAGER

Squamish (2024) is o shoot of House of Funk Brewing was announced in an Instagram post back in September. Instagram.com/houseo ager

JORDAN RIVER BREWING

Jordan River (spring 2024) Construction is beginning on this gorgeous new facility that will de nitely become a destination brewery close to Juan de Fuca Provincial Park on the way to Port Renfrew.

JordanRiverBrewery.com

POST & ROW BREWING

Dawson Creek (2023) is popular taphouse has been working on adding its own brewery for quite a while now, but it’s looking more and more promising that they will be able to brew beer there some time this summer.

Postandrow.ca

THREE LAKES BREWING

Kelowna (2023) Founded by three women, this brewery was originally planned for Lake Country but has now nalized a location in the Airport Business Park across the highway from the Kelowna Airport. Watch their social media for regular progress reports.

reelakesbrewing.com

LONG-TERM WATCH LIST: 2 Dads Brewing (Victoria), BREWHA Brewing (Victoria), Citizen Brewing (Kelowna), Everyday Brewing (Nanaimo), Hudson Brewhouse & Distillery (Victoria), Lumberjack Brewing (Grand Forks), Trailhead Brewery (Cranbrook) j

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

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