The Growler BC • Volume 9 Issue 2 • Fall/Winter 2023

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Gail Nugent gnugent@thegrowler.ca

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Rob Mangelsdorf editor@thegrowler.ca

LISTINGS EDITORS

Rob Mangelsdorf

Joe Wiebe

PRODUCTION & DESIGN MANAGER

Tara Ra q tara@thegrowler.ca

COVER ILLUSTRATION

Lea Linin

COMICS

John Heim

SOCIAL MEDIA

Kristina Mameli

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Main Contact sales@thegrowler.ca

Alison Clay aclay@glaciermedia.ca

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Craig Sweetman (Newsstand)

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Copyright © e Growler 2023

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OUR CONTRIBUTORS

MATT CAVERS

Matt once dreamed of being an academic. But in 2013, he quit his PhD 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 awardwinning homebrewer, cider and mead maker. Find his beer reviews at Beer Me BC.

NO Ë LLE PHILLIPS

Noëlle has a PhD in medieval literature from UBC and published her rst 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 e Growler Ontario, head of the Beer Certi cate at Toronto's George Brown College, author of ve 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 a cionado” to her resumé.

JOE WIEBE

Based in Victoria, B.C., Joe is the author of Craft Beer Revolution: e 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 Vancouver-based 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

THE GROWLIES

Check out the winners of The Growler’s 2023

Craft Beer and Cider Awards by Joe Wiebe

WILD WEST

Meet the B.C. breweries venturing into wild, sour, and aged beers by Noëlle Phillips

STYLE SNAPSHOT

A guide to the sessionable yet contemplative ESB. by Jordan St. John

AN EMBARRASSMENT OF RICHES

Explore the Okanagan cider scene with our writer, who discovers that maybe, just maybe, there can be too much of a good thing.

by Matt Cavers

BREWER VS BREWER: THE CIDERMAKERS EDITION

The Growler chats with Matt Cavers of Banditry Cider and Nick Farrer of The Bricker Cider Co.

BOARD GAMES AND BEER

Tabletop board games and craft beer go hand in hand.

by Joe Wiebe

ALL OF THE FLAVOUR, BUT NONE OF THE GLUTEN

All across the province, craft brewers are using new and creative techniques to offer gluten-free and gluten-reduced offerings.

by Ted Child

R ECIPE: BEER AND CHEESE POT

This recipe with locally-sourced ingredients pairs great with Spinnakers Jolly Hopper Imperial 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

CRAFT BEER GLOSSARY

For non-geeks and beginners.

Joe Wiebe photo

Legend Breweries by Region

THOMPSON

KOOTENAYS

NORTHERN

CIDERIES

Brewery Details

growlie goes to... And The

Here are the winners of the 2023 Growler craft Beer & Cider Awards

There are several different beer award programs B.C. breweries can submit their beers to for adjudication. Around the time this issue comes out, I will be in Niagara Falls tasting beers as part of the judging panel for the Canada Beer Cup, which was launched last year by the Canadian Craft Brewers Association. Of course, the Canadian Brewing Awards have been around for a long time already, and the B.C. Beer Awards are another important measuring stick, especially since that competition only considers beer from our province.

But The Growlies are different. First of all, the breweries do not get to choose which beers to submit, nor can they decide not to enter, which

is what often happens with formal competitions. Essentially, every beer produced in B.C. has a chance to win. First, our diverse panel of beer experts narrows down the list from all the thousands of beers produced by B.C. breweries into categories with no more than 10 nominations to choose from. (Thanks, especially, to Matthew Poirier for coordinating this part of the process.) And then comes the part that really makes The Growlies special. You get to decide who wins!

Thank you, dear reader, for doing your part and voting for your favourite beers. And congratulations to the winners! The results certainly speak for themselves.

—Joe Wiebe

BEST BEER IN B.C.

| 1 | Driftwood Brewery // Fat Tug IPA

| 2 | La Cerveceria Astilleros // Salted Lime Lager

| 3 | Camp Beer Co. // Upstream Pale Ale

| HM | Superflux Beer Co. // Colour & Shape IPA

BEST BREWERY IN B.C.

| 1 | Camp Beer Co.

| 2 | Twin City Brewing Co.

| 3 | Field House Brewing

BEST NEW BREWERY

(opened between June 1, 2022 and June 1, 2023)

| 1 | Small Gods Brewing Co.

| 2 | Sidekick Brewing

| 3 | Rusted Rake Brewing

| HM | Rewind Beer Co.

BEST LIGHT LAGER

| 1 | Four Winds Brewing // Hüftgold Pilsner

| 2 | Cannery Brewing // Lakeboat Lager

| 3 | Farm Country Brewing // German Pilsner

BEST LIGHT ALE

| 1 | Four Winds Brewing // Vélo

| 2 | Persephone Brewing Co. // Pale Ale

| 3 | Dageraad Brewing // Burnabarian

BEST DARK LAGER

| 1 | Camp Beer Co. // Dark Lager

| 2 | Twin City Brewing Co. // Dissumulator Doppelbock

| 3 | Abandoned Rail Brewing // Märzen

BEST DARK ALE

| 1 | Hoyne Brewing Co. // Dark Matter

| 2 | Crannóg Ales // Back Hand of God Stout

| 3 | Cannery Brewing // Heist Maple Stout

BEST FRUIT BEER

| T-1 | La Cerveceria Astilleros // El Valle Salado Salted Lime Lager

| T-1 | Twin Sails Brewing // Would Crush

| 2 | Sooke Oceanside Brewery // Patio Lanterns Apricot Ale

| 3 | Tin Whistle Brewing Co. // Peach Cream Ale

BEST WHEAT ALE

| 1 | 33 Acres Brewing Co. // 33 Acres of Sunshine

| 2 | Phillips Brewing Co. // Solaris Peach Ale

| 3 | Strange Fellows Brewing // Jongleur Wit

CANNERY BREWING CANNERY BREWING

SILVER – Best Light Lager // Lakeboat Lager

BRONZE – Best Dark Ale // Heist Maple Stout

Best Imperial Ale // Kindling Imperial Stout

Unsung Hero of Craft Beer

I’ve been visiting Penticton annually each spring to judge beers at the Okanagan Fest of Ale since 2012. Throughout that time it has been a real pleasure to watch the beer community grow and prosper in this beautiful small city on the southern shore of Okanagan Lake. Of all the breweries there, I have always enjoyed the strongest connection with the folks at Cannery Brewing.

Founded in 2000 by Ron and Patt Dyck, who previously ran the Country Squire restaurant in Naramata, it has always been a family affair—their son Ian grew up at the brewery and now helps manage the business with his parents and business partner Ross Thompson. Indeed, Cannery has always treated its staff like a family, which is reflected in how long many of the staff members have been there.

Of the many awards this brewery has won over the years, being acknowledged as an Unsung Hero might be the most apt. Cannery acts like a parent to the younger crowd of breweries that have opened in Penticton over the last decade. Always generous and supportive, the brewery has worked hard to help raise Penticton’s brewing community to ever-higher levels. Their beer lineup is top-notch, too, with a range of classic and cutting-edge styles that you can find in stores throughout the province. But don’t just try the beer—plan to visit in person. You won’t be disappointed.

—Joe Wiebe

Photo by @coryransom

CAMP BEER CO. CAMP BEER CO.

year’s Growlies, the BC Ale Trail’s Best Brewery Experience, and Best Taproom at the BC Beer Awards. The word has obviously spread beyond the beer-crazy community of Langley because now Camp Beer Co. can also lay claim to the Growlie for the Best Brewery in B.C. Congratulations!

GOLD – Best Brewery in B.C.,

Best Dark Lager // Dark Lager

Best Branding and Packaging

SILVER – Best Brewery or Cidery Tasting Room

BRONZE – Best Beer in BC // Upstream Pale Ale Best Food Program

Since opening just before the arrival of the pandemic, Camp Beer Co. has worked hard to establish itself as an important member of the community in Langley. Its beautiful tasting room and spacious outdoor patio helped develop a huge local following, earning the brewery some major awards along the way: Best Tasting Room in last

BEST BELGIAN-STYLE ALE

| 2 | Dog Mountain Brewing // BEES!

| 3 | Dageraad Brewing // Amber

BEST SOUR ALE

Camp Beer Co. was founded by Dave Henry and Kevin Larsen, two friends who brewed beer together as part of the local Full Barrel Homebrew Club and spent their spare time visiting breweries all over the Lower Mainland. On one of those brewery tours they connected with another beer lover, Jamie Schreder, who would become their business partner in opening this brewery.

| 1 | Île Sauvage Brewing // Raspberry Sour

| 2 | Twin City Brewing Co. // Vanishing Act Pineapple Coconut Sour

| 3 | Townsite Brewing // White Peach Gose

BEST WEST COAST IPA

| 1 | Driftwood Brewery // Fat Tug IPA

| 3 | Four Winds Brewing // Greg IPA

The Growlie Award-winning branding is all about celebrating their love of the great outdoors — enjoying a beer while sitting around a campfire or playing cards at a picnic table. It’s easy to enjoy the outdoors at the brewery thanks to the tasting room’s roll-up doors and the big south-facing, dog-friendly outdoor patio. Customers are encouraged to enjoy their beer outside, rain or shine, sitting around the fire on the patio just as they would while camping. Speaking of beer, the lineup has something for everyone, and Camp’s kitchen will keep your appetite satisfied while you sip those delicious beers.

Sponsored content

BEST EAST COAST/HAZY IPA

| 1 | Brassneck Brewery // Stockholm Syndrome

| 2 | Superflux Beer Co. // Craft Beer is Dead IPA

|

BEST SPECIALTY IPA

—Joe Wiebe

| 1 | Superflux Beer Co. // Colour & Shape IPA | 2 | Small Gods Brewing Co. // Promised Land Hazy

| 3 | Category 12 Brewing // Juicy Data IPA

| 1 | Four Winds Brewing // Juxtapose Wild IPA

| 2 | Twin City Brewing Co. // Chromograph Cold IPA

BEST IMPERIAL ALE

3 | Brassneck Brewery // Unconventional Wisdom

| 1 | Tofino Brewing Co. // Cosmic Wave IIPA

| 2 | Vancouver Island Brewing // Hermannator

Ice Bock

| 3 | Cannery Brewing // Kindling Imperial Stout

Contributed photo

|

BEST WEIRD BEER

| 1 | Whistler Brewing Co. // Hello Limoncello Radler

| 2 | Small Gods Brewing Co. // Sea of Tranquility

Smoked Dulse Stout

3 | Loveshack Libations // Date with a Dynasty Ancient Ale

BEST B.C. COLLAB

| 1 | Backcountry Brewing & Field House Brewing // Mai Tai Sour

| 2 | Small Gods Brewing Co. & Boomtown Burritos // Bruja Tajin & Lime Cerveza

|

3 | Whistle Buoy Brewing Co. & Nonny // Little Galaxy Hazy IPA

BEST LOW ALCOHOL BEER OR CIDER

| 1 | Parallel 49 Brewing Co. // Tricycle Radler

| 2 | Steel & Oak Brewing Co. // Easy Lime Pilsner

| 3 | Superflux Beer Co. // Experimental Non-Alcoholic IPA #37 with Citra

UNSUNG HERO

(brewery outside of Metro Vancouver/Victoria)

| 1 | Twin City Brewing Co., Port Alberni

| 2 | Dog Mountain Brewing, Port Alberni

| 3 | Cannery Brewing, Penticton

CIDERY OF THE YEAR

| 1 | The Bricker Cider Co.

| 2 | Banditry Cider

| 3 | Sea Cider Farm & Ciderhouse

BEST NEW CIDERY

(opened between June 1 2022 and June 1 2023)

| 1 | Victoria Cider Co.

BEST NEW WORLD CIDER

| 1 | Nomad Cider // Apple Cider

| 2 | Windfall Cider // Joyride

| 3 | Howling Moon Craft Cider // Cucumber Mint Cider

BEST OLD WORLD CIDER

| 1 | Sea Cider Farm & Ciderhouse // Flagship

| 2 | Merridale Cidery & Distillery // Scrumpy

| 3 | Salt Spring Wild Cider // Ancestral Style Pet Nat

BEST SPECIALTY CIDER

| 1 | Sea Cider Farm & Ciderhouse // Rum Runner

| 2 | Fraser Valley Cider Co. // Peach Bellini

|

3 | Merridale Cidery & Distillery // Mo’moro

DOG MOUNTAIN BREWING DOG MOUNTAIN BREWING

SILVER – Best Belgian-Style Ale // BEES! Unsung Hero of Craft Beer

You know, if I ever had to move away from Victoria, Port Alberni might just be at the top of my list of destinations. Its location at the heart of Vancouver Island makes it close to everywhere else—heck, you have to drive through Port Alberni to get to Tofino. And it’s always the Island’s hot spot when they announce the weather on the radio. Most importantly, this small community has three great breweries, including Dog Mountain Brewing, which may not be quite as well known as it should be. Hopefully, winning awards like this will help get it some more attention.

Founders Andy Richards and Robin Miles decided to move to Vancouver Island from Edmonton with the goal of opening their own brewery. Robin had a biological science degree from the University of Alberta where she managed a yeast biotechnology lab. When they moved to B.C. she took SFU’s Craft Beer and Brewing Essentials course and then got her feet wet at Russell Brewing before they moved to Port Alberni to build the brewery. Since launching Dog Mountain, Andy and Robin brew as a team—Andy's thirst for new styles is what keeps their beer menu changing regularly.

Dog Mountain’s best attribute has to be its massive, dog-friendly, rooftop patio, which boasts stellar sunset views of the Alberni Valley and the Alberni Inlet. It will likely be the first thing that gets your attention when you visit the brewery, but the beer and food will be what keeps you coming back.

—Joe Wiebe

Craft

Dog Mountain Brewing photo

GOLD – Best New Brewery

SMALL GODS BREWING SMALL GODS BREWING

SILVER – Best East Coast/Hazy IPA // Promised

Land Hazy

Best Weird Beer // Sea of Tranquility

Smoked Dulse Stout

Best B.C. Collab // Bruja Tajin & Lime

Cerveza (with Boomtown Burritos)

Sidney is a beautiful, seaside town that is very popular with book lovers thanks to the excellent independent bookstores there. Although it used to feel mired in the past with an aging population and no craft breweries, young families are moving there in droves now, and — hooray! — it has two breweries. First on the scene was Beacon Brewing, which opened in 2021, and then, just two doors down in the same development, Small Gods Brewing opened its doors last year.

Small Gods has quickly become one of my favourite places to visit — especially by bicycle. It’s a good distance from Victoria (30 km), but the Lochside Trail up the Saanich Peninsula is mostly flat, and if I really push it, I can make it door to door in an hour and 15 minutes. My reward is a “Slow Pour” Neverending Pilsner. It takes some time to make it from the tap to my lips, but it is worth the wait. Follow it up with one of Small Gods’ delicious deli sandwiches, made to order on buns baked fresh on site every day, and that makes

BEST BREWERY/CIDERY

ROOM

1 | The Bricker Cider Co.

2 | Camp Beer Co.

3 | Field House Brewing

BEST FOOD PROGRAM

1 | Twin City Brewing Co.

2 | Rusted Rake Brewing

3 | Camp Beer Co.

BEST BRANDING/PACKAGING

1 | Camp Beer Co.

2 | Backcountry Brewing

3 | Field House Brewing

Facebook.com/ SmallGodsBrewing photo

for an epic lunch, the perfect fuel for my return ride home.

1 | Barley’s Homebrewing Supplies

| That Homebrew Shop

3 | Centennial Homebrewing Supplies

BEST LOCAL HOMEBREWING STORE

Sponsored content

The brewery was founded by Chris Bjerrisgaard, well known from his days on the marketing side of things at Parallel 49 and Vancouver Island Brewing, and brewer Jonny Kostiuk who made a name for himself at Deep Cove before teaming up with Chris. The two, along with the rest of their team, ensure that everything at Small Gods is thought through completely and done properly — first and foremost the beer and food, but also, importantly, the company’s vision of inclusivity, accessibility and stewardship. Plan a visit, and take time for the slow pour and a sandwich. You won’t be disappointed.

—Joe Wiebe

2 | The Magnet

| The Alibi Room

BEST CRAFT BEER/CIDER BAR

| The Barley Merchant Taproom & Kitchen

T-3 | The Drake Eatery & Craft Beer Parlour

BEST CRAFT BEER/CIDER RETAIL STORE

| Brewery Creek Cold Beer & Wine

| Cascadia Liquor

| Jak’s Beer Wine Spirits

BEST CRAFT BEER/CIDER EVENT

| Okanagan Fest of Ale

| Great Canadian Beer Festival

3 | Brewhalla (various) j

Thank you to everyone who voted in the 2023 Growlies!

Craft Beer & Cider Awards

COSMIC WAVE DOUBLE IPA

Join us on a transcendental journey free from the shackles of physical existence and beyond the known realms of consciousness. Let your mind’s eye guide you to the astral planes of extrasensory non-being where we will collectively ride the cosmic waves of unity deep inside the endless barrel of the infinite void. Also, this is a strong, hoppy beer.

BMeet the B.C. breweries venturing into wild, sour, and aged beers

Noëlle Phillips

ack in the 1990s, B.C. beer drinkers were just getting used to a newfangled thing called a “microbrewery,” and were shocked by some crazy new styles—like the India Pale Ale. 25 years later, IPA is standard and beer drinkers are still looking for new flavours.

Today, some of B.C.’s most cutting-edge craft beers are actually traditional styles, like saisons, oud bruins, and lambics. These styles are, according to Garrett Oliver’s Oxford Companion to Beer, part of “a brave new world of beer flavor.” The two

main categories are “sour beer,” which is any beer brewed with acidifying bacteria, and “wild beer,” which describes “beer that displays the earth characteristics of Brettanomyces yeast, regardless of whether the beer is a light golden ale or a strong dark stout.” The bacteria, the wild yeast, and the aging all contribute to the unique quality of a wild or sour beer.

Recognizing a demographic eager for these styles, some breweries are now specializing in them. So take a walk on the wild side and visit one of B.C.’s wild beer breweries!

Beva Brewing and Blending North Vancouver

B.C.'s newest wild/sour brewery will be opening in Fall 2023 on Pemberton Avenue in North Vancouver. Brewer Octavio Pauley and his wife Morgan Miller, a certified Cicerone, are ready for the challenge of opening a craft brewery that focuses on wild and blended beers.

“I think it’s probably every brewer’s dream to start their own brewery, and I was lucky enough to have friends to support me,” says Pauley, referring to his business partners. While spending years brewing at home, then for R&B, Dogwood, Studio, and others, Pauley had his own brewery plans in mind. And he knew that wild, mixed-ferment beers were what he’d pursue.

Beva will have beers for all tastes, but its specialty will be wild and sour styles. When the taproom first opens, lagers, IPAs, and some fresh mixed-fermentation saisons will be pouring. As

Certified Cicerone Morgan Miller and her husband Octavio Pauley focus on wild and blended beers at North Vancouver's Beva Brewing and Blending. Noëlle Phillips photo

the months go by, more aged and sour beers will be available. Pauley has a stock of barrels, some for souring and some for developing the wild flavours. His passion is blending beers from different barrels to create different taste profiles. “One of my goals is to make more lambic-style beers,” says Pauley. “I see myself eventually making gueuze, which is produced by blending one, two, and three-year-old [lambic] beers together.”

House of Funk North Vancouver

North Vancouver’s other aged/wild brewery, House of Funk, is excited to have Beva join the community. House of Funk founder Darren Hollett opened his brewery in 2019, after years of longing for more funky, wild beers in the market. House of Funk focuses on mixed fermentation styles and offers local organic coffee as well.

“Lots of breweries have things like a porter, blonde ale, kolsch, IPA,” says Hollett. “Nothing wrong with those, but if you want to be unique you have to specialize.” Hollett makes sure his brewery stands out by following one main rule: each beer must either spend time in wood, or be made with a wild yeast like Brettanomyces, or a bacteria like lactobacillus.

To keep up with demand, they brew efficiently. About 80-90 barrels are going at a time, and five large foeders age golden sour stock continually, receiving top-ups of fresh wort to feed their living yeast. Each foeder has a unique flavour profile, opening up all sorts of blending possibilities. The priority is to balance acidity (the sour) with funkiness (the wild). “It’s a bit of an art,” Hollett laughed.

House of Funk still offers more recognizable styles like pilsners and pale ales, although they’re tweaked to follow the brewery’s main rule.

Interested in trying House of Funk? If you like tart beers, Hollett recommends the Cydonia Golden Sour aged on Saltspring Island quince. If you like funky, go with Loki, a foeder-fermented West Coast IPA with wood character and dank bitter notes.

Wild Ambition Brewing

Kelowna

Mitchell Kehoe and Theresa Cashen took their passion for traditional European beer styles from the East Coast to the West Coast. When Kehoe started making sours, saisons, and fruit beers at their home in Halifax, the couple realized that they might be able to do something more. Cashen had business know-how and Kehoe had a product they could sell. What was next?

Cashen’s family was in Kelowna, a hotbed of fruit, vineyards, and wine barrels—all useful to their brewery concept. Kelowna only had three breweries when they started planning, and eight when they finally opened their doors in 2018. Wild Ambition was offering something unique in a market that was about to explode.

All of Wild Ambition's beers are barrel-aged, with many of the barrels sourced from neighbouring Okanagan wineries. Noëlle Phillips photo

Unsurprisingly, House of Funk in North Vancouver specializes in funky beers. Instagram.com/HouseOfFunkBrewing

The brewery quickly became popular; the couple found that Wild Ambition’s local character appealed to the locals. “We wanted to do beer with a sense of place,” says Cashen. “We emulate styles that were cottage industry, rural styles that depended on what ingredients were on hand. It felt right to do a modern interpretation of that.”

As Wild Ambition’s popularity increases, Kehoe continues his beer research. “Really, you’re making beer the way it was 120 years ago!” he laughs. His current favourite style is oud bruin, a wild Flemish ale. He plays with it, adding local ingredients and adjusting the tartness. It’s his approach to most beer: learn how it was traditionally done, then have a little fun. When you visit, make sure you ask them about your beer’s story—there’s always more to it!

Temporal Artisan Ales

East Vancouver

Tristan Stewart may not have a brewery, but he’s created some of the most popular aged and wild beers in the Lower Mainland. Using other breweries’ equipment and licensing, he’s managed to develop his own program of aging and blending beers. Word-of-mouth, private liquor store contracts, and pop-up sales soon built his reputation.

Stewart currently brews his aged and strong beers at East Vancouver’s at Container Brewing (the aged/strong beers) and his wild and sour beers at House of Funk (the wild or sour beers, sold

We wanted to do beer with a sense of place.

— Theresa Cashen, Wild Ambition Brewing

through Slow Hand). All told, he usually has about 80 barrels going at once, which gives him a choice of what to blend—and when. “Time is important for developing complexity,” Stewart says.

“I spend a lot of time tasting through the barrels and making sure everything is proceeding nicely. Leather, funky, earthy—they can blend well with a sour beer that might be more simple otherwise.”

Unlike many breweries, Stewart uses pediococcus, an aggressive souring bacteria, in some of his beers. He managed to propagate his strain using a bottle from Cantillon—a famous Belgian brewery. “I have a good network of beer nerd friends!” Stewart laughs. “I can access some unusual beers.”

Some new beers from Temporal’s sour/wild program are being released in the coming months. One to look forward to is Spectral Rhubarb, a saison-style blend of barrel-aged beers, fermented with fresh organic rhubarb and gentian root.

I ^ le Sauvage Brewing

Victoria

“Île Sauvage” means “wild island,” a nod to the Vancouver Island home of this Victoria brewery. Founder Stephane Turcotte brings his expertise as an Advanced Cicerone to Île Sauvage, which he opened in 2018 with two friends.

Île Sauvage has been famous for its sour and wild Belgian styles since day one. “We generally choose stuff that’s a little bit funkier or wild with a lot of different strains that a lot of other breweries don’t use which we’re excited about because it helps us drive flavour,” said Turcotte in a 2019 interview with the Victoria News. Even if customers have never tried a sour or wild beer before, Turcotte urges them to come in and give it a shot. “We’re pretty confident there will be one beer that you’ll really like.” So if you find yourself in Victoria, or near any of B.C.’s growing number of breweries specializing in wild, sour, or barrel-aged beer, make sure to stop by for a flight! j

Tristan Stewart’s Temporal Ales proves you don’t even need your own brewery to make exceptional barrel-aged beers. Facebook.com/Temporal Ales photo

A guide to the sessionable yet contemplative

by Jordan St. John

WHAT IS IT?

A top-fermented ale just that's little bit stronger and darker than a typical pub-strength English Bitter, among the stronger offerings from English breweries, but average for American craft beer.

DANGER LEVEL

Expensive pub session possible GLASS Nonic pint

STYLE STATS

ABV 4.6-6.2% IBU 30-50

COLOUR Gold to dark amber

BODY Medium full BUBBLES Somewhat sedate (on cask)

ORIGIN STORY

In the 1970s, Fuller's wanted to break out and make something Special. Extra Special. Their ESB, the progenitor of the style, was nearly a full percent stronger than their other offerings and was a winter seasonal. Although Fuller's ESB still exists, it is not considered a modern ESB as American brewers somewhat simplified the complexity of the malt bill in favour of toasted malt verging into dried fruit and toffee.

WHY DOES IT TASTE LIKE MARMALADE?

DRINK WITH

A Scotch egg Lentil and mushroom pie

An entire platter of fried whitebait

The British, in their infinite wisdom, have doubled up the flavours of beer and teatime, using English hops like East Kent Goldings and Slovenian hops like Styrian Goldings to create notes of orange pith, orange pekoe tea, and the gentle greenery of hedgerows that layer above honey, biscuits, toasted bread, treacle, and currants. Think of it as the long, dark teatime of the beer world.

SIX MUST-TRY B.C. ESB

1

2

3

5

6 Mitchell's ESB (cask-conditioned), Spinnakers Brewpub

Blood Alley ESB, Russell Brewing

4

Old Bitch Bitter, Angry Hen Brewing Silver Valley's The Lion ESB won a gold medal at the 2022 Canada Beer Cup!

The Lion ESB, Silver Valley Brewing Extra Special Bitter, Callister Brewing Naughty Hildegard ESB, Driftwood Brewery

—Beer

Wiebe

picks by Joe

An embarrassment of riches

Matt Cavers explores the Okanagan cider scene and discovers that maybe, just maybe, there can be too much of a good thing.

by Matt Cavers

Back in July, I went to the Okanagan for a camping trip with my family, and I thought I’d visit a few cideries while I was out there and write a few words about them for this magazine. Seemed like a simple brief. But as soon as I arrived, I realized that it would be hard to convey just how much the Okanagan is.

Have you been there lately? Then maybe you know what it’s like. For me, it was hard to take it all in at first. One moment, we were driving through lonely ranch land on the way over from Keremeos, and the next, I was staring at a succession of oversaturated images: inner tubes on a canal; RVs packed side-by-side; a Mission Revival-style hotel with a

sign reading “BIENVENIDOS BANDIDOS”; a billboard for a wine-tasting party bus promising a “last fling before the ring!” The Okanagan is party central.

But, more than that, for me, it’s the place that fruit comes from. I’m a cider maker at a Sunshine Coast cidery, and while we and our coastal colleagues grow what fruit we can in our own orchards, the West Coast climate, plus the fact that there just aren’t that many commercial orchards out this way, means we look to the Okanagan for most of our apples. And there they were—row after irrigated row of lush trees. Seeing this many apple trees in one place elevated my pulse a little.

ABOVE: Vacation mode: Chaco sandals and a flight at Summerland’s NOMAD Cider. Matt Cavers photos

En route to Summerland’s NOMAD Cider, we shared the winding rural road here and there with carefree-looking cyclists navigating the local wine-touring route. At one point the road crossed the otherwise-defunct Kettle Valley Railway and an actual steam train rolled by, the carriages laden with railway enthusiasts who, confusingly, waved at us as we waited at the crossing. That’s the Okanagan summer vibe, I guess—you’re so dazzled by the sun and the spectacle of it all that you feel moved to wave at randoms in a blue Mazda sedan.

NOMAD’s picnic area provided some shady respite. We settled at a table underneath the walnut trees and shared a flight, looking across to the rocky bluffs of Giant’s Head Mountain. It’s absurdly picturesque, and the cider is outstanding, particularly the rosé-coloured Geneva—a single-varietal cider made from the Geneva crabapple. NOMAD has earned a reputation for their single-varietal ciders. I’ve tried several, and they’re worth seeking out—cider is often made from a blend of apples and it’s fascinating to taste and smell how a Michelin differs from a Dabinett. But

for me, sipping the Geneva in the picnic area, all I could think of was how strange and wonderful it must be to make cider right in the place where all this fruit grows—to seek out and obtain a whole tank’s worth of the same obscure apple variety from just down the road.

We finished our flight and headed off, dodging more cyclists, and eventually arrived at our second stop, Summerland Heritage Cider, a handsome, high-ceilinged barn between rows of apple trees. Sprinklers misted the orchard and the air, and everything looked intensely green, down to the manicured lawn, where my son immediately began playing with a set of giant Yahtzee dice.

Once again, each of the ciders on the flight was well-executed, especially Tuesday’s Original, a brilliantly balanced semi-dry cider made from a blend of dessert apples and tannic cider apples. While I sipped, I eavesdropped on the conversation taking place at the next table, where a bon viveur was recounting a restaurant meal gone wrong: “the saltiness of the Parmesan overwhelmed it,” he lamented. These were Okanagan problems, and he knew it, too, admitting a second later that “comparison is the thief of joy.” My joy was safe: everything I’d experienced in the Okanagan so far felt so surreal that no comparison felt possible.

LEFT: Rows of irrigated lush apple tress in the Okanagan are the stuff of cider makers' dreams.

Another flight finished, we headed off to our campsite on the side of Lake Okanagan. A day and several swims later, I resumed the mission, venturing past the country mansions of South Kelowna to visit Soma Cidery. “It’s great,” my friend Warren told me. “They have alpacas.”

And they did have alpacas. I took a selfie with one and we hummed greetings to each other. Nothing could surprise me anymore. But the cider beckoned, so I carried on across the manicured picnic area toward the main building. Constructed in a style that I’ll just irresponsibly name “Okanagan maximalism,” Soma is a picturesquely imposing concrete-and-wood edifice housing both a tasting room and a lounge. Inside, however, the staff were nothing but welcoming, and I toasted the alpacas with a tasting glass of their outstanding Hopped Apple Cider, all juice and summer sun and tropical fruit.

Everything about Soma and the other cideries we’d visited had been lovely. Everything was pretty and nothing was out of place. But—and I don’t know what this says about me—I was starting to feel unnerved by how nice everything was. Everywhere I looked could have been a backdrop for an engagement photoshoot. I needed an aesthetic palate cleanser. Also, we were getting hungry, so we turned around, leaving the pastoral landscape behind us, and pulled up to downtown Kelowna’s

TOP: At Summerland Heritage Cider, you can sip cider while your family plays lawn games.

ABOVE: The author with one of Soma Cidery’s resident alpacas. Matt Cavers photos

Jackknife Brewing, where the walls are plastered with pages from Heavy Metal magazine and the chalkboards are written in jagged, runic-looking letters. We ate a pizza called “The Crippler” and I drank a beer called “Judar’s Sword.” The guy seated at the next table was wearing a Brian Eno hat backwards. We were back in the world I knew. Beyond Jackknife’s patio there were rivers to float down on inflatable dinghies, peaches to buy from roadside stands, bon viveurs to eavesdrop on, and many more ciders to drink. Soon I’d be ready to head back out there, but I just needed another moment. j

brewer vs. brewer Cidermaker Cidermaker vs.

by Joe Wiebe

For this edition of Brewer vs. Brewer I talked to two ex-brewers who now make cider: Matt Cavers, cidermaker at Banditry Cider, which placed second in the Growlies for Cidery of the Year (who often writes in these pages himself); and Nick Farrer, founder and cidermaker at e Bricker Cider Co., which won the Growlie for Cidery of the Year as well as for Best Brewery/Cidery Tasting Room.

Both cideries are in the Gibsons area on the Sunshine Coast so Matt and Nick sat down at a table outside on the patio at Banditry and chatted with me via Zoom. I started by asking them how they transitioned from beer to cider.

Nick Farrer: When I moved to Canada 12 years ago [from England] I was working in Alber-

ta in the oil and gas industry. It wasn’t particularly fun, frankly. I realized if I want to spend time with my wife and we’re going to be settling down properly with kids in the future, I should look to do something I’m a bit more passionate about. is was in 2013, 2014, and the industry was starting to really take up then.

So I got a job at Steamworks in Burnaby working on the canning line, just packing cans. I come from an engineering background so I quickly worked my way up to being a brewer there. I worked there three years and in that time I realized that there was this opportunity in the cider market. ere wasn’t much cider going on, and my wife’s family had an old heritage orchard here on the Sunshine Coast, and everything kind of fell together.

Banditry Cider photos

Matt Cavers: I was doing my master's degree in geography when the idea of making beer at home occurred to me, and I got really into it because it was more immediately rewarding than writing papers. I carried on with homebrewing for several years, and I was well into my PhD when a brewing buddy of mine got a job at Persephone as the manager there. He said, “Hey, there’s a job for you there,” and I said, “I don’t think so. I’m getting a PhD!” And then a month went by and I emailed him to ask him for a job.

I was at Persephone for five years. and while there I got involved in their cider program and was happy to get that off the ground. Honestly, I’ve learned everything I know about cider by asking people how it works and having people like Nick on the other end of my phone where I can text him and ask “How do I do this?” And just by doing it.

Joe: What is the main difference between making beer and cider?

Matt: I feel like in the Cider Workshop Google group there are 10 or 12 old guys ready to jump in if someone is unfortunate enough to say, “Hey, I brewed some cider,” to say [in a rustic English accent], “Cider isn’t brewed; cider is made.” [much laughter from both]

Nick: I would say the main difference is more at the growing end. I feel like the emphasis is more on the core, raw product with cider than it is with beer.

Matt: Your apples really determine what kind of thing you’re going to end up with. And apples have a season, obviously, and you can’t store them in silos the way you can store malt. You have to do a lot more forward planning to ensure that you’re going to have juice to put into tanks to satisfy your customers’ needs over the summer.

Nick: I think most other craft cideries make everything just after the pressing season. So from October into January they have big fermenters all full of juice fermenting away, and then it’s packaging season, and then it’s sales season, and then you’re back to picking and pressing again. Frankly, we didn’t have the money to buy massive fermenters so we cold store our juice and use it as we need it so we make it year-round more like a brewery.

Joe: Do you use your own apples?

Matt: Our orchard is fairly small and under development, but the fruit we grow on site I press myself and use it for our most specialty products where the quality of the apples and the uniqueness of the varieties is going to come through. For our core products, I’m using juice from the Okanagan because that's where it’s most economical to get large quantities of juice.

Nick: If we were in the western part of England or in Wales or northern France, we’d be getting amazing cider-varietal juice shipped to us all the time, right?

Matt: I try not to think about that.

Nick: We have two different growers that have cider varietals so we blend cider-specific juice into culinary apple juice because we just can’t get the volume of straight-up cider apple juice.

Joe: Is there a different vibe to the brewery and cidery communities?

Nick: On the Sunshine Coast, if you count Persephone, we have four cideries. And Matt, myself and Persephone being a brewery, are always totally happy to throw ideas at each other. I don’t know if it’s the same outside the Sunshine Coast.

Matt: I’m really curious if it is. I hope it is.

Nick: I know I’ve asked things of people and they can be a little guarded.

Matt: I wouldn’t say in B.C., but chatting with people further afield, there’s been a sense of “I can’t tell you this because this is how I do it.” Which is funny …

Nick: Why would someone from, say, New York State, not want to tell you the thing, right?

Matt: We can’t get their cool apples anyway… I think also cider is closer to the world of winemaking where production is seen as kind of a black art. We don’t share everything because we do things the way, you know, our founder did it three generations ago.

Nick: And yet, it’s way more complex, isn’t it?

Matt: Cidermaking or?

Nick: Beer making. Like the actual production from raw material to—

Matt: Yeah, I suppose so. Is it?

Nick: [sheepishly] I would say so.

Matt: Yeah, I kind of agree. [laughs] We don’t want to come off sounding like making cider is easy.

Nick: Maybe the cider and wine industry are more guarded because people don’t want to let out the secret that it’s not that hard.

Matt: [looks into the camera] So we’re just squeezing stuff into a bucket and letting it ferment. Now you know.

Nick: Not quite 100% true.

Matt: You have to sanitize the bucket.

Nick: That’s the bit people don’t do.

Joe: So do you guys miss brewing? Or is making cider so easy that you don’t want to do a tougher job? [both laugh]

Nick: There’s a little bit of a joke in there, but… When it comes to making your beverage that day you can’t deny that taking malt and putting it in a fermenter at a fermentable temperature is way more complicated than taking apple juice and putting it into a tank and having it start fermenting.

Matt: [Pointing at the orchard in the background] In cidermaking, your mash tun and your

Nick Farrer

kettle are the orchard and the irrigation system and the climate and the sun.

Nick: That’s right. And post-fermentation as well: there’s lots more going on there.

Matt: On the day you brew versus the day you make cider… yeah, there are days when I do feel a little twinge of nostalgia about how good it smells when you mash it in. It’s so good, right?

Nick: Did you ever just grab a bowl and eat it like cereal?

Matt: No, you can’t digest those husks.

Nick: Out of the mash tun, it’s so good. I used to do it all the time.

Matt: Wow, you’d be so regular! No, but I would occasionally fill up a coffee mug of hot, super strong wort just from the Vorlauf, especially if it was a black lager or a smoked beer. Oh my God, I miss that. But I can’t be bothered—there are so many talented people who make beer that I don’t need to.

Nick: There are so many good beers even just on the coast.

Our conversation continued for a while, including a discussion about where else in the world they would love to visit cideries (Québec, England, France, etc.).

Personally, I’d be happy returning to Gibsons—if you’ve never visited Banditry or Brickers, I encourage you to plan a trip to the Sunshine Coast! j

Board Games Board Games

Tabletop board games and craft beer go hand in hand. & Beer

by Joe Wiebe

When I get together with my board gaming buddies, we always share interesting beers with the group. Similarly, it’s not unusual to walk into a craft brewery taproom and find tables filled with folks playing board games while sipping beers. Indeed, some breweries stock their taprooms with games or even stage special games nights.

What about beer-themed board games? Is that even a thing? Yes, in fact it is! Ever since my brother gave me a game called Brew Crafters for my birthday, I have searched for other games with a beer theme or that at least involve beer in a meaningful way—in terms of game mechanics, not drinking beer while you play (i.e. beer pong is out!). Here is a selection of what I have discovered so far.

Brew Crafters

2 to 5 players | Playing time: 90+ minutes

In this fun and challenging game, players run their own craft brewery: collecting ingredients,

managing their workforce, and expanding buildings and equipment to specialize in different beer styles. The goal is to brew a variety of beer styles, earning reputation points for being the first to brew advanced recipes. You can operate as a production brewery or a brewpub, add a farm or a barrel room, or focus on hoppy beers if that’s your jam.

Gamers who know the classic “Eurogame” Agricola will immediately recognize the Market Action board where players place meeples to collect base ingredients (barley, hops, and yeast), along with fruit, coffee or spices for special recipes. Alternatively, you can acquire specialists, form local partnerships or hire a new shift of brewery workers. Then, you can process beer (brew, bottle or sell it), conduct lab research or add new buildings or equipment to your brewery.

Beer geeks who are also tabletop gamers will really enjoy the dynamic of this game. It is defi-

TOP: Brew Crafters in action: Mark and Jordan consider which recipe to brew next.

LEFT: Beer & Bread is an attractive and fun tabletop board game. Joe Wiebe photos

nitely replayable since there are so many different approaches to take.

this a beer-themed game. The little wooden barrels are really cool, though, so that’s a big plus. This is a seriously complex game so I wouldn’t crack it open at the end of a long session of gaming and sampling…

My rating: (3/5)

Clans of Caledonia

1-4 players | 1 to 2 hours

Prepare to speak in a terrible Scottish accent for a couple hours. Clans of Caledonia is an economic game set in 19th century Scotland. Players pick from several different clans that each have certain specialties, including Clan McEwen, who are famous for brewing beer. That said, making whisky is a much bigger component of this game than brewing beer, since every clan can make whisky while only Clan McEwen can make beer.

My rating: (4/5)

Beer & Bread

2 players | Playing time: 30 to 45 minutes

Two neighbouring villages enjoy a playful rivalry brewing beer and baking bread over the course of six years, alternating between fruitful and dry conditions. Beer & Bread employs a card-building mechanism with options to harvest ingredients (wheat, rye, barley, hops and water), upgrade your bakery or brewery, and bake bread or brew beer.

Like many others, the pandemic got me interested in sourdough baking so when I spotted this at my local board game café I was instantly excited. The fact that it is a two-player game was also a positive since I am always looking for games that my teenage son and I can play. It’s relatively easy to learn and fast to play so it is the ideal brewery tasting room game. I like it, but I have noticed that the end of the game can be boring if you run out of things to do with a couple turns left.

My rating: (3/5)

Brass: Birmingham

2 to 4 players | Playing time: 1 to 2 hours

Brass focuses on the industrial revolution in England, and a big component of the game is brewing. However, there is not much to it beyond building breweries and then using the barrels they produce to do other things so it’s difficult to call

My rating: (3/5)

Hallertau

1 to 4 players | Playing time: 1 to 2 minutes

This game, designed by the famed Uwe Rosenberg who created Agricola, is not actually about brewing beer, but I decided to include it because it focuses on the Bavarian village of Hallertau, the centre of Germany’s hop-growing region. Indeed, any home brewer or beer geek should recognize Hallertauer hops as a core ingredient in many traditional beer recipes. I haven’t played it yet, but it looks like a lot of fun, and Rosenberg is one of the gaming world’s most respected designers so it’s probably pretty good.

My rating: N/A

Honourable Mentions

A few more games that have a beer component.

Agricola features a few beer-related cards that I love playing when I get the chance, and really, Agricola is just such a great game that everyone should try it at some point!

7 Wonders Duel is an excellent two-player variant on the popular 7 Wonders theme. My son and I really enjoy it, and I especially like playing the Brewery and Tavern cards.

Viticulture: this is about wine-making, not brewing, but it’s pretty good too! j

All

the flavour, but none of the gluten All the flavour, but none of

the gluten

All across the province, craft brewers are using new and creative techniques to offer gluten-free and gluten-reduced offerings.

by Ted Child

Gluten-free and gluten-reduced beers have now arrived in B.C. in a substantial way. Previously the options for the gluten adverse were limited, specifically for locally-produced beer. But two new gluten-free breweries—Grey Fox in Kelowna and Naito Brewing in Cranbrook—are now giving drinkers some more B.C.-based options. On the gluten-reduced front, Category 12 on Vancouver Island has launched a lineup of beers called Breakthrough. So, who would want a gluten-free beer, anyways?

For starters, those suffering from celiac disease are in the most urgent need for a nice frothy craftbrewed beverage, sans gluten

“It’s actually an autoimmune disease,” explains Chris Neufeld, owner and brewer of Grey Fox, who was diagnosed with celiac disease in 2003. “The disease is triggered by the gluten protein, so even traces of gluten could cause a celiac to be ill for days or weeks.”

This severity of the reaction is the reason both Grey Fox and Naito have committed to guaranteed 100% gluten-free beer.

Other drinkers of gluten-free beer include those who are gluten-intolerant or cannot properly digest gluten, which is different from celiac disease. Another audience would be those people who choose to try to reduce or eliminate gluten intake for dietary reasons. Ray Naito, owner and brewer of Naito Brewing, believes that gluten-free beer can be tasty and “be good for a healthier life.”

Brewing 100% gluten-free beer in a completely gluten-free production facility has significant challenges compared to traditional brewing. Neufeld went into detail regarding sourcing ingredients and subsequent issues. “Obtaining the malt is a problem because it has to be a dedicated gluten-free malthouse. The only place to get it in the

Photo courtesy of Grey Fox Brewing

In a blind taste test, you would be unable to statistically pick these out

—Michael Kuzyk, Category 12 Brewing

whole world is in Colorado.” So already expensive grain has to be imported which “involves food import licences and all kinds of complicated things.”

Due to the many hassles, Grey Fox orders in large quantities which then becomes a shelf-life issue. Neufeld solved this by not having the malt milled at the source thus extending the malt’s shelf life. However, on trying to mill millet, he found that it was so fine-grained that, “it just slid right through the mill.” Fortunately, Apollo Mills based in Saskatoon worked closely with him to come up with a modified mill design that's precise enough for the job.

Consumer education is an uphill battle for many gluten-free brewers. Naito noted that because his beer is made with rice, many assume his beer must taste like a Sapporo or other rice lagers, despite it being on the hoppy side. Alternatively, some celiac sufferers might not know anything about modern craft beer, having little to no personal experience with it. For this reason, Neufeld tries to make his beer as approachable as he can. You don’t need to do something crazy or push the envelope when you are already doing that by brewing gluten-free, he contends. When I asked about beer nerd expectations, Chris noted that when beer lovers try his beer the response is often, “you know, I’ll order another one.”

Further validation came when Grey Fox won a gold medal in the gluten-free category at the Canadian Beer Awards with Quick Witted, a Belgian style wit beer. “I never dreamed in a million years to win an award being this new guy to the industry.”

Michael Kuzyk of Category 12 Brewing has taken a different approach to troublesome gluten. After a good friend was diagnosed with celiac disease and then returned from Europe raving about all the gluten-free options, Kuzyk began researching and quickly realised he had no interest in brewing with alternative grains (such a sorghum or buckwheat), nor did he see a business case. Instead, he decided to use an enzyme called protease to “chop up” the gluten from a traditionally brewed beer. This means that the flavour profile is exactly like Category 12’s other IPAs, pale ales, and pilsners.

“In a blind taste test, you would be unable to statistically pick these out,” Kuzyk says.

In order to ensure safety, Category 12 does rigorous quality assurance testing using the latest technology and processes. Kuzyk points out that in Europe he would be able to call his Breakthru beers “gluten-free,” but Canadian law requires they be called “gluten-reduced.”

“We don’t release them to packaging until they’re less than 10 parts per million,” says Kuzyk.

Despite the differences in approach, all three breweries are trying to get beer into the hands of a population who previously couldn’t enjoy craft beer. Don’t gluten-free drinkers deserve to have well-crafted beer choices just like you or me? j

Grey Fox Humble Lager is one of a growing number of B.C.-brewed gluten-free beers. Photo courtesy of Grey Fox Brewing

Category 12's Breakthru Pale Ale contains less than 10 parts per million of gluten. Ted Child photo

BEER AND CHEESE POT

BY CHEF NIGEL TAYLOR, SPINNAKERS GASTRO BREWPUB paired with Spinnakers Jolly Hopper Imperial IPA

Spinnakers Gastro Brewpub Chef Nigel Taylor admits that while growing up on the West Coast of Vancouver Island, he took the bounty of fresh ingredients and seafood surrounding him for granted.

Taylor says while his grandmother grew raspberries, his grandfather was known locally for baking delicious wholewheat bread, his dad was a landscaper who planted a beautiful garden each year lled with fresh vegetables, and his mom was a wonderful cook.

“And, dad would take me shing,” says Taylor, who’s worked at Spinnakers since 2005. “I didn’t have fast food until I was a teenager. But when I think about the way I grew up and food, rst and foremost, it all begins with family.”

Today, Taylor very much appreciates all the West Coast has to o er, whether that’s fresh fruits, vegetables or seafood, and showcases these local ingredients in his menu choices at the brewpub, lo-

cated within Spinnakers Gastro Brewpub & Guest Houses, located in downtown Victoria.

“I didn’t think about it as a young man,” says Taylor. “But you know then you start to grow up and, that's the excitement of working in a restaurant, [you

photo

Photos courtesy of Spinnakers Gastro Brewpub

come to appreciate] that these are world class items now.”

Taylor adds he’s also influenced and inspired by the beers and sodas produced in the craft brewery contained within Spinnakers, many of which contain ingredients sourced from around the province.

“Then there’s the vinegar,” says Taylor, referring to Spinnakers own line of house-made malt vinegars. “I didn't really respect it before I came to Spinnakers, but then I came to understand it. So, we'll take beer and ferment it into balsamic vinegar and then you start to play around with different flavors and see what it's actually like to take an IPA and create vinegar or a cider vinegar, and their flavor profiles are insane.”

Taylor notes that while Spinnakers has been famous for its food for almost 40 years, he’s been able to invigorate the menu by changing some of the cooking methods, working closely with local farmers and producers, and taking advantage of the offerings pouring from the brewery.

The chef shared one of those beer-inspired recipes with The Growler. The Beer and Cheese Pot is made from Spinnakers beer, locally produced aged cheddar, onions, garlic, and Middle Eastern spices from Salt Spring Island, served fondue-style with a baguette from the Cowichan Valley.

—Sandra Thomas

ABOVE: Many of the ingredients in this beer and cheese pot are locally sourced.

BELOW: Spinnakers Jolly Hopper Imperial IPA is a recommended beer pairing with this dish.

INGREDIENTS

• 7.5 oz. aged cheddar

• 4.5 oz. sour cream

• 4.5 oz. cream cheese

• 1 clove of garlic, sliced

• 1.5 oz. butter

• 1 medium onion, chopped

• 1 tsp. garlic purée

• Salt and pepper to taste

• 16 oz. of Spinnakers Mitchell’s ESB

• 1 tsp. Monsoon Coast Arabian Baharat spice from Salt Spring Island (chili powder and garam masala can be used as a substitute.)

• 1/4 tsp. Durban curry

DIRECTIONS

1. In a large pot heat butter and when hot, add onions and both types of garlic.

2. Stir until onions are brown—not burnt.

3. Once the onions begin to colour, deglaze with the beer.

4. Reduce the beer to half and add salt, pepper and spice.

5. Turn heat down to low and add all of the cheeses.

4. Turn up the heat and stir constantly until the cheese is melted and completely mixed.

4. Serve with a warm baguette and pickled veggies, paired with either the Spinnakers Jolly Hopper Imperial IPA or Belgian IPA.

BOMBER BREWING CO.

1488 Adanac St. | BomberBrewing.com

This Yeast Van stalwart is closing in on a decade of delicious existence and are proving they can still turn heads in the bumpin’ beer district they help to found.

BEYOND THE PEEL JUICY IPA HAZY INDIA PALE ALE

Availability: Year-round

GRANVILLE ISLAND BREWING

1441 Cartwright St. | GranvilleIslandBrewing.ca

Vancouver’s original home for craft beer is still one of the country’s oldest continuously operating craft breweries. Check out their limited release Lions Selection Pack.

LIONS SALTED CARAMEL ALE WINTER ALE

Availability: Seasonal

OFF THE RAIL BREWING

1351 Adanac St. | OffTheRailBrewing.com

Availability: Limited Availability: Limited

STRATHCONA BEER CO.

895 E. Hastings St. | StrathconaBeer.com

Located on the Adanac bike route right across from Bomber Brewing, Off the Rail supports local artists with monthly art openings.

CLASSIC PALE ALE PALE ALE

Availability: Year-round

Availability: Year-round CHOQLETTE OATMEAL STOUT

Big news for this East Van institution: Strathcona will be opening up a new tasting room/restaurant on the North Shore in 2024: Same delicious beer, now with none of the bridge traffic!

STRATHLETE PREMIUM

LAGER

LAGER

LITE

Availability: Year-round

VAN URBAN BEER CO.

55 Dunlevy Ave. | VanUrban.co

This brewery is located at Railtown’s Vancouver Urban Collective and pays tribute to its East Van roots with abstract can designs that depict the topography of the local area.

VAN URBAN HAZY PALE

ALE HAZY PALE ALE

Availability: Year-round

VAN URBAN BELGIAN

WITBIER WITBIER

Availability: Seasonal

VANCOUVER

33 ACRES BREWING CO.

15 W. 8th Ave., Vancouver 33AcresBrewing.com

33 BREWING EXPERIMENT

25 W. 8th Ave., Vancouver 33BrewingExp.com

BRASSNECK BREWERY

2148 Main St., Vancouver Brassneck.ca

BREWHALL BEER CO.

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

BREWING AUGUST

1614 W. 3rd Ave. BrewingAugust.com

CALLISTER BREWING CO.

1338 Franklin St., Vancouver CallisterBrewing.com

CONTAINER BREWING

1216 Franklin St., Vancouver CBrew.ca

DOGWOOD BREWING

8284 Sherbrooke St., Vancouver DogwoodBrew.com

EAST VAN BREWING CO.

1675 Venables St., Vancouver EastVanBrewing.com

ELECTRIC BICYCLE BREWING CO.

20 E. 4th Ave., Vancouver ElectricBicycleBrewing.com

FACULTY BREWING CO.

1830 Ontario St., Vancouver FacultyBrewing.com

LUPPOLO BREWING CO.

1123 Venables St., Vancouver LuppoloBrewing.ca

MAIN STREET BREWING CO.

261 E. 7th Ave., Vancouver MainStreetBeer.ca

PARALLEL 49 BREWING CO.

1950 Triumph St., Vancouver Parallel49Brewing.com

POWELL BREWERY

1357 Powell St., Vancouver PowellBeer.com

R & B BREWING CO.

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

RED TRUCK BEER CO.

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

SLOW HAND BEER COMPANY

1830 Powell St., Vancouver SlowHandBeer.com

STANLEY PARK BREWING

RESTAURANT

& BREWPUB

8901 Stanley Park Dr.,

StanleyParkBrewing.com

STEAMWORKS BREW PUB

375 Water St., Vancouver

Steamworks.com/Brew-Pub

STORM BREWING

310 Commercial Dr., Vancouver

StormBrewing.com

STRANGE FELLOWS BREWING

1345 Clark Dr., Vancouver

StrangeFellowsBrewing.com

SUPERFLUX BEER CO.

505 Clark Dr., Vancouver

SuperfluxBeer.com

YALETOWN BREWING CO.

1111 Mainland St., Vancouver

MJG.ca/Yaletown

CAMP BEER CO.

19664 64 Ave. | CampBeer.ca

MON-WED 12-10PM ^ THURS-SAT 11AM-11PM ^

SUN 11AM-9PM

EST. 2019

Celebrate Hoptoberfest at Camp! This mid-October event showcasing the finest West Coast Pale Ales and IPAs returns for its second year. Check on social media for the date and details to be announced. Rumour has it they might crown the best West Coast IPA in B.C.

CAMP DARK DARK LAGER

Availability: Seasonal

ABV IBU 4.2% N/A

Dark malt notes harmonize with the light, clean character of a truly European-style lager.

FLANNEL PYJAMAS

WEE HEAVY SCOTCH ALE

Availability: Seasonal

ABV IBU 10.0% N/A

This smooth and full-bodied winter warmer boasts complex flavours of toffee, caramel and smoke.

FALL CAMP SMOKED AMBER ALE

Availability: Seasonal

ABV IBU 5.6% N/A

The slightly smoky character is reminiscent of sitting next to the fire at your favourite campground.

UPSTREAM

PALE ALE

Availability: Year-round

ABV IBU 5.1% N/A

Brewed with West Coast hops, this has citrus notes of tangerine, lemon and grapefruit. Voted the best beer in the world by Camp’s own Kevin Larsen.

digital tasting notes

Camp Beer Co. has integrated an interactive video experience into their beer lineup. Every can and taproom tasting card features a QR code that links to a video interview with brewery founders Dave Henry and Kevin Larsen. They share tasting notes, including unique and often humorous insights about what makes each beer special. You can watch the videos at campbeer.ca/menu.

EXPERIENCE ADVENTURE ON TAP

GOLD

BEST BREWERY IN BC

BEST DARK LAGER

BEST BRANDING & PACKAGING

SILVER

BEST TASTING ROOM

BRONZE

BEST BEER IN BC

BEST FOOD PROGRAM

BUILT ON PASSION, ADVENTURE, AND COMMUNITY. WE CAN’T THANK YOU ENOUGH CAMPERS. WHERE THE BEER IS AS FRESH AS THE GREAT OUTDOORS.

UPSTREAM PALE ALE

DARK LAGER

KPU BREW LAB

20901 Langley Bypass | KPU.ca/Brew

FRI 1-6PM

EST. 2014

KPU offers BC’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!

BIRRA ROSSA

AMERICAN AMBER ALE

Availability: Seasonal

ABV IBU 5.5% 30

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

DAS FEST

PALE GERMAN LAGER

Availability: Seasonal

This traditional German-style Festbier will have you dancing the polka and singing “Ein Prosit” before you can say “Eins, zwei, drei!” 5.5% 24 ABV IBU

KOOL KÖLSCH KÖLSCH

Availability: Seasonal

A delicately balanced German-style lagered ale with subtle floral and spicy notes from Loral hops. Created by students Thomas Nickel and Rylan Dewick.

ED’S TRITICALE PILS PILSNER

Availability: Seasonal

This collab with KPU alumni Justin Larter, was inspired by his grandfather Dr. Edward Larter, a pioneer in developing Triticale in Canada.

Did you know KPU Brewing offers a free job board?

Kwantlen Polytechnic University’s (KPU) Brewing and Brewery Operations program offers a complimentary Job Board for employers to post brewing industry positions at no charge. Once posted, KPU Brewing sends out an email to alumni and students alerting them to new opportunities. It’s a win-win for employers and our students and grads. Post today: kpu.ca/brew/job-board

FOUR WINDS BREWING CO.

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

Four Winds is celebrating 10 years of awardwinning beers with a massive new purposebuilt brewery and restaurant in Tsawwassen’s Southlands neighbourhood, opening Spring 2024.

PORTER PORTER

BURNABY LANGLEY

DAGERAAD BREWING

114-3191 Thunderbird Cres. | DageraadBrewing.com

DEAD FROG BREWERY

105-8860 201 St. | DeadFrog.ca

This Burnaby brewery has built a reputation for its sublime Belgian-inspired beers. So what’s next? A year-round flagship IPA, obviously!

In recent years, Dead Frog has leaned hard into sour ales, and their swanky Langley tasting room, with roughly a bajillion taps of delicious craft beer, is the best place to sample them.

RASPBERRY

IMPERIAL SOUR

IMPERIAL SOUR ALE

FIVE ROADS BREWING

6263 202nd St. | FiveRoadsBrewing.com

Langley’s Five Roads is well worth the trip, but if a drive to the valley isn’t in the cards, you’re in luck! You can also get Five Roads’ beers at its tasting room in Steveston Village in Richmond.

SANGRIA SOUR

LOCALITY BREWING

7111 252nd St. | LocalityBrewing.ca

Locality is the only certified craft malt brewery in B.C. That’s right, Locality not only grows its own barley, but it malts it too! It doesn’t get any more local than that!

THE SECRET

LANGLEY NORTH VAN

TRADING POST BREWING

107-20120 64th Ave. | TradingPostBrewing.com

Thanks to its Langley brewery and tasting room, as well as its two eateries in Fort Langley and Abbotsford, you likely won’t have to travel far to reach this trading post!

BEST COAST

IPA

WEST COAST INDIA

PALE ALE

LA CERVECERIA ASTILLEROS

226 E. Esplanade | Cerveceria-Astilleros.com

Watch for a new beer launching this fall from this award-winning, Mexican-themed brewery located in North Vancouver: La Mexicanita Red Pilsner.

EL VALLE SALADO

SALTED LIME LAGER

BOARDWALK BREWING

2155-575 Seaborne Ave. | BoardwalkBrewery.com

Boardwalk’s name is inspired by the nearby riverside boardwalk that is part of the Traboulay PoCo Trail. Drop in on your next stroll for some beer and food.

COTTON CANDY

BELGIAN-STYLE

STRONG ALE

Availability: Year-round

HIGH MOTION OAT HAZY IPA

Availability: Small batch

FUGGLES

103-11220 Horseshoe Way | FugglesBeer.com

Known for its eclectic tasting room with arcade games, plus their reverence for retro sci-fi nostalgia. Help fight the bland world order. Join the Fuggles Force!

JAVAVERSE

Availability: Year-round

IBU

ABV 10 5.0%

ABV 10 8.0%

IBU

SURREY LOWER MAINLAND

RUSSELL BREWING CO.

202-13018 80th Ave., Surrey RussellBeer.com

3 DOGS BREWING

15181 Thrift Ave., White Rock 3DogsBrewing.com

ANOTHER BEER CO.

#11-30 Capilano Way, New Westminster AnotherBeerCo.com

BARNSIDE BREWING CO.

One of B.C.’s original 10 breweries, Russell keeps its brand fresh with creative beers and its tasting room hopping with live music every weekend.

ROOT BEER STOUT STOUT

Availability: Seasonal

PUMPKIN PIE MILKSHAKE IPA

Availability: Seasonal

6655 60 Ave., Delta BarnsideBrewing.ca

BEERE BREWING COMPANY

312 E. Esplanade, North Vancouver BeereBrewing.com

BEVA BREWING AND BLENDING

1405 Pemberton Ave., North Vancouver BevaBrewing.ca

IBU

ABV 20 6.0%

ABV 20 5.5%

IBU

BLACK KETTLE BREWING

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

BRAGGOT BREWING

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

BRAVE BREWING

2617 Murray St., Port Moody Brave.beer

BRIDGE BREWING CO.

1448 Charlotte Rd., North Vancouver BridgeBrewing.com

BRITANNIA BREWING CO.

110-12500 Horseshoe Way, Richmond BBCO.ca

BROOKSWOOD BREWING CO.

102-4061 200 St., Langley BrookswoodBrewing.com

FARM COUNTRY BREWING

#5-20555 56 Ave., Langley FarmCountryBrewing.com

FOAMERS’ FOLLY BREWING CO.

19221 122A Ave., Pitt Meadows FoamersFolly.ca

FRASER MILLS FERMENTATION CO.

3044 Saint Johns St., Port Moody FraserMillsFermentation.com

GALAXIE CRAFT BREWHOUSE

1122 Vidal St., White Rock GalaxieCraftBeer.com

HOUSE OF FUNK BREWING CO.

350 E. Esplanade, North Vancouver HouseOfFunkBrewing.com

MAPLE MEADOWS BREWING CO.

22775 Dewdney Trunk Rd., Maple Ridge MapleMeadowsBrewing.com

MARINER BREWING

1100 Lansdowne Dr., Coquitlam MarinerBrewing.ca

MONKEY 9 BREWING

14200 Entertainment Blvd., Richmond Monkey9.ca

MOODY ALES & CO.

2601 Murray St., Port Moody MoodyAles.com

NORTH POINT BREWING CO.

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

NORTHPAW BREW CO.

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

PARKSIDE BREWERY

2731 Murray St., Port Moody TheParksideBrewery.com

PATINA BREWING CO.

2332 Marpole Ave., Port Coquitlam PatinaBrewing.com

POCO BROTHERS BREWING

1979 Brown St., Port Coquitlam PoCoBrothersBrewing.com

RED RACER

11411 Bridgeview Dr., Surrey CentralCityBrewing.com

REWIND BEER CO.

2809 Murray St., Port Moody RewindBeer.com

RIDGE BREWING CO.

22826 Dewdney Trunk Rd., Maple Ridge RidgeBrewing.com

SHAKETOWN BREWING

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

SILVER VALLEY BREWING CO.

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

SMUGGLERS TRAIL

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

STEAMWORKS BREWING CO.

3845 William St., Burnaby Steamworks.com

STEEL & OAK BREWING CO.

1319 3rd Ave., New Westminster SteelAndOak.ca

STREETCAR BREWING

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

STUDIO BREWING

5792 Beresford St., Burnaby StudioBrewing.ca

TAYLIGHT BREWING

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

TINHOUSE BREWING CO.

550 Sherling Pl., Port Coquitlam, TinhouseBrewing.ca

TWIN SAILS BREWING

2821 Murray St., Port Moody TwinSailsBrewing.com

WHITE ROCK BEACH BEER CO.

15181 Russell Ave. WhiteRockBeachBeer.com

WILDEYE BREWING

1385 Main St., North Vancouver WildeyeBrewing.ca

YELLOW DOG BREWING CO.

1-2817 Murray St., Port Moody YellowDogBrew.com

FIELD HOUSE – ABBY

2281 West Railway St. | FieldHouseBrewing.com

FARMHOUSE BREWING CO.

6385 Lickman Rd. | FarmhouseBrewing.co

Field House’s original location is an oasis of radness, with live music, outdoor movie nights, delicious food, and award-winning craft beer. Come celebrate its 8th birthday this January!

SALTED LIME

Year-round

LOVE CRAFT?

This appropriately named farm-based brewery features a bumper crop of delicious beers and wood-fired pizzas made with local ingredients from B.C.’s bread basket.

BLACKBERRY

PEACH COBBLER SOUR FRUITED SOUR ALE

Availability: Year-round

Year-round DAYBREAK HAZY IPA HAZY INDIA PALE ALE

CHILLIWACK

FIELD HOUSE – DWTN CHWK

#102-9251 Woolly Dog Alley | FieldHouseBrewing.com

Field House’s location in downtown Chilliwack offers a relaxed urban vibe, with its own exclusive lineup of beer brewed on site, not to mention food so good you won’t think twice to make the drive.

RASPBERRY S’MORES

SMOOTHIE SOUR

SMOOTHIE SOUR

Availability: Rotating

CHWK LITE LAGER LAGER

Availability: Year-round

SIDEKICK BREWING

45530 Vedder Mountain Rd. | SidekickBrewing.com

This brewery has a gorgeous location next to the Vedder River Bridge with a dog-friendly river-side patio. Watch their socials for an Oktoberfest-themed anniversary event.

LIFER

SPIKE PINEAPPLE

WHIPPED SOUR

Availability: Seasonal

Availability: Year-round

FRASER VALLEY

BRICKLAYER BREWING

46128 Yale Rd., Chilliwack BricklayerBrewing.com

CANUCK EMPIRE BREWING

Unit C-33797 King Rd., Abbotsford CanuckEmpireBrewing.com

FLASHBACK BREWING CO.

1-9360 Mill St., Chilliwack FlashbackBrewing.ca

HUBCO BREWING CO.

33211 North Railway Ave., Mission HUBCoBrewing.com

LOUDMOUTH BREWING

103 – 2582 Mt. Lehman Rd., Abbotsford LoudmouthBrewingCompany.ca

MOUNTAINVIEW BREWING CO.

390 Old Hope Princeton Way | MountainviewBrewing.ca

Hope B.C. might be best known as the home of the cinematic masterpiece that is Rambo: First Blood, but these days, the killer beer at Mountainview is the best reason to pull off the highway.

Availability: Year-round

Availability: Year-round

OLD ABBEY ALES

30321 Fraser Hwy., Abbotsford OldAbbeyAles.com

OLD YALE BREWING CO. –ABBOTSFORD

33738 Laurel St., Abbotsford OldYaleBrewing.com

OLD YALE BREWING CO. –CHILLIWACK

404-44550 South Sumas Rd., Chilliwack OldYaleBrewing.com

RAVENS BREWING CO.

37455 Kilgard Rd., Abbotsford RavensBrewing.com

MISSION SPRINGS BREWING CO.

7160 Oliver St., Mission MissionSprings.ca

Howe Sound’s flagship location features a brewpub with a full kitchen and an inn on site, so you don’t have to drive home. No visit is complete without a bowl of their famous ale and cheddar soup!

BIERGARTEN

BAVARIAN LAGER

CITY SQUAMISH

PEMBERTON BREWING CO.

1936 Stonecutter Pl. | PembertonBrewing.ca

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!

CREAM PUFF

PALE ALE

HAZY PALE ALE

Availability: Year-round

IBU ABV 9 4.5%

BACKCOUNTRY BREWING

#405-1201 Commercial Way | BackcountryBrewing.com

The new-ish Barrel Lounge and covered patio nearly tripled Backcountry’s seating capacity, making it even easier to satisfy your beer and pizza cravings.

JUST EVERYTHING

IPA HAZY IPA

Availability: Year-round

ABV 33 6.0%

A-FRAME BREWING CO.

38927 Queens Way, Squamish AFrameBrewing.com

BATCH 44 BREWERY & KITCHEN

5559 Wharf Ave., Sechelt Batch44Brewery.com

COAST MOUNTAIN BREWING

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

HIGH MOUNTAIN BREWING CO.

4355 Blackcomb Way, Whistler MJG.ca/BrewHouse

LILLOOET BREWING

104 Main St., Lillooet LillooetBeer.ca

PERSEPHONE BREWING

1053 Stewart Rd., Gibsons PersephoneBrewing.com SEA TO SKY

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

TOWNSITE BREWING

5824 Ash Ave., Powell River TownsiteBrewing.com

WHISTLER BREWING CO.

1045 Millar Creek Rd., Whistler WhistlerBeer.com

BREW PUBS

TWA DOGS BREWERY AT MACALONEY DISTILLERY

761 Enterprise Cres. | VCaledonian.com

SUN-WED 12-6:30PM ^ THU 12-8:30PM ^

FRI-SAT 11AM-8PM

EST. 2016

While the delicious beer, attractive tasting room and comfortable patio should be enough incentives to visit this spot, they also make awardwinning single malt whiskies.

RED ALE RED ALE HAZY IPA HAZY IPA

Availability: Seasonal

ABV IBU 5.2% 19

Availability: Seasonal

ABV IBU 5.2% 46

A malt-forward, rich-bodied red ale with roast chocolate and caramel notes. is straw/golden hazy IPA has a tropical citrus hop character.

@ MACALONEY'S DISTILLERY

Join us on a guided tour of our brewery & Distillery or simply pop in for a pint and a pizza on our patio!

761 Enterprise Crescent, v8n 2l8

HOYNE BREWING CO.

101-2740 Bridge St. | HoyneBrewing.ca

Try before you buy: This Victoria institution offers tasting flights of beer in their onsite retail store. You can also find their award-winning beers all over the province.

POR FAVOR

LIGHTHOUSE BREWING CO.

2-836 Devonshire Rd. | LighthouseBrewing.com

Lighthouse has been a beacon for craft beer excellence in B.C. since the first keg of Race Rocks was tapped back in 1998. 25 years later, they’re still leading the way.

RACE ROCKS

C anada's Favourite

Gold MedalWinning Finnegans Irish Stout.

CATEGORY 12 BREWING

C-2200 Keating Cross Rd. | Category12Beer.com

All the beers here are excellent, plus they have an amazing kitchen, so plan a visit to C12’s tasting room for lunch and a flight soon.

DEVIATION

SALT SPRING BREWING CO.

270 Furness Rd. | SaltSpringBrewing.com

All of Salt Spring Brewing’s beers are brewed, canned, and distributed from its rustic location on its namesake island. The spent grain is even used to feed local livestock.

BELGIAN

DRIFTWOOD BREWERY

836 Viewfield Rd. | DriftwoodBeer.com

BAD DOG BREWING COMPANY

7861 Tugwell Rd. | BadDogBrewing.ca

There’s lots of new tricks for Bad Dog approaches its 42nd birthday (in dog years), including new washroom, an expanded food truck menu, and more killer beers.

SQUIRREL!

MOON UNDER WATER BREWERY

350B Bay St. | MoonUnderWater.ca

Driftwood’s Esquimalt brewery and tasting room is as inviting and approachable as its beers. There’s no better place to try Driftwood’s newest creations, like the Spiff Corn Lager!

SPIFF CORN

LAGER

CORN LAGER

This legend of the Victoria craft beer scene uses barley that was grown and malted just 20km from its front door for its continually awardwinning beers.

POTTS

PILS

SPINNAKERS BREWPUB

308 Catharine St. | Spinnakers.com

The craft brewpub that started it all way back in 1984 is still in peak form with a growing repertoire of barrel-aged and sour beers to complement their legendary mainstays.

COFFEE

BLONDE COFFEE ALE

Availability: Seasonal

JOLLY HOPPER

IPA

Availability: Year-round

GREATER VICTORIA

4 MILE BREWING CO.

199 Island Hwy., View Royal 4MileBrewingCo.com

BEACON BREWING

9829 Third Street, Sidney BeaconBrewing.ca

CHECKERHEAD BREWING

10602 Sherburne Drive, Shirley CheckerheadBrewing.com

HERALD STREET BREW WORKS

506 Herald St., Victoria HeraldStreet.com

HOWL BREWING

1780 Mills Rd., North Saanich HowlBrewing.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

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

SWIFT BREWING

450 Swift St., Victoria Swift Brewing.ca

VANCOUVER ISLAND BREWING

2330 Government St., Victoria VIBrewing.com

WHISTLE BUOY BREWING CO.

560 Johnson St., Victoria WhistleBuoyBrewing.com

Mcneill

MOUNT ARROWSMITH BREWING CO.

109-425 East Stanford Ave. | ArrowsmithBrewing.com

This family-owned brewery offers delicious food along with a wide range of excellent, awardwinning beers. Arrowsmith Pizzeria is open seven days a week!

WEEKEND RAMBLER

MANGO SOUR SOUR

RED ARROW BREWING CO.

5255 Chaster Rd. | RedArrowBeer.ca

Local ingredients and West Coast flair make Red Arrow’s brewery and tasting room a mustvisit for anyone passing through the Cowichan Valley.

IDLE HANDS

LONGWOOD BREWERY

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

RUSTED RAKE BREWING

3106 Northwest Bay Rd. | RustedRakeBrewing.ca

Longwood’s brewery location in Nanaimo’s Northfield area celebrated 10 years of delicious craft beers in 2023. Stop in to the tasting room for exclusive releases and relax on the picnic patio.

FULL PATCH PUMPKIN SAISON

IMPERIAL SAISON

Availability: Seasonal

30 9.0%

CHERRY WOOD LIGHTLY SMOKED LAGER

SMOKED LAGER

Availability: Seasonal

30 6.0%

This farm-based brewery north of Nanaimo not only grows much of the ingredients for its food on site, but for its beer, too—including the barley!

THE WANDERING SCOTSMAN’S SPRUCE TIP IPA SPRUCE TIP IPA

Availability: xx

10 6.2%

PORT ALBERNI UCLUELET

TWIN CITY BREWING

4503 Margaret St. | TwinCityBrewing.ca

ROSA THE REBEL MEXICAN LAGER LAGER

Availability: Year-round

15 4.5%

UCLUELET BREWING COMPANY

1601 Peninsula Rd. | UclueletBrewing.ca

If you are passing through Port Alberni and don’t stop at Twin City for their awardwinning beers and legitimately phenomenal food, you need to give your head a shake, bud.

NOCTURNE

BELGIAN QUAD

Availability: Seasonal

POSTSCRIPT

MUNICH HELLES IBU ABV 27 10.3%

Availability: Seasonal

17 5.0%

No trip to Ukee is complete without a stop at this award-winning brewery housed in a former church overlooking the ocean and the wild and untamed West Coast.

SEVENTH DAY KOLSCH

KOLSCH

Availability: Year-round

25 4.5%

ST. AIDEN’S PORTER PORTER

Availability: Seasonal

24 5.5%

ACE BREWING CO.

150 Mansfield Dr., Courtenay Facebook.com/AceBrewingCompany

ALBERNI BREWING CO.

4630 Adelaide St., Port Alberni AlberniBrewingCompany.ca

BAYVIEW BREWING CO.

204 Dogwood Dr., Ladysmith BayviewBrewing.com

BEACH FIRE BREWING

594 11 Ave., Campbell River BeachFireBrewing.ca

CRAIG STREET BREW PUB

25 Craig St., Duncan CraigStreet.ca

CUMBERLAND BREWING CO.

2732 Dunsmuir Ave., Cumberland CumberlandBrewing.com

DEVIL’S BATH BREWING CO.

1616 McNeill Rd., Port McNeill DevilsBathBrewing.ca

DOG MOUNTAIN BREWING

3141 3rd Ave., Port Alberni DogMountainBrew.com

FERN + CEDAR BREWING CO.

680 Berwick Rd S., Qualicum Beach FernAndCedar.ca

GLADSTONE BREWING CO.

244 4th St., Courtenay GladstoneBrewing.ca

HORNBY ISLAND BREWING CO.

6985 St Johns Point Rd., Hornby Island HornbyIsland.beer

LAND & SEA BREWING CO.

2040 Guthrie Rd., Comox LandAndSeaBrewing.ca

LONGWOOD BREWPUB & RESTAURANT

5775 Turner Rd., Nanaimo LongwoodBrewpub.com

LOVESHACK LIBATIONS

1 - 4134 Island Hwy. West, Qualicum LoveShackLibations.com

RAD BREWING CO.

215 Port Augusta St., Comox RadBrewCo.com

RIOT BREWING CO.

101A - 3055 Oak St., Chemainus RiotBrewing.com

SMALL BLOCK BREWING CO.

203-5301 Chaster Rd., Duncan SmallBlockBrewery.com

TOFINO BREWING CO.

691 Industrial Way, Tofino TofinoBrewingCo.com

WHITE SAILS BREWING

125 Comox Rd., Nanaimo WhiteSailsBrewing.com

WOLF BREWING COMPANY

940 Old Victoria Rd., Nanaimo WolfBrewingCompany.com

THOMPSON OKANAGAN

Kelowna map page 61.

Summerland & Naramata map page 61.

BREW PUBS

Kelowna

UNLEASHED BREWING CO.

207-880 Clement Ave. | UnleashedBrewing.ca

Unleashed is easily B.C.’s most dog-friendly brewery, and was the very first tasting room in the province to be officially approved for dogs. Live music, events, and—of course—great beer!

CANNERY BREWING

198 Ellis St. | CanneryBrewing.com

Cannery is one of the few breweries that does it all: killer craft beer, local wine and cider, nonalcoholic bevvies galore, inspired local food, live music and constant special events.

HIGHWAY 97 BREWERY

| Hwy97Brewery.com

Highway 97’s spacious 100-seat taproom features more than a dozen taps, a full kitchen and live music every Saturday night.

ABANDONED RAIL BREWING CO.

1220 Davenport Ave., Penticton AbandonedRailBrewCo.ca

ALCHEMY BREWING CO.

650 Victoria St., Kamloops AlchemyBrewingCompany.ca

BACKROADS BREWING

15 Park Pl., Unit 226, Osoyoos BackroadsBrewing.com

BARLEY MILL BREW PUB

2460 Skaha Lake Rd., Penticton BarleyMillPub.com

BARLEY STATION BREW PUB

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

BARN OWL BREWING CO.

4629 Lakeshore Rd., Kelowna BarnOwlBrewing.ca

BNA BREWING CO.

1250 Ellis St., Kelowna BNABrewing.com

BRIGHT EYE BREWING

292 Tranquille Rd., Kamloops BrightEyeBrewing.com

BUFFALO ROUGE

BREWING CO.

105-1111 Gordon Dr., Kelowna BuffaloRougeBrewing.com

COPPER BREWING CO.

102-1851 Kirschner Rd., Kelowna CopperBrewingCo.com

CRANNÓG ALES

706 Elson Rd., Sorrento CrannogAles.com

DETONATE BREWING

104-9503 Cedar Ave., Summerland DetonateBrew.com

EMPTY KEG BREW HOUSE

2190 Voght St., Merritt EmptyKegBrewHouse.ca

FIREHALL BREWERY

6077 Main St., Oliver FirehallBrewery.com

FREDDY’S BREWPUB

124 McCurdy Rd., Kelowna McCurdyBowl.com

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

JACKKNIFE BREWING

727 Baillie Ave., Kelowna Facebook.com/JackknifeBrewing

KELOWNA BREWING CO.

975 Academy Way, Kelowna KelownaBrewingCompany.com

KELOWNA BEER INSTITUTE

1346 Water St., Kelowna TreeBrewingBeerInstitute.com

KETTLE RIVER BREWING CO.

731 Baillie Ave., Kelowna KettleRiverBrewing.ca

LAKE COUNTRY BREWING

10058 BC-97 #4, Lake Country LakeCountryBeer.ca

LAKESIDER BREWING

835 Anders Rd., West Kelowna LakesiderBrewing.com

MARTEN BREWING CO.

2933A 30th Ave., Vernon MartenBrewpub.com

NEIGHBOURHOOD BREWING

187 Westminster Ave. W., Penticton NeighbourhoodBrewing.com

NEIGHBOURHOOD BREWING AT THE DISTRICT WINE

VILLAGE

102–100 Enterprise Way, Oliver NeighbourhoodBrewing.com

RAILSIDE BREWING

1186 High Rd., Kelowna Instagram.com/RailsideBrewingKelowna

RED BIRD BREWING

1086 Richter St., Kelowna RedBirdBrewing.com

RED COLLAR BREWING CO.

355 Lansdowne St., Kamloops RedCollar.ca

RICOCHET BREWING

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

RUSTIC REEL BREWING CO.

760 Vaughan Ave., Kelowna RusticReel.com

SHORE LINE BREWING CO.

3477 Lakeshore Rd., Kelowna ShoreLineBrewing.com

SLACKWATER BREWING

218 Martin St. , Kelowna SlackwaterBrewing.com

THE HATCHING POST

2850 Boucherie Rd., West Kelowna Instagram.com/TheHatchingPost

THE NOBLE PIG BREWHOUSE

650 Victoria St., Kamloops TheNoblePig.ca

THE OFFICE BREWERY

890 Clement Ave, Unit 301, Kelowna OfficeBrewery.ca

THE TIN WHISTLE BREWING CO.

112-1475 Fairview Rd., Penticton TheTinWhistleBrewery.rocks

THREE LAKES BREWING

#7-2030 Matrix Cres., Kelowna ThreeLakesBrewing.com

VICE & VIRTUE BREWING CO.

1033 Richter St., Kelowna ViceAndVirtueBrewing.ca

WELTON BREWERY

Unit 2-455 Neave Ct., Kelowna WeltonBrewery.com

WILD AMBITION BREWING

1-3314 Appaloosa Rd., Kelowna WildAmbition.beer

NELSON BREWING CO.

512 Latimer St. | NelsonBrewing.com

Nelson Brewing’s mission is not only to brew delicious beer, but also a sense of togetherness and community in every sip. Enjoy a pint in their new renovated taproom.

LOKI LAGER LAGER

Availability: Year-round

Availability: Year-round

FERNIE BREWING CO.

26 Manitou Rd. | FernieBrewing.com

Have you tried Fernie’s new line-up of tasty, non-alcohol beers? Look for LOGO Hazy IPA and Pilsner (each one is just 0.5% ABV) throughout B.C.

JAVA THE HUT

COFFEE MILK STOUT

Availability: Year-round

Availability: Seasonal

ANGRY HEN BREWING

343 Front St., Kaslo AngryHenBrewing.com

ARROWHEAD BREWING CO.

481 Arrow Rd., Invermere ArrowheadBrewingCompany.ca

BACKROADS BREWING CO.

460 Baker St., Nelson BackroadsBrewing.com

ENCORE BREWING CO.

1400 4 St. N., Cranbrook EncoreBrewing.ca

ERIE CREEK BREWING CO.

117 Fourth St., Salmo ErieCreekBrewingCo.com

FISHER PEAK BREWING CO.

821 Baker St., Cranbrook TheHeidOut.ca

VALHALLA HAZY PALE ALE

GHOSTRIDER

FERNIE KOOTENAYS

GRAND FORKS BEER CO.

334-A Market Ave., Grand Forks GrandForksBeerCo.com

GRIST AND MASH BREWERY

345 Wallinger Ave., Kimberley GristAndMash.com

MT. BEGBIE BREWING CO.

2155 Oak Dr., Revelstoke Mt-Begbie.com

OVER TIME BEER WORKS

136A Wallinger Ave., Kimberley OverTimeBeer.ca

RADIUM BREWING

7537 Main St. W., Radium Hot Springs RadiumBrewing.ca

ROSSLAND BEER CO.

1990 Columbia Ave., Rossland RosslandBeer.com

RUMPUS BEER COMPANY

208 1st Street E., Revelstoke RumpusBeerCo.com

TAILOUT BREWING

1800 8th Ave., Castlegar TailoutBrewing.com

TORCHLIGHT BREWING CO.

125 Hall St., Nelson TorchlightBrewing.com

TRAIL BEER REFINERY

1299 Bay Ave., Trail TrailBeerRefinery.ca

WHITETOOTH BREWING

623 8th Ave. N., Golden WhitetoothBrewing.com

WILD NORTH BREWING CO.

125 16th Ave. N, Creston WildNorthBrewery.ca

CASK AND CLEAVER

175 Cariboo Hwy., | CaskAndCleaver.com

Cask & Cleaver has a strong connection to Norse mythology and culture. Along with a diverse beer lineup it also has a solid food menu.

APPLE PIE

SOUR SOUR

Availability: Seasonal

ANDHRIMNIR’S COFFEE

Availability: Year-round

FOX MOUNTAIN BREWING CO.

215 Donald Rd., Williams Lake FoxMountainBeer.com

MIGHTY PEACE BREWING CO.

10128 95th Ave., Fort St. John MightyPeaceBrewing.ca

SHERWOOD MOUNTAIN

BREWHOUSE

101-4816 Hwy. 16 West, Terrace SherwoodMountain.beer

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

TWO PEAKS BREWING

BARKERVILLE BREWING CO.

185 Davie St., Quesnel BarkervilleBeer.com

BEARD’S BREWING CO.

10408 Alaska Rd. N., Fort St. John BeardsBrewing.ca

BULKLEY VALLEY BREWERY

3860 1 Ave., Smithers BulkleyValleyBrewery.com

CROSSROADS BREWING & DISTILLERY

508 George St., Prince George CrossroadsCraft.com

DEADFALL BREWING CO.

1733 Nicholson St. S., Prince George DeadfallBrewing.com

578 Mountainview Sq., Kitimat TwoPeaksBrewing.ca

URSA MINOR BREWING

45261 Ootsa Lake Rd. E., Burns Lake UrsaMinorBrewing.ca

WHEELHOUSE BREWING CO.

380 Bill Murray Dr., Prince Rupert WheelhouseBrewing.com

TAVES ESTATE CIDERY

333 Gladwin Rd. | TavesFamilyFarms.com/Hard-Cider

Sure, this farm-based cidery offers a plethora of delicious bevvies, a family- and pet-friendly patio, and plenty of live events. The highlight, though? Goat cuddling.

CHARLIE’S PUMPKIN CIDER

PUMPKIN CIDER

Availability: Seasonal

ABV 6.5%

ROOSTER’S RED CURRANT

RED CURRANT CIDER

Availability: Year-round

ABV 6.5%

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.

THEORY AND PRACTICE

PET NAT

Availability:

Small batch

ABV 6.5%

LOWER THAN ANGELS

CHARDONNAY CIDER

Availability: Small batch

ABV 7.0%

SUMMERLAND

SUMMERLAND HERITAGE CIDER CO.

3113 Johnson St. | SummerlandCider.com

This Okanagan cidery specializes in alljuice ciders made from European cider apple varietals grown in their picturesque orchard, resulting in complex, tannic ciders.

PINEAPPLE FRUIT CIDER

Availability: Year-round

TUESDAY’S ORIGINAL TRADITIONAL

Availability: Year-round

ABV 6.5% ABV 7.0%

WE ARE PROUD TO SUPPORT LOCAL BEER, WINE &

Pick up a copy of The Growler’s sister publications at a distillery or winery near you, or online at bc.thegrowler.ca

SUNDAY CIDER

1632 Sunshine Coast Hwy

SundayCider.com

This Sunshine Coast cidery is open seven days a week with a cider bar and picnic area that is kid- and dog-friendly.

SUNDAY ROSÉ

CIDER FERMENTED W/ HIBISCUS, ELDERFLOWER & SASKATOON BERRIES

Availability: Year-round

ABV 5.5%

TWICE IS NICE – SYRAH WILD

FERMENTED CIDER W/ SYRAH GRAPE SKINS

Availability: Seasonal

ABV 6.9%

NORTHYARDS CIDER CO.

3181 11 Ave. NE, Salmon Arm

You needn’t worry about overindulging upon visiting Northyards’ bucolic Salmon Arm–there’s campsites and cabins available on site so you can spend the night!

TUTTI FRUTTI PUNCH CIDER MODERN FRUIT CIDER

Availability: Year-round

ABV 5.3%

SALT SPRING VERNON

CIDERWORKS

529 Fulford-Ganges Rd. | SaltSpringAppleCompany.com/Ciderworks

PINEAPPLE MINT

MODERN FRUIT CIDER

Availability: Year-round

ABV 5.3%

CAMBIUM CIDER CO.

4667 E. Vernon Rd. | CambiumCider.com

This cidery is based on a beautiful property with an orchard that boasts more than 425 different apple varieties, most of which are cider-specific.

BILL BLAXTON

VERY DRY TRADITIONAL CIDER

Availability: Year-round

ABV 6.5%

OAST HOUSE

HOPPED SCRUMPYSTYLE CIDER

Availability: Year-round

ABV 6.0%

Formerly BX Press, Vernon’s Cambium is the same family, orchard, and cidery, just with fancy new branding and some new next-level ciders.

GIN BOTANICAL

BOTANICAL INFUSED CIDER

Availability: Year-round

ABV 00 6.9%

TRADITIONAL CIDER

Availability: Year-round PROSPECTOR TRADITIONAL DRY

ABV 7.4%

AFFINITY CIDERHOUSE

5155 Samuel Rd., Duncan AffinityCider.com

BANDITRY CIDER

538 Pratt Rd., Gibsons BanditryCider.com

BC TREE FRUITS CIDER CO.

880 Vaughan Ave., Kelowna BCTreeFruitsCider.com

BOWEN CIDER HOUSE

1125 Grafton Rd., Bowen Island BowenCiderHouse.ca

THE BRICKER CIDER COMPANY

6642 Norwest Bay Rd., Sechelt BrickersCider.com

BURTON CITY CIDER

5470 BC-6 , Burton BurtonCityCider.ca

CEDAR CIDER

340 184 St., Surrey CedarCider.ca

CLIFFSIDE CIDER

103-37760 2 Ave., Squamish CliffsideCider.com

CREEK & GULLY CIDER

1053 Poplar Grove Rd., Penticton CreekAndGully.com

DEAD END CIDER

620 Sumac Rd., Cawston ForbiddenFruitWine.com

FARMSTRONG CIDER CO.

4305 Maw Rd., Armstrong FarmstrongCider.com

FOSSIL BEACH FARM

750 Savoie Rd., Hornby Island FossilBeachFarm.com

FRASER VALLEY CIDER CO.

22128-16th Ave., Langley FraserValleyCider.ca

GABBIE’S PREMIUM CIDER

1120 Coats Dr., Gabriola Island GabbiesCider.com

GEO CIDER CO.

318-1201 Commercial Way, Squamish GeoCider.com

HOMESTEAD CIDER

6046 Kamp Rd., Agassiz HomesteadCider.ca

HOWLING MOON CRAFT CIDER

7952 BC-97, Oliver HowlingMoon.ca

JUNCTION ORCHARD & CIDERY

273 Prospect Lake Rd., Victoria JunctionVictoria.com

KOOTENAY CIDER WORKS

1638 Granite Rd., Nelson KootenayCiderWorks.com

LA PETITE ABEILLE CIDER

1085 Fleet Rd., Penticton LPACider.com

LAKE BOTTOM CIDER

4490 Boundary Rd., Chilliwack LakeBottomCider.com

LEFT FIELD CIDER CO.

Mamit Lake Rd., Logan Lake LeftFieldCider.com

LILLOOET CIDER CO.

1881 Highway 99 North, Lillooet LillooetCiderCo.com

MERRIDALE CIDERY & DISTILLERY

1230 Merridale Rd., Cobble Hill Merridale.ca

MILLIONAIRES’ ROW CIDER CO.

14113 Dale Meadows Rd., Summerland MillionairesRowCider.com

THE NARAMATA CIDER COMPANY

2370 Aikins Loop, Naramata NaramataCider.com

NOMAD CIDER

8011 Simpson Rd., Summerland NomadCider.ca

ORCHARD HILL ESTATE CIDERY

3480 Fruitvale Way, Osoyoos OrchardHillCidery.com

RAVEN’S MOON CRAFT CIDER

4905 Darcy Rd, Courtenay RavensMoonCraftCider.ca

RILEY’S CIDERY

620 Laura Rd., Bowen Island RileysCider.com

RUSTIC ROOTS WINERY & CIDERY

2238 Hwy. 3, Cawston HarkersOrganicsRusticRoots.com

SALT SPRING WILD CIDER

151 Sharp Rd., Salt Spring Island SaltSpringWildCider.com

SCENIC ROAD CIDER CO.

770 Packinghouse Rd., Kelowna ScenicRoadCider.com

SEA CIDER FARM & CIDERHOUSE

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

SHUSWAP CIDER CO.

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

SOMA CRAFT CIDERY

4485 Sallows Rd., Kelowna SomaCidery.com

TONY’S CRAFT CIDERY

6167 Hwy. 6, Coldstream TonysCraftCidery.com

TRUCK 59 CIDER HOUSE

3887 Brown Rd., West Kelowna Truck59Cider.com

TWIN ISLAND CIDER

5601 Lupin Rd., Pender Island TwinIslandCider.com

TWISTED HILLS CRAFT CIDER

2080 Ritchie Dr., Cawston TwistedHills.ca

UNTANGLED CRAFT CIDER

725 Mackenzie Rd., Cawston UntangledCider.ca

UPSIDE CIDERY

2555 Gale Rd., Kelowna UpsideCider.com

VALLEY CIDER COMPANY

7661 Mays Rd., Duncan ValleyCider.com

VAN URBAN CIDER

55 Dunlevy Ave., Vancouver GreenhillCider.com

VICTORIA CIDER CO.

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

WARDS CIDER

2287 Ward Rd., Kelowna WardsHardCider.com

WINDFALL CIDER

250 Esplanade E., North Vancouver WindfallCider.ca

WOODWARD CIDER CO.

5505 Westsyde Rd., Kamloops WoodwardCiderCo.ca

THE

BEER GROUND TO

The pace of new brewery openings isn’t quite as sizzling as it used to be— probably not surprising given current economic realities— but there are still a handful of exciting openings to look forward to.

BOLTAGE BREWING

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

CONNECTOR BREWING

West Kelowna (fall 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 (summer 2024) is o shoot of House of Funk Brewing is under construction as part of the Oceanfront Squamish development. Instagram.com/HouseOfLager

JORDAN RIVER BREWING

Jordan River (spring 2024) Construction is underway 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 is getting close to brewing its own beer. Postandrow.ca

LONG-TERM WATCH LIST: Curious

Creatures Beer Co. (Fraser Valley), Everyday Brewing (Nanaimo), Lumberjack Brewing (Grand Forks), Strathcona Brewing - North Shore (North Vancouver), Trailhead Brewery (Cranbrook). j

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

GLOSSA RY.

for non-geeks & beginners

AB V : Alcohol by Volume. Measured as the percentage volume of alcohol per beer

ALE : Beers fermented with top fermenting yeast (see below), fermented at warmer temperatures than lagers.

B ARL E Y: A cereal grain used as a base malt in the production of beer

BOMBER : A 650 mL (or 22-ounce) bottle of beer

BREW P UB : A restaurant-brewer y whose beer is made primarily for sale in the restaurant and bar.

CRAFT BEER : A term as complicated to define and explain as Jim Morrison’s poetr y, though, come to think of it, way more fun to tr y.

CRAFT BREWE R Y: A brewer y that makes craft beer (obviously) (see above).

FERMEN TAT I ON : A complex process that chemistr y students spend years earning PhDs to truly understand. Turns sugars, won from the malts, into equal parts alcohol and carbon dioxide, at which point the brew can actually be called “ beer”

M A LT: It ’ s, ah…kinda complicated. It ’ s made from barley? And helps make sugar during fermentation? Um It ’ s important for the brewing process, for sure Google it

MI C RO B R EW E R Y : In B.C., defi ned a s a ny operat ion t hat produces no more than 160,00 0 hectolitres of beer per year Often used interchangeably with “craft brewer y ”

PA L E AL E : A style of ale characterized by a higher proportion of pale malts that result in a lighter colour. See also: IPA, Saison.

PI LSN ER : A style of lager, characterized by points so minute only serious beer enthusiasts will really give a hoot, and anyway, we don’t have enough room to address them here.

P O R T ER : A dark style of beer, extremely popular in 1700s L ondon, made with roasted malt.

RE IN H E I TSG EB O T: e German beer purity law passed in 1516, stating that beer may only contain water, barley and hops.

GR O W L ER : A 1.9L re llable glass beer bottle. Also, the

best dang craft beer magazine in the whole wide world!

HOMEBR E WING : e art of making beer at home, with var ying results, depending on who makes it.

HOPS : Humulus lupulus, a perennial climbing vine, a cousin of cannabis, the ripened female flowers of which are used for flavouring beer.

IBU : International Bitterness Unit e measure of the bittering substance in beer, i.e the hops, the amount of which depends on the style of beer.

S AI S O N : A style of pale ale, usually highly carbonated, fruity and spicy, and cloudy golden in colour

S E SS IO N B E ER : A beer of lighter body and alcohol designed for drinking more than one in a single sitting.

S T O U T: A generic term for the strongest (or stoutest) porter, typically around 7% or 8% ABV

T O P / B O T T O M FE R ME N TATI O N : e two basic fermentation methods characterized by the tendency of yeast cells to either rise or fall in the fermentation vessel. Ale yeast is top fermenting, lager yeast is bottom fermenting

IMP E RIA L : Indicating a strong beer, regardless of style. Hops and malts are doubled or tripled during brewing, resulting in higher ABV

I PA : India Pale Ale. A style of pale ale (see below) developed in England for export to India. e West Coast variety often has higher IBUs and ABV

LAGE R : Any beer that is fermented with bottomfermenting yeast (see below) at colder temperatures. Often associated with crisp and clean flavours.

WAT ER : One of the four basic ingredients in beer If you need further definition, we ask you: How are you even reading this right now?

W O R T: e bittersweet sugar solution obtained by mashing the malt and boiling in the hops, which becomes beer through fermentation.

Y EA S T: D uring the fermentation process, yeast converts the natural malt sugars into alcohol and carbon dioxide gas. j