The Growler B.C. • Volume 2 Issue 3 • Fall 2016

BEST ENJOYED ALL YEAR

Our year-round Small Batch release balances hops upfront with a solid malt base for a refreshing Pale Ale to enjoy year round.

NEXT RELEASE: So-Cal IPA

MID-SEPT.

CONTRIBUTING WRITERS

Bill Haddow

Ryan Ingram

Robert Mangelsdorf

Megan Stewart

Darcy Wiebe

IBUS

AND BEER IS FULL OF WHITE MEN

MYTHBUSTED! BREAKING THE SEAL

B.C’S BOGUS LIQUOR LAWS, PART DEUX

UNSUNG HEROES OF BEER

BEER FROM AROUND THE GLOBE

Q+A; NICK SWARDSON

BREWER VS BREWER

THE ART OF THE TAP HANDLE

TRAVEL: CALGARY

OLD PEOPLE LIKE BEER TOO!

YOU DAMN RIGHT WE’RE MAD AT MOLSON!

RECIPE

Breweries by Region

40 32 56 64 73 87 101 107

THOMPSON

KOOTENAYS

Editor’s Note

My first experience with beer was through my dad, who’d drink cans of Labatt Blue on the weekends. Usually, he’d be watching football, and if memory serves, would always be shirtless and sweaty from having just mowed the lawn. Surely my memory is faulty though – who doesn’t shower right after mowing the lawn? But in my head, he was always sweaty and shirtless, which raises uncomfortable questions about the amount of bodily fluids that would have dampened that couch – a couch that my parents regularly entertained company on and on which I often slept. Anyway, when my dad was done with one can of beer, he’d always say to me, “Go get me a beer.”

“Why do I have to do it?” I’d complain.

“What do you think I had you for?” he’d always reply. This exchange played out countless times throughout my childhood. He thought he was being funny (and I guess he was) but I found it annoying. I got him back later though, by stealing that Blue in high school.

I’m taking some time off to be a full-time father. (Don’t worry, The Growler’s not going anywhere.) It’s during this time that I will teach my infant daughter how to fetch me beer, but without ever letting her complain or question why. This will be my contribution to the evolution of our species.

Please wish me luck.

- Stephen Smysnuik

GLUTEN-FREE BOOZE OPTIONS

Suggested

Belgian

Scotch

Why BU?

by Jan Zeschky

Picture the scene: the Bomber Brewing booth at last year’s Whistler International Beer Festival.

Bomber’s Choqlette Porter, a gently sweet, malty and smooth ale, is proving popular on what’s an unseasonably wet and chilly day.

The punters are full of questions. Where are you guys based? Is that a new release? What are the IBUs on the porter?

Um, excuse me? The latter question stumps the server, so she asks one of the brewers nearby. “I don’t know… 15?” he replies, taking an educated guess.

The punter looks disappointed. “Is that all? Give me the IPA.”

It’s not an unusual exchange, judging by reports from many breweries at festivals and tasting rooms. As ever more craft beer converts are welcomed into the fold, they’re seeing a growing amount of information on the labels of packaged brew.

Most of us know alcohol by volume (ABV). And it’s always good to see water, barley, hops, yeast listed in the ingredients, alongside any additional natural adjuncts.

But just as common are International Bittering Units – and they’re clearly causing some confusion.

The IBU measures hop bitterness. Specifically, it’s a measurement of the hops’ bitter alpha acids dissolved during the boiling process. It generally runs on a scale of 0-110, beyond which it’s accepted that the human palate can’t detect any greater bitterness.

The biggest problem with the IBU is that it only measures hop bitterness, and not the overall

The International Bittering Unit is ubiquitous on craft beer labels, but it’s a confusing measurement for consumers.

perceived bitterness of the beer. It’s more of a tool for the brewer – and not really that useful for the consumer.

“Bitterness is just a tool to balance your beer and a lot of people don’t really get that,” says Parallel 49 brewmaster Graham With. “It’s just the scientific side of beer.”

So, a barley wine with 70 IBUs still tastes a little sweet, but balanced; whereas a lager with 70 IBUs would taste horrendously bitter. The barley wine’s huge malt sweetness from its greater grain content has to be balanced with more bittering hops than a lighter lager would need.

“It’s an analytical measurement. It’s not a relative or perceived measurement, and I think that’s where people get caught up,” says Michael Kuzyk, co-owner and brewmaster at Category 12 in Victoria.

- Graham With

“It’s really diving in to the geeky mechanics of devising a recipe.”

Here’s the other thing: For most brewers, IBU is a rough calculation used to determine how to balance out the wort’s sweetness. IBU can only be accurately measured in a laboratory, which only bigger breweries can afford – so what you’re seeing on many labels is an educated guess.

“I don’t think the consumer should be too gungho on IBU,” With says.

“…I don’t think brewers fuss too much about it –at least not when they’re at the bar getting a beer. When they’re developing a recipe, it’s just part of the process.”

With says a more useful measurement for consumers would be a ratio between IBU and

the beer’s final gravity – its residual sugars after fermentation.

“People would know if it’s in balance, your balance between your sugar and your bitterness. That’s how beer works.

“A ratio of residual sugar content and bitterness would be a better number. So people could say, oh, it’s really bitter but it’s a big sweet beer, so I can drink this.”

Kuzyk, for his part, admits he’s an “unashamed data geek” and likes having all those statistics –ABV, IBU, original gravity and final gravity – on his bottle labels.

He included a new one for Category 12’s first kettle sour – total acidity (TA), which ranges from 0 to 15 grams of acid per litre of sour wort.

TA is a more clearly defined measurement of sourness than the pH scale, Kuzyk says, and should give the consumer an accurate indication of perceived sourness.

As for IBU, it shouldn’t have any bearing on whether you buy a beer or not. Unless you see a 70 IBU chocolate porter. Don’t buy that one. It’ll taste like ash. j

Bitterness is just a tool to balance your beer and a lot of people don’t really get that.

33 ACRES BREWING CO.

15 W 8th Ave.

MON-FRI 9AM-11PM ^ SAT-SUN 10AM-11PM

EST. 2013

Any metric you can use to measure “hip,” 33A can nail it. Thankfully, the beer is quality too, as its recent World Beer Cup award can attest.

Availability: Year-round

ABV IBU 5.0% 30

A toasty dark lager and a comforting brew for nights on the couch, waiting out the rains.

BIG ROCK URBAN BREWERY

310 W 4th Ave.

Availability: Year-round

ABV IBU 5.3% 50

33A’s signature beer is front-loaded with hops and light on the malts with a slight pine aroma.

SUN-THU 11AM-12AM ^ FRI-SAT 11AM-12AM

EST. 2015

What’s more West Coast than “Brewga,” a yoga-meets-beer event hosted at BRU’s very chill Mount Pleasant location? Nothing is.

HOLLOW TREE RED ALE

RED ALE

Availability: Year-round

ABV IBU 5.8% 55

Second-place winner at the Canadian Brewing Awards in its category.

MIDNIGHT RHAPSODY

DARK ALE

DARK ALE WITH BERRIES

Availability: Seasonal

ABV IBU 5.5% 25

A deep, amber-hued brew, with roasted malts complementing hints of raspberry jam flavour.

33 ACRES OF DARKNESS SCHWARZBIER

33 ACRES OF OCEAN WEST COAST PALE ALE

WE CAN YOUR CRAFT

how it works

Why Mobile Canning?

We bring our canning line, labour, supplies and expertise to you and provide a cost-effective and convenient pay-as-you-go service to can even short-run orders.

NO mAiNTENANCE OR OpERATiONAl TRAiNiNg

Quality control • allocate capital elsewhere reach new customers • more space to brew

VANCOUVER

BOMBER BREWING CO.

1488 Adanac St.

DAILY 12-11PM

EST. 2014

An East Van success story born out of an amateur hockey team. It’s only a matter of time before they make Bomber: The Movie.

RUSSIAN IMPERIAL STOUT

RUSSIAN IMPERIAL STOUT

Availability: Year-round

ABV IBU 9.5% 62

Canadian Brewing Awards judges awarding this popular beer a bronze in May.

VANCOUVER

CHOQLETTE PORTER CHOCOLATE PORTER

Availability: Seasonal

ABV IBU 5.5% 18

Featuring three chocolate additions during the brew, a firm roastiness and light floral notes.

BRASSNECK BREWERY

2148 Main St.

MON-FRI 2-11PM ^ SAT-SUN 12-11PM

EST. 2013

Brassneck is pretty much Mount Pleasant’s living room and a great place to meet the locals. It doesn’t hurt that the beer is consistently fantastic.

HIBISCUS WIT

BELGIAN WITBIER

NO BRAINER PRE-PROHIBITION CORN LAGER

Availability: Seasonal Availability: Seasonal

ABV IBU 5.0% N/A

Coriander, orange peel and hibiscus combine for light and floral take on the Belgian wheat ale.

ABV IBU 4.5% N/A

This thirst quencher is simple and effective, subtly hopped with crystal clarity.

VANCOUVER

CALLISTER BREWING CO.

1338 Franklin St.

EST. 2015

Vancouver’s craft beer incubator is a place where fledgling brewers can walk before they run, including the two new brands featured below.

BOOMBOX BREWING

Availability: ‘Til next July

Specializing in hop-forward Pacific Northwest styles and aged sours.

VANCOUVER

COAL HARBOUR BREWING CO.

1967 Triumph St.

HOURS N/A

EST. 2010

LIGHTHEART BREWING

Availability: ‘Til next July

Focusing on “sessionable” beers with North American and European inspiration.

What else can we say about Coal Harbour, other than they should put in a tasting room already so we can say something else already (!)?

SUNRISE GOSE GOSE

Availability: Seasonal

A refreshing take on one of the more increasingly popular Euro-style brews made in B.C.

BLACKWING BALTIC PORTER

BALTIC PORTER

Availability: Seasonal

Features notes of dark chocolate, caramel and dried fruit. Crisp and quaffable.

VANCOUVER

DOAN’S CRAFT BREWING CO.

1830 Powell St.

SUN-THU 2-9PM ^ FRI 2-11PM ^ SAT 12-11PM

EST. 2015

This is the closest local tasting rooms come to a hovel – and we mean that respectfully. Hide away, nurse a few pints, avoid the weather.

WEST COAST IPA

INDIA PALE ALE

Availability: Year-round

ABV IBU 6.5% 71

A balanced Northwest IPA that leans heavy on the Simcoe hop flavour and aroma.

VANCOUVER

DOGWOOD BREWING

8284 Sherbrooke St.

WED-FRI 2:30-9PM ^ SAT-SUN11:30AM-9PM

EST. 2015

RYE STOUT

AMERICAN STOUT

Availability:Year-round

ABV IBU 6.5% 53

An award-winning, dependable stout that’s cinched its way to becoming Doan’s flagship brew.

This all-organic brewery has some delicious beers – all made with local B.C. ingredients – and homemade pizza in the tasting room.

ORGANIC FEST

M Ä RZEN

Availability: Year-round

ABV IBU 6.9% 20

Boasts a beautiful copper-red colour and a rich, malty body.

ORGANIC STOUT

STOUT

Availability: Year-round

ABV IBU 4.0% 20

Smooth, silky and packed with flavours of chocolate, coffee and molasses.

VANCOUVER

FACULTY BREWING CO.

1830 Ontario St.

MON-FRI 2-11PM ^ SAT-SUN 11AM-11PM

EST. 2016

It’s finally open! Brewery Creek’s latest is now taking customers at its academia-themed tasting room on Ontario Street.

241 CASCADE PALE

ALE

SINGLE HOP PALE ALE

Availability: Seasonal

ABV IBU 4.6% 65

A single-hopped pale ale that’s true to its West Coast roots – citrusy, floral, hoppy.

VANCOUVER

LUPPOLO BREWING CO.

1123 Venables St.

HOURS TBD

EST. 2016

Availability: Seasonal

ABV IBU 4.0% 30

The rye gives this brew a little bite, which is mellowed out by the wheat and yeast’s sweetness.

The soon-to-be latest addition to Yeast Van will offer an eclectic roster of beers and one of the most promising tasting rooms in the city.

LUPPOLO BROWN

ALE BROWN ALE

Availability: Seasonal

ABV IBU 5.7% 50

Chocolate and coffee notes are balanced with subtle hop bitterness, with a nutty finish.

SAISON LIMON SAISON

Availability: Seasonal

ABV IBU 5.2% 30

A crisp and rounded saison, brewed with lemongrass, which provides a citrus aroma and flavour.

378 ROGGENWEIZEN RYE WHEAT ALE

MAIN STREET BREWING CO.

261 E 7th Ave.

MON-THU 2-11PM ^ FRI-SUN 12-11PM

EST. 2014

Already a Vancouver classic, Main Street’s historic locale pays homage to the original breweries that gave Brewery Creek its name. Spacious by Vancouver tasting room standards, this brewery is great for beer nerds and the claustrophobic alike.

MAIN STREET PILSNER

Availability: Year-round

FRUIT BOMB

KETTLE SOUR

Availability: Seasonal

22

MSB’s flagship beer is bright, golden and medium-bodied, with noble hops for a clean, crisp finish.

NAKED FOX

INDIA PALE ALE

Availability: Year-round

55

The dry malt base lets the North American and Southern Hemisphere hop combination blaze on through. Loaded with flavour and aroma.

ELECTRIC TORPEDO

WHITE INDIA PALE ALE

Availability: Seasonal

The hops are front and centre with tropical fruit and citrus flavours, complemented by a tart acidity.

OLD KNIGHTS

PALE ALE

Availability: Year-round

A classic Pacific Northwest pale ale that’s named in honour of the artist studio next door. Hop forward, with citrus and pine notes.

GOLD DIGGER

HEFEWEIZEN

Availability: Seasonal

45

A Belgian-style IPA that’s been blasted with malts, hops, coriander, grapefruit and orange peel. That’s a lot of flavour to sort through, folks!

Styled after a traditional German hefe, but blended with buckwheat, rye, barley and wheat. Named after MSB’s favourite Kanye song. J/K.

MALE WHITE

WHY IS BEER SO

Male & WHITE?

by Megan Stewart

The men at Vancouver Craft Beer Week have a word for Leah Heneghan, the festival’s co-founder and events director.

“They guys I work with, they call me boss,” she said.

Beyond growing a festival that sold just 100 tickets for a single afternoon event in 2010 to hosting a three-day bash this year, Heneghan yields influence in meaningful ways. While they might have gone little noticed, her marketing choices in particular have had long-term consequences.

When she cast Big River Brew Pub’s Claire Connolly (now owner of Dogwood Brewing) in a campaign about brewmasters, for example, or when people of diverse ethnicities are included in promotional shots of partying beer drinkers, it represents a shift in power. It changes how we think

about beer, who makes it and who drinks it.

For generations, women were not sold beer. But their bodies, bouncing hair and perfect teeth have been used to sell it to others, typically an audience of undiscerning white male consumers – no offence to all those discerning consumers out there.

“The dream was to drink a Bud Lite on the beach as women in bikinis would come along running. That marketing was for men,” said Heneghan. “Now we’re marketing to everybody, anybody of any race, colour and gender.”

NO SKIRTING THE ISSUE

You can throw contemporary campaigns into the same out-dated heap as Bud Lite, but there are also sexist beer labels from coming from local brands, too. For its line of Red Racer beers,

Surrey’s Central City insists on using a revealing illustrationof a bicyclist, her thigh-high nylons and white panties on full display as she points her toes and runs a hand through her ginger hair. The retro style of the two-wheel cruiser has its appeal, but the overtly sexual image turns others off.

The brewing industry is generally inclusive, according to Lundy Dale. “We are waiting for advertising to catch up with the industry,” said the founder of the Pink Boots Society, a networking and educational organization for women in brewing.

Advertising is missing out on an ever-growing market, one that is not only female but also comprised of people of colour, said Ren Navarro, a homebrewer on her way to becoming a beer sommelier who is one of the few women in Ontario working in beer sales.

“They forget women drink beer and they forget that minorities drink beer. Because of that, they miss out on sizeable markets,” said Navarro, a black woman who is one of the five organizers behind the Society of Beer Drinking Ladies. As they put it, “real ladies drink real beer,” and there is never pressure to flash your panties, thankyouverymuch.

While young women with particular assets or men with craggy, debonair charm have been a go-to image for beer marketing, by contrast men and women of colour are not frequently cast in beer ads at all — unless it is for malt liquor, a fermented brew that has a relatively high alcohol percentage and is cheaply packaged.

Though the ’40s and ’50s, malt liquor manufacturers advertised to the white middle class but the civil rights movement in the U.S. disrupted that pattern and “alerted many American businesses to the existence of a group that had been largely invisible to them: Black Americans,” begins the excellent essay by Kihm Winship, Malt Liquor: A History.

Why did they become the target for an inferior, quickly deteriorating but potent product, when about only a third of consumers were black? “Nobody knew why; they just did,” Winship writes.

The brewing marketplace fractured along racial lines, and along came Colt 45, with its uncomfortably predatory tag line, “It works every time.” An image of women draping themselves over a can-popping man, regardless of his race, doesn’t work for Navarro.

“I do not want to drink that beer,” she said.

“There is obviously a huge problem. Still no one really knows how to target a market that is already existing and drinking beer.”

As Navarro’s interest in beer deepened, her awareness of the issue heightened. “For me anyway, craft beer is a white thing. Yes, women are showing up, but they are still white,” she said.

The society she co-runs in Toronto counts similar social clubs across the continent. There are the Beer Birds in Vancouver, for example, and the Crafty Ladies, Hops for Honeys, and the Ales4Females in the U.S. There are websites and podcasts, festivals and scholarships. As sales for Big Beer decline and craft brewing continues to surge, these social clubs will only grow. They talk about beer on their terms and don’t identify with a panty-flashing cyclist.

“We are allowing women of all backgrounds and all colours to come to a place where they can try craft beer, they can talk to other women about craft beer, and feel that this is something for us,” said Navarro.

WOMEN’S WORK IN A CHANGING WORLD

Canada is a country of beer drinkers. It’s our alcoholic bevvy of choice, and according to the national trade association, Beer Canada, we individually drink an average 63 litres of the stuff every year. That’s about one growler every 10 days for all Canadians of legal drinking age.

Across North America, craft beer consumption is on the rise, an encouraging statistic for the more than 120 craft breweries (give or take an opening here and there) now operating in B.C. No organization tracks the amount of beer women drink compared to men, or the number of female entrepreneurs and brewing professionals working in the industry.

It is possible to use a beautiful image of a woman to sell beer without exploiting her or the consumer with sleazy imagery.

- Leah Heneghan

When Dutch and German migrants arrived in Great Britain they introduced lager, and with it came their institutional and trade traditions, which were predominantly male. A boys club, if you will.

“In short, alien beer brewers brought to English towns their growing sense that — as Munich brewers would phrase it later — ‘brewing is a learned art and given to men alone,’” writes historian Judith Bennett in her book Ale, Beer, and Brewsters in England: Women’s Work in a Changing World.

Limited opportunity and outright discrimination is certainly not limited to the past, but women today find they can forge ahead for themselves.

When she started in brewing over 18 years ago, Aly Tomlin met with ugly resistance from an established brewer at a well-known company. She was determined to make beer and started asking for advice. “And so I called all the local breweries — and back then there weren’t tons — and I was like, ‘Hey, I want to be a brewer. What do I do?’”

Some said get experience, others recommended training and school. “Everybody told me this, except for one brewery. That brewery said, ‘You

can’t, you’re a woman,’” said Tomlin, who is now co-owner of Riot Brewing in Chemainus. “Because someone told me I couldn’t do it, I was like, ‘Fuck you, I’ve got to do it because you told me I couldn’t.’”

JUST FOR THE FUNK OF IT

This year on International Women’s Day, the co-owner of Moon Under Water brewery in Victoria, Chelsea Walker, and graphic designer Bjauna Sorensen created a label for a farmhouse IPA that hit back at gender expectations. The image for Hip as Funk is a Shannen Doherty-look-a-like holding an even gaze and bearing golden tattoos under a simple crew-neck t-shirt. It’s beautiful. It’s appealing. We can’t see her panties.

It is possible to use a beautiful image of a woman to sell beer without exploiting her or the consumer with sleazy imagery. This shift comes about when women have a voice. Just imagine a man reclined on a bike with his delicates exposed, says Heneghan.

The VCBW team pulls off one of the best-attended parties in the city, but on marketing material, they turn to her. “Sometimes I point something out, like I’ll say, ‘Actually it would be really nice to have a female face here. If you’ve noticed, the photo is all men.’”

This influence will draw more drinkers to the tap, an unequivocal win for all brewers. “I’m not brewing myself, I’m throwing the party,” said Heneghan. “I want everyone to come to the party.” j

A stock photo of a Caucasian man in a brewery, holding a beer.

VANCOUVER

OFF THE RAIL BREWING

1351 Adanac St.

SUN-THU 12-8PM ^ FRI-SAT 12-10PM

EST. 2014

OTR were big winners at the Canadian Brewing Awards this year, taking home two gold medals and a bronze.

SEVEN SEAS IPA

ISN’T PORTISHEAD AWESOME?

GATEWAY BOHEMIAN LAGER

LAGER

Availability: Seasonal Availability: Year-round

ABV IBU 5.8% 79

This big IPA features Falconer’s Flight hops for a juicy, citrusy finish.

VANCOUVER

PARALLEL 49 BREWING CO.

1950 Triumph St.

DAILY 11AM-11PM

EST. 2012

IBU 4.6% 16

Light, but flavourful, this easy drinking lager is brewed with Hallertau and Saaz hops.

P49’s creative, adventurous, fun and funny, and generally ahead of the curve. Most importantly, the beer is pretty darn good.

DUMB PUNK

VRAI INDIA PALE ALE

SCHADENFREUDE

PUMPKIN OKTOBERFEST LAGER

Availability: Seasonal Availability: Seasonal

IBU 6.8% 60

Brettanomyces generates fruity aromas and tropical flavours, with funk and leather in the background.

5.0% 27

Easily the most unusual pumpkin brew with perhaps the best name in B.C.

POSTMARK BREWING

55 Dunlevy Ave.

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

EST. 2014

There are serious brewing – and marketing – brains behind Postmark’s wonderful West Coast branding and its beautiful Railtown brewery.

FALCONER’S FLIGHT

INDIA PALE ALE

Availability: Year-round

ABV IBU 6.0% 52

Using just the Falconer’s Flight hop blend produces a quintessential northwest IPA.

VANCOUVER

POWELL STREET CRAFT BREWERY

1357 Powell St.

Availability: Seasonal

ABV IBU 4.8% 30

Goes down easy, with a satisfying blend of roasty flavours lightened by a lick of caramel.

SUN 12-8PM ^ MON 2-8PM ^ TUE-THU 2-9PM FRI-SAT 12-810PM

EST. 2012

Yes, Powell Street is fresh off an epic World Beer Cup win for its Old Jalopy, but it’s business as usual for the Little Brewery That Could.

RIGHT KIND OF CRAZY

DOUBLE INDIAN PALE ALE

Availability: Seasonal

ABV IBU 8.5% 100

A huge DIPA engineered to blow your palate apart with its hop profile.

DIVE BOMB PORTER

Availability: Seasonal

ABV IBU 5.0% 33

True to style, with a traditional flavour – toasted malts and modest chocolate sweetness.

VANCOUVER

R & B BREWING CO.

54 E 4th Ave.

SUN-THU 11AM-11PM ^ FRI-SAT 11AM-12AM

EST. 1997

After agonizing licensing delays, R&B’s retro-styled ale and pizza house is FINALLY open.

DRY-HOPPED KETTLE SOUR KETTLE SOUR

Availability: One-off

ABV IBU 6.0% N/A

A pilot batch suggested a lightly tart ale balanced with Aussie hops.

VANCOUVER

VANCOUVER

INDIA PALE ALE

Availability: Year-round

ABV IBU 6.0% 75

Tangy, spicy and piney hops play on a sturdy, juicy malt base.

RED TRUCK BEER CO.

295 E 1st Ave.

MON-THU 11AM-10PM ^ FRI-SAT 10AM-11PM

SUN 10AM-10PM

EST. 2005

Red Truck’s gorgeous brewery and tasting room in Brewery Creek is a fine place to waste an afternoon in the sun, or hole up in the rain.

WHITE LINE WHITE INDIA PALE ALE

RED TRUCK GOLDEN ALE

WHEAT ALE

Availability: Limited Availability: Seasonal

ABV IBU 6.8% 50

The Centennial and Citra hops are the star of this show. Refreshing with a clean, dry finish.

ABV IBU 4.8% 10

Orange, coriander and citrus hops are balanced by light biscuit malt flavours.

STORM BREWING LTD.

310 Commercial Dr.

James Walton has been brewing longer than just about anyone else in this book – never mind that it’s some of the weirdest and tastiest beer around. IMPERIAL

Availability: Year-round

This delicious Belgian sour is potent and tart with undertones of cherries and oak.

Availability: Year-round

This rich and roasty black behemoth is perfect for when the November rain sets in.

STRANGE FELLOWS BREWING

1345 Clark Dr.

MON-THU 2-11PM ^ FRI-SUN 12-11PM

EST. 2014

The beers of the Low Countries are the focus of this popular Yeast Van haunt, with impressive barrel-aged and sour offerings.

JONGLEUR WITBIER TALISMAN PALE ALE

Availability: Year-round

ABV IBU 4.5% 12

Silky smooth and light-bodied, with refreshing orange and coriander flavours.

VANCOUVER

STRATHCONA BEER CO.

895 E. Hastings St.

DAILY 11AM-11PM

EST. 2016

Availability: Year-round

ABV IBU 4.0% 29

Aromatic hops are up front in this well-balanced sessionable ale, imparting a tropical, citrusy nose.

Strathcona reeks of confidence, from the glittering reimagining of a former storage warehouse to opening with 40-oz. bottles of its Belgian ale.

BRITISH IPA

INDIA

Availability: Year-round

ABV IBU 6.0% 60

An English IPA with greater balance, floral-citrus hops and additional fruitiness from the malt.

BELGIAN GOLD BELGIAN

Availability: Year-round

ABV IBU 6.6% 32

Showcases the Belgian yeast character, with fruity and spicy notes laid over a gentle malt profile.

PALE ALE

GOLDEN ALE

the seal’,

you ignorant drunks

by Jesse Donaldson

DDon't break the seal!” someone shouts.

By now, we're all familiar with the concept: urine begets more urine, and once you've unleashed the fury, you'll be returning to the bathroom every 10 minutes. The theories as to why it happens are endless – your brain doesn't recognize your bladder's existence; alcohol makes your urethral sphincter contract; peeing sucks more water into the bladder. It's a Happy Hour Urban Legend that's as old as time.

It's also complete crap.

“There's nothing in the structure of the kidneys nor the urinary tract that's responsible for the notion,” explains Dr. Gustav Lund, a nephrology resident at Sweden's Ljungby Hospital. “It's the work of hormones, but above all, [hormone transporters] that affect the process.”

While there's no question that alcohol increases a person's need to urinate, it has nothing to do with when you make that inaugural trip to the bathroom. Instead, it's a matter of how alcohol affects the human body – in particular, the endocrine system.

“Alcohol, like coffee, is a diuretic,” adds Dr. Ag-

nieszka Lund a doctor at Växjo Central Hospital (the Lunds are a two-doctor family), “meaning that it sets in motion a process that automatically increases urine production and excretion in order to flush the system.”

The average human bladder can hold between 300-400 ccs of liquid, and that doesn't change once alcohol is involved. However, alcohol consumption inhibits the production of a hormone called vasopressin (also known as anti-diuretic hormone, or ADH), which is responsible for regulating how much water the body retains.

The mechanism is simple: if ADH is released, the body retains water, like during sleep, or periods of thirst. If ADH levels are low, the body tries to get rid of as much water as it can, excreting it through the urine.

Alcohol inhibits production of ADH, which increases our need to urinate. It also increases our level of thirst (because we're losing water), leading to more drinking, which in turn leads to further decreased levels of ADH, and an even further increased need to urinate.

Add to this an abnormal amount of liquid in the

The Growler takes the piss out of a happy hour urban legend

body, and the fact that alcohol is an irritant to the bladder, and it's easy to see how a night of drinking can quickly become an all-out assault on said bladder. And while conventional drinking “wisdom” states that one should hold off as long as possible before leaving the table for the first time, Dr. Agnieszka Lund cautions that this isn't necessarily the best long-term strategy.

“I've definitely met people with a so-called 'party bladder' in the ER,” she recalls. “Older patients who often as a result of their occupation – nurses, surgeons, even a bus driver – got used to holding their urine for long periods of time and with age ended up with an overexpanded bladder. They come to the ER with urine retention and need to

get cathaterized because their bladder has taught itself and the nervous system to ignore the signals for emptying it at proper intervals.”

In a few horrifying instances, patients holding their urine too long have even suffered from burst bladders (although such cases are extremely rare, and usually the result of a fall after holding it for an extended period). Carbonation, like that found in beer or soda, only exacerbates the process, putting added pressure on an already irritated bladder.

Essentially, by the time you start in on your second or third beer (you lush), a vicious cycle has begun, and multiple trips to the bathroom are inevitable, no matter what your drunk friends say.

Yet, still the myth persists, even amongst those who seemingly know better.

“For what it's worth, we totally abide by not breaking the seal,” Dr. Lund laughs. “So do the rest of the docs we party with. There's a Swedish saying that loosely translates to 'Swedes do not drink often but when they do, they drink a lot'. So when it comes to holding it, we're talking about some seasoned pros.” j

I've definitely met people with a so-called 'party bladder' in the ER.

- Dr. Agnieszka Lund

BLACK KETTLE BREWING

106 -720 Copping St.

MON-SAT 11AM-7PM ^ SUN 1-5PM

EST. 2014

From their plain-Jane beer names to their (almost) hidden North Van locale, Black Kettle plays it pretty low-key.

WHITE IPA

WHITE INDIA PALE ALE

Availability: Seasonal

ABV IBU 7.4% 65

Hoppy citrus and pineapple aroma with a bit of sweet orange. Refreshing.

NORTH VAN

Availability: Seasonal

ABV IBU 5.3% 8

Everything you want from an unfussy lager: highly carbonated fizzy yellow beer.

BRIDGE BREWING CO.

1448 Charlotte Rd.

SUN-THU 1-7PM ^ FRI-SAT 1-9PM

EST. 2012

Bridge is the godfather of the North Vancouver beer scene, offering an ever-growing number of seasonals and dependable core beers.

LEMON GIN SAISON

SAISON

Availability: Seasonal

ABV IBU 5.5% 24

Dry and refreshing, with subtle lemon and juniper flavours.

BOURBON

BLOOD

ORANGE WHEAT ALE

WHEAT ALE

Availability: Year-round

ABV IBU 5.5% 20

Zesty and floral, with clean citrus flavours and a moderate bitterness.

LAGER LAGER

DEEP COVE BREWERS AND DISTILLERS

170 - 2270 Dollarton Hwy.

DAILY 12-11PM

EST. 2013

After hiking Quarry Rock, Deep Cove is an ideal North Van spot to refill on refreshments. Or getting straight to the beers works for us too.

THE CRAWL

DRY IRISH STOUT

Availability: Year-round

ABV IBU 5.0% 27

Named after Spirit of the West’s ode to North Van. Proceeds go to Alzheimer’s research.

JUG ISLAND JUICE MONSTER

DOUBLE INDIA PALE ALE

Availability: Small batch

ABV IBU 9.0%+ N/A

Promising to be a Frankenstien-like creation powered by hops. Be prepared for massive IBUs.

QUIZ ANSWERS:

You’ve waited long enough! Here are the answers to the unnecessarily difficult band/brewery game we included in our last issue. Not a single person played the game as far as we know, so no one won the (admittedly meagre) prize we were offering. This is understandable – the game was WAY the fuck too difficult for people to finish. What were we thinking? We’re not sure. In any case, you can still enjoy our nerdy rock band / B.C. brewery comparisons, whether you played the game, or ignored it, or have learned about it for the first time reading these last three paragraphs.

ONE // WEEN - STORM TWO // WILCO - DRIFTWOOD THREE // SPOON - YELLOW DOG

FOUR // DEVO - CATEGORY 12 FIVE // TEGAN & SARA - DOAN’S

SIX // BON IVER - PERSEPHONE SEVEN // PINK FLOYD - PHILLIPS

EIGHT // SUBLIME - LIGHTHOUSE NINE // TALKING HEADS - STRANGE FELLOWS

TEN / BON IVER - PERSEPHONE ELEVEN // SIGUR ROS - 33 ACRES

TWELVE // THE NATIONAL - CENTRAL CITY THIRTEEN // THE WAR ON DRUGS - MAIN ST.

FOURTEEN // THE SHEEPDOGS - RED TRUCK FIFTEEN // RADIOHEAD - FOUR WINDS

SIXTEEN // MODEST MOUSE - BRASSNECK

GREEN LEAF BREWING CO.

123 Carrie Cates Ct.

SUN 11AM-9PM ^ MON-THU 11AM-10PM^ FRI-SAT 11AM11PM EST. 2013

Any port in a storm, so they say. But if you had to choose one, you’d be wise to dock at Lonsdale Quay for some live music and beer.

PIE HOLE PALE ALE

PALE ALE

Availability: Year-round

ABV IBU 5.8% 40

Rich, chewy, fruity and hop-forward, Pie Hole offers mouthfuls of flavour.

BITTER LEAF

Availability: Year-round

ABV IBU 8.0% 79

This massive beer should satisfy all but the most demented hopheads.

HEARTHSTONE BREWERY

1015 Marine Dr.

DAILY 11AM-8PM EST. 2014

Hearthstone’s taproom will (finally!) be open soon. Until then, its creative takes on traditional beer are ready to go at a liquor store near you.

WYLD PEACH

BERLINER WEISSE

BOHEMIAN PILS

PILSNER

Availability: Seasonal Availability: Year-round

ABV IBU 3.2% 0

Dry and refreshing, the acidity imparted by the wild yeast accentuates the peach fruit flavours.

ABV IBU 5.0% 20

A clean, crisp golden pale pilsner with spicy, floral hop aroma.

INDIA PALE ALE

WHISTLER VILLAGE BEER FESTIVAL

SEPTEMBER 14-18, 2016

Beer in the mountains – it just feels right. Join us for one of Canada’s best beer events and celebrate the mountains, the sunshine and of course some amazing ales.

MAIN EVENT

September 17 & 18 at Whistler Olympic Plaza

Tickets available at wvbf.ca

A FRAME BREWING CO.

38927 Queens Way

HOURS TBD

EST. 2016

A-Frame will be open sometime soon, but some of its beers have already made appearances on the festival circuit this summer.

OKANAGAN LAKE CREAM ALE CREAM ALE

Availability: Year-round

ABV IBU 00% 00

Medium-bodied, with a mild sweetness and a touch of toasted bread and biscuit.

SQUAMISH

37801 Cleveland Ave.

DAILY 11AM-12AM

EST. 1996

MAGIC

PORTER PORTER

Availability: Year-round

ABV IBU 5.6% 27

Roasted grains balance out the bready and caramel base. Finishes citrusy and spicy.

HOWE SOUND BREWING CO.

Twenty years on, Howe Sound’s one-litre pot-stopper bottles are still unique on B.C. bottle shop shelves.

SKY PILOT

NORTHWEST PALE ALE

Availability: Year-round

ABV IBU 5.0% 30

Good thing the bottle is so big because this will disappear from your glass quickly!

WHITECAP WHEAT ALE

BELGIAN WIT

Availability: Year-round

ABV IBU 4.5% 14

This traditional Belgian wheat ale is brewed with coriander and orange peel.

LAKE

ONE DUCK BREWING CO.

108-39012 Discovery Way

DAILY 10AM-10PM

EST. 2016

One Duck lives! After a full year of evading our questions, it has reached out and informed us that, yes, it’s opening sometime this fall.

UNTITLED 1

Availability: Small batch

An abbey ale, bottle conditioned for nine months, with notes of figs, raisins, prunes and caramel.

WHISTLER

COAST MOUNTAIN BREWING CO.

Unit 2 1212 Alpha Lake Rd.

UNTITLED 2

Availability: Small batch

A spicy, highly carbonated golden ale featuring hints of banana and clove.

MON-WED 1-8PM + THU-SAT 1-10PM + SUN 11AM-8PM

EST. 2016

Unless poop has seriously hit the fan, Kevin Winter’s Function Junction startup should be open as you read this.

TREELINE LAGER

Availability: Year-round

“Damn good.” – Kevin Winter. In other words, a fresh North American-style lager.

FIELD GUIDE ALE

Availability: Year-round

A copper-coloured ale designed for year-round drinkability. We actually haven’t tried it yet...

WHISTLER BREWING CO.

Whistler has completely rebranded, which you can clearly see from the logo above the photo, featuring beers with the old logo. Oops!

Some people love this sweet, malty beer. Others find it revolting. What about you?

Like the cocktail of the same name, this dark ale is big on ginger.

DAGERAAD BREWING

114 - 3191 Thunderbird Cres.

MON-WED 2-8PM^ THU 12-8PM ^ FRI 12-9PM

SAT 12-9PM ^ SUN 12-6PM

EST. 2014

Dageraad has been at the forefront of the Belgian beer renaissance in B.C. and it’s worth the pilgrimage to taste its Trappist-inspired ales.

WET-HOPPED BLONDE

BELGIAN BLONDE

Availability: Seasonal

ABV IBU 7.5% 25

Chilliwack-grown Centennial hops were added to the brew kettle for an explosion of aroma and flavour.

BURNABY

STEAMWORKS BREWING CO.

3845 William St.

SUN-WED 12-10PM ^ THU-FRI 12-11PM

EST. 1995

Availability: Year-round

ABV IBU 4.5% 20

Full-flavoured but fully sessionable, lightly spiced with coriander with fruity ester character.

Steamworks’ Gastown pub is a great entry point, but if you want to know more, head to its Burnaby brewery, where the real magic happens.

PUMPKIN ALE

IT’S A PUMPKIN ALE!

ABV IBU 6.5% 25

Like liquified pumpkin pie, brewed with ginger, nutmeg, cinnamon and cloves. And pumpkin.

BLACK ANGEL

BLACK INDIA PALE ALE

ABV IBU 7.0% 70

The CBA winner is dark as night, but with a bright floral and tropical hop profile.

BURNABARIAN BELGIAN SESSION ALE

PART TWO: LIQUOR LAW REFORM IN THE 1970’S

by Daniel Coles, esq.

For the first 50 years of post-Prohibition beer swilling in B.C., the Government Liquor Act ensured no one enjoyed themselves too much; the laws were as strict as they were bizarre.

That changed in the 1970s following the Morrow Report: an inquiry into the province’s then liquor laws by Charles Morrow (a judge), Martin Johnson (an archbishop) and Edward Lawson (a Teamster).

Today, most serious beer nerds are familiar with 2014’s Yap Report, and as transformational as its recommendations were, real credit for liquor law reform in this province belongs to Judge Morrow. The man deserves his own Heritage Minute.

DRINKING AGE

Report: It was brought home to the Commission that young people aged 19 can be elected to the Senate of our Universities, can serve and die in the Armed Forces, can vote, can be elected an M.L.A., and yet cannot enter a beer parlour. Recommendation: The legal age for drinking be reduced to the British Columbia voting age, which is 19 at the present time.

BAR SERVICE

Report: Patrons are not allowed to drink at counters in a beer parlour at the present time. Recommendation: This is a restriction that should be abolished and operators of beer parlours be allowed to install counters for patrons.

BREWERY TOURS

Report: We are satisfied from evidence adduced that the alcoholic beverage industry distributes samples of various products after tours… to our minds there is nothing sinister in the practice, and it is one that should be permitted. Recommendation: Tours of distilleries, wineries and breweries be permitted and thereafter the plant concerned be authorized to serve a small sample of its product.

WINDOWS IN BARS

Report: We see no harm in constructing a beer parlour which permits those passing by seeing patrons enjoying a glass of beer… we think it much more important to encourage owners to design an establishment that is not only functionally attractive but worthy of viewing from either inside or out. Recommendation: That the Regulations or Board policy be revised to make the comfort and convenience of patrons the paramount consideration in bar design.

DRINKING ON ELECTION DAY

Report: We have reached the conclusion that an alcoholic beverage is no longer useful as an incentive to influence the vote. Recommendation: That all outlets, including liquor stores, be allowed to remain open on municipal and provincial (but not federal) election days.

FEMALE HELP

Report: At present time one sees a cashier or a young lady clearing tables, serving sandwiches and coffee, and yet, she is not allowed to serve beer. Recommendation: That waitresses be permitted in all licensed outlets, Liquor Control Board stores and clubs.

STEEL & OAK BREWING CO.

1319 Third Ave.

SUN-WED 12-8PM ^ THU-SAT 12-10PM

EST. 2013

Peter Schulz might have left, but his German training is still evident in the clean, refined beers produced by New West’s beloved brewery.

ROGGEN WEIZEN

ROGGEN WEIZEN

SATSUMA

DRY-HOPPED LAGER

Availability: Seasonal Availability: Limited

ABV IBU 5.6% 15

Clove and banana bread flavours hit the palate first, while the rye and wheat create a malty finish.

RICHMOND

BRITTANNIA BREWING CO.

110-12500 Horseshoe Way

DAILY 11AM-5PM

EST. 2016

ABV IBU 5.2% 20

Mandarina Bavaria hops give this crisp and refreshing German lager notes of tangerine and citrus.

Britannia’s opening a brewery in Ironwood and a taphouse in Steveston, featuring traditional British brews influenced by the West Coast.

ASHORE RYE PORTER

RYE PORTER

Availability: Year-round

ABV IBU 5.1% 31

Chocolate and roasted coffee body with a slightly spicy finish from the rye.

WAVE CRUSADER

EXTRA PALE ALE

ABV IBU 5.7% 50

With a Euro and West Coast hop blend, it sails smoothly between an IPA and a British pale ale.

FUGGLES & WARLOCK CRAFTWORKS

103-11220 Horseshoe Way

SUN 12-7PM ^ MON-TUE 12-9PM ^ WED-SAT 11AM-9PM

EST. 2012

This geek-driven brewery was probably a Pokemon Gym before Pokemon Go was even developed. How long until we get a Pikachu porter?

PIXEL PILS

CZECH PILSNER

Availability: Year-round Availability: Limited

ABV IBU 5.0% 30

A crisp, refreshing pils with a bold hop profile and a good indicator of F&W’s craftsmanship.

LADNER

ABV IBU 6.3% 8

Fresh organic plums add some fleshy body to this bright, effervescent tart ale.

FOUR WINDS BREWING

4 - 7355 72nd St.

DAILY 11AM-7PM

EST. 2013

Life is good. FW’s barrel-aging program is a go; Nectarous – Canada’s beer of the year – is available year-round; and tacos are being served.

LA MAISON

WILD SAISON

Availability: Year-round

ABV IBU 4.5% 30

Spelt and rye lend some body, while wild yeast brings pepper and tropical notes. Finishes dry.

BERLINER WEISSE

BERLINER WEISSE

Availability: Seasonal

ABV IBU 3.5% 3

Features tart lemon and orange, a sweeter honey centre, a mineral finish and strong effervescence.

KIWAMI PLUM SOUR

KETTLE SOUR

CENTRAL CITY BREWERS + DISTILLERS

11411 Bridgeview Dr.

MON-FRI 11AM-9PM ^ SAT-SUN 10AM-9PM

EST. 2003

With three locations to choose from, Central City is where you want to be! Or is it? It can sometimes be hard to avoid. But that’s OK.

PILSNER

PILSNER

Availability: Year-round

ABV IBU 5.0% 25

Bavarian hops and a mix of German and Canadian malts ensure this pils is delicious.

SURREY

RED RACER IPA

INDIA PALE ALE

Availability: Year-round

ABV IBU 6.5% 80

Brewmaster Gary Lohin’s own favourite, this has long been one of B.C.’s most revered beers.

RUSSELL BREWING CO.

202 - 13018 80th Ave.

HOURS N/A

EST. 1995

You will be able to add Russell to your tasting room checklist...soon, we promise. In the meantime, its bottles and cans await you.

RUSSELL KETTLE SOUR

KETTLE SOUR

Availability: One-off

ABV IBU 5.0% 5

The brewery’s first ever kettle sour is well-balanced between malts and sour tartness.

PUNCH BOWL

GRAPEFRUIT INDIA PALE ALE

Availability: One-off

ABV IBU 6.5% 65

Russell celebrated its 21st birthday by adding grapefruit to its already fruity Punch Bowl IPA.

WHITE ROCK

WHITE ROCK BEACH BEER CO.

15181 Russell Ave.

FRI 4:30-7PM ^ SAT11AM-3PM ^ SUN10AM-3PM

EST. 2014

A major expansion is coming, including a 15-barrel system and a larger tasting room. Also: extended hours, finally!

WEST BEACH

AMERICAN PALE ALE

Availability: Year-round

ABV IBU 5.0% 36

Thirst-quenching with a nice citrusy-grapefruit bite from Centennial hops.

WHITE ROCK

WHITE ROCK BREWING LTD.

13 - 3033 King George Blvd.

EAST BEACH

AMERICAN BROWN ALE

Availability: Year-round

ABV IBU 5.0% 32

Dark nut brown in colour. Smooth with mild hops and tasty caramel and chocolate undertones.

SUN 11:30AM-5PM ^ MON-SAT 11:30AM-7PM

EST. 2015

This South Surrey brewery is about unpretentious as it gets, down to the red solo cups and the straightforward brews.

OCEAN LAGER LAGER

HOLY SMOKE COFFEE STOUT

COFFEE STOUT

Availability: Year-round Availability: Seasonal

ABV IBU 5.0% 22

A clean and easy-drinking lager with a bit of bite. It’s a hit with the locals, and now a WRB staple.

ABV IBU 7.4% 32

With beans from the Holy Smoke teepee down the street, this rich stout will reappear soon.

MOODY ALES

2601 Murray St.

SUN 12-8PM ^ MON-TUE 3-9PM ^ WED 1-9PM

THU 1-10PM ^ FRI 12-11PM ^ SAT 11AM-11PM

EST. 2014

Moody is the solid anchor at the western terminus of Brewers’ Row with a comfy picnic patio out front and delicious beers on tap.

VIENNA LAGER

VIENNA LAGER

HARDY BROWN ALE

NORTHERN ENGLISH BROWN ALE

Availability: Seasonal Availability: Year-round

ABV IBU 5.5% 20

Could this delicious German beer result in “& Lagers” being added to Moody Ale’s name?

PORT

MOODY

ABV IBU 5.5% 22

This full-flavoured beer is rich and malty with notes of toffee, nuts and coffee.

THE PARKSIDE BREWERY

2731 Murray St.

MON-THU 2-10PM ^ FRI-SAT 12-11PM ^ SUN 12-8PM

EST. 2016

The fourth (and presumably final) addition to Brewers’ Row, Parkside is the biggest of the bunch with a 100-seat tasting room.

SEASONS WHITE

INDIA SESSION ALE

PARKSIDE DUSK

AMERICAN PALE ALE

Availability: Seasonal Availability: Year-round

ABV IBU 4.6% 45

A refreshing and cloudy sessionable white IPA featuring Galaxy and Lemondrop hops.

ABV IBU 5.3% 30

Balanced between malts and hops, this beer is full-bodied and easy-drinkin’ with a dry finish.

TWIN SAILS BREWING

2821 Murray St.

MON-TUE 2-10PM^ WED-FRI 12-11PM

SAT-SUN 11AM-11PM

EST. 2015

Since opening last fall, Twin Sails has released a solid lineup of German-style beer that goes down nice and easy.

TWIN SAILS

Availability: Seasonal

ABV IBU 5.8% 10

Cloudy, copper and complex. The rye offers a spiciness that blends with the caramel malt.

PORT MOODY

TWIN SAILS MÄRZEN

Availability: Seasonal

ABV IBU 5.5% 20

An Oktoberfest brewed with pilsner, Munich and roasted malts, along with traditional Noble hops.

YELLOW DOG BREWING

1- 2817 Murray St.

MON-THU 2-10PM ^ FRI-SAT 11-11PM ^ SUN 11-8PM

EST. 2014

Murray Street’s first brewery continues to lead the pack with ever-moreinventive seasonals alongside staples that are fast becoming B.C. classics.

PLAY DEAD

INDIA PALE ALE

Availability: Year-round

ABV IBU 6.9% 75

The darling of B.C. IPAs. Bursting with citrus-tropical Citra and Mosaic hops.

SHAKE A PAW SMOKED PORTER

BROWN PORTER

Availability: Year-round

ABV IBU 5.0% 24

The beer that first made Yellow Dog’s name, Shake A Paw is still a malty, subtly smoky treat.

Unsung Heroes of Beer: OF DAN'S HOMEBREW SUPPLIES

by Stephen Smysnuik

Dan Small had finally discovered Kokanee.

The avid homebrewer had stopped in Revelstoke overnight while moving from Toronto to Vancouver with his girlfriend. At the bar, he saw a beer label he didn’t recognize. A new beer! Dan thought it must’ve been a B.C. microbrewery, otherwise they would’ve heard of it by now. Right?

They didn’t know,” recollects Tom Small, Dan’s younger brother. “They were so excited. Then they both started crying when they tasted it.”

This was the man – and now, three years after his death, the legend – behind Dan’s Homebrew, an influential figure in the Vancouver beer community who more than anything detested big brand beer. “He was extremely passionate about [beer]. It was probably the most important thing in his life,” Tom says. “He always rooted for the underdog. He didn’t like the fat cats making a crappy product, with all the slick advertising fooling people into thinking they’re going to get chicks if you drink Labatt Blue.”

It was just the sort of curmudgeonly pluck Vancouver needed to kick start its nascent brewing scene. Friends describe Small as a true beer purist, a highly skilled homebrewer who cultivated a likeminded community without ever intending to. His death from lung cancer in June 2013 – just a month shy of his 50th birthday – left a chasm in the beer community at large. He was a guru, a fountain of simple advice that gave the city’s novice home brewers coming through his store the confidence to thrive.

Above all, he stressed simplicity. No esoteric

ingredients. No funky styles. Brew good pale ale and move on from there. It was advice that helped foster that community.

“Anybody who’s opened a brewery [in Vancouver] in the past few years has walked through Dan’s door at some point,” says Chris Booth, who took over managing the store after Small passed away. “He was the only game in town at the time.”

In the years leading up to his death, business was thriving, but it hadn’t been a boon for long. He started the shop in 1991 at 28 years old, and business dragged for over a decade. He made his own bread at times just so he could eat.

“There were lots of years that were really dry. Hard, gruelling years,” Tom says.

But stubbornness kept him going, along with a driving need to educate people on about what good beer actually is. He’d record interviews with the brewers of Shaftebury, Granville Island Brewing and Okanagan Spring – back when these were still independent breweries – and use these for a homebrewing column he wrote for the Bum Report, a local zine dedicated to living on the cheap. He collected and compiled recipes in a Duo-Tang and made them available for all his customers.

“He was plugged into the beer scene when it was almost non-existent, when the most edgy brewery

was Storm,” says Saul Moran, a Dan’s Homebrew employee since 2007.

It wasn’t until 2006, when Small moved the shop to the Heatley Building on Hastings Street, that the shop had some much-needed visibility. This was vital because the move coincided with a growing local interest in homebrewing.

“People were waking up to the fact that commercial beer is a fucking scam. Commercial beer had just been getting worse and worse,” Tom says.

At the time, there weren’t too many good options for beer, and people were discovering that they

could make it at home for cheap. Moran says the shop’s peak business years were 2008 and 2009, as interest in craft beer swelled, but right before any of the craft breweries had opened.

“Vancouver got a leg up before we even knew we needed it,” Moran says. “We’re still not caught up with Portland, but we might have been a lot further behind [if not for Dan].”

Dan passed away less than a year after his diagnosis, and a month after moving the shop to its current location on Hastings, between Hawks and Campbell Avenues.

After he died, Booth and Blair Calibaba – a close friend of Dan’s, now co-owner of Bomber Brewing – launched the Dan Small Award for homebrewing, given out every year at the BC Beer Awards. Bomber and Parallel 49 Brewing each released commemorative beers in his honour. These were small tokens to remember a man who’ll never get to see the community he helped cultivate blossom into a full-blown industry. It’s something his friends says he would have been impressed by. Well, mostly impressed by.

“To be perfectly honest, the periodic dartboard of styles that happen right now, he would’ve laughed his head off at that,” Calibaba says.

Because remember: Keep it simple. j

Anybody who's opened a brewery [in Vancouver] has walked through Dan's door at some point. He was the only game in town at the time.

- Chris Booth

MAPLE

MAPLE MEADOWS BREWING CO.

22775 Dewdney Trunk Rd.

TUE-THU 2-7PM ^ FRI-SAT 12-8PM ^ SUN 12-6PM

EST. 2014

Maple Meadows is everything you’d want out of a neighborhood brewery, including – most importantly – tasty, dependable brews.

DARK RED ALE

AMERICAN RED ALE

Availability: Seasonal Availability: Seasonal

ABV IBU 5.5% 27

It’d be easy to get lost in the deep amber of this red, if you weren’t too busy drinking it.

MAPLE RIDGE

RIDGE BREWING CO.

22826 Dewdney Trunk Rd.

ABV IBU 4.2% 54

Amarillo gives it a medium floral and citrus bite. Get some before it runs out.

MON-THU 11AM-8PM ^ FRI-SAT 11AM-8:30PM SUN 11AM-6:30PM

EST. 2015

Carlos de Ibarrola’s quaint brewery offers a modest tasting room, growler fill station and occasional live music events.

Availability: Seasonal Availability: Year-round

ABV IBU 3.6% 0

Light, refreshing sour wheat ale. 12.5% of proceeds donated to LGBT causes throughout B.C.

ABV IBU 5.0% 33

Easy-drinking pale ale with floral aroma and balanced hop bitterness.

FOAMERS’ FOLLY BREWING CORP.

19221 122A Ave.

SUN-THU 10AM-11PM ^ FRI-SAT 10AM-12:30AM

EST. 2015

Foamers’ offers a strong lineup of beers on 20 taps and one of the nicest lounges around: hip and rustic inside, large patio outside.

HOT BOX

BARLEYWINE

Availability: Small batch

ABV IBU 9.5% 100

A rich, complex beast that’s not messing around. Big malts and hops complement the dark fruit reduction.

KPU BREWING LAB

20901 Langley Bypass

FRI 1-5PM

EST. 2016

AMERICAN INDIA PALE ALE

Availability: Year-round

ABV IBU 6.6% 80

For all the hopheads: fruity, floral and a little dank. Try it on nitro, if you get the chance.

Yes, Kwantlen has a full-service brewery, with a surprisingly delicious lineup of beers created by the expert staff and brewed by the students.

Availability: Seasonal

ABV IBU 5.0% 18

Light, flavourful and refreshing, with hints of coriander and orange peel.

Availability: Seasonal

ABV IBU 5.0% 12

A crisp, malty pale lager featuring a mellow hops flavour and a crisp finish.

BRASS MONKEY

KPU WIT BELGIAN WITBIER

KPU GOLDEN LAGER LAGER

TRADING POST BREWING

107 - 20120 64th Ave.

SUN 12-7PM ^ MON-THU 2-10PM-8:30PM

FRI-SAT 12-11PM

EST. 2015

All of Trading Post’s beers are named after historic events, people or places related to Fort Langley, the birthplace of B.C.

CAPTAIN COOPER’S CRANBERRY ALE SOUR

Availability: Year-round

ABV IBU 5.9% 7

Kettle soured and brewed with local cranberries, this beer is light, tart and refreshing.

ALDERGROVE

DEAR JAMES

S.M.A.S.H. SAISON

Availability: Year-round

ABV IBU 6.5% 26

A single malt (Bohemian Pilsner) and single hop (Mosaic) saison that is complex and flavourful.

DEAD FROG BREWERY

1 - 27272

Gloucester Way

MON-FRI 10AM-5PM ^ SAT 12-4PM

EST. 2005

Swing by the tap room and growler fill station for one-offs and limited edition brews.

BLUEBERRY BLAST

KETTLE SOUR

KETTLE SOUR

Availability: Limited

ABV IBU 5.9% 5

Crisp sour wheat ale bursting with tart flavours of lemon and freshly picked blueberries.

TROPIC VICE TROPICAL FRUIT ALE

GOLDEN ALE

Availability: Seasonal

ABV IBU 5.0% 10

A summer seasonal golden ale infused with mango and passion fruit.

FIELD HOUSE BREWING CO.

2281 West Railway St.

TUE-WED 12-8PM ^ THU-SAT 12-10PM ^ SUN 12-5PM

EST. 2016

The snobs in the city might turn their noses up at poor old Abbotsford, but it’s got one thing the big smoke doesn’t – Field House. Suckers.

WILD SAISON SAISON

Availability: Seasonal

ABV IBU 6.0% 18

Funky wild yeasts impart clove and apple flavours, balanced by the floral notes of the hops.

ABBOTSFORD

OLD ABBEY ALES

1A - 30321 Fraser Hwy.

DAILY 11AM-8PM

EST. 2015

Availability: Seasonal

ABV IBU 5.35% 38

Classic malty bitter, with lavender for a burst of floral and herbal notes.

Its name might conjure images of silent monks in a secluded monastery, but this Abbotsford brewery is completely welcoming.

SOUR RASPBERRY

SOUR FRUIT BEER

Availability: Small-batch

ABV IBU 7.0% 7

You’re looking at this year’s Canadian Brewing Awards winner for fruit beer. Now go taste it.

100% BRETT IPA

INDIA PALE ALE

Availability: Year-round

ABV IBU 7.5% 54

Brett Drei yeast lifts the mango and pineapple flavour, giving this a juicy, tropical twist.

LAVENDER ESB EXTRA SPECIAL BITTER

RAVENS BREWING CO.

2485 Townline Rd.

TUE-THU 12PM-8PM ^ FRI-SAT 12-9PM ^SUN 12-6PM

EST. 2015

Ravens offers a dependable lineup of beers that don’t scream from the treetops but they taste good, they feel good and they get you drunk. It’s good.

FRESH HOP ESB EXTRA SPECIAL BITTER

Availability: Seasonal

ABV IBU 5.5% 40

ENGLISH DARK MILD DARK MILD

Availability: Year-round

ABV IBU 4.0% 20

Hardy yet sessionable, with hazelnut and dark roast undertones.

An ale that utilizes Cascade and Centennial hops grown in Abbotsford, balanced by a sturdy malt base.

CHAOS & SOLACE CRAFT BREWING CO.

1 - 9360 Mill St.

DAILY 11AM-7PM

EST. 2016

Founder Calvin Quaite is an award-winning homebrewer and his reputation has made this a brewery to watch.

FIVE CORNERS IPA INDIA PALE ALE

Availability: Year-round

The first batch of this tasty, citrusy West Coast hop-bomb went fast but more should be ready soon.

CHILLIWACK

OLD YALE BREWING CO.

404 - 44550 South Sumas Rd.

TUE-SUN 11AM-7PM

EST. 2000

PARAMOUNT PORTER PORTER

Availability: Year-round

ABV IBU 6.3% 24

A recent move into a new, purpose-built, 10,000-square-foot facility will allow Old Yale to triple its capacity to meet growing demand.

OLD PADDLE PILSNER

CZECH PILSNER

Availability: Year-round

Founding brewer Larry Caza once used a canoe paddle to stir his brew kettle.

MOONDANCE MANGO WHEAT

WHEAT BEER WITH MANGO

Availability: Year-round

ABV IBU 6.0% 85 ABV IBU 5.0% 10

A malt-forward porter with roasty and chocolate notes. ABV IBU 5.0% 20

“Can I just have one more moondance with you, my love?” Had to go there.

by Robert Mangelsdorf

If there is one thing universal amongst all human kind, it is our proclivity for drinking fermented grains. Around the world, in every culture, people love to get plastered. Despite what religious fanatics and mother-in-laws might have you believe, it’s truly in our nature.

Early on in our history we discovered that rotten bread and grain could not only be salvaged, but turned into a delicious, effervescent beverage. As a result, people everywhere developed their own methods for making beer (and beer-like beverages) using the ingredients they had close at hand. Some of these ancient recipes are delicious and have survived to this day. Others are just straight-up weird. Check ’em out.

CHICHA (PERU)

Chicha is a fermented corn beer often brewed with adjuncts like quinoa and cane sugar. Doesn’t sound too bad, right?

WRONG! In order to make the corn fermentable, old Peruvian ladies will chew the germinated corn kernels before baby-birding it all back up to be boiled (thank God) and fermented. The enzymes in saliva help break down the starches, converting them into fermentable sugars.

But if you think this is some ancient method of brewing long since abandoned once modern methods were developed… WRONG! This is still a popular drink in Peru, and there are chicha bars all over the country that specialize in this seriously questionable beverage. What the hell Peru? Seriously.

BOUZA (EGYPT)

Bouza dates back to about 3,000 BC and was known as the “Beer of the Pharaohs.” Calling it “beer” might be a tad generous though. “Rotten soggy bread juice” might be more accurate.

Since the Ancient Egyptians didn’t know how to malt grains, they instead baked large loaves of bread at a low temperature to allow the starches to (somewhat) convert to fermentable sugars, and likely discovered this purely by accident. The loaves were then soaked with water and left to ferment in open containers.

The resulting boozy bread juice was strained and flavoured with dates and lotus flowers to make it less disgusting (good luck with that). Apparently there are some corners of Egypt where bouza is still made, which begs the question, WHY??

SAHTI (FINLAND)

A distant cousin of gruit, sahti is a traditional Finnish farmhouse ale flavoured with juniper and is one of the oldest beer varieties still brewed today. The resourceful Finns can make this “Christmas beer” out of just about any grain they have on hand, malted or not – even resorting to leftover bread if need be.

Unlike most beers, sahti isn’t brought to a boil and is poured over un-sterilized juniper boughs prior to fermentation. So there’s all sorts of wild yeasts at play, resulting in clove and banana notes as well as the distinctive juniper flavour. It’s an acquired taste to be sure, but one worth trying (unlike a lot of the other beers on this list). Parallel 49 does a seasonal limited run of their take on the sahti, called Sahti Claws. Look for it in its annual Christmas advent calendar.

GRUIT (SCOTLAND)

The heavily-tattooed Picts who first inhabited Scotland were said to have drank gruit before heading into battle. Or heading off to work. Or pretty much any time they were awake. Since Scotland is cold and miserable, it’s not really a great place for growing hops (or living). Instead, this ancient beer was flavoured with a mixture of local herbs that contained heather, rosemary, bog myrtle, horehound, mugwort and a host of other unappetizingly named plants.

Versions of gruit could be found throughout much of Northern Europe during the Middles Ages, with the stubborn Scots being among the last to give it up in favour of hopped ales and (eventually) watery lagers. Some locally available examples include Saltspring Island Ales’ Heather Ale and Parallel 49’s Suspect Device (which made a brief appearance in the first Brews Brothers 12-pack).

SOURCES: The Oxford Companion to Beer, The Beer Bible, Wikipedia

HUANGJIU (CHINA)

Commonly referred to as rice wine or yellow wine, it’s technically beer since it’s made from fermented grain, in this case, steamed rice. It sure looks like wine though. It’s non-carbonated, its colour can range from clear to reddish-brown and it’s often aged, in some cases for up to 20 years.

Heavily salted varieties are used for cooking (do not drink this stuff, no matter how cheap it is), but the higher end stuff is sweet and at 12 per cent ABV and up. It makes a nice aperitif. Huang Zhong Huang Shaoxing is aged for eight years and is available at BC Liquor Stores.

KVASS (RUSSIA)

Pretty similar to Bouza, but made from rye bread, because it’s Russia after all. And in typical Russian fashion, kvass is treated like a soft drink because in Russia, anything weaker than vodka is reserved for small children and the elderly women.

UMQOMBOTHI (SOUTH AFRICA)

This seemingly random assortment of letters is actually a sorghum-based wild yeast-fermented beer still available commercially in rural Africa. Recent studies have shown that fungal toxins present in both commercial- and home-brewed umqombothi might be responsible for the unusually high rate of esophageal cancer in South Africa. Just a heads up.

HANDIA (INDIA)

This milky-looking “beer” is made by indigenous tribes in eastern India from rice left to ferment outdoors in massive open earthenware vessels. Local elephants have actually developed a taste for handia and have been known to lead organized attacks on villages to get their trunks on the stuff.

So drink at your own risk, I guess. j

AXE AND BARREL

BREWING CO.

2323 Millstream Ave.

DAILY 11AM-7PM

EST. 2015

Since opening its log cabin-themed brewpub in April, A&B has become a local favourite, and probably the best live music venue in the West Shore.

Availability: Year-round

ABV IBU 4.8% 10

Crisp, clean, European style lager with Cascade hops for a light, dry, grapefruit finish.

Availability: Year-round

ABV IBU 6.8% 70

Hopped with Summer, Ella and Topaz for a tropical fruit punch.

CATEGORY 12 BREWING

Unit C - 2200 Keating Cross Rd.

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

EST. 2014

At C12, you get to drink delicious beer brewed by a Ph.D. in microbiology and biochemistry without having to know what flocculation is.

ELEMENTAL SERIES

WILD IPA

WILD INDIA PALE ALE

Availability: Small batch

ABV IBU 6.9% 68

An assertively fruity and spicy IPA that finishes tart and dry thanks to Saccharomyces trios.

SUBVERSION

IMPERIAL INDIA PALE

Availability: Seasonal

ABV IBU 8.8% 88

Fight the mainstream with this powerful citrus-hop bomb. Rebellion never tasted so good.

SESSION LAGER

INDIA PALE ALE INDIA PALE ALE

DRIFTWOOD BREWERY

450 Hillside Ave.

TUE-SAT 11AM-6PM

EST. 2015

White Bark with toffee and Fat Tug at dinner. Farmhand is golden but Entangled’s the winner. These are a few of our faaaaavourite thiiiiings.

NEW GROWTH PALE ALE

Availability: Year-round

ABV IBU 5.0% 40

A balanced sessionable pale ale, brewed with Sartori Centennial and Newport hops.

CROOKED COAST ALTBIER

Availability: Year-round

ABV IBU 5.2% 35

German noble hops and caramel Munich malt make for a finely balanced session beer.

HOYNE BREWING CO.

101-2740 Bridge St.

MON-FRI 12-6PM ^ SAT 11AM-6PM

EST. 2011

Cheers to founder and brewer Sean Hoyne, one of the province’s beer pioneers since 1989 and who’s still pushing the craft culture forward.

WOLF VINE

WET HOPPED PALE ALE

Availability: One-off

ABV IBU 5.5% N/A

After last year’s recipe, we’re getting ready to howl over another edition of this wet hop favourite.

VOLTAGE

ESPRESSO STOUT

Availability: Seasonal

ABV IBU 5.6% N/A

A collaboration with Habit Coffee and Bows & Arrows Coffee Roasters that’s worthy of all the buzz.

LIGHTHOUSE BREWING CO.

2 - 836 Devonshire Rd.

MON 9AM-4:30PM ^ TUE-FRI 9AM-6PM^ SAT 11AM-6PM

EST. 1998

Who said there aren’t tasting rooms in Victoria? Oh, we did, last issue. Lighthouse is gladly proving us wrong. Tasting room open soon.

BROADSIDE NORTHWEST ALE NORTHWEST ALE

Availability: Year-round

ABV IBU 4.3% 78

Low ABV and light but with a nice kick of hops to give this thirst-quencher some bite.

JACKLINE RHUBARB GRISETTE GRISETTE

Availability: Seasonal

ABV IBU 5.5% 5.4

Fraser Valley rhubarb juice adds to the refreshing tartness of this table saison.

MOON UNDER WATER BREWERY

350B Bay St.

SAT-THU 11:30AM-11PM ^ FRI 11:30AM-12AM

EST. 2012

While not afraid to get adventurous with a recipe,Clay Potter is commited to the classic Euro brews, too.

HIP AS FUNK

FARMHOUSE INDIA PALE ALE

Availability: Year-round

ABV IBU 7.0% 35

Mix saison yeast and Brett. Drop in the pilsner malt. Throw in the tropical fruit hops. Get funky.

LIGHTSIDE OF THE MOON SESSION

LAGER

Availability: Year-round

ABV IBU 4.2% 14

A dry, refreshing unfiltered lager finished with sweet orange.

PHILLIPS BREWING & MALTING CO.

2010 Government St.

MON 10AM-5PM ^ TUE-THU 10AM-6PM

FRI 10AM-7PM^ SAT 11AM-6PM

EST. 2001

Phillips sure is crafty, and not just for their well-established brewing prowess. After a promo to have an eagle deliver a beer was thwarted, they found a loophole: the eagle “piloted” a beer-delivering drone instead.

KALEIDOSCOPE

INDIA PALE ALE

Availability: Year-round

ABV IBU 6.5% -

Intense tropical fruit notes, from heaping doses of the almighty Mosaic hop, make this quite the trip.

BLUE BUCK

PALE ALE

Availability: Year-round

ABV IBU 5.0% N/A

Phillips’ classic brew – still underappreciated by B.C.’s beer snoberati – is solid and approachable, lightly sweet with the malts and just a little bitter.

ELECTRIC UNICORN

WHITE INDIA PALE ALE

Availability: Seasonal

ABV IBU 6.5% 65

Take a ride on the psychedelic unicorn, whose flavours are as much of a mind-melter as that jaw-dropping beer label.

PUCKER PLUCKER

CHERRY SOUR

Availability: Small batch

ABV IBU 6.3% -

Sure to live up to its name, a tart kettle sour with infused cherries and lacto.

BOTTLE ROCKET

INDIA SESSION ALE

Availability: Year-round

ABV IBU 5.3% N/A

A nice intro to hops for people who hate hops. The light body and slight grapefruit flavours pave the way for a moderate hoppy finish.

PILSNER

PILSNER

Availability: Year-round

ABV IBU 5.0% N/A

A bright and crisp lager that’s light on all fronts –the malts, the hops, the colour. Just clean and easy drinking here.

WITH A "SERIOUS" HOLLYWOOD DRINKER

Nick Swardson’s notorious for his hard-partying lifestyle, indulging in a realm of Hollywood decadence that many of us a) can only fanatisize about or b) would be totally repulsed by.

He’s also one of the most hysterical comedians working today, having starred in the series Nick Swardson’s Pretend Time and, most recently, the Netflix Adam Sandler flicks The Do-Over and The Ridiculous 6. Now, he’s starring in this Growler Q&A. Enjoy?

What’s your first, or most memorable, experience with booze?

Good lord. I like the contradiction of your favourite booze memory, like both those things go together at all.

That’s a good question, because I remember it vividly. My mother used to drink a beer called Coors Light. I’ve told this story in my standup before. I remember summer nights and stuff, she would crack open a beer and she would give me a sip. I was like nine years old, and I loved it. She had some thing where she was like, if you give a child a couple sips, it was good for them or something. Whatever her theory was, I supported it.

So every time she cracked one open I would get a couple sips. I loved it. I was literally nine years old, and I remember going around school and talking loudly about how my favourite beer was Coors Light. I thought I was super cool.

I remember the teacher got super upset when I said it in class. She called my mom and shit, but I thought I was super badass. “Yeah man, Coors Light – you guys haven’t tried it? That’s weird.

It’s really good – probably one of the best.”

What happened after the teacher scolded you? Did you revere it more?

Oh yeah! Yeah yeah yeah! That didn’t change anything for me.

You must have some good Hollywood stories. Oh god! I have a billion of those. I mean some of them I can’t really say, you know. I’m actually 87 days sober right now.

Oh are you? Congratulations.

Thank you. I’m just doing a detox. I do those every once in awhile.

Oh, so it’s not like you’re sober sober. No, there wasn’t like an incident or anything. It would be hilarious if there was and this interview was the impetus for my relapse. It’s like, “Ah, everything was great but I did this interview, man.” Then I’m just chugging Coors Light and spearmint schnapps sadly in an alley.

I’ve drunk everywhere, good Lord. I’ve drunk with so many people. I mean I drink a lot. I’m a serious drinker. Like, a lot and it is kind of funny.

We're just fucking raging. Drinking. Pouring bottles of vodka into each other's mouths, it's all in our hair. I mean, it was just nightclub decadence, a complete shit show.

This is kind of an ongoing story, but David Spade is one of my best friends. I drink with David a lot.

He’s a big drinker?

No [laughs] and this is kind of my point. It’ll take me about four or five cocktails to get

warmed up. That’s the starting game. And David’s max is three – for the night.

Well he’s a little guy, isn’t he?

Yeah. He’s not a big dude. So we’ll go to Vegas and he’s in bed by 11p.m. Like literally in bed by 11 p.m. We’ll go to a club, he’ll have three cocktails and he’s like done

So one time I’m like, “Why not match me drink for drink?” And he’s like, “I’ll fucking die if I do that!” He can’t drink very well.

That’s the story?

It was decent.

Any others?

God, I have so many but I don’t want to incriminate other people. I don’t want to tear anybody else down with me.

This is kind of a random Hollywood one that doesn’t really incriminate anybody. I’m friends with Paris and Nicky Hilton. You’re familiar with them?

Of course.

I don’t know why this popped into my head. We had a table at a nightclub, and it was one of those Game On nights. We’re going hard in the paint. We were sitting there and we’re just fucking raging. Drinking. Pouring bottles of vodka into each other’s mouths, it’s all in our hair. I mean, it was just nightclub decadence, a complete shit show.

The door guy goes, “Hey, this guy’s sharing your table.” And we’re like, “Who?” And it was M. Night Shyamalan. It was him and his cousin. It was so bizarre – they’re staring at us as we’re pouring vodka all over our faces.

This was a random Tuesday. It wasn’t New Year’s Eve or anything. I’ll never forget the look on his face as we’re doing cannonballs off the couches and pouring vodka around like it’s fucking water. This director must have been thinking, “Well, this scene has gotten out of control.”

And he doesn’t strike me as the hardest partying celebrity either.

That’s why it was so perfect that it was him –just the funniest person to have sitting there. The guy that directed The Lady in the Water – just the funniest director. At least it wasn’t Ron Howard. That would have been really awkward. j

VANCOUVER ISLAND BREWERY

2330 Government St.

DAILY 10AM-6PM

EST. 1986

Victoria’s oldest brewery has new ownership and a new executive team. While the beer lineup’s the same for now, we hear big changes are coming.

HERMANN’S DARK LAGER LAGER

Availability: Year-round

ABV IBU 5.0% N/A

A dark and refreshing classic, featuring a deep malt flavour that’s high in drinkability.

VICTORIA

Availability: Year-round

ABV IBU 5.0% N/A

They may have rebranded the Islander, but it’s the same accessible bottle o’brew it ever was.

VICTORIA CALEDONIAN BREWERY AND DISTILLERY

761 Enterprise Cres.

HOURS TBD

EST. 2016

This is where it gets confusing. The brewery is called Victoria Caledonian, but the beers are sold as Twa Dogs. So look out for those.

JOLLY BEGGAR’S PALE ALE

PALE ALE

Availability: Year-round

ABV IBU 4.7% 20

Features crystal malts paired with German Hallertau Blanc hops, offering lemongrass and tropical flavours.

HOLY WILLIE’S ROBUST PORTER PORTER

Availability: Year-round

ABV IBU 6.5% 25

Chocolate-roasted barley malts with flaked and malted oats generate a rich, creamy, bold and bitter porter.

SOOKE OCEANSIDE BREWERY

1-5529 Sooke Rd.

HOURS TBD

EST. 2016

B.C.’s second smallest brewery is also the very first to be located at a gas station. That’s right – fill up the tank and the growler at the Shell in Sooke.

SALISH SEA SAISON

BELGIAN SAISON

Availability: Small batch

ABV IBU 7.5% 25

A dry and spicy saison, featuring fruity esters...so we’re told. We haven’t tried it yet.

LEECHTOWN LAGER

NORTH AMERICAN LAGER

Availability: Small batch

ABV IBU 5.0% 17

A crisp, easy-drinking lager that’s “meticulously brewed and never rushed.” Sounds ideal.

RED ARROW BREWING CO.

5255 Chaster Rd.

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

EST. 2015

One year after opening, Red Arrow is making a name for itself, especially after winning two bronze medals at the CBAs.

INVASION OF THE BLACKBERRY

BLACKBERRY LAGER

Availability: Small-Batch

ABV IBU 5.0% 20

Purple-gold with a blackberry aroma, this beer is clean with a slightly tart berry finish.

MIDNITE

UMBER ALE

Availability: Year-round

ABV IBU 5.1% 33

This quaffable ruby-brown beer won a bronze medal at the Canadian Brewing Awards.

DUNCAN

RIOT BREWING CO.

101A - 3055 Oak St.

HOURS TBD

EST. 2016

After so many goddamn years of dreaming and planning, Riot’s spanking new purpose-built brewery – complete with a skater’s aesthetic and anarchist attitude – is finally ready and will be a destination for anyone heading to the Island.

LIP SLIDE

Availability: Year-round

A traditional Helles lager, with distinct malt base and dry finish.

JUNK PUNCH

Availability: Year-round

And the winner goes to Junk Punch for our favourite beer name of the season.

FUN FACT!

LIFE PARTNERS

NORTHWEST PALE ALE

Availability: Year-round

A hop-forward, medium-bodied brew that’s meant to be there for you through thick and thin.

UNTITLED

Availability: Year-round

This table saison is slightly golden and very sessionable with spicy, complex aromas.

Riot Brewing has been six years in the making. The owners, Aly Tomlin and Ralf Rosenke, had planned to open in 2010 somewhere in Vancouver, which would have made them the newest brewery after Driftwood at the time. Obviously, that didn’t work out, and they eventually settled in Chemainus.

LONGWOOD BREWERY

101A-2046 Boxwood Rd.

WED-FRI 2-6PM ^ SAT 12-5PM

EST. 2013

The brewery produces some of the same beers as the original Longwood brewpub, but also serves some unique options in its tasting room.

40KM ISA

“ULTRA-LOCAL” WET-HOPPED ALE

Availability: Small Batch

ABV IBU 4.2% 26

As local as a beer can get: all ingredients sourced within 40km of the brewery!

NANAIMO

FULL PATCH

PUMPKIN SAISON

Availability: Seasonal

ABV IBU 9.0% 48

This big, spicy, smoky beast stands out in the glut of autumnal gourd-infused beers.

WHITE SAILS BREWING

125 Comox Rd.

SUN 12-6PM^ MON-WED 3-9PM ^ THU 3-11PM ^ FRI-SAT

12PM-12AM

EST. 2015

White Sails’ tasting room in the historic former Newcastle Hotel offers West Coast classics, live music and the occasional yoga class.

SNAKE ISLAND

CASCADIAN DARK ALE

Availability: Limited

ABV IBU 6.5% 80

Medium bodied and full-flavoured with hints of chocolate and coffee.

OLD CITY SMASH ALE

BLONDE ALE

Availability: Limited

ABV IBU 5.0% 35

This single malt and single hop ale is simple, clean and sessionable.

WOLF BREWING CO.

940 Old Victoria Rd.

SUN-MON 12-5PM ^ TUE-THU 12-6PM^ FRI-SAT 12-7PM

EST. 2010

Wolf is working hard to re-energize its beer list with some new recipes and new ideas to go along with its popular new tasting room.

DEAD WHALE

Availability: Year-round

ABV IBU 4.7% 30

Named in honour of Luna the Killer Whale, partial proceeds support the Raincoast Foundation.

CUMBERLAND

CUMBERLAND BREWING CO.

2732 Dunsmuir Ave.

SUN-WED 12-9PM ^ THU - SAT 12-10PM

EST. 2014

WOLF PILSNER

Availability: Year-round

ABV IBU 5.0% 25

Filling a void in Wolf’s previously lager-free lineup, this beer is easy-drinking and very refreshing.

Summer’s gone, but you should have no problem eking out a few more visits to Cumberland’s stellar patio. Get the pizza.

FINALLY

INDIA PALE ALE

FOREST FOG

AMERICAN WHEAT

Availability: Seasonal Availability: Year-round

ABV IBU 7.1% N/A

After 18 months in business, CB finally made an IPA. We have no idea how it tastes.

ABV IBU 4.3% N/A

The closest beer CB has to a staple is also a charity beer, supporting the local forest society.

FORBIDDEN BREWING CO.

1590 Cliffe Ave.

WED-SUN 12-10PM

EST. 2015

Forbidden by name, accessible by nature. Local art lines the walls and the tap lines are full of the brewery’s solidly crafted beers.

FORBIDDEN PALE

ALE

PALE ALE

Availability: Year-round

ABV IBU 5.0% 40

A very well balanced, lightly fruity and 100-percent organic pale ale.

COURTENAY

FORBIDDEN PILSNER

PILSNER

Availability: Year-round

ABV IBU 5.0% 35

A satisfying pils with a bready base enlivened by subtle notes of juicy apple, herbs and cinnamon.

GLADSTONE BREWING CO.

244 4th St.

DAILY 11AM-12AM

EST. 2015

Here’s the shining example of a community brewery, with an always-busy patio, a pizzeria annexe and a trio of brewers delivering top-quality beer.

STERLING SINGLE

BELGIAN SINGLE

Availability: Year-round

Punches above its weight with a complex profile of spice, lemon and herbs.

WEST COAST IPA

INDIA PALE ALE

Availability: Year-round

ABV IBU 7.0% 70

A bruiser of an IPA that maintains an assured poise between tropical hops and an ample malt base.

THE “WE FINALLY LEFT VANCOUVER AND FEATURED SOME WOMEN FOR ONCE” EDITION

We’ve had some emails about this series, oh yes. “Can you feature some Vancouver Island breweries?” you’ve asked. “How about some women for once?” you’ve pleaded.

And so, we’ve heeded your calls and invited Chloe Smith, co-founder of Townsite Brewing – a woman brewer and small-town small business owner – to speak with Aly Tomlin, co-founder of Chemainus’ Riot Brewing, who also happens to be a woman brewer and small-town business owner.

The two met for the very first time in July at Tomlin’s still-under-construction brewery, which will be open soon after six years of planning and multiple false starts. The impending opening loomed large over the conversation, which dealt largely with the ins and outs of owning a small brewery outside of Vancouver.

They hardly addressed the issue of being women in a male-dominated industry because, from each perspective, it’s never been an issue. As Smith says: “When people ask me what it’s like to be a woman in the beer industry, I want to say, ‘It’s like being a woman eating breakfast.’ It’s neither here nor there.”

So there. Enjoy.

CHLOE SMITH: I spoke at an economic development summit recently and I had representatives from three different towns in B.C. come up to me afterward and say, “How do I get a brewery in my town?” They were from some small town up in the Interior, from Hope and somewhere on the Island. Hope would be amazing.

When we opened – and we’re dinosaurs now, four years ago was the dark ages – people were drinking a lot of craft beer, but it wasn’t about craft beer coming to your town and changing the whole dynamic. We really had to fight for that, for sure.

ALY TOMLIN: You know the days when we were looking for a home. We came to Powell River. We looked in Campbell River. We moved to Duncan

with the plan to open a brewery down there, and it just did not work.

The person who supported us [in Duncan] was the lady at economic development. I called her and said, “Thanks for all your help, this is not working, I know you really want us to stay but we’re moving on.”

She said, “Oh no, you can’t you’re so important to the Cowichan Valley. Just give me a couple days.” So the next day, [a representative] from Chemainus called us and said, “We want you to open here.”

That’s made a huge difference. We fucked up because we picked a city not knowing if the city wanted us. It’s a lot different when the city wants us.

CS: And is willing to work with you. Totally. I think the industry has changed, too. It’s changing really rapidly and people realize the importance of it now.

AT: It’s changing insanely.

CS: Insanely, yeah. That’s been the hardest part for me, I think, just trying to manage the demand and the logistics, but also the regulatory stuff that changes so quickly, and the administrative hours in figuring that shit out.

AT: You don’t just sit there and wait for Ken [Beattie, BC Craft Brewers Guild executive director]’s emails?

CS: [laughs] I try to be a little more proactive than that!

AT: We don’t have to be yet, and I think he’s doing a great job of keeping people in the loop.

I actually need to give him money. I went to pay the dude [for membership fees] and he was like, “We don’t take credit card, only take cash.” I was like, OK dude, we’re not even open, so I don’t have $500 cash to give you. [laughs] So I couldn’t pay him, but he still gives me all the emails. I’m like a pseudo-member until I have the cash.

Seriously though – what kind of organization doesn’t take credit cards? Ken, if you see this, get with the routine. What age do we live in?

AT: So you’re a brewer at Townsite?

CS: Oh yeah. The stout and the pale ale are my recipes. I brewed the first Sun Coast Pale Ale, and I was on the bottling line the other day. You know what it’s like running a small business – everyone does everything.

AT: That’s how it’s going to be here.

CS: And I miss brewing. For sure.

AT: I think it kind of sets us – because it’s the same kind of situation for us, I’m a brewer too – it really gives us the upper hand. You see a lot of breweries opening up these days, and they’re lawyers or marketing dudes thinking, “This is cool, let’s open a brewery.”

It’s way harder to screw us over. If you’re a brewer working for a dude who has no experience, you can be taken so much easier. I think it’s cool because there aren’t many breweries these days –

CS: – being opened by brewers.

AT: How many breweries during this renaissance of the last couple of years have been opened by brewers? Strange Fellows? Parkside?*

CS: I can’t even name the breweries that have opened the last four years.

AT: I read The Growler and I’m like, I don’t know these people! Where did they come from?

* Editor ’s Note: Nine professional brewers have founded or co-founded breweries since 2012, and over two dozen more by homebrewers with no previous professional experience.

Chloe Smith, co-founder of Townsite Brewing

CS: A brewery opened in Vancouver last week! Like, what?

I knew I wanted to do this right away. As soon as I walked onto a brewery floor, I was like, yup, I’m going to open my own one day. For sure. I have to.

AT: That was like when I walked out of my job.

CS: Where was that? At R&B?

AT: Yeah. Then I thought, “I can’t wait to get a pay cheque and buy some new shoes.” I just want to be human again.

CS: You’ll probably spend your money on new kegs. You can never have enough.

AT: It’s been kind of a hard road. Ralph [Rosenke, Aly’s business partner] and I were sweeping parking lots, we were painting houses, we were doing anything we could just to pay our mortgage. Now we’re living on credit cards.

CS: [groans sympathetically] It’s coming.

AT: It’s been a long fucking journey and I can’t wait for it to be over. I know running the business side is going to be hard, but it can’t be harder than trying to get open.

CS: What’s been the hardest part? Getting the money together?

AT: Yeah, the money.

CS: For us, it was the regulations: B.C., LDB, BCLD and the town.

AT: Really? The town surprises me.

CS: We confused people. It was in Powell River four years ago. That’s like 47 years ago [laughs]. It was like, “A brewery. That’s never happened here. What is it? What are you talking about?”

GROWLER: How long did it take for the community to embrace Townsite?

CS: I think there are two facets to that. I think it was immediate for the people who still remain our loyal fans, and it was over the process of that first year to convince everybody else. We just have a very dedicated sales woman who would go in there and be like, “You can say no to my face but it doesn’t mean anything. I’m going to find a way.”

We threw so many events putting bums in seats and emptying taps, and knocking down doors of businesses in town. We went out all the time, and still do. That’s kind of helpful as a person in the beer industry – we tend to be very gregarious and out in the public anyway. This industry just attracts those people, so you end up going for dinner in the restaurants of your customers all the time. That gives them goodwill and it just snowballs from there.

GROWLER: Did you brew beer specifically to attract those other folks, or were you like, “We’re going to make this beer and you’re going to like it!” ?

CS: We opened with the blonde ale, a pale ale, an IPA and the porter. The business plan was the four mainstays. We made a huge mistake by thinking that most of our business would be in Vancouver while we educated the Sunshine Coast. We never should’ve done that, because instead of growing naturally and slowly we just kind of exploded everywhere and that caused all kinds of problems.

AT: Did you pull out?

CS: No. We just gritted out teeth and dealt with it.

GROWLER: What was the problem?

CS: Just too much demand and too many logistical problems getting beer to market, just because of where we are. j

I know running the business side is going to be hard, but it can’t be harder than trying to get open. - Aly Tomlin

Aly Tomlin, co-founder of Riot Brewing

BEACH FIRE BREWING

594 - 11th Ave.

HOURS TBD

EST. 2016

Look out, Lucky! Craft beer’s coming to Campbell River with what promises to be a wide selection of flavourful brews and share plates.

WEST COAST PALE ALE

Availability: Year-round

ABV IBU 5.5% 45

Beach Fire will tinker with the hop varietals, but the focus will always be on West Coast flavour.

TOFINO

BLONDE ALE

Availability: Year-round

ABV IBU 5.0% 25

A sunny ale for rainy days: clean, crisp and balanced.

TOFINO BREWING CO.

Units C & D, 681 Industrial Way

DAILY 11AM-9PM

EST. 2011

Water defines the town: the narrow inlets, crashing waves, driving rain and, oh yes, the stuff that Tofino transforms into wonderful beery nectar.

LAGER

Availability: Year-round

ABV IBU 5.0% 10

Crisp, refreshing, delicately spicy and likely to destroy whatever remaining loyalty the Island has to Lucky.

INDIA PALE ALE

Availability: Year-round

ABV IBU 7.5% 60

Still arguably B.C.’s most underrated IPA. Zesty citrus, pine, juicy malt and a lightly spiced finish.

TOFINO LAGER

HOPPIN’ CRETIN

HIGH TIDE PALE ALE

BEACH BLONDE ALE

TOWNSITE BREWING

5824 Ash Ave.

DAILY 11AM-7PM

EST. 2012

Tradition, community and innovation form Townsite’s foundation, on which Cedric Dauchot has built some great beer recipes.

BLACKBERRY FESTIVALE FRUIT WHEAT BEER

ZWARTE WHEAT DARK BELGIAN WITBIER

Availability: Seasonal Availability: Year-round

ABV IBU 5.5% 18

A seamless, creamy blend of crackery wheat and lightly tart berry that disappears quickly.

GIBSONS

ABV IBU 5.2% 20

If you can get past the terrifying label, you’ll find an intriguing mix of roastiness, berries and spice.

PERSEPHONE BREWING CO.

1053 Stewart Rd.

DAILY 11AM-7PM

EST. 2013

Why haven’t you already visited this beer-centric paradise, what with head brewer Anders McKinnon’s consistently great brews? Huh?

BLACK LAGER DARK LAGER

Availability: Seasonal

ABV IBU 4.5% 30

A complex dark lager, full of roast and toast with lightly charred caramel and a gently smoky finish.

WEE HEAVY SCOTCH ALE

Availability: Seasonal

ABV IBU 7.5% 21

Earthy, bready and dark-fruit flavours marry well in this mighty malt-forward ale.

SALT SPRING ISLAND ALES

270 Furness Rd.

DAILY 12-5PM

EST. 1998

‘Tis the season for fresh hops and this brewery, which grows its own hops, is an ideal place to celebrate.

DRY PORTER PORTER HEATHER ALE ANCIENT ALE

Availability: Year-round

ABV IBU 5.5% 50

Espresso and dark chocolate notes with a surprisingly crisp hop bite and dry finish.

Availability: Year-round

ABV IBU 5.0% 8

Infused with heather flowers, this take on an ancient Scottish style hasn’t gone out of style.

RED COLLAR BREWING CO.

355 Lansdowne St.

TUE-WED 4-10PM ^ THU-FRI 3-10PM ^ SAT 1-10PM

EST. 2014

Kamloops’ beer scene runs under the radar, but this brewery makes great beers and has one of the biggest tasting rooms in the province.

APRICOT SOUR

KETTLE SOUR

Availability: Seasonal

ABV IBU 5.5% 10

Brewed in the Berliner Weisse style and fermented with local apricots. Slightly tart and refreshing.

SORRENTO

CRANN ó G ALES

706 Elson Rd.

DAILY 8:30AM-4:30PM

EST. 2000

MILD

BRITISH MILD

Availability: Seasonal

ABV IBU 3.8% 34

Based on the traditional dark British style, but amped up with grapefruity Mosaic hops.

Last year, we referred to the Crannog folks as “hippies,” when actually they’re “punks.” In any case, they run a zero waste farm and make a delicious stout.

STRONGBOW’S DEMISE

BRAGGOT

Availability: Seasonal

ABV IBU 8.5% N/A

A 12th century-style Irish mead-ale hybrid, with a biscuity graininess and some honey flavours.

MANIACAL JACK

PUMPKIN ALE

Availability: Seasonal

ABV IBU 5.0% N/A

A full-bodied autumn brew made with red curry squash, which gives it a bold orange colour.

BNA BREWING CO.

1250 Ellis St.

SUN-THU 1PM-LATE ^ FRI-SAT 11AM-LATE

EST. 2015

Amazing room? Check. Skookum kitchen? Oh yeah. Creative and interesting beer list? For sure.

PAMELA BLONDE ALE

Availability: Year Round

A light and fruity ale brewed with Belgian yeast, this is one smart, bubbly blonde.

KELOWNA

EARL TEA-INFUSED PALE ALE

Availability: Year-round

A small-batch experiment that has grown into BNA’s flagship beer. Look for it in bottles soon.

BOUNDARY BREWING

2 - 455 Neave Ct.

DAILY 12PM-LATE

EST. 2016

Situated a little north of downtown Kelowna, this new brewery features diverse German styles with a focus on local, organic ingredients.

LIL’ TART ORCHARD WEISSE

BERLINER WEISSE

Availability: Seasonal

Light and fruity, this tart wheat beer is mixed with juice from sour cherries grown in Kelowna.

ALTBIER ALTBIER

Availability: Year-round

A rich and balanced copper ale with hints of caramel, coffee and roasted malt.

COURTENAY

CUMBERLAND

COASTAL CiRCLE ROUTE LE TRAiL

Sunshine Coast

Vancouver Island

NANAIMO

White Sails Brewing 125 Comox Rd, Nanaimo 250-754-2337

whitesailsbrewing.com

Longwood Brewery 101A-2046 Boxwood Rd

Nanaimo 250-591-2739

longwoodbeer.com

Wolf Brewing 940 Old Victoria Rd

Nanaimo 250-716-2739

wolfbrewingcompany.com

Strait of Georgia

PARKSVILLE

GIBSONS

COMOX VALLEY SUNSHINE COAST

Forbidden Brewing 1590 Cliffe Ave, Courtenay 250-702-7975

forbiddenbrewing.com

Gladstone Brewing 244 4th St, Courtenay 250-879-1111

gladstonebrewing.ca

Cumberland Brewing 2732 Dunsmuir Ave

Cumberland 250-400-2739

cumberlandbrewing.com

Townsite Brewing 5824 Ash Ave Powell River 604-483-2111

townsitebrewing.com

VANCOUVER

Persephone Brewing 1053 Stewart Rd

Gibsons 778-462-3007

persephonebrewing.com

SECHELT

POWELL RIVER

NANAIMO

KETTLE RIVER BREWING CO.

731 Baillie Ave.

DAILY 12-10PM

EST. 2016

Kelowna’s beer expansion continues unabated with Kettle River, the smallest brewery in town and a tasting room that offers Yeast Van charm.

MILD 1832

ENGLISH MILD

Availability: Seasonal

ABV IBU 7.5% 80

A recipe from 1832. It’s extra hopped, with notes of rich caramel, molasses, and a smooth bitterness.

KELOWNA KELOWNA

TREE BREWING BEER INSTITUTE

1346 Water St.

SUN-TUE 11AM-9PM ^ WED-SAT 11AM-10PM

EST. 1996

RUSSIAN IMPERIAL STOUT STOUT

Availability: Seasonal

ABV IBU 9.5% 97

A craft beer community has finally arrived in Kelowna, two decades after Tree opened and two years after the Tree Beer Institute was established.

WOOKIE

BARLEY WINE

Availability: One-off

After winning Tree’s brewers’ cask throwdown in 2015, this potent beer was barrel-aged for six months.

RED LAGER

LAGER

Availability: One-off

An enormous brew with smooth dark malts, molasses and umami flavours rounded out by the hops. ABV IBU 10.5% 25

ABV IBU 5.0% 20

A delicious amber lager that will be the sixth release in Tree’s RAW Series this fall.

Returning this OktobeR

An immersive food & drink experience based around the European harvest festivals of old.

CRAFT BEER TAP HANDLES

by Robert Mangelsdorf

So you sidle up to the bar with a thirst only a delicious craft beer can satisfy. If you’re lucky, you’ll be faced with dozens of brightly coloured works of art, each vying for your attention. Invariably, one will pique your interest, and in so doing, may very well sway your decision on just which particular craft beer you choose to quench said thirst.

The tap handle is one of the most ubiquitous pieces of commercial art, and thanks to the growing craft beer revolution, there has been a creative renaissance of these three-dimensional advertisements.

In addition to being a cool piece of craft beer kitsch, they’re also a vital part of a brewery’s marketing strategy.

“Craft breweries, especially the smaller ones, don’t really advertise, so the tap handles are one of the only marketing tools they have,” says Kevin Fulton, lead designer at Chrislan Ceramics in Maple Ridge, Western Canada’s largest manufacturer of custom tap handles.

“Without the tap handle, no one knows who you are. For a lot of people that’s their first impression of your beer.”

Chrislan Ceramics produces 15,000 tap handles every month for clients all over the world, including B.C. craft breweries like Parallel 49, Four Winds, Twin Sails and Moody Ales.

A custom tap handle can take 6-8 weeks to produce from concept to final product. So long before a seasonal beer is even brewed, a brewery will need to start planning the tap handle for it.

As for the design, Fulton says the most important thing isn’t communicating what brand is on tap, but instead what style of beer.

“There’s not really a lot of loyalty to craft breweries,”says Fulton. “Craft beer drinkers are more particular about the style of beer they drink. Like wine drinkers, they order by style first.”

With so many tap handles jostling for position behind the bar, some designs can go a little overboard. If a tap handle is too wide, it won’t fit in between the other tap handles. Too heavy, and it can cause the tap to open accidently, spilling that precious beer. And if a poorly made tap breaks, that can mean a drop in beer sales.

In the U.S., a law dating back to the end of prohibition requires all beer taps to be labelled, says Fulton.

“If the tap handle breaks, they have to pull the keg.”

Of course, whatever the design, it needs to stay true to the spirit of the beer, where it’s made, and the people making it.

The tap handles at Gladstone Brewing in Courtenay are fashioned out of antique automotive tools, an homage to the brewery’s architectural heritage.

“This is an old car mechanics shop that was built in the 1950’s… and our parking lot used to be a used car lot,” says general manager Jonathan Parker. “Ultimately, it’s a pretty simple design. One of the owners finds these antique tools and we give them to a local artist who does the weld-

ing and the engraving of the badges.”

Parker says the patinaed tap handles were designed to be distinctive alongside more traditional ceramic and wooden examples.

“It needs to be unique to stand out, it’s one of the first things people see [when they walk into a pub].”

Not surprisingly, some craft beer fans have taken to collecting tap handles. Parker says Gladstone is regularly contacted by collectors in the U.S. and overseas who want to get their hands on the unique tap handles for their collections.

“We have to tell them no,” he says. “We’re selling beer, not tap handles.”

CHRISLAN CERAMICS: HOW CRAFT BEER TAP HANDLES ARE MADE

1. A brewery works with a design firm to come up with a concept for a tap handle that’s consistent with their branding.

2. After receiving a design, the manufacturer will create a refined 2-D proof using computer graphics software.

3. Once the design is finalized, the next step is to create a 3-D proof of the tap handle using a 3-D printer.

4. The tap hand le looks great! Now to make 1,000 more of them. Using the 3-D printer, the manufacturer prints a pattern that’s used to make a mould for the tap handle.

5. A machine injects pressurized clay into the mould. The tap handle blank is removed from the mould and is dipped in glaze before going into a 1,500 C kiln, where the clay handle hardens and shrinks in size by almost 10 per cent.

Local breweries are getting creative with their tap handles.

6. The tap hand le is then hand-decorated with special inks, stickers or decals, depending on the design, before being sent out for a protective clear coat.

7. The tap hand le gets its finishing touches, with any hardware or decorative attachments added.

8. Ta-da! All done! Just 999 to go… j

It needs to be unique to stand out, it's one of the first things people see [when they walk into a pub].

- Jonathan Parker

BAD TATTOO BREWING CO.

169 Estabrook Ave.

DAILY 11AM-11PM

EST. 2014

Head brewer Robert Theroux is always dreaming up new recipes, while the brewery’s pizza house has become an Okanagan highlight.

R&D CHERRY WIT

FRUIT WITBIER

Availability: Small batch

13

This red-hued wit uses local cherry juice and funky yeast to tangy effect.

PENTICTON

CANNERY BREWING

198 Ellis St.

TRUE LOVE KÖLSCH

K Ö LSCH

Availability: Seasonal

IBU 4.5% 25

Malt, hops and yeast have been sourced as authentically as possible for a true taste of das Vaterland.

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

EST. 2000

With its spacious digs, Cannery is focusing on becoming the Okanagan’s craft powerhouse, by tweaking its core lineup and crafting some new seasonals.

WILDFIRE

BLACK INDIA PALE ALE

Availability: Seasonal

Cannery’s annual tribute to firefighters is an intense, heady blend of powerful roastiness, citrus and pine.

KNUCKLEHEAD PUMPKIN ALE

Availability: Seasonal

IBU 5.0% 20

Roasted knucklehead pumpkins add richness and spices add warmth to a malt-forward brown ale base.

HIGHWAY 97 BREWERY

954 Eckhardt Ave. W

DAILY 11AM-9PM

EST. 2016

Penticton’s latest brewery is supposedly opening this fall in Tin Whistle’s old location, with a focus on sessionable recipes.

HIGHWAY 97 PILSNER

PILSNER

Availability: Year-round

A light, Bohemian-style pilsner with a subtle hop aroma.

PENTICTON

THE TIN WHISTLE BREWING CO.

112-1475 Fairview Rd.

MON-SAT 11:30AM-5:30PM

EST. 1995

HIGHWAY

AMBER ALE

97 AMBER

Availability: Year-round

The Cascade hops start this amber off with a bit of bitterness, but it finishes up clean and refreshing.

Fruit ales remain a specialty of this Penticton brewery, taking full advantage of all that glorious Okanagan fresh fruit.

MIDNIGHT PEACH

FRUIT BEER

Availability: Small-batch

Dark wildflower honey complements the peach in this dark and full-bodied ale.

PENTICTON HARVEST

HONEY PALE ALE

FRESH HOP ALE

Availability: Seasonal

Brewed with fresh hops and wildflower honey. Expect intense citrus notes and a bright crisp finish.

FIREHALL BREWERY

6077 Main St.

SUN-THU 12-8PM ^ FRI-SAT12-9PM

EST. 2012

Firehall’s owners have crowdfunded enough cash to create the shiny new Beer Shop and Social. There’s even a communal record player.

TABLE SERIES NO.1

WINE-BARREL BROWN

Availability: One-off

ABV IBU 5.0% 25

Aged for five months in red wine barrels, this will be one helluva complex brown ale.

WIND & FIRE

HARVEST ALE

Availability: Seasonal

ABV IBU 6.0% 40

This beer will be released in October and was brewed in memory of Carson Ruhland.

We design, fabricate and install: Custom stainless steel brew tanks Tables • Countertops • Sinks & more for breweries, restaurants and other hospitality services.

Kwantlen Polytechnic University presents BC’s first diploma in

www.abcss.ca

THE GROWLER GUIDE TO That’s right. Calgary.

The city gets a bad rep in most parts of B.C., particularly in Vancouver, because… well, why is it exactly? Because it’s flat? Because it’s cold? Or because of the Flames? Or the cowboys? Or the oil? Maybe it’s because of all of that. But we’ve heard rumblings of a craft beer scene coalescing in the cultural Prairie capital, and since we have an almost terminal case of F.O.M.O., The Growler decided to scope the city out for ourselves.

As it turns out, we were a bit early to the party – about six months early, actually. There were only 10 breweries open at the time, with another, Cold Garden Beverage Company, opening since our visit.

Another 24 craft breweries are in various stages of planning and are set to open by the end of 2017. In fact, despite Alberta’s troubled economy, Calgary seems to be in the midst of a cultural renaissance, of which craft beer is just a small part. In the past few years, there has been a score of trendy, sophisticated businesses opening up: boutique restaurants with adventurous menus and coffee roasters aplenty. It’s as though millennial business owners visited Portland and Brooklyn en masse and brought the influence home.

But it’s perhaps the craft beer industry that’s generating the most optimism, in part because of new rules established by the Alberta Gaming and Liquor Commission that have made it easier for breweries to open. Up until three years ago, the AGLC wouldn’t sign off on a brewery until it could prove they could sell 500,000 litres (or 5,000 hectolitres) of beer. This was such an enormous investment (since the brewery had to be built beforehand) that startups were scarce.

That all changed in 2013, allowing new breweries to open up. And while the AGLC hasn’t exactly made it headache-free for the beer industry – they instilled a prohibitive markup on all breweries selling beer in Alberta, including breweries from Alberta – it has at least made it possible for craft beer culture to exist at all. So if you go, this is what you should see. >>

BANDED PEAK BREWING

Tasting room culture does not yet exist in Calgary in any meaningful way, but Banded Peak comes closest to what spoiled B.C. beer fans are used to. Its facility – located in an industrial park five minutes out of town – has a small space at the front with small tables nestled under metallic storage shelves. This is Calgary’s newest brewery, founded by three life-long friends and homebrewers who quit their jobs working in oil and mining to start it up. The lure here is the beer, especially its three core beers: a saison, a hopped wheat ale and an IPA. All three are impressive, considering the brewery was barely two months old when we visited. The three beers offered creative variations on styles aficionados are used to, but also manage to be approachable and satisfying for novice palates – a crucial demographic for Calgary’s nascent brewing industry.

THE DANDY BREWING CO.

Alberta’s smallest brewery is also quite possibly its most DIY. Dandy’s mash tun and brew kettle are two halves of a recycled bright tank from Wild Rose. They use plastic fermenters. All the beer is bottled by hand. This is also one of the first breweries to open after the AGLC changed the rules. But rather than pander to newbies accustomed to drinking Labatt, Dandy came out swinging with a lineup designed to lure the beer nerd. This is a brewery that thrives on experimentation and the element of surprise, whose flagship beer is (inexplicably) an oyster stout – and a damn fine one to boot. It’s also the only local brewery we visited that made a sour beer and a Berliner Weisse. The tasting room is tiny, cramped and lacking air conditioning, but its impressive all the same.

LAST BEST BREWING & DISTILLING

Last Best is the newest brewery founded by beer industry mogul (and wickedly named) Socrates Korogonas, who opened his first brewery, Jasper Brewing, in 2005 after winning the lottery. With Last Best, he’s created one of only two breweries located in an urban (as opposed to industrial) area. And by “brewery,” we technically mean “brewpub,” because this is a full service restaurant as well.

It’s also a must-see, with beautiful brick archways, canvases from local artists, occasional live music on the patio and an eclectic selection of beer that should satisfy everyone from the average drinker to the surliest of beer nerds. If that’s not enough, well, they have a small but adventurous menu with really good food. We’ll recommend that you eat here.

TOOL SHED BREWING CO.

Tool Shed is one of our favourite breweries we’ve ever visited. Full stop. This is due in part to brewer and co-founder Graham Sherman, a sparkplug of personality who’s gracious and hilarious and is known to give patrons the time of day, any day. It was Sherman, along with his business partner Jeff Orr, who was responsible for pushing the AGLC to change the laws that allowed them to open in the first place. The AGLC even tweeted out congratulations to Tool Shed when the changes were announced. The front tasting room is designed to look like a tool shed, complete with unfinished wood panels on the walls and bar. In the back is an enormous space with picnic tables for patrons, looking out onto the production area. The beer is designed to be sessionable – balanced, flavourable brews that are expertly crafted that can no doubt lure in anyone coming off from Molson Canadian.

TROLLEY 5 RESTAURANT & BREWERY

Located on Calgary’s up-and-coming 17th Avenue, Trolley 5 – a gorgeous, three-floor room perennially crammed full of attractive young people – is one of the few brewpubs The Growler has ever visited that does everything right. The brewhouse and the beer are given equal weight to the food. Both are excellent. The food menu offers “global comfort,” everything from Oklahoma-style barbecue to Chinese dumplings. As for beer, we tried a white IPA and a porter, both created by head brewer Jeff Demaniuk, formerly of Phillips and Parallel 49, who brings a West Coast flair to the operation. These can’t come to B.C. soon enough.

VILLAGE BREWING

Village is the oldest of the new batch of breweries, standing somewhere between the artisanal aspects of Tool Shed and the commercial ambitions of Big Rock. It was originally founded by four Big Rock honchos who didn’t like the corporate direction it was taking and wanted to open something smaller and more artisanal. “Smaller” now means 11,000 hl per year, which is sold and distributed primarily through draft and packaged product. Village has no tasting room per se, but they do offer brewery tours that are followed up with a visit to a lounge, where beer tastings are offered.

WHERE TO STAY

Hotel Arts is boutique hotel in downtown, similar to what you’ll see in Portland or Seattle: trendy bar, funky décor, comfortable beds at a reasonable rate. Again, nearly everyone working and staying

was under 40 years old, exclusively so in the terrace pool, which was crowded with 20-somethings in skimpy bikinis sipping cocktails. It almost feels like Vegas.

GETTING AROUND

A tour of Calgary breweries is mostly a tour of the city’s industrial parks, which are spread out across the sprawling city. Calgary Brewery Tours is the best option, though it doesn’t visit all the breweries quite yet. j

ROSSLAND BEER CO.

1990 Columbia Ave.

SUN-THU 12-7PM ^ FRI-SAT 12-9PM

EST. 2012

The staff are friendly, the beer is tasty and the brewery is as chilled out as you’d expect a Kootenay brewery to be. Love it.

STRAIGHT OUTTA ROSSLAND PALE ALE

Availability: Year-round

HUGH HEFEWEIZEN HEFEWEIZEN

Availability: Seasonal

37

Loaded with Cascade hops and balanced with a rounded, soothing malt profile.

Beer Law

Advice on tap

A hazy traditional Bavarian hefe perfect for hazy summer days…or lonely rainy nights.

RBS' beer and distillery lawyers serve up the following advice:

• licensing and regulatory issues

• business structuring, growth and operations

• employee issues

• commercial leasing

• raising capital

• trademarks and brand protection

Chris Lennon, Carlos Mendes, Aneez Devji, Joe Chan

NELSON BREWING CO.

512 Latimer St.

DAILY 8:30AM-4:30PM

EST. 1991

There’s a new owners and new head brewer at Nelson, so expect some changes to its core beer list.

Availability: Year-round

ABV IBU 6.5% N/A

As Nelson celebrates its 25th anniversary, enjoy its oldest brand, one of B.C.’s earliest IPAs.

NELSON

Availability: Year-round

ABV IBU 5.0% 00

A British-style mild ale that is very quaffable despite its robust body.

TORCHLIGHT BREWING CO.

511 Front St.

TUE 11AM-6PM ^ WED-THU 11AM-7PM

FRI-SAT 11AM-9PM

EST. 2014

This charming nano-brewery may be small, but it has been going big with its brews, releasing more than 42 beers since opening in 2014.

BLONDES IN STEREO

BLONDE ALE

Availability: Year-round

ABV IBU 5.0% 19

A golden beauty that’s light, crisp and quaffable. A summer drink that’s good all year-round.

SAISONS CHANGE

Availability: Seasonal

ABV IBU 6.4% 30

A Belgian-style pale ale made for the end of the summer and the beginning of fall.

PADDYWHACK

INDIA PALE ALE

AFTER DARK BROWN ALE

SAISON

FERNIE BREWING CO.

26 Manitou Rd.

MON-SAT 10AM-6PM

EST. 2003

Fernie keeps things fresh as the Rocky Mountain air with some stellar seasonals – including a series of innovative IPAs – while its impressive state-of-the-art brewery keeps production moving out as far as Manitoba.

Availability: Limited Release

ABV IBU 5.0% 13

One of the better squash ales out there. Based on Fernie’s brown ale with added spices and organic pumpkin.

Availability: Seasonal

ABV IBU 5.5% 35

As surely as the leaves turn brown, so Sap Sucker appears in fall. Delicately sweet and smooth.

Availability: Year-round

ABV IBU 5% 14

A smooth and refreshing brown ale that features seven different roasted malts, creating a chocolaty, nutty flavour that’s balanced by Willamette hops.

Availability: Year-round

ABV IBU 00% 00

An easy-going red ale that’s robust in flavour and deep red in colour. It’s lightly hopped and a little sweet, finishing up with a roasted dryness.

Availability: Year-round

ABV IBU 6.5% 70

A balanced Northwest-style IPA that features four malts combined with four hop varieties, making for a complex, flavourful brew.

Availability: Seasonal

ABV IBU 7.2% 80

A big, experimental beer that blends Admiral, Ahtanum and Chinook hops with Caramel and Crystal Malts for an avalanche of flavour.

LONE WOLF INDIA PALE ALE

PUMPKIN HEAD BROWN ALE

FIRST TRAX BROWN ALE

ROCKPILE RED INDIA PALE ALE

SAP SUCKER MAPLE PORTER

BIG CABOOSE RED ALE

OVER TIME BEER WORKS

136 A Wallinger Ave.

DAILY 10AM-7PM

EST. 2016

News must filter down slowly from B.C.’s highest town because this brewery’s sudden appearance caught many of us by surprise.

RIGHT ABOUT NOW

INDIA PALE ALE

Availability: Year-round

ABV IBU 6.5% 70

More in the East Coast vein of IPAs, with citrus hops and a righteous juiciness.

INVERMERE

ARROWHEAD BREWING CO.

481 Arrow Rd.

GOOD EVENING

BROWN ALE

Availability: Year-round

ABV IBU 5.25% 15

And good evening to you, too, you rich, rounded, roasty and toasty cockle-warmer.

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

EST. 2012

The Columbia Valley has long been a refuge for the weird and wonderful, so naturally Arrowhead is right at home in Invermere.

I’M

SO FREAKING

HOPPY IMPERIAL INDIA PALE ALE

Availability: Year-round

ABV IBU 7.3% 75

This hop-forward bruiser packs a wallop, but finishes with a whisper of citrus.

DOC TEGART’S ESB

ENGLISH SPECIAL BITTER

Availability: Year-round

ABV IBU 6.5% 60

A particularly potent example of an ESB, with a load of hops providing floral and tropical notes.

MT. BEGBIE BREWING CO.

521 1 St. West

DAILY 9AM-5PM

EST. 1996

The long-standing brewery celebrated its 20th anniversary this year by opening a brand new facility just outside of the town centre.

WHITE KNUCKLE

BELGIAN WHITE INDIA PALE ALE

Availability: Seasonal

Belgian yeast and wheat are combined with loads of North West hops for a distinct West Coast kick.

100 MILE

BROKE ’N RODE BREWING CO.

175 Cariboo Hwy 97

TUE-SAT 11AM-6PM

EST. 2016

Availability: Year-round

Fruity with a balanced snap of hops and hints of honey.

100 Mile House residents are loving the open Rode, thanks to BnR’s varied range of “hometown handcrafted” beer at this friendly nano.

BROKE DOWN BROWN BROWN ALE

Availability: Year-round

This beer is packed with specialty malts and Cascade and Willamette hops.

MY BROTHER FROM ANOTHER MOTHER

BLONDE/CREAM ALE HYBRID

Availability: Year-round

A hybrid of two of the most refreshing beer styles that’s crisp, flavourful and gently hopped.

BEGBIE CREAM ALE CREAM ALE

BARKERVILLE BREWING CO.

185 Davie St.

MON-WED 12-6PM ^ THU 12-8PM^ FRI 12-9PM ^ SAT

11AM-6PM

EST. 2014

The days of the gold rush are long gone, but the craft beer boom sweeping the province is way better, right? Pay tribute to both here.

PROSPECTOR’S

PILSNER PILSNER

OUT OF THE ASHES

WHITE RYE INDIA PALE ALE

Availability: Seasonal Availability: Seasonal

ABV IBU 5.0% 12

Billy Barker would likely have approved of this thirst-quencher that’s become a brewery favourite.

THREE RANGES BREWING CO.

1160 5 Ave.

WED-SAT 3-8PM ^ SUN 1-6PM

EST. 2013

ABV IBU 6.5% 47

Big grapefruity West Coast hops meet Belgian yeast with a dry, spicy finish from the rye.

Three Ranges’ patio offers staggering views of the surrounding mountains, and the brewery offers roster of dependable beers to boot.

LITTLE BEE PALE ALE

ROLL IN THE HAY

HEFEWEIZEN

Availability: Seasonal Availability: Seasonal

ABV IBU 5.6% 27

A mild pale ale finished with B.C. honey, paired with floral hops.

ABV IBU 5.6% 26

A cloudy, refreshing wheat beer with a spicy clove aroma and citrus finish.

SHERWOOD MOUNTAIN BREWHOUSE

Unit 101 - 4816 Hwy .16 W

MON-FRI 11AM-7:30PM ^ SAT-SUN 12-6PM

EST. 2014

With new fermentation tanks adding extra capacity, things are looking up at this northern brewery.

LAVA BED RED ALE

Availability: Year-round

ABV IBU 4.9% 20

An easy-drinking red ale with a subtle caramel flavour and a dry finish.

PRINCE RUPERT

WHEELHOUSE BREWING CO.

217 1 Ave. E

SEVEN SISTERS STOUT

Availability: Year-round

ABV IBU 5.7% 30

Roasted malts, dark chocolate and coffee characteristics stand out in this stout.

THU, FRI 4-11PM ^ SAT 2-11PM ^ SUN 2-6PM

EST. 2013

This rustic seaside nanobrewery has been around for three years now, making them virtually journeymen in the B.C. craft beer scene.

SMOKEHOUSE KÖLSCH K Ö LSCH

Availability: Seasonal

ABV IBU 5.5% 40

A light bodied lagered ale using beechwood-smoked malt to give it a hint of smoke.

DOUBLE IPA

IMPERIAL INDIA PALE ALE

Availability: Seasonal

ABV IBU 8.0% 95

The Hallertauer Blanc and Galaxy hops pack a punch in this hefty number.

by Bill Haddow

The The craft beer revolution is in full force across this great province. Clearly, Big Beer companies consider it a battleground by now, as numbers show a steady decline in sales of their products and an increase in sales of the craft beer industry as a whole.

And it does appear that the battlelines have been drawn between these Big Beer breweries and their older clientele, who – like me – have grown up drinking Molson and Labatt brands, but are now taking the lead of the young and hip to discover the wild and wonderful world of craft beer.

Please understand – it’s not the kids we’re following exactly. The beards. The tattoos. The skinny pants. Tasting rooms are filled with them all the time. (Yes, this is a stereotype, but stereotypes are what they are for a reason, right?) We know something good when we see it, too, but us old folks are just a little slower to arrive.

Of course, craft beer appeals to a wide variety of people – not just hipsters. But as the breweries and craft beer bars have become more mainstream, they have drawn in a good number of those who, like me, grew up drinking Blue, Canadian, Old Style

or Black Label. We were hip then – or some of us were. The rest of us thought we were cool. And we drank these beers because that’s all that was available at the time. We thought we were drinking real beer.

We were wrong, of course, and now we know it. “Older” beer drinkers find themselves slipping to the dark side (or the sour side, or hoppy side, or fruity side). If beards are present with this demographic, they are usually neatly trimmed and contain a generous helping of grey hairs. Tattoos? Maybe, but of the military variety. Pants? If they’re tight, it’s because we’re too vain to buy a larger, more comfortable pair.

But we do like beer, and we have been drinking it – or some version of it – for a lot longer than most of these celebrated brewers have been alive. Some of us are even making it ourselves. And while it’s not always an easy conversion, older beer drinkers are taking up the cause, moving away from macro brands (and sometimes even wine). This is making for an interesting mix in bars and tasting rooms around the province.

In other words, this ain’t your daddy’s beer parlour

anymore. Or no...wait. It wasn’t. But it is your daddy’s beer parlour now, and you better be OK with that.

Nowhere is this more evident than in White Rock, where I work. We’ve all heard the jokes. White Hair Rock. Only old fossils live in White Rock. People, and progress, move at a glacial pace on The Rock. Not exactly Seinfeld material, but it does play to the older demographics of the area.

Some of it is warranted, I suppose. The beer fans that come into our joint are definitely, for the most part, past the halfway mark on the statistical life-expectancy scale.

And they’re loving the beer – or at the very least, loving the novelty of drinking craft beer. Huge swaths of our customers are complete novices and

are venturing into a craft brewery for the very first time. If there wasn’t a brewery in their back yard, they might never have discovered craft beer at all. Again, this is making for a shifting and colourful demographic makeup at the breweries and bars. And it’s a beautiful thing to see – young folks nestled up at a longer table next to a pair of 65 year-old strangers, swapping stories, sharing information. Finding common ground that they might never have found if it weren’t for the wide appeal of craft beer and tasting rooms.

I get a firsthand look at this every time our brewery is open – the melding of generations. Talking about beer, which often leads to talking about life. In an industry brimming with interesting situations, these might rank as the best.

So.

If you happen to be sitting beside someone with grey hair and comfortable pants at your local micro-watering hole, and are wondering if he made a wrong turn on the way to the nearest Legion, try to remember that he might have some experience “being hip,” even if he now has some serious problems with his actual hips.

Like you, he likes his beer. And that’s pretty cool, ain’t it? j

Haddow is co-founder and co-owner of White Rock Beach Beer Co.

*Bill

The beer fans that come into our joint are definitely, for the most part, past the halfway marks on the statistical life-expectancy scale.

Here it is again! The Brewpubs section!

Some of you may ask, “Why do you separate the brewpubs from the rest of the breweries?” We don’t have a simple answer for that! One reason is space – we have limited space. Actually, that’s really the only reason.

So actually the answer is quite simple.

Which means you may follow up with, “Well OK then. How do you determine what’s a brewpub and what’s not a brewpub?”

And in fact, we really don’t have a simple answer for that one!

Enough questions.

VANCOUVER

DOCKSIDE BREWERY

1253 Johnston St.

If you’ve ever read The Growler before, you’ll know how we feel about Dockside. The patio is definitely the highlight. But that’s OK! We all need wicked patios in our life, don’t we?

VANCOUVER STEAMWORKS BREW PUB

375 Water St.

The original Steamworks is the ideal entry point for its range of styles – the restaurant is big and beautiful, the view is exquisite and the food is really good. Let’s consider this Vancouver’s best brewery for a first date.

VANCOUVER STEEL TOAD BREWERY

97 E 2nd Ave.

Vancouver’s latest brewpub offers a range of Euro-style and Pacific Northwest brews, along with a variety of booze and food options to supply any occasion or outing. Game night with the boys? Lunch with the family? Sad drunken escape by your lonesome? The Toad has you covered.

VANCOUVER

YALETOWN BREWING CO.

1111 Mainland St.

Despite its location in the epicenter of Chauchville, Yaletown Brewpub remains a highlight – and something of a forgotten gem – in the Vancouver beer scene. A wide selection of dependable, delicious brews, good pizza, brick walls – what else do you need?

WHISTLER

HIGH MOUNTAIN BREWING

4355 Blackcomb Way

One of three Whistler breweries and easily one of the most popular drinking / après establishments in town. Bonus: Brewer Derrick Franche is still one of B.C.’s best-kept secrets.

SURREY BIG RIDGE BREWING CO.

5580 152 St.

Relatively new head brewer Ashley Brooks has made a roster of appealing recipes that has made this oft-forgotten Surrey brewpub something of a destination. It’s out of the way, but worth a peek.

SURREY

CENTRAL CITY BREW PUB + RESTAURANT

13450 102 Ave.

The place that started it all – famous for brewing the original Red Racer lineup, which made possible the juggernaut Central City has since become. Good vibe, good beer, good burger.

RICHMOND BRB CO. BREWERY + EATERY

180-14200 Entertainment Blvd.

The brewpub F.K.A. Big River continues its transformation unabated, with a list of interesting, experimental brews and appealing food menu, making it more than just a pit stop between Riverport’s bowling alley and movie theatre.

MISSION SPRINGS BREWING CO.

7160 Oliver St.

We haven’t visited since Kevin Winters left his post as head brewer, but the restaurant – adorned with automobile memorabilia and assorted knick knacks – is worth the visit, regardless of how the beer’s turned out.

VICTORIA CANOE BREWPUB

450 Swift St.

HOLY CRAP CANOE HAS THE BEST PATIO IN ALL OF NORTH AMERICA (possibly). It also has a core lineup of approachable brews that’ll please the beer savvy and the beer novices, and an appealing, rotating list of seasonals.

VICTORIA

SPINNAKERS GASTROPUB

308 Catherine St.

Canada’s original brewpub is a must-see for more than just its history. It offers a lengthy list of experimental, masterful brews, an excellent menu that changes frequently, and just a relaxing seaside dining experience.

DUNCAN

CRAIG STREET BREW PUB

25 Craig St.

Yes, it needs to have Lucky available to stay in business (so we’ve been told), but Craig Street is managing to educate the people of Duncan about the pleasures of craft, with a small lineup of well-crafted, dependable and approachable beers.

VICTORIA 4 MILE BREWING CO.

199 Island Hwy.

In a past issue, we wrote that 4 Mile’s beer was just “passable.” We apologize for that – we now deem the beer “drinkable.” OK? Also, the place is haunted.

VICTORIA SWANS BREWPUB

506 Pandora Ave.

Swans’ interior could use a renovation, but the beer list offers some seriously tasty seasonals and dependable core beers.

KAMLOOPS THE NOBLE PIG

650 Victoria St.

One of only two craft beer locations for all of Kamloops, the Noble Pig offers a great selection of beers – most of which we’d recommend you try right now –and an even better food menu.

VERNON

MARTEN BREWING CO.

2933 30th Ave.

Here’s a good example of a small business single handedly transforming the look and feel of what a community’s nightlife can look like. A beautiful, elegant room, impressive beer and the food to back it all up. Go there.

BARLEY STATION BREW PUB

20 Shuswap St. N

And here we have one of the great all-time hidden gems of beer in B.C., if not Canada. The building itself is quite unassuming, but the beer ranges from pretty good to masterful. Go here, also.

PENTICTON

BARLEY MILL PUB

2460 Skaha Lake Rd.

As far as we know, Barley Mill has still been slow to embrace the whole craft beer culture thing. But we haven’t heard from the people here, nor have we been in a while. Someone please tell us that we’re wrong.

KELOWNA

FREDDY'S BREW PUB

124 McCurdy Rd.

Same as above.

CRANBROOK THE HEID OUT

821 Baker St.

We stumbled upon the Heid Out a few months ago while driving through Cranbrook, having had no idea that it even existed. The food, the beer, the people – all pleasant surprises. If you’re in the area, definitely stop in.

NELSON THE SAVOY BREWERY

198 Baker St.

Nelson’s only brewpub is located inside the Falls Music Lounge, illuminated with purple lights. If Paisley Park had a brewery, we imagine it would look like this. Which is fitting because Nelson’s as eccentric as Prince was. But is the beer, here? You tell us.

SALMON ARM

I've, like, really had it with

HERE'S WHY...

by Stephen Smysnuik

I’m being disingenuous with that headline, because I’d actually “had it” with Molson the very first time I barfed it all up because Canadian tastes so repulsive. But this time, they’ve gone and made it personal. Here’s the story:

beer selection in the city, if not the planet. The Imperial has been a haven for people who are snooty about music and beer.

GOATPISS

It’s June. I’m at the Imperial to see Shabazz Palaces perform as part of Levitation Festival. I’d loaded up earlier on Pabst Blue Ribbon at a buddy’s house (don’t ask), and I was excited to drink at least one good beer. And the Imperial typically has good beer. Now, I’m not really snooty about beer, but I loathe terrible beer. When terrible is all that’s available, I’m prone to throwing what my wife calls “tantrums.” I call them “fits,” similar to how I imagine the owner of a Lamborghini might react if he was forced to drive a Pontiac Aztek for a day.

Anyway, I was looking forward to the Imperial, which is cinching out the Commodore as the best live venue in Vancouver. The Commodore has the better room, but also arguably the worst

So imagine my dismay when I walk to the bar, and see not the varied selection I’d expected, but an entire wall of backlight emerald green behind the bar. Nothing but Heineken. All Heineken, everywhere. The bartender informs me that Molson has sponsored the event tonight, and what I see is what I get.* So I ordered a Heineken and I drank two-thirds of it, because like anything Molson-related, the final third tasted as if a goat had swam in it, pissed in it, then gave birth in it.

And then I ordered another. Sometimes, a man just needs to drink.

And I was angry. I was angry at Molson for debilitating my, and my beer-loving brethren’s ability to enjoy a good beer at an awesome show. I was angry that Molson tried to mask its sponsorship by serving only Heineken. As if Molson’s brand managers knew the Levitation crowd would be

too sophisticated to buy Canadian too, what with their keen musical tastes and fashionable jeans.

It was then that I noticed the massive inflatable pillar on stage left, emblazoned with the Red Bull logo, which seemed weird. Levitation celebrates psychedelic and outsider music, which by nature is anti-commercial and countercultural. Granted, Levitation likely wouldn’t exist without this kind of corporate sponsorship, which would be fine if these corporations weren’t in this case restricting the beer supply and selling only mediocre beer.

This is in no way an isolated occurrence. The week before, legions of Facebook friends were complaining about the dismal beer selection at The Cure concert at Deer Lake Park. Every major venue in the city seems beholden to these Big Brand beer

contracts – for what? Fear that they’ll lose out on beer sales if patrons are unfamiliar with the brands?

No! People will drink the beer no matter what (obviously), and if you give them some not terrible choices they’ll be more likely to go back for seconds. What’s it going to take for these big venues to get some bloody decent beer on tap?

My wife, if she were with me, would think I was overreacting as usual, but I don’t think so. Good beer is a small part of what can make or break an experience. Every event that we’ve ever been a part of – a concert, a football game, a backyard barbecue – has been elevated by the quality of what was available there: Was the music good? Was the company enjoyable? Was the food tasty? This all adds to the personal experience. It’s fundamental to event planning.

If the beer’s shit at a concert, those brands are responsible for diminishing our ability to have the best time possible.

So I’m sipping this syrupy Heineken, just obsessing over this issue and before I know it, the show’s over. I’m drunk and disappointed because I can’t remember a single song Shabazz Palaces played.

Or maybe I just have a drinking problem? Hm. j

* MolsonCoors ow ns the exclusive sales and distribution rights to Heineken in Canada. So while it’s not brewed by Molson, from a revenue perspective, it’s a Molson beer.

If the beer's shit at a concert, those brands are responsible for diminishing our ability to have the best time possible.

Crispy beer-battered

Prawns with spicy

mayonnaise with Main Street Brewing Saison

BY DARCY WIEBE

These crispy prawns are the perfect bar snack for your next party.

Serves 4

Cooking time 30 minutes

INgredients

1 650ml bottle Main Street Saison

24 prawns

2/3 cups all purpose flour (I used gluten free for a crispier coating)

1 tsp salt

1/2 tsp baking powder

1 egg

1 tbsp vegetable oil plus oil for frying

1/4 cup of your favourite hot sauce (I used Sophie’s from Sophie’s Cosmic Cafe)

1/4 cup mayonnaise

1 lemon cut into wedges

Step 1

Preheat your countertop deep fryer to 375 degrees C or use a deep skillet if you don’t have one.

Step 2

Mix your flour, salt, baking soda, egg, oil and a 1/2 cup of beer (the rest is for you) to create your batter. Place your fresh prawns on a towel to dry them so that the batter will adhere.

Step 3

Dip your prawns into the batter and place into the hot oil. Do this in small batches to avoid cooling down the oil. Fry until golden brown then place on a paper towel lined tray and season with salt while they are hot.

Step 4

Mix your hot sauce and mayo together, serve the prawns hot with wedges of lemon and your spicy mayo. Serve with Main Street Saison to complement these crispy tasty prawns.

Photos by Jamie-Lee Fuoco

BEER GROUND

If

To the

ANDINA BREWING CO.

Vancouver (Winter) A Colombian-themed Yeast Van startup, opening on Powell Street.

BACK COUNTRY BREWING

Squamish (Winter) What, will Squamish be the next Port Moody?

BACKROADS BREWING

Nelson (Winter) Former Nelson Brewing head brewer Mike Kelly has signed on to lead this new startup, located on Baker Street.

CROSSROADS BREWING

Prince George (November) Location is secured in downtown PG. Former Howe Sound brewmaster Patrick Moore has been hired. Now it just needs to bloody well open, already!

DISCTICT 43 BREWING

Tri-Cities (2017) A husband and wife duo are still looking for a location somewhere in the Tri-Cities and are hoping to be open summer 2017.

EAST VAN BREWING

Yeast Van (Don't Know) Yet another Yeast Van brewery, supposedly opening on Venables. We don't know much, except that East van Brewing is a shadow brand that's been sold through the Jennings Hospitality group.

FACTORY BREWING

Yeast Van (Spring) This will be a production facility, focusing on brewing core beers for smaller, local breweries, as well as American breweries hoping to break into the Canadian market.

LOVE SHACK LIBATIONS

Qualicum Beach (2017) This will be quite a small operation, located along the Old Island Highway. It'll produce small batch, bottle-conditioned brews.

PACIFIC RIM BREWING

Langley (2017, supposedly) We know very little about this one. Could it be the fabled Langley Brewing Co., renamed? The mystery continues.

PROTOTYPE BREWING

Coquitlam (Don't know) The municipality has sorted out its zoning requirements for craft breweries in Coquitlam, so it should be a go for Prototype. But we don’t know much.

SILVER VALLEY BREWING CO.

Maple Ridge (2017) The team of homebrewers have signed a lease on a building and plan to open Maple Ridge's third brewery sometime next year.

SOOKE BREWING

Sooke (Don't know) The second of two planned Sooke breweries hasn't broken ground as of press time for this issue, but the plan is to have a brewery down by the oceanfront. "But can Sooke sustain two breweries?" you ask. That's a stupid question.

STARKHUND BREWING

Kelowna (Don't know) We're still not sure what's going on with this giant new facility in downtown Kelowna, but by all accounts it'll include a tasting room and pub.

TRENCH BREWING & DISTILLING

Prince George (Winter) The second PG startup will also have a lineup of spirits to add to its lineup.

TWISTED SHARK BREWING

Aldergrove (???) Social media accounts are still inactive. Does this exist anymore?

WHITETOOTH BREWING

Golden (Winter) We've heard they plan to open sometime this coming winter. And winter IS coming. So Whitetooth must be too. Right?

you thought B.C. would slow down on all the new breweries, you should THINK AGAIN. Here's our list of new and rumoured breweries.