What's Brewing Summer 2018 by What's Brewing BC

WitBiers • Patio Season • IRELAND • CENTRAL OREGON • NORTHERN BC • SEA TO SKY • Island • OKANAGAN • TRENCH BREWING • CATEGORY 12

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TRAVEL ISSUE

A GLOBAL QUEST FOR CRAFT

How a photographer's search for adventure has brewed up countless new exbeeriences VOL.28 ISSUE 2 SUMMER 2018 BC CRAFT BEER IN SAIGON, VIETNAM

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

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Illustrations: Montevarious

THE JOURNAL OF BC'S CRAFT BEER MOVEMENT VOL. 28 ISSUE 2

summer 2018 CONTENTS COMMUNITY 08

THE HOPLINE: COMMUNITY NEWS & NOTES

THE WOMEN OF CATEGORY 12

EN-TRENCHED IN THE NORTHERN BEER SCENE

TRAVEL & TOURING 10

A PHOTOGRAPHER'S GLOBAL QUEST FOR CRAFT

HOPS CANARY IN IRELAND

BEERSEEKERS: BENDING AN ELBOW IN BEERTOWN USA

SAVOURING ALES IN SALEM

HOMEBREW HAPPENIN'S: CROSS-BORDER BREW SHOPPIN'

BC BEER BEAT: REGIONAL REPORTS 30

BLUE SKIES IN THE OKANAGAN

PATIO SEASON IN THE LOWER MAINLAND

NORTHERN NOTES: PRINCE GEORGE & NORTHERN BC

SUMMER IN THE SEA TO SKY

OUT AND ABOUT: ON THE ISLAND BEAT

BEER IQ & BREWING 21

MATCHING WITS: A WHITE BEER ROUNDUP

BREW CLUB CORNER: VANBREWERS SPOTLIGHT

PINK BOOTS IWD BREW DAY 2018

A VIEW FROM THE CELLAR: THE END OF THE BEGINNING

What's Brewing Produced by Line49 Design Group Inc. 300-1275 West 6th Avenue Vancouver BC V6H 1A6 info@whatsbrewing.ca www.whatsbrewing.ca Social: @whatsbrewingbc Editorial Group Editor & Publisher: Dave Smith Co-Editor: Paul Morris Associate Production Editor: Navin Autar Copy Editors: Wendy Barron, Ivana Smith Contact: editor@whatsbrewing.ca Hopline & Newsroom Associate Editor, Hopline: Mallory O'Neil Contact: hopline@whatsbrewing.ca Associate Editor, Newsroom: Navin Autar Contact: newsroom@whatsbrewing.ca Contributors: Adam Arthur, Warren Boyer, Adam Chatburn, Ted Child, Lundy Dale, Monica Frost, Kim Lawton, Chelsea McDowell, Lynn McIlwee, Stewart 'Scottie' McLellan, Sheridan Mohammed, J. Random, J. Thunderfoot, Carnell Turton, John Rowling, Brian K. Smith, Paddy Treavor, Joe Wiebe, Malcolm Yates Chief Photographer: Brian K. Smith Illustrator: Emile Compion @montevarious Distribution & Events: Paul Morris, Jack Enwright, Alan Schroeder Web & Admin: Navin Autar, Ligia Margaritescu, Susan Jones Advertising & Corporate Sales: sales@whatsbrewing.ca Â© 2018 What's Brewing

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Illustration: Montevarious

CRAFT COMMUNITY NEWS & NOT

ANNUAL SUMMER TRAVEL ISSUE Thinking about getting away? Every year, What's Brewing writers contribute numerous articles about their beer-seeking travels in North America and worldwide. These insights are a great complement to one's Google map planning. Be like our furry fan, Barley Bear: check out what we have to offer at whatsbrewing.ca/travel

Beer, Wine, & Food Tours

Hang on, isn't What's Brewing all about BC's Craft Beer Movement? Howcome we're talking about leaving BC and spending money everywhere else? Hey, even diehard supporters of BC craft sometimes get the bug to leave home and see the world. And more of the world has caught on to the trend of choosing better things to eat and drink, especially in beer. But if you're in the mood for a Staycation BC getaway, we've got you covered; see our Regional Reports pages for tips, news and updates from around the province.

SUMMER EVENTS CALENDAR

VANCOUVER VICTORIA NANAIMO

KELOWNA PENTICTON WHISTLER

Stags | Stagettes | Corporate Events Birthdays | Weddings | Holiday Parties Public and Private Tours

VCBW FESTIVAL: JUNE 2-3

Wait! By the time you're reading this, the festival is already on, or over. No matter, Western Canada's largest beer festival is always worth mentioning.

CRAFT BEER & WILDERNESS: JUNE 9-13

Three star brewers, one amazing getaway weekend. There's never been a retreat like this before. Check last-minute availability at craftbeerandwilderness.com

SIRIS CASK FESTIVAL: JUNE 10

Celebrating the Women of Craft Beer, Celebrating the Craft Beer of Women: presented by the Tri-Cities Cask Festival Association. tricitiescaskfestival.com

CENTRAL CITY SUMMER CASK FEST: JUNE 24 info@CanadianCraftTours.ca 1-778-320-3409

Central City teams up with CAMRA Vancouver for a festival specializing in sours and fruit beers, perfect for summer! centralcitybrewing.com/event/summer-cask-festival

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COMMUNITY SUPPORTERS Many thanks to these supporters who help bring What's Brewing to you! Find a printed copy at whatsbrewing.ca/find

BC CRAFT CALENDAR

FARMHOUSE FEST: JULY 7

Canada's premier curated celebration of the funky, the fruity, the estery, the tart, the dry, and the sour sold out in less than a week. farmhousefest.com

SQUAMISH BEER FESTIVAL: JULY 7

50 craft breweries and craft cideries meet 2000 lovers of great beer and mountain culture, in the heart of Sea to Sky Country. squamishbeerfestival.com

PHILLIPS BACKYARD WEEKENDER: JUL 20-22 Victoriaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s biggest backyard brewery party: over 20 acts perform on two stages during three unforgettable nights. backyardweekender.com

CLOVER VALLEY BEER FESTIVAL: AUGUST 11

First annual festival, from the folks behind Whistler Beer Fest. 50 craft breweries and cideries come to Cloverdale's fairgrounds. cvbf.ca

GREAT CANADIAN BEER FESTIVAL: SEPT 7-8

Canada's longest-running craft beer fest. 9000 people meet over 60 breweries, 200 beers and a cask tent. Tickets on sale June 16: gcbf.com

WHISTLER VILLAGE BEER FEST: SEPT 15-16 Beer in the mountains: 60 breweries highlight a week of beer events at Whistler resort. Early bird pricing for a limited time: wvbf.ca

For the latest in Craft Beer News, Opinions & Event Listings, follow or subscribe to the Hopline e-news. New issue every Thurs! @whatsbrewingbc | #hopline | www.hopline.ca

BECOME A PARTNER OUTLET Be in good company and carry our magazine. Support our cause, and help us support yours. www.whatsbrewing.ca/corporate Circulation: www.whatsbrewing.ca/mediakit To advertise: www.whatsbrewing.ca/advertising S U M M E R 2018 WHAT'S BREWING 9

WHAT’S BREWING AUTOBIOGRAPHY

A GLOBAL QUEST FOR CRAFT

How one photographer's search for adventure has unlocked unique exbeeriences around the world >> BRIAN K SMITH My passion for photography has taken me all over the world. But I have also always been fascinated with beer, which harkens back to an early time when my Dad would let me try his Lucky Lager and Old Style—the industrial beers of my childhood. I knew the beer my dad drank tasted awful, so I was destined at an early age to search for beers that suited my palate. I learned about “hair of the dog” at a young age. My dad would leave an uncapped stubby on the table overnight. Downing it before breakfast the next day would make everything okay, with no hangover. These lessons came in handy later in my teen/adult life.

A MEXICAN CONNECTION

The first record my father purchased for our beautiful new hi-fi console was “The Lonely Bull” by Herb Alpert and the Tijuana Brass. At five years old, I dreamed of visiting Mexico. Through my teens, the romantic trumpet songs from south of the border grew album by album in my collection. Who can forget Alpert’s “Whipped Cream and Other Delights?” Beautiful señoritas, whipped cream, photography, and beer became my focuses in life. After graduating from Langara College’s professional photography program at 19, I travelled to Mexico. The trip was only two weeks long, but I made friends, saw incredible pyramids and colonial towns, and ate lots of tacos. I also was introduced to Mexican beers—Negra Modelo, Sol, Dos Equis Dark and Cuauhtémoc— whose roots come from the Austro-German brewmasters who arrived in Mexico during the nineteenth century. On this first trip there were lagers and dark beers. All seemed very delicious and I wanted more. European-style beer was first produced in Mexico in the 1540s, making it the first in North America. Fate perhaps? During later travels in Mexico and Central America I continued to explore the local offerings. Gallo (rooster) Lager battled the humidity but was like a Guatemalan version of Molson Canadian. I remember saving a wet label off a bottle in the back of my passport. When I checked a few days later it was solidly stuck... Oops! I peeled it away, doing considerable damage to the page. I was asked what happened to my passport as I entered back into Canada and took the truthful route. The immigration officer shook his head and advised me to leave the labels on the bottles!

ON THE EUROTRAIL

When I was around twenty-one I quit my job to go on the traditional rite of passage: a three-month Eurail/youth hostel backpacking trip around Europe and the British Isles. My first stop was the Heineken factory tour in Amsterdam. After two hours of quaffing a half dozen or so six-ounce glasses of Dutch lager, I stumbled around the city’s art galleries looking at Rembrandt and

Van Gogh masterpieces till the late afternoon. In Denmark, I discovered how a half dozen or so Carlsberg Elephant Beers (style: bock) can deliver a sledgehammer to the skull the day after. I got to drink some great pilsners and lagers in Germany and Austria. But it wasn’t till I arrived in Ireland that the magic happened. In a pub in Dublin I ordered a pint of Guinness. The bartender drew a Shamrock on the thick creamy head. He told me it would still be there at the bottom of the glass, and it was! From there I decamped to Scotland, a country with a 5,000-year history of brewing. In the UK I got to taste traditional Burton, Younger, and McEwan ales. After the sparkling lagers of Canada, these gasless ales seemed strange. It certainly was easy to down a pint in less than a minute, though! I hitchhiked from Edinburgh to the far northern tip of Scotland to visit the Orkney Islands. There I learned about mixing scotch and beer. A group of visiting sailors treated me to pints with a fifth of scotch to enhance the experience. The next day was a disaster. I went to see the stack column called the Old Man of Hoy (449 feet). My vision was so blurry and my stomach so upset from the night before that it was hard to tell where I was going as I stumbled along the trail to the vantage point. With my hangover in full effect, I stumbled back through the knee-high heather, looking for a shortcut down to the valley bottom and the trail that would lead me back to the shuttle boat. Little did I know I was traversing a nesting ground for Arctic Terns. Halfway across, they started dive bombing me from all angles, wings clipping my head and shoulders—it was like a scene out of Alfred Hitchcock’s The Birds. This was the closest I had ever come to a battlefield! Travels to Greece and Egypt followed a few years later, sadly without any outstanding beers. The mostly-German mass-produced styles satisfied the tourists who overpopulated Athenian restaurants in the early 1980s.

THE WORLD COMES TO VANCOUVER

When Expo arrived in False Creek in the late spring of 1986, there was a surprise. The British Pavilion featured a pub like those in the English town of King's Lynn, original home of Captain Vancouver, with the largest selection of draught beer ever provided in one establishment in the province. For the first time in BC history, kegged beer from outside the country could be served. Most of my 60 visits to Expo finished up in this pavilion. In the early/mid 1990s, I did three trips to Four Corners in the American southwest. Beer was always part of the late afternoon/ early evening. I arrived in Zion National Park on an extremely hot mid-September afternoon. I had picked up a few micro beers at S U M M E R 2018 WHAT'S BREWING 11

Owner Jon Therrian welcomes you to Brewery Xian, China, 2016

Pedal Taxi driver and friend enjoy the first cans of Red Racer IPA to be cracked in Saigon, South Vietnam, 2011. With Rick Green

Phillips beers at BeerLab, Ching Mai, Thailand, 2018

Off The Rail, Phillips, Postmark and P49 at Dok Kaew House Bar in Thailand

Two of Jing A's serving staff - Beijing, China 2015

Red Racer at Namton's House Bar, Thailand

Line up of craft beer at Slow Boat Brewery - Beijing, China 2015

James Boag's Tasmanian Lager - Yangshou, China 2009

Beer Republic - with 16 taps of around-the-world craft. Chiang Mai, Thailand 2018

HAVE CAMERA WILL TRAVEL | travel

the Chevron gas station. I popped the top off an ice-cold Louisiana Snake Bite lager. The chili in the beer was overwhelming—an extreme hot/cold experience! A few days later I arrived in Moab, Utah. I found Eddie McStiff’s pub, where I had my first ever blueberry stout. At the time (1993), it was the only craft brewery in Utah. I would return twice more to Four Corners and seek out strange and wonderful beers to enjoy around the campfire. In 1998, I went to Afghanistan as a photojournalist, covering earthquake relief with a colleague. We got stuck in Islamabad, waiting to get a visa to enter Afghanistan. This took many days, as the Taliban embassy (official embassy for Afghanistan) was in no hurry to help two independents. The temperature was a stifling 48 degrees Celsius. One day we went into a grocery store looking for beer, but that’s not easy in a Muslim country! We found a lime beer shandy; it was disgusting. But in that store, the owner of the largest tour company in Islamabad invited us to dinner. At his home, we were greeted by the sight of a cabinet full of 500-ml cans of Grolsch beer, whiskey, gin and vodka. In a country where alcohol is not allowed, this was a godsend. I was sent home with a dozen beers! But still not real craft.

THE CRAFT WAVE BEGINS

Brian with a LIQ beer after a long Rice Terraces hike: China, 2010

During the last return trip from Four Corners in the 1990s, I had driven up the California coast. Two memorable finds were Lost Coast Brewery and Rogue Ales in Oregon. In the meantime, annual craft beer festivals had commenced at the Plaza of Nations in Vancouver. The craft beer scene was slowly taking root, first on Granville Island then to the East side with Storm Brewing and R&B Brewing. I made sure to get to know all the brewers and supported them with photos of events.

China’s neighbour Taiwan has seen craft breweries popping up in the capital of Taipei, and I witnessed this in 2017. Then, in a Spring 2018 What’s Brewing article I talked about the challenges facing Thailand’s underground craft brewers. Yet to be explored is Vietnam, where my contact John Pemberton is producing “class A” beers at his Heart of Darkness Brewery. With 16 breweries in full production by the end of this year in Saigon, John and others welcome a new age of craft brewing to Mekong Delta.

In 2004, I joined CAMRA Vancouver, and participated in my first CAMRA-organized trip, to the Oregon Beer Festival in Portland, Oregon. I had never experienced anything like it; the new millennium was looking promising! I wondered if Vancouver could ever approach Portland’s level of craft beer awareness. We had a larger population, but we also had a much more resistant government.

NO STOPPING THE REVOLUTION

THE CALL OF THE EAST

At the start of my explorations into China in 2006-2007, there was Snow and Tsingtao beer. China is the largest consumer of beer in the world, so their rice-based, hop-deficient beers were abundant, but disappointing. Next up was a trip to Myanmar around 2008. One national beer that surprised me there was DAGON Extra Strong Beer. Myanmar Lager was also very satisfying! My travels became more focused on Asia as the years went by, resulting in a business partnership with travel (and beer) writer Rick Green in 2009, called Adventurocity. Our website with the slogan “Why take a trip when you can have an adventure” has served as a great resource on Asian culture, lifestyle, food and beer. It also provided me a wonderful motivation to continue to explore Asia. Our travels to countries both separately and together have yielded many resources for our stories that cover a wide range of interests. At the core of most of our current exploration is a passion to find out what is happening in the craft beer scene in Asia. During my travels in China over the past five years, I have focused on independent craft breweries. I have had the pleasure to get to know owners and brewers at places like Great Leap, Slow Boat and Jing A, just a few of the new kids in the bustling capital of Beijing. In large city Xi’an my good friend Jon Therrian is brewer and partner at Xian Brewing. The quality of beer being produced rivals that on this side of the Pacific.

ACCENT ON ASIA:

I’ve noticed that the craft beer revolution is spreading around the world. As has been demonstrated here at home, craft breweries are gathering places that can act as positive community forces, even in formerly run-down and challenged neighbourhoods. What if this happens worldwide? What if we get to know all our neighbours and become sociable on a global scale? This thought motivates me to keep going. Today, along with What’s Brewing contributors Rick Green and Dave Smith, I am an accredited member of the British Columbia Association of Travel Writers (BCATW). I also belong to the Professional Photographers of Canada (PPOC) and have a new position as instructor in Educational Travel at Langara College. I want to use my experiences to help spread good will to neighbours near and far. Sitting down at the end of the day and enjoying a fine craft beer together, no matter the language, should be a priority for good health in mind, body and spirit! Experiencing new cultures, eating delicious local food, viewing exotic vistas and ending the day with new friends enjoying a pint together is a driving motivation behind my lifetime of travel. I look forward to sharing many more stories in the future as beer culture continues to grow in influence worldwide. We have lots of great craft beers on the West Coast, but maybe this article will spark your desire to get out your passport and explore.

Brian K. Smith, MPA is an accredited member of the BC Association of Travel Writers, and is Chief Photographer for What's Brewing.

Author's recent travels have unearthed BC beers in China and Southeast Asia (facing page). Preceding montage: global thirst

HOPS CANARY | travel

Step e asid ess, n Guin re's the

Craft Beer In Ireland

>> LYNN MCILWEE

reland is known for its lush green rolling hills and its iconic stout, Guinness, that you can find in every bar and tavern across the country. The story of Arthur Guinness and the empire he built is something you should experience while in Dublin, at the Guinness Storehouse. Take a self-guided tour through seven floors of interactive exhibits and when you’re done, you can learn how to pour the perfect Guinness pint. Then head up to the Gravity Bar on the top floor to drink a free pint and admire the 360-degree view of downtown Dublin. We did the requisite tour and even have a certificate of achievement for pouring a perfect pint, but our trip to Ireland was primarily focused on craft beer. I know, shocker. Ten years ago, craft beer was hard to find in Vancouver. When I visited Ireland a decade ago, I didn’t come across craft beer there either. Thus, my initial expectations for this trip were low. With a little research, though, I discovered that the number of craft breweries on the island has matured to over 70 and a number of bars have a strong craft presence. Success! Off I went to plot out my Ireland map of bars and breweries. I quickly discovered that you cannot visit a brewery for a beer and some ambiance in Ireland; it isn’t currently allowed. Beer tourism is flourishing in many countries and we visit multiple breweries in most cities. But this isn’t an option in Ireland, because breweries cannot give samples or sell their product to patrons on site. To drink craft beer on draught in Ireland, you are limited to pubs, restaurants, and brewery tied houses. But that’s about to change (hopefully). In July 2017, the government approved an amendment to the Intoxicating Liquor (Breweries and Distilleries) Bill 2016. This bill will allow visitors who have completed a tour of the brewing

facility the option to purchase alcohol on the premises between 10:00 a.m. and 6:00 p.m. Ireland’s craft beer scene is at least ten years behind that of many American cities, but this is a step in the right direction. Perhaps after a few years the government will allow a brewery lounge license without a prerequisite tour. Although the law has been approved, the slow-moving wheels of government haven’t approved implementation yet. When it is in effect, visiting breweries might still be a challenge for a tourist unless you have a local driver. Ireland’s breweries are quite spread out and if you haven’t rented a car to experience the narrow onelane-for-two-vehicle roads with car-eating bushes lining the sides, it will be difficult to visit the breweries. Plus, the bushes might eat you before you get there. Currently, you can find some great bar/tied-house options from Galway Bay Brewery. They have taken over numerous bars in major cities (Dublin, Galway, Limerick, and Belfast) and have some fantastic guest taps, too. The other gem we found in Galway was Bierhaus, where they focus on Irish, American, and some international beers. I suspect when I return to Ireland in another decade, the craft options will have multiplied considerably and gone will be the days that most bars only have Guinness and a few old Irish staples. Until then, seek out the craft beer bars and try to stay out of the bushes.

Lynn McIlwee is an experienced beer event judge and homebrewer. On HopsCanary.com, Lynn writes about our beer related travel around the world, beer festivals, local beer events and other beer topics of interest.

S U M M E R 2018 WHAT'S BREWING 15

CENTRAL OREGON

Beer aging at Ale Apothecary's warehouse & taproom.

BENDING ELBOWS IN BEERTOWN, USA

>> BEERSEEKERS

hree hours southeast of Portland, nestled against the Eastern edge of Oregon’s Cascade Mountain ski playground, lies the tourist town of Bend. Popularly dubbed “Beertown, USA”, the city and surrounding area boast more than 25 breweries, making it a sort of hotspot for Cascadian beer travellers. But all the same, it’s off the beaten path. After years of Oregon visits, the BeerSeekers finally got to Bend in 2009, when there wasn’t yet an overwhelming number of breweries; we may have visited four or five that time. Nine years later, we returned for a four-day "fact-finding" tour, dropping in at a dozen breweries as well as some top-class beer bars and an amazing urban cidery. Any discussion of Bend's beer scene starts with its biggest success story. Founded here in 1988, Deschutes Brewing is Oregon’s single largest brewer, so they dominate the local scene. Many of the smaller 16 WHAT'S BREWING S U M M E R 2018

breweries that have cropped up here were founded by Deschutes alumni. Instead of covering the giant in town, let’s start our report with one of its progency.

gers and IPAs. This truly artisanal boutique operation, with only eight team members, has a cult following for a reason. They burst onto North American beer geek radar when it got out that they were brewing beer in the woods using a lauter tun carved out of a spruce tree. The resulting signature ale, Sahati, is rated a perfect 100 by style at RateBeer. To really see what all the fuss is about, we embarked on a bold voyage of discovery. On an extremely snowy March morning we departed Bend and headed half an hour into the forest to Paul’s rural home.

Kirsten Schopen at the Ale Apothecary taproom

THE ALE APOTHECARY

If you’re going to Bend, do yourself a favour and make sure you’re in town between Thursday and Saturday. It's the only way you'll get into the limited-hours tasting room for what is probably the local brewery with the most cult-like national following: The Ale Apothecary. Here you will find no run-of-the-mill la-

It was a seriously snowy March day

BEERSEEKERS ON TOUR | travel

These guys are serious about what they do, and they clearly don’t plan on changing their approach just to cash in on the craft wave. Not that their beer is cheap; most bottles on offer were north of $30– 40. We tucked tail and ran home with the most parsimonious choice on offer, a 500 ml bottle of Be Still dark sour, still $20.

BONEYARD BEER

Ale Apothecary founder Paul Arney was a longtime Deschutes team member, responsible for co-authoring numerous high-profile recipes such as Red Chair NWPA. He went solo in 2011.

After walking in from the road and snooping around a seemingly empty house for a quarter hour, we finally found the giant garage door leading to their forest laboratory. Co-brewer Jared Smith welcomed us into Apothecary’s garage brewhouse to demonstrate their rather unique production process.

Boneyard Beer got its start, and its name, eight years ago in a tiny former auto shop on the edge of historic Bend (“boneyard” being a nickname for an auto wrecker parts shop). That downtown space still functions as their public tasting room, offering tiny two-ounce samples, growler fills and crowlers (one litre/quart readyto-fill cans). It also has a small brewhouse.

Paul and Jared concoct tiny-batch beers aged in oak. The ales are strong on flavour, and not shy on ABV (typically 9-10%). Each batch takes about 40 hours to make and contains as many local ingredients as possible, down to the spruce tips used in their Ralph series, harvested straight from the trees on the property. Beers are then aged for one to two years in a warehouse space dominated by imposing racks with row upon row of barrels.

Their main production facility, not open to the public, is in industrial northeast Bend, an area quickly filling up with new breweries. We dropped in for a behind-the- scenes peek courtesy of Boneyard’s events and communications rep Liz Mario.

There are over two dozen breweries in Bend, including Bend Brewing, Immersion, Goodlife, Crux Fermentation Project, and hot new kid on the block, Monkless Belgian Ales. All of these and more make excellent beer and are well worth a visit. The most stunning beer of the trip (a Mexican Chocolate stout) was found at unassuming Silver Moon Brewing.

Robin & Todd Clement at Monkless Belgian Ales

Liz Mario, our host at the brewery

Other breweries only put their beer in wood AFTER it's brewed

Turns out that Boneyard packages very little product. Their spacious warehouse brewery is populated by the countless kegs that feed their draught accounts. In addition to the two aforementioned facilities, Boneyard’s new pub in midtown Bend should be open by the time you read this. Pro tip: you can sometimes find them on tap at Vancouver/Victoria outlets.

MORE IN SALEM

Salem is one of those towns you have to do once. Now you know you can take care of it on your way to Bend. Besides the above, there is craft at Rogue McMenamin's, Vagabond, Seven Brides Brewing and others. Sparky's Taphouse was a nice surprise too. Travel tip: on your way, you'll be passing through a mountain resort town called Sisters, home to a brewery and beer sauna. Check in for a different kind of bubble bath.

- BeerSeekers S U M M E R 2018 WHAT'S BREWING 19

MATCHING WITS presented by

Beer photography by Carnell Turton

MATCHING WITS A white beer spotlight Every three months, What's Brewing huddles with Jordan Knott of Legacy Liquor Store to source out a batch of beers that match the seasonal theme of our next magazine, but which are also available well in advance, for our panelists. When we're lucky, we get six great examples of a perfectly vertical seasonal niche, created by six BC brewers. It's never a slamdunk folks. Jordan's done well this round. Tasked with finding a set of wheat beers, he's come back with a sextet that includes witbiers and whites.

WARREN

Along the way we eliminated other wheat beers that were available, but wouldn't have fit the tasting. At one point we were shooting for a Hefeweizen sixpack, but some of these summery beers just don't come out until summer. Thing is, we couldn't just grab a couple of Hefs, a couple of Wits and a fruity North American-style wheat beer or two and call that a group, convenient as that would have been. Let's dive deeper into why that is.

This issue, our Panel evaluates beers made with wheat which fit broadly a category called White. This beer tradition hails from Northwestern Europe, specifically the Low Countries (where the Dutch term Witbier, or "white beer" is used) and Northern France (where the variation is Blanche). Germany is another country that has a tradition with wheat beers; most of theirs are substyles of Weiss (white) or Weizen (wheat). The reason we don't mix German styles with Low Country styles is historic: for centuries, German beers have included hops but no other additives, while in 14th century France and Belgium, hops were prohibited and flavouring was accomplished via gruit, a spice mix often including coriander and orange rind. As a result, despite the similarities in naming, the approach and flavours of Belgian and German white/wheat beer styles are so different that we would never mix them in a vertical tasting.

The Beers

CHELSEA

Products evaluated this round included:

ABV

1. 33 Acres of Sunshine Blanche

5.0%

2. Bridge It's Wit

4.8%

3. Dageraad White

5.0%

4. Driftwood White Bark Witbier

5.0%

5. Fernie Slow Drift Witbier 5.0% 6. Strange Fellows Jongleur Belgian Wit 4.5%

LYNN YOUR CONGENIAL HOSTS ARE: Warren Boyer, BJCP-Certified home and commercial brewer, and past President of CAMRA Vancouver.

CARNELL

Chelsea McDowell of Brewtiful BC: blogger, experienced beer event judge and homebrewer. Lynn McIlwee of Hops Canary: blogger, experienced beer event judge and homebrewer. Carnell Turton of Breward Inlet: if the beer isn't good he'll say it.

MIKE

Mike Ansley, aka The BeerRater: offering an unfiltered view on the world of craft beer.

THE TASTING PANEL FLAVOUR CLOUD

- created from the descriptive terms chosen the panel in their reviews -

OVERALL CATEGORY SCORES A general overview of how these beers did as a group. Pie chart tip: start at top of legend and work clockwise from 45 degree mark (3 o'clock).

ENJOYMENT

presented by

DRINKABILITY

HOW JUDGING IS DONE

BALANCE: MALT VS. HOP

SCORE BREAKDOWN Panel scores include these five categories. For a full list of individual scores, turn to next page.

Our unsanctioned competition uses a Zagat-like 30-point rating with a weighted scale based loosely on the BJCP Scoresheet. One of the great things about this format, as opposed to a simple 5-star blogger rating, is that it forces panellists to put more work into evaluating details of the flavour, balance and overall impression before scoring each category. Panellists are instructed to give an honest rating, not a sugar-coating. As reflected in their scores, some panelists will love a particular beer and others will truly dislike it. Sometimes that's influenced by factors that aren't completely within a brewery's contrul, such as freshness, or just a bad product sample. This is one of the reasons we have a panel rather than just one reviewer: it helps reduce the impact of factors like packaging flaws and personal tastes. Additional note: two of the reviewers (Lynn and Carnell) made best effort to judge blindly (ie, worked with a partner to conceal which beer was being sampled until scoring notes were taken).

AND THE WINNER IS:

This round features submissions from some breweries known for their interest in styles from Belgium and surroundings, which is fitting for the theme we chose. You can see that the scores were pretty much neck and neck! Nobody did especially well or poorly (see next page). When Strange Fellows co-owner Iain Hill was planning his current brewery, he strongly considered branding it as "Low Countries Brewing" due to his interest in beers from the region. So it's only fitting that they have taken the ribbon this round for a witbier, a style they began offering pretty much right out of the gate when Strange Fellows opened.

MEET JORDAN KNOTT, CRAFT BEER EXPERT AT LEGACY LIQUOR STORE Got questions about craft beer? Talk to Jordan!

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WB SPRING TASTING PANEL RESULTS. MAXIMUM SCORE = 30

Photos: Chelsea McDowell, Mike Ansley

33 Acres of Sunshine 2.0/3

22 24 22 23 19

4.4/6

22.0/30 2.4/3

5.0/8

Well balanced. Light and delicious. Delicate and crisp. Very drinkable, very refreshing, with just the right touch of spice and orange. I like the addition of anise along with the coriander. Pleasant aromas of citrus, floral, some earthy funk and a hint of banana esters; more subdued on the palate. Like a promising Vancouver day the clouds snatch away, carbonation scrubs this beer's wonderful flavours and you are left longing for more. This is a beer that I would spend my hard-earned money on. My older brother says it reminds him of a church filled with old round-faced boring people, whatever that means.

Driftwood White Bark 2.8/3

23 22 19 25 18

7.2/10

4.2/6

2.2/3

21.4/30 4.8/8

6.2/10

Bridge It's Wit Witbier 2.4/3

23 29 20 18 18

2.0/3

White Bark is worth seeking out. Fresh, vibrant, a certain effervescenceâ&#x20AC;Ś words are fun, and so is this beer. This one was underwhelming, but that's just me. I know I can find it on tap at many fine local establishments and people like it, but it is not a style that I can get behind.

The body was a bit thin and overall it was lacking in complexity. Definitely enjoyable, but not my favourite example of this style. Thin and a bit astringent on the finish. Very low carb and light body. Lots of earthy and spice notes on the nose, moderate on the palate.

Warren

Chelsea

Lynn

Carnell

Mike

Creamy but crisp. Malt swe

This Wit is Lit! Flaked oats refreshing. Balanced and co

Aroma: subtle citrus and ea and less citrus/earthy. Dry

The beer is decent enough i desired in terms of flavor a

This seems like a beer tha there are many admirable would really only want one

Fernie Slow Drift Wit

23 24 19 14

Medium bodied, high carbonation. Fruity with a crisp finish.

4.2/6

Light and tasty. Excellent

Fernie's take on the wit h me. It's very drinkable and it lacks the spicy/peppery

Citrus, banana, earthy not palate. Tastes thin.

I have a feeling that the be for the loss of aroma, and ing flaw assumed, omitted fr

I feel like this beer needs s

SEE WWW.WHATSBREWING.CA/TASTING-PANEL FOR FULL SET OF SCORES

r 2.4/3

21.6/30 5.0/8

6.8/10

Dageraad White 2.0/3

in most respects, but really leaves a lot to be and overall impression.

18 22 24 25

at is probably very popular. Like my wife, e qualities in this beer. Unlike my wife, I e glass of it!

eetness cuts through the hop bitterness.

lend softness to the body, yet it's crisp and omplex with spicy, herbal and citrus notes.

arthy notes. Prominent biscuit on the palate astringency on the finish.

tbier 2.0/3

21.0/30* 4.8/8

6.2/10

t balance. Refreshing and easy drinking.

hit right about the middle of the bunch for d refreshing, with no flaws noted. However y element that I appreciate in a good wit.

tes are more prominent on the nose than the

eer [sample] might be old. It would account d flavor. * ED. NOTE: manufacturing/packagrom mean score (19.6 if included)

some flair. For me, it lacks a certain panache.

4.0/6

21.2/30 2.2/3

4.8/8

Dry with high hop bitterness. Lively carbonation. Citrussy. Lovely aroma of citrus, pepper and spice. Pour with care to avoid the sediment as this is unfiltered and refermented in the bottle. Notes of banana, cloves, citrus, biscuit, and some funk. Complex, but well-balanced and very enjoyable. Beer is an every-person drink, but that doesnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t mean you canâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t take it seriously. Dageraad is a great place to start and Dageraad White offers refined flavour to enjoy. At first I was a big fan. The more I consumed, the more I became less inspired. There's something missing that I can't put a finger on.

Strange Fellows Jongleur 2.4/3

23 29 24 19 16

7.0/10

4.4/6

2.4/3

22.2/30 5.0/8

7.2/10

Sparkling and bright. Crisp. Fruity. I love the spicy, peppery effect of this Wit, balanced with a bit of sweetness from the malt and a touch of citrus. This hits the style right on the button! Delicious and pairs well with sunny weather. Nice citrus, banana, spice notes on the nose. Malty/biscuit on the palate. Well balanced and easy drinking. It's a decent wit; a little thin, a little safe, a little surprising given how much I love this brewery. If you're a fan of wheat beer, this is probably one that you'd frequent; a good representation of the style.

Appearance

Aroma

Palate/Mouthfeel

Flavour

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WOMEN IN BEER | profile

The ladies of Category 12 posing for International Women's Day (Karen Kuzyk left, Jordyn Godin 2nd left)

THE LADIES OF CATEGORY 12 >> LUNDY DALE

have met Karen Kuzyk several times over the last few years but usually just to say hi, so I was thrilled when she agreed to this interview. When Karen heard that I was organizing a group to brew for the Pink Boots Collaboration brew in March, she asked if one of her new brewers, Jordyn Godin, could join us. Jordyn was a pure joy and got right into the thick of the brew, even jumping on the forklift to get the malt bins in place! Both women bring a lot to Category 12 (where half the team is female) and to the industry in general. Recently I asked both Karen and Jordyn for their take on being a woman in the craft beer industry.

Q & A WITH: Karen Kuzyk, Co-Owner, Branding & Operation Mgr

Jordyn Godin, Brewer & Quality Control WHAT BROUGHT YOU INTO THE INDUSTRY?

Karen: A multitude of factors! While the concept of creating our own brewery was entirely Michael's idea, we knew that we both needed to be 100% on board. I saw the opportunity to get some much-needed validation outside of my family life, while putting the knowledge I had gained about business through my own experiences into action. Jordyn: I became a craft beer fan upon moving to the Island right after high school to attend UVic (University of Victoria) for my 28 WHAT'S BREWING S U M M E R 2018

BSc. I never thought I’d ever be able to break my way in with zero contacts and truly no relevant experience at the time, but after encountering Michael and Karen a few times just via growler fills in the taproom, I kind of just fell in love with them. I obviously adored their shtick, having a background in Science myself, and after graduating from UVic, it took a while to get my foot in the door. When Category 12 finally had an opening in production, I jumped at the chance and they had me in for an interview.

PEOPLE WHO GET INTO THIS BUISNESS HAVE PASSION. HOW DID YOU DISCOVER YOUR PASSION FOR BEER?

KK: I'm sure we all have passion! Our values and motivations tend to be the differentiators, and they are as individual as the people themselves. I saw getting into the beer industry as a means of creating a business that embodied a way to have (apparent) control over our personal and financial destiny, to break away from the conservative choices we had made over the last twenty or so years and start over while we still had the ability, desire, and energy to guide the path in a hands-on way. JG: I grew up in Alberta and the only beer I’d been exposed to was sad macro brands that my dad and male friends drank at bad parties. I didn’t know there were even different varieties of beer! So when I finally discovered a wheat ale from Wild Rose Brewing that I really did enjoy, I was shocked, because it didn’t look or taste anything like the beer my dad or friends had ever tried to coerce me in to quaffing. I didn’t try many beers until my second year at UVic, when I was drawn to a Killer Bee Honey Porter. I drank the whole bomber in an hour—I loved it! After this, I was obsessed with trying dark beers from all kinds of breweries.

WOMEN IN BEER | profile

WHAT KIND OF TRAINING/SCHOOLING DO YOU HAVE? KK: In a previous incarnation, I had intended to become an elementary school teacher. I'm still passionate about creating environments where children can be their best selves, and causes that support literacy, outdoor play, and the learning styles of boys in the classroom. JG: I have found having a background in science and experience in university labs undoubtedly useful, but that’s not to say that kind of experience is entirely necessary. Michael and my co-worker Jacob trained me, and honestly it was the steepest learning curve I’ve ever been a part of. Moving from the theoretical to the practical is something that student life never really prepared me for. However, after getting the hang of the job physically, my time management and lab skills that I acquired in university have proven themselves in spades!

KAREN: WHAT KIND OF OWNER ARE YOU?

You'd have to ask our team! Michael and I have both worked with a multitude of personalities, and each of us tries to embody the leadership style we would have thrived with. We're very handson, enthusiastic people who make a concerted effort to ensure our team knows how much we value them and their contribution to the business.

ARE THERE ADVANTAGES/DISADVANTAGES OF BEING A WOMAN IN THE INDUSTRY, ESPECIALLY AS AN OWNER?

KK: So much of our brand focuses on Michael's background and departure from a traditional career path, people are often surprised that I offer any contribution at all! The branding and marketing of business is an important differentiator and that is the realm that I'm responsible for. We're fortunate to be in an environment that celebrates competence no matter what sex you're born with! The only disadvantage I have is needing another set of hands to lift those 50-litre kegs. JG: I thankfully work with a team of excellent humans, so I haven’t had to deal with most of the woes I’ve heard women experience in a male-dominated industry, from isolation to blatant harassment. My only personal disadvantages that I’ve experienced as a woman include the overt disbelief from people I’ve just met that I am in fact a brewer at my size, level of experience, age, gender, etc. I feel that as a woman I wind up doing a better job because I always feel the need to prove myself. Being the only woman in the room means never getting cocky or complacent, always pushing the envelope to prove you’re supposed to be there.

WHAT DO YOU LOVE ABOUT YOUR JOB AND THE INDUSTRY?

KK: The sheer joy of working with an amazing team on a regular basis. I am grateful on a daily basis for the privilege of working with such competent, passionate people! It's like creating the best family in the world! It's such a dynamic industry there can be no complacency, and this is the kind of environment both Michael and I thrive in. No two days are the same. JG: My most favourite thing is . . . brewing beer. It’s physical, it’s gratifying, it’s science and yet it still manages to feel a bit like magic. But as a more compelling response, my second most favourite and least favourite thing about being a lady who brews

beer are one and the same: the shock when I tell people what I do. They immediately look me up and down, and part of me delights in their disbelief and part of me completely resents it. My favourite game takes place at parties when the craft beer dudebros are loudly speaking over you to one another like the topic of beer is completely over your head. Eventually you get to lambaste them with the fact that brewing beer is actually something you get paid to do and they’re either in utter disbelief or very embarrassed— both responses I relish of course, providing I’ve properly let them dig their own hole.

JORDYN: WHO IS YOUR FAVOURITE FEMALE ROLE MODEL IN THE INDUSTRY, AND WHY?

Caitlyn Carlisle from Cumberland Brewing Co. Back when the thought of getting to work in a brewery was still a completely outlandish pipe dream, I saw her working in the tiny back room of the Cumberland brewery and she was the first woman I’d ever seen who wasn’t working the taproom. Who would want to hire me? I’m 120 pounds, have no experience, and I’m a girl. It wasn’t until I saw her—also a slim woman!—in her work boots back there that it dawned on me that this was even a remotely viable possibility. I’ve only met her once more since that day, when I was just starting to get on the brewhouse at C12. I doubt she remembers talking to me at all, but she’ll always be the woman who changed it all for me. Representation in the industry is so important.

ANY ADVICE FOR FELLOW WOMEN IN THE INDUSTRY OR WANTING TO GET INTO THE INDUSTRY?

KK: Just do it! It's never too late! It's so easy to be lulled into complacency, to make the decisions you think are right based on the values or pathways of the people surrounding you, blanketing yourself with the illusion of security. It's good to shake things up. If I had been able to grasp how intensely satisfying breaking away from those expected norms would be, I would have done this years ago! JG: The advice I’d give other women with an interest in craft beer and the industry that surrounds it is simple: persistence. Don’t let anyone tell you no. When people ask me how I got into brewing I tell them, “sheer force of will.” Just keep showing up to the conversation.

BIGGEST ACHEIVEMENT TO DATE?

KK: Ha! I feel like I'm just getting started, it would be too presumptuous of me to assign that level of importance to anything I've done in the past! Seriously though, I think I've made major progress (as a recovering introvert, surprise surprise) in speaking in front of people; perhaps because I finally feel like I'm part of something that I can be proud of. JG: My biggest achievement isn’t necessarily one specific event but rather the on-going event that I’ve been trying not to settle for anything less than what I consider an extraordinary time to be alive. Keep asking for more, keep dreaming bigger, and keep believing you’re worth the effort. I live in my dream place, with my dream people, working my dream job. If you aren’t obsessed with your life, change it. Lundy Dale Among her other contributions to the BC beer scene, Lundy is a founder of CAMRA BC's Vancouver chapter, Barley's Angels' Pink Pints Chapter and BC Craft Beer Month, and Past President of CAMRA BC.

S U M M E R 2018 WHAT'S BREWING 29

BEERS, BEACHES & BREWERIES | regional report

Team members from the five Penticton breweries celebrate their successful Penticton Ale Trail tap takeover earlier this spring at St. Augustine's in Vancouver. Each brewery brought 5 kegs, for a total of 25 Penticton taps.

BLUE SKIES IN THE OKANAGAN >> KIM LAWTON

fter a long winter, we are now enjoying gorgeous days filled with sunshine and blue skies. Tourist season is here, and visitors are arriving to enjoy all our outdoor activities, amazing fresh produce, beach activities, and vibrant craft beer scene. Check out the BC Ale Trail website to help plan your trip to the Okanagan. We now have 16 craft breweries all the way from Vernon to Oliver. And two new breweries, Wild Ambition Brewing and Vice & Virtue Brewing, are coming soon to Kelowna. Firehall Brewing is located in the heart of BC wine country, in Oliver. Their Beer Shop & Social includes a recently expanded patio and a great selection of beer gear. They regularly host jam nights and vinyl nights, and their Back Alley Concert Series will be back again this summer. Keep an eye open for their Table Beer Series No. 3: Barrel-aged Barley Wine 2018. Head north into Penticton and you’ll find the Barley Mill Brew Pub. Their upcoming events include the Peach Gravy Improv Show on June 23, Yard Katz BBQ & Blues on June 30, and the Hillside Outlaws barn dance and rib dinner on July 21. They are chilling down their already-frosty beers for the summer, featuring Peach City Brew (Cayuse Wheat Ale topped with peach slush) & Cerveza “Lime”berg (Caballero Cerveza topped with lime slush).

30 WHAT'S BREWING S U M M E R 2018

Tin Whistle Brewing is celebrating the start of summer with some refreshing ales. The first is Paradise, a coconut wheat ale with hoppy citrus overtones. It will be available all summer in 650 ml bombers and in draft. They also recently released Obsession, a beautiful hibiscus saison the colour of rosé wine. This limited edition beer is available in 650 ml bottles and in draft. Watch for their popular peach ale to be released in cans by July. Highway 97 Brewing, now in its second year of business, features a 36-seat taproom and patio. The taproom overlooks the open brewing floor below. This summer they will have 10 beers available, two of which are made with fresh Okanagan fruit. Okanagan Fresh Fruit Hefeweizen features peaches and apricots, while their West Coast Summerweiss is made with berries and lemon zest. They also now offer an expanded lunch and dinner menu. The team at Bad Tattoo Brewing are ramping up their production of craft beer and delicious pizzas. Check out the new items on their summer menu, including the house-made gelato. Continuing with their goal of one month, one beer, this summer will see the return of crowd favourites Azacca What You Want Hazy Pale Ale in July, and Lucky 13 Double IPA in August. They will be launching a new beer, Pear Lime Sour Gose, in June. Cannery Brewing has recently launched a new series of limited-release beers that are available on tap and in four-packs of 473 ml cans. They feature gorgeous labels by Penticton artist Skyler Punnett. Watch for the Dualis Double IPA in early June and the rebranded Hop Chowdah Hazy New England IPA by late June. The Drupaceous Apricot Wheat Ale is also back for the summer! It’s the perfect choice for patios everywhere, including Cannery Brewing’s own pet-friendly patio. Continued on page 44

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ULLAGE & SPILLAGE | regional report

PATIO SEASON in the Lower Mainland

>> J. RANDOM

es, Mr. Editor, I’m aware this issue is all about travel, but who in their right mind leaves Vancouver this time of year? Ten million tourists simply can’t be wrong. We locals have suffered through the gloom of our wet winter and cold spring. We deserve to enjoy our summer, particularly when you consider our new collection of craft-brewery patios. I last reviewed the craft beer patio scene for What’s Brewing in 2012. Back then, I could only compare brewpubs and craft beer– focused restaurants, bemoaning their usual locations on main streets plagued by traffic noise and diesel fumes. Restaurants must jostle for space in places where they have high visibility. Not so craft breweries, often in districts with industrial zoning, and that usually means side streets. Thanks to change via government, plus considerable time and money put in by the industry, licensing changes have created much greater choice for the sun-loving craft beer drinker. I look for a southerly aspect for lunchtime and north- or west-facing to catch the late evening sun. Red Truck has a large south-facing patio tucked away off Industrial Avenue. Green Leaf has a tiny patio in a high traffic area of Lonsdale Quay, so it can be tough to get a seat there. You might have better luck at Bridge Brewing’s eight-seat patio, though it’s a bit out of the way unless you are returning from a hike at Mount Seymour. While Richmond’s Britannia does not have a tasting room at the brewery, they do have their restaurant, with a south-facing patio, on a quiet road in Steveston. Back in downtown Vancouver, due to the angle of the street grid, Yaletown’s patio has a south-east exposure, and their brick really heats up, perfect for lunchtime sun lovers early or late in the patio season.

Lower Mainlanders can Skytrain or bus out to Port Moody, AKA Patio Central, to join J. Random in a patio staycation this summer

R&B now has a long narrow patio facing north; as yet, no tall buildings block the evening sun, although that may change since the zoning for the area now allows buildings up to six stories tall. Parallel 49 gained a narrow patio with their recent renovations, still a rare phenomenon in Yeast Van. Steamworks’ patio faces northwest but is heavily shaded by downtown’s high-rises late in the day and Water Street does get a lot of traffic. Fuggles and War32 WHAT'S BREWING S U M M E R 2018

lock have their west-facing patio on a side street behind Ironwood shopping centre in Richmond. Deep Cove’s patio is on the east side of the building, but it has great southern exposure. Dockside’s east-facing patio has a view of False Creek marinas and is enclosed on three sides by the Granville Island Hotel, which is fine if you are looking for shade.

Backyard picnic tables at Yellow Dog count as a patio too

However, when it comes to enjoying ales outdoors, one neighbourhood has everywhere else beat. The Port Moody breweries all have patios within steps of each other. The patios at Moody Ales, Parkside, and Twin Sails face north, and Yellow Dog’s faces south, so you have a choice of sun or shade at any time of day. I suspect Moody Ales, at the end of the row, gets the best late sun, but it clouded over the evening we were there. Twin Sails has the smallest patio, but we still managed to get seats at 5:30 pm, midweek. Yellow Dog has more of a back yard floored with wood chip mulch. Two of their picnic tables were out of action in early May, so get there early to snag a spot to sit down. Though I mostly focus on patios at breweries for this article, I can’t end without a mention of the superb off-street patios at the three Tap and Barrel locations. The Olympic Village location has a western exposure for late evening sun and views of the cityscape across False Creek. The Conference Centre location is exposed almost all around and has great views of the mountains across the harbour, particularly from the coveted tables at the edge of the deck. The patio at the Lonsdale location wraps around the building on the south and east sides, with views of downtown across the harbour. What’s more, the T&B beer selection is entirely BC-focussed, so you will still be supporting your local brewers. So if you are planning a staycation in Vancouver this summer, or are visiting from other parts of the province, make one of Vancouver’s increasing number of brewery patios part of the experience. And if your favourite outdoor table is occupied by a horde of loud and obnoxious tourists, remember: it was the thought of millions of foreign visitors to Expo 86 being appalled that they couldn’t sit outside and drink beer that convinced the BC government to amend the liquor laws to allow patios in the first place. J. Random is a former VP of CAMRA Vancouver, beer fan for 4 decades and occasional homebrewer. Has been penning the Ullage & Spillage column for What's Brewing since 2003.

NORTHERN NOTES | regional report

Craft Beer comes to

PRINCE GEORGE & NORTHERN BC

>> ADAM ARTHUR

owdy! The craft beer landscape has changed significantly in Prince George lately, and these are truly exciting times. In 2009, the craft beer offerings in bars, restaurants, and liquor stores were slim to non-existent. Granville Island Brewing craft beers were the most commonly available. Fast forward to 2018 and Prince George is home to CrossRoads Brewing, which opened in 2017, and Trench Brewing & Distilling, now open in 2018. Both offer a variety of delicious on-point craft beer styles, tasty food, and social atmosphere. For a change of pace after visiting these breweries, a variety of establishments offer BC craft beer. Try the Copper Pig BBQ House, Nancy O’s, Betulla Burning, Cowboy Ranch, Twisted Cork, The Black Clover, Kask, or Cimo Mediterranean Grill. Tap takeovers are a recent trend at local establishments, with Quesnel’s Barkerville Brewing leading the charge. Even the local neighbourhood pubs and chain restaurants, the Royal Canadian Legion and the CN Center, all of which have traditionally featured big-brewery beers, are coming around to supporting independent BC craft breweries. Northern Fancon featured Barkerville Brewing, making 2018 the first year a BC craft brewery was part of the event. There is a great selection of BC craft beer at the government liquor stores, and at Costless Liquor, College Heights Liquor Store, 10th Avenue Liquor Store, Shooters Licence Liquor Store, and Liquor Depot. Events are getting better, too. The fourth annual Kiwanis Ale Fest, held at the end of January, featured many independent BC craft breweries. There were brewmaster’s dinners and downtown establishments hosted a cask beer weekend. Copper Pig BBQ House hosted a beer lover’s night and has hosted other beer-related special events. February 2018 featured the first ever Beer, Bacon and Bands event. CrossRoads Brewing is holding Street Festival Series in May, July, and September 2018. Their theme is recreation, so they’ll feature local organizations that promote outdoor activities. Events like this have been many people’s introduction to BC craft beer.

A tasty flight at Crossroads Brewing

the Safeway Liquor Store chain. Local restaurants such as Juice Five O and The Roadhouse Café in nearby Arras offer craft too. It's rewarding and exciting to see what has changed in Northern BC’s craft brewery and beer landscape. So many exciting craft breweries and supportive establishments, liquor stores and events offering a variety of exciting craft beer styles to quench a thirst and excite the palate and senses. These are exciting times and the future looks bright! Adam Arthur is a craft beer fan since 2010 who’s glad to represent Northern BC and the city of Prince George. He supports Independent craft breweries in (and outside of) BC.

STAKE YOUR CLAIM™ TO THE QUESNEL CRAFT BREWERY WHOSE AWARD WINNING BEERS TELL THE STORY OF BC'S HISTORIC CARIBOO GOLD RUSH

Craft beer is expanding a lot here in the North. The originators are Quesnel’s Barkerville Brewing, Three Ranges Brewing (Valemount), Sherwood Mountain Brewhouse (Terrace) and Wheelhouse Brewing Company (Prince Rupert). We are now seeing craft brewing return to Smithers, with Smithers Brewing (opening soon) and Bulkley Valley Brewery (now open). The craft beer revolution is also finally reaching BC’s Peace Country. Long the domain of macro lagers, Fort St. John is now home to Beard’s Brewing, and the soon to open Mighty Peace Brewing Co. Even nearby Dawson Creek is jumping on the craft beer bandwagon by virtue of the Beer, Bacon and Bands event, and by providing the best BC craft beer selection in the Peace courtesy of 34 WHAT'S BREWING S U M M E R 2018

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BREWERIES IN REVIEW | profile

BECOMING ENTRENCHED ..in the Northern brewing scene >> TED CHILD about the brewery, down to the electrical wiring he had done and Prince George’s incredibly strict wastewater regulations. My conversation with Esther was more about business. Asked about the difference in time and money getting the brewery up and running compared to expectations, she said, “Literally double. Double the time, double the money. Two and a half years we’ve been working on this. Despite being able to source significant savings on absolutely everything in this brewery, there has been substantial personal investment.” One example of such savings is the 25 hectolitre brewhouse from Lighthouse Brewing. Trench wasn’t the only interested party, so the sale price could have been much higher. Also a distiller, Trench got its beautiful thousand-litre, double boiler, twelveplate column still for a price that would make most others choke on their whisky.

The Trench crew: Craig Schwenning, Esther Schwenning, Tamia Goncalves, Paul Goncalves, Bailey Hoefels, and Jesse Hoefels, plus canine companions!

ans of delicious BC–brewed beer are in for a treat: as of this writing, Northern BC’s newest craft brewery is switching on the “open” sign. With a beautiful cozy tasting room, wonderfully well-made beer right out of the gate, and a handful of other mad schemes waiting in the wings, Trench Brewing and Distilling is helping put PG on the craft beer map. When my wife and I were planning our trip from the Saanich Peninsula to the city I grew up in (and hadn’t been back to in over 16 years), it was nominally to show my wife and son my home town, get in some spring skiing, and let my son experience more than the South Island’s normal two days of snowfall a year. Days before we left, I let slip that I also wanted to check out Prince George’s new breweries. My long-suffering wife could only muster an exasperated “Really?” She has yet to come to terms with vacationing with a beer nerd. I got away for a very generous tour and tasting of the new Trench brewery. I had an extensive chat with head brewer Paul Goncalves, a former brewer at Howe Sound Brewing, as well as the four owners, Craig and Esther Schwenning and Jesse and Bailey Hoefels. The new facility, Jesse explained, had “immediately presented itself as a brewery. I could see exactly where everything would be, from the [70-seat] tasting room on.” Owner participation in craft brewing runs the gamut from being just a signature on a cheque to being the person actually pitching the yeast. I got the strong impression that the owners of Trench are very much in the latter group. Paul is doing the day-to-day brewing, but Craig and Jesse both trained in the Czech Republic and have extensive homebrewing experience. Craig told me a lot

“The distillery will only use ingredients sourced from BC,” said Craig. It will be a pet project when Trench can afford to devote the time and attention craft distilling requires. “The first step is to have full barrels, which we’re planning to have as soon as possible.” Trench’s location is close to PG’s other craft brewpub, Crossroads Brewing. That might seem counterproductive, but Victoria’s Beer Mile and Port Moody’s Brewery Row have taught us that having beer destinations within walking distance of each other benefits all parties. There is a strong collaborative spirit between the two breweries, as there is throughout the craft beer industry. Remarked Craig about the relationship with Crossroads, “We’re down there so much, those guys told me how much business they were [about] to lose from us drinking our own beer [now that Trench is brewing].” This collaborative spirit came through loud and clear in their conversations. They’ve been beating around an idea for a “Northern Craft Alliance” coop with breweries from Smithers, Prince Rupert, Fort St. John and other towns. They would like to see Northern craft breweries ship more cheaply and widely, have greater control of their products, and source ingredients more easily. It would help Northern BC breweries keep the lights on and keep making great beer. It might also mean I could get beer from places like Trench, Crossroads, Sherwood Mountain or Wheelhouse here on the Island without the long car ride. Asked how he thought the Budweiser drinkers of PG will receive Trench, Jesse shrugged. “People understand craft. I know a guy who is a lifelong Budweiser drinker but will still go and hunt down craft beer when he can.” Continued on page 44 S U M M E R 2018 WHAT'S BREWING 35

SEA TO SKY BEER GUY | regional report

SUMMER IN THE SEA TO SKY

>> MALCOLM YATES

owdy folks, and welcome back to the greatest show on earth! If that sounds like a carnival barker drumming up a crowd, then I’m doing my job. Just substitute the Stawamus Chief for the big top, orcas for elephants, and Mother Nature’s permanent display of awe and wonder as the main attraction. Have you made your summer travel plans yet? Why not journey to a land where snowpack melts, cascading thru thousands of tiny capillaries down the mountains, merging into main river veins that rush and roll back into the Pacific? You can pitch your tent at many destinations, so let’s set out the ground sheet. First, tie your vacation to a location that serves up craft beer. Squamish, Whistler, and now Pemberton have you covered on that front. Are you camping? Set up shop in Porteau Cove, Alice Lake, Cal-Cheak, Riverside, Nairn Falls or Owl Creek. Put a couple of logs in the pit (providing there’s no fire ban!) and crack open a can or two of craft with friends and family. Nothing says summer quite like telling tall tales around a fire with good beer and good people. OK, now you’ve established a home base away from home, and the friendly fog of war from the night before has lifted, thanks in part to Coleman-cooked eggs and bacon. How about some hiking or biking to cleanse the soul? Afterward, you can head into town to visit one of the local watering holes. And of course, you planned your trip around a beer-based event, right? Let’s go! The Squamish Beer Festival takes place July 7th on the glorious grounds of O’Siyam Pavilion. This beer paradise boasts over 50 craft breweries and cideries to sample as you stroll amongst the sights and sounds. With a Brewer’s Dinner the night before, the Stawamus Chief as chaperone in the background, food trucks for sustenance, and music to scintillate, the Squamish Beer Fest is hard to beat. A word of warning: tie a bow around this one ahead of time, as it sold out last year. The Whistler Village Beer Festival is another marquee event in the Sea to Sky corridor, planting its flag in Olympic Plaza during the dying days of summer (September 11th - 16th). This festival and its satellite events round out the season with memories to last the rest of the year. One favourite from 2017 was “Battle of the Sours.” Fifteen breweries put their tartest treats up for folks to sample and vote on. The memory of pucker-faced shenanigans remains. So put “Sea to Sky” in your calendar this summer and perhaps we’ll meet over a fire in sunset assembly: sharing a growler, or a story, or both. Malcolm Yates is a guy in the Sea to Sky region who digs beer, BC, and the written word. Check out his musings at the Sea To Sky Beer Guy blog.

36 WHAT'S BREWING S U M M E R 2018

Father & son brew crew: Kevin & Oscar Winter at Coast Mountain Brewing

Spotlight on Coast Mountain Brewing Whistler is big, beautiful, bodacious, and has all the trappings typical of tourist destinations (and I mean that in a good way). There are myriad reasons why Whistler rocks; skiing, boarding, and biking are just a few. One side effect to all that awesomeness is that the town’s become a busy, hustle-bustling, hedonistic kind of place that’s hard to handle without a place to decompress. Enter Coast Mountain Brewing, bucket-list headliner and decompression station outside the main village. Coast Mountain’s boutique brewery opened for business in Whistler’s neighborhood of industry, Function Junction, back in September of 2016. When owner/operators Angie and Kevin Winter fell in love in Whistler, their dream became to open a brewery providing unique beer born of premium ingredients to the town that means so much to them. Mission accomplished, CMB! Their delicious beers are on tap in several of Whistler’s restaurants and pubs. One must hit the taproom in Function Junction to fully enjoy the CMB experience. With wood-sided walls laden with local art, a window into the brewhouse (perchance to glimpse the artisanal machinations) a patio for sunshine and clean mountain air mingling with the laid-back vibe, Coast Mountain Brewing really is one of Whistler’s must-see attractions.

OUT & ABOUT | regional report

OUT & ABOUT WITH SCOTTIE:

ON THE ISLAND BEAT >> SCOTTIE MCLELLAN

hat’s Brewing has always covered the Island, where each community shows pride in its craft scene, beer, cider and now distilling. Here are the Island events we attended in the last few months.

PARKSVILLE UNTAPPED

BEACH CLUB RESORT MAR 8 This event sells out every year and is an all-around success. Their mandate is to showcase what is going on in the craft movement in the region. They included craft distillers a bonus for attendees. The music is always good, the food is delightful, and the beach location is just amazing. I visited Mount Arrowsmith Brewing and sampled their beers and chatted with their friendly staff. In speaking with presenters and guests this event is an all round success. Whats Brewing visited the Mt Arrowsmith Brewing and sampled their beers and chatted with their friendly staff. Lots of reps also in the room doing the same thing. Cheers Parksville!

NANAIMO KINSMEN BEER FESTIVAL BEBAN PARK, APRIL 13

I missed this event last year for the first time, because I was covering the Okanagan Fest of Ale, held on the same weekend. As this Island event is sold out, I like to get around to everyone before opening and say cheers and have a chat with participants. This festival includes craft distillers, cideries, and breweries. The musician did an awesome job and the food is down-home fare: smokies, chili and huge hand crafted German-style pretzels; attendees do not go hungry. The place was packed to the rafters half an hour in, and the crowd was friendly and knowledgeable and kept the presenters busy pouring and answering questions. This event is so busy there are ongoing lineups of consumers eager to get a sample of all the fine products on offer. Nanaimo has a huge craft scene and people are proud of their community. We love being on the spot for all the enthusiasm of this great event.

ALBERNI HOPS FEST

ECHO CENTRE, MARCH 24

Great spirit, Port Alberni. They could grow this festival if they wanted to, given the enthusiasm of their community. S U M M E R 2018 WHAT'S BREWING 37

SNAKE BITES FESTIVAL

TOD CREEK FARM, APRIL 28 Cider Week is April 27 to May 6, and this event fell right into the fresh and local category with local cider works and breweries conjuring up some interesting and tasty concoctions of a snakebite. What’s Brewing congratulates organizers on their enthusiasm and effort. The rain didn’t dampen the celebrations and presenters and participants enjoyed a very down-home day. This is home turf for me on the Island, and it was good to say hello to everyone. A wood-fired oven turned out fantastic pizzas, and conversation and social atmosphere were the feeling of the day. Big cheers to organizer Chris Schmidt for a fun event.

Good food at Alberni Hops Fest

This annual sold out event has been strong in all the years we’ve been covering it. They offer a trade portion followed by an open-to-the-public portion. Although it’s a smaller venue and festival, it brings lots of smaller up-Island breweries into the mix as well as a few of the bigger craft players, making for a good balance in a community proud of its craft beer scene. There is never a shortage of hearty food at this event and locals are all thumbs up across the board. I enjoyed meeting the folks from Twin City Brewing and trying their beers.

Moon's Clay Potter with Merridale's Jason Child and Dan Reid of Phillips, at the Snake Bites Fest

John & Rosanne Lyle of Bad Dog

BAD DOG BREWING SOOKE, APRIL 22

The day I paid a call to this country brewery just out of town in Sooke, folks were sitting outside the brewhouse, enjoying some tasty craft beers in the sunshine. It was like a scene from one of my beer dreams before there was good beer: when someday we’d all just sit around relaxing in the sunny countryside with good beer. Cheers to the Bad Dog!

PHILLIPS BREWING VICTORIA, MAY 4

We like to stay on top of as much as we can and this is big beer news in Victoria. A lovely new tasting room awaits everyone on the corner of Government and Discovery streets in old town Victoria (at the brewery). Walking in, what strikes you is its impressive size and character. A flight of tasters is $8.00, and a 10-ounce glass is $4.00. Food is giant pretzel, sausage, and artisan cheese plate. Above the bar sit eight tanks with 1000 litres of beer each. It doesn’t come any closer to fresh and local Continued on page 44

HOMEBREWING HAPPENIN'S | travel + brewing

The Brew Shop, which features portraits of craft beer royalty, is in an old church.

CROSS-BORDER BREW SHOPPIN'

>> WARREN BOYER

s a lifetime Lower Mainland resident, I am no stranger to cross-border shopping. When the Canadian dollar is doing well, there are bargains to be had. When the dollar isn't so great, there is still variety and access to goods not available in BC. I have often purchased brewing equipment, ingredients, and chemicals south of the border. Washington and Oregon have some great homebrew shops. Homebrew stores often have a bottle shop, and bottle shops sell homebrew supplies. Convenient. And bonus: Oregon doesn't have sales tax. Here are some of my favourite stores to explore when travelling south of the line.

THE BREW SHOP

Years ago, on a trip to Lone Pine, California, we passed through Bend, Oregon and stopped at this bottle store to stock up for the next few days. They had a ton of homebrew gear and ingredients, as well as an amazing selection of beer. The Brew Shop has since changed locations and expanded the retail space. The new location is in an old church. Above the coolers organized by geographic region hangs a beautiful painting of Ninkasi, the Sumerian goddess of brewing, sipping a glass and watching you browse. The room features portraits of Craft Beer Movement royalty: Michael Jackson, Charlie Papazian, Fred Eckhardt and Don Younger. The people who work in The Brew Shop are very friendly and helpful. They had some interesting powder-coated small kegs that attracted me, along with a great selection of dry yeast. 38 WHAT'S BREWING S U M M E R 2018

In the basement is the Platypus Pub, with a well-curated beer list and pub grub. Whenever I visit, the proprietor brings me samples of the beers he thinks I might find interesting. It’s a super-friendly and welcoming place. 1203 NE Third Street, Bend, Oregon 97701 thebrewshopbend.com

MAIN BREW

Hillsboro is west of Portland; you’ll pass through if you head towards Oregon wine country. Main Brew’s 4,000-square-foot warehouse space feels a bit overwhelming at first. They have an extensive selection of supplies and equipment for making beer, wine, mead, kombucha, and cheese. I was impressed with the selection of crown caps in many colours. Next door is the ABV pub with 32 taps and over 700 bottles in coolers. They fill growlers as well. You can grab lunch and pick up supplies for brew day, plus the food is good. 5670 NE Clara Lane, Hillsboro, OR 97124 www.mainbrew.com

BREW BROTHERS

Not far from Main Brew is a smaller homebrew shop where I purchased my roller mill and some sanitizer. Brew Brothers has San-Stuff which is significantly cheaper than another comparable sanitizer. They have opened a brewery called Three Mugs Brewing Co in the same building, and Vertigo Brewing is only minutes Continued on page 44

BREW CLUB CORNER

BC HOMEBREW CLUB LISTING

BREW CLUB SPOTLIGHT: VANBREWERS The Alexandra Cup is awarded to the Homebrewer of the Year in Canada

omebrew clubs across Canada hold Beer Judge Certification Program (BJCP) sanctioned competitions, which are a great way for brewers to get feedback on their beers. Beers are assessed for their flavour, aroma, appearance, mouthfeel, overall impression, and how they may or may not fit into the BJCP style guidelines. The top beers in each category are awarded gold, silver, and bronze medals, and the best beer of the competition is awarded the Best of Show prize. The Canadian Brewer of the Year (breweroftheyear.com) circuit tracks medals awarded in Canadian Homebrew competitions. The VanBrewers club (vanbrewers.wildapricot.org) supports participation in out-of-town competitions by paying for shipping of member entries. A competition ship-out crew works tirelessly to bubble-wrap and package each bottle for shipping. Club participation in Brewer of the Year has increased significantly; last year VanBrewers came extremely close to usurping Cowtown Yeast Wranglers as Club of the Year. While VanBrewers came in second, our very own member Cory Day won the Canadian Homebrewer of the Year status with the most medals and points in the 2017 circuit of 12 competitions. This is the first time the winner has been from BC. Cory brews exceptional beers, both in-style and way-out-of-style; if you see him at a club meeting, try to get a pour of his Strawberry Rhubarb Pie sour beer! So far this year, VanBrewers was tied for first with Edmonton as Club of the Year after the first three competitions. VanBrewer Alex Cochran has already won a Best of Show, and there has been great participation among members. VanBrewers hosted its own competition in May where 350 beers, ciders and meads were evaluated. The club thanks all participants, the competition ship-out crew, and the competition organizing team for their hard work. - Alvaro Reyes, Vancouver Homebrewers Association (VanBrewers) 40 WHAT'S BREWING S U M M E R 2018

1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10. 11. 12. 13. 14.

Brew Westminster (Google Group) BrewVic: Website | FB Group BruBC (FB Group) Cranbrook Brewing Culture (FB Group) Fraser Valley Fermentalists (FB Group) Full Barrel Homebrew Club, Langley (FB Group) Nanaimo Brew Club (FB Group) Ok Brewers, North Okanagan (FB Group) Royal Canadian Malted Patrol (FB Group) Stonehouse Brew Club, Maple Ridge (FB Group) Ten Corners Homebrew Club, Fraser Valley (FB Group) Tricities Brew Club (FB Group) UVic Wizards of Beer (FB Group) VanBrewers: Website | FB Page | FB Group

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WOMEN IN BEER | brewing

Photo: Brian K. Smith

Ladies of the Pink Boots Society launch their Pink Haze NE IPA collab at Merchants Workshop in Vancouver

PINK BOOTS BREW DAY 2018

>> LUNDY DALE

uring the week of March 3 – 10, bracketing International Women’s Day on March 8, women in the brewing industry all around the world get together to brew beer. Proceeds from sales go back to the Pink Boots Society. 2018 was the fifth year of the women’s collaboration brew; I have been fortunate to be a part of the Vancouver brew for the last four years. This year is extra special. Not only was the Vancouver brew being kegged and distributed to some of the participating brewery taprooms (Luppolo, Four Winds, Bomber, Dogwood, and Fuggles & Warlock), but, for the first time ever, the beer was also canned and will be available at retail, thanks to the support of Mile 37 Canning. As an extra bonus, this is the first year that more than one Pink Boots Collaboration Brew was created in BC: this year we had four!

of the Pink Boots Society get together with supporting breweries and individuals, put on their pink boots, and brew their version of the selected beer style.

WHAT IS THE BEER STYLE?

Over the last four years, there has been a basic style with specific malts and hops to be used, but the rest has been open. This year, the only requirement was the use of a special Pink Boots hop blend created by YCH HOPS out of Yakima, Washington State: a blend of Citra, Simcoe, Mosaic, Loral, and Palisade. The styles were un-

S U M M E R 2018 WHAT'S BREWING 45

HURDY GURDY HIBISCUS PALE ALE, 4.6% ABV, 32 IBU Host Brewery: Barkerville Brewing, Quesnel, BC Lead Brewer: Erin Dale Head brewer Erin Dale chose to brew pale ale, a perfect style to show off the hop blend. The addition of hibiscus not only gives a subtle berry-fruit flavour with a hint of tartness, it also makes a nice pink hue! The flavour profile is a blend of grapefruit with a subtle hint of strawberry. The beer has been so popular that a second batch is in the works! Assisted by the women at Barkerville Brewing, Gambrinus Malting from Armstrong, and Trench Brewing and Cutbank Brewing, both from Prince George. The label and fonts were both designed by women.

WHAT IS THE PINK BOOTS COLLABORATION BREW?

Pink Boots Collaboration Brew Day was born from the Pink Boots members’ desire to take part in International Women’s Day by raising the profile of women’s roles in the beer industry. Chapters and members

limited, demonstrated by the four unique Pink Boots Collab Brews that were created this year in our province. Now, here are those four limited-release Pink Boots Collaboration brews!

Available in 650 ml bottles and kegs. Distributed by Barkerville Brewing. Northern brew team at Barkerville

Continued on page 45

BREWERIES IN REVIEW | profile

BEERS, BEACHES & BREWERIES | regional report

Continued from page 35

Continued from page 30

“For everyone else, there's the Blonde,” added Craig. The Blonde ale, at 4.5% and using sweet orange peel, is intended to be the crossover beer, the beer for those new to craft. Jesse called it “crushable,” and I agree.

When in Penticton, plan to attend the Penticton Farmers’ Market, which runs every Saturday morning until October. The market features local produce, baked goods and artisan items. You’ll often find craft breweries, cideries, distilleries, and wineries doing tastings and selling bottles and cans to go.

The brewery is named after the Rocky Mountain Trench, and all the beers have geographic names. Arctic Pilsner, named for Arctic Lake, is a crisp thirst-quencher in the true Czech tradition. According to head brewer Paul, the Pilsner has a small amount of Cara Pils malt and a huge amount of Saaz hops. I couldn’t sample the Amber, but at least I have a reason to come back. My favorite was their stout, an impressively full-bodied, layered, balanced beer. What I sampled might be tweaked before it’s in the taps, but it had all the flavour notes I look for, almost cascading over the palate. They ‘ll have it both on and off of nitro. As I sit on my couch in snow-free Sidney BC, sipping a nonTrench beer, I’m envious of people who live in PG. I don’t lack for great craft beer around here, but they can sit in the tasting room at Trench Brewing and Distilling and try one of the experimental beers that will change every week. If you live in or near Prince George, BC and didn't know you were lucky, head over to Trench and let them convince you. Ted Child is a Recognized BJCP Beer Judge and award-winning homebrewer. He is also What's Brewing's in-house book reviewer. Look for his assessments of the latest beer books and publications in each issue

Summerland’s Detonate Brewing celebrated the start of their second year by acquiring a couple of shiny new 10-hectolitre fermentation tanks. Drop by the brewery and try their latest release, Taco Beer, brewed with tacos and flaked corn in the mash, and chili, cumin, cilantro, lime, coriander, salt and pepper added to the boil. If you are heading north to Kelowna, check out the newly opened Kind Brewing in West Kelowna. They’ve got a great patio space, which they hope to have open for this summer. To find out more about the South Okanagan craft beer scene, join the CAMRA SO crew as we head to Firehall Brewing for their July 21 Back Alley Concert. We’ll have a shuttle from Penticton. It will be a great evening of craft beer, music, and mingling with other craft beer lovers. Kim Lawton is a craft beer fan, a long-time supporter of the craft beer movement, President of CAMRA South Okanagan and the Marketing Director at Cannery Brewing in Penticton. Kim can be reached via Twitter @DogLegMarketing

HOMEBREW HAPPENIN'S | brewing Continued from page 38

OUT & ABOUT | regional report Continued from page 37

than this. Matt Phillips stopped for a quick chat and poured us a sampler or two. Salute to Phillips for their continued success.

SEA CIDER SOCIAL SAANICHTON, MAY 5

I always attend this much-anticipated event. It was a glorious day to enjoy some of the finest ciders this province has to offer. The cider makers’ skills were very impressive as evidenced by the wide scope of styles available. Cider makers, owners and reps were on hand to educate the public on the growing and dynamic cider industry. I got around to nearly all the booths and talked to the presenters and shared a quick conversation with all the great folk making this happen. Scattered throughout the property were artisan foods for patrons to enjoy. Soft music added to the ambiance of the social event. Cheers to Sea Cider for this and all the great events they host. A big tip of the hat to all involved in BC Cider week.

Scottie McLellan is a craft beer industry veteran and longtime supporter of BC’s Craft Beer Movement. He has written for What's Brewing for over a quarter century.

44 WHAT'S BREWING S U M M E R 2018

down the street. These guys had the best price on the mill I wanted, and it was in stock. I bought more than I had intended. 2020 NW Aloclek Drive, Suite 108, Hillsboro, OR 97124 www.brewbrothers.biz

YAKIMA VALLEY HOPS

While in Yakima for Hop and Brew School, we stopped by a local shop to pick up some hops and hop extracts before heading home. They have hop-shots, 3-ml or 10-ml syringes of hop extract: cheap and easy bittering. They also offer hop hash for those making hazy IPA. It’s a nice store with a very helpful and friendly staff, an amazing selection of local hops and hop products as well as equipment, supplies, books, and apparel. They even sell rhizomes. It's not in tax-free Oregon, but it’s definitely worth it. 702 N 1st Ave, Yakima, WA 9890 www.yakimavalleyhops.com If you know of any other noteworthy stores or have any suggestions for what you would like to read about in this column, please send me an email at warren@whatsbrewing.ca. Now get out there and find what you need to make some beer!

Warren Boyer is an award winning homebrewer, Certified Beer Judge, former President of CAMRA Vancouver, and and occasional Professional Brewer. E: homebrewboy@shaw.ca

WOMEN IN BEER | brewing

Continued from page 43

will need to get out to Nelson to try this gem! Assisted by women from Torchlight along with Art of Brewing, Trail Beer Refinery, Nelson Brewing, Savoy Brewery and some home brewers in the area.

Brew day at Bomber

Available in kegs only. Distributed by Torchlight Brewing.

PINK HAZE NORTHEAST IPA, 7.2% ABV, 48 IBU

PINK BOOTS ISA (4.8 % ABV, 26 IBU)

Host Brewery: Bomber Brewing, Vancouver, BC Lead Brewer: Rachel Young

Host Brewery: Coast Mountain Brewing Lead Brewer: Tanya Crocker

A hazy hop-driven juice bomb, Pink Haze featuring the YCH HOPS blend with copious amounts added to the whirlpool, mid- and post-fermentation, left unfiltered for your all your haze-craze needs. Fermented warm with a blend of Juice & wild Saccharomyces "bruxellensis" Trois (Sacch Trois) yeast kept things juicy with a tropical, citrus finish. Oats, flaked oats & flaked wheat were added to give a nice smooth texture and pilsner malt used for a clean backbone to let the hops shine through.

Lead brewer Tanya Crocker chose India Session Ale for this Pink Boots Brew. The light, sessionable ale brings out the flavours and aromas of the Pink Boots hop blend that were used throughout the brew and a dry hop addition Sea To Sky brew team at Coast Mountain. Nice cake! for a seriously crushable ISA. This is the first year for these breweries to get together and brew the Pink Boots Collab, and it won’t be the last. They received a als. They connected with the president of huge amount of support from the WhisPink Boots, and they all got together durtler community. ing the 2017 Great American Beer Festival and created this year’s blend. Assisted by women from Coast Mountain Brewing along with Brenda Miller, owner The blend character itand brewer at the yet-to-be-open Pemself is fruity but not berton Valley BeerWorks, Hunter Gather overly tropical, Eatery & Taphouse and The Fitz Pub, both with more domin Whistler. inant citrus and herbal notes. Available in 650 ml bottles (very limited) and The small addikegs. Distributed by Coast Mountain Brewtion of Simcoe ing. gives the blend just a hint of old ABOUT THE PINK BOOTS school, while othSOCIETY ers like Loral, Citra, Founded in 2007 by brewmaster Teri Mosaic, and Palisade Fahrendorf, the Pink Boots Society is a will help drive the fruit non-profit organization created to asflavors forward. sist, inspire, and encourage women beer industry professionals to advance their All these Pink Boots Collaboration beers careers through education. Pink Boots Soare available in the host brewery tapciety provides scholarship opportunities, rooms. Some have had additional distrijob resources and industry information to bution and are available in a few restauits more than 1,500 members. A portion rants and private liquor stores. Go check of funds raised from sales of these beers them out! goes to the Pink Boots Society.

Assisted by women from Bomber Brewing, Category 12 Brewing, Callister Brewing, Coast Mountain Brewing, Dogwood Brewing, Fuggles & Warlock Brewing, Four Winds Brewing, and Luppolo Brewing. Available in 473 ml tall cans and on tap at some of the above-named taprooms and a few local restaurants. Distributed through Bomber Brewing.

HARMONIA HOPPY SAISON (5.8% ABV, 27 IBU) Host Brewery: Torchlight Brewing, Nelson, BC Lead Brewer: Kerilyn Faulkner Harmonia Hoppy Saison features the YCH hop blend exclusive to this project. This beer comes in at 5.8% and has a beautiful nose from late-addition hops and dry hopping. The name Harmonia was chosen to represent how brew day brought all the women in the area all together to create a delicious beer in harmony with one another. The beer is a nice blend of a traditional saison and lots of northwest hops. A perfect beer for those who love hops and even those who don’t! Sadly, not available in bottles or cans, so you

ABOUT YCH HOPS

The idea to collaborate on a hop blend for the Pink Boots Society started with a casual conversation between the CEO and the regional sales manager of YCH HOPS. They have a common interest in supporting female brewing profession-

Lundy Dale Among her other contributions to the BC beer scene, Lundy is a founder of CAMRA BC's Vancouver chapter, Barley's Angels' Pink Pints Chapter and BC Craft Beer Month, and Past President of CAMRA BC.

S U M M E R 2018 WHAT'S BREWING 45

A VIEW FROM THE CELLAR | business of beer

THE END OF THE BEGINNING

>> ADAM CHATBURN

fter three wonderful years at East Vancouver brewery incubator Callister Brewing, it’s time to close the books on my business Real Cask Brewing for a while. I’ve had an incredible experience bringing real ale to the people of BC, and I would like to thank everyone who supported my Indiegogo crowdfunding appeal, as well as those who tried my beer. July 2018 will be Real Cask’s last month; I hope to see you all there before the end. Naturally, Callister will be continuing with two new brew crews. Keep an eye out for Sundowner! I’m asked almost daily, “What’s next?” Well, I’ve been asked to take part in collaboration brews around the province and I’m looking forward to taking my vintage camper van around to visit these delightful friends and explore “super, natural British Columbia.” I’m also privileged to be teaching the Business of Craft Beer course at SFU and am hoping to take on other teaching roles. (I’ve really been enjoying teaching and I look forward to each new term; I hope the students have as much fun as I do.) I’m also asked to consult about craft beer, casks and creating cooperative organizations in the craft beer community. If you’re interested, please contact me and I’ll be very happy give you information about these endeavours. I knew from the outset at Callister that a cask-focussed brewery would be a niche business and ultimately unprofitable, so it’s time to move on and let someone else use Callister as a launching pad for their brewing dreams. I’m considering a little break from the BC craft beer community. It’s been all-consuming for the last six years; I’ve seen it grow from small festivals and a few breweries making a couple of cool beers to a massive industry attracting talent from all over the world and a range of great beers that noone could keep up with! The other reason I’m ready to take a break is that the unrestrained growth in BC craft beer (in my humble opinion as a brewer and an economics graduate) has started to reach a critical mass. Not to say that craft beer has “jumped the shark” or stir up false controversy, but I think we can all acknowledge that the year-on-year growth we have been experiencing is ultimately unsustainable. Of course, craft isn’t going away. The market is strong and con-

46 WHAT'S BREWING S U M M E R 2018

stant innovation from the brilliant men and women of BC craft will continually renew and expand the market. Competition for draft taps is much fiercer, with breweries outbidding each other to offer generous terms. Increasingly aggressive sales forces going after the limited shelf space in government and private liquor stores means that new or smaller breweries can struggle to compete, no matter how good their product. On the other side of that coin, some brewing companies can flood the market with product, pushing others off shelves and taps. We are now seeing the inevitable knock-on effect: craft breweries closing or changing hands. Rumours of breweries for sale abound across the province. Will we see new groups taking them over, or more purchases and consolidation from the bigger guys? Historically, successful craft breweries have cooperated, working together for the craft beer community while nominally competing with each other. Will we see some of that cooperation dwindle as more newcomers arrive in the community, unaware of the history behind it all? Are we seeing fatigue in the urban centres, as the market reaches saturation and new business models are pursued? Are we running out of small towns to put breweries in? I’m not trying to pour cold water on the good times, nor doomsaying for the sake of it. We just have to be aware that the bubble that has been growing very quickly could be burst by dubious business practices and those looking to make a quick buck, similar to the Vancouver housing market. As for me: to paraphrase Churchill, this is not the end. It may not even be the beginning of the end. But it is certainly the end of the beginning. Adam Chatburn is head brewer and loudmouth at Real Cask Brewing, and a former president of CAMRA Vancouver. Follow him at @real_cask on Instagram and @realcask on Twitter. He doesn’t post very much but when he does it’s awesome.

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What's Brewing Summer 2018

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