breweries Archives - West Coast Food

Craft Beer October 17, 2022

Tap Into Your Brewing Skills At The BC Beer Conference

Crack a bottle and tap the keg, the BC Beer Conference is about to start pouring! On Nov 8+9, you can join over 220 BC craft breweries in celebrating all the delicious brews of the Lower Mainland. If you’re interested in brewing beer, or are a part of a brewery already, this is a fantastic event to network, learn about new techniques and sample the wares of fellow brewmasters. If you’re more of a beer enthusiast, it’s a great way to discover new breweries, sample seasonal offerings and meet the people behind your favourite taps. Held at the Anvil Centre in New Westminster, both days will feature keynote speakers from the industry, educational seminars, and a trade show floor with over 50 vendors. For beer enthusiasts like us, this is a great way to follow your curiosity about something you love. Whether you’re there to meet people, learn about the…

Craft Beer December 14, 2021

The Barley Merchant’s Tim LaHay Keeps His Guests Always Topped Up

By Brittany Tiplady If you love BC craft beer and culture, there’s a pretty good chance you’ve heard the name Tim LaHay once or twice. LaHay is the BC and beer enthusiast behind the moniker @crafttourist, a digital ode to all things BC craft beer, spirits, cider, and scenery. LaHay’s love of craft brews has amassed an engaged following of nearly 22,000, not including the readership on his blog. His account is dedicated to travel, hiking, and of course, BC craft beer. “I’ve been a craft beer enthusiast for over 10 years now. The BC craft beer scene has really evolved as many people are aware, and it all started [for me] with a visit to a Winter Cask Festival at the Central City Brewpub in 2012. It opened my eyes to the amazing flavours that exist in the craft beer world,” shares LaHay in a phone interview. “Working at…

Self-guided Tours November 3, 2021

Guide Your Friends Along the North of the Fraser BC Ale Trail

By Wade Kinley All across the province, BC’s Ale Trails crisscross through our communities introducing each intrepid traveller to the wonder and discovery of a craft beer scene unrivalled in the rest of the world. The latest addition to the map is dubbed North of the Fraser Ale Trail, and comprises breweries in New Westminster, Burnaby, Coquitlam and Port Coquitlam in a self-guided itinerary for beer lovers: from the storied history of brewing in BC’s once-capital city of New Westminster, where John Labbatt himself set up shop in 1860, to the burgeoning scene in Port Coquitlam where the craft beer scene is tied into the geography of the city itself, where cyclists and pedestrians can tour its five breweries along the Traboulay PoCo Trail that encircles the community. North of the Fraser Ale Trail also includes a thorough exploration of the sights, sounds and tastes of each community that fill…

Craft Beer January 17, 2018

Wintery Seasonal Craft Beer in Surrey and Coquitlam

By Brittany Tiplady Beer can be romanticized in so many ways but the great Charles Bukowski nailed it: “stay with the beer,” he penned “beer is continuous blood. A continuous lover.” The holidays have come and gone, but Metro Vancouver’s mild winter weather is here to stay, at least for a few months. Curl up with these seasonal winter brews found in Surrey, White Rock and Coquitlam. Russell Brewing Company 13018 80 Ave, Surrey Winter Stout, 6.5% The name says it all. Available now in 650ml at private liquor stores, Russell Brewing’s Winter Stout is chock-full of chocolate and black malts and roasted barley. Black Death Porter, 6.5% Buckle up for this one! The Black Death Porter, part of Russell Brewing’s Brewmaster Seasonal Series, is a heavy porter brewed with Canadian and Scottish malted barley. Find it on tap or on the shelves at private liquor stores but buyer beware:…

Craft Beer February 16, 2016

Follow the Tracks to New Westminster’s Steel & Oak Brewing

By Tim Pawsey The craft beer revolution has made itself at home along the Fraser River, down from the hills in New Westminster. Steel and Oak Brewing Co. is a delightful discovery, tucked away in a still fairly industrial part of town, cheek by jowl beside automotive repair shops and train tracks – yet a short walk away from the bustling River Market and the rest of Downtown New West. Steel & Oak arrived with a bit of a bang upon their arrival into the scene in the summer of 2014 by quickly scooping first place in the 2015 BC Beer Awards Amber / Dark Ale category with its gently bitter and quite floral Flagship Royal City Ale. Step inside and chances are you won’t be alone, as the word is out on S&O, which has already built a strong following. Open for just over a year, this compact, wood-trimmed…