BC Ale Trail Archives - West Coast Food

Craft Beer August 8, 2023

Nominate the Best Brewery Experience on BC Ale Trail!

What’s your go-to brewery when you want to gather with your besties, or even just grab a beer on your own? Whether it’s a killer trivia night, incredible staff, or even just a seat on the patio that seems to have your name on it, our favourite spots to enjoy a cold one have as much to do with the atmosphere as what’s on tap. It’s time to show your appreciation for your favourite spot by nominating your favourite brewery for the 6th Annual Award for Best Brewery Experience on the BC Ale Trail! The Best Brewery Experience Award The Best Brewery Experience Award is about more than just the beer, it’s about all the reasons you love it there, from ambience to local flavour. That’s the BC craft brewery experience! Past winners include: Camp Beer Co. in Langley (2022) R&B Brewing in Vancouver (2021) Twin City Brewing in Port Alberni…

Dine the Line February 6, 2023

Grab a BC Ale Trail Passport and Map Your Transit Route with Dine the Line

If you’re looking to plan out a route of Metro Vancouver’s best restaurants/breweries, you can expect to encounter mental gridlock pretty quickly! There are just too many options to pick from. However, there is hope for fledgling foodies looking to cross names off their local “to-try” list. Curated eating/drinking paths are available through handy programs like Dine the Line and The BC Ale Trail. Each one provides notable restaurant and brewery stops easily accessible along local transit routes. It’s definitely a delicious way to get from A to B. From New West to White Rock via a pulled pork sandwich and an IPA. From Coquitlam through Burnaby by way of a cobb salad with dressing on the side. Not sure where to start? Try these maps on, and see what your appetite is. Tasting Passport – Try a Local Brewery, Collect Stamps and Win this February Once you’ve had dinner,…

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…