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Things we can’t wait to eat/drink in June: flights of award-winning local and international ciders, spot prawns just pulled from the water, and 70+ authentic Japanese food vendors. The list goes on!  If you can’t tell, we’re already experiencing sensory overload with the many tasty things to do in the coming weeks. The smell of BBQ is in the air, and eager ice cream trucks are revving their engines— bring on the first course of summer! These edible events are just the start of what we’ll be digging into for June. Shipyards Night Market, Every Friday Night from May 10-Sep 13 Every Friday night, locals and visitors gather at the Shipyards District to indulge in a culinary extravaganza, explore unique artisan vendors, enjoy live music and DJ sets while unwinding in the lively beer garden. This one-of-a-kind experience is brought to you by the Greater Vancouver Food Trucks Festival and…

Jumping into May brings us sunny weather and several food events for all to attend! If you are interested in trying new alcoholic beverages, engaging in African culture, and hanging out with friends or family at the Shipyards Night Market—this month is full of fun for all foodies.  Mother’s Day Market at Festina Lente Estate Winery and Meadery, May 5th Pamper Mom at the picturesque Festina Lente Estate Winery and Meadery for a day filled with laughter, love and loads of fantastic finds. This Mother’s Day Market is a memorable celebration for all! Langley  Festina Lente Estate Winery and Meadery Coquitlam Farmers Market, Every Sunday from May-October Poirier Street Farmers Market is the longest running suburban farmers market in the Lower Mainland.  The Poirier Street Market hosts a diversity of vendors and products from May through October. Each week a wide variety of vendors gather to showcase their products – made,…

Cheers to the return of the iconic Vancouver’s North Shore Craft Beer Week! From November 2nd – 14th, 2023, the festival is serving up daily showcase events at local craft breweries in the Shipyards District. This year’s Craft Beer Week features events from 10 North Shore Breweries, 1 Distillery and 1 Cidery, featuring music, limited edition beers and drinks, food pop-ups, games, and prizes.  Get your game on and munch on delicious dumplings alongside your ale with an all-day Dim Sum & Pac Man Competition at Streetcar Brewing, tap into your competitive spirit with a good old fashioned bar Trivia Night at Windfall Cider or release your inner warrior with axe-throwing and stein holding for Viking Day at Braggot Brewing.  That’s just a taste of what’s on the schedule for Craft Beer Week! Check out the full list of Signature Craft Beer Week Events here.  The Launch Party at The…

The El Valle Salado Salted Lime Lager from North Vancouver brewery La Cervecería Astilleros tastes like gold (a gold winner to be exact!) The El Valle Salado Salted Lime Lager, which translates to “Shipyards Brewery” in Spanish, was announced as the gold winner in the herb and spice beer category at the 2023 Canadian Brewing Awards, announced at the end of June. By Marisa Chandler La Cervecería Astilleros Nestled among the local breweries in the North Shore’s brewery row (officially known as the Shipyards Brewery District) La Cervecería Astilleros opened for business at the end of 2020 and quickly earned a reputation as a local hot spot dishing up classic Mexican fare like tacos and burritos (or just nachos for table if you need a light snack) alongside their creative craft beers. This isn’t Cervecería Astilleros’ first time in the running for an award, last year they nabbed second place…

It’s finally summer–which means festivals with live music, local breweries and international flavours are happening across Metro Vancouver. Check ‘em out here. Steveston Salmon Festival, July 1 The annual Steveston Salmon Festival is Richmond’s largest event! Enjoy the Salmon Festival parade, musical entertainment, historical and cultural programs and displays, and lots of food, including the famous salmon BBQ and festival chow mein.  Parade starts at 10AM and festival grounds are open 11AM – 5PM  Steveston Community Centre, 4111 Moncton Street  Langley Bubble Tea Festival, July 7 – 9 After a successful inaugural event last summer, the Bubble Tea Festival returns! This year’s Bubble Tea Festival theme is Taste of Taiwan, featuring Bubble tea vendors,  Food trucks with Asian street foods, outdoor movies, concerts, performances and even bumper cars for toddlers. Children 12-year old enter free (with an accompanying adult.) Swangard Stadium, 3883 Imperial Street Burnaby BC Halal Food Fest, July…

‘May’ new exciting flavours find their way to your plate this season! It’s spring, and with the warmer weather comes longer days and more food and drink events in Metro Vancouver. Check ‘em out here. Lonsdale Farmers Market, May 6 Stroll the boardwalk on North Vancouver’s Lonsdale Quay while you check out fresh locally grown produce, delicious baked goods and nifty crafts created by local growers, bakers and crafters every Saturday from 9am to 2pm, running from May 6th until October. North Vancouver: Lonsdale Quay Market, 123 Carrie Cates Court  Tian Jin Taiwanese Street Food Festival, May 6-7 Taste Taiwanese treats at the Taiwanese Food Fair at Tian Jin Festival, a free community cultural event showcasing the multiculturalism and diverse backgrounds of Metro Vancouver through food, outdoor performances and free carnival style games for family and children to enjoy. Burnaby: Tian Jin Temple, 3426 Smith Avenue New West Farmers Market,…

In a little pocket of Burnaby, at the bottom of the mountain, in the corner of a white-washed industrial park, a fast-travel portal exists ready to whisk you away to the beer halls of Belgium. Named after a city square in Antwerp popular with locals as a non-pretentious, laid-back place to gather with friends, Dageraad Brewing brings the same ideals to their cozy and welcoming indoor/outdoor tasting room. The beers are Belgian-inspired (very broadly defined by complex flavours: fruity, spicy, herbal, floral), brewed in Burnaby with local ingredients. “Burnabarian” as they’ve been dubbed. Here are a choice few to sample on your next visit, which really should be soon. New Slang 4 The latest in a series of biotransformed IPAs that are experimenting with new yeast combinations and unconventional ingredients to create some verifiable “fruit bombs,” this iteration is a double IPA that marries Amarillo and Sultan hops for a…

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,…

Attention craft beer lovers, head over to Vancouver’s North Shore in November! Vancouver’s North Shore Craft Beer Week is back November 4 to 14 with exciting events at a different brewery, every night. Here’s a roundup of four fun ways to explore one of BC’s most eclectic craft beer scenes and celebrate a little while you’re at it. Launch Party, November 4 Kick the week off right at the Pipe Shop in The Shipyards District, at the gala event of the festival. In one amazing evening by the water, you can get a taste of the North Shore’s finest craft breweries, all the while revelling in live music from local artists Jimi and the Antonio Larosa Trio, plus games and prizes galore. Be sure to pre-purchase your tickets for exclusive early entry and first access to tokens and vendors! What we’re ordering: A very special 2022 Collaboration Brew unveiled that…

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…

The Galaxie Craft Brewhouse in White Rock sits tucked just away from the hustle of Marine Drive, steps from the promenade, pier and the beaches. A perfect place to escape the world for an afternoon and try on some beers that take classic North American brewing methods and boost them with some unique experimentation. By Wade Kinley We arrived on a warm Sunday and got a nice spot in the sun on their large patio right off the sidewalk on Vidal Street, under a graffiti-style mural that is just one of the many galactic references you’ll find decorating the airy 60-seat establishment that has served a number of purposes over its almost 75-year history, including a recording studio and yoga center. Spaced out vibes, for sure. White Rock was bustling that day and it truly felt like summer was nearly here. Fitting then, that brewmaster Doug Card’s menu of eight…

By Brittany Tiplady “Born from opportunity, in the year of the monkey,” the folks at Monkey 9 Brewing are eager to show their community a good time, preferably with a beer in hand. Tucked away on Entertainment Boulevard, just a stones throw from the SilverCity Cinemas, Watermania and the Richmond Ice Centre, Monkey 9 Brewing offers their guests a robust menu, a generous happy hour, award winning beer, and on the premises, Lucky9 lanes bowling alley. If you’re wondering why the number nine, “nine represents positivity, gratification, togetherness, magic and wisdom.” “Everything is very superstitious. We opened up during the year of the Monkey [2016] and 9s are very, very lucky. With Lucky 9, Monkey 9 (monkeys are very lucky as well) it’s lucky right across the board. We work hand-in hand, which is really fun in my opinion,” says Monkey9 general manager, Martin O’Hara. The brewery is helmed by…

By Gail Johnson House of Funk Brewing is funky indeed: the small-batch Vancouver’s North Shore brewery specializes in beer that has been fermented, exposed to wild yeast, or spent time in wood. Located at 350 East Esplanade in Lower Lonsdale’s burgeoning Shipyards Brewery District—with a view of Vancouver Harbour—the brewery is a family affair. Darren and Jody Hollett, a husband-and-wife team with a newborn and a toddler, run it with his brother, mom, dad, uncle, and a few dear friends. Darren, formerly of Mission Springs Craft Brewery and Hearthstone Brewery, among others, fills us in on what House of Funk is all about. What exactly do you mean by “funky” beer? The name House of Funk comes from the style of beer we’re after, using a lot of wild yeasts, a lot of bacteria and bugs. They make beer taste funky, so it has a barnyard funk and rustic character…

By Brittany Tiplady Richmond has a lot to offer. Most notably, the beautiful Steveston village and boardwalk and, recently, a burgeoning craft beer community. Fuggles & Warlock Craftworks recently took home some serious hardware at the BC Beer Awards, which means, you now have no excuse not to visit their tasting room, and tack on a few others too. Check out the seasonal goodies pouring this fall and winter in Richmond. Fuggles & Warlock Craftworks 11220 Horseshoe Way #103, Richmond Bean Me Up Espresso Milk Stout, 5.7% Coffee, meet beer. We think you’ll get along perfectly, and so do the follks at Fuggles & Warlock. This delightful, winter-friendly stout made in collaboration with Notch Coffee is extra creamy and sweet from the added lactose. Enjoy it on tap, or in cans. Britannia Brewing Brewery: #110-12500 Horseshoe Way, Richmond Brewpub: 12240 Second Ave, Richmond, Steveston  Sirens Chai Saison, 5.75 Basically just…

By Brittany Tiplady You don’t have to be a Yeast Van resident to enjoy great seasonal beer. Lauded as the next brewery boom town, Langley and Langley City are now home to some pretty sweet, ultra-cozy, breweries, with two more on the way. Check out the seasonal goodies pouring this fall and winter in Langley. Dead Frog Brewery #105 – 8860 201 Street, Langley City Nutty Uncle Peanut Butter Stout, 7.1 % Brewed with eight choice malts, roasted cocoa beans, and of course, copious amounts of peanut butter. This creamy milk stout boasts smooth, peanut butte notes with an ever-so-sweet finish. Frostbite Winter IPA, 6.5% Don’t let the name fool you: this one will keep you nice and toasty. This hazy, “snow-white” IPA has delightfully hoppy and juicy flavours of orange, and spices. Winter Beeracle, 7% Winter Ale’s are one of the best parts of the season for obvious reasons.…

By Kristi Alexandra Normally, a cold comfort is a bit of an oxymoron, but Burnaby and New Westminster are brewing up something that’s both refreshingly cool and cheering. As winter descends, you’ll want to cozy up with a glass of these drafts coming out of neighbourhood taprooms until the New Year. Steel & Oak 1319 Third Ave, New Westminster Back for a second year, and brewed in collaboration with Timbertrain (the West Cordova coffee roasters) is First Press. This double-entendre beer is a cold brew coffee stout with serious notes of cocoa, hazelnut, toffee, and a big old helping of freshly roasted coffee. Find them in cans or fill up on tap. As a redux to First Press, Steel & Oak debuts Second Press. This imperial cold brew coffee stout boasts big flavours of molasses, licorice, dark chocolate, hearty, roasted coffee and finishing smooth with a warming of alcohol. To…

By Brittany Tiplady You know the drill around here, Autumn in Vancouver (or anywhere really) means ditching your summer gear for all the cozy stuff: scarves, thick socks, peacoats, and delicious, rich beer. But because Vancouver is overflowing with beer and brewery options, we’ve rounded up a bevvy of seasonal suggestions whether it’s for your fridge, or your next brewery crawl. Parallel 49 Brewing Company 1950 Triumph Street Lost Souls Chocolate Pumpkin Porter 6.5% “All treat, no trick: this rich, robust chocolate pumpkin porter is so good, even the living dead will indulge.” We warned you: there’s not escaping pumpkin flavoured beer during the autumn season. But pumpkin and chocolate? That’s sure to please even the pumpkin skeptics. The base of the Lost Souls Chocolate Pumpkin Porter is a hearty porter, enhanced with a generous addition of chocolate malts. Stanley Park Brewing 8901 Stanley Park Drive Layer Up Winter Wheat…

By Kristi Alexandra South of the Fraser, you’ll find local tasting rooms brewing up some serious flavours and suds over autumn. The season, of course, marks the return of pumpkin-spiced everything, but it also inspires creativity and a break from the norm. Find a few drinks below that’ll have you howling at the moon in Surrey and White Rock this fall. White Rock Beach Beer 15181 Russell Ave, White Rock While the near-beachside brewery may conjure up thoughts of eternal summer, you’ll find a brisk, if not refreshing, return to fall near the seashore. Drink up the spot’s Border beer, a Baltic-style porter that’s malty, clear, and has notes of chocolate. As they put it, this beer is “sure to warm you up on the coldest of days – or nights”. 3 Dogs Brewing 15222 North Bluff Road, White Rock At 3 Dogs Brewing, there are staples and there are…

By Trading Post Brewing Trading Post’s Beer Cheese Soup – a beer lover’s soup and a customer favourite. Not for the faint of heart, this is a bold soup, rich & creamy, perfect for the fall and pairs perfectly with Trading Post’s Amber Ale. Since they focus on local producers the ingredients include Birchwood Dairy’s cheddar cheese & cream, Johnston’s bacon and of course their own beer. Serves 4-6 people INGREDIENTS Butter (100 g) Onion, diced (1 medium) Carrot, peeled & diced (1) Leek, diced (1) Garlic, minced (4 cloves) Tabasco (2 dashes) Bay leaf (1) Thyme (1 sprig) Flour (120 g) Trading Post Amber Ale (400 ml) Chicken Stock (1L) Dry Mustard (1 tsp) Whipping cream (400 ml) Cheddar cheese, grated (400 g) S&P to taste – depending on the cheese & the stock used you may not have to add additional seasoning, so you should always season last.…

With the inaugural Vancouver’s North Shore Craft Beer Week in 2017 there were just six breweries to revel with. Today, with nine craft breweries and one more anticipated to open by the end of the year, the beer community on Vancouver’s North Shore celebrates October 4-11, 2019. As the North Shore’s craft beer scene bustles, hop-heads and craft beer connoisseurs will be rewarded with a full week of fun beer events happening in breweries and venues across Vancouver’s North Shore. The week kicks off with a launch party featuring all North Shore breweries and is followed by beer-pairing dinners, brewery battles, Oktoberfest events, open houses and more at each of their locations. The VNSCBW launch party takes place at the Pipe Shop on October 4, from 5pm-10pm and plays host to all of the North Shore breweries: Beere Brewing Co, Black Kettle Brewing Company, Bridge Brewing Co, Deep Cove Brewers…

By Brittany Tiplady Patio season is in full-swing and sadly, will be over before we know it. Soak up the sun with a beer in-hand (is there any other way?) and take advantage of the funky, juicy, sweet and sour beers that are pouring a plenty across Metro Vancouver. From New Westminster to North Vancouver, we’ve researched some of the best beers and breweries to quench your thirst for the rest of the summer. Framboise Noir at Strange Fellows 4.5%, located in East Vancouver, near VCC-Clark SkyTrain station Not to be confused with its equally delicious cousin, the Roxanne, Strange Fellows’ Framboise Noir is beloved for it’s bold raspberry flavour, deep crimson colour, and additional black raspberry and humble raspberry flavour boosters. Enjoy this fruity delight on tap at the Strange Fellows tasting room. Bonus: the lower alcohol percentage of the Framboise Noir is perfect for afternoon brewery hopping, naturally.…

By Kristi Alexandra It’s been more than a decade since New Westminster’s Brewery District actually housed a brewery, but all of that is about to change when Another Beer Co. opens its doors. The Brewery District, which resides in the Royal City’s Sapperton neighbourhood, was named in homage to the Labbatt Brewery that operated in the area from the late 1800s to 2005. Nearly 15 years later, the area is getting a new watering hole just a stone’s throw away from Sapperton Skytrain Station. While we know Metro Vancouver has no shortage of craft beer makers, Another Beer Co. takes a unique — if not cheeky — approach to craft draughts. Want to know more about what the company has up its sleeve? Well, it’s all in the name. “Our name is ironic, but there’s also a lot of reasons behind it,” owner Alex Jopson tells WestCoastFood. Jopson co-owns the…

By Joyce Chua, Vancouver Foodie Tours If you don’t mind a light jacket and a slight chance of needing to move inside while a shower passes through, there’s still time to soak up British Columbia’s stunning vistas outside with a cold beer in hand this year. For the sunny days still to come, take note of these five local beer staples – easy-drinking, crowd-pleasing, ultra-refreshing – that you can find almost anywhere. 33 Acres of Sunshine 33 Acres Brewing, Vancouver This French Blanchè beer is inspired by the sun.  Fruity, orange-like, with a slightly sweet aftertaste, you’ll easily spot it on the shelves from its minimalist white label. Destiny IPA Fuggles and Warlock, Richmond Let’s say you’re the kind of person who picks beer by the label. You might already be familiar with Fuggles and Warlock for their whimsical illustrated labels and quirky names. The Destiny IPA has the hoppiness…

By Brittany Tiplady Giddy-up for the inaugural Clover Valley Beer Festival, happening August 11  in the heart of Cloverdale! This first-time festival— hosted by the powerhouse team that also produces the Whistler Village Beer Festival and the Great Okanagan Beer Festival—promises an afternoon of coveted craft beer, food truck favourites, live music, and event support from local sponsorship. Clover Valley’s festival team has also partnered with Twins Cancer Fundraising as their charitable partner, who will receive proceeds from ticket sales to support their efforts on raising money for cancer-fighting charities. Over 40 craft breweries are expected to set up camp at the fest, including Langley’s Trading Post Brewing, Central City Brewing, and Port Moody’s Yellow Dog Brewing and Parkside Brewery. “We really want to highlight BC craft beers and ciders but we also have some international brews joining us,” explains events manager Tara Myers. For cider lovers, this festival has…

By Joyce Chua, Vancouver Foodie Tours Funky, fruity, estery, tart, dry, and sour; these beer flavours can be under-appreciated but, this July, the fourth annual Farmhouse Festival returned to Vancouver to tease some diversity into a sold-out romp of discerning palates. If you didn’t make it to the festival, not to worry, we’re here to help you find some of the featured flavours. Over 50 breweries and cider makers were invited to the UBC Farm, bringing their most innovative concoctions with them. From mouth-puckering to thirst-quenching, it was a field day (quite literally) for beer enthusiasts. While the majority of recipes were created specifically for the event, a handful of items are will be available for British Columbia locals. Here are 5 locals Farmhouse Festival beers to look out for: Hailing from Burnaby, Dageraad Brewing was the proud supplier of this year’s official Farmhouse Fest beer. The Genever -…

By Catherine Dunwoody Vancouver Craft Beer Week is the annual summer beer festival. Now in its 9th year, (VCBW) Festival returns to the PNE Fairgrounds on June 2 and 3. Not a beer lover? Gotta drink gluten-free? Keep reading. The BC Farm Crafted Cider Association has created a brand new “cider row”, and you don’t want to miss out. Some to check out: Merridale Cidery & Distillery from Cobble Hill on Vancouver Island is pouring house craft cider, their Mexican-inspired Jalisco, Lime, Merri Berri and a juicy Mo’ Moro Dry Hopped Blood Orange. Vancouver’s own 33 Acres Brewery is proud to pour their 33 Acres Of Cid3r house cider, which is their interpretation of an old English scrumpy. Howling Moon Craft Cider is serving up their refreshing Cucumber Mint Maker’s Series, made with cucumber and lime, and both their semi-dry and dry craft ciders from the Okanagan Valley. Also from the Okanagan…

By Kristi Alexandra & Mary Ann Bell With indie breweries becoming almost as ubiquitous as Starbucks’ in Vancouver, you’d have to be wearing blinders to miss a brewpub or tasting room on any given block between Boundary Road and Kits Beach. But Vancouver’s not the only city under the influence, as the craft brewing boom has reached through Burnaby to the Valley, taking root in the communities in between. This year, brews from outlying towns are making a splash at the ninth annual Vancouver Craft Beer Week, running from May 25 to June 5. Once again this year, it seems communities outside the big city are unofficially on show. The week-long fete’s feature collaboration beer is a shared effort between three breweries found along the spectacular Sea to Sky Highway: North Vancouver’s Beere Brewing, Backcountry Brewing in Squamish and Whistler’s Coast Mountain Brewing. In keeping with craft beer trends, this year’s VCBW…

By Catherine Dunwoody If you have ever spent time in BC’s charming Fort Langley then you know that hosting an annual food and beer festival just seems like a natural fit. Be sure and mark your calendars for for May 19th, 2018! Fort Langley’s old-timey streets are a mix of pleasant restaurants, quaint shops and there is a cozy neighbourhood feel that’s hard to capture unless it just comes about organically. The Fort Langley Beer & Food Festival returns for it’s second year for a celebration of craft beer, local food and old-fashioned fun. The festival is the dreamchild of Fort Langley’s own Trading Post Brewing Company and local is the name of the game. So local in fact, that of the 24 breweries participating, the farthest is Mission’s Mission Springs Brewery at 34 km (21 m) and the food is grown and produced in the Fraser Valley. Proceeds will, once again,…

By Brittany Tiplady Spring, so close yet so far. We recommend hibernating for the remaining winter months with a cold beer and a whole lot of Netflix. Or, hang out in one of the tap rooms listed below and take advantage of the rich, wintery beers they have to offer. Dageraad Brewing 3191 Thunderbird Crescent #114, Burnaby Londen, 7.0% Dageraad is the purveyor of classy and full-bodied craft beer. Recently released on January 19th, is Dageraad’s latest winter sipper called Londen; an English porter that is brewed with Belgian and Canadian influence and the “fruity, spicy mystery of a Belgian fermentation.” Try this on tap or in bottles at the Dageraad tasting room. 10°, 10.5% Hold onto your hats, this one is not for the faint of heart (or the lightweight)! The new Dageraad 10°, a 2016 bronze medalist at the 2016 BC Beer Awards, is an exotic winter brew…

By Kristi Alexandra Winter’s far from over, but the Christmas rush has many of our local craft breweries drying up their stores of limited release selections. If you’ve got a hankering to bring back the holiday season with a few sips of the suds just north of the Fraser, here’s where you can still pour some pints in New Westminster and Richmond. Steel and Oak 1319 3rd Ave, New Westminster This Third Street brewery is still going strong with its limited release, Windrose. This four-grain porter will bring you back to Christmas morning by the fire with the rich taste of chocolate, caramel and toffee fit for overindulging. Sadly, you won’t find it on tap but there are still a few cases of the Zusammen Cardamom Fig Stout floating around Metro Vancouver liquor store shelves. This spicy beverage was brewed by the women of Steel and Oak along with Head…

By Kristi Alexandra Though the holidays have passed, winter doesn’t officially end until well into March, and nor do the city’s seasonal brews. While it may be too late for that craft beer advent calendar, the seasonal suds are still flowing with these Vancouver-based beers. We suggest you run, don’t walk, to find the following beers in the city before they stop flowing (and most definitely, don’t drive after). Postmark Brewing 55 Dunlevy Ave. Winter Warmer Bring it in for a classic, with touches so subtle you could drink this all-year-long. Dark, rich malts find themselves in a warming ale with refreshingly minimal spices. Parallel 49 1950 Triumph St. Broken Resolution Cherry Baltic Porter Finally, a winter beer that looks beyond December 25th. For when you give up on sober January, grab a hold of Parallel 49’s twist on the classic English Porter. Chocolate, plum, and a bright tart, cherry…

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:…

By Brittany Tiplady Vancouver’s North Shore winters may be chilly and long, but there is always beer- and Kinky Friedman said it best: “Beauty is in the eye of the beer holder.” We know the holidays are long over (thank goodness!) but if seasonal beers are your jam, you’re in luck! There’s still a bevy of winter-themed brews stocked by beloved craft breweries on Vancouver’s North Shore to keep yourself warm for the winter months to come.   Green Leaf Brewing 123 Carrie Cates Court, Lonsdale Quay Market, North Vancouver LoLo Stout 5.5% Named after Green Leaf’s Lower Lonsdale neighborhood, LoLo is a dark and hearty stout that boasts rich and delicious chocolate and coffee flavours. Perfect for the endless North Shore winters.   Deep Cove Brewers and Distillers 2270 Dollarton Hwy #170, North Vancouver Dog Mountain Extra Stout, 7.5% (Cans only) Deep Cove Brewers lovingly describes the Dog Mountain…

By Brittany Tiplady It’s risky to open a craft brewery in such a saturated local market. With tasting rooms lining the streets of Vancouver, and Port Moody’s beloved Brewery Row, how does one launch a new craft brewery that we haven’t already seen, and sipped, so many times before? Mariner Brewing found the recipe to do just that. 26-year-old Byron Vallis brought his love of craft beer to his hometown of Coquitlam, just a few blocks from his childhood home. The vision he and his team shared was to bring a unique element to the craft beer scene in the untapped market of Coquitlam, so that folks like him (and girlfriend Lauren Ang, Chief Consumption Officer of Mariner Brewing,) could enjoy doing what they love most, right at home. Mariner Brewing opened their chic and nautical-themed tasting room on August 30th 2017 with four brews on tap, and has been…

By Brittany Tiplady Best known for the annual Cloverdale Rodeo, Cloverdale is a sub-division of Surrey that’s charming beauty has made it the setting for several fictional TV towns and movie sets. But inside the doors of this quaint setting of potted plants and upkept brick facades is bright modern cuisine and craft beer. What’s special about Cloverdale is its small-town charm within a rather large city. Dining options are a no brainer: for dinner with your family, celebrating a new job, or maybe just a weekend date night, The Vault is the place to go. If you’re looking for a casual meal and a healthy selection of craft beer, it’s gotta be Hawthorne Beer Market. Both of these popular joints are owned by Aaron Hotell, a local restauranteur who has found the secret recipe to owning and operating lucrative, busy, and quality restaurants in a tight-knit community. The downtown…

By Kristi Alexandra With indie breweries becoming almost as ubiquitous as Starbucks’ in Vancouver, you’d have to be wearing blinders to miss a brewpub or tasting room on any given block between Boundary Road and Kits Beach. But Vancouver’s not the only city under the influence, as the craft brewing boom has reached through Burnaby to the Valley, taking root in the communities in between. This year, brews from outlying towns are making a splash at the eighth annual Vancouver Craft Beer Week, running from May 26 to June 4. “We keep growing and changing every year because we want to create this beer experience that all of us want to experience ourselves,” says co-founder and events director Leah Heneghan. This year, it seems communities outside the big city are unofficially on show. The week-long fete’s feature collaboration beer is a shared effort between the four breweries that dot Port…

By Catherine Dunwoody If you have ever spent time in BC’s charming Fort Langley then you know that hosting an annual food and beer festival just seems like a natural fit. Be sure and mark your calendars for May 20tt, 2017! Fort Langley’s old-timey streets are a mix of pleasant restaurants, quaint shops and there is a cozy neighbourhood feel that’s hard to capture unless it just comes about organically. The Fort Langley Beer & Food Festival is the dreamchild of Fort Langley’s own Trading Post  Brewing Company, and the aptly put slogan, “tap into the local” says it all. This first-time festival will feature fabulous local food and craft beer from the Vancouver area and the Fraser Valley, plus live music and more. At the Fort Langley National Historic Site, fest-goers will have an opportunity to learn about the lives of the First Nations communities, international fur traders, gold…

By Jennifer Foden Craft beer lovers in Coquitlam can rejoice: the city’s first craft brewery is scheduled to open in summer 2017. After the city of Coquitlam changed their liquor regulations last year (allowing craft breweries to exist in the city), Byron Vallis went ahead with plans to open Mariner Brewing in the city he grew up in. Mariner Brewing will be just a 25km/16mi drive from Vancouver or a 10 minute walk from Coquitlam Central Skytrain station. The 3,000 square foot space is located at Barnet Highway and Lansdowne Drive, just a short walk from Coquitlam Central SkyTrain station. Plans for the brewery include a 50-seat tasting room that will have an “exploration” vibe (look out for constellation designs and lots of navy blue.) The brewery and tasting room will also have growler fills, a food menu (including gourmet hot dogs and charcuterie boards) and, of course, delicious beer.…

By Anna Black Hop-centric IPAs, crisp pilsners, traditional lagers, golden pale ales, brilliant porters, a rich coffee stout – there’s all this and more just waiting for you to enjoy at White Rock Brewing, White Rock and South Surrey’s popular tasting room. Located at #13 – 3033 King George Blvd in South Surrey, White Rock Brewing is the perfect place to truly experience the art of small batch, chemical and preservative free, unpasteurized hand-crafted beer. You’ll find White Rock Ocean Lager and White Rock Mountain Ale always on tap and seasonal beers while supplies last. Not quite sure what you’re in the mood for? Free samples are available on a daily basis, and then you can buy a bottle or fill your growler with your pick. Originally opened as a brewery in 1994, White Rock Brewing added a tasting room in the spring of 2014 after repeat requests from customers…

By Ashley Lockyer Explorers and pioneers built Fort Langley, and their adventurous nature lives on at Trading Post Taphouse & Eatery. This Fraser Valley microbrewery honours the local land, tradition, and community. They craft small batch beers with names and flavours that raise a glass to brewmasters past and people present. What’s the best way to learn history? Perhaps, it’s over a pint. Sip one of their beers and you’ll get your fill of stories from the Fraser Valley’s past. And, their beers aren’t just available in pints or growlers. You can eat them, too. “Authentic, honest, and super tasty.” Like their pours, dishes here aren’t typical pub fare. You can taste the genuine care put into the ingredients and preparation. The Taphouse’s menu is “Chef inspired, farm driven.” It features seasonal produce sourced from local A Rocha farm. Like Trading Post, A Rocha farm combines their industry’s roots with…

By VisitRichmondBC.com The thirst for locally made, small-batch brews has just been getting thirstier and Richmond is meeting the demand by serving up unique beers in various communities across the island city. Take a look at our top five places to get your craft beer drink on in Richmond, BC. Fuggles and Warlock Fuggles and Warlock is known for keeping beer weird and is the only craft brewery in Richmond’s with an onsite tasting lounge. Pushing the traditional styles of beer to the limit by adding West Coast flair to their ales, Fuggles and Warlock has some adventurous brews aimed toward adventurous palettes. This full production brewery is tucked away in an industrial office park just off Highway 99, making it the perfect place to stop for a pint on your way to Vancouver and the Fraser Valley. Be sure to check out their full tasting room and hot-food menu.…

Circa 1900, “Brewery Creek” was moniker for a stretch of stream in what is today Mount Pleasant. Centered on what’s now known as Main Street, the trickling water supply powered water wheels for area beer and soda producers. Decades of urban development saw the stream closed over and the prohibition years resulted in the breweries closing down – until now. Thanks to the recent change in liquor laws and new crop of breweries are popping up in Mount Pleasant and the area is reclaiming the name Brewery Creek. Take yourself on a tour, strolling around brewery creek until you can stroll no more. Red Truck Brewery 295 East 1st Avenue Begin the tour at the brand new Red Truck brewery diner. Fill up on food and delicious beer before you begin to ingest even more beer! Brassneck Brewery 2148 Main St, Vancouver Head south on Main Street up the hill…