Hopping Around Vancouver Microbreweries
Photo from the 33 Acres website
With a comprehensive offering of local ingredients, a notable desire to support local, and evolving provincial liquor laws, Greater Vancouver has seen a surge in microbreweries that shows no sign of slowing down.
Recent government announcements have unveiled plans to phase in the sale of beer, wine and spirits in British Columbia grocery stores and farmers markets, as well as new regulations around happy hour and larger site licenses at music festivals. These developments have seen provincial market shares for artisanal beer double over the past four years, with industry experts forecasting a count of more than 80 active breweries by the end of this year.
With this, visitors and residents of Vancouver have an inspiring selection of local suds, with many incorporating tasting rooms, growler shops and the inclusion of local food trucks offerings.
Photo from the Brassneck Brewery website
Brassneck Brewery
2148 Main Street
Vancouver, British Columbia
Answering service: (604) 259-7686
Well-known on the local brewing scene, owners Nigel Springthorpe and Conrad Gmoser combined their industry expertise and opened Brassneck in October of 2013, employing a range of skills from branding to woodworking from area locals. The end result sees a retail shop and tasting room that seats 50, complete with cement floors, light wood and a clean aesthetic that keeps the focus on the true star: the beer.
Located in the trendy area of Mount Pleasant, this venue offers a rotating seasonal menu of brews, along with a selection of sausages and food trucks a’plenty. Current offerings include Belgian wheat ales, porters, pale ales, among others. If you happen to develop a taste for their delectable brews, make note that while you cannot buy them in liquor stores, the retail section offers a range of refillable growlers for you to take home.
Photo from the 33 Acres website
33 Acres Brewery
15 West 8th Avenue
Vancouver, British Columbia
Phone: (604) 620-4589
With inspiration rooted in the lush natural surroundings of the city, along with creative thinking and community sharing, 33 Acres supports a focus on innovation in craft and design. Having opened in 2013, this venue also fills growlers, supports local food truck fare, has a tasting room that seats 60, and children are welcome when accompanied by a legal guardian (but are obviously not able to partake in any imbibing).
The beers take on an almost poetic quality with a menu that includes the deep amber 33 Acres of Life with hints of fruit and caramel, the light amber 33 Acres of Ocean with hints of citrus and pine, the dark Schwarzbier 33 Acres of Ocean with hints of smoke and stone fruit, along with the blonde 33 Acres of Sunshine with hints of orange peel, coriander and black licorice. If you’re curious to learn more about the process, the brewery also offers tasting tours on Saturdays for those 19 and older for a ticket price of $30.
Photo from the Parallel 49 Brewing Company website
Parallel 49 Brewing Company
1950 Triumph Street
Vancouver, British Columbia
Phone: (604) 558-2739
With an East Vancouver location that serves as an ode to formative roots, the three founders of this microbrewery chose to open this location less than ten minutes from where they grew up together. Offerings include a selection of ales, lagers and porters, along with seasonal variations that currently include a Belgian style Witbier with twist of watermelon (perfect for summer).
Beer connoisseurs can purchase the beer from the tasting room, along with select Vancouver liquor stores, pubs and restaurants, and BC government liquor stores, along with a few locations in the province of Alberta. While customers are only able to buy bottles in the various stores, the tasting room offers the choice of bottles, refillable growlers or samples straight from the tap.
Photo from the Red Truck Brewery website
Red Truck Beer Company
1015 Marine Drive
North Vancouver, British Columbia
Phone: (604) 682-4733
This North Vancouver operation offers a curated selection of specialty brews including Red Truck Ale, Red Truck Lager and Red Truck Limited, which features an exclusive range of seasonal ales, porters, stouts, bitters and IPAs. The brews are incorporated into the menus of bars and restaurants throughout Vancouver, the Lower Mainland and Washington State, which are delivered via a fleet of signature vintage red trucks.
With a focus on reducing and offsetting climate impact through collaborative work with offsetters and alignment with The Great Bear Forest Carbon Project, quality beer and respect for our natural environment serve as the heart of the current location, along with the new brewery that is currently being constructed on East 1st Avenue near Main Street.
Photos from the Vancouver Brewery Tours website
The microbrewery movement is moving at a rapid pace, pushing Vancouver towards the forefront of the North American craft brewery scene. While you are able to plan your own visits to these venues, visitors and residents of Vancouver with a set timeframe (and who don’t want to drive) can also book informative beer excursions through Vancouver Brewery Tours. Founded in June 2013 by craft beer enthusiast Ryan Mackey, these tours are the first and only of their kind in the city to date, and currently rank #3 on 140 activities for visitors to Vancouver.
Cheers!
Article source: http://www.insidevancouver.ca/2014/08/11/hopping-around-vancouver-microbreweries/
