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Here’s what BC breweries are cooking up for the fall
Pumpkin ales, Oktoberfest, and The Growlies
Joseph Lavoie
September 02, 2022
Happy Friday!
Congrats are in order for the breweries that made the cut for Growler’s 2022 Craft Beer and Cider Readers’ Choice Awards (aka The Growlies). Wondering how your favourite brewery held up? We’ve got the highlights below. The best way to celebrate? Pay these winners a visit this long weekend.
Today we begrudgingly throw in the towel on summer, featuring a pumpkin beer and a lineup of Oktoberfest events for you to start making plans for.
Have a great long weekend!
– Joseph Lavoie
FEATURED NEW BEER RELEASES
Pumpkin Pie Milkshake IPA
The first time I ever made a pumpkin ale at home, I used a whole pumpkin. I discovered that the end product was mostly undrinkable as I had way too much pumpkin.
The secret to a good pumpkin ale? Using pumpkin pie spices to get those nostalgic flavours. This release from Russell Brewing takes that concept up a notch by adding in the creaminess that makes a pumpkin pie so delicious.
Available: on tap, and to go in at the brewery
Location: 13018 80 Ave, Surrey | Map
Passionfruit Scotch Bonnet Pepper IPA
This Friday we have a rare second featured beer release because this one captured our imagination and curiosity. Plus, if you’re just not ready for the pumpkin wave, this one might be a better fit! Andina Brewing has released the latest iteration of their spicy beer series.
Description: “This dry-hopped IPA is dosed with huge addition of passionfruit, giving the beer a tangy punch. The tartness of the passionfruit pairs perfectly with the fruity and slightly smoky spice of the Scotch bonnet pepper.”
Available: at the brewery on tap and in cans
Location: 1507 Powell St, Vancouver | Map
ADDITIONAL BEER RELEASES
Category 12 Brewing is dropping a new mango sour in its Gin and Juice series.
Smuggler’s Trail has a new small batch collaboration with Locality Brewing. Appropriately called P’tite Farm (Little Farm), this light, 3.4% saison is available at both breweries’ tasting rooms.
Field House Brewing is back with its toasted coconut black lager, a traditional Schwarzbier with coffee and coconut thrown in for good measure.
Bayview Brewing is protesting the end of summer with a strawberry lemonade Berliner Weisse. Stay strong Bayview!
Locality Brewing is back with Owl Train, their vanilla porter.
Strange Fellows has a new Cyclehops mix pack that features four different versions of their popular IPA, each done with a different hop. One was brewed with Victoria Hops (ripe mango), the other with Riwaka (grapefruit), another with HBC (pine and sweet candy), and the last with Simcoe (stone fruit and pine).
Plus 10 new beers that came out earlier this week.
UPCOMING EVENTS
Oktoberfest in Langley
With pumpkin-spice lattés already being served at Starbucks, we feel less guilty about reminding you how close we are to October. Thankfully, this Oktoberfest takes place in September, so that’s alright, eh? Five Roads Brewing is inviting you to both of their locations for new beer releases, authentic Oktoberfest food and live music.
Oktoberfest in Langley Part II
If you’re making your way to Langley for one Octoberfest event, why not make it two? Farm Country Brew Co is putting on a sausage party with limited edition beer steins, German-inspired food, live music, a photo booth, and live music all day.
Date: Sept. 24, 12pm to 11pm
Location: 20555 56 Ave #5, Langley, BC | Map
Oktoberfest in Langley Part III
Things we’re all learning on this journey today: Langley loves Octoberbest!
If your weekend is already booked for September 24, fear not, Smuggler’s Trail has your Octoberfest needs covered with this event on October 1. The brewery is putting on a beer garden complete with a souvenir beer stein, live music, a car show, four food trucks, and free entry for designated drivers.
Tickets: $64.67, available at Eventbrite.
Date: Oct. 1, 12pm to 11pm
Location: 9339 200A Street Unit 140, Langley | Map
Harvest Haus
To fully complete your fill of Oktoberfest events, there's the grand-daddy of them all, Harvest Haus in Vancouver. The 7th edition of this festival combines modern fare with European harvest traditions. You'll find international brewers, vintners, chefs, and entertainers and your fill of Oktoberfest flavours.
Tickets: The pre-sale starts today.
Date: Sept. 30 and Oct. 1.
Location: PNE Forum | Map
HAPPENING THIS WEEKEND
The Punk in Drublic beer and music festival kicks off in Abbotsford tomorrow for all you punk music fans.
Four Winds is hosting a beer garden in the Southlands development. Kids are invited to decorate their bikes and enjoy the obstacle course.
Moon Brewery is hosting a mini-market featuring local artists and artisans.
Farm Country Brew Co has a weekend of live music lined up.
Storm Brewing is hosting their final Loading Dock party of the summer.
Old Yale Brewing continues with its Back Porch Music series tomorrow.
WHAT'S BREWING AT BC BREWERIES
Deals, announcements, re-releases, and other news from your favourite breweries
Rewind Beer continues to tease us with “coming soon” content for their yet-to-open Port Moody brewery. We now have a sense of what to expect on the menu, and it looks amazing. Detroit-style Hightop pizzas.
The BC Ale Trail has updated its app which means you can now get notifications for new locations, special events, beer weeks, and tasting passport promotions.
Red Collar Brewing has a long weekend website sale with 15% off plus free shipping on all orders over $65.
La Cerveceria Astilleros has canned some of their new favourites, including a corn saison.
NEWS
The Growlies
The Growlies winners were announced yesterday and you can find the full list here. Here are the highlights we found interesting:
Of course, the big one, is it any real surprise that Superflux won the best brewery category? We were delighted to see Dageraad place second, proving that there is a place for Belgian-inspired beers in BC’s craft beer scene.
Shaketown Brewing won best new brewery, proving perhaps that there is consumer interest in lower ABV beers.
While it placed second to Four Winds’ well-deserved Hüftgold Pilsner, Steel & Oak’s Simple Things Pilsner is one of our go-to light lagers.
The winner of the West Coast IPA award is also featured in our own 15 Essential BC IPAs list. Coincidence? Congrats to Driftwood for its classic Fat Tug IPA.
Four Winds won the best food program, with Twin City and Camp Beer Co. coming second and third, respectively. Congrats to Camp Beer Co for also winning best tasting room.
GAME TIME
Wordle
The answer to last week’s Wordle was “HAZY”. Congrats to Matthew Stewart and Anastasia Turner, on guessing it correctly.
Hopefully this week's wordle isn’t too hellish. Let us know how many attempts it took you to solve this puzzle.
We’ll announce the winners of Tuesday’s Brewery Guesser on Tuesday. Stay tuned!
BEER LOOP PICKS
News, fun reads, deep dives and other distractions.
A list of BC summer beers you need to try. [West Coast Food]
Are pumpkin beers squashed for good? It hasn’t been in vogue for a decade but you can firmly put us in the category of people who think beer is fun. And pumpkin beer is very fun. [Hop Culture]
Now here’s one that might get a debate started: Cold IPA is a technique, not a style. [Beervana]
Meet four women reshaping the craft beer industry [Chatelaine]