In case you missed it, the Globe and Mail had a big feature on the state of the craft beer industry in Canada. It paints a bleak picture of the hardships many breweries faced well before the pandemic to become viable and profitable.

I shared the article on Reddit and it surfaced two distinct reactions:

1. The article is merely click-bait alarmism and many breweries are doing just fine, thank you very much; or

2. This can be a tough business and breweries need to adapt or die.

One thing’s for sure: we should never take the founders, brewers, and staff for granted. Making incredible beer and providing exceptional service day in, day out, is a labour of love. The simplest way to show our appreciation is to try new beers, visit the taproom, and share with friends.

New Beers in the Lower Mainland

Crank it up a notch

Backcountry Brewing — Mine Goes to Eleven

The folks at Backcountry have cranked up the flavour with the return of this sour. Drops tomorrow and gives you an excuse to drive up to Squamish.

• Details: 5% ABV | 8 IBU

• Description: Mango, Coconut, Lime Sour

• Where to get it: Available on tap and ships to retailers across the province.

• Brewery location: 405-1201 Commercial Way, Squamish, BC, V8B 0R5 | Google Maps

Doublin’ down on mango

Monkey9 Brewing - Guava Loves Mango

Mango seems to be the flavour of the week! Moneky9 dropped this Hazy IPA — tropical and juicy. Probably a good way to kick off the weekend. Tuesday is the new Thursday, amiright?

• Where to get it: Available on tap at the brewery

• Description: “Papa loves Mambo, Guava loves Mango. Our newest Hazy IPA is bright, refreshing, and perfect for the spring. Made with fresh guava and mango, this new brew is easy-drinking and perfect for the patio.”

• Brewery location: 14200 Entertainment Blvd., Richmond, BC, V6W 1A8 | Google Maps

Smokin’ Champagne

A-FRAME Brewing - Tesla Lake Grodziskie

Ooooooo, here’s a rare find – a grodziskie! This Polish beer style is 700+ years old, is smoky, and has high carbonation with a light finish. Better than champagne. Plus, you now have a second reason to drive up to Squamish.

• Where to get it: Available on tap at the brewery, cans to go from the brewery, and select retailers

• Description: “a light, flavourful ale brewed with 100% German Oat-smoked wheat malt, hopped with Hallertau Mittlefruh and fermented with a clean, neutral yeast.”

• Brewery location: 38927 Queens Way #1, Squamish, BC V8B 0K9 | Google Maps

GO O.G.

Strange Fellows - Ventriloquist

I’m pretty sure Belgian Blondes are the original patio beer. If not, this one looks like it’s right up my alley with notes of pear, citrus, and yes, pine.

• Details: 4% ABV, 15 IBUs

• Where to get it: Available on tap at the brewery

• Description: “Combines the spicy flavours of our house Belgian yeast strain balanced with North American hop character. Notes of pear and spice entangle with a soft bitterness, citrus fruit, and pine to make way for a quaffable patio beverage.”

• Brewery location: 1345 Clark Dr, Vancouver, BC V5L 3K9| Google Maps

For the Malt Heads

Beer Camp Co - Olde Camp

Well here’s something off the beaten path; you don’t see malt liquors listed on a tap room menu too often. Olde Camp is back and suitable if you’re looking for a slow sipper.

• Where to get it: Available on tap at the brewery and to go from the brewery’s retail store

• Description: “This full flavoured malty ale is fermented with corn giving it an additional sweetness, perfect for drinking on any sunny day. Don’t let its smooth finish fool you, this sneaky sipper comes in at 7.5% ABV. So make sure to enjoy it responsibly, and feel free to share it (if you have any left)..”

• Brewery location: 19664 64 Ave, Langley, BC V2Y 3J6| Google Maps

Salt and Lime

Five Roads Brewing - Bia Bia Lime Leaf Lemongrass Gose

Salt makes everything better, especially beer. Gose is such a delightful way to get into sour beers, and this one looks super approachable with its flavour profile and low ABV.

• Details: 3.5% ABV, 5 IBUs

• Where to get it: Available on tap at the brewery now, cans soon.

• Description: “Brewed with Pink Himilayan salt, this Gose is light, fruity, and tart with a semi-dry finish.”

• Brewery location: 16263 202 St #1, Langley, BC V2Y 1N1| Google Maps

It’s Called What?

High Kräusen

This German term (did the umlaut give it away?) refers to the large and foamy head that forms on the surface of beer as it ferments. It’s a dual-term, referring not only to the foam itself, but the stage of fermentation it represents: peak fermentation. Unlike the beautiful foam that you (should) have in your pint of glass of finished beer, this foam is very bitter and thankfully gets naturally pulled out of the finished beer.

Beer School

How long do I have to enjoy a freshly-filled Growler?

If I’m being honest with y’all, I never really think about this question too much – once I open that growler, I’ll empty it in one session. But what happens if it’s a huge growler or you want to take a taste before you serve it up at tomorrow’s family barbeque? How long do you have? Well, depends on whether you’ve opened the cap or not:

• If unopened, and kept refrigerated, you could get away with a two-week shelf life, but some experts suggest it’s actually one week. So, play it safe, assume you’ve got one week to enjoy that beer if you leave it unopened.

• If opened, you better not have commitment issues, as the beer will oxidize (oxygen = bad for beer) and fall flat within 36 hours. That’s what the literature says, anyway. In my experience the beer degrades very quickly after 24 hours.

What else is brewing

• Parallel 49 Brewing Company to reopen 100-seat beer garden this month [Daily Hive]

• Why not chocolate and fruit in the next beer trend? [Craft Beer and Brewing]

• Didn’t keep up with our beer releases from the last month? Here’s a summary of spring beer releases to get you caught up. [BC Ale Trail]