- The Beer Loop
- Posts
- Vancouver Craft Beer Week is this weekend
Vancouver Craft Beer Week is this weekend
Also, patios worth visiting, and a guide to VCBW
Joseph Lavoie
July 08, 2022
Happy Friday!
We have a hard job here: taste a lot of beer in service of creating a useful newsletter. We don't always get around to talking about each beer we taste, but we thought we would highlight the top 10 beers we enjoyed in any given month. So, as you scroll down, you'll see we have a section that will make a monthly appearance.
Also, with summer being as short as it is, we're going to showcase not one, but two brewery patios every Friday for the rest of July.
Of course, this weekend is Vancouver Craft Beer Week. We've got you covered with some FAQs for the big event.
— Joseph Lavoie
P.S. Last week we misspelled Camp Beer Co.‘s name. Thanks to the razor-sharp reader who caught that for us, and our apologies to Camp Beer Co.
Know someone who loves beer? Do us a favour and send this to them. Did someone forward this to you? Sign-up here so you don't miss out.
The top 10 beers we drank in June
With June in the rear-view mirror, we looked back at our tasting logs and pulled out the 10 best beers we drank in June 2022. Having taken a trip to Portland and Washington State in June, you'll see a couple beers that won't be available at your local brewery, brewpub or liquor store, but we include them here in case you make it across the border this summer:
WHERE TO GO: FEATURED PATIOS
House of Funk Brewing
If you're a beer adventurer and love drinking funky ales, House of Funk is unsurprisingly, the place for you. You can enjoy incredible views of the city while expanding your beer palate. There is a wide enough selection that everyone in your group will have something they can enjoy.
🍺 What to drink: Naturally, a sour is the appropriate beer to enjoy here. Try Juno, made with blood oranges, guava and vanilla.
Strathcona
People love the total experience at Strathcona Brewing — a well-designed taproom, great beers, a top-notch pizza kitchen, and of course, two patios. Great pizza, great beer, great choice.
🍺 What to drink: The Love Buzz Berliner Weiss-style beer is always evolving with different flavours, but is always refreshing. These have included guava lemon, guava grapefruit, raspberry hibiscus, and strawberry guava, among others.
Here are some other brewery reviews.
Camp Beer Co. has invested in its patio and gives you all the perks and comfort of being at a campsite, without any of the compromises.
Bakery Brewing has cozy booths and a taproom that invites you to enjoy the many experimental and small-batch brews on offer.
North Point Brewing has a lodge-like ambience, a unique Hefeweizen and awesome pizza.
Container Brewing gives you a relaxed lounge, their hazy IPA and a food truck offering chicken/eggplant parmesan.
Read all of them over at our Ultimate Guide to BC Breweries
THE GREAT BEER-OFF
Blue Buck vs Fat Tug
We've chosen these two titans of BC's beer scene to go head-to-head. Which is your favourite? The easy-drinking Blue Buck or the signature Fat Tug? Vote today!
WHAT TO DO
Vancouver Craft Beer Week
Is there really anything else worth doing this weekend? Vancouver Craft Beer Week kicks off tomorrow and showcases 150+ craft beers and ciders.
Wondering which breweries will be there? Probably easier to ask who won't be there. By our count, 90+ breweries will be there from across the province, not to mention the full roster of food options available. Layer on live music from Bedouin Soundclash, Titus Bank, Half Moon Run, Scratch Bastid, and Missy D and you've one heck of a festival.
Want a first taste? Rewind Brewing Co. will be at the festival. This brewery has yet to open, but plans to be the sixth brewery on Brewers Row in Port Moody. Why not get a sneak peek?
Looking to hit up Vancouver Island beers in one session? Save yourself the ferry ride and long drives up and down the Island. The list of Island breweries includes Small Gods Brewing (Sidney), Lighthouse Brewing (Victoria) Tofino Brewing Company, Hoyne (Victoria), Phillips (Victoria), Longwood (Nanaimo), White Sails (Nanaimo), île Sauvage Brewing Co. (Victoria), and Riot Brewing (Chemainus)
How about a trip up east without the hassle? Check out Fernie Brewing, Mt. Begbie Brewing (Revelstoke), FKN Beer (Calgary), Cabin Brewing Company (Calgary), The Dandy Brewing Company (Calgary).
Or take in Sunshine Coast beer without ferry delays? Check out Persephone Brewing Co. (Gibson)
Taste beers from one of the top 10 Southwest breweries? Look for Yellow Dog (Port Moody), Dageraad (Burnaby), Field House (Abbotsford), 33B Exp (Vancouver), île Sauvage Brewing Co. (Victoria), Twin Sails (Port Moody), Brassneck (Vancouver).
Is the festival rain or shine? You bet it is. No excuses.
How much will beer samples cost? Most 4oz beer samples will cost you $2+. Keep the cash at home though, VCBW is using a cashless RFID wristband payment system. You'll upload money onto your wristband and then scan the wristband when ordering a sample. If you have a balance left over at the end of the festival, you'll have it refunded.
Where can I park? Leave the car at home. It's a beer festival.
Details: July 9 and 10. Doors open 2 pm.
Tickets: $30-$160, available online.
Location: PNE Grounds, 2901 E Hastings St., Vancouver | Map
PLAN AHEAD
Upcoming events
We're constantly refreshing our list of upcoming beer events in and around B.C. Check them out and send us suggestions!
THE BEER LOOP GIVEAWAY
Win $250 to some of BC's best breweries
We're giving away $250 in gift cards to Patina, Five Roads, Steel and Oak, Studio and Twin Sails. There are two ways to enter:
Visit the contest page and refer your friends
Follow and comment on our Instagram page to increase your chances of winning
Something Fun
Nooooo, that ain't me!
Those 7:1 trades
— dontdrinkbeer (@dontdrinkbeer)
4:43 PM • Jun 26, 2022
🗞️ Long Reads🗞️
An old one, but still a good read...if you're dreaming of opening a brewery, read this first (Serious Eats).
How distillers look to beer for inspiration and purpose (Good Beer Hunting)
What is a Cold IPA? (Hop Culture)
A debate is raging in the UK on whether a pint should include a head or if it should be 100% liquid. We personally think the head is a crucial part of the sensory experience and even insist on having tasters in larger glasses so we can taste the head. We may be in the minority. (Points of Brew)
A guide to margarita-like Gose (The Growler)