It’s no secret that international politics and economic policies are playing havoc with small businesses on both sides of the border, and breweries are no exception. Canadian brewers face uncertainty over long overdue markup tax reform, tariffs and availability when it comes to essential supplies like cans, kegs, and even ingredients like hops, which are … Continued
Discover how brewer and scientist Nathan Vadeboncoeur, founder of Project Hop and Brasserie du Bon Temps, is reviving historical beer styles by researching and recreating IPAs from different eras. His journey from hop quality assurance to historical brewing has equipped Vadeboncoeur with the knowledge to meticulously recreate these beers using period-appropriate ingredients, water chemistry, and … Continued
During the early days of craft beer in BC casks were all the rage. Weekly cask nights kept the thirsty beer nerds busy between the cask festivals that had developed a very keen following. Brewers would create 20-40 litres of a one-off beer and serve it directly from a steel cask. CAMRA, Central City, Tri-cities, … Continued
“Though it is now underground, Brewery Creek is still alive . . . you can hear it!” As Vancouver City Archivist Major James S. Matthews insisted in the mid twentieth century, the spirit of Brewery Creek is still alive and well today. Vancouver’s Mount Pleasant neighbourhood is currently home to some of the city’s most … Continued
R&B Brewing is a Vancouver brewery with a lot of history. Originally founded in 1997 by Barry Benson and Rick Dellow, R&B Brewing was a pioneer production brewery that helped lead the trend of cask-conditioned beers in the 2000s, which engaged many of the city’s restaurants and pubs into hosting popular cask nights where craft … Continued
From the giant beer behemoths to a tiny craft brewing space, Kitsilano has a hidden history of brewing that many people have forgotten or never realized. When you think about Vancouver beer, “Yeast Van” probably comes immediately to mind, with its collection of wild and wonderful breweries like Storm, Superflux, Strange Fellows, and more. Or … Continued
The BC Ale Trail’s latest Tasting Passport contest includes some of the province’s longest-running craft breweries and some of its newest. Between March 28 and April 30, 2024, visit at least three breweries from both Vancouver Ale Trails (Brewery Creek and Yeast Vancouver), get your passport stamped, and drop it off at a participating location … Continued
A toast to the women in the beer community! As the world gears up to commemorate International Women’s Day this Friday, it’s a fitting moment to raise our glasses to the women who have been making significant strides in our industry and the beer community at large. From ancient civilizations where women were the primary … Continued
Feature Stories Jump to: August 2025 • July 2025 • June 2025 • May 2025 • April 2025 • March 2025 • February 2025 • January 2025 View stories from 2024 November 2025 Beer column: Annual holiday mixer showcases batch of new Parallel 49 creations VictoriaNow • November 29 Featuring: Parallel 49 Brewing Company Read … Continued
In just about every community across BC, there exists a special place where friends gather and where visitors come first to get a true taste of the local flavour. That’s the BC craft brewery experience. We want to hear from you about who’s doing it best. Is it dogs on the patio? A wicked … Continued
Spring is here! The weather is warming up all across British Columbia — blossoms are blooming and bees are buzzing around them. Many of your favourite local breweries are releasing special beers to celebrate the season. Here is a round-up of more than 75 spring-themed beers from BC craft breweries. Lots of them feature berries or fruit, … Continued
Gladstone Brewing Wins Brewery of the Year and Parallel 49 Brewing Earns Best in Show The 2022 BC Beer Awards were announced on November 5 at the Croatian Cultural Centre in Vancouver. Because of the COVID-19 pandemic, the last time this previously annual event took place was in October 2019. The first of two big … Continued
During BC Craft Beer Month, the province’s craft breweries are serving up a wide variety of harvest-themed beers that are perfect for fall. We highlight 70 for you below! Many breweries work with local farms to use freshly harvested hops — the resulting fresh hop or wet hop beers are unique to the season so … Continued
With milkshake IPAs everywhere these days, beer drinkers might be forgiven for thinking that a “cream ale” is the same kind of thing. An older American style that was popular in the 1980s, cream ales are starting to appear on BC breweries’ taplists again. But cream ale has no dairy in it, nor is it … Continued
BC breweries have built an incredible reputation for their ability to create an amazing experience for visitors — award-winning beers in infinite varieties alongside delicious food, served by proud staff who are the backbone of this warm community. Combined with the unique, modern, classic, and eclectic designs of taprooms across the province, they provide you … Continued
VOTE NOW BC breweries have built an incredible reputation for their ability to create an amazing experience for visitors — award-winning beers in infinite varieties alongside delicious food, served by proud staff who are the backbone of this warm community. Combined with the unique, modern, classic and eclectic designs of taprooms across the province, they … Continued
As the war in Ukraine rages on, many BC craft breweries are responding to an international brewery effort to raise funds for those affected by the war. The primary effort is led by Lyviv, Ukraine-based Pravda Beer Theatre. Pravda put a call out to breweries around the world asking them to raise money for humanitarian … Continued
From natural disasters to economic shutdowns, 2021 continued to challenge us all. Still, many of BC’s local craft breweries endured. Let’s look back at some of the good, the bad, and the delicious things 2021 brought. I don’t know about you, but I am pretty sick and tired of dealing with adversity. Between heatwaves, wildfires, … Continued
It’s a tale of triumph when an old dog learns new tricks and is recognized as a leader of the pack. R&B Brewing — a Vancouver craft beer pioneer — was nearly left behind by the craft beer evolution and explosion in the 2010s, but investment from a fellow brewery opened the doors to one … Continued
Calling all foodies! The only thing better than beer from your favourite brewery? Beer from your favourite brewery alongside a killer meal. Learn how and where to pair BC craft beer with takeout and dine-in options. Whether you choose to dine in or enjoy takeout, many breweries across the province are teaming up with restaurateurs … Continued
With the arrival of December, many craft breweries in British Columbia are releasing special beers for the holiday season. These beers are often a little darker and stronger, making them perfectly suited for colder, darker days, and some incorporate spices or ingredients that invite holiday nostalgia. In fact, 2020 might as well be called the … Continued
As summer comes to an end, BC’s craft breweries are serving up a variety of harvest-themed beers and other styles perfect for fall. Look for these BC fall beers at your favourite local liquor store or directly at the brewery. How Fresh Can You Get? Every BC fall beer lover awaits the arrival of a … Continued
Writer Lucas Aykroyd hops on the BC Ale Trail to preview Vancouver Mural Festival 2020 and enjoy Mount Pleasant’s craft breweries along the way. A giant mermaid with starfish in her hair swims in front of me, surrounded by seaweed and jellyfish. Am I hallucinating back to my recent Copenhagen encounter with the Little Mermaid … Continued
It’s time for some BC ale-venture travel! Read on for bucket-list destinations from friends of the BC Ale Trail. Could we have a more beautiful backyard? The answer is no. Full stop. And now it’s time to explore our stunning province. Travelling in BC may be a little different this year, but British Columbians (including … Continued
New Experiences are Brewing Nearby… As Phase 3 of BC’s Restart Plan begins, more of the parks and places we know and love are continuing to reopen. There are a handful of changes coming into effect in cities around the province including expanding patio licensing, allowing public consumption of alcohol in some designated areas, and … Continued
The COVID-19 pandemic has radically changed the way we all live and work, but British Columbia’s breweries are continuing to release new and exciting beers for the spring season. While it isn’t appropriate to travel in order to visit these breweries and taste their products right now, hopefully you can find some of these new … Continued
This is the fourth feature in the Hops Among Friends series. This series is designed to introduce you to the people that make up the craft beer scene on the BC Ale Trail. My last Hops Among Friends interview was with Gary Lohin from Central City Brewers + Distillers. Gary recommended I speak with David Varga … Continued
Earlier this month we shared Sonia Motisca’s blog post on Celebrating International Women’s Day with Women Who Brew. Many women work in other roles in the BC craft beer industry, too: Marketing Managers, Festival Directors, Territory Sales Managers, Brewery Office Managers, GMs and owners, each contributing to building a vibrant industry where women can feel welcome and … Continued
The newly expanded BC Beer Awards and Festival took place in Vancouver on Saturday, with six-month-old Mount Arrowsmith Brewing Company of Parksville taking the inaugural Brewery of the Year prize. The other big winner in the eighth annual BC Beer Awards ceremony — a highlight of the province’s annual beer calendar and the showpiece event of BC Craft … Continued
Revelstoke’s Mt. Begbie Brewing Co. took the top prize at the 2017 Canadian Brewing Awards in Ottawa. There are now 50 more great reasons to hit BC’s ale trails, after the province’s breweries enjoyed a stellar night at the CBA gala on May 27. BC’s beer makers won a total of 49 individual awards, while the coveted … Continued
Vancouver Craft Beer Week is fast approaching — and that means it’s time to brew up the annual VCBW Collaboration Beer. The eighth annual VCBW Collaboration Brew took place April 20 at Yellow Dog Brewing in Port Moody. This year’s beer, a hazy pale ale, was designed by the Brewers Row breweries — Moody Ales, Twin Sails, … Continued
Homebrewing in BC is catching on like wildfire! Recently, the Tri-Cities Cask Festival group held its Winter Pro-Am, which was a competition between amateur and pro brewers. The sold-out event hosted 570 guests at the Coquitlam Executive Plaza and craft beer fans came from all over to sample casks on offer from 35 breweries and 11 … Continued
