Victoria
This is the cradle of the "craft beer revolution." Victoria, BC, is home to Canada’s first brewpub and some of British Columbia’s most popular breweries. Visionary trailblazers nurtured craft beer here alongside the local food movement, and today BC’s capital city is home to some of the country’s best restaurants and breweries.
Beer has been brewed in Victoria longer than anywhere else in British Columbia, dating back to 1858 when Victoria Brewing was founded by a German man who came north from San Francisco during the Fraser Canyon Gold Rush. William Steinberger quickly decided that rather than panning for gold he would brew liquid gold for the thirsty hordes of prospectors.
Apart from the Prohibition years (1916-1920) brewing was a constant in Victoria until 1982 when the city’s single remaining Labatt plant was demolished. But Victoria was “dry” for just a couple of years until Canada’s first brewpub, Spinnakers, opened in 1984 and several breweries followed, opening every few years. Today, more than a dozen separate breweries operate in the Greater Victoria area, each with its own style and approach, along with several excellent tap houses, quality liquor stores, and numerous restaurants that offer strong beer menus.
Stroll around “Brewery Bay,” a walkable ring of brewpubs and breweries that surrounds the Upper Harbour in downtown Victoria. Take the Victoria Harbour Ferry or the Pickle Pub Crawl or join a bicycle tour with the Pedaler. West Coast Brewery Tours also offers bus tours to help you explore this dynamic beer community. The neighbouring district of Esquimalt is home to two more breweries as well.
Drive or cycle up the Saanich Peninsula to check out five dynamic and very different breweries, or visit nearby Sooke to discover another terrific trio of breweries.
The Southern Gulf Islands, Pender, Mayne and Salt Spring, are an idyllic archipelago accessible by ferry from the Swartz Bay Ferry Terminal half an hour north of Victoria, and are home to two unique breweries along with a plethora of cideries, restaurants, artisans, parks, and other activities.
Sip, savour, experience and explore everything the Victoria Ale Trail has to offer.
Driftwood Brewing in Victoria, BC
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Whistle Buoy Brewing in Victoria, BC
Cherry Blossoms in Fairfield
Cycling with The Pedaler
Whistle Buoy Brewing in Victoria, BC
Fan Tan Alley
Hoyne Brewing in Victoria, BC
British Columbia Legislature
ile Sauvage Brewing in Victoria, BC
Driftwood Brewing in Victoria, BC
Inner Harbour
Phillips Brewing in Victoria, BC
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Gonzales Beach
Phillips Brewing in Victoria, BC
Lighthouse Brewing in Victoria, BC
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Cycling up the Lochside Trail to Howl Brewing
Spinnakers Brewpub in Victoria, BC
Vancouver Island Brewing in Victoria, BC
Vancouver Island Brewing in Victoria, BC
Twa Dogs Brewery in Victoria, BC
Saanich Peninsula
Driftwood Brewery in Victoria, BC
Fisherman's Wharf in Victoria, BC
Fairmont Empress Hotel in Victoria, BC
Driftwood Brewery in Victoria, BC
Dallas Road in Victoria, BC
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Lighthouse Brewing in Victoria, BC
Saanich Peninsula
Beacon Brewing in Sidney, BC
Herald St Brew Works in Victoria, BC
Fairmont Empress Hotel in Victoria, BC
Sartori Harvest IPA coming off the bottling line at Driftwood Brewery in Victoria, BC
Beacon Brewing in Sidney, BC
Millstream Beverage Company in Langford, BC
Salt Spring Brewing on Salt Spring Island, BC
Salt Spring Brewing on Salt Spring Island, BC
Mayne Island Brewing on Mayne Island, BC
Riding up to Salt Spring Brewing on Salt Spring Island, BC
Mayne Island Brewing on Mayne Island, BC
Mayne Island Brewing on Mayne Island, BC
Mayne Island Brewing on Mayne Island, BC
Blue skies at Poets Cove on Pender Island, BC
Arriving at Twin Island Cider on Pender Island, BC
Small Gods Brewing in Sidney, BC
Japanese Garden on Mayne Island, BC
Craft Beer Market Victoria in Victoria, BC
Day 1
Travel Info
There are many ways to travel to Victoria:
Ferry:
From Vancouver via BC Ferries (Tsawwassen-Swartz Bay)
From the United States via:
Washington State Ferries (Anacortes-Sidney)
Coho Ferry (Port Angeles-Victoria)
The Clipper (Seattle-Victoria).
Air:
Victoria International Airport is serviced by Westjet, Air Canada, Alaska/Horizon, Pacific Coastal Airlines and more.
Fly right into downtown Victoria via seaplane or helicopter with:
Kenmore Air
Harbour Air
Helijet
You can also drive south down Hwy 1 from Nanaimo (approx 90 mins.)
Visit the oldest Chinatown in Canada, featuring the iconic Gate of Harmonious Interest. Browse historical buildings, shops, restaurants and grocery stores, or learn more about the history of the neighbourhood with a walking tour from Discover the Past. Don't miss walking down Fan Tan Alley, the narrowest street in Canada.
Herald Street's focus is always on quality: no corners cut, no exceptions made.
Phillips has grown from humble origins to become BC’s biggest craft brewery.
Known for their surprising product range with a focus on local, organic, and hard-to-find products from the Pacific Northwest and around the world.
LoJo (Lower Johnson) is the spot for the best boutique shopping in the city. Lined with independent stores, coffee shops and restaurants with lots of nooks and crannies to explore like Market Square, Waddington Alley and the Paperbox Arcade.
This small brewery in historic Market Square has a welcoming tasting room and a sun-drenched patio.
Local food, relaxed atmosphere and fine craft beers, all from the West Coast.
With over 500 BC Brews, this is your one-stop BC beer stop.
Find a perfect room with an even better view, and explore ideal spaces to stay in the heart of the city and surrounding areas. From historic hotels to charming B&Bs and incredible camping, search for lavish and luxurious or convenient and cost-conscious. Browse over 6,000 rooms and hundreds of locations for all types of travel and groups to experience Victoria your way.
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Consider exploring the Victoria Ale Trail by bicycle: The Pedaler offers a three-hour tour, which includes craft beer tastings at three different locations, a snack, and a chocolate truffle beer pairing.
Victoria is a hub of activity 365 days of the year. The summer months bring Great Canadian Beer Festival, Rifflandia and Phillips Backyard events while the winter months offer up a plethora of events like Victoria Beer Week! Check the city’s events calendar when planning your trip to see what is happening!
Day 2
Majestic mammals and marine wildlife abound in the waters surrounding Victoria. Cruise with local certified naturalists and experts for a guided marine adventure to discover, observe and learn about these enchanting creatures up-close.
One of a trio of breweries that kicked off the craft beer revolution in BC in 1984, VIB is still going strong today.
Hoyne’s beers are always excellent examples of their styles, brewed with high quality ingredients, including malts sourced from traditional regions to reflect the type of beer, such as the UK, Germany and the Czech Republic.
Offering harbour tours, water taxi service and even a Pickle Pub Tour, it's a great way to explore Victoria’s Inner Harbour.
Île Sauvage translates to “wild island,” a nod to both its home on Vancouver Island, as well as the sophisticated beer lineup, which always includes a range of sours, saisons and hazy ales, as well as any styles that are new and cutting edge.
This cozy spot features craft beer, cider, spirits, and wine from Vancouver Island and southern BC. Check out the courtyard patio out back.
Vessel is a locally owned and operated liquor store, supporting authentic wine, spirits and ales, as well as the people who make them. The craft beer selection here is outstanding, including a wall of single tall cans that allows customers the chance to mix-and-match their own 4-packs.
Find a perfect room with an even better view, and explore ideal spaces to stay in the heart of the city and surrounding areas. From historic hotels to charming B&Bs and incredible camping, search for lavish and luxurious or convenient and cost-conscious. Browse over 6,000 rooms and hundreds of locations for all types of travel and groups to experience Victoria your way.
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Victoria is a book lover’s dream with several excellent independent bookstores, including the historic Munro’s Books and the largest new and used book store in town, Russell Books. Downtown also boasts excellent comic book stores like Legends Comics and the Canadian Toy Museum located within Cherry Bomb Toys.
Day 3
Stroll along the breakwater with the magnificent Olympic Mountains in the distance. 850 metre sea walk off of Dallas Road.
Canada’s original brewpub is still leading the craft beer revolution more than 35 years later.
A wide selection of BC craft beers makes this the perfect place to stock up.
Ahoy matey! Follow the beacon to visit Esquimalt’s own brewery.
Consistently on the cutting edge, Driftwood is one of the leaders of BC’s craft beer industry.
With roughly 740,000 square metres of parkland, Beacon Hill Park is an amazing urban oasis. There are natural areas, manicured flower beds, footpaths, water features, a band shell for music performances, fields for cricket, tennis, golf and baseball. Plus an adorable children's farm featuring a daily "running of the goats"!
Built in 1858, the Four Mile House was originally a roadhouse for stagecoaches and later automobiles, then a cabaret with a notorious brothel upstairs.
A full-service liquor store, specializing in local products, wines, spirits, and craft beer and locally owned & operated, part of 4 Mile Brewpub
This Langford brewery offers a rotating selection of house-brewed beers on tap plus a weekly cask each Friday.
Find a perfect room with an even better view, and explore ideal spaces to stay in the heart of the city and surrounding areas. From historic hotels to charming B&Bs and incredible camping, search for lavish and luxurious or convenient and cost-conscious. Browse over 6,000 rooms and hundreds of locations for all types of travel and groups to experience Victoria your way.
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For more beer tastings, check out the 4 Mile Brewpub in nearby View Royal or V2V Black Hops in Langford.
Day 4
Travel Info
Drive up the Saanich Peninsula to check out four diverse and creative breweries. There are also several wineries, distilleries and a cidery in the region, along with farm markets and cafés.
For cyclists who like longer rides, hit the Lochside Trail, which runs all the way from Downtown Victoria to Swartz Bay. All three breweries are located near the dedicated bike trail.
This brewery and distillery on the outskirts of Victoria embraces its Scottish background wholeheartedly.
Located at Prospect Lake, Junction's 8-acre farm is a welcoming and rustic west coast venue creating delicious ciders. The family- (and dog!) friendly tasting room is now open. Using local ingredients is a top priority, with a preference for whole, fresh in-season fruits in order to create richer, fuller flavours. Picnics are available for pre-order on weekends.
A year round destination, featuring multiple themed gardens as well as musical events, The Butchart Gardens has been an iconic tourist attraction for over 100 years.
What will Victoria’s beer scientist brew up next? Category 12's beer line-up is always spectacular, and its kitchen makes this the ideal lunch spot on an extended Saanich Peninsula tour.
Encounter thousands of tropical butterflies, poison dart frogs, tortoises, large iguanas, flamingos, tropical ducks, free flying tropical birds and more. Dress for tropical weather as you stroll through these indoor gardens. Also includes the Insectarium, featuring impressive insects & invertebrates from around the world.
This literary-themed brewery celebrates Sidney's famous bookstore culture.
A tiny brewery with an ultra-local focus and a love of history. This is definitely one of the smallest breweries you will ever visit! Situated next to the Fickle Fig Market just north of the Victoria International Airport.
Find a perfect room with an even better view, and explore ideal spaces to stay in the heart of the city and surrounding areas. From historic hotels to charming B&Bs and incredible camping, search for lavish and luxurious or convenient and cost-conscious. Browse over 6,000 rooms and hundreds of locations for all types of travel and groups to experience Victoria your way.
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The seaside village of Sooke has three local breweries, making for another great day trip or overnight getaway from Victoria. This small community is only about 45 minutes west of Victoria by car — it is also accessible by bicycle along the Galloping Goose Trail, which runs along a converted railway through forests with gorgeous views of the Strait of Juan de Fuca. Sooke’s breweries are: Bad Dog Brewing, Sooke Brewing, and Sooke Oceanside Brewery.
If you are departing by air via the Victoria International Airport, be sure to visit Spinnakers on the Fly, a full service bar and restaurant inside security for a beer and a bite before your departure.
Day 5
Take the ferry from Swartz Bay to Fulford Harbour on Salt Spring Island, approximately 35 minutes.
An eclectic cafe with a tree in the centre features wholesome breakfast fare in a cozy atmosphere.
Sip on traditional-style ciders made from 100% Salt Spring Island-grown organic apples with indoor and outdoor seating.
This large protected park features old-growth Douglas fir and beautiful views of Vancouver Island and the surrounding Gulf Islands from one of the highest points on the island, Baynes Peak.
Based in a converted barn nestled in the woods at the base of Mount Bruce, this brewery sources its water from a spring located on the mountainside above the facility. Head upstairs and enjoy their tasting room, which sits above the main brewery.
This family-owned Salt Spring Island staple makes a variety of artisan goat cheeses using traditional methods and natural ingredients.
Creative small plates and larger meals made with organic ingredients. Enjoy a cider flight and some snacks in their tasting room overlooking the orchards.
Head to the Salt Spring Island Public Library to see the mural created by young artists of local Indigenous communities.
This seafood restaurant overlooking the Ganges Harbour serves up fresh seafood, including succulent local mussels and crab.
Choose a luxurious resort, glamp in style, embrace cabin fever with your family, or retreat to the woods in a tent.
Day 6
Take the ferry from Long Harbour to Village Bay on Mayne Island, approximately 30 minutes to 1 hr 20 mins, depending on whether the ferry has a stopover or not.
A cozy cafe and bakery serving fresh baked goods and delicious specialty coffee. Be sure to try their cronut, a cross between a glazed donut and a croissant.
Focused on small brews, this cabin-in-the-woods-brewery uses local, seasonal ingredients such as salal berries, stinging nettles, and dandelion to create beers with unique flavours.
This 18-hole disc golf course has both technical and open holes. Located in Dinner Bay Park, it’s steps away from the Japanese Memorial Gardens.
This beautiful garden is dedicated to the memory and legacy of the island’s Japanese-Canadian community who settled and worked on the island between 1900 and 1942 before the Internment during World War II. It is open to the public by donation year-round.
This bistro with views of the water serves dishes made with fresh ingredients, and a wide selection of wines and local beers.
This boutique seafood shop has sustainable and ethically sourced fresh local seafood & tasty smoked treats.
Feel right at home at this organic restaurant that works with local farmers, gardeners and foragers to produce an ever-changing seasonal comfort food menu.
Visit this sculpture carved with open, welcoming arms to honour Emma and Felix Jack and all other Coast Salish People that visited or lived on Mayne Island.
From luxury resorts to quiet small campgrounds, Mayne Island has plenty of options.
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Another recommended stop on Mayne is the Farm Gate Store. Stock up for a picnic with their selection of groceries, fresh local produce, baked goods, and excellent sandwiches made to order.
Day 7
Take the ferry from Village Bay to Otter Bay on Pender Island, approximately 30 minutes to 1 hr 20 mins, depending on whether the ferry has a stopover or not.
As you venture in-island for breakfast, be sure to stop at the Pender Island Community Hall to view the three carved Pender Women’s Unity Poles, created as part of an initiative by The Mother Bear Project.
Delicious breakfast fare such as a variety of bennies, sandwiches, and pancakes.
This quaint cidery crafts low-intervention cider and perry fermented only with native yeasts. Try a tasting out in their unique, old-growth orchard with ocean views.
Stop in for lunch at this gourmet grocery store and food truck that collaborates with local farms to showcase the wonderful bounty of Pender Island and the surrounding areas.
This National park has lots of opportunities for outdoor activities. Hike up the Mt Norman summit for a beautiful view.
Satisfy your sweet tooth with creative, hand-crafted chocolates.
An ocean-side Mediterranean Bistro, serving easy to share dishes in a relaxed atmosphere with a gorgeous view.
No matter your preference, Pender has many options for resting your head. Discover their luxury camping, homey cottages, and relaxing resorts.
Spinnakers Gastro-Brewpub’s Victoria Sip & Stay
Canada's Oldest Brewpub, Cidery & Distillery. Let No Body Thirst.
OFFER:
- Book a 1-night stay in any of our Heritage House rooms, our Garden Suites, or the Bungalow
- A welcome gift of a beer and chocolate pairing for two
- Free parking with EV Charging stations on site
- BONUS: Book a 2-night stay and also receive a Spinnakers growler & fill of your choice to take home and share with friends.
AVAILABILITY:
- Valid when booking a minimum 1-night stay. 2-night upgrade to offer as above. Available year-round. Seasonal rates apply.
HOW TO BOOK:
- Call us at 1 250-386-2739 so that we can find the room or suite that best suits your needs and tell us how you found out about us on the BC Ale Trail.
Produced In Collaboration With
Welcome to Victoria, B.C.’s Craft Beer Capital!
Victoria is fast becoming famous for its locally-made beers, ciders, wines and spirits. From Victoria Beer Week to the Great Canadian Beer Festival, the city is host to several annual beer-focused events that showcase, celebrate and educate Victoria’s residents and visitors about craft beers. With thirteen craft breweries right in town and several handfuls of unique restaurants whose menus are built to showcase local beer, it is clear that a dedication to high-quality, locally-made brews is a key component of Victoria’s distinctive culture.
A year-round destination, Victoria boasts the mildest climate in all of Canada with gardens that bloom all year. The wild beauty of the Pacific Northwest and adventures in the great outdoors are within city limits and ocean and mountain vistas follow you wherever you go. With an energetic and vibrant atmosphere, it’s no surprise that Victoria, B.C. is one of the world’s favourite destinations.
See Events Happening in Victoria:
tourismvictoria.com/eventsBook a Room:
tourismvictoria.com/hotelsCheck Out The Going Local Blog:
tourismvictoria.com/blog