BC Brews in the News – Archive

Skip to: December 2025 • November 2025 • October 2025 • September 2025 • August 2025 • July 2025 • June 2025 • May 2025 • April 2025 • March 2025 • February 2025 • January 2025 December 2024 • November 2024 • October 2024 • September 2024 • August 2024 • July 2024 • June … Continued

Seek Local Stouts & Porters for St. Patrick’s Day

Looking forward to celebrating St. Patrick’s Day this week? Here’s a guide to the beverage many folks choose to quaff to celebrate the Irish holiday. When it comes to drinking a specific beer on a certain day of the year, there is no better-known example than drinking stout on St. Patrick’s Day. The tradition goes … Continued

Jingle Brews: Unwrapping the Festive Flavours of BC’s Holiday Beers

As December arrives, many craft breweries in British Columbia are releasing special beers they have created to celebrate the holiday season. These seasonal beers are perfect for the wintertime. Many are a little darker and stronger — ideal  for colder, darker days — and some of the recipes even include spices, cranberries, or other tasty … Continued

Twin City Brewing Wins Brewery of the Year at 2023 BC Beer Awards

Port Alberni brewery Twin City Brewing returns to the podium after winning Beer of the Year at the 2018 BC Beer Awards and numerous individual awards since then. Overall, Twin City Brewing won three awards: gold medals for Tickity Boo (Hoppy UK Pale Ale category) and Nocturne (Belgian Ale) and a silver medal for Out … Continued

Enjoy the Tastes of Autumn

With the arrival of autumn, BC breweries are releasing a variety of fall-themed beers. Here is a sampling of some autumnal beer styles to look for from your local brewery or to seek out on a fall getaway. How Fresh Can You Get? Each autumn, beer lovers await the arrival of a very special style … Continued

BC Breweries Celebrate 51 Medals at the 2023 Canadian Brewing Awards

Trans-Canada flights from Halifax to British Columbia will be carrying some extra weight early next week as representatives from BC breweries return home with their medals! The 2023 Canadian Brewing Awards were announced in Halifax on Saturday, June 3, and once again this year, craft breweries from British Columbia fared extremely well on the national … Continued

Explore the Beers of Spring

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

Greater Victoria Ale Trail Tasting Passport

Sip your way along the Greater Victoria Ale Trail in May for a chance to win the ultimate beer-themed Weekend Getaway to Kelowna! Our popular Tasting Passport promotion returns for the month of May. Pick up a Tasting Passport at one the participating locations (see below) and each time you visit a new location to … Continued

It’s the Most Wonderful Time for a Beer

As December arrives, many craft breweries in British Columbia are releasing special beers they have created to celebrate the holiday season. These wintry beers are often a little darker and stronger, making them well-suited for colder, darker days, and some of the recipes even include spices, cranberries, or chocolate. Here are more than 100 suggestions … Continued

‘Tis the Season for Giving!

The season for giving and receiving is here and, as always, shopping and supporting your local BC craft breweries and taphouses are the best way to go. And this year like no other, the breweries around the province are coming out with some mighty creative gift sets and opportunities to help you out. It will … Continued

Autumn is Harvest Beer Season

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

Celebrating 60 Years at Sun Peaks Resort

I was recently invited to visit Sun Peaks to check out what the resort had to offer — and to taste a special beer brewed to celebrate Sun Peaks’ 60th Anniversary. It’s trivia night at Masa’s Bar & Grill at Sun Peaks Resort and the place is packed with young and old looking for a … Continued

15 BC Attractions That Offer Craft Beer

Writer Lucas Aykroyd spotlights some perfect places to enjoy travel and tourism in British Columbia while sampling craft beer at the same time. The wait is finally over. It’s time to get back out there and explore British Columbia this summer. When you visit BC attractions that offer craft beer, it just makes your sightseeing … Continued

BC Celebrities Give Us Their Beer Crushes

BC celebrities are just like us… They love BC craft beer. Unfortunately, Seth Rogan and Ryan Reynolds have not yet responded to our Twitter enquiries, but we still got the details from some other BC celebs! We caught up with a few media personalities and musicians from around the province to see what their favourite … Continued

Spring Beer Releases from BC’s Craft Breweries

With the arrival of warmer weather, BC breweries are offering a wide range of spring beer releases — and beer lovers are drooling over all the delicious options. Warmer days are perfect for patios and picnics. As the days get longer and the sun sets later and later in the evening, there is more time … Continued

BC Craft Beer Takeout Pairings and Food Collaborations

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

How A Canning Line Helped Hoyne Brewing Save Jobs

This is a story of resilience during the COVID-19 pandemic. This story was originally published on the Hoyne Brewing WEBSITE. Cans have always been something that we considered, but we wanted to be able to do them right before we made the investment. Sean [Hoyne]’s view was that only the best machine that delivers the … Continued

Have a Holly, Jolly Craft Christmas on the BC Ale Trail!

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

Beer and Movie Pairings to Soothe Your Wanderlust 

While we’re all staying close to home, a great movie or TV show about travel can really scratch an itch. It’s not quite the same as the real deal, but watching characters embark on intense adventures or explore faraway lands helps us appreciate both past trips and ones to come. Travel makes us laugh, cry, … Continued

Vancouver Island Breweries Are Ready for Winter Weather

Don’t let the cold, wet weather keep you from enjoying craft beer at your local brewery. One of the ways that many craft breweries have adapted to the COVID-19 pandemic is by expanding their outdoor patios to allow more patrons to visit the brewery and sample beers in person. This has helped to mitigate the … Continued

Chasing Waterfalls and Craft Beer in BC

Waterfalls and craft beer are a winning combination. They both light your sense of adventure, bring you into the moment, and turn a mundane weekend into something to celebrate.   Let’s face it. In many parts of BC, November can bring a lot of rain. But, this is what makes chasing waterfalls an ideal fall activity. … Continued

Explore the Tastes of Autumn on the BC Ale Trail

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

A Taste of Hockey on the BC Ale Trail

With the Stanley Cup playoffs in full swing, writer Lucas Aykroyd catches up with former NHLers Matt Walker and Dave Babych and highlights links between hockey and craft beer in BC. Hockey and beer. For many British Columbians, those two topics are as inseparable as the Sedin twins. When the Vancouver Canucks get on a … Continued

60+ New Beers for Summer on the BC Ale Trail

With the arrival of summer, here are 60+ ideal summer beers from British Columbia’s craft breweries. Enjoy from the comfort of your own back yard or visit your local brewery’s tasting room, which may have a new patio! BC’s brewery tasting rooms are cautiously reopening with the guidance of the bc craft brewers guild once … Continued

Cascadian Beer Podcast: Canoe Brewpub

In this episode of the Cascadian Beer Podcast, Aaron visits the Canoe Brewpub in Victoria, BC. Towards the end of 2019, Aaron Johnson visited the Canoe Brewpub in Victoria where he spoke to its brewmaster Kyle York. Canoe is based in a 125-year-old building on the waterfront of the Inner Harbour that was originally built … Continued

Looking Back on the Biggest Decade in BC Craft Beer History

From 2010 to 2019 the craft beer revolution expanded in British Columbia like never before! Back on December 31, 2009, no one in British Columbia — not even the most optimistic beer lover, myself included — could have predicted what the next decade would bring. There were about 40 craft breweries in BC at the … Continued

It’s Beginning to Taste a Lot Like Christmas…

All over British Columbia, craft breweries are starting to celebrate the holiday season with special beer releases. Many Christmas-themed beers are a little darker and stronger, making them well suited for the colder, darker days of winter. Some include spices and sugars or tasty additions like cranberries, chocolate or orange peels to celebrate the season. … Continued

Find Your Holiday Cheer on the BC Ale Trail

The time for holiday cheer is near and what better way to get in the spirit than with craft beer?! It’s nearly December and your local craft brewery is likely hosting a festive event or pouring a winter-inspired beer near you. Get in the spirit with a great brew and check out what’s happening this … Continued

Touring Breweries by Bicycle on the Victoria Ale Trail

Back in 1922, a Bavarian innkeeper named Franz Kugler built a bicycle trail that ran 12 miles from Munich directly to his beerhall, hoping to lure cyclists from the city. But legend has it that 13,000 cyclists showed up on one June day and he didn’t have enough beer for all of them. Acting quickly, … Continued

Podcast: Hoyne Brewing

Victoria, British Columbia is a key centre for craft beer in BC. Sean Hoyne started his career in at the iconic Swans Brewpub when it opened in 1989. From there he has been part of Victoria’s craft beer scene ever since. In recent years, he finally had the opportunity to open his own brewery, Hoyne Brewing.

Hops Among Friends: Paul Hadfield of Spinnakers

In this second feature in the Hops Among Friends series, we talk to a leader and early builder of BC’s dynamic craft beer industry. Paul Hadfield is the owner/publican of Spinnakers Gastro Brewpub & Guesthouses in Victoria, Canada’s oldest existing microbrewery and brewpub, which opened in 1984. Spinnakers now also has an artisan vinegar brewery, … Continued

100 Breweries in One Year: Nimai Rigby’s challenge

Nimai Rigby spent 2016 touring BC on his own personal ale trail. Rigby, who lives in Coquitlam in BC’s Lower Mainland, set himself the goal of visiting 100 of the province’s breweries within the year, and completed his quest just 11 days before 2017 arrived. But why take the journey, and where did it lead? Just before the … Continued

Frank Appleton: BC Craft Beer Pioneer

The story of Frank Appleton and Canada’s first craft brewery. When it comes to beer, we’ve never had it so good. It’s an oft-repeated phrase these days, but sometimes it’s worthwhile to take stock of how far beer in Canada has come. Fifty years ago, beer culture in Vancouver was a wasteland saturated with the … Continued

Fresh Hopping Along the Sunshine Coast

Sunshine Coast breweries are making beer with locally produced fresh hops, whether they were grown in a hop yard in Gibsons or in a backyard in Powell River. Craft beer drinkers in British Columbia love hops. Most of us have lost count of all the super-hoppy, tongue-curling IPAs we’ve tasted from BC breweries. Cider makers are even starting to … Continued

Follow us on social media!