Breweries from British Columbia won nearly 40% of all the awards at the 4th annual Canada Beer Cup. Canada’s best beers were feted at the Canada Beer Cup Awards Gala in Québec City on November 10. While the trophy for Best Beer in Canada went to Québec’s own Microbrasserie Charlevoix for its Flacatoune Belgian Blonde, … Continued
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
Central Vancouver Island Offers a Bounty of Exceptional Experiences! From Cowichan through Nanaimo and Parksville Qualicum Beach to the Comox Valley, Central Vancouver Island offers a variety of exceptional experiences, including spectacular beaches, hiking and mountain biking trails, and coastal paddling. From February 1 through March 9, 2025, explore the region and the diverse mix … Continued
There must be something in the water in Port Alberni — Twin City Brewing just keeps on winning awards for its beer! After winning Beer of the Year at the 2018 BC Beer Awards shortly after it opened, Twin City Brewing won the BC Ale Trail’s Best Brewery Experience award in 2020 before winning Brewery … Continued
Breweries from British Columbia win nearly 40% of all the awards at the 3rd annual Canada Beer Cup. After two straight years of being won by BC breweries, the Canada Beer Cup is moving to Saskatchewan. Pile O’ Bones Brewing of Regina wins with its Quark, Strangeness, Charm Witbier. Congrats to Pile O’ Bones! Brewery … Continued
British Columbia boasts over 300 golf courses, each offering its own picturesque charm. From the picture-perfect gems dotting Vancouver Island, to the serene pastures of the Cariboo, the lush greens of the Okanagan desert, and the exhilarating mountaintop tees of the Kootenay Rockies, the province presents a diverse array of golfing experiences. Whether you seek … Continued
Jump to: August 2025 • July 2025 • June 2025 • May 2025 • April 2025 • March 2025 • February 2025 • January 2025 View stories from 2024 Feature Stories Penticton’s Beer Blocks breweries donate $3K from Do Good beer Penticton Beer Blocks recently donated $3,000 to BC Parks Foundation from sales of the … Continued
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
Call it the Year of the Comeback: 2022 saw the return of beer festivals, beer judging/awards, and beer conferences. With all the trials and tribulations of 2020 and 2021 behind us, we all went into 2022 with a hopeful smile and a Zen-like sense of serenity, right? OK, maybe it wasn’t quite so serene and … 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
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
Now is the Perfect Time to Explore the Comox Valley! From March 4 – April 25, 2022, book a two night stay at the Bayview Hotel, Crown Isle Resort and Golf Community or Old House Hotel & Spa and receive a limited edition, custom designed Comox Valley .95 L growler, as well as $50 in … Continued
Are you ready for Dine Around 2022? Discover which craft breweries, tap houses, and pubs on the BC Ale Trail are participating this year all across the province! Dine Around is one of the most anticipated culinary events in BC. With over 100 restaurants across BC participating in the program, you can enjoy a three-course meal … Continued
To help celebrate the holiday season, many craft breweries in British Columbia have been busy brewing up something special. Some of these holiday-themed beers are made with spices, cranberries, chocolate — or even candy canes! These wintry beers are often a little darker and stronger, making them well suited for colder, darker days. Here are … Continued
Pushing your limits in the great outdoors, then settling in for a sweaty post-effort pint with friends is a feeling like no other. Among the trails in the Comox Valley, it’s a way of life. The Comox Valley is a haven for outdoor enthusiasts. A burgeoning food and craft beer scene, easy access to Strathcona’s … Continued
Pride Month beers across the province are raising funds to support Pride-related causes. This includes an extra special collaboration among six breweries in Comox Valley and Campbell River. You can’t spell community without “C.” This collaboration includes the communities of Comox, Courtenay, Cumberland and Campbell River. “Since breweries are businesses that are community gathering spaces … Continued
In this latest edition of “North Island Neighbours”, Adam Chatburn chats with Tak Guenette, Head Brewer at Gladstone Brewing Co. So far in this series, I’ve chatted with new friends; Patti From New Tradition and Dave from Loveshack Libations. This time I get to reconnect with an old friend, Takeshi Guenette, aka Tak, from Gladstone … 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
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
Do you hear that? The sound of werewolves howling, witches cackling, and…kegs being tapped? The spookiest time of year brings delicious seasonal brews like inky black stouts (that pair well with rare meat) and spiced blood-red ales (perfect for aiding your Jack-o-lantern carving). Many breweries are also holding safely-distanced Halloween events and offering special deals … Continued
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
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
The 10th Annual BC Beer Awards were announced on October 19, 2019 in Vancouver, BC. Awards were given in 31 beer-style categories during the ceremony held at the Croatian Cultural Centre. This was the largest competition to date with 1200 entries from 121 breweries around British Columbia. The big winner of the night was actually … Continued
This blog post picks up where we left off in “The History of BC Craft Beer — Part 2.” Following its humble beginning at the Horseshoe Bay Brewery in 1982, the craft beer industry in British Columbia grew slowly and steadily over the next three decades. It enjoyed a mini-boom in the 1990s, and then … Continued
The BC Ale Trail has launched the new Vancouver Island Ale Trail, featuring 14 craft breweries showcased in two separate itineraries, following the addition of new ale trails in Northern BC, Richmond and the Kamloops-Shuswap-Vernon region over the past few months. When joined together with the Victoria Ale Trail, beer lovers can explore 24 different … Continued
The plan was to tour via motorcycle to one of the most beautiful parts of Canada and hit world-class breweries along the way. Vancouver Island really does have it all: brilliant fishing, stunning beaches, diverse wildlife, and of course some of the best beer brewed in Canada. Our starting point was Nelson BC, so after … Continued
An adventurous weekend getaway is never a bad idea. With the natural beauty and burgeoning craft beer scene in the Comox Valley beckoning, I just knew I had to make the trip! Having never been to this part of Vancouver Island before, I was eager to do some research on the area and discover what … Continued
If you know anyone who lives on Vancouver Island – or if you’re an Islander yourself – you’ll be familiar with the term “up island.” This can mean anything from a half-hour’s drive north of Victoria over the Malahat to the five-and-a-half hour long haul up to Port Hardy. And there’s a whole lot to … Continued
Gibsons is just a short ferry ride away from the Lower Mainland and Vancouver Island, making the Sunshine Coast Craft Beer Festival the perfect way to spend a cool and wet February weekend. This year’s event was a great example of the way the beer community comes together not only to celebrate great beer, but also … 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
Thirsty for craft beer, three friends hatched a plan to fill an untapped market and opened Campbell River’s first craft brewery. Walk through the doors of Beach Fire Brewing and Nosh House and it’s obvious that this establishment is more than a place where beer is made. Here, people gather to mix and mingle over great beer and … Continued
When the weather is wet and windy it’s the perfect time to go inside and drink delicious craft beer. Craft beer enthusiasts on the Sunshine Coast did just that on Saturday, November 12, when a crowd of local residents, as well as visitors from Vancouver Island and the Lower Mainland, gathered for the 2016 Powell River … Continued
