BC Beerventure: Brews of the Great North

How did Memorial Day Weekend turn into a trip to BC?  A Mumford & Sons concert and six breweries to visit and there you have it: BC Beerventure 2013.  Here is my guide to the must try beer in Southern British Columbia.

Steamworks Brewery
Vancouver, BC
steamworks.com
Located within a block of the Waterfront Station, this brewery in downtown Vancouver has everything the wandering tourist needs: hockey on the flat screens, pool tables downstairs, and plenty of beer on tap.  I've been a fan of their Empress IPA for awhile.  However, I especially liked their Cascadia Cream Ale this visit.  It must have been the Cascade hops in this session ale that quenched my thirst just right after a traffic filled road trip up North. 



Central City Brewing Company
Surrey, BC
centralcitybrewing.com
Having an hour until Mumford & Sons took the stage at Holland Park, a quick beer stop was needed.  Right in the heart of everything, this brewery didn't seem like your run of the mill mall brewpub.  Their sampler was literally the best one I have ever had.  The Raspberry Wheat was light, crisp, and mildly fruity.  The Nitrogen Stout was flavorful throughout the sip, a difficult feat to accomplish.  The Pale and IPA were perfectly hoppy.  If there wasn't a sold out concert to attend, we would have spent many more hours at this exceptional brewery. 

Yaletown Brewing Company

Vancouver, BC
http://www.markjamesgroup.com/yaletown.html
Nothing says breakfast on a holiday weekend like an eight beer sampler and a Champions League playoff game.  Yaletown Brewing offers a comfortable atmosphere (picture leather couches and big screens) in a trendy part of Vancouver.  Easily accessible by the SkyTrain, YBC's' beers were solid across the board.  Be sure to try their Helmcken Black and Tan.


Parallel 49 Brewing Company
Vancouver, BC
parallel49brewing.com
A refreshing five kilometer walk took us from Yaletown to East Vancouver where we landed at our next brewery.  With unlimited tasters and a flat screen with a live feed into the brewhouse, we found our resting place at the bar while we dried off from the rain.  Plenty of hoppy options with a surprising palette discovery: I preferred Parallel's hoppy lagers to their ales.  Both the Black Hops Cascadian Black Lager and the Hoparazi India Pale Lager earned precious backpack real estate.

Granville Island Brewing Company

Vancouver, BC
gib.ca
With only thirty minutes in the parking meter, we quickly made our way down to Granville Island.  Saddling up to the only two seats available at the bar, we ordered six samples, three hoppy three not.  My favorites were the False Creek Raspberry Ale and the Ginja Ninja Ginger Beer.  While they didn't have their Kitsilano Maple Cream Ale on tap, we scored a few bottles from the gift shop.

Brewhouse: High Mountain Brewing Company
Whistler, BC
http://www.drinkfreshbeer.com/brewhouse.html
A full tank of gas and nowhere to be, the Sea to Sky Highway lead us up to Whistler Village.  Filled with mountain bikers, the village was bustling with tourists and thrill seekers alike.  At the Brewhouse, our first stop of course, I found an IPA that hit the spot.  So much so in fact, I had to get another sample just to make sure.  Brewhouse takes pride in being the only people to brew beer up at Whistler.  After some friendly service and a hearty Mac and Cheese, we were off to explore the sights.


Howe Sound Brewing Company
Squamish, BC
http://www.howesound.com/home.aspx
Not even on the list to hit, we made a "why not" stop in Squamish to try out some Howe Sound brews.  I had tried a few of theirs that have made it to the States, but definitely wasn't prepared for the repertoire of beer that greeted me.  A thirteen, yes thirteen, tap sampler platter was filled with every type of beer you could think of.  Of all the ones I tried, I grew quite found of the Goldtooth Berliner Weisse, Whitecap Wheat, Garibaldi Honey Pale, and the Super Jupiter Grapefruit IPA. 

What did my BC Beerventure teach me?  Well, for this hophead, it taught me to step out of the box.  Every place we went, I immediately ordered an IPA.  Sometimes impressed and other times disappointed, BC IPAs, in my opinion, are either stellar or lack luster, not much in between.  That being said, I was highly impressed by the seasonal offerings and less explored styles.  Our imported loot varied from fruit ales, to ginger beer, and even some lagers.  Great beers from the Great North, indeed.