Photo: Granville Island Brewing

Brew Pubs & Beer Tours in British Columbia

If you like your beer then British Columbia, in Western Canada, is the place to visit! In the last decade the number of independent breweries, micro-breweries, and brewpubs has dramatically increased as demand for craft beers and unique flavours has skyrocketed. There are now more than 50 breweries and brewpubs in BC, many of which can be found around Vancouver, Victoria and the Interior. So if you want to sample some of the best beers in British Columbia, where should you go? Here’s a brief guide to the beer culture of BC.

The Most Popular Microbreweries

With so many microbreweries to choose from, finding the beers that you love can be difficult so it’s sometimes better to start with the slightly larger ones as their beers are often available in liquor stores and bars across the province. Whistler Brewing Co., Vancouver Island Brewing Co., Stanley Park Brewery, Okanagan Spring Brewery, Granville Island Brewing, and Dead Frog Brewery are among the largest and they all offer a great selection of beers with seasonal favourites including whites, darks and lagers.

Photo: Whistler Brewing Co.

Finding a Great Brewpub

The largest number of brewpubs can be found in the Lower Mainland – that’s around Vancouver and the relatively flat area of land leading up to the Coast Mountains – and on Vancouver Island, plus there are some in the Interior including Kamloops, Kelowna and Penticton. The great thing about brewpubs is that they usually combine tasty beers with excellent West Coast cuisine so you can enjoy a meal and stay for the evening, sampling many of their most popular beers!

In Victoria, try the original Canadian brewpub: Spinnakers. The founders of this brewpub – now a Gastro Brewpub – led the way for Canadian brewers when they got the old brewing laws changed and opened Spinnakers in 1984. The original pub experience can still be found on the upper floor while the lower floor is a full-service restaurant where children are allowed.

Spinnakers Gastro Brewpub | Photo: beermebc.com

Spinnakers, unsurprisingly, is part of Victoria’s famous Beer Mile. It’s a mile long loop around the Upper Harbour of the city that allows those partaking to visit most of Victoria’s nine craft brewing establishments so if you’re into your beer this is definitely something to try.

Beer Festivals in British Columbia

If the growing number of microbreweries and brewpubs has left you wanting to try even more then you could coincide your visit with one of the province’s beer festivals. The Great Canadian Beer Festival has been held in Victoria every year since 1993 and it happens in September on the first weekend following Labour Day. It attracts thousands of visitors and around 40 craft breweries, many from Canada plus some from the USA.

Vancouver Craft Beer Week | Photo: beermebc.com

Then there’s Vancouver Craft Beer Week in May each year, while in the Interior the Okanagan Fest-of-Ale is a top event for beer lovers. It happens each year in April in Penticton. Also look out for a number of Oktoberfest festivals where you can sample a selection of BC’s craft beers.

Beer Tours

Finally, if you can’t coincide your visit with one of BC’s festivals you could take a tour instead. Some of the larger breweries offer guided tours; Granville Island Brewing springs to mind here, or you can get together with a tour company such as Vancouver Brewery Tours to get the guided tour experience of the best craft brewers in the city. The Vancouver Craft Beer Shuttle runs every Saturday between 3-10pm and loops around some of Vancouver’s finest craft breweries every 90 minutes, with more frequent loops as the evening rolls on. You can hop from one brewery to the next for $5 per loop or pay $10 and ride all night - that's cheaper than a cab and much more fun!

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