It may be sacrilege to say this, but I don’t think that beer is the best thing about the brewing industry. Controversial, I know! Sure, it’s the ultimate aim, and the delicious reward for all the hard work, sweat, and tears, but really, the highlight of this industry isn’t the liquid in your glass, but the people behind it.

How many other industries are there where numerous individual businesses support and collaborate with one another for the benefit of everyone, rather than compete for attention? I love that would-be rival breweries come together to form “Beer Blocks”, share resources in brewery collectives, and work together to create unusual and unique collaboration brews. 

In recent years, the industry has also worked hard to confront inequalities and support underrepresented groups within the brewing community. Organizations like Pink Boots Society have worked tirelessly behind the scenes to address gender divisions, champion diversity, and promote an equitable community. Having cheered these groups from the sidelines for many years, I was thrilled to be invited to join an inspirational group of women (and a few men) from the beer industry for a brew day at Cannery Brewing in Penticton. And this wasn’t any old brew day, we would be brewing a Mango Milkshake IPA “Babe Brew” – an exciting collaboration between Cannery Brewing and the Beer Babes Family.

For those of you who are unfamiliar with the Beer Babes Family, they are a charitable organization that describes themselves as “a global inclusive community for all women in beer”. Co-founder Roxy Brossoit explains that the organization works to “support and positively engage all women in the beer community” from “the casual beer drinkers to the highest level of brewers, Cicerones, and Beer Judges.” I have to admit that I was initially a little sceptical of the name “Beer Babes”. I have never considered myself a “babe,” and the connotations that the name invokes did not sit comfortably with me. My mind was put at ease, though, once I had chatted with a couple of women connected to the Beer Babes Family about this issue. Far from reinforcing the stereotype of a “babe,” the name had been carefully chosen to challenge preconceptions of women in the beer industry, and what it means to be a “beer babe.” In doing so, the organization is striving to change the narrative, from one where women in the brewing industry were limited to a sexualised role of selling or serving beer, to one in which women are empowered in all aspects of the industry. 

Pictured above: two of the three Canadian board members of the Beer Babes Family – missing: Catherine Leclerc

Babe Brews play a pivotal role in this mission to promote women in the industry. The Beer Babes Family collaborates with breweries throughout North America to produce unique beers under the Babe Brews label. A percentage of the proceeds from the sale of these Babe Brews then go to the Beer Babes Family Grants Program, which awards grants to women who work in the beer industry and are trying to improve their beer business. The Beer Babes Family describes Babe Brew as “a series of beers dedicated to the women of our personal lives and of the world: who inspire us, push us, make us think deeper, mentor us and lead by example. To the women who break rules and norms, speak their truth with compassion, live each day with unapologetic confidence, and champion equality for all.” In short, this sounds like a brew that I could wholeheartedly get on board with.

The Beer Babes Family states that they will collaborate with any brewery that has a good reputation for equality and supporting women of all gender identities in beer, and Cannery Brewing couldn’t be closer to the mark. Co-founder and general manager, Patt Dyck, opened the brewery back in 2000 and has been a mainstay in the brewing industry ever since. She was flying the flag of gender equality and inclusivity in brewing at a time when I didn’t even know what a craft beer was, let alone understand the industry behind the brewing process. Kim Lawton from the Cannery Brewing team describes Patt as “an inspiring leader and manager” who “blazed a trail for so many women to work in the craft beer industry.” It was the perfect location, therefore, for this particular group of female beer enthusiasts to meet early one Thursday morning to brew beer. 

The group was made up of representatives from all aspects of the brewing industry: from beer blogger and aficionado Colleen Bond and her husband Phil, to Cicerone-in-training Alaina Parchmann, Okanagan Fest of Ale judge Crystal Coverdale, and the first female Cicerone in Western Canada, Lundy Dale, representing both the BC Craft Brewers Guild and Pink Boots Society. Local breweries were also represented with Eleanore Farley, Kim Lawton, and of course, Patt Dyck from the Cannery team; Jill Jarret and Jess Kozak from BNA Brewing in Kelowna, Vernon, and soon Penticton as well; and Brittany Montgomery, head brewer at Giant’s Head Brewing in Summerland, assisting the Cannery brewing team. 

Ross Thompson, head brewer and co-owner of Cannery Brewing, led us through the process, encouraging us all to jump in and help with various stages of the brew and explaining the more technical side of things. The mash was made with a mix of barley, oats, and wheat from Canada Malting Company, with the milkshake component of the IPA coming from the addition of vanilla and milk sugars. Ross talked us through his choice of hops for this beer: it will be double dry-hopped with Simcoe and Citra hops from Hops Connect Canada. The combination of these two hop varietals should create a mango flavour, with the Citra hops imbuing the beer with a citrus flavour, while the Simcoe hops add notes of pine. The mango flavour won’t just come from the hops, though, as vast quantities of mango puree will be added to the brew during the secondary fermentation stage, giving it a totally tropical taste. 

Now we sit and wait for the hops, grain, water, and yeast to do their magic (well, except the Cannery Brewing team, who still have to finish the brew and can it. Sorry, folx!). According to Ross, the result should be a “super fruity, strong beer with a luxurious and rich mouthfeel” – I, for one, can’t wait to try it! The release date for this Mango Milkshake IPA Babe Brew will be Friday, May 9, in the Cannery Brewing taproom – just in time for Mother’s Day. The beer will be available on tap and in cans, and remember, the more you buy, the more you help to support women in the industry. Sounds like a win-win situation to me! 

•••

The Mango Milkshake IPA will be released on Friday, May 9, 2025 at Cannery Brewing. It will be available in 4-packs of 473ml cans in the taproom and at private liquor stores around BC and Alberta for a limited time.

Every Pint Tells a Story –

Supporting Local. Celebrating Community

The post Brewing Equality With the Beer Babes Family appeared first on The BC Ale Trail.

My most recent Hops Among Friends interview was with Alex Jopson from Another Beer Co. At the end of our discussion, Alex recommended that I speak with Melanie MacInnes from Locality Brewing for my next Hops Among Friends interview. Melanie is the owner and general manager at Locality Brewing, which was established in 2021 in Langley on the Langley Ale Trail.

I really enjoyed my conversation with Melanie. She is very passionate about craft beer, relationships within the brewery industry and community, her family, and her role as an Indigenous female farm brewery owner. I hope you enjoy learning more about Melanie, Locality Brewing and her love of the Langley area.

Kim: The MacInnes family has owned and operated a farm for many generations. How did you get started in craft beer?

Melanie: That’s a big question. I grew up on this farm. It was a dairy farm and feedlot. Today, the barn is where our tasting room is located. We sold the cows in 1992 when free trade came into effect, and then we got into horse boarding. Over many years, we kept searching for the best way to operate the property.

One such way was through a government agricultural program to plant cottonwood trees for renewable plant fibre, so we planted 36 acres of the trees. We continued with this until the Scott Paper Mill shut down about 20 years ago, and there was no one to sell the trees to. So, we went back to the drawing board and asked ourselves… what can we do to keep the family farm?

One day, some movie location scouts flew in an airplane over the farm, and they thought it looked like Pennsylvania. They asked if they could film a movie called Scary Movie 4 on the farm. It was intended to mock the thriller movie, The Village. They managed to film over a month of the muddiest, rainiest weather, but it was successfully completed. When they finished filming, like many film sets, they were going to dispose of the buildings in the landfill. We thought these buildings could be reused and perhaps they could be used for some student films and lower-budget productions. Other films did come, one of which was a movie named Beyond Sherwood Forest, directed by Peter Delius. One of the horse wranglers on the production suggested moving the buildings and building a Western Town. We did that and we called it Jamestown. Producers and directors would come and look at it as a possible filming location.

My brother Kevin reached out to Brian Bird, a producer, who was looking for a location to pilot the Hallmark series When Calls the Heart (WCTH). He and Michael Landon Jr. came out and looked at our property, and then decided to film the series here at the farm. Every season, the viewership has increased and although each year has faced challenges, the show has gone on. It’s been 12 years, and it’s still being filmed on the farm. Canadians can watch WCTH on Super Channel via Prime or Cable.

My husband Andrew is from Australia. So, along the way, we ended up living in Australia for three years. While we travelled and worked around Australia, we loved going to breweries and wineries that incorporated open spaces, and the farm-to-table concept. We enjoyed the idea of being surrounded by the ingredients that we were eating. Some of the breweries there had green spaces where families could hang out.

We came back from Australia in 2012 and were surprised that there were not many farm breweries here in BC other than Persephone and Crannóg. We loved the experience of going to wineries and seeing the grapes, but we didn’t see breweries on farm properties with barley and malts showcasing the key ingredients in beer. We thought about opening a brewery at the time, but the idea of opening a farm brewery seemed like such a huge undertaking.

Instead, we kind of decided to trick ourselves by starting small, and we planted some hops and an acre of barley to test it. We hadn’t seen others grow barley in the Lower Mainland, so we wondered if it would work here. We also planted blight-resistant hazelnut trees. Plus, we grafted cider apple trees in 2016.  We also decided to take a beekeeping course and we added honeybees to the farm plan.

The barley grew and turned golden and was ready for harvest, but we didn’t have the equipment to harvest it. So, we went to the BC Farm Museum in Fort Langley and met a fellow named Wally. He grabbed two 1890 scythes from the wall for us. We borrowed them, returned to the farm and hand-harvested the barley. We sent the barley in for testing, and it hit the malting specs perfectly.

So, we planted five more acres of barley. We kept going on the hops. Plus, we had six acres of cider apple trees and six acres of hazelnut trees.

Our friends Richard and Kira introduced us to Iain and Christina from Strange Fellows. (Note from Kim: Iain’s Hops Among Friends article can be read here). Iain was with us when we first planted the barley, and he was very realistic with us. He came out to some harvests as well, and it was very helpful to get his input. Our relationship with Iain started here, and we contributed our malt in a collab with Strange Fellows for a “100-mile beer”.

Andrew, being an engineer, built a half-ton malt house. We were able to hit malting specs. Then we got involved with the Craft Maltsters Guild and we continued to learn. We are one of very few certified craft malt breweries in BC.

By this time, we had the ingredients, and we had the malt house, so now it was time to complete the “Field-to-Glass” journey, and we decided to start the farm brewery. COVID-19 delayed the plans, but we eventually managed to open mid-COVID. We first worked on some pilot trial batches with brewer Nick Hendrickson, currently the brewer at Four Winds, and Erik Jensen. Then we hired Karen Cheshire, a brewer who graduated from Olds University and had a biochemist degree from UBC, who previously worked at Steamworks Brewing. With her help, we finished building out the brewhouse. Then we added some great marketing and front-of-house support. I would like to give a shout-out to Lori Fields and Ivan Eytzen for their help here. We opened our doors at the end of July 2021.

As an aside, as we were working on our own brewery, The Beer Farmers and Barnside Brewing also opened, and they were also growing their own ingredients. We’ve learned it’s really full circle in this industry. We do a collab beer with them every year. It’s called Grainstorm, and 100% of the ingredients come from our three farms.

Around this time, we also met Tim LaHay from The Barley Merchant. We started hanging out with Tim, having long chats in the barley fields as we talked about the struggles and delays we were all facing as we were trying to open our businesses during COVID. We ended up opening within a week of each other, and we’ve had a great relationship with Tim for many years.

Kim: What makes Locality so unique?

Melanie: We are like an onion. Every time you come here, you peel back another layer and learn something new. It’s such a wild place. (As an aside, our location can be difficult to find, so it’s best to use Google Maps GPS and type in Locality Brewing, rather than the address.)

We are fortunate though, as people love our space. We have a pond, and we added a stage on the pond this year for live music events.

Even as a farm, it is a very unique space. We have a trail around the pond where you can take your dog for a walk. We had an otter swimming in the pond this year. There are beavers and hawks and lots of different birds and wildlife. We have Stampede Burger onsite. It is Metis-owned, and you can have a bison burger there. We also host events with the Waceya Metis Society.

Additionally, you can tour the malt house, and you can see the hops growing up the hop bines beside the picnic area.

Tucked behind the hop bines is our indoor “Secret, not-so-secret, Skate Bowl”.  Every year, we host a skate comp with HMI Skate Park Society with Hippie Mike, and we do a beer collab with a skate apparel company. We have worked with Time Bomb, Etnies, Well Kept Sustainables and Devil’s Toys.

We also hosted an awesome evening with GrlSwirl, a worldwide skate club where people can meet up to skate together. I love to surfskate myself. Andrew and I met through our mutual love of snowboarding and surfing, and we love to travel to surf locations. Farming restricts the amount we can travel, so we decided to bring our passion for board sports to the farm. We will be working with Hot Girl Skate, Shred Catz and Surfskate Vancouver to host meet-ups and create a fun, loving, and safe space for people to find community through skating and surfskating.

We are very different and provide very unique experiences; very different than the experiences at most other breweries.

Kim: Tell me about your first collab beer at Locality.

Melanie: My first love of craft beer was because of Trading Post‘s West Coast IPA. People kept suggesting I try lagers, but I didn’t really get into them. Then I tried Trading Post’s Saison, and I really enjoyed it. But then I tried their West Coast IPA, and I realized that this was my beer. That was my moment. The moment when I discovered my love for craft beer.

So, I was very stoked when we did our first collab beer with Tony at Trading Post for a Women’s Day event held at Farm Country Brewing. At the time we brewed the beer for the event, it had to be brewed on a one-hectolitre pilot brew system, so we brought our system to Trading Post. This was right before we opened. We made a table Saison. It was very sweet of Tony to do this with us. He took a chance with us, and it really meant a lot.

It was two years before the Locality/Trading Post collab when I first met Nancy More and other women in the industry. At that time, Lance and Tony hosted women from Kwantlen Polytechnic Univeristy (KPU) and the brewing industry for a Women’s Day collab, only weeks before COVID shut the World down. It was amazing to be so warmly welcomed and to be supported by such legends.

Kim: What do you have coming up at Locality?

Melanie Every year we do a couple of collabs with Barn Owl Brewing from Kelowna. We think they are very cool people. When they come for a visit, we like to brew a collab beer with them.

On their last visit, we brewed a seasonal IPA called Uncle Eddie’s Festive IPA with cranberry and orange peel. It was released in late November, exclusively on tap at the two breweries.

We also have another exciting beer release coming up. This one is a collab with Another Beer Co., (Note: one of ABC’s owners is Nadine, an Indigenous business owner who also owns Heartberry Soda). This collab is a Fresh Hop beer named Askî Oci, which means “From the Land” in Plains Cree. It’s a Brett Saison that is hop forward. It will be coming out in mid-December in 500ml bottles.

Also in December, we are launching a new collab beer called Beer Goggles with Dragon Alliance Canada and Time Bomb Apparel. It’s a hazy, New England IPA (NEIPA) with Cryo Sabro and Elani hops. It’s unfiltered and double dry-hopped, with light bitterness and a juicy finish. We brewed it to enjoy after spending time outdoors this winter. It’s a great choice following a perfect run on the mountain.

Kim: What else are you working on at Locality? 

Melanie: We just launched a Mexican Hot Chocolate Porter. This was a collab with A Rocha Farm Store and we used their hot peppers in this beer.

I should also mention that both our brewers are female. Karen is our head brewer and Emily Comeau is our assistant brewer. Emily went to KPU, so we had a few of the other KPU students out and they brewed a Toasted Coconut Porter.

The other beer that will be back again is our Cranberry Enchantment Sparkling Ale. It’s in Champagne bottles and it’s always a big hit. These beers will be available on-site at Locality Brewing from Thursday to Sunday and at our After Dark In The Lodge from 6-9 pm on Fridays and Saturdays, and at the Thunderbird Equestrian Centre Christmas in the Country and Fort Langley Christmas Market. We just released this for the season. It’s a really limited-release beer, although we did brew a double batch this year.

Kim: What do you love most about the craft beer industry?

Melanie: For me, it’s definitely all about the relationships. The relationships with the other breweries, and our customers, and my family, and neighbours.

Our breweries create community.

I grew up on this farm. It’s beautiful, but it’s also very isolating. Having our brewery here is a way of building community on rural land. I think a farm brewery is like a modern-day community hall. It’s similar to where our parents used to hold farm dances.

Kim: How is it for you as an Indigenous woman working in BC’s craft beer industry?

Melanie: I see being an Indigenous woman business owner as a great responsibility. We were nominated for and won the Indigenous Led Business of the Year at the 2022 BC Food and Beverage Awards. When we were first nominated for this award, we had to really think about accepting the nomination. Winning this award escalated things for me as I wanted to consider the impact of what we are doing going forward. With this award, we now have a platform where we can stand for all Indigenous businesses. I think part of this platform is highlighting Indigenous people.

With regards to Truth & Reconciliation, I believe we have a responsibility to teach and a responsibility to learn. We have an opportunity and a platform to work with each other and boost each other up.

I am fortunate to be connected with other Indigenous-led businesses and businesspeople. For example, Stampede Burgers is Metis-owned. There is also Nadine from Heartberry Soda. I find that working with other amazing Indigenous women is wonderful.

When I think of other amazing connections, I think of Inez Cook from Salmon n’ Bannock. Inez has been such an amazing mentor for me. There are two Salmon n’ Bannock restaurants in Vancouver. One of them is in the International Departures area at the Vancouver Airport. Our beer is there. And that was all created by relationships.

We did a collab beer with Salmon n’ Bannock and Spirit Bear Coffee – a Hazelnut Coffee Cream Ale.

Every time an Indigenous person is connected with another Indigenous person or business, it makes each business stronger. I think of Darnell Stager from Indigenous Tourism BC. He was amazing at connecting us with other tourism-related Indigenous businesses.

I also think back to two of our original connectors: Darian from Jelly Marketing and Bernard from Farm Credit Canada.

I recently went to a fundraiser for Vancouver Indigenous Fashion Week which was held in November. It’s open to everyone, and I highly recommend it. I have huge dreams of hosting a future Vancouver Indigenous Fashion Week event here at the farm where we have a floating catwalk set amongst the barley. I’m meeting more and more people who are helping me see this as a possibility in the future.

Being an Indigenous female owner of a farm brewery presents me with opportunities that I wouldn’t have otherwise. What this means to me is that with my role comes great responsibility.

Hearing the different stories from these Indigenous people is really amazing. Today, through learning and connecting, everyone is finding their own way.

Kim: We’ve seen some changes in BC’s craft beer industry lately including some brewery closures. What are your thoughts on this?

Melanie: It is incredibly hard. The cost of everything is up. Consumer buying is down. It seems like we all have to work ten times harder to make the same amount. It’s tragic. With each brewery that closes, it is a community lost. Every brewery is a place where people go, so when a brewery closes, that signifies a loss for that community.

It’s a difficult time for craft breweries. Knowing how much passion each brewery brings; I know it’s never easy to make the decision to close. BC’s craft beer industry will make it through this, but it’s definitely a tough time right now.

Kim: What keeps you up at night?  

Melanie: My kids. Honestly, I’m so busy being a brewery owner and trying to be with my teenage boys, and we’re still working second jobs. Life and family balance is hard. I hope we get there at some point.

It’s becoming evident how quickly time flies now that they are teenagers, and we want to focus on spending more time together with our kids in the year ahead.

My kids are involved in the brewery. One of my sons, Sebastian, helps with the design of the labels. Our other son Lachlan knows how to fix equipment, drive the tractor, fix roofs and more. He’s very much a farm kid. But having said that, they are teenagers, and they have their own interests, and they want to do their own things besides work with us at the brewery!

Kim: You have a huge property. If budget wasn’t an issue, if you could have any musician or band perform on the new stage by your pond at the brewery, who would it be? 

Melanie: I would have said Tragically Hip. But for now, with Andrew being Australian, he has a vision of having Xavier Rudd play here. He’s a very popular Australian one-man band. We saw him in Whistler and he’s amazing. I’ll put that out there because we would love to have him play here.

Kim: What are some of your favourite beers in winter?

Melanie: Going into this season, I am excited about our Beer Goggles collab as we get ready for the snow season up on the mountain. I am a lover of both West Coast IPAs and NEIPAs.

You know how some days you brew the perfect pot of coffee, and you try to replicate that each day? I feel like this about our West Coast IPA. When I drink it, sometimes I just think it’s so incredible, like that was the perfect batch.

Kim: I saw that the 8 Langley Loop breweries and The Barley Merchant are collaborating to feature Langley beers at the Langley Events Centre. Tell me more about this.

Melanie: Yes, it’s really exciting. It’s been in the works for quite a while. Some of the individual breweries have had their beers in the building in the past. A while back, Rachelle Cashato introduced me to Dale Saip, the Senior Vice President of the Vancouver Giants. He mentioned the idea of having a variety of different local beers available at the games. So, for the last year, we alternated between the breweries and would switch beers from each brewery at one of the smaller concession stands.

Since Tim from The Barley Merchant does such an amazing job advocating for Langley breweries, it made sense for him to be the umbrella for this and be the connector that strengthens all of our relationships. It was important that it was Tim from The Barley Merchant, so it’s not a single brewery leading it. Tim really cares about all of the breweries.

Every six games or so, we rotate to a different style of beer. The idea is that with eight breweries, we are each promoting people to go to the home games at the events centre. It’s a cool way to create community there. You can go to the local hockey game and drink amazing local beer. I think it’s the most amazing thing ever.

It was a pipe dream to have more local craft beer presence there, so this is all so very exciting. I could not ever imagine seeing people drink our craft beer in the building. Tim did such a great job working with Dale and Erin to get this across the line. It was a real joint effort. Everyone played a part in getting it to this point.  If you want to come to a Giants home game this season, you can get tickets here and use the discount code: langleyloop.

And speaking of the Langley Loop, we also have Langley Craft Beverage Week in May. This was our second year of running this. We draw a name to see who hosts the collab beer. So, stay tuned for more from the Langley Loop and Langley Craft Beverage Week.

Kim: What are some hidden gems in the Langley area? 

Melanie: I think Fort Langley is just the coolest place. There are awesome coffee shops and great restaurants. It is very walkable. They have night markets on Friday nights in the summer, and it feels like a Hallmark movie. They have a beer garden and artisans selling their arts and crafts items. Also at Fort Langley, there is a restaurant called Tradish the Ancestor Café. They have delicious traditional Indigenous cuisine there like Bannock Tacos.

Plus, there is the historic fort you can go into and see what fort life was like back in the day.

I definitely recommend that people stop for dinner or lunch at The Barley Merchant. It’s also a great way to try all the Langley beers.

There’s also the Historic Otter 248th Trail. There are a variety of cool farms and businesses along the trail. JD Farms Specialty Turkeys has the best turkey sandwich ever. There’s also the Thunderbird Show Park, which is an equestrian centre. Most people don’t realize that you can go and watch incredible show jumping. Plus, Kensington Prairie Farm has alpacas.

There’s also the Circle Farm Tour with so many cool farm businesses to visit. Langley is also a great place to visit in the fall for pumpkins, plus we have lots of cool Christmas tree farms around here.

Kim: What else do you want to share with me? 

Melanie: This really is a family business. My parents Wendy and Rod are a huge part of all of this. I am very lucky that my parents are both alive, healthy and very hard-working. Without their support, none of this would happen. My dad is a powerhouse. The saving grace with my kids is that they have their grandparents around to support them.

My brother Kevin runs the filming side of our business. Both of his daughters, Ivy and Isy have worked at the brewery. It’s a real family affair – we are all working together to make this happen. We couldn’t have done this without all of our family.

Andrew, the Maltster, idea generator, and engineer of the operation keeps things exciting and is very supportive of me running and leading the brewery. Of course, my boys, Sebastian and Lachlan working with us and putting up with the time demands of a family business, they are my world and I love them so much. I also can’t forget Atlas, our family dog and greeter of all. I think more people know Atlas than us and he is also our emotional support dog on those super tough days. I also have a great appreciation for all those who have passed and supported us in life and through spirit after.

We have so many people besides just our family to thank for getting us here today. Our first beer was our Thank You Honey Lager. On our first can, we thanked all of the people who were integral in helping us open the brewery.

Kim: Who in the craft beer community would you like me to interview next?

Melanie: I would like you to speak with Gary Brucker from Barn Owl Brewing in Kelowna next. We’ve been doing collabs together for some time. They are very cool. I pick them because they are so community-oriented, and really good people. I trust them so much. They care about the community, their family, and the beer industry. They came to Langley when we started talking about the Langley Loop to help us and to learn.

Stay tuned for the next instalment of the Hops Among Friends blog series, where I speak with Gary from Barn Own Brewing in Kelowna on the Kelowna and West Kelowna Ale Trail.

Since 2017, this series has showcased more than 20 amazing members of BC’s craft beer community. You can read through all of my previous Hops Among Friends interviews here.

The post Hops Among Friends with Melanie MacInnes of Locality Brewing appeared first on The BC Ale Trail.

As the world gears up to commemorate International Women’s Day this Friday, it’s a fitting moment to raise our glasses to the women who have been making significant strides in our industry and the beer community at large. From ancient civilizations where women were the primary brewers to the modern craft beer revolution, women have played pivotal roles in shaping the culture, innovation, and business of brewing.

This year, breweries are celebrating in different ways around the province. There are women-led tap takeovers, ladies’ brew days, and plenty of new brews to sample. So grab your mothers, sisters, friends, and fellow beer lovers and get ready to celebrate the amazing women in beer this weekend.

Vancouver Island

New Beer Release • Longwood Brewery, Nanaimo

Island Hens Dry Hopped Session Ale will be pouring this Saturday, March 9. Brewed at Longwood Brewery in collaboration with Angry Hen Brewing of Kaslo, BC. Shirley Warne of Angry Hen Brewing and Harley Smith of Longwood Brewery have been friends for over 30 years and their brewing history goes back to their Toronto days. Shirley joined in virtually, and they also had a special guest, Robin Richards, head brewer at Dog Mountain Brewing, join them for the brew. The Island Hens Dry Hopped Session Ale will be available in cans and on draught and launched as part of Victoria Beer Week’s 10th Birthday Bash.

3rd Annual Pink Boots Brew Day • Dog Mountain Brewing, Port Alberni

Head Brewer and co-owner Robin Richards has sent out an open invite for anyone who would like to learn what goes on behind the scenes at a brewery to join her on Saturday, March 9th for a Pink Boots Collaboration brew day.  They will be brewing a new IPA using ONLY the Pink Boots hop blend that they helped to curate earlier in the year. Each year, Yakima Chief Hops partners with the Pink Boots Society to create an exclusive Pink Boots hop blend which is used in collaboration brews around North America. This year’s blend features HBC 638, El Dorado®, Ahtanum®, and Idaho 7®, promising berry and citrus notes with peppery earthiness and floral undertones.

Vancouver, Coast & Mountains

Tap Takeover • Farm Country Brewing, Langley

This Friday, March 8, Farm Country Brewing is hosting their 4th annual International Women’s Day Tap Takeover. Each year, they challenge the women and non-binary folks at their fellow Langley breweries to create and brew their own beers. This year is the biggest event, with 9 featured brews plus a cider. Participating breweries and cidery are:

• Brookswood Brewing Co. – brew to be announced
• Camp Beer Co – Bahama Mamas Pineapple White IPA
  The ladies of Camp came together to help develop and brew something special. Inspired by the iconic cocktail, this brew blends pineapple juice with a touch of coriander and chamomile. The brew’s light body is then balanced with the unique blend of Pink Boots 2023 hops as well as Bruu1. Cans will be available at the brewery and select liquor stores as well.
• Dead Frog Brewery – Man! I Feel Like A Sour! – Raspberry Cheesequake Sour
  Saddle up for a sweet and sassy ride and experience the fusion of fresh raspberries, creamy vanilla, decadent cheesecake, and tangy tartness! For the month of March this brew will be on Dead Frog’s Firefighter Tap and every pint sold in the tasting room will benefit the Pink Boots Society in collaboration with the Township of Langley Firefighters Charities.
• Farm Country Brewing – Dua DIPA
  A whopping 7.5% ABV Double IPA. The ladies at Farm Country created this beer with notes of peaches and apricots — using the HBF 1019 aka “fuzzy peach” hop with accents of floral and citrus.
• Five Roads Brewing – Look What You Made Me Brew Lemon Meringue Sour IPA
  This Taylor Swift-inspired brew will also be available in cans and on draught.
• Fraser Valley Cider Company – Blueberry Tease Cider
  This cider is bursting with farm-fresh blueberry and a tea-se of earl grey. This classic cocktail-inspired cider is a perfect balance of bittersweet apple and bursting berry freshness.
• KPU Brew Lab – It’s a Peach Cream Ale
  KPU Brewing students, instructors, and industry friends came together to brew ‘It’s a Peach!’ Cream Ale, using Pink Boots hops. This brew will also be for sale in growler fills on March 8 at the KPU Brew Lab.
• Locality Brewing – Pint Boots Berry Ale
  The recipe for this sparkling Berry Ale was designed by brewer Emily, who works alongside head brewer Karen.
• Smugglers’ Trail Caskworks – Tomato Gose
• Trading Post Brewing – Yay, Space Hazy IPA
  A double dry hopped IPA, bursting with flavours of pineapple, guava, lime, and white peach. Also available at Trading Post on tap and in cans.

Proceeds from the event will go to support the Pink Boots Society, as well as the Ishtar Women’s Resource Society in Langley.

Brew Day • Mountainview Brewing, Hope

Join co-owner Danielle and Head Brewer Sho on Friday, March 8 to help them brew up something special: Let Your Man Go, a tart mango IPA. The open house brew runs from 12 pm – 2 pm. All are welcome, so bring your friends, family, and fellow beer enthusiasts for an unforgettable celebration of women, beer, and community.

New Beer Release • Sidekick Brewing, Chilliwack

Join the release party on Friday, March 8 for The Brewmasters New World Saison. This brew is a collaboration from the creative forces of women at Sidekick and Molson Coors Fraser Valley, brewed with women from Farmhouse Brewing, Old Yale Brewing, and Flashback Brewing. 

$1 from each glass and 4-pack sold of this beer will support the Pink Boots Society of Canada. Additionally, another $1 from each glass and 4-pack sold of this beer on Friday will support Wilmas Transition Society’s important work in Chilliwack.

New Beer Release • Steamworks Brew Pub, Vancouver

Launching Friday, March 8 is the Lavender Earl Grey Saison. Partial proceeds are going to benefit the Downtown Eastside Women’s Centre. This beer will only be available on tap at the Water Street Brew Pub location.

New Beer Release • R&B Brewing, Vancouver

Wheat, Pray, Love, a dry-hopped wheat ale, will be released on March 14 at the brewery. Brewed by Justine Ellis, this classic wheat ale uses this year’s Pink Boots hop blend and will be available in cans and on tap.

Thompson Okanagan

New Beer Release • Lakesider Brewing, West Kelowna

The Pineapple IPA will be launching on Friday, March 8 in cans and on tap. Dry hopped, with additions of pineapple juice, and brewed using Kveik yeast, it’s sure to be a juicy delight.

Brew Day • Unleashed Brewing, Kelowna

On March 8, the women of Unleashed will be creating something new in collaboration with Gambrinus Malting, using their new IPA malt and this year’s Pink Boots hop blend.

New Beer Release • Jackknife Brewing, Kelowna

Jackknife becomes “Jillknife” Brewing for the annual release of Resting Witch Face is coming this Friday, March 8. Resting Witch Face is a double-dry hopped Nordic white IPA, and raises funds for MMIW (Missing & Murdered Indigenous Women) initiatives. Specifically, it helps to fund the efforts of Mukwa Bear as he helps families search for their missing loved ones.

Double Beer Release • Rustic Reel Brewing Co., Kelowna

Rustic Reel is releasing two special small-batch brews this Friday, March 8: a Sparkling Brut IPA and a  Cucumber Lemon Ale. Women can enjoy $6 pints in the tasting room all day long, and $3 pretzels. Partial proceeds from these brews will be donated to the Kelowna Women’s Shelter.

Brew Day • Cannery Brewing, Penticton

This Friday, the ladies at Cannery are coming together to brew a West Coast pilsner using this year’s Pink Boots hop blend. This brew will be launching at Okanagan Fest of Ale on April 12, and will also be available in cans and on draft at the brewery.

The post International Women’s Day 2024 appeared first on The BC Ale Trail.

Shirley Warne may be a self-declared bitch, but she is warm, welcoming, and clearly loved by the staff at her brewery. I’ve just driven nine hours from Vancouver to reach the tiny village of Kaslo, tucked away on the shores of Kootenay Lake and just an hour’s drive from Nelson. On Kaslo’s main drag, populated by Gold Rush-style shops and shadowed by snow-topped mountains, sits Angry Hen Brewing, opened by Shirley in December 2017. On this quiet Saturday night, as I’m relaxing after the long drive, Shirley joins me in the brewery for a pint and a chat. She puts our beers — a Fowl Play Hazy IPA for me and Straw Man Lager for her — on her tab and tosses some coins in the tip jar for the staff. The woman running the tasting room gives her a quick hug before they close up for the night.

These small details reveal that Shirley has cultivated a positive relationship with her employees. After decades of working in the beer industry and dealing with difficult bosses, she knows the value of a safe and warm working environment. From homebrewer and bottom-of-the-ladder brewery grunt to brewery owner and brewmaster in the village she loves, Shirley has seen it all — and she’s put all that knowledge to use. As one of BC’s first female craft brewers, she fearlessly trailblazed in a male-dominated industry. Even though she’s never been interested in public attention and therefore rarely makes it into beer publications (Lundy Dale’s interview with her for What’s Brewing is a notable exception), she’s had a deep influence on craft brewing here in BC.

Climbing the Brewing Ladder in Ontario

Shirley’s career began not in BC, but at Conner’s Brewing in Mississauga, Ontario. After years of homebrewing with her twin sister Pat and beer tasting across Europe, she decided to pursue brewing full-time. A friend introduced her to Paul Hoyne — eventual co-founder of Lighthouse Brewing in Victoria — who got her in the door at Conner’s, a production brewery that opened in 1985 but closed by 1990. She didn’t stay long; there was little room for creativity, but, unfortunately, plenty of room for sexism. Paul and the other brewers were wonderful mentors, but the company’s owners were crude and misogynistic to the young female brewer-in-training. She quit within a year, but shortly afterwards met Amsterdam Brewing’s Joel Manning. She made sure she tried his beer before she took a job with him (it passed the test).

“Joel was such a great guy,” Shirley recalls. Manning ended up being a valued fellow brewing colleague for several years. While brewing at Amsterdam, and its sister brewery, Rotterdam, she trained Tony Dewald and Harley Smith, brewers who would make their mark in BC brewing. “When Harley first started, he made some kind of off-colour joke and I jumped right on him,” Shirley laughs. “But we ended up being best friends.”

Bootlegging and Brewpubs in Vancouver

By the early ‘90s, Shirley decided to leave the brewing scene in Toronto to join her sister Pat in Vancouver. Just as they had during university, Shirley and Pat took up homebrewing in their apartment again. “We would bootleg beer from that apartment! We had these big parties,” she recalls. “I don’t think I can get in trouble for it now though.” Their homebrew was so popular that tipsy neighbours would come knocking late at night, looking for whatever they were selling. “That was when I first brewed the Old Bitch,” Shirley says, referring to the Old Bitch Bitter she later brewed for Brassneck and Angry Hen. “It was one of our most popular beers back then.”

Finding brewing opportunities in Vancouver proved to be a challenge. “BC and Ontario were stagnant for a while,” Shirley says, referring to the 1990s beer scene. When Yaletown Brewpub opened in 1994, she applied for the job of head brewer but lost out to Iain Hill, now co-owner of Strange Fellows Brewing. However, she was soon contacted by Eli Gershkovich, a lawyer who was opening a new brewpub in Gastown. He’d visited Dan’s Homebrewing Supplies on Hastings — a haven for all Vancouver homebrewers — and asked for brewer recommendations. Dan gave him Shirley’s name. When she showed up for her interview, she brought some of her homebrew: a bitter, a brown, and a lager. They hired her that same day, and Shirley Warne became the first brewer at the new Steamworks Brewpub.

At Steamworks, Shirley had free rein over the brewing programme as well as the freedom to shut down unwelcome suggestions or interference (she didn’t fear losing her job — Eli wanted to keep her on). In her first week, she met Conrad Gmoser, a young man who was working as an assistant to the architect and moonlighting as a carpenter but swiftly developed an interest in brewing. Vern Lambourne, now of Parkside, and her old friend Harley Smith also both worked under her at Steamworks. When she left Vancouver in the late ‘90s for opportunities in the Maritimes, she trained up Conrad to take her place as brewmaster. And when she returned to Vancouver in the early 2000s, she took up homebrewing again — this time in Conrad’s garage.

Back in Vancouver after a few years away, Shirley was itching to open her own brewery.  After purchasing brewing equipment, she spent several years trying to find investors. Leads that were initially promising gradually dried up. By 2007 she was fully disheartened; she gave up her dream and sold the equipment. For close to a decade, she helped new breweries start up and did occasional brewing jobs. The Ridge Brewpub in Osoyoos, for example, would fly her out for brew days (they gave her no creative license in the brewhouse though). Shirley helped Conrad and his friend Nigel Springthorpe open Brassneck Brewing in 2012, and her Old Bitch Bitter was one of the first beers they put on tap (unlike Eli at Steamworks, they were fine with the “offensive” name). She was also behind the scenes at Bomber Brewing in Vancouver and Crannóg Ales in Sorrento.

Finding Her Passion: Angry Hen Brewing

But Shirley still wanted her own brewery. Gradually, after multiple visits and a lot of planning, she and a small group of friends purchased a storefront property in Kaslo for $165,000. The village was the home of her sister-in-law, and it was also a place that resonated with her: the close-knit community, the picturesque high street, the nearby mountains and lake.

In December 2017, with fellow Brassneck brewer Jeff Leake along for the ride, Conrad made the snowy drive out to Kaslo to help Shirley set up and get through her first few brews. After they left, she had to do her first solo brew before opening day. She was on her own — sleep-deprived and “going a bit crazy,” in her words. Things started going wrong. She was about to chill the beer into the fermenter then realized she hadn’t sanitized the tank. Everything needed to stop. The hops were left in the kettle far longer than planned while she got the fermenter clean, resulting in a beer that was more bitter than expected. She called it “Freak Out” as a homage to her state of mind at the time. “But there are people who still ask for it!” she says, smiling.

On December 17, 2017, opening day, Shirley and her staff were so pressed for time that brown paper was still on the taproom windows in the mid-afternoon. Jolayne and Brenda, a couple from the nearby village of Balfour, had planned a visit to the new brewery after their afternoon hike and were disappointed to find the windows papered and the doors locked.

Jolayne called the brewery from its own front steps: “Hey, are you guys open today?” “Yes….” “Well… when?” When Shirley realized the two women were standing right outside, she decided to open up a bit ahead of time — why not?

After the window paper came down and the doors were unlocked, Jolayne and Brenda eagerly entered to try Angry Hen’s first lineup of beers: a Christmas Ale, the East Meets West IPA, a Pale Ale, a Helles, a Kolsch, and (of course) the Freak Out. It was a memorable evening, and the couple remain good friends with Shirley and her wife Fran to this day.

The Ethos of Angry Hen and Reflections on a Life in Brewing

Angry Hen is a brewery borne of skill, diligence, passion, and personality. The name itself was generated years before, in the mid-2000s when Shirley was homebrewing in Conrad’s garage and wanted to make her own homebrew brand. A friend’s suggestion of “Old Hen or something” (in Shirley’s recollection) was close but not exactly what she wanted. She found herself inspired by Feathers McGraw, the goofy-looking yet villainous penguin in the Wallace & Gromit cartoons. She loved the way he was both silly and aggressive — so she turned Old Hen into Angry Hen. “After all, I get angry!” she laughs. Shirley asked a friend who lived in her building, graphic designer Terry Sunderland, to sketch a cute yet mean chicken for her logo. This devil-eyed hen is now the face of Shirley’s brewery; with its chubby body and comically stick-thin legs, it holds a cleaver and stares menacingly to the side.

As the logo — and my conversations with her — might suggest, Shirley doesn’t feel the need to placate jerks or ignore bad behaviour just because she’s a woman. Fortunately, the jerks have been limited. While some owners have been dismissive or derogatory because of her gender, her fellow brewers have always respected her.

“Those guys never treated me like I was less than or second class,” she says.

Her willingness throughout her career to help other brewers, accept help in return, and maintain confidence in her own decisions, has solidified her reputation in the industry.

When she needs to defend her choices, however, she has no problem doing so. Shirley recalls one customer entering Angry Hen feeling, well, angry. “I’m really offended by that name! It’s very sexist!” the woman said to Shirley, pointing to the Old Bitch Bitter on the tap list. Shirley’s response was frank: “Well, I’m the brewer. It’s my beer — and I’m an old bitch! I’ll call my beer what I want.” It may be a bit shocking, perhaps offensive, but I personally find the beer’s name — and her attitude — refreshing. She’s transformed a traditionally derogatory term into an empowering one. Sometimes we’re angry. Sometimes we’re bitchy. Shirley gives herself (and other women) permission to acknowledge that.

Angry Hen has brought new life to Kaslo over the past six years. It draws tourists into the village, of course, but it’s also a hub for the locals. “Kaslo’s living room” is its affectionate nickname. In having her own brewery, Shirley now has full creative freedom in what she makes and how she markets it — something that she longed for decades ago in Vancouver. It’s not just the creativity of brewing she loves, though; it’s also the physicality.

“I like moving around. I can’t sit still,” she says. “I like everything analog when it comes to brewing — I don’t want to brew with buttons.”

Moving and touching and feeling are the things she loves about making beer. Most breweries’ mash tuns have a mechanized stirring arm, but Shirley still stirs the mash herself with a large paddle. “I can feel the thickness of it, the viscosity,” she says when I ask her why she mashes by hand. “I can tell if there’s any balling. I can control the flow of the grist. I know what’s happening with it at every stage.”

This “hands-on” instinct seems to characterize much about Shirley. She is deeply involved in all aspects of her brewery, from front-of-house to brewhouse. She cares about it — and about the people. She extended her care and generosity to me, inviting me to share a meal at her home where she cooked up some amazing burgers, introduced me to her sister, her pets, and her friends, and even tried my homebrew (my skills are woefully inadequate compared to hers, but she was gracious in her feedback).

If you want some good beer, you’ll certainly find it at Angry Hen — but you’ll also find a deep sense of community and connection. Kaslo’s little brewery truly is home to a hidden legend of BC craft brewing and an inspiration to women in craft brewing everywhere. Are you ready for your next road trip?

Along with many breweries in BC, Angry Hen is faced with imminent repayment deadlines of the federal CEBA loan that kept them afloat during the COVID-19 pandemic. In an effort to assist this small BC business, a GoFundMe fundraiser has been set up by a friend of the brewery.

The post Angry Hen Brewing and the Legacy of Shirley Warne appeared first on The BC Ale Trail.

My most recent Hops Among Friends interview was with Connor Blanchard from Luppolo Brewing. Connor was able to pay it forward, and he selected Tessa Gabiniewicz, the Head Brewer at Land & Sea Brewing for my next Hops Among Friends discussion. Land & Sea Brewing was established in 2018 in Comox on the Vancouver Island Part II Ale Trail.

I enjoyed speaking with Tessa and learning about her career in BC’s craft beer industry. She also got me excited to start planning a future trip to the Comox Valley and to go out foraging with her for ingredients for a future beer!

This is my 19th interview in the Hops Among Friends series over the last 6 years. You can read through all of my previous Hops Among Friends articles here.

Kim: How did you get started in craft beer?

Tessa: I got my start at Nelson Brewing Company in late 2009. I applied at NBC because they were looking for some extra help. Mike Kelly was the head brewer at the time, and he hired me on the brewing side. While I didn’t have any experience brewing, I went to school for robotics and automation in Ontario, and I think Mike saw potential there.

As I hadn’t done any brewing, I did some on-the-job shadowing. I started right away filtering and brewing beer. My hands-on college background gave me the right mechanical aptitude for this kind of work. I got right in there and I was really quick to learn the hands-on stuff, but microbiology is definitely where I lacked.

I was at Nelson Brewing until sometime in 2014. Then I went to Sherwood Mountain Brewhouse in Terrace as a consultant and contract brewer. I helped them open up their facility, and I helped them with their recipes and equipment in a professional capacity. Then I moved to Vancouver Island, to Union Bay in 2016. I was the contract brewer and consultant for Beach Fire Brewing in Campbell River — Darren Finnerty was also a homebrewer, so I was able to provide them with my professional expertise.

I really enjoyed working at these breweries. Both contracts were designed so that I would work myself out of a job once I got them set up and started.

From there, I went to 33 Acres Brewing from 2017 to 2018 as their Lead Brewer for the evenings. I got to work with the legendary David Varga, and I was able to hone my brewing skills here. Especially after working at two small breweries, it was great to be at a production facility again.

This then led me to the job at Land & Sea Brewing in April 2018.

Jason and Hanna Walker contacted me and asked if I would like to be their brewer. It was pretty awesome for me. People had been asking me if I wanted to start up my own brewery, but I was reluctant to start my own business as I love what I do. With the Land & Sea opportunity, I was able to build this brewery from the ground up.

The third time’s a charm when building a new brewery. The difference was that here at Land & Sea, if I do a good job, I get to stay, as opposed to the contract roles where if I was doing a good job, I would work myself out of a job. Land & Sea is the fifth brewery I’ve worked at, and the third one that I’ve opened up, but I’m so happy that I get to stay at this one.

I was able to build the brewery how I wanted it. I designed where to put the plumbing, so I have no one else to blame but myself! In this role, I make all of the recipes. Jason, Hanna and I oversee the operations and we have a great team to help us run the show. It’s been such a positive experience. We’ve grown a lot, yet we have tried not to expand too much, especially during COVID. We are proud of what we have built as a very taproom-focused brewery. We really want people to come to Land & Sea to experience all that we offer.

Kim: What do you love most about the craft beer industry?

Tessa: The community. It’s so special. It takes a bunch of working pieces to solve problems and make it the great industry that we have. I think this industry is really unique. I have found in the brewing industry, there is so much camaraderie and I love that. You can be the best brewer in your facility, but the more you learn from your colleagues, the more tools you get in your toolbox, and the more you keep learning. It’s an industry where you can keep learning for the rest of your life.

Here in the Comox Valley, there are five breweries. We call each other up for help or to borrow ingredients. If we are having a problem, there’s always someone there to jump on a call and help. The way we look at it is that the better we all do as a whole in the Valley, the more we will each succeed individually.

Kim: What makes Land & Sea unique?

Tessa: We are very taproom focused. You can bring grandma here, or you can come here on a date. We have a big, bright open space with two large garage doors. We have a 72-person capacity, with an additional patio in the drier months. We have one bar that you can sit at and another bar that you can order from.

We only have a small pony wall, so you can see into the brewhouse and into the kitchen from wherever you are. Our guests often comment to us that you really can see everything going on here.

Also, we have an awesome food program. We just won the Peoples’ Choice Awards for the best brewery, best nachos and best wings with the Comox Valley Record. We were really pleased to win these awards. There are five breweries in the Comox Valley, and they are all wonderful, so this was very meaningful for us.

We have a great space with a nice atmosphere, great beer, great food, and great people.

Kim: Tell me about something that you are really proud of.

Tessa: I would have to say being chosen to go to JD Wetherspoon to represent Canada and brew one of my beers was a career highlight for me. JD Wetherspoon is a company that has almost 900 pubs in the United Kingdom and Ireland. They hold an international brewing festival, with brewers from around the world. Gary Lohin from Central City Brewing called me and told me about the opportunity. I went in February 2020 just before the lockdown. There were brewers from five breweries around the world including Italy, New Zealand, Canada, the US and Japan. I was chosen to represent Canada.

I sent them a list of all the beers I had brewed to date for their consideration. They really liked my recipe for our Estuary Session Ale, which has 5 KG of spruce tips in it. I like to get on my dirt bike and take logging roads up the mountain to find and harvest the spruce tips for this beer. I am really into foraging and experimenting with local ingredients.

My brewhouse capacity is 1,500 litres, so I don’t need many spruce tips for a small batch of this beer at our brewery. I was pretty shocked when they connected me with the host brewery, Hook Norton Brewery, and I learned that we would be brewing a 408-hectolitre batch! That’s 40,800 litres. I contacted a hop farm in the lower mainland. They worked with me to pelletize spruce tips and centennial hops and we shipped 80 KG of this blend to England from BC. That was very cool in itself. This process got the ball rolling with having spruce tip-infused hops available for breweries in BC to purchase.

I went to Hook Norton Brewery in Oxfordshire. I brewed with them over three days, and I was there in total for five days.

I spent almost two weeks touring around doing some PR for the festival. Brewing at Hook Norton was amazing. It is an older brewery, over 175 years old. It’s also a tower brewery, so everything was gravity-fed, and everything was open-top fermenters. It was the biggest, oldest brewery I’ve ever worked in.

When I returned home, I brought some cultured yeast samples from Hook Norton back to Comox and I was able to recreate this same beer here with their yeast and our Canadian ingredients. That was very cool.

Sadly, I didn’t get to try the beer. It was meant to go into around 900 pubs across the UK in casks and kegs. But unfortunately, all of these pubs were shut down shortly after I left because of COVID. Hook Norton made the decision to pull out the cask and kegs from the pubs, and they packaged all of the beer from the kegs and casks into bottles so that the beer wouldn’t go bad. They sent me a care package with samples, but the bottles with my beer were broken, so I didn’t get to try it. I heard it was very well received.

Kim: What do you have planned at Land & Sea for this winter? 

Tessa: We have our fifth-year birthday coming up in December. We’ll be celebrating this special milestone in January 2024. I’m brewing an imperial pastry stout with my assistant brewer, Levon Olsen, to celebrate our fifth birthday. It will be available on tap and it will be packaged in 473ml cans, which will be sold exclusively from our taproom.

Based on our tank space, we typically have six-to-nine different beers on tap in our taproom. However, at the end of January, I’m getting two made-in-Canada 700-litre foeders delivered from New World Foeder Craft in PEI. I was just in PEI to check out the building of them. We’ll use one of them for our saisons. The other will be for lagers.

It’s going to be awesome. They are made with new American oak from Quebec. They are going to go above my current tanks, so I’m excited about that. Then four-to-six times a year, we’ll release foeder-aged beers. I’m really excited for this new series. We don’t have the space for a barrel program so this will provide an elevated experience. People can expect to try the first of our foeder-aged beers in late spring/early summer, 2024.

We’ll also be using our own house culture for our saisons and lagers, and I’m excited to see how that develops over the years.

I am really into foraging and experimenting with local ingredients, so you can also expect more beers like this in the future.

Kim: What is your favourite beer to enjoy in the winter?

Tessa: I love a saison, any time of year, even during winter. Something like Saison Dupont, which I can drink all year round. I also really enjoy English-style beers including milds, bitters and heavier lagers like a doppelbock. But I’m also a sucker for a classic German lager. Apparently, I love beer!

Kim: If you aren’t drinking beer, what are you drinking?

Tessa: Wine. A natural wine, like an orange wine. Or a red wine with low intervention and deep, jammy flavours. I really like Plot Wines from the Okanagan. Their red wines have lots of character and variety.

I also really enjoy cider. In particular, Revel Cider, which is an awesome little cidery in Guelph, ON. Plus, I like Twin Island Cider. Both of these cideries offer subscription boxes.

Kim: How is it for you being a woman working as a brewer?

Tessa: I love it. I feel very supported. People ask me this question often, but I really don’t even think about it in my day-to-day, honestly. I have always felt like an equal through my experiences, and I am fortunate to say that.

I have always worked very hard, and I’m passionate about what I do. It takes a village to make this industry what it is. I think that’s why we all love working in this industry.

It doesn’t matter if you’re a brewer, a server, an owner or in marketing, it takes all of us to make it work. I can work as hard as I want at brewing, but if the person behind the bar isn’t engaged, it’s not going to be the same experience for our guests.

Kim: Can you tell me about some hidden gems in the Comox Valley? 

Tessa: I would recommend Mount Washington for skiing. If you want to go cross-country skiing, I’d suggest Strathcona Park, which is the oldest park in BC. From Land & Sea Brewing, it is 20 minutes to Strathcona Park, so it’s easy to go for a hike or a mountain bike.

We have rivers to swim and fish in. And of course, ocean fishing and the beach. We also have great roads for road biking. It’s very much an outdoor recreation community here. We have something for everyone. I would recommend doing a bicycle winery tour in the fall. Plus, of course, visit all of our local breweries.

Also, you can’t miss seeing the Comox Glacier from anywhere in town. It’s an iconic view. I see this stunning view on my drive to work. It’s gorgeous! I drive by the ocean, so I get an amazing ocean view. I also get a city view and the Comox Glacier.

A few other things I would suggest are to check out Comox Lake in Cumberland. Head to Comox Harbour and downtown Cumberland for some unique shopping. If you are looking for some delicious oysters, check out GiGi’s Oysters in Comox. We also have lovely walking trails to Nymph Falls, which are really nice. We have lots of great hiking and biking trails in the area.

Kim: Who else in the craft beer industry do you find interesting and why?

Tessa: I’d love for you to speak with Matt West-Patrick (co-owner/brewer) and Isaiah Archer (co-owner/sales and marketing) at Whistle Buoy Brewing. They are great. They have an awesome team, and I’m very proud of them. They are innovators in the industry, and they are always doing something new and interesting with their brewing and their marketing.

Stay tuned for the next instalment of the Hops Among Friends blog series, where I speak with Matt and Isaiah from Whistle Buoy Brewing in Victoria, on the Greater Victoria Ale Trail. Until then, cheers!

The post Hops Among Friends: Tessa Gabiniewicz of Land and Sea Brewing appeared first on The BC Ale Trail.

Life is about choices. Currently, I’m munching on duck prosciutto and musing about what to choose next from the Indigenous game sampler platter in front of me. Elk juniper salami, homemade pickles, cedar jelly, and smoked cheddar are among the mouthwatering options. Dinner has been good to me so far.

“Try the pemmican mousse,” suggests Salmon n’ Bannock proprietor Inez Cook, a member of Bella Coola’s Nuxalk Nation, as she pours me a glass of Red Truck Beer Company’s Amber Ale. “It’s fantastic.”

Served with bannock crackers, the frothy dish features smoked bison meat ground into powder and blended with cream cheese and blueberries. I wish I’d ordered a second helping. Additionally, I’m loving the sockeye ceviche and sweetgrass-infused cherries.

Founded in 2010, Salmon n’ Bannock welcomes patrons in my hometown of Vancouver, specializing in wild fish and organic game. This cozy Indigenous-owned and operated restaurant on West Broadway added a sister location at art-laden YVR (Vancouver International Airport) in 2022. Salmon n’ Bannock offers one of many good reasons to explore the traditional unceded territories of the Sḵwx̱wú7mesh (Squamish), Stó:lō and Səl̓ílwətaʔ/Selilwitulh (Tsleil-Waututh), and xʷməθkʷəy̓əm (Musqueam) nations.

At a challenging time in Canada’s journey toward reconciliation, supporting local First Nations businesses is important and rewarding. While sampling craft beer safely and responsibly on the BC Ale Trail, you can also admire traditional and modern takes on West Coast Indigenous art.

Before digging into my main course, a hearty bison pot roast served with seasonal vegetables and horseradish, I check out the pieces on display in this intimately lit, lively room with black-and-red decor. BC artists like Darcy Joseph and Jon Erickson represent Indigenous culture with pride and diversity. Cedar carvings and paintings with titles such as Red Salmon and Spirit Wolf are available for purchase.

As I enjoy my dinner with a glass of Howe Sound Brewing’s Rail Ale Nut Brown, I’m already making plans to discover more Indigenous cuisine and art in Metro Vancouver.

I’ve set my sights on visiting some First Nations-affiliated breweries further afield in Metro Vancouver. For instance, Locality Brewing, a farm-based Langley brewery that identifies as Métis-owned, has hosted an on-site Métis Festival. It won the 2022 Indigenous Led Business of the Year Award at the BC Food and Beverage Awards. Achievements like these are propelled by Locality’s commitment to great beers, like its distinctively sweet and salty La Tayr Saskatoon Berry and Kelp Gose.

In 2020, New Westminster’s Another Beer Co. produced its limited-edition Askî Oci Saison. Incorporating local BC spruce tips, this beer creatively celebrated the heritage of Cree brewery co-owner Nadine (Hansen) Jopson, Métis artist Kayla MacInnis, and Métis herbal therapist Vanessa Prescott.

In Abbotsford, the 2014-founded, family-owned Ravens Brewing makes award-winning beers like Corvus Lingonberry Lime Gose. Co-owner Jocelyn Sweeting’s biological mother is Ojibwe.

Ravens Brewing states: “We would like to acknowledge the traditional ancestral shared territory of the Sumas First Nation and Matsqui First Nation. These two First Nations are part of the Stό:lō Nation. The Stό:lō people have lived in the Fraser Valley for 10,000 years. It is for this reason that we acknowledge the traditional territory in which we reside.”

When I head to Vancouver’s North Shore for an afternoon of bannock, biking, and breweries, I’m in luck at the downtown Waterfront Station. Boarding the Burrard Chinook, a SeaBus ferry that TransLink launched with a traditional First Nations ceremony in 2021, I take in its incredible external artwork depicting the life cycle of a salmon.

Inside the $32-million vessel, the artistic visions of collaborators Kelly Cannell, Siobhan Joseph, and Angela George are detailed on a panel, which I check out during the smooth 12-minute crossing over Burrard Inlet to Lonsdale Quay.

After renting a bike at the nearby Reckless Shipyards store, I pedal toward the Mosquito Creek Marina waterfront on the 6.5-kilometre Spirit Trail. This winding, paved path celebrates Indigenous culture.

Although I’m eagerly anticipating my lunch at the Mr. Bannock food truck, I keep pulling over to take photos. For instance, Wade Baker’s The Gateway to Ancient Wisdom (2008) offers an impossible-to-miss entrance to the marina, constructed with stainless steel and red cedar.

I find Mr. Bannock on a quiet side street. The food truck is nestled in a driveway, and I line up with Australian visitors to order my traditional bannock (or fry bread) and a hearty beef burger. On this sunny afternoon, it’s a satisfying way to fuel up for my local BC Ale Trail tour.

Black Kettle Brewing is just a five-minute bike ride away. I grab a seat on the parking lot patio and sip a pint of Back in Blackberry Sour. The 8,000-square-foot brewery, founded eight years ago by Bryan Lockhart, features other innovative creations by brewmaster Sarah Polkinghorne, who holds a degree in chemistry.

Stand-out Black Kettle beers include Trax Pale Ale, Cascade IPA and Don’t Feed the Bears White IPA. You can also take away beer to drink between 11 am and dusk at nearby Kings Mill Walk Park, thanks to North Van’s recently liberalized by-laws.

Cycling back along the Spirit Trail, I pause to check out Xwalacktun’s Thunderbird (2018). The five-ton basalt stone sculpture powerfully incorporates petroglyphs that evoke both this land’s ancient history and modern life.

I pull up outside the Lonsdale Quay Market, eager to check out a new pop-up venue called The Brewyard (open Thursday to Sunday through August 27, 2023). Located at the south end of the market with an open-air patio, it showcases the best of the Shipyards Brewing District, with seven different local breweries represented. It’s an excellent place to relax with a beer in the sun.

Gazing toward the white sails roof of Canada Place on the downtown Vancouver waterfront, I reflect on how our understanding of Indigenous culture and history has evolved since those white sails first went up for EXPO 86, the 1986 World’s Fair.

My last Spirit Trail stop before returning my bike is Beere Brewing, just minutes away on Esplanade. At this 2017-founded, family-owned brewery, the inventive, fun beer list ranges from Pinky Tuscadero, a classic raspberry lemonade sour, to Mental Floss, an accessible, double dry-hopped IPA. I pick up a four-pack of tall cans to go.

Right next to downtown Vancouver, more First Nations culture awaits in Stanely Park. The forested 1,000-acre urban park was once the site of an Indigenous village called X̱wáýx̱way, located near Lumberman’s Arch. You can book a Talking Trees Tour with Talaysay Tours, which sheds light on edible plants in Stanley Park, from licorice fern to salmon berries.

Today, the most-visited attraction in all of BC is the extraordinary collection of nine totem poles at Brockton Point. In 2008, artist Susan Point, who was born in Alert Bay and hails from the Musqueam Nation, added three red cedar portals. They represent male and female welcome figures, the bond between grandparents and grandchildren, and a Salish dancer and a killer whale respectively.

After visiting Brockton Point, it’s an easy stroll to the Stanley Park Pavilion, where you can sip Yellow Dog Brewing’s Chase My Tail Pale Ale or Neighbourhood Brewing’s Way of Life Hazy IPA on the patio.

There’s much more to explore. The Bill Reid Gallery in downtown Vancouver is dedicated to contemporary Indigenous Northwest Coast Art, celebrating the Haida master artist Bill Reid (1920 – 1998) and the diverse living cultures of the Northwest Coast.

Takaya Tours offers guided, interpretive paddles in replica ocean-going canoes, similar to those used historically by the Tsleil-Waututh Nation. Guests gently paddle in the protected waters of the Burrard Inlet and beautiful Indian Arm while guides from the Coast Salish Nation sing songs, tell legends, and point out ancient village sites.

I’m looking forward to viewing Blanketing the City IV: Cathedral Square, a public mural installation that dynamically evokes Coast Salish weaving traditions from three local First Nations. It attracts supporters of the annual Vancouver Mural Festival, and is less than a 10-minute walk from Steamworks, which has offered great craft beer in Gastown since 1995. A dramatic sequel, Blanketing the City V, covers an entire building on North Vancouver’s Burrard Pier.

Canadians still have a long way to go on the path toward reconciliation. Still, the choices we make with food and drink can bring us all closer together, and that’s never a bad thing.

June is Indigenous History Month. This month, and every month, you can seek out, learn, and celebrate the rich, diverse, and living Indigenous cultures in BC and beyond. There are more than 200 Indigenous communities in BC, and over 160 Indigenous-owned tourism operators and unique experiences, each with stories to share. For more information, visit Indigenous Tourism BC.

The post Discover Indigenous Food and Artwork along our BC Ale Trails appeared first on The BC Ale Trail.

My most recent Hops Among Friends interview was with Martina Solano Bielen from Kwantlen Polytechnic University (KPU) and the KPU Brew Lab. At the end of our discussion, Martina selected who I would interview next. She chose Miguel Molina, the Head Brewer at Boardwalk Brewing. Established in 2021, Boardwalk Brewing is in Port Coquitlam on the North of the Fraser Ale Trail.

When I interviewed Martina, it was awesome learning more about the Brewing Diploma program at KPU. She provided an exciting look at the future of BC’s craft beer industry. Speaking with Miguel gave me a further glimpse into the future. I enjoyed speaking with Miguel. As a recent KPU grad, he is one of the people helping to shape the future of this industry. It was exciting to hear about his background in Ecuador, his move to Canada, and his immersion into BC’s craft beer scene.

Kim: How did you get your start in craft beer?

Miguel: Here’s the short answer (not really). About 10 years ago, I was working as a sound and acoustic engineer. I worked at a TV station doing sound editing. I always liked beer, although I didn’t know much about craft beer.

Eventually, one of my friends took me to this craft brewery in Quito, Ecuador, which is where I’m from. It was in a bit of a sketchy neighbourhood, where you don’t usually go, but I wanted to see this place that a few friends were talking about. When I got there, I was surprised because they had a chapel inside the brewery and the vibe of an old town pub, which was pretty cool. A couple of guys from the US founded this brewery called Bandido Brewing. They noted that there were only a few options for craft beer at the time in Quito and therefore they decided to open this place. I tried an IPA there, and I thought, what is this? It was very interesting to me. It was at this point that craft beer clicked for me, and I decided I wanted to do something around it.

A few months later, a friend and I decided to build a small pub called La Reserva. It was a DIY project. Our idea was to bring in all of the craft beer we could find from all around Ecuador into one place. We built and set up everything there, from tables and chairs to the beer lines and tap handles. We built a brand and logos and conceptualized it all. It was an amazing learning experience.

I was still working my full-time job in sound editing, so keeping up with the pub was crazy tiring but uniquely fulfilling at the same time. By this time, it was 2015, and the craft beer boom was really happening. We had this idea at the perfect time. It turned out very cool and we ended up opening a second location a year later.

Long story short, I got my start in craft beer behind the bar! Selling craft beer to our friends and customers. While I was learning, I was also able to share with customers the beauty of craft beer. I also remember I was making lots of brewer friends during this time, and eventually started doing field trips with the pub and our crew to their breweries to get deeper into the process of making beer. During that time I got certified as a Beer Judge (BJCP). It was fun going to competitions and getting to understand so many different beer styles.

A year after this, I quit my full-time job and dedicated myself to the business and craft beer full-time. A couple of years later, my partner and I started our own microbrewery project. We were brewing around 2,000 litres of beer every couple of weeks, selling all of this beer in the pub and some restaurants.

We eventually started canning this beer and selling it around Ecuador. The branding was all about cats, as we really like cats. This was a pure passion project for us. We weren’t making tons of money, but it was very fun. We really enjoyed it and we learned a few cool things.

Eventually, we came to a crossroads. We had two options: to invest in equipment and build up the brewery, or go somewhere else, carry on our adventure, and keep learning about beer. I decided to move to Vancouver and I went to KPU to study brewing, which is where I met Martina. She is such a great brewer and instructor in the KPU program, and an amazing person.

At KPU, I got my first job here in BC. I started working doing sales on Fridays, which helped me to get to know more about the program and chat and learn from the instructors. The plan was to work at KPU with them during the summer at the brewery and the lab. However, the pandemic happened, so the plans changed.

After that, I worked in another brewery cellaring, which was a great learning experience. I was so committed to learning back then, and eventually, I realized that brewing is a lifelong learning experience and you must be open to learning all the time.

After a year, I moved to 33 Acres Brewing. Interestingly, this was one of the first breweries I visited when I moved to Vancouver. I remember thinking at the time that it was a remarkable brewery. I enjoyed looking through the glass at their experimental taproom and thinking “I would love to work here.” The opportunity came up for me to become a brewer at 33 Acres. This was an exponential learning curve for me. There are great brewers there with tons of experience and eyes for the details. Here I learned how to take care of a beer from the raw ingredients to the final package. I also learned how much hard work is needed to be good at this and to be consistent with your products.

The opportunity came up at Boardwalk Brewing to take the lead as head brewer in March 2022. As a new brewery, the challenge was pretty big. Putting all the procedures in place, rethinking every recipe, and coming up with seasonals takes a lot of time. It has been a crazy experience, but so amazing and satisfying to see people drinking our beers and enjoying them so much.

I’m so glad to be working here now contributing to the BC and PoCo craft beer scenes.

Kim: What do you love most about working at Boardwalk Brewing?

Miguel: I am trying to keep things simple on the brewing side, but I also love experimentation, so having the ability to be curious feels great. With brewing, it’s about education, experience, learning, science, and art. You need to have a mix of all of these and the beer will turn out right. I’m happy to have the opportunity to do this at Boardwalk. As well, I enjoy creating new recipes and making little changes to elevate our beers to make them unique and quenchable.

A good example is our brand-new barrel program. We recently released a Brettanomyces sour called Tart of Funk. We took a base ale and fermented and conditioned it in tequila barrels for nine months. We transferred it to stainless and blended it with a sour ale. We then added a bunch of raspberries and bottle-conditioned it. It is a complex but very approachable beer.

We just released it in 500ml bottles, so it is available for the holidays. It’s a great beer to open and share with family and friends for special occasions.

This is our first barrel program beer. It is so exciting to bring these new products to the market. I’m glad to have a great team here that makes things run smoothly.

Kim: As a recent KPU graduate, how does it feel to see fellow students from KPU now going on to do great things in the craft beer industry?

Miguel: I’m so happy about it. I think it’s amazing to see how each person is making their own role in the industry. There are so many options, and it’s very cool to see this. I’m glad I went to KPU, and I’m excited to see more people coming into the industry with this fresh experience and education. It makes me very proud. These people will make our industry even better and more unique. I’m sure some of the beers and names will be recognized not only in Canada, but also internationally someday.

Kim: As an industry, what can we be doing to encourage more diversity?

Miguel: That’s a really good question.

In general, it’s a very welcoming community. It’s a warm industry the majority of the time, and you can see this when you go to beer festivals or into a taproom. You can see it when you see people interacting with each other and collaborating with other breweries.

I’ve been here for three years, so my panorama is not too wide, although it feels like home here. I consider myself an example of inclusion.

In general, BC and the brewing industry are really open to bringing in people with different backgrounds and cultures. In the last year, I’ve seen how women are more accepted in the industry. It’s finally not just a man’s job, and it’s fulfilling to see this, although, in my opinion, I truly believe we can do more about it. I would like to encourage brewery owners and shareholders to increase the diversity percentage in their businesses, and be aware of the value each person brings to the business and keep compensating them well regardless of their cultural background or identity.

Kim: What else is happening at Boardwalk Brewing this winter?

Miguel: We brewed a German-Style Schwarzbier called Black Forest that was released in November. I am so stoked about this beer because we’ve never brewed a dark lager before with Boardwalk. We wanted to create something that isn’t too heavy but still has those layers of chocolate, mild roasted malt flavour, and Maillard reaction.

I think that dark lagers are the best. They are toasty and warm for cold days. We used German malts and hops, as well as a German-type yeast to ferment along with traditional German methods of fermentation. We used a technique called spunding to naturally carbonate the beer. This is a seasonal, limited release and it is available now in 473ml cans. We have a store list on our website, or you can come to the taproom and grab a pint.

Also, we are canning one of our taproom favourite beers, Levitation Lager. It is what I call a BC Lager because it’s made with BC malt and BC hops. This is the best seller in our taproom. It’s 4.2% ABV and super crushable. We’ll be releasing it in 355ml cans at the end of this year.

Kim: What do you love about the craft beer scene in PoCo?

Miguel: Traboulay PoCo Trail is close to our brewery. It’s just five minutes away, so it’s a great thing to do on a weekend. You can enjoy the Fraser River, enjoy a bike ride, and grab some nachos or tacos and our freshest beer.

The PoCo craft beer scene is growing. Patina, Northpaw, and Tinhouse. All 4 breweries are very close, so it is good if you plan to do a brewery crawl. There’s also Mariner Brewing, which is just outside of PoCo. Also very close is Brewers Row in Port Moody. Twin Sails is another favourite of mine.

I find that breweries have their arms open, waiting to welcome people to the neighbourhood.

There are lots of young families in PoCo, so it’s great that we now have these spaces in the community. The community is more connected. Craft beer connects people. People can meet here with their friends and family, play board games and then ride their bikes or walk home. I find that the breweries are real hubs in the community.

Kim: Now that people are beginning to travel again, where in BC is your next spot to go adventuring?

Miguel: I really want to go to Penticton. I’ve never been. I really like Slackwater Brewing beers. I enjoy the vibe of small cities. It’s so different than larger cities. Even though I’ve never been to Penticton, I know I will enjoy it, not only for its amazing beer scene but also because of its wineries and impressive scenery. I’m looking forward to visiting Penticton.

Closer to home, I enjoy visiting Steel & Oak and Another Beer Company both of which are super rad breweries. These are the breweries that I often visit because they are close to my place in New West. I also suggest these breweries to anyone visiting the Vancouver area.

Kim: What are some of your favourite craft beer festivals?

Miguel: In 2019, three weeks after I moved to Vancouver, it was time for the BC Beer Awards, so I volunteered at it. It was awesome to see everyone enjoying talking about beer, ingredients, and the quality of beers. So that was definitely very cool, and I am so stoked that it returned this year.

I really enjoy going to festivals. I really love music festivals and beer festivals, traveling, and visiting breweries. I think festivals are coming back stronger than before. The recent Brewhalla Festival was one of the first festivals we attended as a brewery with Boardwalk. I enjoyed pouring and talking to people about our beers. We also participated in Whistler Beer Festival. It was lovely to hear the feedback from the festival attendees about how much they enjoyed our beers. One of their favourites was “PoCosteiner” which is a German-Style Munich Dunkel, based on a traditional Märzen.

Festivals create a connection between the people that enjoy craft beer and the breweries that create the beer. It’s so awesome to see it all come together.

Next year I would like to attend the Weathered Beer Fest, Victoria Beer Week, Farmhouse Fest, and the GCBF.

Kim: Besides brewing, what else do you enjoy doing?  

Miguel: I enjoy hanging out with my family. My partner Andrea and our 14-year-old daughter Mariafe enjoy taking our bikes out and riding around Stanley Park. We also enjoy visiting Fort Langley and its closest and coolest brewery, Locality Brewing.

I also love playing music, I played drums for more than a decade, but when I moved to Vancouver it was hard to play drums because of the noise and space. So I started playing guitar in a band called Dead Fast. We play punk rock, and it’s super cool and relaxing for me.

Kim: Tell me about some hidden gems in the PoCo area.

Miguel: One of the things I would suggest is mountain biking. Burke Mountain has really great trails. It’s such a great way to hang out in nature and connect with yourself.

Kim: Who else in the craft beer industry do you find interesting and why?

Miguel: I’d love for you to speak with Justin Larter, Lead Brewer, Lab Manager, and Wild Yeast Wrangler at Barnside Brewing. He’s such a great person. He has shown me some tips and tricks for brewing over the years. He knows so much about microbiology and he is truly passionate about wild fermentation, coolships, yeast wrangling, and farming. I like their brewing style and the fact that they are using local ingredients.

Stay tuned for the next installment of the Hops Among Friends blog series, where I speak with Justin from Barnside Brewing, in Delta on the South of the Fraser Ale Trail. Until then, cheers!

The post Hops Among Friends: Miguel Molina of Boardwalk Brewing appeared first on The BC Ale Trail.

As June begins and British Columbia celebrates its sizeable 2SLGBTQIA+ community, it is important to keep in mind that inclusion needs to be a year-long commitment. It’s easy to be performative by putting up Pride flags or slapping a rainbow on a beer label. 

“You definitely have somebody who is queer on staff. And if you don’t – hire somebody because that’s ridiculous!” – The Established, Shanda Leer  

To be a true ally, breweries need to hire diverse folks for production positions, visible front of house roles, and in management. And they need to welcome queer patrons into a safe and supportive space.  Breweries use open mic nights, acoustic sets, comedy and trivia nights to bring in new customers. Several BC breweries are adding drag shows into the mix. 

“Breweries are a space to bring people together and drag shows are a prime example of this.” – Claire Demers, Farm Country Brewing

 

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I jumped at the opportunity to attend a recent drag show in (y)East Vancouver just steps from my home. I love living right in the middle of all the breweries — I am never at a loss for somewhere to go and something to drink. But a drag show at Sunday brunchtime? Beer, pizza, mimosas AND entertainment? That was even more temptation than usual! And ‘A Tall Glass of Drag’ at Luppolo Brewing did not disappoint. Jump splits, somersaulting, strutting and prancing, dancing on the bar, and even a burlesque number — it was a feast for the eyes! And my tastebuds too, thanks to the pizza I ‘brunched up’ by putting an egg on it, a grapefruit mimosa, and of course beer!

 

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But enough about my lovely afternoon… here’s some whys and wherefores of beers, queers and drag shows, from some of the folks putting on the shows, and the breweries that are hosting them. Thank you to Grey Figueroa Mercado (Sales and Media) and Anique Ross (Co-Owner) of Luppolo Brewing, and Tall Glass of Drag organizers The Established, Shanda Leer, and Bruce, who sat down with me before the show for a lively discussion. Thanks also to Liam Peyton of Slackwater Brewing, Andy Romans of Strange Fellows Brewing, and Claire Demers of Farm Country Brewing who corresponded via email — and Freida Whales who went old skool with me via telephone!

“We’ve got a great space and we’ve got a great community here. Why not do drag?” – Grey Mercado, Luppolo Brewing

Here’s some of what they had to tell me:

Drag is popular right now, and brewery drag shows are selling out quickly, proving “people just want to consume drag now” as Shanda Leer so aptly put it. It seems to be a match made in beer heaven. According to Freida Whales the performers love being at tasting rooms because “people like to drink beer and watch drag. The more they drink, the more they tip, so it’s good for us!” Shanda Leer is also a fan of beer googles — “after two or three beers everybody is like ‘okay, it’s the best thing I’ve ever seen!’” 

“Creating delicious craft beer is a form of art and performing in drag is obviously a tremendous form of art and it’s so lovely to see the connection.” – Andy Romans, Strange Fellows Brewing.

Most importantly, hosting drag shows reaches out to the 2SLGBTQIA+ community and can contribute to a feeling of safety, and being welcomed into tasting rooms where that community may not have known they’d receive that welcome. 

As Bruce explains, “I am booking breweries … because I want this to be a … queer ass space where my friends can come even when there’s not drag and know that hey there has been drag here, we’ve been welcomed here, it’s good, we’ll be okay … you’re building the community, and you’re showing this community that you are committed to treating us well and welcome us to your space.”

“I think there’s a lack of space for queer events in Vancouver, events in general, music, performance. It is hard to find spaces, venues, safe spaces, so we’ve got the space here why not share it with our community.” – Grey Mercado, Luppolo Brewing

Drag shows aren’t just for the queer community. RuPaul’s omnipresence has brought drag to the wider community. Freida Whales says her shows attract a varied audience of folks queer and straight, young and older. A birthday party and a bachelorette party were part of the audience at A Tall Glass of Drag.

Shanda Leer and Freida Whales both like to have diversity in the performers at their drag shows as well. Freida Whales leans more towards comedy in her performance, and brings acts with her who provide a variety show feel via singing or burlesque, plus drag kings and the show-stopping Sophonda Dick, a 70-year-old drag queen who has been performing for over 50 years. Shanda Leer brings gender diverse and BIPOC performers with her. And tries to ensure that those in the audience who are new to drag shows leave feeling very positively towards the art. 

“These are artists who literally put time and practice hours into it, so respect the art form.” – The Established, Shanda Leer

If you’re a newcomer, here are a couple of handy things to know before you go:

• Cheering, singing along, and audience enthusiasm are encouraged
• Tipping is not required, but it is encouraged and, as Shanda Leer points out, often how the performers pay rent – so bring cash
• These types of shows aren’t always kid friendly – while everyone is welcome, maybe choose a different event to bring the wee ones to

“There are drag queens across BC who would love to work, and would love to collaborate… You’re not booking a band, you’re really creating a partnership with a drag performer.” – The Established, Shanda Leer

If you’re a brewery wanting to jump on this drag show bandwagon – please do! While it is the entertainers who drive the show, the host breweries put in a lot of work too, and that work pays dividends to the queer community and the brewery. Keep walking that walk all year round and make your brewery and tasting room safe, supportive spaces. Be a true ally.

“Any event is always a good opportunity to meet new people. I like that this event gives us that extra exposure to put out there that we are such a queer-loving space, an open space, a very supportive space. I hope that it brings everyone.” – Grey Mercado, Luppolo Brewing

Upcoming shows where you can get your drag fix:

Freida Whales and her pod perform regularly at Slackwater Brewing in Penticton.
Look for shows every several weeks, alternating between the classic cabaret style and the brunch addition through summer.

You can also catch Freida Whales at BNA Brewing in Kelowna for Drag Games Nights.

Bricklayer Brewing in Chilliwack is hosting Drag Bingo this Sunday, June 5, 3-5pm. It’s a fundraiser for Chilliwack Pride.

Phillips Brewing in Victoria is hosting Drag, Queers & Beers with Vivian Vanderpuss, Woofie Goldberg and Ivory Charming on June 6^th, 6:30 – 8pm
This is not a ticketed event, but there will be limited space, so go early!

Farm Country Brewing in Langley is “happy to be a part of creating more spaces for queer events” by holding monthly drag shows hosted by Scarlett Rose, usually on the last Sunday of the month. Check out their Instagram and Facebook for info on upcoming shows, particularly the June Pride show. 

Strange Fellows Brewing will be hosting another drag show in August.  Watch their social media for news about that.

“We want everyone to feel welcome and so if new people are being exposed to this space and what we offer here as a result of this show that’s a win-win really. We’re a big tent. We want everyone in.” – Anique Ross, Luppolo Brewing

The post Dragging Diversity into Tasting Rooms appeared first on The BC Ale Trail.

I spoke with Ashley Brooks, the Quality Control Manager at Four Winds Brewing in my most recent Hops Among Friends interview. At the end of our discussion, Ashley selected who I would interview next. She chose Martina Solano Bielen from Kwantlen Polytechnic University (KPU) and the KPU Brew Lab. KPU’s Brewing and Brewery Operations program offers BC’s only Brewing Diploma program and was the first brewing program in Canada recognized by the Master Brewers Association of the Americas (MBAA) for a standard of excellence in brewing education. The KPU Brew Lab was established in 2015 in Langley on the Fraser Valley Ale Trail.

It was a fascinating conversation with Martina. I really enjoyed learning more about the Brewing Diploma program at KPU, their hands-on learning, and the brewing projects the students complete. It provides an exciting look at the future of BC’s craft beer industry.

Kim: How did you get your start in craft beer?

Martina: I have my master’s degree in microbiology, which I received from McGill University in Montreal. One of my colleagues at the time was doing his PhD in microbiology and he was also a big home brewer. It was the first time I had seen someone home brewing, and I got really interested in brewing. When I finished my degree, I decided that I wanted to apply my knowledge in the brewing field. I thought it would be a cool industry to be a part of and I was excited to use my knowledge of microbiology to make beer.

While I was doing my degree in Montreal, I also did some mentoring, and I was doing some teaching in labs that I really enjoyed. So, when the opening came up at KPU in the microbiology and chemistry part of the brewing program, it felt like a great way to get into the scene. My then-boyfriend, now husband, was from BC, so we moved to BC in 2015 and I started working at KPU soon after. It was a perfect fit for me to be both teaching and working in the brewing field.

I really enjoy working at KPU because it’s a great place to learn. When I started at KPU, I had so much to learn about brewing, beer styles, and brewing techniques. And I did learn. I soaked up knowledge from our faculty, I put it to use when I brewed, and I always learned something new when I taught as an instructor. Plus, as the students coming to the program were really interested in craft brewing and talking about breweries, I got to learn about the craft beer scene in BC very quickly.

Kim: What do you love most about working at KPU?

Martina: On one side, I love the opportunity that I have to work with a whole new group of students every year that are open-minded and excited to learn. The students always have really good questions and I learn from their experiences too.

Our students come from diverse backgrounds. I think this diversity adds so much to the program. We are all learning about brewing together.

On the other side, I love the learning and culture of education at KPU. There is a lot of opportunity for growth, with space to explore, learn new ideas, to think things through, and make mistakes and learn from them. Not only with the students but for myself as well, so I appreciate the opportunity for continued self-development.

When I started at KPU, I wanted to learn as much as possible about brewing, so while I was teaching, I was also taking the online Brewing Diploma from the Institute of Brewing. Once I finished that, I started a diploma in education (Provincial Instructor Diploma Program). In this field, you have to be an expert in both brewing and teaching. They are both equally important. So now I’m learning about how to improve my teaching. It’s great to have this opportunity to be constantly learning.

Kim: What are you most proud of about your work at KPU?

Martina: I think because I’ve been at KPU for so long, I’ve been able to see the progress of the program, and that has been great. This last year, something that made me really proud was the first time we had a KPU ‘tap takeover’ event at The Barley Merchant here in Langley. The event featured all the signature beers from our graduating students. Most students start this program with no brewing knowledge at all, and so at the end of their two years, it’s amazing to be able to taste their incredible beers. Seeing their beers on the beer list right beside beers from craft breweries made me so proud.

Kim: Congratulations on being named BC Brewery of the Year and Best Teaching Brewery in North America in 2019. How does that feel?

Martina: Going back before those awards, when we received our first award in 2017, it was a huge shock. After ironing out kinks with some of the equipment in our brewery, we started the summer of 2017 with another problem: one of our instructors I was supposed to brew with suffered an injury. We were shorthanded the whole summer. All of the brewing was up to just me and a student assistant. Yet somehow, we created a wheat beer that won us bronze at the BC Beer Awards. It was absolutely incredible. I started that summer with doubts about my abilities to make beer, let alone an award-winning beer. Then going on to receive those awards in 2019, it was almost unbelievable. It made me feel very proud of our staff and our team. It was amazing to see how far we had come from the start of the program.

For the US Open College Beer Championship awards, we submit beers that are made by our students, so it made me very proud in 2019 to see how many of our students were awarded for the beers they made in competition with so many other brewing schools.

Kim: How does it feel to see students from KPU now going on to do great things in the craft beer industry?

Martina: Seeing our students get their first brewing jobs or open their own breweries is so fulfilling. I’m so happy that they get to work wherever they want to. I am also very happy that I can help contribute to their success.

It’s all so rewarding, and it makes me so proud. I’m very hopeful that we are going to have a better culture in craft beer going forward, and better beer going forward.

The students are learning the science behind the brewing. And we know that means better tasting beer and better-quality beer. Strong quality control is an important part of the diploma program, so hopefully this enhances beer quality in the world in general.

Because there are many students in each cohort, there are these bonds that develop within classes, as well as with other students that attended KPU. I feel like this common background helps to create a more friendly and tight-knit industry going forward.

Kim: How do you manage both teaching and brewing?

Martina: That’s one of the good things about KPU. I do have a lot of flexibility. From September through April, my focus is on the teaching component. It’s a very hands-on program, so I’m teaching the students and they are putting it into practice in the lab.

In the summer months, when we don’t have classes, I focus more on the brewery. I do more maintenance, organization, and brewing projects.

This summer, for example, we are collaborating with the Applied Genomics Centre from KPU which is working on developing new varieties of hops. They’ve got some great candidates that they’ve been growing at Barnside Brewing in Delta. They’ve turned the hops from last year’s crop into hop pellets, and now we are going to use them in our pilot brewery to see how they do as an ingredient for beer. They are experimental hops, so it’s exciting to collaborate on this project to see how these local hops will work in actual test batches.

It’s hard to separate teaching and brewing. I do try to bring real-life brewing scenarios or problems into the classroom to create more teachable moments. Sometimes I bring the brewery to the class. Sometimes I take the class to the brewery. I try to make it as real-life as possible. They can learn how to use one of the tools I’m talking about in the classroom to address a real problem in the brewhouse. For me, I think it’s very important for people to understand something in order to learn it.

Kim: How can people try the beers made by students in the KPU Brew Lab?

Martina: You can purchase KPU’s beers at the KPU Brew Lab on Friday afternoons all year long. There is a rotating selection of small-batch craft beers on tap. We have a very small brewing pilot system, a 2-hL system, so we end up with about eight 20L kegs, depending on the style. In the spring semester, from January through April, our second-year students develop their own signature beers. They package their final project beers in cans. You can also get a growler fill of your favourite.

When you visit the KPU Brew Lab on Friday afternoons, you can try experimental beers and sometimes even some collaboration beers. Recently some students came back to brew their signature beers again so that we could submit them to beer competitions. One that stands out for me was the beer that Kyle Jansen (who works at Five Roads Brewing) and Kayla Gibson (Faculty Brewing) made. It was a brown ale that tasted like a liquid biscuit. It was so delicious.

Kim: How is today’s future generation of brewers looking?

Martina: The future generation of brewers is looking really great. We have students that are curious and creative. They are making such creative beers for their final projects. We had a Vanilla Chai Latte Stout made by Lindsey Bartram (who is now working at Field House Brewing) and Kevin Reid. Colton Yakabuski (Parkside Brewery) and Jacob Wideman (Farm Country Brewing) made a New Zealand Belgium Pale Ale. One of the final projects this year won an award recently at the Canadian Brewing Awards. It was called Summertime by Mike Patterson (Parkside Brewery) and Michael Hodgson (Russell Brewing). Students are creative, innovative, and enthusiastic. They are curious and they ask lots of questions to understand what I’m teaching them. These are such great traits in students that are so keen to learn because they’ll continue to help improve the industry going forward. It’s really rewarding to see these students questioning the current methods and current practices.

Kim: What are you seeing from a diversity perspective in your program right now?

Martina: Over the last few years, the diversity has increased a little bit each year. We have a few more women. We are up to about 20% women in the program now. We also have about 25% that are from diverse backgrounds (Latin, Asian, and Indian). I hope the diversity continues to grow every year, so we have a representation of our community in the classroom.

Kim: As an industry, what can we be doing to encourage more diversity?

Martina: KPU has added the Nancy More Award and the Diversity in Brewing Award as well as others that encourage students from diverse backgrounds to apply. These awards are helping to lower the financial barrier. I think that one of the most important things to get more women in the brewing program is to have more female role models from the industry. As there is more diversity in breweries and the brewing program, it welcomes and encourages more diversity. Female students see me and Nancy More on staff and see more opportunities for themselves.

Also, I think it’s important to see women students like Ashley Brooks go on and get jobs in brewing. Another example is Emily Kokonas, who was a student at KPU. She went on to work at Bakery Brewing and is now working in the brewing program at KPU. We are increasing the number of role models that will help attract more women to the program.

Nancy More is such a pioneer in the craft beer industry. We are so lucky and grateful to have her as part of our team. Not only is she an amazing leader, but she also has tons of experience from being in the industry for 40 years. She’s such a great example for the students to see.

Kim: What are some of your favourite craft beer festivals?

Martina: I really enjoy the Great Canadian Beer Festival in Victoria. It has such diversity in the beer offerings, featuring breweries in BC, Alberta, and beyond. It’s a cozy festival with such a big mix of breweries from places that I can’t necessarily go and visit myself. I also really enjoy the Fort Langley Beer and Food Festival. I enjoy seeing and connecting with my students at this local festival.

Kim: Now that people are beginning to travel again, where in BC is your next spot to go adventuring?

Martina: I love Victoria and I am really looking forward to visiting again soon. It’s such a quaint and walkable city. I love riding my bike there along the boardwalk. The brewing scene is so awesome in Victoria and I’m excited to go check out the breweries again. île Sauvage Brewing is a brewery I love to visit, and I also enjoy going to Spinnakers Brewpub for a late breakfast and beer. I’m also excited to see KPU alums Amara Houle who’s now working at Category 12 Brewing and Kyle York at Craft Beer Market, once they’re open in Victoria.

In addition to checking out the craft beer scene in places that I visit, I also enjoy hiking, being outside, and visiting lakes.

Kim: What do you love about the craft beer scene in Langley?

Martina: It has developed so much in the last few years. There were very few options to go for a beer after work. Now there’s Farm Country Brewing, Camp Beer Co., Trading Post Brewing, and Five Roads Brewing just five minutes away from work, as well as Dead Frog Brewery, which was one of the first in Langley. These breweries are offering some really tasty beers and great experiences. The industry is friendly, and as there are a number of students and alumni from KPU working in these breweries, it feels very friendly and collaborative in these locations.

Even after students graduate, KPU Brewing instructors stay connected with alumni, often visiting the breweries they work at. Recent grad Kyle Jansen is now a brewer at Five Roads Brewing in Langley and instructors Martina Solano Bielen, Emily Kokonas and Nancy More stopped by to taste some of his work.

Kim: Tell me about some hidden gems in the Langley area?

Martina: I discovered this ramen place in Langley called Akedo Showten Ramen+Gyoza. It was a delicious surprise. The Barley Merchant also has really tasty food, especially the wings, and a really great selection of craft beers. The Raving Gamer is also a fun spot to go to if you are looking to pair your beer and food with some board games. Additionally, every Thursday in the summer, KPU hosts a veggie sale where they sell the produce grown in the greenhouses by students. Their raspberries are amazing!

Kim: Who else in the craft beer industry do you find interesting and why?

Martina: I was thinking about this a lot because there are so many interesting people in the brewing industry. Miguel Molina used to be one of our students. He was working for 33 Acres Brewing, and he’s now the head brewer at Boardwalk Brewing in Port Coquitlam on the North of the Fraser Ale Trail. He’s very passionate and really enjoys brewing science. I think he’s pretty cool, and I think he would be a great person for you to speak with next.

Stay tuned for the next installment of the Hops Among Friends blog series, where I speak with Miguel from Boardwalk Brewing. Until then, cheers!

The post Hops Among Friends: Martina Solano Bielen of KPU Brew Lab appeared first on The BC Ale Trail.

Back in 2013, the thought of women gathering together all over British Columbia to brew a special batch of beer seemed like such a daunting task. After all, you could count on one hand the number of women brewing beer in BC! In that year, the now annual Pink Boots Collaboration Brew was launched in the U.S. with the idea of creating a Women’s Day Brew as a way to provide awareness of women in the brewing industry. It also became a fundraiser for the Pink Boots Society where scholarships were created to help educate more women to get into the industry.

British Columbia took part in 2015 when Claire Wilson, who at the time was the owner and head brewer of Dogwood Brewing in Vancouver, hosted the sole Collaboration Brew in the province. Since then it has become an annual event with more and more breweries hosting Women’s Day Brews and more and more women getting involved in the industry.

Due to ongoing Covid concerns this year, there was not a lot of full-scale collaboration between breweries and the community, but BC still has 20 Pink Boots Collaboration Brews being released during March and April along with at least 15 other  International Women’s Day releases in all areas of the province.

Women in Langley’s Brewing Community take the lead! 

This is Year Two for  Farm Country Brewing hosting an International Women’s Day event challenge where women at each of the Langley breweries were asked to collaborate on a small-batch brew for a tap takeover at Farm Country on March 8.  There are eight unique beers and all proceeds will be donated to the Ishtar Women’s  Resource Society in Langley. The doors open at 12:00 pm, and many of these beers will be exclusive to this event.

This year Locality Brewing collaborated with some of the women from the Barley Merchant Taproom and brewed up a “No Bull” 6.7% ABV Milkshake IPA, so expect to have the beer available on one of the taps there, and it will also be coming out in cans.

Once again, the team of KPU Brewing Diploma students under the guidance of instructors Nancy More and Martina Solana Bielen hosted their Pink Boots Collaboration Brew Day on Feb. 11, 2022. Also joining on brew day was KPU alumna Ashley Brooks, QC manager at Four Winds Brewing, and Kristina Mameli from The Growler BC. The KPU Brew team decided to create a Hibiscus Rose Brut Ale in honour of recently retired dean, Dr. Betty Worobec, who led the way in creating Kwantlen Polytechnic University’s (KPU) Brewing & Brewery Operations Diploma, the first and only program of its kind in BC. Aptly named Betty Boots, the beer is available in cans at KPU and on draught at the Farm Country event.

Here is a list of the breweries pouring at Farm Country Brewing on March 8:

• Camp Beer Co.
• Dead Frog Brewery
• Farm Country Brewing
• Five Roads Brewing
• KPU Brew Lab 
• Locality Brewing & Barley Merchant 
• Smugglers’ Trail Caskworks
• Trading Post Brewing 

Metro Vancouver & Coquitlam

Vancouver still hosts the most International Women’s Day Brews, but this year Patina Brewing in Coquitlam also got on board. Since more than 75% of their staff are women, it just made sense.

Patina Brewing, Coquitlam: Launching March 8th

This was the first year that the women at Patina Brewing got together for an International Women’s Day brew, and they enjoyed it so much they are planning on making it a yearly tradition. This year they went for a small 20L batch, so you will need to head over soon to catch this beer on tap at their location. The beer choice was a Smoothie sour with additions of peach and raspberry.

33 Acres Brewing / 33 Brewing Experiment: Launched March 4th

Under the lead of Molly Graham at 33 Acres Brewing, the Fem-Identifying production members and a few friends from the industry brewed a special Dry Hopped Kolsch named The Good Fight in celebration of International Womxn’s Day. A portion of the proceeds will be donated to The Shoe Project, a Canadian organization whose mission is to help refugee and immigrant women-identifying people who are new to Canada by providing a writing and performance program to help learn communication skills in English and to aid in their success in this country.

Luppolo Brewing, Vancouver: Launching March 8th

The women behind Luppolo Brewing, from the brewer to the owners, tasting room staff, and social media gathered together and created a very unique beer, or should I say a beer cocktail: a French 75 cocktail. Available in cans and on draught.

Black Kettle Brewing, North Vancouver: Launching March 8th

This is Year Two for Head Brewer  Sarah Polkinghorne of Black Kettle Brewing leading a collaboration brew day. She chose to work with the Pink Boots Hop Blend to brew up a Hazy IPA. It will be launching on March 8th along with the beginning of Black Kettle’s Live Music program. Only available on draught at the brewery.

Coast Mountain Brewing, Whistler: Launching March 8th

This will be Year Five for Tanya Crocker and the women at Coast Mountain Brewing. Like last year, this year’s Hazy Pale Ale brew used the Pink Boots Hop Blend and a crazy addition of peach sours. Last year’s batch was so popular that this year they brewed a double batch. It will be available in cans and draught.

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The Okanagan: Kelowna and Penticton 

Lakesider Brewing/ Unleashed Brewing, Kelowna: Launching March 8th

Co-owner Gale Armour of Lakesider Brewing partook in her first IWD collaboration brew at Penticton’s Slackwater Brewing prior to her brewery being open in 2019. She has been wanting to host one ever since and this was the year. It was also a great opportunity for their brewing assistant, Chila Ashida, to lead her first brew day! Also invited were a few women from Unleashed Brewing, also in Kelowna. They wanted to brew something floral and playful in honor of International Women’s Day so they worked with the Pink Boot’s hop blend’s floral characteristics. The result is a blueberry hibiscus saison. Available in cans and on draught.

Jillknife Brewing, Kelowna: Launching March 8th

It’s time for another JILLKNIFE takeover at Jackknife Brewing! Head over for the release of “Resting Witch Face” from 5 pm – 8 pm. This year’s version is a blueberry, black currant farmhouse ale. Proceeds from this beer will go towards ongoing work for raising awareness and funds for local MMIW initiatives.

Rustic Reel Brewing, Kelowna: A Reel Evening Retreat, March 8th

Owner Susi Foerg of Rustic Reel Brewing has put together an all-women evening event with speakers, activities, laughter, specialty cocktails, and of course great beer. There are also a variety of workshops hosted by local Kelowna women that one can attend as part of the evening. Workshops include cocktail making, charcuterie board how-to, mental + emotional + fitness wellness, as well as financial and organizational tips for entrepreneurs. Tickets are available through Rustic Reel.  

Slackwater Brewing, Penticton: Launching March 8th

Slackwater Brewing is back for its third annual installment in support of the Pink Boots Society with a four-pack mixer featuring an Apricot Hazy Pale Ale (5% ABV) and Imperial Sour with Pomegranate and Plum (7% ABV), both dry-hopped with this year’s Yakima Chief Hops Pink Boots hop blend. The beers in this exclusive mix pack were designed by the women in the brewery’s workforce.⁠

Neighbourhood Brewing, Penticton: Launching March 8th

The owners and brewers of Neighbourhood Brewing have been wanting to be a part of an International Women’s Day Collaboration for quite some time. The head brewer, originally from Yellow Dog Brewing in Port Moody, and the owners, just could never squeeze the time or space for one, but with the opening of Neighbourhood, they now can. Several meetings were had with the women collective to decide on what beer they wanted to see (and drink) in the taproom at Neighbourhood that would also complement the hops, and the decision was a Tart IPA with lemon peel. It will be available in cans and on draught.

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And over on the Island…

Three breweries to keep track of (and maybe more) over on Vancouver Island will be brewing up some unique beers during the weeks around International Women’s Day. This is the first year hosting a Women’s Day brew for all of them.

Head Brewer Robin Miles at Dog Mountain Brewing and her team will be getting together on March 12th to brew “Stand and Be True”, a hazy Westcoast IPA that will be available in cans and on draught. Expect to see this beer every year now with a change of hops.

Quality Control/Lab Technician Jaime Korner at Phillips Brewing is new to the brewing industry and thought a brew day would be a great opportunity to showcase women at Phillips. Their beer of choice is a Brut IPA with butterfly pea flower and pomegranate. It is bound to be tasty and colourful.

When the women at Longwood Brewery realized that over 50% of their staff are women. Everything is still in the planning stage but expect to see something come out in the weeks ahead.

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And the brews continue…

• Angry Hen Brewing (Kaslo) & Tailout Brewing (Castlegar) collaboration: brewing on March 8th.
• Bridge Brewing, North Vancouver: brewing March 8th.
• Callister Brewing, Vancouver: launching March 8th.
• Crossroads Brewing & Distillery, Prince George: brewing on March 8th with a release in early April.
• Faculty Brewing, Vancouver: brewing March 8th.
• Junction Orchard & Cidery, Victoria: launching March 8th. This is a first for BC! David Mitchell, brewer and cidermaker, has added the Pink Boots hop blend to one of his ciders. Very limited quantities and only available on draught at the cidery.
• Kelowna Brewing Co & Barn Owl Brewing, Kelowna: brewing March 8th with a release date in early April
• Kettle River Brewing, Kelowna: brewing on March 8th with a release in early April – a dry-hopped sour (similar in style to a Berliner Weiss) served with fruit-forward syrups to add to the beer for a variety of flavour profiles. All syrups are either made in-house or made by local women entrepreneurs in the Kelowna area.
• Nelson Brewing Company, Nelson: launching on March 8th – a strawberry sour.
• Over Time Beer Works, Kimberley: launching March 8th -a hazy orange IPA using the Pink Boots hop blend. Available in their taproom.
• Settlement Brewing, Vancouver: launching March 8th.
• The Beer Farmers, Pemberton: brewing March 8th.
• The Parkside Brewery, Port Moody: Brewing March 8th – Cherry-lime elderberry ale. It will be available in cans and draught later in the month.
• Tin Whistle Brewing, Penticton: brewed on March 3rd with a launch date later in March.

That is quite the list — there are so many opportunities to explore your local communities and celebrate women in craft beer! 

The post International Women’s Day: March 8th, 2022 appeared first on The BC Ale Trail.