Bomber’s back, baby!

Well…it never really left. But let me tell the whole story.

Beginnings

When Don Farion agreed to jump in as a spare for his friend Blair Calibaba’s local hockey team one night in the early 2010s, he didn’t realize that that decision would take his life in a new direction. The guys were cracking bottles of homebrew in the parking lot after the game, and Blair’s pilsner blew Don away. Inspired by his love of Pilsner Urquell, Blair had created a homebrew version that had the perfect balance of hoppy bite and malty backbone. Within a year and a half, Blair was the head brewer for Don’s new craft brewery and that pilsner was one of their flagship beers. Oh, and the men’s rec team they played for? The Bombers. 

This was the beginning of Bomber Brewing. However, it wasn’t the beginning of Don’s love of beer. While a young man in Montreal, Don came to love that city’s Belgian-style craft breweries. Upon moving to Vancouver in 1992, food and drink were on his mind. He opened Incendio Pizzeria in Gastown in 1996, but eventually turned back to beer. He and his longtime business partner, Dean Mallel, founded BierCraft, an iconic Vancouver restaurant. Like many, I had my first true Belgian beer experiences during excursions to BierCraft, where the staff were able to explain to me – a beer newbie back then – the difference between a tripel and a dubbel, and what the “lees” was. BierCraft converted people not only to Belgian beer but eventually to craft beer.

But the success of BierCraft wasn’t enough. As a homebrewer and a Certified Cicerone (it’s like a beer sommelier), the possibility of his own brewery kept tugging at Don’s mind. He didn’t want to be the brewer – “I don’t have delusions of grandeur!” he laughs – but he wanted a brewery whose story and space he could create.

“Breweries are all about stories,” he tells me. “That’s what draws people in.”

The story of Bomber was seeded in that first evening of hockey and homebrew: friends (new and old), sports, community, sharing a drink in a parking lot. Upon opening in 2014, Bomber Brewing quickly established itself as a beloved fixture in East Vancouver.

A Fork in the Road

By 2018, the craft beer industry in Vancouver was booming – to the point of saturation, some thought. Bomber was profiting and at high production levels, brewing 7800 hectolitres of their 10,000 Hl capacity. However, this was a difficult pace to maintain, so when the Donnelly Group (now the Freehouse Collective as of spring 2024), owner of multiple Vancouver restaurants and pubs, offered to buy Bomber, it was appealing. Dean had been battling cancer since 2011, and Don didn’t feel positive about the industry at the time, despite Bomber’s popularity: “We saw the changes in the market. We were one of the first to sell.” Their value was high and it seemed to make sense, given their personal circumstances. However, co-owner Cam Andrews, in a 2019 interview with Vancouver is Awesome, admitted that the sale caught him by surprise. It caught the public by surprise as well. 

Response to the sale was mostly negative. Craft beer fans liked the Bomber they knew – the Bomber owned by local folks and not a large corporation. Donnelly’s rebranding of the brewery, done without input from the founders and without clear communication, was also received badly. Gone were the old labels – skylines of different cities, the vintage-style font – and in their place was the black dive-bombing seagull and a modern, all-caps logo. Comments on Reddit (r/VancouverCraftBeer) disparaged this new version of Bomber.

But despite the backlash, in reality, Bomber didn’t change all that much. Aside from the rebranding, Donnelly Group was almost entirely hands-off; they kept Don on as General Manager, and he ran the brewery and tasting room just as he had before. Decisions about the beer were in his hands. In fact, Don is very positive about the Donnelly Group and their management: “I want to give kudos to Donnelly – they were amazing in the time they’ve run it [Bomber]. They don’t get enough credit for what they’ve done for craft beer in the province.” And as Chair of the BC Craft Brewers Guild, Don knows what he’s talking about. Craft beer fans often dislike corporate brewery ownership, but some of those corporations have given craft beer much-needed exposure.

After the Donnelly purchase, the pressure on Bomber to be profitable rose, not simply because of the new ownership structure but because the local craft beer market itself was becoming more crowded. The pandemic added a new layer of economic stress. By 2023, Donnelly was in financial trouble. Long story short, Bomber was on the market again that year. In early 2024, Don was battling throat cancer and business matters were the last thing on his mind. However, by summer 2024 he was with his family at his cabin in the Cariboo, celebrating his recent cancer-free diagnosis. The day after he learned that good news, he got a call from Jeff Donnelly, who reminded him that Bomber was still for sale and encouraged him to put in an offer. 

Rebirth and Return

On receiving that call, Don felt the same pull as when he first tasted Blair’s homebrew pilsner out in the parking lot. Was this a possibility? He didn’t want Bomber to disappear, and he didn’t want his employees to lose their jobs. Bomber had a place in the East Van community. So he recruited several friends and together, the five of them made an offer. With the support of Jeff Donnelly and Reid Ogdon of the Donnelly Group, it all fell into place. By October 2024, Don Farion was again the owner of Bomber Brewing. 

Don is entering this new era with a different outlook. “I remember making beer when it was fun,” he says, looking back to the first days of Bomber. “Brewing has always been fun but now the business has changed.” That rat-race he remembered from the years following 2018 – chasing volume, constantly having to calculate ROI over love of the job and the beer – is no longer one he wants to run. “Our new thought is being happy at 4500 hl. That’s comfortable for us.” Their core business will be scaled down in order to rekindle their joy in making and selling beer. 

Other planned changes are more like returns. “We’re going back to the way Bomber was,” Don puts it. “We’re going to be talking about the beer again – not the branding. And we don’t focus on the technical stuff, IBUs and all that. It’s really about balance. We want to make balanced beer. Our IPA is only 6.3% because that’s where it tastes best. We did a 4.8% Pilsner when no one was making lagers.” Their upcoming branding, while not yet unveiled, will return Bomber to something similar to their original model, but with a focus on duality and balance. They will also be expanding their core beer list. Their original flagships will remain (Skyline Lager, Avant Garde Pilsner, Outspoken IPA, Georgie’s Best ESB), but a second string of cores will be added: Reverie Hazy Pale, Furio Italian Pilsner, and Miramar West Coast IPA. 

Bomber will also be renewing its grassroots marketing and community connections. They’ve continued their tradition of brewing a special beer for the East Van Panto at the York Theatre. Since this year’s panto is Robin Hood, Bomber’s beer for the event is Maid Marionberry Ale – with a very charming label! 

Ultimately, the new Bomber Brewing under Don’s leadership will be very similar to the old Bomber Brewing, but with a renewed sense of priorities. Having looked his own mortality in the face through his battle with cancer, Don isn’t interested in chasing profit or volume. He wants to make good beer for his neighbourhood, host hockey nights at the taproom, and keep his colleagues employed. He wants brewing to be fun again. Bomber’s back!

The post Ups, Downs, and Turnarounds: Bomber Brewing’s Renaissance appeared first on The BC Ale Trail.

Between March 28 and April 30, 2024, visit at least three breweries from both Vancouver Ale Trails (Brewery Creek and Yeast Vancouver), get your passport stamped, and drop it off at a participating location to be entered to win the Grand Prize Giveaway. If you don’t manage to fill out the whole thing, you’ll still be eligible for other prizes so make sure you hand it in! 

The Vancouver Tasting Passport’s 31 breweries, distilleries, tap houses, and liquor store are divided into two Ale Trails: Brewery Creek, where Vancouver’s very first breweries took root in the 1880s, and Yeast Vancouver, the birthplace of modern Vancouver craft beer back in the 1990s. On my journey through Vancouver this past week, I visited both Ale Trails to fill out my passport. 

Brewery Creek

My first brewery was R&B Brewing, whose taproom features a large stuffed raven standing guard and shelves crowded with books and games. It’s just a brief walk from Main St. Brewing, Brassneck Brewing, 33 Acres, and Electric Bicycle, but R&B is the oldest of the bunch, having opened its doors in 1997. It didn’t get its own tasting room and food service until after its neighbours, but it’s now known for having the best pizza around – as well as award-winning beer (Dill Pickle Gose, anyone? It might sound a bit crazy for a beer, but you should try it). 

I visited with some fellow beer history fans: Melanie Hardbattle and Richard Dancy of the Simon Fraser University craft beer archive project, and Mitch Taylor, founder of Granville Island Brewing. The tasting room was buzzing with happy energy when we arrived; couples with young children enjoyed flights, groups of friends gathered around game boards, and everyone was having fun. After ordering a couple of their fresh, homemade pizzas to accompany our beer, we sat back to catch up on one another’s news and chat about BC beer history. My flight included two fantastic IPAs (the Vancouver Special and R&B’s new Double IPA, Absolute Unit), the Stolen Bike German Pilsner, and the classic Raven Cream Ale – a much-loved Vancouver beer modelled after Shaftebury’s Cream Ale from back in the 1980s. And I couldn’t resist a taster of their cask ales, which were both served from a cask engine: a cask version of the Raven, and their East Side Bitter (R&B’s version of the classic English ESB – Extra Special Bitter). If a brewery has cask beers on the menu, I always recommend trying them. R&B did not disappoint.

A couple days later, my husband Rich and I stepped out into the Vancouver sunshine to visit one of the city’s newest breweries: Brewing August, which opened in the summer of 2022. Located near the Granville Island bridge, Brewing August is in a perfect location to capture the heavy foot traffic of, well, Vancouver in August. Or any other time of year. But August was their inspiration, according to co-founder Tate Lillies. Through casual backyard conversations at family gatherings, Lillies and his brother-in-law Travis Rea discovered they both had the same idea: to start their own craft brewery. Rea was a chef and a homebrewer, and Lillies had a wide range of business experience. With a third co-founder, Adam Jones, they turned their dream into a reality, creating a brewery and tasting room inspired by the long, warm nights of a Vancouver summer. 

Brewing August has a street-level tasting area and an upstairs space as well. Both are light-filled, and you can enjoy looking out at the Kitsilano neighbourhood while sipping your beer. They don’t offer flights, but you can purchase 6-ounce pours rather than full pints, which gives you a chance to try more of their offerings. Their hazy IPAs are popular, but their flagship beer is really their Blonde IPA, a delicious beer that somehow balances on the edge of several styles but keeps you guessing (also, sip slowly – it’s a higher ABV than its taste suggests!). It has features of an IPA, a Belgian blonde, and maybe something in between. I loved it. I was also a fan of their Golden IPA and Rich loved their Tart Cherry Sour – another hit for a hot day. Our beers were accompanied by some of the best tacos I’ve had, delivered by neighbouring Las Autenticas Tacos & Tortas (you just text them your order, and it’ll come to the tasting room). I highly recommend checking them out if you enjoy Mexican food! The cherry blossoms on the leaves outside, combined with Brewing August’s beachy taproom, summery beers, and tasty snacks, made me anticipate the warmth and sunshine of Vancouver’s spring and summer.  

From Brewing August it was only a ten-minute walk through Granville Island – crowded with visitors on this sunny Sunday – to reach the Aquabus terminal. Our plan was to commute through False Creek to reach our final Brewery Creek destination. We only had a few minutes to wait before Vancouver’s famed rainbow-coloured Aquabus came to pick us up and take us across the water to the Olympic Village terminal. Another ten minutes of walking and people-watching and we arrived at Red Truck Beer Company. 

Red Truck was immediately recognizable – a large white tower with the brewery’s name in red letters rose above the industrial surroundings, and many of the vehicles surrounding its Truck Stop diner were classic 1950s-style red trucks. These are modelled after owner Mark James’ original red truck, which he used to deliver his beer two decades ago. The tasting room is spacious, casual, and comfortable (and I was a fan of the bathrooms, too – I haven’t seen sinks made out of tires before!)

Red Truck is the place to go if you want some tasty diner food with your beer – and enough to take home in a doggie bag! We tried some of their appetizers – wings, fries, garlic fries, and deep-fried pickles – and the food was both filling and plentiful. While sharing our appies, we each sipped on a flight. The Red Truck lager is a solid example of the style (clean, crisp, and clear), but I was partial to their North West and North East IPAs, which have a good malty backbone to balance out the hops. These are approachable IPAs that are neither overly bitter nor super sweet. And this approachability is what I expect from Red Truck, which has remained a steady presence in the Vancouver craft beer scene since the company was founded in 2005. To my mind, this is due to its consistency – consistency in its branding and atmosphere, as well as in the beer styles and how it produces them. 

Yeast Vancouver

Our first stop on the Yeast Vancouver Ale Trail was Container Brewing, tucked in on the north side of Hastings and not far from Superflux, Bomber, Off the Rail, and Strange Fellows. It may be hidden from the main drag, but once you turn the corner you see that Container is much larger than expected. With its two-floor tasting room and large patio area (with room for food trucks), it has lots of room for patrons and – in this case – musicians. We arrived just in time for an open-mic session, so we enjoyed local musicians while sipping our flights.  

Container always has an interesting variety of beers on tap, and today was no exception. My flight included their Noch Mal German Pils, the Forgotten Trail West Coast IPA, a decoction Hefeweizen, and their Fresh Horizons Hazy IPA. There was also a hazy on a nitro tap and some Belgian and dark beers that I (sadly) didn’t get a chance to try – I’ll save them for my next visit. The creativity in Container’s offerings is balanced by solid brewing skill. Their current head brewer, David Dayco, came to Container from Red Truck. Combining the rigorous quality control practices and reliable recipe development learned at Red Truck with the creative flexibility of a smaller brewery has helped Dayco produce Container’s diverse yet consistently high-quality beers. I’m a fan of their branding as well – make sure you check out their gorgeous labels while you’re there. 

East Vancouver Brewing was our next Yeast Van watering hole. Stepping into the brewery feels like you’re in a cozy beer cellar; the tasting room is below street level, furnished in warm wood, decorated with beer barrels and local artwork, and filled with natural light from its south-facing position. Open since 2017, it has found its niche in its East Van neighbourhood. We enjoyed flights while sharing an excellent beef panini with sauerkraut. I loved all four of the beers I tried, which included two award-winners, but my favourites were the Black IPA and their Back Porch Pilsner, which was *chef’s kiss* perfect. Rich tried the barrel-aged cherry sour, which he dubbed #1 on his flight. Kettle sours can be nice summer sippers, but there’s something about barrel-aged beer that provides an entirely different level of complexity. They were out of most of their IPAs when we visited, but I was told that a Brut IPA may soon be in the works.

Our final visit was to Powell Brewery, which was just a brief walk from East Van Brewing. Their small tasting room is warm and cozy, providing a sense of intimacy that I enjoy in a local craft brewery. Rich and I took a seat on two comfy low-set 80s-style chairs that brought up happy memories of my grandmother’s house. The familiar feeling made me want to stay there for the whole afternoon, just watching people and sipping on good beer. And there is definitely good beer there – Powell has won numerous awards over the years, including three at the BC Beer Awards this past fall. Big hits for me on this visit were their Belgian witbier and their Dive Bomb Dark Ale – this used to be their famous Dive Bomb Porter, but with a recipe tweak, the style has shifted. On our way out, we picked up a bottle of their Mystery Farmhouse Saison, a collab beer they made with Dageraad Brewing in Burnaby.

The Vancouver Ale Trail has so many craft breweries for you to explore – from the large to the tiny, the older to the brand-new. Take the opportunity to check out breweries you haven’t heard of or revisit old favourites. Wherever you visit, make sure you get your passport stamped so you can be entered to win the BC Ale Trail’s Grand Prize Giveaway!

Get all of the Vancouver Tasting Passport contest details here. Collect six unique stamps, three from each Ale Trail, and hand in your passport at any participating location to be entered to win the Grand Prize Giveaway. Multiple entries are encouraged, and don’t forget to turn in any partially filled passports for your chance at subsidiary prizes.

Not from Metro Vancouver? It’s the perfect time to plan a road trip combining Tasting Passport ale-ventures with a Sip & Stay package! Choose from a variety of accommodation partners and enjoy the best of Vancouver this spring.

The post Explore Vancouver’s Craft Beer Scene with the Vancouver Tasting Passport appeared first on The BC Ale Trail.

My most recent Hops Among Friends interview was with Justin Larter from Barnside Brewing in Delta. At the end of our discussion, Justin recommended I speak with Connor Blanchard from Luppolo Brewing. Connor is the Lead Brewer at Luppolo Brewing, which was established in 2016 in East Vancouver on the Yeast Vancouver Ale Trail.

Luppolo (pronounced loop-o-lo), which is Italian for “hops” is known for their Italian-inspired craft beer and food. Connor and I had a great discussion about craft beer, living life in BC, and our shared love of outdoor adventures in our beautiful province. I really enjoyed our conversation, especially hearing about Connor’s passion for the evolution of the craft beer industry and his commitment to sustainability, supporting local producers, and using locally-sourced ingredients.

Kim: Tell me about how you got started in craft beer?

Connor: I have been going to breweries since I was a kid. My dad was big into craft breweries, and he always took us camping and to craft breweries. I’m from the US, and when I was 18, I was in university, and I met a guy who was home brewing. He brought in some of his beers, and I enjoyed trying them. So, I borrowed a home brewing kit from my cousin, and I fell super deep into home brewing. It was really fun, and a great creative outlet for me. I loved everything about it, and the industry overall. I love the alternative vibe and experimentation in the craft beer industry.

While I was in school and travelling for a couple of years, I’d seek out as much craft beer as possible. I ended up in New Zealand for a year. And from there I was emailing breweries and offering to work for free, although I wouldn’t recommend this approach. This was back when the industry was smaller. Now it’s easier to get your foot in the door. At that time, you had to know someone to get a job in craft beer.

So, I was continuing my homebrewing thing and applying to breweries. By this time, I was living in Victoria, and I applied for a job at Twin Sails Brewing. I was hired as a seasonal Brewery Assistant, so I packed my bags and headed for Port Moody. Mostly I was filling and cleaning kegs and tanks.

Then I talked to Tessa at Land & Sea Brewing in Comox. Right before they opened, I was hired as a Brewer’s Assistant. I worked there for two years. I enjoyed working with their pub-style system. I gained a lot of professional brewing knowledge from Tessa. She’s a very talented brewer. While working at Land & Sea, I met my partner, Lindsay. She was working at the brewery at the time, working in the tasting room. We’ve been together now for four years. It’s a lovely thing.

Beer brought me to my partner.

We decided that we wanted to move to Vancouver, which we did in February 2021. Right away, I got a job at Four Winds Brewing. I was there for about a year as a full-time brewer. I met lots of wonderful people there. However, for a number of reasons, it wasn’t the right place for me. I missed the smaller more experimental brewery setting.

That’s when I stumbled upon Luppolo. I’ve been here for about a year, and I am now the Lead Brewer. My partner, Lindsay is working close to home as the tasting room manager at Brassneck Brewery.

My experience has given me the opportunity to learn lots of different brewing styles in a number of different-sized brewhouses. I’m happy with the way that my career has evolved. In a way, I’ve come full circle back to what really suits me and keeps me inspired.

Kim: What do you love most about craft beer?

Connor: Generally speaking, I think what brought me in was the creativity and experimentation involved in craft beer. It’s a friendly industry to work in, and it is very collaborative. I enjoy the experimentation aspect of making something tangible that I can share with people. I am intrigued by terroir and the use of local ingredients, as I really like tying in the agricultural aspect of brewing. I really enjoy working with my hands. I’m not a person who likes to sit at a desk.

Kim: Why do you think the craft brewing industry became so collaborative?

Connor: I think that that’s kind of the nature of beer. Beer is something to share and bring people together. So that bleeds through into our whole industry. We share ingredients and we enjoy making collaboration beers. Lots of people have been in the industry for some time and are friends. The community spirit is one of my favourite things about the industry. For me, it’s not just about the people drinking the beer, it’s also about the people making the beer.

I also like the symbiotic relationships of the ale trails. We all work together and bring people to the area. We don’t look at each other as competitors like other industries do.

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

Connor: There’s a lot. I love the team. It’s small and it really does feel like a family. I think because a lot of the team has been here for three-to-four years plus, I was received with open arms. I love the family environment, and I enjoy getting to know my coworkers really well.

Additionally, our system and brewpub style are perfectly designed to experiment constantly. We are constantly tweaking our beers, even if it’s a beer that we make often, so I really enjoy this aspect of the job. Plus, Ryan, who is our head brewer and owner is super supportive. I feel included and heard in my role.

Kim: Tell me about something you are proud of that you’ve done at Luppolo?

Connor: I’m proud of a collaboration that I brought together with Luppolo and Tessa, my former boss at Land & Sea.

We made an Oyster Pilsner called Mare, which is sea in Italian. We made this beer entirely with local ingredients, other than our house lager yeast. This beer is really special to me because I brewed it with Ryan, my current boss, and Tessa, my previous boss, who really taught me about brewing standards.

It was a great collaboration because Luppolo and Land & Sea’s philosophies are very similar. Mare is a sessionable, nuanced beer with ingredients reflecting BC’s terroir. It was made with grains from Field Five Farm in Saanichton. We used their Pilsner Malt, which is amazing. We liked it so much that we are starting to put this in other beers.

Mare was also made with 100% local Sterling Hops from Justin’s Barnside Brewing hop breeding program. The Sterling Hops were phenomenal and provided this beautiful bouquet of citrus and herbal character.

Tessa came in for the brew day and brought the oysters. She brought them from Fanny Bay, which is just south of Comox Valley. What a unique BC ingredient to be able to tie into and use in this beer.

We used oyster shells to modify the water used in this beer. They are high in magnesium and calcium which lends to the softness of the water profile. The salinity that you get is amazing. We used the oyster shells at the beginning. Then we put a few oysters in the whirlpool at the end, which we ate afterwards, of course.

The beer was really well received. It sold out very quickly on draft at the brewery. So many things about this beer worked out well. The minerals and salinity from the oyster shells provided a fantastic mouthfeel. We also gave it a long lagering time, about eight weeks. We used all-natural carbonation to give a soft fluffy head of foam which was accentuated by our house slow pour. It really had everything going for it. We are looking at making this beer again next year. It was a super fun recipe to design and beer to make.

Kim: How important is it for you to work with local ingredients?

Connor: When looking at recipes, I like figuring out how to adapt recipes to use local ingredients. Finding and using local barley and hops is super exciting for me. We’ve been adapting our European beer styles to showcase more local products, which has been very interesting.

With climate change and the way the brewing industry is going, I believe that the focus on using local products is going to be incredibly important in the next 10-20 years. Having local producers that are making high-quality ingredients locally is amazing. I appreciate being able to make local beers with local ingredients. Therefore, supporting local producers is very important for me and us as well.

Kim: Luppolo has been around since 2016. What makes Luppolo so special?

Connor: Even before I worked at Luppolo, I observed how much care is put into the way the beer is served here. We do slow pours for all of our lagers because we think this is the best way to serve them. We’re talking about a five-to-seven minute multi-stage pour, every single time. This makes the beer so much smoother and frothier. It has a beautiful head of foam. This is a real priority for Luppolo. Even before I worked here, I’d come into the taproom to have a slow pour.

You can make the best beer possible, but it’s also about the service of the beer that truly makes it shine. We serve our beers in a clean glass with a substantial head of foam. Even if it’s a great beer, the way we serve the beer can completely change the experience.

Kim: Tell me about your beer philosophy at Luppolo?

Connor: Beer philosophy for me is all about intent and not rushing things. It’s about taking it slow and being methodical about how you do things and why you do these things.

It’s not just about throwing some random combination of crowd-pleasing flavours into it. I like when I can see all of the little things come together to make one great thing. The things that stand out the most for me are when I can look at how the beer is being served. Is it naturally carbonated? Are they using specific ingredients in a specific way to produce a specific result?

I believe it’s important to always give things time. It’s easy to feel rushed to get something done. There is a lot of pressure to get a beer out, but the beer takes as much time as it takes. If you can be really patient, the beer will tell you when it’s ready, and this can make such a difference.

For example, the old-school European brewing technique called decoction. This is when you take a portion of the mash and boil it and cook it, caramelizing the sugars in the mash, and then reintroduce it. It’s process things like this that really get me excited. Old-school brewers did this to break down the cell walls of under-modified malts in order to allow the enzymes to more easily be able to convert starches into fermentable sugars. We are experimenting with under-modified pilsner malt, specifically from Hogarth Malt in Olds, Alberta. It’s floor malted in a traditional way, and the beer is triple decocted, which adds a lot of richness, body and mouthfeel to the beer.

Kim: Tell me about something you have coming up at Luppolo?

Connor: We are launching a new series at Luppolo called the Forage series. It’s our barrel-aged, mixed-fermentation wild ales that have been conditioned or refermented on locally foraged ingredients.

We are working on the first beer in the series now. It was made this spring, so it is the Spring 2023 Forage series release. It’s a blend of barrel-aged mixed fermentation beer with our fresh Saison. It was steeped on freshly-picked magnolia blossoms from right by Ryan’s house. We were really surprised by this ingredient. There was so much evolution. It was very floral to start, and now there are tropical fruit notes. It’s awesome seeing the way the beer has evolved.

We are bottle-conditioning it now. We anticipate it being released in the fall, once the bottle conditioning has run its course. The beer is not yet named. Watch for it this fall in 750ml green bottles.

Our intention is to release a foraged beer in this series each spring, summer, fall and winter. We’ll be using unique, local ingredients such as dwarf cherries, kousa dogwood and other fun things we can find in and around the city. These are fun blends to showcase a unique piece of our region.

Kim: What is your favourite beer style?

Connor: I like all well-made beers, but I have been coming back to lagers to make and to drink. In general, my favourite beers are sub 5% that are clean, well-made, sessionable beers. I like lagers, pale ales, English pub-style beers, and Saisons, generally in the 3-5.5% range.

More specifically, I really enjoy Barnside’s Farmers Tap. Justin cares so much about what he does, and you can taste it in this beer, which showcases their local ingredients.

I am also often at Brassneck because my partner Lindsay works there. I really enjoy their No Brainer Corn Lager, which is 4.5% ABV. They recently got a Czech side pull faucet that they serve from, which is awesome.

Kim: What are some of your favourite beer festivals?

Connor: Farmhouse Fest is my ultimate favourite. I love the vibe. I love being out on the UBC farm. It is such an intimate and laid-back event, and I love drinking funky, low-alcohol beers. This event always makes me feel inspired.

This year, we are making the official beer of Farmhouse Fest, 2023. We brewed it with the above-mentioned, locally-sourced under-modified pilsner malt from Olds, Alberta. It’s a super rustic, traditional, open-fermented, triple-decocted Czech-style Pilsner based off the original Pilsner Urquell.  We are going to serve this at the event in a gravity keg. It’s a very old school lager but made in Luppolo-style.

Also, when I was living in Victoria, I loved volunteering at Victoria Beer Week. I really enjoyed those events. I like a lot of the smaller beer festivals.

Another is of course our own Luppolo Lager Fest. This is where our local brewery friends come together to showcase lagers. It has real beer garden vibes. It’s a one-day event at the beginning of October featuring locally-sourced lagers. We generally have about seven to eight varieties ourselves, plus another four to six other lagers from other breweries on draft, as well as another four to six different unique lagers in cans. This should be our biggest one yet, and I can’t wait.

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

Connor: If I’m not drinking craft beer, I’m probably drinking coffee. I love our local coffee roasters. There are some real quality roasters, coffees and baristas here in Vancouver. I’d encourage people to go check out some of our coffee shops, have a nice pour-over coffee, crack open a good book, and take in the views.

Kim: What do you love about the craft beer scene where you live?

Connor: More than anywhere else in BC, I just love Vancouver and my area in East Van. There is an amazing variety of different, focused breweries. They make different styles of beer, but they have a specific character that feeds into all of their beers.

There are some really great breweries really close to us, within a five-minute walk including Brassneck, 33 Acres, 33 Brewing Experiment, Superflux and Slow Hand.

Kim: If you had out-of-town company visiting you, what hidden gems would you recommend?

Connor: I’ve lived in Vancouver for about two years now, so I’m still learning myself. I like to get on my bike and explore. When I’m not working, I’m generally going to the other breweries with my friends on my bike. I really enjoy biking. I actually bike to work most days.

We also have some great parks here. They are great spots for picnics and lawn games. I would also recommend biking along the seawall. I love hiking, and there is quite literally a vast and uncountable number of incredible hikes from anywhere between 30 minutes to three hours away. I go to the Island a lot as I have deep roots there and I really enjoy being out in nature.

I’d also recommend out-of-town company check out our food scene here. We have great food here. There is so much variety with all of the ethnic food options. I’d suggest trying some foods that you may not be able to get in other more rural areas.

Kim: What are your thoughts on the future of the craft beer industry?

Connor: What’s going to be really important as a beer consumer and a supporter of the industry is the shift to thinking smaller. I think the size and scope of your brewery is going to be very important. Think small and think sustainable. Support local producers 100%.

In terms of shifts for the consumer? I think people are getting really excited for easy-drinking, nuanced beers. It’s not about the biggest, boldest beers. It’s about lower-alcohol beers, unique beer styles. Smoked beers and cask beers. I see lots of excitement and joy here.

Kim: Do you have any advice for those thinking about starting a brewery or getting into the industry?

Connor: If you’re in the industry or want to get into the industry, think small and sustainable. And be super thoughtful about how you train your staff and how you treat your staff. It’s tough to live in BC and make a living. So, it’s key that owners train their staff well and listen to their staff and make them feel heard. You can feel this when you go into a brewery. I’d say focus on your staff. Give them the tools, pay them, and support them. This is an industry that’s going to be around for a while.

Kim: Is there anything else you wanted to talk about?

Connor: Well, I really wanted to give a shout-out to my partner Lindsay. It’s so nice to be able to share our love of the industry together.

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

Connor: I would love for you to talk to Tessa from Land & Sea Brewing in Comox. She is the Head Brewer at Land & Sea, and she was my former boss. She has over 10 years of experience and is very technical and methodical in her approach to brewing. She really cares about sustainability and using local ingredients in an interesting and unique way. She is also very thoughtful about the way she designs beer, and I think she will bring an interesting perspective about brewing and living in rural BC. I am super grateful for all that she has taught me, and I think you’ll have a great conversation with her.

Stay tuned for the next installment of the Hops Among Friends blog series, where I chat with Tessa from Land & Sea Brewing, on the Vancouver Island Ale Trail Part II.

Until then, cheers!

The post Hops Among Friends: Connor Blanchard of Luppolo Brewing appeared first on The BC Ale Trail.

Based in San Diego, the I Like Beer the Podcast team visited 18 different breweries in Vancouver, Squamish, Whistler, and Victoria, and conducted interviews at six of them, which they released in three separate podcast episodes.

 

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Their second BC-based episode featured Strange Fellows Brewing in Vancouver, which can be found on the Vancouver – Yeast Vancouver Ale Trail, and Phillips Brewing, which is on the Victoria Ale Trail.

 

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Listen to the episode here:

The post Guest Podcast: I Like Beer the Podcast Visits Strange Fellows Brewing & Phillips Brewing appeared first on The BC Ale Trail.

The primary effort is led by Lyviv, Ukraine-based Pravda Beer Theatre. Pravda put a call out to breweries around the world asking them to raise money for humanitarian relief in Ukraine by brewing beer using one of Pravda’s recipes.  The response has been fantastic as many BC craft breweries were inspired to collaborate with one another and launch special fundraiser beers for Ukraine. There have also been a few BC craft breweries that launched Ukraine fundraiser beers with their own special recipe.

As you keep Ukraine in your thoughts, keep an eye out for these beers and raise a glass to the mighty people impacted by the war. 

Lower Mainland Collaboration: Ukranian Golden Ale

This beer was led by Rick Dellow of PoCo Brothers Brewing after he got his hands on Pravda’s award-winning recipe for a Ukrainian Golden Ale. 

To bring the beer to life, Dellow organized a collaboration with Main Street Brewing, Five Roads Brewing, Deep Cove Brewers and Distillers, Brassneck Brewery, R&B Brewing, Tinhouse Brewing, and Boardwalk Brewing.  This teamwork has resulted in 24 kegs of this beer being distributed to the breweries involved. Each brewery will be launching the beer in its own unique way, so make sure you follow them on social media for all the details. 

$2 from every pint sold plus all the money raised from the sale of the kegs will be donated to people in Ukraine through the charity World Central Kitchen.

Loveshack Libations and Hornby Island Brewing: Ukrainian Bottle-Conditioned Imperial Stout

Loveshack Libations and Hornby Island Brewing are working on a “San to Don,” a bottle-conditioned Ukrainian Imperial Stout from one of Pravda Beer’s award-winning recipes.

“Besides collapsing hop filters and running out of boil kettles, the brew went well,” says Loveshack owner and brewery Dave Paul. “It has been patiently bottle conditioning for a couple of weeks now. We’ve tried a bottle or two (not at once–9.3% ABV 60 IBU–good for sharing!) and it’s coming along nicely.”

They’re aiming to release it in a month or so–keep an eye out! Proceeds go to humanitarian relief in Ukraine.

Kootenays Collaboration: Ukranian Golden Ale, Putin is a D*ckhead

Torchlight Brewing, Angry Hen Brewing, Backroads Brewing, Tailout Brewing, and Nelson Brewing Company teamed up to brew Putin Huilo (which roughly translates to “Putin is a Dickhead”). This Ukranian golden ale is also a result of efforts by Pravda.

All proceeds go to humanitarian relief in Ukraine and there are two labels available:

• Putin is a Dick label, which is available at the breweries and in select stores. 
• Putin Huilo Label, which is only available through the brewery.

Jackknife Brewing and Unleashed Brewing: Ukraine-Inspired Lemon Honey Wheat Ale

Jackknife Brewing and Unleashed Brewing’s collab beer was launched before Pravda’s call-out. Jackknife brewer Mike wanted to celebrate his Ukrainian heritage with a beer that gives back. They created KUTYA, a lemon honey wheat ale inspired by a Christmas dish that Mike’s dad, Don, would make every year. 

It’s a sweet, zesty golden ale with loads of white wheat and oats, conditioned with smashed lemons and buckets of local honey.

All proceeds from this beer and their sticker sales will go to fund OutRight Action International, an organization that helps to support LGBTQ+ folks who are displaced by the war in Ukraine.

Camp Beer Co. and Mainland Whisky: Beer Whisky

Mainland Whisky is teaming up with Camp Beer Co. to help Ukraine. They are collaborating on a special beverage release: Beer Whisky (ВІСК ДЛЯ УКРАЇНИ). Partial proceeds raised from the 26ers of Beer Whisky will be given to the Canada-Ukraine Foundation. To reserve a bottle, visit mainlandwhisky.com.

Container Brewing’s Ukraine fundraiser beer (now passed)

Container Brewing created a special beer called Frau Ribbentrop, a Belgian-style wit brewed using the golden ale recipe shared by Pravda Beer. All proceeds from this beer will be donated to help support Ukrainians. They also collaborated with Russian Spoon for a “beer and pierogi” day. Russian Spoon donated 200 pierogies, along with volunteers to cook them at the brewery. 100% of the profits will go to the Maple Hope Foundation.

Natalie Gates is the Newsletter and Blog Editor for the BC Ale Trail. Based in Campbell River, BC, she’s also a freelance copywriter for small businesses. When she’s not writing up a storm, she’s probably plotting her next meal or enjoying a crisp craft lager at one of her favourite breweries. You can connect with her on Instagram, LinkedIn, or at her website nataliegates.ca.

The post BC Craft Breweries Launch Beers to Support Ukraine appeared first on The BC Ale Trail.

No, we’re not kidding. If you’ve been thirsting for an opportunity to finally gather with your fellow craft beer lovers again and celebrate everything this resilient industry has to offer, it’s your time to shine.

Here are the craft beer festivals on deck for spring and summer 2022.

April 1-9 

Victoria Beer Week • Victoria

This come-back is particularly exciting. Victoria Week is returning after two years of cancellation due to COVID. In fact, COVID first arrived in Canada in the middle of 2020’s Victoria Beer Week and the final two nights had to be cancelled. 2022’s event was originally scheduled to kick off in March, but was then postponed once again because of omicron. Finally, it’s a go for April 1-9. This nine-day festival showcases BC craft breweries in a variety of awesome venues across Greater Victoria.

April 1-2

Revelstoke Beer Festival • Revelstoke 

A beautiful resort, spring skiing, and craft beer in the mountains… What more do you need? Celebrate it all with this two-day craft beer festival at Revelstoke Mountain Resort.

May 14

Okanagan Fest of Ale • Penticton

Enjoy delicious food, local beers, great entertainment, and hopefully lots of sunshine in Okanagan Lake Park. This festival is celebrating 25 years strong!

 

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May 21, August 6, and September 30

Brewhalla Beer & Music Festivals • Various Locations

BrewHalla is an exciting series of three new beer and music festivals in Fort Langely, Port Moody, or North Vancouver.

• Fort Langley – Fort Langley Park, Saturday May 21 (12:30pm – 6pm)
• Port Moody –Pioneer Park, Friday August 5 (4pm – 9pm) & Saturday August 6 (12pm – 5pm)
• North Vancouver – The Shipyards, Friday September 30 (4pm – 9pm)

May 21

Fort Langley Beer + Music Festival • Fort Langley

Nestled in the heart of historic Fort Langley, this popular festival celebrates the local craft beer community. Come by then stay a while to enjoy local farm experiences, trails, restaurants, and more.

June 25

Squamish Beer Festival • Squamish

The sixth Squamish Beer Festival is back and ready to party! This half-day event features over 55 breweries and cideries to celebrate great beer, local food, and outdoor recreation culture.

July 9-10

Vancouver Craft Beer Week • Vancouver

Enjoy the energy of the PNE fairgrounds while you celebrate Vancouver craft beer culture at this always-popular event.

August 6

Farmhouse Fest • Vancouver

Beer geeks rejoice! Farmhouse Fest is returning to UBC Farm this summer. 

September 9-10

Great Canadian Beer Festival • Victoria

BC’s oldest and biggest beer festival returns to Royal Athletic Park to celebrate Canadian craft beer. This epic event features over 90 breweries (and 1,000,000 litres of beer) from coast to coast. You can be sipping a beverage from a brewery up the road one minute and, the next, be enjoying one from across the country. See ya there!

What craft beer festivals will you be attending this year?

Wherever you are, don’t forget to share your experiences and tag @BCAleTrail. Cheers to new experiences brewing nearby!

The post Rejoice! BC craft beer festivals are back for 2022 appeared first on The BC Ale Trail.