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.

The wait is finally over. It’s time to get back out there and explore British Columbia this summer. When you visit BC attractions that offer craft beer, it just makes your sightseeing adventures that much more refreshing.

You’ll find great craft beer whether you’re visiting BC’s lush parks and gardens or its lively museums and art galleries. From iconic hotels and lodges to exhilarating bike rides and wildlife experiences, the BC Ale Trail has got you covered with numerous brews to sample all over this Western Canadian province.

Let’s check out 15 British Columbia attractions that offer craft beer from BC. And remember – this is just a little taste!

Note: Some of these attractions do require skill and coordination, so perhaps save the beer for a post-excursion reward, and always drink in moderation.

Vancouver

1. Stanley Park

Burgeoning with huge western red cedar and Douglas fir trees, Stanley Park remains Vancouver’s most popular tourist attraction. The iconic 1,000-acre urban park bordering the West End is home to herons, beavers, raccoons, and coyotes.

Whether you’re strolling around Lost Lagoon, admiring the Lions Gate Bridge from Prospect Point, or biking around the 8.9-km Seawall, you’ll naturally work up a thirst. Head to the Stanley Park Pavilion or the Prospect Point Bar & Grill to throw back Central City’s Red Racer IPA or Red Truck Beer Company’s Blackberry Bourbon Ale.

2. Vancouver Art Gallery

The Vancouver Art Gallery attracts visitors with world-renowned Emily Carr paintings like Big Raven and Red Cedar and contemporary art exhibitions like Vancouver Special: Disorientations and Echo.

The in-house 1931 Gallery Bistro serves flavourful brews from Four Winds Brewing’s tart Nectarous Sour to Bomber Brewing’s heavy-hitting Russian Doll Stout. Afterwards, you can explore the recently refurbished Robson Square and šxʷƛ̓ənəq Xwtl’e7énḵ Square, the plaza north of the Vancouver Art Gallery that received a new Indigenous name in 2018.

Vancouver’s North Shore

3. Capilano Suspension Bridge

In North Vancouver, the 1889-launched Capilano Suspension Bridge offers Indiana Jones-style thrills, including the Treetops Adventure’s viewing platforms perched high in the rainforest and Cliffwalk’s vertiginous views overlooking the Capilano River.

Catch your breath at the Cliff House Restaurant, whose beer list ranges from Backcountry Brewing’s Widowmaker IPA to Off the Rails Brewing Co.’s Czechmate Pilsner.

4. Grouse Mountain

Just up the road from the Capilano Suspension Bridge, Grouse Mountain offers an awesome athletic challenge with the Grouse Grind, a steep 2.9-km climb that takes most hikers an hour and a half.

Even if you opt to ride the Skyride aerial tramway 1,610 metres to the summit, you’ll likely be in the mood for liquid refreshment after checking out the lumberjack show, the Eye of the Wind turbine, and the wildlife refuge with wolves and grizzly bears. You’ll definitely need some fluids if you go mountain biking or ziplining at Grouse Mountain.

On the Altitudes Bistro patio, enjoy a spectacular panorama of Metro Vancouver while sipping Wildeye Brewing’s Choppy Waters IPA or Deep Cove Brewers and Distillers’ POG Sour, which is fermented with passionfruit, orange, and guava.

Victoria

5. Butchart Gardens

In a typical year, Victoria’s world-famous Butchart Gardens gets more than a million visitors. There are a million things to see at this 1904-founded attraction just north of the provincial capital, ranging from the old limestone quarry that was transformed into the Sunken Garden to the wooden footbridges and traditional boar-scarer that grace the Japanese Garden.

At the Butchart Gardens dining room, you can get Hoyne Brewing core beers like Hoyne Pilsner and Hoyne Dark Matter.

6. Fairmont Empress Hotel

Overlooking the Inner Harbour, the recently revitalized Fairmont Empress Hotel is as much a symbol of Vancouver Island’s biggest city as the nearby Parliament Buildings. Built in 1904, the Empress has hosted famous guests like Barbra Streisand, Harrison Ford, and Queen Elizabeth II.

While this Francis Rattenbury-designed luxury hotel is best-known for serving afternoon tea, you can grab a seat at the Q at the Empress bar and choose from BC craft beers ranging from Category 12 Brewing’s Juicy Data Hazy IPA to Vancouver Island Brewing’s Q Blonde Lager. On the luxurious, perks-laden Fairmont Gold Floor, the honour bars include Phillips Brewing’s Blue Buck Ale and Central City’s non-alcoholic Red Racer Street Legal IPA.

7. Victoria Whale-Watching Tours

Vancouver Island Brewing sells limited-edition 2021 Pod Packs – featuring four collaborations with other Island breweries – in support of resident killer whales in the Salish Sea.

Pod Packs furnish a nice complement to your whale-watching tour with Prince of Whales or Eagle Wing Whale & Wildlife Tours, launching out of the Inner Harbour. You can find Pod Packs at Vancouver Island Brewing’s Government Street brewery or local liquor stores. (To be clear, you’ll want to drink them after your tour, not on the boat. The orcas thank you in advance.)

Tofino

8. Wickaninnish Inn

The luxurious Wickaninnish Inn is an ideal launching pad for a day of surfing or fat biking at Tofino’s 2.5-km-long Chesterman Beach. Facing the open Pacific Ocean on Vancouver Island’s west coast, this Relais & Chateaux property near Pacific Rim National Park offers infinite ways to relax, from the fabled Ancient Cedars Spa to the in-room hot tubs and gas fireplaces.

Beers available on draft at The Pointe Restaurant include Tofino Brewing’s Blonde Ale and Longwood Brewery’s Island Time Lager.

9. Ultimate Adventure Tour

For those seeking an adrenalized outing with wind, waves, and wildlife, the Tofino Resort + Marina’s Ultimate Adventure Tour brims with variety.

When you head out with your guide on a 21-foot Grady White fishing boat, you could spot grey whales surfacing near Vargas Island or black bears foraging on the shores of Vancouver Island for clams and mussels.

Drop crab traps in Lemmens Inlet and come back later to pick up Dungeness crab that you can enjoy freshly cooked at the resort’s waterfront 1909 Kitchen restaurant for dinner.

1909 Kitchen’s excellent selection of draft beer includes Yellow Dog’s High 5 IPA and Driftwood Brewery’s Blackstone Porter.

Whistler

10. Whistler Olympic Plaza

In 2010, Whistler served as the official host mountain resort of the Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games, co-hosting with Vancouver. Fun fact: after Canada’s Jon Montgomery surprised the experts by winning the gold medal in men’s skeleton, he swigged a pitcher of beer that he was handed outside Black’s Pub in the Whistler Village during his celebratory march.

Today, while Whistler remains best-known as North America’s top ski resort, a two-hour drive north of Vancouver, it also abounds with summer activities like axe throwing, bear viewing, hiking, rock climbing, and riding the Peak 2 Peak Gondola.

When you’re ready to kick back with a gold medal-worthy brew or two, the BrewHouse at the Whistler Olympic Plaza awaits with such flagship beers as Grizzly Brown Ale and 5 Rings IPA. Also, head to Function Junction to sip a pint of Black Tusk Ale at Whistler Brewing or Hope You’re Grapefruit IPA at nearby Coast Mountain Brewing.

Squamish

11. Sea to Sky Gondola

Situated roughly halfway between Vancouver and Whistler, the Sea to Sky Gondola offers unparalleled views overlooking Howe Sound.

Take the 10-minute gondola ride up to the Summit Lodge, 885 metres above sea level, and enjoy an easy, family-friendly hike along the 1.3-km Panorama Trail or get your heart rate up on the epic, 8.4-km Al’s Habrich Trail through the backcountry. The 100-metre-long Sky Pilot Suspension Bridge is another can’t-miss experience at this Squamish attraction.

Whether you wind up feasting on pizza, poutine, or pork ribs on the Sky Pilot Restaurant’s spacious, sunny patio, you can wash it all down with a pint of Sky Pilot Northwest Pale Ale from Howe Sound Brewing, which has been brewing beer in Squamish for 25 years. Reservations are recommended.

And once you’ve taken the gondola back down, be sure to check out A-Frame Brewing and Backcountry Brewing, which are both located in Squamish.

Penticton

12. Kettle Valley Rail Trail

As one of BC’s best-loved rail trails, the Kettle Valley Rail Trail runs close to 650 km from Hope to Castlegar. For recreational cyclists, the scenic, easygoing ride from Penticton to Naramata – a 21-km, four-hour round trip – is an unquestioned highlight. Biking through the rolling hills next to the soul-soothing expanse of Okanagan Lake, many visitors enjoy checking out the award-winning Naramata Bench wineries. Look for Abandoned Rail Brewing to open along this stretch later this summer.

Indeed, beyond the vineyards and orchards, Penticton is also home to a captivating craft beer scene. You can easily kick off or wrap up your Kettle Valley Rail Trail odyssey with some outstanding brews.

Just a five-minute ride from where the trail starts on Vancouver Avenue, hit up Cannery Brewing’s taproom for a pint of Sunblink Berry Sour or Naramata Nut Brown Ale.  Also check out Highway 97 Brewery‘s new location right next door.

Golden

13. Kicking Horse Grizzly Bear Refuge

Orphaned at just five months old, Boo the grizzly bear got a new lease on life at the 20-acre Kicking Horse Grizzly Bear Refuge.

Located at Golden’s Kicking Horse Mountain Resort on the BC-Alberta border, the refuge offers multiple interpretive tours to view this magnificent bear, including the Ranger Assist Program. Twice daily (9 am and 3 pm), rangers – accompanied by up to five guests – visit Boo in his habitat and make sure he gets his daily vitamin supplements.

To enhance your beer nutrition, check out the Peaks Grill, just a 10-minute chairlift ride down from Boo’s refuge. It serves such thirst-quenchers as Moody Ales’ Lavender Sour and Fernie Brewing’s First Ascent Gose.

14. Golden Skybridge

Debuting in June 2021, the Golden Skybridge is currently Canada’s highest suspension bridge, swaying 130 metres above a valley in the Columbia Canyon. Teeter across a second, 80-metre-high suspension bridge, and gaze at the Columbia and Purcell mountain ranges and a towering waterfall. Ziplines and a giant swing are in the works for this exciting new Kootenay Rockies attraction.

Craft beer lovers can quaff the likes of Whitetooth Brewing’s Thread the Needle Witbier or Nelson Brewing’s Hooligan Organic Pilsner at the on-site Village Grill.

Bella Coola

15. Tweedsmuir Park Lodge

When a lodge is located within eyeshot of a site known as Stupendous Mountain, you’re setting the bar high. Fortunately, Tweedsmuir Park Lodge – marking its 90th anniversary in 2021 – has all the fresh air, natural splendour, and upscale amenities required to deliver a stupendous British Columbia experience for adventurous souls.

Just over an hour’s flight from Vancouver on the Central Coast, the Bella Coola-area lodge offers luxury chalet stays, e-biking, and fly-fishing excursions along the Atnarko River. Ancient First Nations petroglyph-viewing opportunities, a new 1.1-km Via Ferrata climbing route overlooking the Great Bear Rainforest, and the chance to see grizzly bears and black bears foraging in their natural habitat are other key highlights.

With dinner, guests can drink BC craft beers like Steamworks Brewing Co.’s Flagship IPA and Whistler Brewing’s Hazy Trail Pale Ale.

For more information about British Columbia attractions, see Destination BC.

Travel in BC

Travel is part of our DNA and we’re all excited to see it return and welcome our neighbours from Alberta and the rest of Canada. Summer 2021 is a great time to #exploreBCnow and connect with family and friends and explore everything British Columbia has to offer – great cities, incredible nature, and parts less travelled ready to welcome people. Step 3 has a lot of changes, such as masks being optional for those who have had both vaccination shots, and showing proof of vaccination is not required. It’s important to remember we are all learning as we go, and we need to have kindness and patience at the heart of everything we do. We’re asking everyone to be patient as we work to get our services to the same high levels they were before the pandemic. We’re improving quality all the time as we address staffing shortages, train new staff, and adapt to new guidelines. The B.C. government information on travel and business rules are online at www.gov.bc.ca/covidtravel.

The post 15 BC Attractions That Offer Craft Beer appeared first on The BC Ale Trail.

Pairings are truly a matter of personal choice. Whether you’re into oyster and wine pairings, cheese and chocolate pairings, or even NHL defence pairings, it’s anything goes in 2021.

That philosophy inspired us to ask 10 BC authors with different backgrounds and styles of writing to pair one of their books with a favourite beer — tongue-in-cheek or seriously — on the BC Ale Trail. Because… why not?

Since this was utterly unscripted, two authors even picked beers from the same craft brewery. To find out which brewery, you’ll have to read on.

With so many British Columbians spending more time at home these days, now is a great opportunity to read a new novel, memoir, travel guide, thriller, or mystery while enjoying a pint or two of BC craft beer. Let’s sample some world-class local literature and wonderful libations.

BC Author: Angie Abdou

My new book This One Wild Life: A Mother-Daughter Wilderness Memoir originated with my bright parenting idea that my nine-year-old daughter and I would spend a summer working on her confidence by hiking a peak every single week.

The execution of this plan looked drastically different than its ideal. A perfect beer match: Fernie Brewing Company’s What the Huck, an ale that (like my book) promises a taste of the Fernie wild. All too often in my book’s adventures, I wonder What the Huck I’ve gotten us into. I invite readers to wonder “What the huck?!” while drinking a What the Huck.

Angie Abdou is a Fernie, BC author who has published eight books, including The Bone Cage, In Case I Go, and Home Ice: Reflections of a Reluctant Hockey Mom.

BC Author: Jane Byers

Awesome Taste Hazy IPA is a fruity offering from Torchlight Brewing in Nelson. Small Courage: A Queer Memoir of Finding Love and Conceiving Family is my fruity memoir from Nelson. It was my good fortune to get this beer freshly made. It is best described as an East Coast IPA, a little less hoppy, a little more hazy and fruity.

My book is partially set in Toronto in the hazy days of 1990s Pride Parades when the only beer on offer were Labatt and Molson products. I first tasted Awesome Flavour at Kootenay Pride, at the Queer night at Torchlight’s taproom that they so thoughtfully hosted. The rainbow label makes you want to dance and celebrate. Both the beer and the book have a juicy arc with some hop and a satisfying soft finish with a big heart.

In addition to co-writing two award-winning documentaries, Nelson-based Jane Byers has published two poetry collections and a chapbook, and her work has appeared in Grain and the Antigonish Review.

BC Author: Robin Esrock

Reading my book makes one thirsty for travel. Dageraad Brewing’s Burnabarian and The Great Canadian Bucket List are both grounded in place. Like any good Canadian, the Burnabarian is instantly likeable, easy on the palate, and makes fine company on any occasion. It is also billed as a Belgian-style table beer, although I’ve been to Belgium, and Burnaby’s award-winning ale is more refreshing than anything I sampled in Bruges.

Having visited over 100 countries, I’ve found Canada’s destinations and activities to be similarly understated. Canada has far better landscapes, wildlife, adventures, food and culture than we give it credit for. We also have better craft beer than Belgium.

Based in Burnaby, Robin Esrock is the best-selling author of The Great Canadian Bucket List and The Great Global Bucket List.

BC Author: Aislinn Hunter

Green Leaf Brewing Co. has a warm, pubby interior and a European cafe-ish exterior that overlooks the city of Vancouver’s skyline and the North Shore quay where I live. All of my novels have pub settings in them, and The Certainties is no exception.

Green Leaf makes excellent brews and has been a place I’ve sat with my hubby and puppies, thinking up my book. Plus, I have a fox on the cover of my novel and their tasty Wheat Ale has a fox on the can. I believe in supporting great local businesses — especially ones where there’s a sense of serendipity and community, and the ability to sit outside and talk in the fresh air.

Vancouver author Aislinn Hunter has written seven acclaimed novels, including The World Before Us, an NYT Editor’s Choice book and winner of the Ethel Wilson Fiction Prize.

BC Author: Dietrich Kalteis

Just like my novel Cradle of the Deep, LoLo Stout has dark undertones with a certain nuttiness to it. Smooth, layered, full-bodied, and mysterious — both rich with character.

The novel is from ECW Press, and this classic stout is from Green Leaf Brewing Co. in the Shipyards District of North Vancouver. It’s a perfect pairing.

Dietrich Kalteis is a West Coast crime novelist whose award-winning books include Ride the Lightning and House of Blazes.

BC Author: Sonnet L’Abbé

Everyone knows beer is good for hanging out with friends, and I love White Sails Brewing for its ale room. It’s a great place to meet. I’ve hosted some huge poetry readings there, so I headed to White Sails to find offerings that pair well with the lyric-verse-writing life. Best beer for sitting in a comfy chair reading poetry: Chocolate Porter. Best beer for making late-night beats under string lights: Beyond The Edge Blackberry Sour. Best beer to reach for on stage, guitar on your lap: January Citra Tart Ale. Best beer for staying up late, lit by the glow of your laptop, to write poems: Regardian Coffee Ale.

Sonnet L’Abbé is the author of Sonnet’s Shakespeare, A Strange Relief and Killarnoe. In 2000, she won the Bronwen Wallace Memorial Award for most promising writer under 35. L’Abbé lives on Vancouver Island and is a professor of creative writing at Vancouver Island University.

BC Author: Owen Laukkanen

My Deception Cove thriller series features a rescue dog named Lucy in the starring role, so a beer from Port Moody’s Yellow Dog Brewing seems like a natural pairing. But even if their High 5 Hazy IPA was brewed by cats, I’d still come back to it time and again.

As cloudy as a morning in Deception Cove’s fictional Olympic Peninsula locale and strong as a gale-force wind, High 5 isn’t for the faint of heart — but then again, neither are Lucy’s misadventures!

Vancouver author Owen Laukkanen’s critically acclaimed thrillers include Gale Force, The Professionals, and The Watcher in the Wall.

BC Author: Brian Payton

I wrote my latest novel at Our Town, a (then) scruffy coffee shop in Vancouver’s Mount Pleasant neighbourhood. The book, The Wind Is Not a River, is a survival story set in the Aleutian Islands during World War II.

After writing, to tamp down the caffeine buzz and celebrate a few more pages in the bag, I’d often walk three blocks west to 33 Acres Brewing. It has always been the perfect place to unwind with fellow writers — to dream, debate, and commiserate over a pint of my go-to California Common: 33 Acres of Life.

Brian Payton’s non-fiction titles include Shadow of the Bear: Travels in Vanishing Wilderness and The Ice Passage: A True Story of Ambition, Disaster and Endurance in the Arctic Wilderness.

BC Author: Sam Wiebe

Brassneck Brewery is located in the beating heart of Mount Pleasant, near some of the best bookstores and cafes in the city. Their Changeling kettle sour is THE beer to grab in the summer months, crisp and tart and refreshing. The brewers experiment with different seasonal fruit, hence the name. Exploring the different varieties is one of the pleasures.

Cut You Down, my second novel about private detective Dave Wakeland, starts at the tail end of a Vancouver summer full of wildfires. Large parts of the book take place in Mount Pleasant. Often, after finishing my pages for the day, I’d hit up Pulp Fiction Books and Brassneck. A crime novel and a growler of Raspberry Changeling—what else do you need?

Sam Wiebe’s other award-winning Vancouver crime novels include Invisible Dead and Last of the Independents.

BC Author: Robert Wiersema

I was going to say something clever like “I’m a big fan of Phillips Brewing’s Winter Staycation Tropical Stout because it reminds me of my novel Black Feathers: it’s dark and deep, with a hint of sweetness on the finish.” But, really, I like it because I’m a big fan of Phillips’ seasonal and special beers.

From the Scarfface Cranberry Orange Wit to the Dinosour Blackberry Sour Ale, from the Raspberry Wheat Ale (which has graduated into regular rotation) to this tropical stout, they manage to nail every season.

Based in Victoria, Robert Wiersema, who doubles as a Toronto Star book reviewer, is the author of Bedtime Story and Walk Like a Man: Coming of Age With the Music of Bruce Springsteen.

The post 10 BC Authors Pair Their Books With Beers on the BC Ale Trail appeared first on The BC Ale Trail.

I skid to a halt on my bike when I hit Richmond’s West Dyke Trail at noon. I’ve just spotted a northern harrier hovering over Sturgeon Banks, a long stretch of tidal marshland on the Strait of Georgia.

The huge raptor dives for its prey. Moments later, a cloud of snow geese takes off, calling excitedly, with the Vancouver Island mountains looming in the background. Richmond attracts some 1.4 million migratory birds annually on the Pacific Flyway, and this is a thrilling snapshot.

Before riding down to the historic fishing village of Steveston, I zoom in with my camera and identify a bald eagle scanning the landscape, hunting for its next meal, atop an old wooden radar reflector.

As a fan of the late, great Eddie Van Halen, my mind swoops off to his band’s 1981 classic “Mean Street”: “Turns you from hunted into hunter/Go and hunt somebody down.” Personally, though, I’m just questing toward my first beer of this autumn day on the BC Ale Trail.

“The Fraser River Delta is Western Canada’s biggest estuary and our most important bird habitat with the highest diversity of species,” says James Casey, an environmental policy and conservation specialist with Birds Canada, in a pre-tour interview. “Both the massive productivity of the estuary–-which means lots of food for birds–and the temperate climate of Metro Vancouver bring birds down from the Arctic Circle to winter here.” (He neglects to mention whether the birds prefer IPAs or sours.)

While I’ll cover more than 35 kilometres today, making this BC Ale Trail route suitable for intermediate cyclists, Richmond is fortunately as flat as Van Halen’s native Holland.

The Richmond Olympic Oval, the 2010 home of Olympic long-track speed skating, is the first major landmark I pass on the Middle Arm Dyke Trail, travelling west alongside the Fraser River. It’s 11 am and I’m thirsty for bird sightings.

Initially, the best I can do is watch a Harbour Air seaplane landing in the river next to the South Terminal of Vancouver International Airport (YVR). But things soon improve. I spot mallards and American wigeon floating next to the rushes along the banks. I mentally toast myself when I notice a male spotted towhee with distinctive reddish-brown feathers feeding in a crab apple tree.

Reaching the northwest corner of Lulu Island, on which most of Richmond sits, I detour into Terra Nova Rural Park. Golden-crowned sparrows and barn swallows flit past as I enter the community garden. Swiss chard and red beauty peppers grow just steps from a nesting box for owls. In the evergreen trees behind the garden, unseen birds tweet at a rate that would put a well-known politician who shall remain nameless to shame.

As I pedal south on the West Dyke Trail toward Steveston, I keep my eyes peeled for shorebirds and raptors. I also stop to check out interpretive signs about the World War II-era Fort Steveston and the various Sturgeon Banks fish species, which range from salmon and herring to starry flounder and shiner perch.

Quaint Steveston, founded in 1880 as a salmon canning port, has multiple restaurants that are home to such BC Ale Trail species as Parallel 49, Red Truck, and Driftwood. After rounding windy Garry Point Park, where a kite-buggying enthusiast swerves in joyful circles, I pull up at the harbourside Catch Kitchen and plant myself on the second-floor patio.

A pint of Four Winds Pilsner (4.8% ABV)–brewed in neighbouring Delta–pairs perfectly with my fish and chips lunch, featuring beer-battered cod, hand cut sea-salted fries, and coleslaw. I’m feeling warm and happy with my lungs full of fresh air as I gaze out over fishing boats and Coast Guard vessels. A seagull perched nearby is courteous enough to not steal my fries.

I pay a quick visit afterwards to the Gulf of Georgia Cannery, a National Historic Site, which canned a whopping 2.5 million pounds of salmon in 1897. The museum, suffused with the scent of creosote and wood pilings, currently hosts an exhibition on salmon can labels.

“Iconic Canadian images like Mounties were often featured,” a museum guide tells me. I’m amused to find a display of vintage cans depicting birds, such as kestrels, pelicans, and peacocks.

Heading east, I cut through the Britannia Shipyards, where salmon canning operations staffed by Japanese, Chinese, and First Nations workers gave way to ship repairs circa 1917. I walk my bike along the boardwalk and admire the Murakami Residence’s garden with a Japanese scarecrow.

Following the South Arm of the Fraser River, I work up a thirst as I cycle through off-leash dog areas and past Finn Slough, a small, self-regulating waterfront community with rustic houses on stilts, founded by Finnish settlers in the 1890’s.

In an offbeat way, Finn Slough reminds me of watching former Vancouver Canucks defenceman Jyrki Lumme’s daughter Bea playing hockey with the Pacific Steelers against the Chinese women’s national team at the Richmond Olympic Oval in 2016. This area is also a good place to spot snow geese, but they’re keeping a low profile at 3 pm.

I ride north on No. 5 Road and head into the industrial park that houses Fuggles Beer, one of Richmond’s most distinctive craft breweries. Comic book art and pixelated graphics adorn the walls.

Relaxing outside in the afternoon sunshine, I enjoy my flight of four beers, including a pilot brew Apricot IPA (6.4% ABV) and the heavy-duty DarXide Russian Imperial Stout (9.9% ABV). Ultimately, the new, super-refreshing Lemon Kolsch (4% ABV) wins my vote, and I leave with a six-pack.

My final destination is Monkey 9, a 2017-founded brewpub next to SilverCity Richmond Cinemas. (Word to the wise: when heading east on Steveston Highway, cross to the north side before traversing the bridge over Highway 99, since the road is tight, and you can walk your bike over the north-side sidewalk.) With eight beers on tap and four guest taps, there’s plenty of choice.

The primate-themed decor gets me thinking as I consume a Monkey 9 Grand Orchard Cherry Sour (8% ABV) and the Silverback Poutine. I was fortunate enough to see mountain gorillas in Uganda in 2019. Baboons are very common in Uganda. Locals there get as excited about seeing baboons as Canadians get about Canada geese. So, does that make Canada geese the baboons of Richmond? (As you can see, it’s been a long day.)

Spokes needs my bike back. Therefore, I fly like an eagle back along Steveston Highway, the Shell Road Trail, and Granville Avenue to reach the Richmond-Brighouse Station on No. 3 Road. Riding the Canada Line downtown circa 6 pm, I reflect on my exhilarating odyssey on Richmond’s dyke trails, the BC Bird Trail, and the BC Ale Trail.

The lyrics of the final song on Van Halen’s 1982 album Diver Down echo through my head: “Happy trails to you till we meet again.”

Looking for more outstanding ornithological options? Visit nearby bird-watching havens like Iona Beach Regional Park, next to YVR, or the George C. Reifel Migratory Bird Sanctuary in Delta. Or check out the International Bird Beer Label Association’s Facebook group.

Know before you go

When exploring the BC Ale Trail or BC Bird Trail, make sure to look up important information about the area you’re visiting and check on cancellation policies. Practice safe and respectful travelling as you explore the communities in our wild backyard that are open to visitors and make sure to be a considerate craft beer consumer while you’re out and about.

The post Birds, Bikes, and Beer on the BC Ale Trail appeared first on The BC Ale Trail.

Hockey and beer. For many British Columbians, those two topics are as inseparable as the Sedin twins. When the Vancouver Canucks get on a roll, naturally passion heightens and pints are downed, but the connections go beyond that.

Take Matt Walker. During his 314-game NHL career, the gritty defenceman played with hockey greats like St. Louis’s Pavol Demitra, Chicago’s Jonathan Toews, and Tampa Bay’s Steven Stamkos. Yet as far as BC craft beer fans are concerned, Walker’s biggest score might have come in retirement when he began providing liquid refreshment.

Walker hung up his skates in 2012, moved to the Kootenays in 2014, and bought the Nelson Brewing Company in 2016. Operating this award-winning, organic brewery in the Southern Interior city of 10,000, the 40-year-old is part of a growing tribe of NHLers taking part in the BC Ale Trail, whether as brewers or beer buffs.

Walker’s wife Kate doubles as his business partner, and she has deep roots in this scenic community in the Selkirk Mountains.

“I met my wife, who’s from Nelson, in Christina Lake during the 2005 NHL lockout,” Walker said. “Her dad [former Nelson mayor Dave Elliot] was one of the original investors in the Nelson Brewing Company way back in 1991. So when I visited Nelson for the first time, that was when I first tried the NBC brand. After my hockey career ended, we were coming back home, and a couple of the original owners approached us to see if we were interested in the brewery. We really wanted to be part of something that was part of the Kootenay culture. We jumped all over that opportunity.”

So today, what does this 1998 Memorial Cup winner with the Portland Winterhawks recommend for fans looking to quaff a high-quality cold one while watching the Stanley Cup playoffs?

“My personal favourite among our light beers is the Hooligan Pilsner. It’s a fantastic beer. I know Harvest Moon, which is a Kölsch-style hemp ale, has been one of our most popular beers for a decade or more now, but the Pilsner’s starting to fight its way in there. I go from the Pilsner on the light side to Bent Pole, which is my go-to IPA. Our amber beer does very well at a lot of the pubs here in town, and then in cans, it doesn’t go quite as much as the Pilsner. Honestly, I never was a Pilsner drinker. Growing up, it was never on my list. But this Hooligan’s won me over!”

Walker’s true indoctrination into the craft beer faith came midway through his nine-year NHL career. Originally, St. Louis drafted Walker in the third round (83rd overall) in 1998. He spent four seasons there, and Missouri’s second-largest city is built around Budweiser. However, after signing a one-year deal with Chicago for 2008-09, he explored the Windy City’s burgeoning beer scene with Blackhawks teammates Cam Barker and Ben Eager.

“I was 28 years old,” Walker recalled. “That’s kind of when I stopped drinking anything from the large breweries and stuck with craft beer. The bombers were obviously huge back then, and there were tons of breweries in Chicago.”

Nowadays, he enjoys welcoming ex-Blues buddies like Eric Brewer, a 2002 Olympic gold medalist, and Ryan Johnson, the GM of the AHL’s Utica Comets, to the Nelson Brewing Company, which occupies an 1897-built building. However, there’s a caveat: “There’s no free rides around here! You gotta help out. Brewie, he jumped on the canning line. I think he sat there for almost two hours, which was quite funny. Everybody else there just got to take a break and watch the big man go to work!”

Other retired NHLers, like Canucks legend Trevor Linden, might drop by during a summer getaway or winter ski trip. That said, after being retired for nearly 10 years, Walker admits he doesn’t follow hockey quite as closely any more.

Who does Walker cheer for during the post-season? That’s mostly dictated by childhood preferences or old pals. To illustrate, Walker, who was born in Beaverlodge, Alberta, grew up rooting for the Wayne Gretzky-era Edmonton Oilers. He’s friends with Mike Smith, a Tampa Bay teammate in 2009-10, and found himself pulling for the Oilers netminder this year.

Mostly, Walker has his hands full with three young daughters — Georgia, Lennox, and Taylor — and a busy schedule at the brewery with Kate from Monday to Friday. They’re proud to support the local Junior B hockey team, the Nelson Leafs of the Kootenay International Junior Hockey League, with awards. Down the road, Walker aspires to expand his tasting room and sell more beer in Alberta.

“It seems like craft beer in BC has just exploded,” Walker said. “Especially in the last four or five years, it’s in every little town now. When we bought the Nelson Brewing Company, it was one of the only breweries in our Kootenay area. Now there’s many of them!”

Although Dave Babych hasn’t invested in a brewery (yet), this former Canuck certainly enjoys checking out the BC Ale Trail. Notching 723 points in 1,195 career NHL games, the famously moustachioed defenceman starred with the Winnipeg Jets and Hartford Whalers in the 1980s. Vancouver fans celebrated his playoff exploits in the 1990s, including the 1994 run to the Stanley Cup finals against the New York Rangers.

Today, Babych, 59, lives not far from North Vancouver’s Deep Cove Brewers and Distillers, but his first taste of Vancouver craft beer came on Granville Island. Winnipeg’s #2 overall pick in the 1980 NHL Draft also has happy memories from pioneering mid-90s brewpubs like Yaletown Brewing and Steamworks.

“When you start having craft beer, you go, ‘That’s pretty good!’” Babych said. “You see that there’s another beer world out there. Once you try some of those flavoured beers, it’s tough to go back.”

Recently, he got sponsored by Parallel 49 while giving some Zoom talks. Admitting he’s not a fan of sours, Babych describes himself as a “pale ale or IPA guy.” He’s an active member of the Vancouver Canucks Alumni Association, along with fellow local residents like Kirk McLean and Cliff Ronning, and that offers more chances to broaden his beer palate.

“When we have our alumni skates or golf tournaments, we get sponsored by a few different breweries,” Babych said. “Wherever they’re from, be it Surrey or Langley or Pitt Meadows or Vancouver or North Vancouver, everyone brings a couple of cases just for the guys to try. And you know what? It’s really hard to find a bad beer from all these places!”

Babych’s business interests in booze are currently limited to his Barrel 44 red wine from Oliver’s Desert Hills Estate Winery. If he ever makes the transition from beer fan to brewery owner, he says he wants to focus on quality over quantity.

“It’s funny: I was asked to invest in a brewery in Hartford, because I played there for six years and my wife’s from there. We’ve got family there. And it didn’t work out. I’m glad I didn’t, because these guys, instead of just having five real outstanding beers, went for like 15. And they lost track of the essence of doing an outstanding job, spreading it out and watering it down. To me, you make your go-tos and then maybe have one seasonal, four times a year. And that would be it. You want to make sure you do it right.”

During the 1994 run, Babych was involved in three signature plays that had Canucks fans spraying beer everywhere.

First, in double overtime against the Calgary Flames in the first round, he moved the puck cross-ice to Jeff Brown, who found Pavel Bure with a breakaway pass for the thrilling Game Seven winner. Second, in the Western Conference final versus the Toronto Maple Leafs, Greg Adams converted the rebound from Babych’s point shot to win Game Five in sudden death at the Pacific Coliseum and send the Canucks to the finals. Third, Babych’s goal against the Rangers with 10:29 left in Game Five at Madison Square Garden stood up as the tie-breaker in a 6-3 final.

Which of those moments is his favourite?

“Beating Toronto was probably the most rewarding just because it’s Toronto! And the way we did it. We took it to ’em pretty good, and we knew we had a real good chance to win the series anyway. But the shot I took, it was one of those things — you get it through, you never know what’s going to happen. I think maybe [Leafs goalie Felix Potvin] thought it was coming harder than it was and misplayed it! Of course, old Gus Adams there, he was where he was supposed to be. To get to the Stanley Cup final, beating Toronto, what better thing could happen than that?”

This year, the two-time NHL All-Star Game participant has enjoyed watching Vancouver rookie Quinn Hughes blossom as one of the league’s premier offensive blueliners with his great skating and ability to find the seams. Babych is impressed by the ability of current NHLers to stay mentally strong in the pandemic-mandated bubbles of Edmonton and Toronto, which he jokingly dubs “white-collar prison.”

With more time to explore craft beer while sticking close to home, he’s also occasionally served as the designated driver when his  sons check out East Vancouver’s breweries.

In terms of connections between hockey and BC craft beer, we’ve just scraped the ice surface. Surrey’s Central City makes a lager called Beer League. In 2016, when ex-Canucks Willie Mitchell and Dan Hamhuis celebrated their plans to launch the Tofino Resort + Marina on Vancouver Island, they held a community barbecue featuring Tofino Brewing beers.

The 2013- founded Bomber Brewing in East Van was originally the brainchild of buddies playing on the Vancouver Bombers men’s rec hockey team. Beer League Bash is a fun annual Vancouver hockey tournament with four teams of craft brewers facing off and more than 25 breweries – including the likes of Steel & Oak and Main Street Brewing – serving their wares at a community rink. (The 2020 edition was postponed, so stay tuned for a new date.)

If you simply want to enjoy a wide array of BC beers while getting your NHL fix, The Sportsbar, a 14,000-square-foot venue at Vancouver’s Rogers Arena, shows hockey on more than 100 TVs and offers 22-ounce giant pints from 33 Acres, Parkside, Hoyne Brewing,  and other breweries.

Regardless of the final score, you’re always a winner when you pair hockey with smart beer-drinking choices on the BC Ale Trail.

The post A Taste of Hockey on the BC Ale Trail appeared first on The BC Ale Trail.

A giant mermaid with starfish in her hair swims in front of me, surrounded by seaweed and jellyfish. Am I hallucinating back to my recent Copenhagen encounter with the Little Mermaid statue? Has my history of checking out Daryl Hannah in Splash and riding Ariel’s Undersea Adventure at Disneyland finally caught up with me?

Actually, I’m in a back alley in Vancouver’s Mount Pleasant neighbourhood, admiring Tia Rambaran’s 2017 “Lady Mermaids” mural. Today is all about exploring the surreal sights of the annual Vancouver Mural Festival and tasting the finest local craft beer on the BC Ale Trail.

Founded in 2016, the Vancouver Mural Festival features incredible, imaginative wall art painted by local artists, with strong representation from women, First Nations people, and minority groups. The reimagined 2020 edition (August 18 – September 7) includes more than 60 new murals in nine different neighbourhoods. You can check out artists in action and discover 200-plus murals across Vancouver with the new VMF Mobile App (launching August 18).

Mount Pleasant is where it all began, and I’m here for the ultimate marriage of art and alcohol. It’s hard to say no to a safe, fun outing on foot in Vancouver’s seminal craft beer hub.

On the eve of the festival, my epic journey to six breweries kicks off at 33 Acres Brewing at noon. It’s an easy stroll from downtown over the Cambie Street Bridge.

This white-walled, family-operated institution, which debuted in 2013, illustrates how once-industrial Mount Pleasant has been revitalized. 33 Acres is right next to a public bike share station and across from tech giant Hootsuite’s headquarters. A new patio outside the brewery offers great separation between wooden booths. Right next door is 33 Brewing Experiment, a sister brewery that opened in 2018.

I nab a corner table inside and chill with a 10.5-ounce glass of 33 Acres of Sunshine. This French Blanche ale is an ultra-refreshing choice for summer. The longstanding core beer mirrors this brewery’s vibe of minimalist elegance. 33 Acres staff are also meticulous about safety procedures, from hand sanitizer to social distancing to taking phone numbers for contact tracing, without being intrusive.

With Buffalo Springfield’s “For What It’s Worth” echoing in the background, I sip and reflect on my previous beer-powered forays into public art, ranging from a Detroit mural tour by bike to a self-guided Kiev appraisal of Soviet war monuments. If I had more time, I’d scarf down 33 Acres snacks like the hot pretzel with Dijon mustard and pickled cabbage. However, it’s time for my personal art party.

I’m in a sunny mood as I loop past Jonathan Rogers Park and turn into 7 1/2 Alley (between 7th and 8th Streets). Wow! I had no idea about the plethora of murals stashed back here.

The blue-and-green design of Alexis Tryfon’s “Argos” (2019), featuring a proud wolf inspired by Greek mythology, reminds me nostalgically of the official artwork of the 2010 Vancouver Olympics. A mingling of humans and birds amid jungle greenery gives Michelle Nguyen’s “Monster in Hiding” (2018) complex layers. Tara Lee Bennet’s “No Rain No Flowers” (2018) offers a simple, clean slogan that makes me happy I don’t need an umbrella today.

Emerging on to Main Street, I cut across Kingsway to my next destination. I’ve spent plenty of time around this intersection, devouring gourmet doughnuts at Cartem’s Donuts or vegetarian Mexican food at Budgie’s Burritos. Yet right now, I’m just craving more beer artistry at Main Street Brewing.

The cheerful, high-ceilinged building on East 7th Avenue that housed Vancouver Breweries in the early 20th century has a colourful assortment of growlers in its shop. I chuckle at a growler that depicts R2-D2 and C-3PO from Star Wars playing beer pong.

Feeling excited by the murals I’ve viewed so far, I order a flight in the tasting room. It includes the classic Main Street Pilsner with notes of apples and the hoppy Kingpin pale ale. I inquire about Main Street Brewing’s selection of cask beers. The server informs me: “We have three of them, and they’re usually 40-litre batches, lasting about a week.”

Black-and-white photos, including a 1931 Vancouver Breweries horse-drawn delivery cart and a retro laundromat, flash on a TV above the bar as I finish off my flight. With that visual taste of history, I’m revved up for more murals.

In an East 5th Avenue parking lot, two cartoonish, colourful 2019 murals prompt beer-fuelled questions. Who is the mysterious, tattooed woman with the purple umbrella in Expel’s mural? Is that mischievous duck in a hat and cape channeling Zorro in Slate’s mural?

There’s also a large tribute to Vancouver mural artist Holden Courage, who passed away in 2015. And nearby, I discover “Eagle Opens Up” (2017), whose powerful Indigenous motifs reflect the creativity of Haisla-Heiltsuk artist Paul Windsor and Cree artist Jeska Slater. Their work reminds me that the Vancouver Mural Festival takes place on the traditional unceded territories of the Squamish, Musqueam and Tsleil-Waututh peoples.

Entering my third stop, Main Street’s Brassneck Brewery, I’m feeling contemplative. I chat with owner Nigel Springthorpe about the Vancouver Mural Festival’s positive impact on this neighbourhood. “It’s always hopping in here,” he says. “It’s great to have something that brings everybody together.”

This beloved venue is cozy, but there’s plenty of room. I sit down at a vacant communal table at 2:30 pm. Since 2013, Brassneck has delivered ever-changing, award-winning taps, the only constant being Passive-Aggressive, a 7% ABV dry-hopped pale ale. Nigel also steers me toward the King Maker Pilsner (“my beer of the moment”) and the Raspberry Changeling, incorporating Fraser Valley raspberries. I savour its tart, fruity rush.

At this stage of artistic appreciation, I could really use a pizza. Happily, a five-minute stroll brings me to R&B Ale & Pizza House. Their zesty pesto chicken pie, loaded with red peppers and feta cheese, gets me pumped for more craft beer.

R&B’s Barry Benson tells me about the 1997-founded brewery on East 4th Avenue, which boasts six core beers and 12 taps: “Currently, we come out with a new sour every month. And every time we do a new beer, 80 percent is packaged, while 20 percent is for sale on site.”

The Dude Chilling Pale Ale pairs perfectly with my pizza, while the crispy, easy-drinking Beer Island Session IPA has me pondering Def3’s Jurassic Park-esque dinosaur mural a few blocks south of here. (Maybe Steven Spielberg’s dinosaurs would have spent more time drinking if they lived on Beer Island instead of Isla Nublar. Just a theory.)

Just a few doors down is Electric Bicycle Brewing, whose psychedelic exterior dovetails thematically with the Vancouver Mural Festival. This 2018-founded brewery offers pure retro fun, and has adapted smartly to business in 2020. “We started making hand sanitizer and hawking beers out the window when the pandemic started,” explains Electric Bicycle’s Leigh Matkovich.

The beers are as eccentric as the decor, with faux-vintage snack bar signs and a neon sign trumpeting “Psychic Sessions.” My intuition is rewarded when I pick the Long Distance Relationship Smoked Stout, brewed with two kinds of chocolate malt. It’s so inspirational that I leave with four tall Electric Bicycle cans, including the popular It’s No Game Hazy IPA and Wobbly Code! German-style altbier.

A short detour on West 3rd Avenue leads me to Olivia Di Liberto’s unmissable “Cosmic Breeze” (2019) mural, covering the exterior of Titmouse Canada’s animation studios. Spontaneously, I burst into a medley of the Beatles’ “Lucy In The Sky With Diamonds” and “Yellow Submarine.” Checking out murals and drinking beer rocks.

My sixth and final destination is Faculty Brewing. The 2016-launched Ontario Street Brewery, which occupies a renovated former bike shop, has a gorgeous, tree-shaded patio. Inside, the brewery showcases local artists with a video slide show and QR codes that patrons can use to buy prints of the art.

Co-owners Mauricio Lozano and Alicia Medina offer a tasty, well-made selection of craft beers at their 1,400-square-foot facility. To refresh my palate after all the wild, eclectic murals I’ve viewed, I get one more flight. It includes Faculty Brewing’s Ginger Saison and Apricot Sourweisse. It’s after 5 pm and I’m enjoying the fruits of my labours.

This has been an amazing summer afternoon. I have a heightened appreciation for Mount Pleasant’s funky, gritty character after discovering its backstreet murals. And I can’t wait to come back and see what’s new during this year’s Vancouver Mural Festival. Especially if a pint or two is involved. Hail the mermaids!

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