Vancouver Neighbourhood Beer Crawls: Where to Find Good Cheer and Inventive Brews
Vancouver craft beer landscape is vast and varied, showcasing the talent and creativity found at local breweries. These craft beer hubs are found in neighbourhoods around the city, allowing you get to know their vibrant communities while trying the latest artisanal brews.
Here are four neighbourhood itineraries to get you started on your craft beer explorations in Vancouver:
Mount Pleasant is the centre of Vancouver’s ale culture, which makes sense given the area’s history. Along what is currently Main Street, there was once a large creek, which became known as Brewery Creek due to the number of breweries that operated there. In fact, the neighbourhood’s first brewery, Vancouver, Brewery, launched there in 1888.
Today, there is no shortage of breweries to visit for a Mount Pleasant crawl, from the larger labels to small-batch breweries. One of the bigger establishments is Red Truck Beer Company, which features a truck stop diner (e.g., all day breakfast) on the northern end of the area. Drinking here is easy, with options like a Road Trip Classic Lager, and Down Under Aussie IPA.
Just over a ten-minute walk away, you’ll find other outstanding breweries like Faculty Brewing Co. with a 30-seat tasting room to sample inventive brews like a Turmeric Ale and a London Fog Ale; Electrical Bicycle Brewing, a funky, eclectic spot for trying beers like Atomic Jam: Raspberry Sour and Soft Bounce: Nitro Stout; and R&B Brewing, one of the city’s early microbreweries (started 1997) serving Vancouver specials like Dude Chilling Pale Ale and Hipster Haze – Hazy IPA. There are a lot of pizzas to pair with your brews.
A little further north is a constellation of other breweries. Brassneck, a cozy neighbourhood spot, serves great beer (e.g., Umlaut – Hefeweizen, Brassneck Pale Ale) and tasty snacks (e.g., traditional pork pie) in their tasting room. Nearby Main Street Brewing is a friendly spot that prides itself on its unconventional brews, such as the refreshing Hula Hula Pink Guava Passionfruit Sour and Sky Rocket Cold IPA. Popular BBQ company Rosie’s now handles the food program, with eats like a brisket meatball hero, Cubano, and smoked chicken schnitzel sammy. And a big social hub of the neighbourhood is the Mount Pleasant location of Steamworks: not only does it have a fantastic heated patio, but they serve approachable brews like their Pilsner and Scarlet Red Rye Ale with crowd-pleasing pub food.
Finally, shout out to 33 Acres Brewing Company, known for some refreshing brews like 33 Acres of Sunshine – French Blanche, and 33 Acres of Ocean – West Coast Pale Ale.
East Vancouver
East Van pride is strong, particularly in their booming craft beer scene. Start south at Strange Fellows Brewing, where “strange” is the game in a combo of traditional and creative offerings. They have a loyal following for brews like their Talisman – West Coast Ale, and Jongleur – Belgian Wit. The tasting room is sizeable with numerous communal tables for getting to know fellow craft beer enthusiasts.
North from Strange Fellows, you’ll find a constellation of other East Van Breweries. Bomber Brewing features a taproom pouring brews like their Parklife Passionfruit Ale and Choqlette Oatmeal Stout, which you can pair with meals by Birdie's Charcoal Grill. Luppolo meanwhile is inspired by Italian beer-making and conviviality, with beers on tap like La Piazza Italian Pilsner and Luminosa Brett Saison. They’ve partnered with Local Pizzaiolo for their food program. Off the Rail Brewing focuses on English ales, US IPAs, and German lagers, with 15 taps in their tasting room. Beers include the Psych Path Lager and Cascadiana Dark Ale.
Finally, going further north, you’ll find a swathe of outstanding breweries that span east to west. On the west, in the Downtown Eastside, you’ll find Strathcona Beer Company’s taproom, where pizza and good beer are paired, like their Strath Lager and Premium Pilsner, and a delicious spicy Hawaiian pie.
If you go westward, you’ll find Superflux Beer Company with fun options like Marshmallow Fluff IPA and Friendshake, along with some of the best hot dogs in town and other casual items. Container Brewing has an amazing patio during the summer, and tightly crafted brews like their Pixel (lager) and All Season (modern dry stout). They have partnerships with Burdy (popular for their chicken parm sandwiches) and other food trucks. Even better, The Good Sauna is on site. And on the eastern reaches of this group of breweries, you can visit Parallel 49 Brewing, one of the giants of the local and national craft beer scene, with pours like their Tricycle Grapefruit Radler and Cannonball Wheat Ale. Order tasty eats, like Baja fish tacos, from their street kitchen inside.
Vancouver’s third concentration of craft breweries is located in North Vancouver, a short ride away via the SeaBus.
You can hit a bunch of them along Esplanade East, in addition to a really great cidery. Start at the Mexican La Cerveceria Astilleros, with brews like a Salted Lime Lager and Orange Fresca Pilsner, which are perfect for a sunny day (or imagining one). A range of tacos (e.g., al pastor) complete the experience.
From there, make your way to Windfall Cider (e.g., Wild Card – Dry Hopped Cider) and then on to Beere Brewing Company (e.g., Night Mode Stout, Chop Wood Carry Lager). House of Funk combines a microbrewery and coffee roastery, with offerings like Krush Krush Krush (a cold IPA), and I Could Live in Juicyville (a Costa Rica Espresso). If you’re looking for something different, stop by Braggot Brewing, which uses honey from their bees for their braggot (a type of fermented beverage).
North of these Esplanade breweries, North Point Brewing Co. is a quintessential North Shore brewery with cabin chic vibes. Their core beer include their Strawberry Blonde Ale and Life of Riley – Hazy IPA. Pair your brews with tasty flatbreads, like bacon bechamel.
For a comprehensive rundown of Vancouver’s brewery neighbourhoods, visit the BC Ale Trail’s excellent guides. Also, put on your calendar two events that showcase the city’s breweries (and food scene): Brewery and the Beast (July 27), and VCBW, Craft Beer and Music Festival (July 12).
