16 places to drink craft beer in vancouver

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chuck hallett (aka barley mowat) compiled a list of 16 places to drink craft beer in vancouver for vancouvereater.com in advance of vancouver craft beer week
i have shamelessy borrowed his list
and provide you with links to my reviews of most of these places
(which were published in the bc craft beer news over the past year)
you know, just in case you haven't actually been to all of these places
(which i would only find credible if you don't actually live in vancouver)
and wanted to know allllll about them


33 Acres Brewing Company
Imagine a sleek Scandinavian Coffee House selling solidly produced sessional ales and lagers and you might have pictured 33 Acres. A sleek white-and-concrete interior kept immaculately clean makes you wonder whether or not you've slipped into an art gallery by mistake, then you realize that you have... The beer is the art. Highlights include Merckx (Saison) and Sunshine (French Blanche).
 
Rogue Kitchen & Wetbar
Some bars have great beers, some have a great view, but few are worth visiting simply for the room. Rogue is the exception to that rule. Lofty 30 foot ceilings and an ornate interior hark back to the days when the room was part of a train station. The excellent beer and well-executed American menu only add to the charm.
 
my review in the may/june 2014 bc craft beer news


Brassneck Brewery
The cosy, wood-lined tasting lounge is owner Nigel Springthorpe's way of encouraging you to say "Well, okay, just one more" a few more times than you might otherwise. Since he also owns the Alibi Room, you could say that Nigel knows a thing or two about running a bar. Luckily, Brewmaster Conrad Gmoser also knows a thing or two about brewing beer. A constantly changing array of quality taps is backed by one or two regulars offering something for everyone. Definitely try Passive Aggressive (NW Pale Ale)
 
Tap & Barrel
Boasting not one, but two locations on Vancouver's iconic seawall, Tap & Barrel might very well lay claim to the best patios in town on which to consume craft beer. The broad-not-deep selection of all-BC beer (and wine) on 20+ taps should have something for everyone. Expect a long wait on sunny weekends but there are worse places to hang out than the Sea Wall.

my review in the march/april 2014 bc craft beer news


Parallel 49 Brewing Co.
Such is the expansion in the local beer scene that P49 is both one of the older breweries on this list and only just recently celebrated its second birthday. A large welcoming tasting lounge lets you sample their regular lineup and several of the never-ending stream of oddities that burst forth from brewmaster Graham With's imagination on a regular basis. There's no kitchen, but food carts have a habit of showing up when you get hungry.

Portland Craft
You don't have to travel all the way to Portland, Oregon to see what makes it the craft beer mecca of the world; Main Street's Portland Craft brings the best of the US to Canada. 16 taps of American craft beer (and one or two locals for good balance) play off a menu that takes food cues from Portlandia (e.g. "Put A Bird On It (Fried chicken and waffles)). Portland Craft can get quite busy in the late evening on Fridays and Saturdays, so go early or call ahead.
 
Tangent Cafe
A recent addition to the BC craft beer scene, Tangent Cafe demonstrates that raw number of taps isn't all you need to contend. Ten carefully curated taps offer up a mix of rare beers alongside their more mundane brethren. Pair with an East meets West Malaysian/Canadian menu.

my review in the november/december 2013 bc craft beer news

 
St. Augustine's Craft Brew House & Kitchen
Perennial winner of the silver medal for Best Beer Bar in Vancouver, St Augustine's actually boasts more taps than The Alibi Room and a similar lineup of rare ales. Its convenient location just off the Expo Skytrain makes this an ideal stop for an afternoon pint while out exploring Vancouver's eastern fringes.
 
my review in the september/october 2013 bc craft beer news


Alibi Room
This is where craft beer in BC started. Back in 2006, owner Nigel Springthorpe converted a down-market after-work hangout for the city's film industry set into a temple to All Things Beer. Boasting over 50 taps plus 3 permanent casks, if you're looking for a rare beer in BC, this is where you'll find it. Go early, as it can become crowded within an hour of the 5pm opening.

Steamworks Brewing Company
One of Vancouver's original brewpubs, Steamworks has been serving up good beer at the corner of Cordova and Water since pawn shops were more common in the area than high-end boutiques. While most of the beer is no longer produced on site (Steamworks recently opened a massive brewery in neighbouring Burnaby), the recipes haven't changed.
 
my review in the july/august 2013 bc craft beer news
 

also included in chuck's list, but not yet reviewed by yours truly are:
both biercraft locations
bomber brewing
tap & barrel convention centre
and wildebeest
and storm brewing, which i won't be reviewing until there's a tasting room!
 
watch for my next list of reviews in the july/august 2014 bc craft beer news
where i list for you allll the best patios to sip great suds upon this summer

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