Restaurants
Best Local Beer
By Joe Wiebe published Jul 1, 2011
Our favourite brews, the best places in the city to drink beer, and must-attend cask events
Best Local Brews
Central City Brewing Co. Beer geeks take SkyTrain pilgrimages to this brewpub—Brewery of the Year at the 2010 Canadian Brewing Awards—near Surrey Central station. Brewmaster Gary Lohin can’t seem to miss—every style he brews is bang-on. Get This Red Racer IPA is the standard against which all IPAs are measured in B.C., if not Canada. If it’s too hoppy, try the Classic White Ale, an effervescent Belgian-style brew. 13450 102 Ave., Surrey, 604-582-6620. Centralcitybrewing.com
Storm Brewing If Lohin is the city’s craft-brewing god, Storm’s James Walton is our devil. He’s always been two steps ahead, brewing styles others daren’t try—like his latest fruit lambics, a sour Belgian-style fruit beer aged for over a year in oak. Get This Precipitation Pilsner packs more flavour than your typical big-brewery pilsner but is still a great summer sipper. Stormbrewing.org for restaurants and pubs
R&B Brewing Rick Dellow and Barry Benson started with English-style beers, but R&B now produces just about every style going—each as good as the last. Get This R&B’s Sun God Wheat Ale is one of the city’s best patio beers. Light-bodied but still flavourful—enjoy a few in the sun without worry for the morning after. R-and-b.com for restaurants and pubs
Granville Island Brewing When Molson-Coors bought GIB shortly after its 25th birthday in 2009, fans worried Canada’s oldest microbrewery would lose its edge. But GIB’s local flavours, named after Vancouver neighbourhoods and landmarks, haven’t changed noticeably, and brewmaster Vern Lambourne’s monthly limited releases, cooked up at the brewery on Granville Island, are always worth seeking out. Get This The cloudy, wheaty Robson Street Hefeweizen 1441 Cartwright St., 604-687-2739. Gib.ca
Russell Brewing Another Surrey-based brewery, Russell dates back to the mid ’90s but was re-energized in 2004 by new management. Although its standard series of ales and lagers is not that exciting, the Brewmaster series in bomber bottles features some delicious beers with clever names: Blood Alley Bitter, Black Death Porter, IP’eh!, and A Wee Angry Scotch Ale. Get This Russell’s flagship Cream Ale founded the brewery, and it’s still a tasty brew. Darker than most summer beers, it’s utterly quaffable. Russellbeer.com for restaurants and pubs
