Beer and Sports Combine Once Again With Two Local Partnerships

You can’t watch live sports right now (well, unless you’re a Premier League fan), so the best backdrop in which to consume beer is gone.

But that doesn’t mean you can’t find ways to mix the two.

In fact, two B.C. sports teams have recently collaborated with local breweries to create beers specially made for the club in question. And, unlike the Vancouver Canucks’ extremely by the book partnership with Budweiser, the beers look (and taste) very good.

While it’s been slightly overshadowed by some tough recent news of late, the Vancouver Whitecaps worked with Victoria’s Phillips Brewing to create the Philllips Brewing Village Hero.

The beer, a dry-hopped wheat ale—similar to one of our favourites, Parallel 49 Brewing’s Jerkface 9000—was inspired by the Whitecaps’ “It takes a village” art pieces by local artist Carson Ting, celebrating frontline heroes. That campaign has raised over $128,000.

All of the proceeds from the beer, available at liquor stores across the Lower Mainland, will be donated to the Greater Vancouver Food Bank.

The other release, announced today, comes from the Fraser Valley Bandits of the Canadian Elite Basketball League. They partnered with the underrated Ravens Brewing Co. (yes, there is another Abbotsford-based brewery that’s not Field House but is also very good) to make Heat Check, a hop-filled, crisp lager.

The can’s artwork shows off a minimalist design that pays homage to the team’s colours. It’s available in six-packs for $13 at select stores across the Lower Mainland, listed here.

In the meantime, we’ll be dreaming up cool partnerships for the Canucks. Hit us in the comments if you think of any.