99 Bottles of BC Beer

Lagers and pilsners

If the word “lager” calls to mind nothing finer than Molson Canadian, it’s time to head back to beer school. From crisp, summery lemon bombs to rousing German dunkels, these beauties—often light on hops, heavy on alcohol—will satisfy. Another round, please!

Pale ales

B.C. excels at many types of beer-making, but nothing distinguishes us so much as the hop-heavy glory that is a Pacific Northwest IPA. Tone down the herb’s bitter tang with simple pale ales, or amp up the alcohol with our redoubtable bitters and Scotch ales

Other ales

Sweet, full, fruity—ales call for generous, full-blown dinner companions (on the plate and around the table). Browns, creams, and wheats circumnavigate the palate, but remember this rule: all good nights finish with a rich barleywine.

Porters and stouts

The historical division between tall, dark porters and handsome bruiser stouts is a fight best held over a few tankards. But if you’re not finding the rich, dark, toasty notes that these B.C. stouts possess in your glass, somebody’s doing something wrong.

Fruit/vegetable beers and other hybrids

These hybrid beers—novelties, to be sure, but delicious farm-fresh novelties—feature the best attributes of both lager and ale style beers, and best still: they help us sync with the seasons. Warming ginger and cooling berries feel so right in the mix when they’re at their peak.

Return to 2011 Drinking Guide