Vancouver Beer Tour

This summer on my way back to visit family in Canada I had to transit in Vancouver as I was tired of just sitting in the airport I decided to spend 24 hours in the city. Since I arrived in the late afternoon most normal sightseeing options were out but thankfully beer came to the rescue!

Using ratebeer's list of places in Vancouver  I tailored a route that I figured I could do in my limited time in town.

I started off at Steamworks for a beer trade and tasting flight, then hit the Vancouver Art Gallery for a little culture as it is open late on Tuesdays and even better by donation(i.e. free).

I next hopped on the subway down to a bottle shop: Firefly Fine Wines & Ales from there it was a short walk to 33 Acres Brewery, then an even shorter walk to Main Street Brewing and around the corner you have Brassneck Brewery. You could have a fun night just with these places but even in my drunken state I toughed it out and grabbed bus 003 (008 is also fine) got off at E. Hastings then walked on over to Alibi Room one of the most famous beer bars in Canada(along with Bar Volo in Toronto & Dieu du Ciel in Montreal).

The great thing about this tour was that in Vancouver tasting flights of 4 small beers were 8$ throwing in a 2$ tip got me a nice sample of beers for just 10$. In BC, the law states that one person can't buy more than 2 pints at a time so the 4 samples equal 2 pints, if you want more you gotta get back in line and order again. This is one of those laws designed to deter drunkenness that make things a bit inconvenient for beer drinkers.

So here's a map of my route:


View Larger Map 

Ok on to the details about my beer tour~!

Steamworks

This is a HUGE brewpub right next to the waterfront and Waterfront Station in the touristy part of town. How big is it? Well you have a massive patio, a bar, a restaurant then in the basement you have another bar, I believe some pool tables. Coming from Japan where most places are tiny this place was simply immense to me. 

The decor was dark wood and brass, think Cheers, and it had a bit of a sports bar kind of vibe. Not really a place for serious beer geeks but it is conveniently located, the beers were mostly ok and there is a small attached bottle shop where you can buy Steamworks, other BC beers and some Pacific NW US imports. 

If you can't make it to other places in the less touristy parts of town it is a decent stop.






Vancouver Art Gallery

I love art as well as beer and when I found out I could visit here due to their extended hours on Tuesdays(until 9pm) and on top of that it was by donation I jumped at the chance. 

Even better once I got there I discovered Vancouver artist-writer Douglas Coupland creator of the term Generation X was having an exhibit. How Vancouver is that?

Firefly Fine Wines & Ales

This shop is located in a weird office building - of which they seem to be the only tenant giving it an uninviting feel from the outside & made me think they were closed. They even have a giant We're Open sign that reminded me of Clerks!

They were indeed open, compared to Japan the shop was quite big with high ceilings and the inside was pretty inviting as we’re the friendly staff. 

A nice big selection: one aisle of belgians/germans, tons of US stuff and a good selection of local craft. I’d have bought a bunch but alas my bag was already at the max weight allowance for my flight. Don't forget to look in the walk-in fridge towards the back as it had even more goodies including quite a few I see all the time in Japan. 

walk-in fridge

33 Acres Brewing

This was my favorite of the 4 breweries I visited while I was in town. It's a very cool looking place, white walls, bare concrete and wood interior gives it a hip minimalist atmosphere. 

I liked that they gave me a list of taps simple and clear

There's also a small retail corner inside for beer goods. 

growlers

The staff were cool funky & friendly who knew their beers well. The taco truck outside hooked me up with some tasty treats and didn't break the bank. 

I thought the self-service water taps of sparkling + still water was a really cool touch. Good prices, nice beer & cool people - what more could you ask for?

Main Street Brewing

This was the newest brewery I visited which was also a very cool looking place in an old building that looks new from the outside but had quite a bit of character inside. 

Stylish use of iconography and type for the signs. Japanese breweries need to invest more in good graphic design. 

Very bright lights.  Inside is high ceilings, long wooden tables with seating for a good 50-60 people plus a growler station next door, nice decor of stainless steel tanks. 

retail store/growler station

3 casks on when I went which was cool. The place was pretty dead that night though which was a huge contrast from the nearby Brassneck which was packed. A good place with potential but it is a bit sterile at the moment. I was really surprised at how few people were here when I walked around the corner to Brassneck and found it packed. This place is underrated or just too new and so not as well known in Vancouver I guess.

Brassneck Brewery

The beers here looked good, the place was somewhat non-descript from the street and I almost walked by it. 

Once I went in I discovered it was really busy for a Tuesday night with a solid 100 strong crowd. Probably the busiest of all the places I visited in Vancouver. It was quite a nice looking place with a retail shop/growler station at the front and a long bar area past that.

 retail/growlers at the front

bar area at the back

 The staff were friendly and outgoing plus they really knew their beers and could give you solid advice and guidance in choosing them. Overall the beers themselves were pretty good making Brassneck a good local brewery, they obviously have been embraced by the community judging from the crowd!

The Alibi Room

I couldn't leave Vancouver without checking out the top rated Alibi Room to see if it lives up to the hype and it does. This place is HUGE compared to anywhere in Japan, easily as large as Steamworks but with a much more exciting selection.

Lots of dark wood, a well-informed staff but they were a bit stretched thin so not as kind/friendly as other places in town. The other customers made up for it with many happy to chat beer. 

I'd guess they have seating for a good 2-300 people, tons of great beer and tasting bats (flights) make this a must stop for beer geeks visiting Vancouver. All around probably the most extensive tap list in town but it is a bit overwhelming. From what I hear they may even have the best selection in BC which coupled with reasonable prices for a tasting set it makes it easy to explore.

basement bar

Vancouver is definitely on it's way to being a great beer town.