Vancouver’s Amazing Beer History Finally Gets Its Own Book
Book Review: Brewmasters and Brewery Creek by Noëlle Phillips
Our reviewer assesses this potentially gift-worthy craft beer collectible
Some of our readers might recall that back in 2013, a fellow named Joe Wiebe published a book about the recent history of BC brewing called Craft Beer Revolution. It became a staple of the burgeoning BC craft beer scene, and to this day its second edition can be found at breweries around the province.
Now comes a book from an equally scholarly author named Noëlle Phillips which captures the long history of Vancouver’s beer scene, from the city’s beginning to the heights of the 2010s craft explosion. What’s Brewing is pleased to present this appraisal of Noëlle’s new work by our resident book reviewer, Ted Child.
Noëlle Phillips is doing essential work in BC beer research and writing. A professor at Douglas College, Phillips’ first book was Craft Beer Culture and Modern Medievalism. Meant for an academic audience, that book more than adequately showcased Phillips’ skills as a researcher and writer. With her latest book, published by Touchwood Editions, Phillips casts her scholarly eye on a subject badly needing it: the history of independent and craft brewing in Vancouver, BC.
As the subtitle suggests, Brewmasters and Brewery Creek: A History of Craft Beer in Vancouver, Then and Now is divided into two sections. Written for a public audience, the first section covers Vancouver’s early era from 1886 to 1920, only slightly shorter than the following section covering the modern era of 1980 to the present day.
One might think that those early brewing times, from which no breweries remain, would be of interest only to historians, but that would be a mistaken assumption. Phillips artfully draws parallels between the earlier era of breweries and the current one, including a focus on independence, locality, and creating a unique beer culture. Along the way, using her well-honed research skills, Phillips draws us into the lives, events and characters of the major players involved. Fortunately, Phillips is an engaging writer who knows how to make historical detail come alive. For the reader who may not have had an interest in these older breweries, her this section is both enlightening and entertaining.
The second half of the book covers the modern Vancouver craft beer era, reportage that was badly needed in book form. Depending on how familiar the reader has been with the Vancouver beer scene, some of the topics may have been experienced firsthand. However, the beer scene breeds rumour and hearsay. So, one of the prime things this book accomplishes is to wade through all of that and clear up some historical confusion reported in other sources. Phillips gives us what one can safely say is the definitive account of events.
It has been a bit of an embarrassment in beer writing that properly quoting and sourcing information hasn’t been as high a priority as it should be. This is not the case with either of Phillips’ books, which both have extensive footnotes and bibliography. Phillips’ training as a medievalist scholar is a great boon to beer writing in BC for this reason alone.
In her first book, Phillips breaks down some of the current theories in the world of medievalism, an area of study that not only includes the actual historical era but also how we in current times think about that historical period. She uses this to analyze how modern-day breweries use and play with medievalism in branding and brewery identity. Although written in an academic style, this book would still be of interest to many, especially anyone at all involved in beer branding. Her discussion of why so many craft beer nerds are of a certain demographic *cough* may also be of interest. The book might introduce a reader to fun new words such as imbricated, regratery, alterity, and proxemics (drinking game: use any of those in conversation and everyone else buys you a round).
However important that book is, it’s hard not to think that her newest book solidifies Noëlle Phillips’ position as one of the most important beer writers working in BC today. It is certainly clear that there are very few who have the research skills and experience, as well as the deep love of craft beer, to pull off the Herculean task that creating Brewmasters and Brewery Creek must have been. There has been a noticeable dropoff in beer-focussed publishing recently, so that is all the more reason, just like a great beer, we should savour this new book.
How To Get Your Copy
See above for author book tour dates, or find Brewmasters & Brewery Creek online at:
About The Book Author
Noëlle Phillips is also the author of Brewmasters & Brewery Creek, Craft Beer Culture and Modern Medievalism and co-editor of the collection Beer and Brewing in Medieval Culture and Contemporary Medievalisms. She is a regular contributor to The Growler and the BC Ale Trail blog. She teaches in the English Department at Douglas College.