A Growing Hopportunity
BC has a long history of hop cultivation, and at one time was the largest producer of hops in the British Commonwealth, primarily in the fertile land of the Lower Mainland and Vancouver Island.
Ullage and Spillage
It's R&B, But Better! R&B Brewing is back baby! If you want proof, crack open a bottle of their Vancouver Special IPA and smell the hop aroma. Of course, die-hard friends of R&B know they never really went away, despite…
A View from the Cellar
The first three parts of this series were about the history and use of casks. Part Four is about Beer Engines.
A Copenhagen Beer Celebration
Copenhagen - home of the Little Mermaid and about 100 Mikkeller beer destinations. Ok fine, maybe not 100, but there's Mikkeller and Friends, Mikkeller Bar, War Pigs, Koelschip, Øl & Brød, Ramen to Bíiru, not to mention the bottle shop…
Staycation BC Part III: the Kootenay Loop
In the summer of 2016, What's Brewing (in the form of editor Dave Smith and wife Ivana, aka the BeerSeekers) embarked on a massive tour of the BC Okanagan & Interior craft beer and cider scene. This resulting report on where…
BC Beer Awards & Festival 2016
Setting the scene: around a large table at Central City's Red Racer Restaurant in downtown Vancouver, the team behind BC's premier annual beer awards program has gathered to hammer out more of the never-ending decisions around this year's event. BCBA's five experienced Directors are steering the ship, and there's always more to do.
Left Fields’ Chef Dave & the Craft Sodas
In this story, we profiled Crannóg Ales and their farm. Left Fields is not just a hopyard for a brewery; it's a real, honest-to-goodness farm that grows the goodies you see above, on display at the Sorrento public market. You can see…
Books In Review
Reading Fiction #1: The Misfortunates The front cover of The Misfortunates, written by Belgian Dimitri Verhulst, depicts four small, indistinct men floating in a gigantic glass of beer. As they look on, a huge wave is about to engulf them.…
Out and About with Scottie on the Summer Trails
What’s Brewing attends a lot of events. The craft movement is so large there are continually events everywhere, so we try and catch what we can. Here are some of our most recent adventures in Summer 2016. Great Okanagan Beer Festival May 14, Kelowna…
The surprising single most important reason to attend GCBF, especially on Friday
For over two decades, the signature beer festival of the BC craft beer movement has attracted legions of fans to Victoria each Fall. In recent years, with the mainstream success of the craft movement leading to a constant slate of…
Ancient Wonders and New Tastes in Xi’an, China
In the heart of China is the ancient silk-road city of Xi'an. According to Cultural-China.com it is one of the four Great Ancient Cities, along with Athens, Rome and Cairo. Nowadays it is most famous for the Terracotta Warriors as…
The Craft Cider Licensing Debate: farm or factory, beer or wine?
Sometimes one runs into two things that seem similar but require completely different treatment.
Big Ridge Brewing’s Ashley Brooks
Every time I walk into a brewery or brewpub I am always seeking out any women I see behind the scenes, especially if they are cleaning kegs, mashing in or are heavily focused on a beer. J That’s how I…
Craft Cider Scene Ripens In The Okanagan
You, as a fan of good beer, are keenly supportive of the ‘craft revolution’ that has seen the rebirth of small breweries in North America and elsewhere over the past generation. You will be proud to know that this beer…
Staycation BC Part II: North & Central Okanagan
In the summer of 2016, What's Brewing (in the form of editor Dave Smith and wife Ivana, aka the BeerSeekers) embarked on a massive tour of the BC Okanagan & Interior craft beer and cider scene. This resulting report on where…
Staycation BC Part I: South Okanagan, Craft Leader
In the summer of 2016, What's Brewing (in the form of editor Dave Smith and wife Ivana, aka the BeerSeekers) embarked on a massive tour of the BC Okanagan & Interior craft beer and cider scene. This resulting report on where…
Rebecca Kneen & the Sunflower Field Epiphany
...or, how the right choices created Left Fields Talk about 'brand', and the owners of Crannóg Ales get just a titch uneasy. The word has a connotation that isn't aligned with their ethics; 'marketing' is not really a concept that…
Homebrew Happenin’s
A Warm Weather Brewing Surprise I have had conversations in the past with homebrewers who do not have a temperature-controlled fermenter and are opting to not brew during the summer while ambient temperatures are in the mid 20s to 30s…