Rusted Rake: Nanoose Bay’s Surprising Family Farm Brewery
Rusted Rake Farm-To-Tap Brewery: one of the best stops on the Beer Seekers' 34-brewery Vancouver Island summer tour.
Gladstone’s Love Potion Benefits Children’s Charities in Honour of Local Hero
On February 14th, BC Brewery of the Year Gladstone Brewing is bringing back Love Potion, a collaboration beer from 2018, just a few days shy of what would have been Comox doctor, brewer and fundraiser Brad Harris' 50th birthday. Proceeds will benefit the Comox YANA society.
To The Pacific Rim: Exploring The Breweries of BC’s Far West
In these times of social distancing and closed borders, we still have opportunities to explore in our own backyard. Brian K. Smith takes you on a four-day trip to Vancouver Island’s west coast to check out the recent arrivals in the craft beer scene, easily and affordably.
Issue: Winter 2020-21
Merridale: A Story Of Apples And Passion
At Cobble Hill in southern Vancouver Island’s Cowichan Valley is the apple farm that’s home to the granddaddy of BC Craft Cider: Merridale Cidery and Distillery.
Issue: Spring 2020
BC College to Debut Brewing Education Program This Fall
For the past three years, I’ve been fortunate to be a Craft Beer and Brewing Essentials instructor at Simon Fraser University. Last year, I was approached by North Island College in Comox to help build a new Craft Brewing and Malting program from scratch.
The online courses start this September, three evenings per week (with the hands-on course moved to 2021). This means that anyone could take this year’s courses, not just local Islanders.
Victoria Caledonian: Distilling success at one of BC’s hidden gem breweries
Last month, just before the world changed, two members of the What’s Brewing team stopped by the Victoria Caledonian Distillery & Twa Dogs Brewery. We learned a few things about this underestimated member of BC’s craft beverage clan that are worth sharing. * Featuring an interview with founder Dr. Graeme Macaloney *
Cultivating BC’s Taste for Craft Cider
When it comes to the cider scene in BC, those who operate fruit orchards tend to stick together. Based primarily in the province’s pastoral belts, these small operators make cider, at least in part, from their own fruit. Founded in 2016, the BC Farm Crafted Cider Association acts as a voice for these land-based cider producers.
Issue: Spring 2020
Seven Years of Victoria Beer Week: A Conversation With Joe Wiebe
Victoria Beer Week debuted in 2014 as a celebration of modern beer culture in Canada’s original craft beer town. To find out more about what to expect at some of this year’s events, we connected with BC beer writer and longtime VBW team member Joe Wiebe.
Craft Beer & Wilderness: A World-Class Experience in BC’s Own Backyard
Brian K. Smith reports on a very special event: the annual Craft Beer & Wilderness experience—an exclusive five-day craft-beer-based foodie retreat at a fishing lodge on the remote West Coast of Vancouver Island.
Issue: Winter 2019-20
Mid-Island Brewery Touring: A Cross-Section Of Paradise
When we think of paradise, we think of faraway destinations with exotic food, drink and landscapes. For a beer lover, this could be in the bars of Prague, the monastery breweries of Belgium, or the urban breweries along the banks of the Willamette River in Portland. Or, closer to home, the scenic spas and unique breweries of Vancouver Island.
Issue: Spring 2019