In many countries with a well-developed pub culture, pub crawling is flourishing. It’s when a group of friends or acquaintances get together and have a beer tour in the evening. Some are celebrating an important event, while others are just taking a break from the work week.
Beer is incredibly big in Vancouver. In 2013, the B.C. government revised the local laws about alcoholic beverages and allowed producers to build tasting rooms on factory premises. Breweries all over the province began to grow by leaps and bounds.
Grandview-Woodland and Strathcona were at the center of all this beer madness. They share so many quality craft breweries and distilleries that the area has been nicknamed “Yeast Van” (Van for Vancouver). All the professional pub crawlers and amateurs drop in here on weekends. And it was at Yeast Van that my husband’s colleagues at work invited us to a crawl for the first time.
How I Crowled in Vancouver
I don’t drink beer, but I was curious to see how exactly Canadians have fun. I thought I’d take the juice, have some laughs, and actively feast on the snacks. I had no dinner at home: I was getting ready for the event.
At the first brewerie, the bartender nonchalantly said, “Sorry, we only have beer. Is tap water okay?”. It turns out a lot of breweries don’t have any food, and you should consider yourself lucky if there’s a carton of orange juice under the bar. Somehow it stopped being a laughing matter. There were at least three or four places on the program, and only the last one was promising pizza and poutine (traditional French fries with melted cheese). My stomach rumbled. “Okay, then tap water it is”. I took a big sip and looked around.
Another distinctive feature of the non-touristy crawling breweries is the small room. The lucky ones who fit inside are standing on each other’s heads parading the mugs of beer, discussing the taste and color of the drink. Especially for pub crawling in such places there are tasting shots with four to six specialty drinks – it’s called beer flight or tasting board.
My sense of smell had already been knocked out at the entrance, even the water smelled suspiciously of hops. I crouched in a corner, observing from afar, but five minutes later I found myself laughing at someone’s joke behind the bar and forgot completely about the food.
One, two, three … At the fourth brewery, they finally ordered some fries. By then I had drunk so much water and orange juice that the mere sight of them made me sick. I didn’t like poutine much as well. I sincerely don’t understand how some Canadians eat it for lunch, dinner and on weekends.
In general, I returned home hungry and tired, but with a sense of accomplishment. I actually tried pub crawling and even managed to have some fun. After all, the atmosphere in such bars is super positive. And the fact that I haven’t been drinking orange juice out of the bag since then is no great loss!
What breweries are a must at Yeast Van:
The list is from an acquaintance of mine who’s really into the subject and crawls regularly on weekends and Fridays.
Storm Brewing
Vancouver’s oldest craft brewery. There are hoses, tubes and barrels scattered around inside, with no fancy hipster design. It actually feels like I’ve wandered into the lab of a mad chemist. Especially if you study the menu: “vanilla stout with whiskey”, “pilsner – pineapple heaven”, “ale – French toast”… The best beers in the whole province are said to be brewed here. No food or snacks.
Off The Rail Brewing
A small, light coloured brewerie with an excellent beer selection. They brew their drafts according to traditional European and North American recipes, and experiment a little, of course. Four types are for tasting. Snacks are present for a change.
Bomber Brewing
This one is the area’s most athletic brewery. It has been first opened in 2014 by hockey teammates! Not surprisingly, the matches are broadcast here regularly. It’s a great place with tasty beer and light snacks.
Luppolo Brewing Co.
This stylish brewery is owned and operated by two couples who are longtime friends. Two of them have Italian roots, hence the name: Luppolo, which means “hops”. Treat yourself to a wide selection of classic and experimental beers. But most importantly, there is food! There’s pizza, tapas, desserts… By the way, across the street from the brewery there’s La Casa Gelato with 238 flavors of ice cream.
Parallel 49 Brewing
“Beer with character” is what the brewery says about itself. And visitors are blown out of their minds by the flavors and bold names of the varieties: Tears of Ruby, Thresh Panda, Rustic Ninja… Their iconic Craft Lager Munich Helles has won gold several times at the BC Beer Awards and Canadian Brewing Awards. You can’t imagine how excited I was about the brewery when I saw the actual food menu and the big room with tables.
Strange Fellows Brewing
Strange Fellows Brewing is the creation of former strangers – each one of them dreamed of opening a brewery. One was an experienced, award-winning craft brewing pioneer in the province. The second was a third-generation homebrewer. A mutual friend brought the guys together. Combining their creative ideas, seasonal ingredients and traditions, together they create unique and flawless drinks. Once a month, the brewery celebrates a “weird day” with a theme of folklore and traditions from around the world.
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