Any local BA’s familiar with Vancouver, BC?

Didn't do too much beer sampling when I went to Vancouver this past summer, but there are a bunch of breweries in East Vancouver ("Yeast Van"). A couple looked pretty interesting on paper. I know the presence of sought-after lambic (Cantillon, 3F, etc.) is a bit higher than in the US, so it's worth dipping into a bottle shop or sending out a trade request beforehand if you're at all interested.

Grabbed a few pours on the outdoor patio at Tap & Barrel overlooking the harbor. Great spot with a nice view. Lots of ships and seaplanes to watch. Taplist scratched my itch to try a handful of BC beers for the first time. Excellent place to unwind if weather permits.

Granville Island is such a great place to pick at food and explore. There's at least one brewery and a distillery you can visit, as well.

Two of my favorite places to grab a bite were Nero (Belgian waffles) and Marutama Ra-men (easily the best ramen I sampled in the city and worth the wait). Also did Grouse Mountain and the Capilano Suspension Bridge one day and it was a great outdoorsy experience. Did the zip lining at Grouse and it was one of those experiences that kind of sticks with you.

 

I wish I could help. From reading through old posts, I know the Alibi Room is often recommended.

http://alibi.ca/

Some of the better BC breweries include:

Four Winds
Twin Sails
Boombox
Driftwood
Temporal
Superflux
Driftwood
Yellow Dog

Unfortunately, the Canadian user base has really dwindled over the past few years. You may get a response from a local in a few days.

If you want to join the Facebook Canada Craft Beer Society group, you will get lots of good advice, and likely trade requests.

 

Good beer is pretty easy to find in Vancouver, almost every bar/restaurant will have at least a decent tap list. There's also nearly 100 breweries in greater Van so you've got no shortage of options.

Would be happy to recommend some more places but you'll probably have to narrow down what exactly you're looking for and what area you're looking to grab those pints in.

 

Checking in on this too, as I'll be going to Vancouver (and Canada) for the first time in June. Was hoping to find a few great breweries that would have wild ales/sours, lambics. Of course, great IPA/DIPA would be good too, but more interested in the former.

On another note, any good cannabis shops that anyone could recommend in Vancouver would great be appreciated. Hopefully that's kosher to ask on here...

 

Superflux is contract brewed, great beer, no foot print.

33 Acres
Strange Fellows
Brassneck
Storm
Parallel 49 all great.

Fieldworks our in Abbotsford is def worth the drive!

 

You're in a great spot there! My suggestion would be to stroll 10 minutes down to The Magnet which is a great beer bar run by the same people who run Brassneck. They'll have one of the best selections of BC beer around (as well as some excellent imports), try a bunch of beer there, pick out some favourites, then go visit those breweries.

Both Brassneck and Luppolo are great choices, but one note on Brassneck, it's small and super popular so you'll waiting and/or crammed in there during peak drinking hours.

For lagers, my under the radar pick would be Slow Hand Beer Co in East Van. Four Winds Brewing likely does the best Farmhouse beers in the area but they're a bit out of the way in Delta (unless you happen to be going to the Tsawwassen ferry terminal). For your IPA favouring buddy, tell him to keep his eyes peeled for anything from Superflux.

 

For wild/sour, I'd look for Four Winds, Strange Fellows, and Temporal (brewed out of Luppolo Brewing). If you happen to be kicking around Vancouver for the first week of July, there's also a world-class farmhouse/wild ale festival called Farmhouse Fest.

Along with Superflux, Yellow Dog and Back Country Brewing also make some real solid IPAs.

Most dispensaries here have fairly similar selections, I find the biggest difference to be the vibe. Unless you're super discerning, just choose the one that's most convenient.

 

The last time I was at Brassneck, they had a queue/wait list outside and were limiting the number of people inside. It didn't take long to get in, but I haven't seen that at any other brewery.

 

Shouldn't really be a detriment to going to Brassneck, just know what you're getting yourself into if you're planning on heading there on a Friday night or weekend.

Otherwise, you guys could also take the Seabus to North Van and go to Beere and House of Funk. Two great newer taprooms, basically right beside each other and it could be kind of a fun trip taking the Seabus across the harbour, the station is literally right outside your hotel.

And yeah, food is really solid at Magnet, you won't be disappointed there.