Seattle/Vancouver

heh just joking around. Actually started a new Vancouver 2016/17 thread in the Canada section. I think what's been more surprising than the surge in breweries is how the bar scene has changed with all the taprooms around town now for competition.

@distantmantra I'll leave a few suggestions there too.

 

It hadn't occurred to me that you weren't a dude. But this does bring up an interesting topic; we don't often see posts from single, female, beer travelers, it's mostly guys. FWIW, in my little corner of the PNW (Bellingham), gender doesn't seem to be an issue at the breweries and beer-oriented bars. You're just as likely to see a group of women out having brews, as you are a group of bros. IMHO, you likely wouldn't feel out of place or pressured around here.

 

Then just head to Alibi Room and either sit at the bar or one of their communal tables. Everyone is super relaxed and friendly. My wife and I always begin our Vancouver weekends there with brunch and beers.

Those of us in the Republic of Cascadia are much more laid back and friendly.

 

Beer trolls do now dot Cascadia, but as you seem to be gathering from this thread and our forum, they are not the norm. Whether we are "normal" up here, however, is another matter entirely...

 

You're always going to have some bad apples who try their hardest to ruin things for others, but fortunately they're far from the norm here. Lines are becoming a thing at a few places, but most of the time you can still show up later in the day and still manage to get a bottle.

 

BTW, I'm a fan of Bolt Bus. Cheap, nice, seats, wifi. Goes from Vancouver to Seattle, only stopping in Bellingham. The earlier you book, the cheaper it is. The Bham stop is at one of the city bus stations, so you can just hop right on. Their are some new hotels just down the road, but they're not downtown, where our beer (mostly) is.

 

The fact we have an ongoing thread partially dedicated to clamguns should be proof enough that we are not normal by any usage of the word.

 

Agree with much of what the other Vancouver locals suggested.

My personal favourites, in somewhat of an order:

Breweries: Strange Fellows, Brassneck, Callister - and I like Main St Brewing much more than others do, almost exclusively because they always have 3 or 4 cask beers pouring so you can find some interesting one-offs. Conversely, Im less of a fan of some of the others that were mentioned compared to the general listed breweries.

Pubs: St Augustines and Alibi Room. Alibi is always the more popular one listed on boards, but I prefer Augustine's classic pub food, similar calibre of list most of the time, proximity to rapid transit, and the fact that it's not situated in one of the sketchier areas of the city. And if you want to dive deep into hipster Vancouver, check out 12 Kings Pub which also is walking distance from Brassneck/33 Acres/Main St.

 

I really like Alibi Room but yeah, it's a bit unnerving if you approach it from the south. My first time there I passed through the largest horde of homeless people I've ever seen in one place. Bigger than The Jungle. Much cleaner, though.

 

Just joined to forum - and this is my first post - but, if you're in Seattle, seriously think about jumping on the Victoria Clipper ferry from downtown Seattle to downtown Victoria. It'll dump you off in the heart of Victoria, and in walking distance of a large number of top quality pubs and breweries. The nice thing about Victoria is you can, really, walk to all the best spots and back to the ferry for your trip home. Obviously you want to try Vancouver Island Brewing and Driftwood. Horne and Tofino brewing also offer great options.

 

What are some recommendations you have for Victoria? I'll be there in a week or so for a quick trip

 

The Drake