By GK Limcangco
Good news for hop lovers in Vancouver — the craft beer boom is happening right now. With the demand for delicious, quality beer rising, many local brew masters have decided to address this demand. According to barleymowat.com, there are some 84 microbreweries in British Columbia and more are coming.
“Craft beer is all the rage right now just like everything organic and local” said Martin Blasiak, cofounder of Terminal City Tours, a tour company offering brewery tours in and around Vancouver. “Consumers want a product where manufacturers put their own time, expertise, and knowledge.” he added.
The BC beer industry has been transformed since the founding of Horseshoe Bay Brewing in 1982. Horseshoe Bay Brewing is the first craft brewery in Canada and propelled the microbrewery movement to where it is today.
John Mitchell, the man behind the movement was a co-owner and manager of Troller Pub at Horseshoe Bay. Beer selection was very limited then and they don’t even have access to imported beers. Mitchell changed all that by lobbying with government to amend liquor laws.
Currently, it’s been hard keeping up with all the new microbreweries that have opened their doors. Blasiak and business partner James Piry founded Terminal City Tours to help interested folks navigate their way through the local beer scene. Blasiak and Piry grew up in Vancouver and decided to share their passion for exploring and enjoying local beers and spirits.
“One Sunday afternoon, we joined Terminal City’s Brewery Tour with a bunch of other hop lovers and curious spectators. We all met at the Waterfront Station excited with what we were about to uncover. As soon as we got settled in the van, our guides introduced themselves and briefly went over our afternoon tour stops. . Our first stop was Postmark Brewing, a five-month old brewery within the rustic beauty of the Settlement Building, right in the heart of Railtown. It was a great space with a lot of character which was reflected on their brews.
Our first sip of the day was a beer called Saissonella, a refreshing beer with a mild hoppy finish. The Saissonella had interesting flavours and was good pick to start to our experience.
The second beer, the Raspberry Lemon Zest Hefeweizen, got my full attention. With its fruity flavour that doesn’t overpower the beer palate, this Hefeweizen is perfection. I knew then that Postmark Brewing is offering not just quality beer but pretty inventive brews as well. We also tried their flavourful Pilsner and their mildly bitter Red IPA.
The second stop on our tour took us to Steamworks Brewery. Established in 1995, Steamworks is clearly one of the bigger microbreweries in BC. Using the brewery’s fancy equipment, Piry and Blasiak provided an in-depth explanation of the brewing process. Our guides even answered all the questions that we threw at them, showing their impressive knowledge in beer. Learning about what we’re about to partake made the experience a bit more special.
We sampled four of Steamworks’ famous brews in their tap room which opened last June. Sampling their award-winning Pilsner and their Jasmine IPA was a great choice. These two beers have put them on the map and it’s good to know why. The India Pale Ale or simply known as IPA, always has an overwhelming quality. Its bitterness makes it an acquired taste for many but Steamworks’ Jasmine IPA is different. It is the perfect introduction for this type of beer since it scores low on the International Bitterness Unit (IBU) scale. It also has a unique jasmine flavour that I really enjoyed. I don’t see big fans of IPA putting this on their list of favourites though, considering its soft bitterness.
Our last stop for the afternoon was in New Westminster for Steel and Oak’s Brewing Co. Steel and Oak’s co-owner Jorden Foss gave us quite an introduction. Their brew master, Peter Schulz has a German-style of brewing that gives this brewery an edge in the local craft beer market. This was apparent when our taste buds indulged in the delicious smoky flavour of their smoked Hefeweizen. This beer was such a standout that it made our trip to New Westminster memorable.”
Three breweries and 12 four-ounce beer glasses emptied, we parted ways tipsy with bellies full of craft beer. We also picked up loads of information on how to brew. Not just to brew any beer, but beer bursting with character and lingering unique flavours.
All in all, the Terminal City brewery tour was fun and educational. An essential activity if you appreciate a good pint of local beer. Blasiak and Piry will make you feel at home right from the get-go. They will also make it a point to have a chat with you in between sips. The tour felt personal and it’s exactly how I want to experience that first taste of good craft beer.
