Beer Doggonit

Yeah! Another sunny Friday and two friends who are free and willing to sample Port Moody brews. A visit to these two breweries easily can be paired with a nice easy hike around the inlet. You can leave your car in the free Rocky Point Parking lot.

 Our first stop was Yellow Dog Brewing located on a block of doggie daycares at 2817 Murray Street, directly across from Rocky Point Park. We were favourably disposed to this brewery as we have a golden lab called Ella. We didn't bring her along but it looks as though you could have because there was a dog water bowl in the garden.

There were also picnic benches and Adirondack chairs so it was a lovely spot for sunny day drinking. The tasting areas inside the garage-type setting were not as convivial.

We tried the Take a Walk Belgium Wit (we took 4 cans of this home), Chase My Tail Pale Ale, the Saison, and the Sit and Stay Belgium India Session Ale.  Our flight was labeled with white pen on a black bone-shaped holder but the two other flights were not labelled and left the drinkers trying to remember which was which.

We picked up a free copy of The Growler volume 1, issue 2 here so check for it at the next brewery you go to. It is a great publication. You can check out specific opening hours, whether they have tours, food, kegs, growler fills, bottled /canned offerings or if they are dog friendly.

 Our next stop was Moody Ales Brewing, a couple of blocks to the west at 2601 Murray Street. They have used their back area as parking and have put their outside drinking area at the front.  This is on the north side of the building so it is a little cold and windy in the shade.  They supply blankets.

 

 We tried Chipper Blonde Ale, Lusty Chocolate Oatmeal Stout, Coconut Chocolate Stout and Hardy Brown Ale. The latter was my favourite. The beers are identified by number so as long as you have snagged a cheat-sheet you're ok. Went home with very yummy Chocolate Stout ice cream which they sell in pints for $10 each.

Local

It's been a couple of weeks without a post - not that we haven't been drinking beer - just not at a brewery! Today we didn't have much time and we were feeling bad about not having promoted the local businesses so we stayed within 5 minutes drive of our house in New West. No pics from our first destination as a certain someone forgot to load the charged battery into the camera.

Our first stop was Central City Brewery in Surrey.  It has been relocated from its humble beginnings in the Surrey Place mall to a brand new facility (first left after the Patullo Bridge).  This place is definitely an example of big business brewing. The production facilities are large.  There are two tasting areas and the largest array of clothing-for-purchase of any facility we have visited so far. Most of the clothes, and quotes on the wall pertain to cycling and ties into the Red Racer brand as well. The C-Fox music is loud and there is a t.v. in the larger tasting room.

This brewery produces ready-bottled beer as well as growler refills and on-site pints and flights.  In addition to beer and apple cider they produce gin and vodka. We tried the Saison, Hoppin' Mad Cider, Copper Ale and ISA (described as a beginner IPA).  We would have bought a growler of the Saison but they do not have screw caps available so if you only have this sort of growler, bring your own screw cap. We went home with a bottle of the Saison, the legendary Maple Bacon Breakfast Ale, some cider and Gollum Precious Pils.

After a bite to eat we visited Steel and Oak 1319 Third Avenue, off Stewardson Way in New Westminster. This brewery is on the major bike route into Vancouver so it is a nice destination. And if you are too tired or tipsy for the ride home, you can take the Skytrain back from New Westminster station. It is a small tasting room but pleasant - music is jazz on vinyl and no t.v. They try to book a food truck Thursday - Saturday.  This brewery is involved with the local community, doing fundraising and tasting events.

We tried the Smoked Hefeweizen, Dry Hopped ESB, the Projekt 0002 and the Marzen. We filled our growler with the latter; it was my favourite. The brew master here was trained in Germany so all the beer has a German feel to it.

Just around the corner from Steel and Oak is one of the best kept secrets in the Lower Mainland - the Pacific Breeze Winery. They make great wine although it is not inexpensive.  You can taste on site and the folks are friendly.

Windy Day Drinking

What better thing to do on a sunny, blustery Spring day than stop at an aptly named brewery? We were on our way to Tsawwassen anyway so we stopped at the Four Winds Brewery on River Road and 72nd in Delta.

This drinking destination would work well with a trip to Deas Island Regional Park too.  It is a nice, open tasting room with a lovely piano.  I was told that people play it on occasion.  There was lively recorded music during our visit. Parking is good and there is no t.v. 


We tried a flight of Berlinerweisse (my, it was sour!), Pale Ale, Oat Porter and Juxtapose Brett IPA.  We filled our growler with the latter - it had a nice bright taste and it wasn`t too hoppy.







They had a great system for identifying your selections on the flight board.  Coloured magnetic tiles are placed under the glass to denote the beer.  The colour key is displayed on the wall.

Downpour Drinking

What better thing to do on a rainy Good Friday than drink beer? Of course, if you are at Deep Cove Brewery you could also drink vodka and gin spirits (which might be more warming). This brewery is not actually in Deep Cove; it is at #117 - 2270 Dollarton Highway.

They have a nice modern tasting room with fun high tables, live music on Friday and Saturday nights and good parking. They do sell ready-bottled beer and their growler refill price is $6. Their selection is pretty basic - we tried the Loudmouth Pale Ale, the Smooth Criminal Stout and the Freyja Brau Porter. We filled our growler with the latter which was licoricey and chocolatey and very yum on a cold day. Big gripe for this brewery is that they do not identify the beer in the flight so you are tasked with keeping track yourself.

Our son, Rob joined us for this trip.  We had a generational disconnect when his text message to see if arrangements to meet up were still in place went unanswered because our phones were off (of course). We are of the generation that follows through on the plans unless otherwise advised; this apparently is a cultural faux pas now. Sigh!

Bridge Brewery was our second destination. At 1448 Charlotte Road, it is close by. This place is not set up well for the tasting experience, although flights are available.  It is housed in a warehouse-type area and the view from the small tasting area is of the very small parking lot, the t.v. or the wall. They sell ready bottled beer. It is also very cold as the service counter is open to the elements, dealing with both drinkers and trucks dropping off or picking up. We tried Wee Tipsy Scotch ale, the Charity Floral and the Amber ale. We didn't fill our growler here.

We did chat with a fellow patron and discovered an free app that he was using to keep track of his tasting experiences and find out what others have thought. It is called Untapped.

Okay I`m just gonna say it - the whole growler thing is a little annoying. The screw cap technology does not keep the beer`s fizz well and the price for a fill does not reflect the poor shelf life of the product. - i.e. growlers should be cheaper than ready bottled beer.

Across the Spectrum



What is a sunny Friday without a visit to a craft brewery or two? This day we sampled from opposite ends of the local craft brewing spectrum, both satisfying in their own way. We started at Storm Brewing 310 Commercial. This is the longest running craft brewery in the area; they began in 1994. They are known for their wild flavour experiments and combinations. We tried Highland Scottish Ale, Precipitation Pilsner, Lavender IPA (weird), Apple Pie Ale (too sweet), Imperial Flanders Sour Ale, Mango Spicy Pilsner (extremely spicy) and Vanilla Whiskey Stout.  We got a growler of the latter - it was as good as it sounds!

The staff were super friendly; the environment was funky but not conducive to lingering. The smell of garbage is quite pronounced when entering the sales floor. No chairs, flights or pints are available but you can get generous free samples to enjoy while standing around. There also may be a fun, furry friend around. Parking is only on the street. They sell some good-looking steel containers - $36 for a litre and $42 for a 1.89 litre. These are better prices than we have seen elsewhere and they have a better seal than the screw cap. Speaking a containers, a chap loading up his brews had a good looking steel container that kept beer cold for an extended period.  He got it from Hydro Flask in the U.S.



Our next stop was Strangefellows Brewing 1345 Clark Drive, This a slick, modern brewery. Parking is easy out front and at busy times food trucks are on hand. Flights are available as well as pints. The tasting room is large, with cool long, high tables an high stools. The number of offerings is smaller. We tried Talisman Pale Ale, The T'wit 2, Goldilox Golden, and Bayard Saison. Although all were drinkable, we didn't fill our remaining growler. I guess that says something...They have a very neat stamping station to identify your purchases.





St. Patrick's day - a good start

Thirsty and enthusiastic, we arrived before the tasting rooms were open so we went off to Uprising Breads, a couple of blocks away, to get some sandwiches to soak up the suds. No food trucks about at this early hour!

Our first stop was Bomber Brewing 1488 Adanac, The tasting room was cozy and inviting.  There are board games available to play and no omni-present t.v. However there is a pull down screen for Canucks games and pints are only $5 on game nights. The staff were friendly and it was a pleasant place to hang out.

Flights were available: we tried East Van. Smash, Pilner, ESB, Irish Stout and Marzen. The latter was our favourite brew of the day; we filled our growler with it and saved $2 because it was a Tuesday.

This brewery is one of six included on the East Village Brewery and Distillery Tour map. Free copies are available on site. If you are not into a self-guided tour, you can hop on the Weekend Brewery Shuttle Service and for $5 per loop visit these six brewing companies:12 Kings, Main Street, Bomber, Parallel 49, Deep Cove and Bridge. For $10 you can ride all night but you may not feel too well in the morning.

Our second stop was just down the street at Off The Rail 1351 Adanac. This establishment has only been open a few weeks and they are experiencing a common start-up problem, limited stock.  We tried Smoked Porter, Irish Pub Draft, English Mild Ale, and Lancaster Cream Ale. We liked the latter best but it was not available to fill a growler. Their licence doesn't allow for flights yet but small glasses are a good alternative. They offer their beer in cans too.

The décor here is modern and bright. It looks a bit more like a coffee bar or tea shop than a comfy place to relax with a few beers. There is a small t.v. but it was not on during our visit.