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.