British Columbia’s Best Breweries

BC is full of amazing breweries, so many that it’s hard to keep track of what’s new and whose pouring the best stouts, IPAs, sours, etc.

That’s why we’ve compiled a list of some of the breweries around the province pouring the most interesting beer. This list covers a broad scope of the province, so no matter where you are, you should be able to visit at least one of the breweries on this list. Don’t see your favourite brewery on the list? Let us know in the comments why it should be included!

Vancouver & Surrounding Area

Beere Brewing

Location: North Vancouver

North Vancouver has started to see a full brewery row develop, and Beere is one of the best options in the area. Not only does this small brewery produce some of the best IPAs in town, they are also constantly experimenting, meaning there’s a very good chance you’ll try something new every time.

Try: Mental Floss Double Dry Hopped IPA

Brassneck

Location: Vancouver

Brassneck is the kind of experience that is synonymous with craft brewing. With a reclaimed wood interior and a constantly rotating tap menu, it’s hard to keep track of all the experiments coming out of here.

Try: One Trick Pony IPA; Hibscus wit

Dageraad

Location: Burnaby

One of the very few breweries in the province specializing in Belgian style beers, Dageraad has consistently been producing extremely high quality beer since inception. If you’re a fan of Belgians, then Dageraad is an absolute must.

Try: Burnabarian; Dageraad Blonde

Field House

Location: Abbotsford

Honestly Abbotsford should not have a brewery this cool. From the front lawn hangout, to the food truck, to the live concert series, Field House is the place to hangout. The brewery also doesn’t shy away from experimental beers, which have proven to impress time and time again.

Try: Sour Wheat Gose; Dark Sour

Four Winds

Location: Delta

One of the most awarded and celebrated breweries in the province, Four Winds has been instrumental in solidifying BC as a powerhouse in the craft beer scene. They may be a little out of the way, but it’s very much worth the trip.

Try: Nectarous; Saison; IPA

House of Funk

Location: North Vancouver

Just a few doors down from Beere Brewing, House of Funk offers a lot in the way of sour, funky and creative beers. They’ve brought a lot of innovation to the North Vancouver beer scene, and along the way have expanded with roasting coffee, a kitchen, live music and outdoor space.

Try: Funk Juice; Chaka Sour IPA

Luppolo

Location: Vancouver

Italian inspired in both decor and brewing, Luppolo is a fantastic addition to the Vancouver brewery scene. They were the first in the city to start pouring “slow pour” pilsners, and that alone is worth the visits. Add in some excellent sours and you’ve got a winner.

Try: Slow pour pilsner and the New World Sour.

Steel & Oak

Location: New Westminster 

Having been around for just over five years now, Steel and Oak has shown that great craft beer can be made just about anywhere; as a result they’ve attracted the attention of other breweries to the New West area, which benefits everyone.

Try: Dark Lager; Roselle

Strange Fellows

Location: Vancouver

Strange Fellows is all about embracing the weird, and to that end, they’ve taken a dedicated focus on beers with wild yeast, sours and barrel aging. Many of their best beers come around once/twice a year.

Try: Roxanne sour; Jongleur wit

Vancouver Island

Category 12

Location: Victoria

Category 12 is what happens when you let a home brewer with a microbiology and biochemistry degree open a brewery. Category 12’s head brewer and founder, Michael Kuzyk, has been brewing beer for more than 20 years, and his obsession with great beer, recipe optimization, and meticulous record keeping practices make him a brewer to be reckoned with.

Try: Disruption Black IPA; anything that is currently on tap as experimental or seasonal

Ile Sauvage

Location: Victoria

Île Sauvage can still be considered one of the newest breweries in Victoria but it has already started to make its mark. Île Sauvage is French for “Wild Island” and is a dual reference to the wilderness of Vancouver Island and their main focus on Belgian-style wild ales and sour beers. Expect a lot of experimentation due to being new, and the very nature of the brewery itself.

Try: Automne Brett Saison, a mixed yeast beer that is fantastic.

Land & Sea

Location: Comox

Land & Sea is a brewery that could easily fit into a much larger city like Vancouver or Victoria, but feels right at home in Comox. The decor is simple but well put together, the beer is excellent and the food is well above the standard fair you’d usually find at a brewery.

Try: Comexico Pale Ale; Glacier Cream Ale

Mount Arrowsmith

Location: Parksville

Mount Arrowsmith may be a tiny brewery, but its made a significant impression on the BC beer scene. Within their first year of operation, the brewery already had some serious accolades under its belt, including BC Brewery of the year!

Try: Blonde ale; Jagged Face IPA

Spinnakers Brewpub

Location: Victoria

Spinnakers is the grandad of beer, not just for Victoria but for Canada. Spinnakers was Canada’s first brewpub when it opened in 1984, and many of the recipes have remained the same in 30 years. That’s not to say they aren’t innovating, they have cutting-edge styles such as sours and barrel-aged beers, daily casks and ciders made on-site.

Try: Juice Monkey IPA; Chocoholic Chocolate Milk Stout

Tofino Brewing

Location: Tofino

Nestled on the far western shore lines of Vancouver Island, Tofino is world renowned for its surfing and storm watching. Thankfully, Tofino Brewing also exists to help keep drinkers satisfied after a long day in the outdoors. At this point they are an institution in the community and it’s a must-do for anyone that’s visiting Tofino.

Try: The very unique Kelp Stout; Blonde Ale

Coastal BC

Backcountry Brewing

Location: Squamish

Halfway between Vancouver and Whistler, Squamish is the perfect place for a quick pit stop, and Backcountry Brewing is the answer to that problem. Creative and bold, the beers from Backcountry tend to be big and juicy, something that is very on trend.

Try: Widowmaker IPA; Trailbreaker Pale Ale

Persephone

Location: Gibsons

Located on a gorgeous little farm in Gibsons, Persephone is the epitome of the coastal lifestyle. It doesn’t hurt that they make some incredibly good beers as well.

Try: Black Lager; Dry-Hopped Cider

Townsite Brewing

Location: Powell River

Another one of those speciality breweries that focuses on Belgian styles, but what they have over Dageraad is the head brewmaster at Townsite is himself Belgian born. Powell River is blessed to have a brewery of this calibre in their midst.

Try: Zunga Golden Blonde Ale; Bière d’Hiver Winter Ale

Interior

Crannog Ales

Location: Sorrento

There’s a likelihood that you’ve never heard of Crannog, and that’s because they have this annoying habit of not packaging their products. So you’re only likely to find them on tap or direct from the source. It’s most definitely worth the effort to seek them out.

Try: Back Hand of God Stout; Gael’s Blood Potato Ale

Mt. Begbie

Location: Revelstoke

Mt. Begbie has been around for a long time, but even still, we’re strong advocates that they don’t get the credit they deserve. They may not make the “sexy” beers, but they are so consistently good with the traditional styles, that they should be a go to choice and will often be found in our fridges.

Try: Begbie Cream Ale; Brave Liver Scotch Ale