Also available in Monday Magazine
As the weather warms up, not only do the patios open up, but beer festivals start happening almost every other weekend.
Summer beer festival gets kicked off this year with HOPoxia 2017, being held in the Phillips Backyard. The June 10th open-air event will showcase the hop-infused beers from over 45 breweries. Tickets are $20, include the first two tasters, and to enjoy more beers, additional tasters are $2 each.
This is a hop-forward event, and this year, some of the already confirmed breweries include nearly all the Victoria breweries, and will also include a few newcomers like Beach Fire Brewing from Campbell River, Faculty Brewing from the mainland, Mount Arrowsmith in Parksville, Sooke Oceanside, Riot from Chemainus, and more.
The venue is amazingly well suited for the event, as they convert the industrial space that is their loading dock and Pembroke St into a spacious courtyard that still has a very intimate feel. The same space is used for events like the Phillips Backyard Weekender, Brewery and the Beast, and more, so you can expect them to pack in as much as they can to make a great day of it.
When you get hungry, look no further than the big blue food truck, where Coast Lunchbox will be serving some special recipes designed for the event making use of some hoppy beers for a complementary pairing.
Tickets for HOPoxia 2017 are available at Phillips Brewery, or at Ticket Rocket.
If that event doesn’t fill your desire for hops, a few days later there is another event sure to satisfy your need.
June 14th, at 6:30 PM, Vessel Liquor has Thirsty Writer Joe Wiebe leading his monthly educational trip through beer, and this month he has 8 hoppy beers lined up to taste for those who attend. Tickets are $20, and are available at Vessel Liquor, or through a link on their website, but don’t wait too long, as the class only accommodates 14 people.
Beer Tip of the Month:
As much as we all love to attend festivals, it’s important to give back. Most festivals are volunteer-led and need support from the public to run. You don’t usually lose out by volunteering though, as most events will give you free or discounted access and will try to schedule your shift so you can still take part in the event, and additional perks are fairly common as well. The other added bonus is the appreciation you gain for everything that needs to happen to make those festivals work, so do your part and sign up for an event this summer.
Matter of Beer 