Posted on by Matt

Christmas Craft Beer Show 2018 Preview and Beer List!

They say the third time is the charm, and if that’s even remotely accurate, then adding charm to Christmas Cheer sounds like a recipe for a great time, and that’s even before you throw in great craft beer from Victoria, Vancouver Island, BC, and abroad.

As is the case every year, breweries come and go, and while we won’t be seeing breweries like Faculty, Parkside, Townsite and Doan’s, we do get some new faces, like Bad Dog Brewing from Sooke, Howl Brewing in North Saanich, Highway 97 Brewing from Penticton,  and Twin City Brewing, winner of Best In Show for their Late Bloomer at the BC Beer Awards in October.

If you still haven’t purchased your tickets, which you should, $40 ($48 including service charges and taxes) will get you into the event for one day, and upon entry you will receive the souvenir tasting glass (4 oz pours), a program, and two beverage tokens to get you started. $75 ($86 with taxes and fees) will get you in for both days, in case you need to pace yourself or just need to try that many more of the different drink options available. Drink tokens are $1.50 each, and are valid for both days of the show. For tickets, click here.

As for the beers? I love to plan what I’m drinking long before I get to an event, and I’ve been lucky enough to get the nearly complete listing of the beers available, and will update any new information as it comes in, so take a look and figure out your must haves so you get it before it runs out. Be aware, as always that these lists change at the last minute usually, so there might be some different beers than expected.

Beers

Axe & Barrel (Langford)

  • West Shore IPA: (6.8% ABV) “This West Coast IPA has waves of tropical fruit aromatics that wash over your senses. Smooth medium-light body and clean malty sweetness creates a balance to the resinous bitter flavours you would expect from an IPA.”
  • Langford Logger: (4.8% ABV, 10 IBU) “European style session-able lager. Cold fermented for two weeks, aged for a month. Crisp, clean easy drinking beer. Brewed with Canadian pilsner, European Munich, clean Vancouver Island water, Hallertau & Saaz and lager yeast.”
  • Fruity Mother Pucker: (4.0% ABV) “Berliner-style fruit sour. Delicious mix of summer berries. Raspberry, strawberry, and blueberry. Soured with a multi strain selection of lactobacillus. This summer sour is super dope.”

Bad Dog Brewing (Sooke)

  • Honey Blonde Ale: (5.0% ABV) “Our friendly hardworking bees did not sting anyone while contributing to this hand-crafted ale made with pure Canadian honey”
  • Octodog Apocalypse Stout: (4.8% ABV) “A deep dark stout made with squid ink.”
  • Dog’s Breakfast Anniversary Ale: No description available, beer being released for their first anniversary.

Big Rock Brewery (Vancouver)

  • Midnight Rhapsody Dark Ale: (5.5% ABV, 25 IBU) “The dark is nothing to fear with a beer this smooth and approachable. Roasted malt counterpoints a chord struck with black currant, cherry and raspberry. It has subtle sweetness and soft bitterness that echo in the aftertaste. It’s hard not to dance to the tune of Midnight Rhapsody.”
  • Nitro Dry Stout: (4.0% ABV, 12 IBU) “Rich, nutty and all the smooth, creaminess desired from Nitro carbonation”
  • Traditional Ale: (5.0% ABV, 20 IBU) “A recipe gone untouched since Big Rock’s founding. Toasty malt and sweet caramel up front, Big Rock Traditional Ale finishes with a nutty flavour, medium creamy carbonation and mild hop bitterness.”

Cannery Brewing (Penticton)

  • The Muse & The Golden Promise: (6.5% ABV, 35 IBU) “Her serene blend of Golden Promise malts, California ale yeast, and Simcoe hops flow seamlessly together weaving a path of strength and vitality. The Muse is the heart, the spark, that enchants your mind in such a way you can’t think of anything else but her.”
  • Darkling Oatmeal Stout: (5.5% ABV, 30 IBU) “Poetry and beer go hand in hand…. The balance and rhythm in both creates a seamless artistry that rolls over your palate and lingers, waiting to be deciphered. This oatmeal stout balances smooth mouth feel with bittersweet roasted flavours to brighten the blackest of days.”
  • Hop Chowdah NE IPA: (6.5% ABV, 45 IBU) “This hazy New England IPA is juicy and soft with polished bitterness. Amarillo and Mosaic hops create a massive tropical citrus aroma.”

Category 12 Brewing (Saanichton)

  • Super Symmetry Oatmeal Stout: (5.9% ABV, 35 IBU) “Oats are used to increase the body and mouth feel, balancing, in perfect symmetry, the 5.9% ABV with a rich flavour that will spin you away from the world of obligatory interactions into your own reality. Years of experience confirms that’s a good thing.”
  • Fresh-Hopped Wild Pale Ale: (5.0% ABV, 34 IBU) “Centennial and Chinook hops grown by the BC Hop Co. in Chilliwack are gathered at their optimal freshness, and transported to our brewery within hours, capturing the essence of harvest’s peak yield. Expect delicate, lush citrus and pine notes accentuated by a Sacc. Trois wild yeast fermentation.”
  • Side Project Amber Lager: (5.0% ABV, 30 IBU) “Exploration of pathways once forbidden can be the portal to delicious revelations… Our Side Project offers a thorough probe into hitherto unspoken depths… of lager-dom. With a smooth body, light amber colour, and crisp finish, this is just the craft lager you didn’t know you were looking for!

Central City (Surrey)

  • Red Racer Pils: (5.0% ABV, 25 IBU) “Red Racer Pils is brewed in the classic Bavarian tradition, using only the finest two-row barley and hops from the Hallertau region of Germany. This light and golden Pilsner has a distinct hop aroma and flavour with a dry, crisp finish.”
  • Red Racer S’more Stout: (5.5% ABV, 40 IBU) “Like a delicious smore, this craft beer creation is infused with marshmallow flavour, chocolate, fall spice flavour, and has a smooth, creamy centre.”
  • Red Racer After Hours Pale Ale: (6.5% ABV, 35 IBU) “The Red Racer ‘Spirited’ series gives a new take on the classic Old-Fashioned whisky cocktail. Blending Lohin McKinnon single malt whisky with our house-made bitters, orange peels and cherries makes this pale ale worth sneaking out for. Like an Old-Fashioned, expect strong notes of orange peel and orange zest, with a hint of malt sweetness, a kiss of whisky, and garnished with a cherry.”

Christopher Stewart Wine and Spirits

  • Borg Brugghús (Iceland)
    • Selection from the brewery available.
  • Little Creatures (Australia)
    • Little Creatures Pale Ale (5.2% ABV, 36 IBU) “The beer that inspired our crazy journey, ours is a hop driven, full bodied and refreshing Pale Ale bursting with flavour and aroma. “

Driftwood Brewery (Victoria)

  • Blackstone Porter: (6.0% ABV) “A drinkable platform to explore dark malt! The Blackstone Porter has ample body to support the flavours of chocolate and coffee derived from dark specialty malts. A surprisingly-quaffable session Porter, and the perfect companion to good conversation when the rain is lashing at the windows. Blackstone Porter is available seasonally during the colder months.”
  • Goldynwell: (3.0% ABV) “This distinctly West coast inspired table beer is brewed to a much lower abv and designed for potentially extended sessions! Goldynwell is not lacking in flavour or complexity with a smooth oat malt body and refreshing zest of Citra & Mosaic hops all brought together with Saccharomyces Trois yeast. At a deceptively low 3% alc./vol. Goldynwell delivers everything you would expect in a carefully crafted beer!”
  • Limb from Limb: (7.0% ABV) “Born of Canadian malted rye and Lumberjack hops, Limb from Limb RyePA blends warming malt notes with the melon, clove and allspice profile of this distinct BC grown hop variety”

Fernie Brewing Co (Fernie)

  • Black Mammoth Winter Ale: (8.0% ABV, 25 IBU) “To mark our 10th Anniversary in January 2013, we celebrated with a new limited release darkly delicious winter brew. Our most decadent brew – a rich, strong winter black ale. A healthy addition of chocolate malt, plus infusions of dark organic cocoa and Seville orange peel provide unique flavour. Extra aging on oak adds smoothness and complexity.”
  • Snowblind Belgian Style IPA: (7.9% ABV, 78 IBU) “Snowblind is a traditional Belgian-Style IPA brew, with some of the newest hop varietals from Australia and New Zealand. Another truly original brew experience, returning again, as a perfect wintry Belgian-Style brew.”

Fuggles & Warlock Craftworks (Richmond)

  • Kiwami Plum Sour: (6.3% ABV, 7 IBU) “A delicately tart kettle sour brewed with fresh plums.”
  • Destiny IPA: (6.0% ABV, 62 IBU) “A light, easy going malt profile with delicate hop aromas of mandarin oranges, grapefruit and passionfruit that launch your tastebuds into the cosmos.”
  • DarXide Russian Imperial Stout: (9.9% ABV, 40 IBU) The dark side of the force returns, and is just as tempting as before.

Highway 97 Brewery (Penticton)

  • Salted Chocolate Porter: (6.2% ABV, 30 IBU) “It looks like a Porter, tastes like a Porter, but doesn’t feel like a Porter. Roasted dark malts are used to create the rich colour and smoky flavour in this 6.2% beer and even a hint of chocolate. At 30 IBU, the texture is lighter than you might expect allowing you to enjoy more than one of these special dark beers. Carbonation is minimal, as a good British-syle Porter should and this allows all tastes through and prevents that bloated feeling.”
  • Fresh Tracks Winter Cream Ale: (5.0% ABV, 18 IBU) “This easy drinking Winter Ale is a refreshing Canadian-style Cream Ale. The strawy golden yellow colour is a prelude to the clean flavour, lightly spiced notes and the balance between malt and hops. Adding oatmeal to this brew creates a creamy head not expected from such a lightly coloured beer that goes down smooth. This beer really pairs well with pub-fare.”
  • Dirt Road Double IPA: (7.5% ABV, 75 IBU) “This is a very approachable balanced double IPA full of fruity hop notes completely in balance with an amazing selection of premium malted barley.  This unfiltered double IPA is quickly becoming a favourite of many Highway 97 craft beer followers because it might be 75 IBU’s but it goes down so easy!  It begins with a big passionfruit nose and finishes with the smoothest notes of banana and clove.  This beer is an adventure… just like your favourite dirt road!  Get out and explore!”

Howl Brewing (North Saanich)

  • Raspberry Ginger Ale: (6% ABV, 20 IBU) “A festive pale ale with caramel malt, raspberries, ginger, and cascade hops“
  • Bavarian Dunkel: (5.0% ABV, 30 IBU) “A malty, refreshing, brown lager”
  • Old World Grodziskie: (4.5% ABV, 25 IBU) “‘The champagne of Poland’ a style that nearly went extinct. Made with oak smoked wheat malt“

Hoyne Brewing Company (Victoria)

  • Gratitude: (9.0% ABV) “This lovely lady is luscious and full bodied, and like a Flamenco dancer, she is also a bit spicy. So be on guard: at 9% she can sneak up and overpower you!”
  • Finnegans Irish Stout: (5.2% ABV) “Rich and robust with undertones of chocolate and coffee, this Irish stout delivers a healthy amount of malt with a creamy head”
  • Alpha Acid IPA: (6.3% ABV) “Introducing a new addition to the Hoyne Brewing Family, Alpha Acid IPA replaces Devil’s Dream IPA in the core lineup. Big additions of Idaho 7, El Dorado and Azacca make this hazy, tropical IPA extra juicy. Brewed with the addition of wheat in the North-Eastern style with a great balance of hops, malt and mouth feel.”

Lighthouse Brewing Company (Esquimalt)

  • Depth Charge: (8.5% ABV) “Our signature winter release is meant to bring warmth to your life during the cold, damp West Coast winter. Brewed to perfection with German Lager yeast, this malt forward beer has a deep copper colour and a rich bready backbone. Canadian rye whiskey, oak and late addition hops impart spice, vanilla and herbal hop notes.
  • Nightwatch Coffee Lager: (5.1% ABV) Light drinking, but full of pep! Cold brew concentrate adds a great aroma and the flavour is delightful.

Longwood Brewery (Nanaimo)

  • Stoutnik: (7.5% ABV, 40 IBU) “Our award winning Stout is made using a combination of high alpha whole British hops like Target and Northern Brewer for bitterness and balanced against roasted, chocolate and black malts. Stoutnik is a complex and rich beer.”
  • Wait Till Amaro ESB: No Information Provided.
  • Berried Alive: (5.0% ABV, 15, IBU) “This beer is crafted by re-fermenting whole BC raspberries with a lightly hopped blonde ale to create a uniquely refreshing balance between tart and tasty. This light and refreshing ale is a great compliment to a hot summer day.”

Moody Ales (Port Moody)

  • Vienna Lager: (5.5% ABV, 19 IBU) “Robyn, who created our Vienna lager recipe, likes to pair this beer with bratwurst. Sho, another Moody Ales brewer, prefers it with carnitas. Makes sense—this style, originally developed in Vienna in the 1840s, lost popularity in Europe over the nineteenth century but thrived in Mexico with Austrian emigrant brewers. So, as you enjoy our malt-forward yet clean amber lager, remember that from Austria to Mexico to Canada, pork and beer unite us all.”
  • Lusty Chocolate Oatmeal Stout: (5.6% ABV, 23 IBU) “Some say the only ingredients in a beer should be barley, hops, yeast and water. We say, the more the merrier. The Lusty Chocolate Oatmeal Stout is brewed with chocolate malt and cocoa powder, then conditioned on cocoa nibs for an intense milk chocolate flavour. Oats contribute a baked oatmeal cookie aroma. A perfect treat right before bed.”
  • Huge Citrus: (6.1% ABV, 35 IBU) “Inspired by the hazy beers that all you kids are going crazy for these days, our brewer Sho started working on this recipe over a year ago. He had never tasted a North East Pale but decided to brew something similar. After some experimentation he landed on using typical North West hops and leaving out the oats and lactose sugar commonly used in that style. Those decisions leave us with a very juicy, well balanced beer with a lighter body than it’s North East cousins. Huge Citrus gets a massive addition of Cascade and Mosaic late in the brew, and is then dry-hopped with copious amounts of Cascade and Mosaic hops while the yeast is still active, leaving a Huge Citrus aroma and flavour – notes of tropical fruit, stone fruit, orange, grapefruit & pomelo. We used Sacc Trois yeast to ferment this beer to really increase the juicyness, hazyness and to add a bit of funk. This medium to light bodied beer is very well balanced, juicy, not sweet and VERY crushable.

The Moon Under Water Brewpub (Victoria)

  • Oranje Maan: (8.2% ABV) Imperial Mandarin Wit, tastes like the beer equivalent to a mimosa.
  • Candy Cane Dunkel: (5.5% ABV, 15 IBU) No Information Available
  • Copper Kettle Sour – Passion Fruit: (6.0% ABV) No Information Available

Mount Arrowsmith (Parksville)

  • Brix and Plato Amber Belgian Ale: (7.2% ABV) A Belgian Dubbel aged with Shiraz steeped Oak staves and brewed with cocoa nibs and orange peel.
  • Low Pressure Porter: (6.0% ABV) “Canadian Pale Barley, Pale Chocolate Malt & West Coast Hops combine to create this smooth, full-bodied Porter.Roasted notes & flavours of chocolate with a light caramel finish will have you sipping this one through the West Coast Winter.”
  • Jagged Face IPA: (7.2% ABV) “Canadian pale & Munich malt complement select tropical hops including Centennial, Citra & Amarillo to create our flavourful version of a well balanced, but powerful IPA.“

Old Abbey Ales (Abbotsford)

  • Black Forest Stout: (9.1% ABV, 35 IBU) “A dark, malty beer with a coffee esque bitterness. Notes of chocolate and cherries.”
  • Di Hard Hazy Lager: (6.0% ABV, 18 IBU) No Information Provided
  • Beets By Steve: (4.7% ABV, 7 IBU) No Information Provided

Parallel 49 Brewing Company (Vancouver)

  • Frosted Tips IPA: (6.4% ABV) “Rrrrrawwrrr! Coming at you like a lynx, this winter IPA is the pick of the litter. Its unique combination of herbal, spicy and fruity hops is even better than catnip. You won’t get scratched by this fierce kitty…as long as you enjoy one right meow! Frosted Tips is a NW American style IPA generously hopped with Galaxy, Mosaic and Centennial hops. This beer is the perfect winter sipper with both earthy and floral notes as well as aromas of tropical mango and passionfruit and pine.
  • Craft Pilsner: (5.0% ABV) “Our Craft Pilsner is inspired by the traditional Czech Pilsner style and is brewed with Saaz and Saphir hops with a blend of Moravian and Canadian Pilsner malt. This beer is crisp and refreshing with a rich and complex bready maltiness complimented by the slightly spicy and floral hop character. Craft Pilsner pours pale gold and has a creamy, long-lasting head. It’s extremely sessionable and a fantastic ode to the classic style.”

Persephone Brewing (Gibsons)

  • Persephone Pale Ale: (5.5% ABV, 33 IBU) “This medium bodied, light coloured ale is bursting with juicy citrus and tropical fruit aromas from Citra hops. The pleasant citrusy hop flavour and modest bitterness is balanced with a light malt profile. A sessionable beer for the hop lover.”
  • Dry Irish Stout: (4.5% ABV, 30 IBU) “Roasty, coffee-like aroma with undertones of freshly baked oatmeal cookies. Flavours of dark coffee and toast with a balancing bitterness. Lightly carbonated with a very smooth texture and a dry finish.”

Phillips Brewing & Malting Co. (Victoria)

  • Black Magic Dark Ale: (5.3% ABV) “This delicious witches brew pours a gorgeous dark mahogany with ruby highlights. Roasty, cocoa flavours up front are balanced by a low bitterness that is slightly sweet mid-palette, and woven into a refreshingly light body. Black Magic finishes with a pleasant dryness that is super clean and satisfyingly drinkable.”
  • Tiger Shark Citra Pale Ale: (4.7% ABV) “This citra-focused beer is a pale ale re-imagined. bred to attack the pallet, Tiger Shark is a tropical alpha beast packed with juicy passion fruit and citrus flavour, without the bitter bite.”

Red Arrow Brewing (Duncan)

  • Midnite Umber Ale: (5.1% ABV, 33 IBU) “Every brewery needs a guardian. Meet ours, Christopher, the all-seeing gargoyle. He’s been watching over our building for years. As the bell tolls on the darkest hour, he is there—a few chips and bumps, but sturdy as always. This richly malty, but easy-drinking beer is dedicated to him and his watchful legacy in which we can all find a little comfort. A refreshing take on a darker style of beer, the Midnite Umber Ale pours a beautiful ruby/reddish brown (also known to artists as umber) and has notes of candied apricot and demerara. While this brew is full of rich, decadent flavours, its body is surprisingly light. Balanced nicely by a solid hand of southern hemisphere hops, and with a smooth malt finish, the Midnite Umber Ale is the best of tease and temptation. Aroma: Toffee and dragon fruit Taste: Candied apricot, toffee and malt, slight hop finish”
  • Old Style Lager: (5.0% ABV, 20 IBU) “Time. Honour. Tradition. Patience. Brewed with the finest ingredients we can get our hands on, this Lager is aged for an extended time in horizontal tanks to ensure the smoothest taste and utmost clarity.  We aim to highlight the subtle nuances of a quality craft lager, using many old-world recipe traits, reflecting our west coast take on a true classic. With a rich, barley malt body and a rounded, clean finish, all signs point towards a delicious taste experience. Aroma: Fresh and lively, slightly malty Taste: Clean, smooth, refreshing; slight nuttiness; slight tang”
  • Chocolate Cherry Porter: (5.7% ABV, 25 IBU) “Chocolate Cherry Porter entices you with aromas of dark chocolate, organic cacao nibs and black cherry. The taste is robust, roasted malt chocolate with a balanced, belly warming finish. A true treat for the Holiday Season.”

Red Truck Brewing (Vancouver)

  • Totality Imperial Stout: (8.3% ABV, 25 IBU) No Information Provided
  • Road Trip Classic Lager: (5.0% ABV) “Made with Canadian Prairie two-row malted barley and hops imported from Germany and the Czech Republic. Red Truck Lager is a beer with world-class credential”
  • Hard Day Northwest IPA: (6.3% ABV) “When we built out signature IPA, we made sure it was well-balanced and sessionable, delivering the bold hoppiness that defines a great IPA in an approachable way. We used five Northwest hop varieties in a combination of late kettle, whirlpool addition, and dry hopping to create an IPA that goes with everything. “

Riot Brewing Co. (Chemainus)

  • Tantrum Dubbel: (7.6% ABV, 22 IBU) “Brewed in collaboration with Riot Brewing at both breweries for both of our second anniversaries.”
  • Life Partners Pale Ale: (5.0% ABV, 32 IBU) “Sometimes heads will roll, even between life partners. However, at the end of the day, through thick and thin, you know they will always be there for you.
    Similarly, this West-coast-style Life Partners Pale Ale, with its hop forward and medium-bodied character will never disappoint.”
  • Vortex Robust Porter: (6% ABV, 29 IBU) “The Vortex Porter: dark roasted malts, balanced sweetness, chocolate and coffee notes. That was a short description. There is nothing short-lived about stopping into a brewery for a beer; it’s a vortex where minutes become hours and empty glasses build up into towers.”

Russell Brewing Company (Surrey)

  • East Coast Hazy IPA: (6% ABV, 53 IBU) “Ever had a beer that tastes like juice? Well, our entry into the “Haze Craze” is just that. With large additions of wheat and oats in the mash, our brewers achieved the classic haze and mouthfeel that this style is known for. The real stars of the show are the hops, with Simcoe, Citra, and Galaxy front row and center. Fermented using “juice,” an appropriately named east coast yeast strain, this beer delivers the delicious juicy vibes you’re looking for.”
  • Oatmeal Stout: (4.7% ABV, 25 IBU) “An oatmeal stout brewed using a smorgasbord of malts including both flaked and golden naked oats, Chocolate malt and Black Prinz. Notes of Coffee and Dark chocolate blend seamlessly into a silky smooth body, never has your oatmeal tasted this good!”
  • Casks:
    • Friday – Blood Alley Bitter ESB Dry Hopped with Simcoe & Ella: (5% ABV)
    • Saturday – Punch Bowl NWIPA with Grapefruit: (6.5% ABV)

Salt Spring Island Ales (Salt Spring Island)

  • Heather Ale: (5.0% ABV, 15 IBU) “An ancient brew dating back over 4000 years, Heather Ale is most often attributed to the Picts of ancient Scotland, who are said to have drunk Heather Ale for courage before going into battle. Infused with local heather flowers and a sparing amount of hops, our Heather Ale has a mild floral & honey aroma, a slight mead or cider-like character & very light hop notes to produce a crisp finish. A light beer, best paired with fresh & delicate foods such as scallops, prawns, ceviche, goats cheese or fresh fruit. This is the ideal beer for those who prefer a lighter, more delicate brew with very little bitterness.”
  • Earl Grey IPA: (7.0% ABV, 45 IBU) “Tea-time meets happy-hour with this bergamot-infused, British-style IPA. A flavourful balance of crisp hop bitterness and malty caramel sweetness, fronted by beautiful floral & citrus aromas.”

Smuggler’s Trail Caskworks (Vancouver)

  • Canoe Chase IPA: (6.8% ABV, 53 IBU) Inspired by the true story of audacious 19th Century bandits who outran local authorities by racing upstream on the Fraser River. Bright. Juicy. Smooth. Refreshing. This beer is everything you expect from a traditional West Coast IPA but finishes surprisingly clean; tastes like more
  • Flasker’s Ale: (3.8% ABV, 24 IBU) Flaskers were the characters who supported the lifestyle of early BC gold miners by smuggling (among other things) traditional ales to the goldfields. Toasty. Fruity. Smooth. Clean. British Bitters are the original session ales. Flaskers Ale is proud to be a flavorful and balanced version of this style. Drinkers of Flaskers Ale will also appreciate the clean and refreshing finish in an amber colored ale of this style.
  • Wedgehead Kolsch: (5.0% ABV, 25 IBU) “Nicknamed “Wedgeheads” for the shape of their hats, the Royal Engineers spent a great deal of time chasing Smugglers around BC.  This Kolsch is a tip of those hats to worthy adversaries.”

Sooke Brewing Company (Sooke)

  • Belgian Blonde Ale: (6% ABV, 50 IBU) “Pilsner malt lends the light colour and subtle grainy malt character. The Belgian yeast blends with ample amounts of European hops for a floral and herbal flavour and aroma. The dryness and moderately firm make it refreshing and drinkable.”
  • Oktoberfest: (6.0% ABV, 20 IBU) “A German, malt-focused lager, this beer was traditionally brewed for the spring (when brewed in the fall it is known as an Oktoberfest). Being a lager it is refreshing and crisp and it is characterized by toasty, bread crust like malts that are allowed to shine through due to a low level of hop bitterness.” 

Sooke Oceanside Brewery (Sooke)

  • Woodlands Winter Saison: (7.2% ABV) No Information Provided
  • Fight in the Dog Scotch Ale: (7.0% ABV) “”It’s not the size of the dog in the fight, it’s the size of the fight in the dog” – Mark Twain.  A quote that we hold dear to our hearts! Fight in the Dog is a lightly peated scotch ale sitting at 6%, just like a soft cozy fire in a glass this beer is perfect for the dreary fall months.”

Spinnakers Brewpub (Victoria)

  • Bourbon Black Lager: (4.5% ABV, 20 IBU) “This rich, lightly sweet Black Lager is infused with bourbon soaked oak chips to compliment the chocolate and coffee flavours, and finished with fair trade vanilla beans.”
  • Framboise Raspberry Sour: (4.8% ABV, 10 IBU) “This mouth-puckeringly tart, light-bodied wheat beer spent a year in wine barrels on raspberries from Mitchel’s Farm in Sidney.”
  • Chai Brown Ale: (5.2% ABV, 15 IBU) “Northern English Nut Brown ale travels the Silk Road to the land of Chai where ginger root, cinnamon bark, anise seed, cardamom and allspice lend a spicy warming infusion to this classic style.”

Stanley Park Brewing (Vancouver)

  • Layer Up Raspberry Ginger Winter Wheat Ale: (5.2% ABV, 18 IBU) “Embrace the Season. Lush layers of berry and citrus flavours in this auburn coloured Wheat Ale invite you to Layer Up this season.”
  • Hazy IPA: No Information Provided
  • Hoppy Brux Saison: No Information Provided

Steamworks Beer (Vancouver)

  • Heroica Red Ale: (5.6% ABV, 40 IBU) “This Gold Medal award winning, robust Red Ale has beautiful citrus and pine notes that come from our generous additions of Centennial, Citra & Simcoe hops. It is smooth and velvety in the mouth with the toasted malts giving it a medium body with hints of roasted hazelnut, toffee and caramel malt flavours.”
  • Winter Lager: (5.4% ABV, 30 IBU) “This comforting brew pours a deep copper and combines a rich toasted malt flavour with a restrained hop bitterness to create a well balanced, versatile beer. Our winter lager is a highly drinkable, yet complex beer with a rich aftertaste that will leave you yearning for another. An elegant lager perfect for longer nights.”
  • Premium Craft Lager: (4.8% ABV, 15 IBU) “Steamworks Premium Craft Lager has been steam brewed and deliberately aged to be distinctly flavourful and exceptionally easy-drinking. By sourcing the highest quality ingredients and obsessing over the art and science of lagering, we’ve created a crisp, clean and refreshing beer perfect for any occasion.”

Steel & Oak (New Westminster)

  • Simple Things: (5.0% ABV, 42 IBU) “Pouring gold with a fluffy white head this assertive German Pilsner is made with Weyermann Barke Pilsner malt and a selection of Noble hops. Crisp, clean, with notes of honey, graham cracker, biscuit, and a refreshing and lengthy bitterness, Simple Things is made the way a beer should be… with water, malt, hops, yeast, and time. “
  • Smoked Honey Doppelbock: (7.9% ABV, 20 IBU) “Honey and Beechwood Smoked Malt add further depth to this already complex strong German style lager. The Steel & Oak Smoked Honey Doppelbock is best enjoyed while seated in a leather chair with your feet up on a rich mahogany coffee table.”
  • Towers & Trains: (6.2% ABV, 50 IBU) “Made with organic Earl Grey Tea from our friends just down the boardwalk at The Great Wall Tea Co. this Earl Grey IPA has a perfect balance of west coast hops, bergamot, and a gentle black tea bitterness.”

Strange Fellows Brewing (Vancouver)

  • Talisman West Coast Pale Ale: (4% ABV, 29 IBU) “The Siren of the Seas is a fickle creature: benevolent or spiteful, she can bestow a safe passage & a bountiful catch, or provoke storms & shipwrecks. Sailors have long cast gifts of flowers, food or trinkets into the sea in exchange for good fortune. Talisman – our delicately dry-hopped & golden-hued ale with its tropical & citrusy aroma – may be just the thing to encourage the Siren’s blessing.”
  • Krampus Abbey Dubbel: (8.5% ABV, 30 IBU) “Krampus has a dark side and preys on the naughty, while you are making merry there may be something lurking in the streets. Contrary to his personality Krampus is a Belgian abbey double brewed with Belgian candy sugar and dark malts. It is rich with the flavour of dried stone fruits and subtle toffy notes. This deceptively alcoholic beer has a long warming affect on the constitution to help ignite the dark stranger inside each of us. Merry Krampusnacht!”

Strathcona Beer Company (Vancouver)

  • Crispy Winter Radler: (4.0% ABV, 15 IBU) Cranberry and Mandarin
  • Get Down On It IPA: (6.0% ABV, 35 IBU) “An IPA dry hopped with Galaxy, Simcoe, and Citra, giving it a tropical fruit flavor. Made with oats and a hint of lactose sugar.”

Swans Brewery (Victoria)

  • Vikes Lager: (4.7% ABV) “A golden lager with more character than the average lager so it’s got a touch more color, a touch more multi-flavor, and a touch more hop character.”
  • Regal Standard Wee Heavy Ale: (8.0% ABV) “A malty beast with dark, caramel aroma and a subtle sweet finish. “

Twa Dogs (Saanich)

  • Seas Between Us Red IPA: (7.0% ABV, 50 IBU) “Seas Between Us IPA is a smouldering red ale, rich with crystal malt and a bracing schwack of North-West hops. Brewed to refresh your “weary fitt” and revitalise the soul. This beer is so called because it brings together ingredients from near and far around the world to create a beautiful balance of old world malt and new world hops.”
  • Chili Chocolate Milk Stout: (6.5% ABV) “Winter is coming, so hold the door for Fire and Blood as they come together in this thick, black, chocolatey and gently spicy beer. With layer upon layer of chocolate malt, caramel malt, and roasted barley; pull me into the dark with a heart of cacao nibs and put fire in the sky with both ancho and habanero chillies, then in the darkness bind them with the creaminess of oats and lactose.”
  • Mystic Knot White Coffee Stout: (5.0% ABV) “The Mystic Knot is creation from contradiction.  It brings together the biscuity malt flavour of Marris Otter malt with the thick and creamy body of oats and lactose; with no beginning and no end, the knot conjures complexity whilst weaving coffee with subtle hints of vanilla and caramel. It screams You Shall Not Pass to the shadows and fire and you will find no trace of darkness or hop bitterness here.”

Twin City Brewing (Port Alberni)

  • Late Bloomer Strawberry Hibiscus Sour: (5.6% ABV, 10 IBU) “Soured with Lactobacillus prior to fermenting, this beer is a tart, refreshing venture out from traditional beer styles. The addition of hibiscus petals in the fermenter adds herbal cranberry notes while Strawberry adds body and a touch of sweetness.”
  • Tickity Boo British Pale Ale: (5.5% ABV, 29 IBU) “Our “BC Beer Award” winning malt-forward medium bodied British Pale Ale. Big notes of caramel and toffee with a dry finish and a good dose of earthy English hop varieties for balance.”
  • Porter Alberni Dry Porter: (5.5% ABV, 27 IBU) “This dry porter is made using biscuity pale malt and English hop varieties. It has subtle coffee and roasty notes but goes down easy with a clean finish. Named in honor of the much-under-appreciated Valley we call home.”

Vancouver Island Brewery (Victoria)

  • Misthorn Winter IPA: (6.5% ABV, 66 IBU) “This burnished IPA boasts an orange and pine focused hop blend with a hearty rye malt addition. The winter aspect lies in the orange and cinnamon additions to amplify the flavours of the season. Citrus, Spicy, Warming”
  • Islander Lager: (5.0% ABV, 14 IBU) “Just like Vancouver Island, this beer is both completely unique and familiar at the same time. A simple, laid back lager made from premium pilsner malt and Island-grown hops.”
  • Hermannator Ice Bock: (9.5% ABV, 25 IBU) “Hermannator Ice Bock is a special seasonal release made for friends & family of our original brewmaster, Hermann. This beer takes over three months to produce spending significant time at subzero temperatures to create a rich malt body, with notes of chocolate, coffee & brandied plums. It is the perfect beer to enjoy over the holiday season. Rich, Chocolate, Chewy.”

White Sails Brewing (Nanaimo)

  • Gallows Point Chocolate Porter: (5.0% ABV, 30 IBU) “This delicious dark brown ale has a prominent malty profile, loaded with chocolate and caramel notes. There is restrained roastiness, balanced with a light handed hopping, allowing the malt flavours to shine through.”
  • Ridge Ryeder Rye IPA: (6.4% ABV, 70 IBU) “Inspired by the iconic Ridge Runner Roundabout and brewed as a celebration of all things hoppy, the Ridge Ryeder celebrates a bold hop forward profile while retaining a synergistic balance with the subtle spice characteristics of the rye malt that acts as the backbone of the beer.”
  • Blue Christmas Tart Blackberry Blonde (Cask): No Information Provided

Wolf Brewing (Nanaimo)

  • IPA: (6.0% ABV, 60 IBU) “Featuring a distinct malt presence, notes of peach, passion fruit, pine, and citrus alongside a unique blend of hops from the Pacific Northwest, our I.P.A. offers a crisp, clean finish. Satisfyingly strong, but surprisingly smooth, I.P.A. pairs perfectly with a chicken korma or madras curry.”
  • Golden Honey Ale: (5.0% ABV, 19 IBU) “Featuring raw, locally-sourced honey and B.C. malt and two flavours of hops, our Golden Honey Ale is bright, refreshing, and full of flavour. It’s a perfectly balanced ale, distinctively light and savoury, perfect for a night at the pub in pitchers or by the pint, or passed around the backyard patio.”
  • Pilsner: (5.0% ABV, 30 IBU) No Information Provided

Yellow Dog Brewing (Port Moody)

  • Chase My Tail Pale Ale: (5.2% ABV, 50 IBU) “This West Coast Style Pale Ale is brewed for balance while being hop forward. Its slightly orange/red coloured ale has a hoppy aroma and smooth crisp after taste with hints of citrus, grapefruit, and lemon. This easy drinking pale ale is a perfect thirst quencher.”
  • Chew Toy Coconut Porter: (5% ABV, 33 IBU) “Nice coconutty flavour!”

Cideries

BC Tree Fruits Cider Co. (Kelowna)

  • Broken Ladder Apples: (5.2% ABV) “Our original craft cider, blended from 6 BC Tree Fruits apple varieties.”
  • Broken Ladder Apples & Hops: (6.0% ABV) “Is our dry hopped cider, a tip of the hat to our craft brewing friends.”
  • Broken Ladder Pears & Peaches: (4.3% ABV) “Is easy going and all orchard. Crafted from our own, you guessed it, BC pears and peaches.”

Brickworks Cider (Toronto)

  • Brickworks 1904: (5.0% ABV) “Our first-born. A UK style dry, tart cider, with a refreshing full apple finish. Proudly crafted with fresh Ontario heritage apples grown in the microclimates of the Georgian Bay and Niagara regions.”
  • Brickworks Rose: (6.0% ABV) “Much like your favourite song, the secret to a great rosé cider is harmony. We blend juice from raspberries and blueberries with cider made from 100% Ontario heritage apples and finish it with a touch of honey to create this delicate and subtly sweet dry cider. Working together, they create the beautiful symphony that is our rosé cider.”
  • Brickworks Peach: (5.0% ABV) “Fresh and floral with a pleasant aroma of sun-ripened, freshly-cut peaches. This semi-sweet cider is balanced with a tart finish, and a subtle apple undertone.”

Merridale Cidery & Distillery (Cobble Hill)

  • Yule Fuel: (9% ABV) “Our mulled apple cider tastes just like Christmas! Deep spice notes of vanilla, peach, cinnamon, and nutmeg make this a perfect drink to enjoy hot or cold with turkey dinner or by the light of a crackling fire. This limited release was created in partnership with the Zone 91.3 and partial proceeds support the TLC Fund for Kids.”
  • Mo’Moro: (6% ABV) “An effervescent cider, dry hopped with Mosaic hops and refreshed with Moro Blood Orange Juice. Crafted from a blend of English cider apples, it’s the perfect balance between sharps, bitters, and hoppy fruitiness.”
  • Scrumpy: (11% ABV) “A strong blend of sharp crab apples and tannic cider apples creates this distinctive, robust taste. Slowly fermented, aged to perfection in oak casks, then lightly carbonated to create the perfect craft sipping cider. In ancient England, the apples were stolen, or ‘scrumped,’ but ours are fresh from our own orchard.”

Seacider Farm and Ciderhouse (Saanichton)

  • Bramble Bubbly: (9.9% ABV) “The mighty blackberry is a tenacious invader of Vancouver Island orchards, but a touch of its sun-soaked sweetness added to apple cider makes for a sinfully delicious blushing semi dry sparkling cider. Raise a glass of Sea Cider’s Bramble Bubbly, and celebrate Vancouver Island fruit at its best!”
  • Rumrunner: (12.5% ABV) “Crafted with home-grown heritage apples, Rumrunner’s apples are hand-pressed using our traditional rack and cloth press, slowly fermented with Champagne yeast, then aged in rum-soaked bourbon barrels for a minimum of six months. Aromas of brown sugar and rum show the complexity of this semi-dry sparkling cider.”
  • Sassamanash: (9.9% ABV) “Cranberries, or sassamanash as the Algonquians called them, are a welcome sign of autumn. Several varieties – both indigenous and introduced – are found on Vancouver Island. When these crimson delights are blended with fermented apples the resulting cider is a tasty balance of bright acidity and autumn sweetness. As a cider in our Canadian Invasion Series proceeds helps combat invasive plants. Sassamanash was created to accompany your Holiday gatherings.”

Tod Creek Craft Cider (Saanich)

  • Bamfield-Bound: (6.0% ABV) “An off-dry craft cider with a hint of maple syrup to take the dry edge off.”
  • Mala-hop: (6.0% ABV) “This is our triple-hopped craft cider. Like hops? You’ll love our cider that is made with organic hops from a small farm in Lillooet.”
  • Island Light Raspberry Shrub: (3.0% ABV) “Shrub is a 17th century preserving method, where apple cider vinegar was used to protect fruit from spoiling. Now, we use our own shrub to balance the residual sugar of the apple and raspberry juice, further enhanced with the complexity from the wild fermented cider.”

I want to take this last moment to thank everyone who makes this list happen, and everyone who makes this event happen. Between the sales reps, set-up and take-down crews, the band, the employees of the arena, and more, none of this would be taking place without you.

Finally, feel free to share this as much as you want (with proper credit of course), to give everyone a chance to seek out new beers they would like to try or old favourites they’ve had hundreds of times, and once again, Cheers!

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