We’re a matter of weeks away from Hopwired, and to say that I’ve been waiting for this event to come back since I stepped out of the Croatian Cultural Centre on February 24th of last year would be an understatement.
I was lucky enough to attend year one of this event, which is probably why I’ve become so passionate about it. There are a select few events with the power to draw me over from the Island for a single afternoon, and the fact that attending year 2 is a must says a lot about how this event is run.
The most impressive part of year 1 was just that. It was their first year, and the number of hiccups were minimal. When you can go into year 2 with the confidence of how well things went the first time around, and the drive to expand into what year 2 is turning into, it shows that the organizers have put all their blood, sweat and tears into this project.
Full disclosure, I was a coffee geek before I was a beer geek, so the combination of my two favourite beverages under one roof was always going to pique my interest, but if you take a second to look at the quality of the beer line-up you’ll see at this event, the excitement will likely keep you just as awake looking forward to it as the caffeine from the quality coffees would.
Year 2 grows from the confines of year 2, not only expanding into both halls of the Croatian Cultural Centre, but also expanding on the lineup of breweries, roasters, food service providers and more. The event is also all-inclusive for beverages, so no tokens needed to try all of these amazing coffees, beers, and more.
29 collaborations, featuring some of the most sought after beers, breweries, cideries, roasters, and chicken shacks (yup) are already lined-up, and looking down this list, it’s hard not to want to try them all, and if you’re looking for more details, the Hopwired social media pages have been teasing and tempting some of what you can expect to be filling up on.
- 2 Crows Brewing x Agro Coffee
- A-Frame Brewing x Mischief Coffee
- Backcountry Brewing x Counterpart Coffee
- Beere Brewing x De Mello Palhetta Coffee
- Brasserie Dieu Du Ciel x Smoking Gun Coffee
- Blind Enthusiasm Brewing x Transcend Coffee
- Coal Harbour Brewing x Sacred Acre Coffee
- DownLow Chicken x Prototype Coffee
- Field House Brewing x Smoking Gun Coffee
- Firehall Brewery x Wolf Tree Coffee
- Fuggles & Warlock Craftworks x Notch Coffee
- Lighthouse Brewing x Fresh Cup Roastery Café
- North West Hop Farms x Chronicle Coffee
- North Yard Cider x o5 Rare Tea + Kombucha Lounge
- Nickel Brook Brewing x Detour Coffee
- O.T. Brewing x Monogram Coffee
- Powell Brewery x Agro Coffee
- Ravens Brewing Company x Rooftop Coffee Roasters
- Russell Brewing x Roasti Coffee
- Silver Valley Brewing x Smoking Gun Coffee
- Steel & Oak Brewing x Timbertrain Coffee
- Steamworks Brewing x Pallet Coffee
- Sooke Oceanside Brewery x Stick in the Mud Coffee
- Spinnakers Brewing x Foglifter Coffee
- Sundown Beer x Mountain’s Edge Coffee
- Taylight Brewing x Mogiana Coffee
- Temporal Artisan Ales x Primer Coffee
- Twin Sails Brewing x Prototype Coffee
- Wild Ambition Brewing x Canoe Coffee Roasters
There are also an additional 7 breweries coming that will all be bringing some amazing options, including first timers on the mainland, Ile Sauvage Brewing Co.
- Breakside Brewing
- Gigantic Brewing
- Ile Sauvage Brewing
- Luppolo Brewing
- Mariner Brewing
- Townsite Brewing
- Yellow Dog Brewing
But Wait! There’s More!
Just when you thought that a coffee and beer collaboration event would be enough, there’s even more to geek out on. Last year, there were a number of panel discussions led by Aaron of Cascadian Beer Podcast, and like everything else in year two, they’ve taken that to a whole new level.
Joining him, albeit in another room, is the Vancouver Coffee Snob, creating another perfect pairing of beer people and coffee people.
Auditorium Stage – Hosted by Cascadian Beer Podcast
| Time | Panel Topic Name | Panelists |
| 2 PM | Foeder for Thought: A Tasting about Wood-Aged Beer, Coffee. & Food Pairing. | Blind Enthusiasm Brewing, Transcend Coffee |
| 3 PM | Something Borrowed, Something Brewed, Something New. | Notch Coffee, Sundown Beer |
| 4 PM | Funk Yeah! ! A Tasting with Wild Beer. | Wild Ambition Brewing, Temporal Artisan Ales, Ile Sauvage |
| 5 PM | [To Be Announced] Festival Preview. | West Craft, North Yard Cider, o5 Rare Tea + Kombucha Bar |
Hall “A” Stage – Hosted by The Vancouver Coffee Snob
| Time | Panel Topic Name | Panelists |
| 1 PM | Hoppy Together: Fruity Coffee in Beer.. A Tasting with [of course] Fruity Coffee. | APEX Coffee Imports, Taylight Brewing |
| 2 PM | Crush this Coffee! A Tasting with Crushable Decaf Coffee and Decaf Coffee Beer. | Silver Valley Brewing, Smoking Gun Coffee |
| 3 PM | The Future: Wort It’s Weight in Gold.. a Tasting and a Story about Sustainable Coffee. | Monogram Coffee, O.T. Brewing Company |
| 4 PM | Into the Wild: Experience New Flavours in Coffee Beer. | 2 Crows Brewing |
I’m not usually one to tell you what to do, but go to this event. Tickets are moving insanely fast now, and if last year was any indication, there won’t be any left in the very near future.
Get Tickets Here, and I will see you on the 23rd!
Matter of Beer 