Also available in Monday Magazine, originally posted on October 29th, 2020.
Last month was quite the milestone for the BC Craft Beer community, marking 10 years since the declaration that October in the province is officially BC Craft Beer Month. It also coincided with the fifth anniversary of the BC Ale Trail, a project from the BC Craft Brewers Guild and Destination BC.
The BC Ale Trail provides some nicely pre-planned itineraries for many regions all over the province, allowing travellers to enjoy good, locally produced craft beer in their backyard, with a little less asking what to do next. Full of breweries, restaurants, liquor stores, and accommodations, you can follow their suggestions or build your own plan. With everyone staying closer to home right now, it’s a great resource to build a weekend trip to many regions across the province, or even right here at home.
To celebrate five years, six breweries from around the province collaborated on a beer using BC-grown ingredients, creating a West Coast IPA with haskap berries and blackberries. Brewed at Vancouver Island Brewing, other breweries involved included Fernie Brewing, Wheelhouse Brewing in Prince Rupert, Red Collar Brewing in Kamloops, Bomber Brewing in Vancouver, and Field House Brewing in Abbotsford. This bright, ruby-hued beer with the classic hop profile we’ve come to enjoy here is a perfect opportunity to try just how good a beer can be when it’s made with ingredients grown right here at home.
This beer is available through both government and private liquor stores, with more information available at BCAleTrail.ca.
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October also welcomed a new brewery to Victoria. Bones Brewing has just released its first two beers, their Bones IPA, and Bite Me Raspberry Sour, with more to come soon. If you’re wondering why you hadn’t seen or heard anything about this brewery, it’s because they are actually brewing out of the Twa Dogs (Victoria Caledonian) facility in Saanich, a process known as contract brewing, but you can expect to see their product available around the region.
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You may have noticed something a little different on store shelves recently. Lighthouse Brewing has done a complete rebranding of its packaging with the help of Nanaimo’s Hired Guns Creative. Alongside their new look, they’ve also introduced some new beers, including the Poseidon Pale Ale, and their limited release Red Sky Red IPA, available in their Hop Armada mixed pack. Also, coming soon is this year’s release of Depth Charge, their annual barrel-aged limited release beer that has always impressed, so be on the lookout for that as well.
Matter of Beer 