Upcoming Breweries in the Tri-Cities

Posted by cturton

Name: District 43

Projected opening: June 2017

Progress: looking for a space

Notes: Locals looking to open another local spot in PoCo or Coquitlam

Name: Prototype brewing

Projected opening: 2018?

Progress: dead in the water?

Notes: Hoped to open in a commercial space but Coquitlam zoning did not allow for them at the time, their website hints to 2018.

Name: Super Cool Brewing

Projected opening: unknown

Progress: It was only ever rumoured.

Notes: Rumoured to be in PoCo

Name: Unknown Brewers Row Brewery

Projected opening: Unknown

Progress: Planning and development.

Notes:

Highest concentration of Breweries…

Posted by cturton

Here in the Tri-Cities we are lucky to have 4 breweries in 400 meters! but how does this compare to the rest of Vancouver? BC? North America? the World?

I’m measuring this in walkable distance because you shouldn’t be drinking and driving anyways, I am only including areas with 3+ breweries (otherwise its not really a crawl), and finally I’m only including breweries with tasting rooms…

Well here in Port Moody this is what we have:

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That is 4 breweries in 400 metres or 1 brewery every 100 metres on average.

When i think of the most concentrated area in Metro Vancouver I immediately think Yeast Van, and Brewery Creek so lets take a look.

Yeast Van:

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Our Yeast Van Crawl sees us visiting P49, Doan’s, Storm, Callister and Powell what a great crawl! But it does take us 1.4 km which is an average of a brewery every 280 meters… near 3 times that of #Brewer’s Road. But wait Callister is really 4 breweries! so we are up to 8 breweries… which only gives us an average of a brewery every 175 meters, and we should really include Andina brewing if I am to include the parkside. So 9 breweries in 1.4 km = thats a brewery every 155 m.

What about Brewery Creek?

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Some of you will gasp, as I haven’t included other Brewery Creek favourites like 33 acres, Steel Toad or Big Rock Urban. Well, they would only serve to speak the area out even more and I’m really trying to lock down high concentration of breweries. Here again we see Brewery Creek misses the mark a brewery every 200 m, double #BrewardInlet / #BrewersRow.

If I am missing something let me know but, but this seems to cement #BrewardInlet / #BrewersRow as the highest concentration of breweries in Vancouver… what about BC?

Well Victoria puts up a fight but alas, no:

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Driftwood, Hoyne and Moon Underwater come very, very close but not quite close enough:

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Moving into Canada i have taken a look at a few hotspots such as Ontario and Quebec and can’t find anything that leads me to believe their is a greater concentration.

Next time we will take a look at North America, let me know if you think I have missed something!

Brewing District in #PoCo…

Posted by cturton

lougheedsignfordiscoverportcoquitlam

This was never supposed to be a blog just about #PortMoody, so I’m happy I get to talk a little bit more about Coquitlam and Port Coquitlam these days. Anyways, while Coquitlam has restarted the zoning process for breweries in their city it seems Port Coquitlam might be sweeping in to pick up the slack. I’ve already mentioned one brewery that seems to be taking the initial steps to get up and running… Super Cool Brewing (I hope they have great marketing or that name could be their undoing). I’ve come by some more information (that I would classify as rumour at this point) that there is a movement afoot for several independent breweries to set up near each other in order to create another brewing district in #PoCo. I do have some more specifics but my source asked me to keep them under wraps for now. It looks like council in #PoCo is going to look at removing some red tape in the future so you could help by attending and lobbying. more as I know.

Coquitlam Brewery?

Posted by cturton

Most of us are aware that Coquitlam does not yet have a brewery. Despite being a large fairly wealthy suburb current bylaws don’t allow for it. Of course that is changing, council are moving to get in on the BC Beer Boom.

In fact I know of at least one planned Brewery project in Coquitlam. Unfortunately that is all I know. With that in mind I thought it might be fun to consider where a brewery might pop up.

To my knowledge production Breweries in BC must open in industrial or semi-industrial Zoned areas (I tried to cite this but had major trouble, if anyone can please let me know).

According to this document from the city of Coquitlam (whose’ zoning map my computer refuse to open), we see most of the Industrial zoning centred in south coquitlam near the fraser river and number one highway. My best guess is a brewery would open in this area, specifically in the United Boulevard area. This is too bad as breweries are great community builder and there isn’t much community to build here.

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What I think would be really intriguing is Brewery in Coquitlam’s Downtown area which currently suffers without a focal point or meeting place. Granted there is a crappy pub (Charlie Hamilton’s) and a few restaurants but nothing the really pulls the community together. I personally believe a brewery tasting room could do this, but how? The zoning in the area wouldn’t allow for a production brewery but it might allow for a brew pub. Could we see a Brew-Cafe? A small scale brew pub with light easy to make food fare and a small brewing system to provide beer in house with a small scale growler fill station? It could be very viable and if anyone is interested in pursuing it, drop me a line.

250px-coquitlam_town_centre_area

Off The Rail Brewing Means a New Beerea

Posted by cturton

So remember when I alluded to there being potential for another Beerea I poorly dubbed “CHUGa Choo Choo”? Well two minutes on google maps and I realize it’s a reality (or rather maybe very soon). Off the Rail Brewing is setting up shop just off Clarke at 1351 Adanac St Vancouver, BC V5L 2C3. If you are good at geography you will notice that it is a short walk to both Bomber and Strange Fellows brewery! Awesome a new Beerea (an area in which 3 or more breweries are in walking distance). So lets consider this from a transit hub point of view:

Beginning from VCC Clarke station, we have a sub 18 minute walk to our first stop Strange Fellows (sorry goole no one is going to go on that goose chase you’ve mapped out)… Grab some Nocturnum.

Following your Jongeleur, take a short 7 minute walk over to off the rails where you can sample some new fair.

This walk is a bit of piss! grab some ESB at Bomber!

So what do we know about Off The Rail? Well i scoured their website, which is in fact really good for a brewery that hasn’t opened. First of all the owner, and perhaps brewer, is a current, or former, owner of the Railway Club; hence the name. Without having spoken to the brewer it looks like there will be an emphasis on traditional styles with an eye to english beer specifically. I mean a pale ale that emphasizes golding hops? Whats old is new again. Of note though is the mention of two row rather than maris otter which makes it more North American. “English” peppers the seasonal list too, so as someone who got into beer through traditional english ales this is quite exciting. Here’s the bad news, Silence from Off the Rail since December despite claiming to be open in late fall. I hope all goes well and we are tasting their beer soon. In any case this area will make for exciting Sunday Adventures.

#BREWardInlet Rising

Posted by cturton

One of the nicest tie bits to come out of the “Craft Beer Revolution” (I stole that term directly from Joe Wiebe, sue me Joe!)(Don’t though, lets chat over a beer first), Has been brew communities close to transit that allow for safe drinking adventures. All the most well know one’s seem to exist in Vancouver.

I added coloured lines to a wonderful map created by http://www.thehoppyending.com https://thehoppyending.wordpress.com/2014/05/20/updated-vancouver-brewery-map/

In the map we can see a number of brewery neighbourhoods and crawl-able areas which i’ve highlighted. Colloquially known as “Brewery Creek” and “Yeast Van” these two area’s provide Vancouverites with the most established beer neighbourhoods. Also popping up are new areas like the one I’ve dubbed CHUGga-Choo-Choo (Because of trains and on account of me not feeling very creative). Interestingly i’ve noted a potential link area between CHUGga-Choo-Choo and Brewery Creek that could, in concert with Yeast Van, potentially create mega-plex-crawl. Of course thats a personal dream. Its also worth noting the “Brew-pub world of beer crawl” located in and around Olympic Village with the like of Steel Toad, Craft Beer Market, and Tap and Barrel create a worth while neighbourhood crawl too. In reality I’ve just rehashed old news, lots of you probably know this. Whats interesting is the Neighbourhoods all fit into a small area, and although Metro Vancouver is a dense area a majority of residents don’t live here. This is why what’s happening in Port Moody is VERY COOL!

Port Moody is a small oceanside suburb of Vancouver, part of the greater tri-cities and of course Metro Vancouver.

Its the red bit, Duh.

With the extension of the Evergreen line into Coquitlam, Port Moody will soon enjoy a direct link to Down Town Vancouver, and all those near transit will enjoy a direct link to BREWard Inlet! Whats that? Its the first concentration of 3+ breweries outside of Vancouver (Sorry north van, and your twins of Black Kettle+Green Leaf, and Bridge+Deep Cove, but thats just 2 and no transit). Some of you maybe say 3 there’s only 2! ( http://www.moodyales.com & http://www.yellowdogbeer.com) well hold up just a minute cause i have done some sleuthing.

Check it out, right through Port Moody and down to Vancouver via Lougheed Station!

Twin Sails Brewery Will be the third brewery on a two block flat stretch in Port Moody! How do i know this? well, like i said I’m a sleuth:

Im basically CSIS.

With Twin Sails breaking ground in the new year and hoping to be ready for spring we could very easily see a Brewery Neighborhood like this is Port Moody by Summer:

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If you take notice of google’s distance finding skills you will not that the total distance between all 3 breweries in less than 500 meters, that gives even Yeast Van and Brewery Creek a run for its money. Furthermore With Yellow Dog recently having won best in show for their smoked Porter at the BC beer awards there is good reason to check it out too. Finally whilst in BREWard Inlet you’ll note you are within steps of the ocean and a beautiful park, and both Yellow Dog and Moody have picnic areas to take in the outdoors. The Revolution is changing and its taking over the ‘burbs.

EDIT- word on the street ( twitter: https://twitter.com/carnellsitka/status/547635019489890304 ) is that there could be two more breweries and a distillery, for a total of 5 breweries and 1 distillery all on the same street! Heady time in #BREWardInlet.