While wine tastings enjoy the reputation of being “the” place to run with the sophisticated crowd, beer lovers actually have more fun. This fall, take some time to get to know your local breweries, expand your beer knowledge, and learn how to pair beer with food. October is craft beer month in Vancouver, but the sipping doesn’t stop at month’s end. Here’s a roundup of where and when to go for the best suds around.
October 25: Central Bistro’s BC Craft Brewmaster Dinner
Head down to English Bay’s Central Bistro for a tour of local beer alongside plates of Chef Rob Erickson’s perfectly matched cuisine. Pairing with items such as dungeness crab fritters and beer-braised beef short ribs are craft-brew samples of R & B, Crannog’s Backhand of God Stout and Phillips Blue Buck Ale. ($50) 1072 Denman St., 604-689-4527.
November 14: Molson Brewery Tour
Tour the Molson Coors Brewery to learn how the world’s only micro-carbonated lager, Molson M, is “producted” (yes, it’s a corporate term, make of it what you will). The brewmasters themselves will take you through the brewery and show you this new brewing process along with more traditional methods. Molson is not normally open to the public, so this is your chance to get the inside scoop. Snacks and beer samples provided. ($35) 1550 Burrard St.
November 17-19: Hopscotch Grand Tasting Hall
Fellow beer and Scotch lovers converge (hence, “hopscotch”) at the Rocky Mountaineer Station for a sampling of over 250 products on one of the three nights of this mini-festival. Entry gets you five tokens that can be exchanged for samples, and additional tokens can be bought for $1. On-site are a variety of beers from Cannery Brewery, along with Früli Strawberry Beer, Hermann’s Dark Lager and Moosehead Lager. There’s a free shuttle downtown to Doolin’s Irish Pub, so you can imbibe without the responsibility of driving. ($40-$45) Rocky Mountaineer Station, 1755 Cottrell St.
November 19: World Beers With Cheese Master Class
Join cicerone Chester Carey at Legacy Wine Store in the Olympic Village on a walk through the world of beer styles from the USA, UK and Belgium. Carey will review what makes each of these beers unique and blow away the myth that wine pairs best with cheese. ($25) 1633 Manitoba St., 604-331-7900.
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Image courtesy of iwona_kellie.
