PIC OF THE WEEK:
Flashback to last June's Craft Beer and Wilderness Experience, featuring some well-known BC brewers. The guest brewers for 2020 have been announced. Photo: Brian K. Smith Full story → 

Growing, Growing, Gone

Recently in this column we talked about the job losses mounting in Big Beer. For the most part, small brewery growth continues unabated in North America. Handy proof as reported by the brand-new Canadian Craft Brewers Association: Canada just hit 1000 breweries → 

Business In Vancouver has just provided an analysis of craft versus big beer’s growth and decline in the BC market, with results for the biggest BC-owned breweries. For some, things look A-OK. Full story → 

However, there are tangible signs that the joyride will end for some craft breweries that outgrow their future. In the news this past week were some US breweries like San Diego’s Green Flash, suffering yet another closure. Closer to home in Portland, Cider Riot and Coalition Brewing have all announced shutdowns. That comes on the heels of recently-lost Rose City stalwarts Bridgeport Brewing, Lompoc and Burnside Brewing. Also, Widmer Brothers, Portland Brewing, Lagunitas, Alameda and Rock Bottom Restaurant and Brewery have all closed taprooms in Portland. Full story → 

Cider Riot’s founder Abram Goldman-Armstrong (better known as just Abe) was well known to many in the BC beer and cider community, so its closure on November 9th is a personal loss to many here. One last party was held there this past Saturday. Story → 

Because Portland has been somewhat of a bellweather for the Vancouver brewery scene, it can be interpreted as a sign of what may be to come in Lotusland. If so, hopefully that trend will lag just as far behind Portland’s experience as this decade’s long-awaited growth breakthrough did.

More Hellos & Goodbyes

Goodbye to Claudia

Claudia McNeil is known to a great many in the BC beer community as that nice lady that coordinated Victoria’s Great Canadian Beer Festival for years, dealing with hundreds of GCBF volunteers as well as staff at the Festival’s participating breweries. This past Monday, Claudia passed away peacefully after a short battle with cancer. 

The members of the GCBF Society who worked with Claudia are truly saddened to lose a good friend. She will be missed. Obituary & Funeral Arrangements → 

New Burnaby Brewery + Head Brewer Positions

From the rumour mill: judging by the job posting on Beer Me BC, there just may be a third brewery on the way in Burnaby. (If you thought of Dageraad and forget who the second one is: remember, Steamworks is in Burnaby, albeit just two blocks in.) The third would be Studio Brewing, apparently planned for ‘South Central Burnaby’. That’s all we know, and we’re maybe already spilling too much. But if you want to become a Head Brewer, there’s a position open at Studio Brewing, and maybe still at Field House as well.

Hats Off

Good on Bomber Brewing for their continued collaboration in support of East Vancouver’s Theatre Replacement productions. This year, partial proceeds will be donated from their Knotty Boy Oaked Pale Ale. More →

UPCOMING EXBEERIENCES

with Ed Kaye

Summer festival season is well and truly behind us, but the next couple of weeks definitely have a couple of fun events in store for beer lovers throughout BC.

Tonight, Tree Brewing Beer Institute in Kelowna is holding their 4th annual Brewphoria cask festival, featuring 13 casks from 13 Okanagan breweries.

At the same time in Victoria, Smiths pub is hosting a launch party for Collective Arts Brewing’s new Audio/Visual lager. They will have cans of the beer on offer, a selection of their other beers on draught, and cool giveaways.

On Friday, Joe Wiebe is curating the Victoria leg of the Grand Tour of Beer at The Baumann Centre, where he will be pairing five craft beers with baroque music of the same regional origin. 

Next Wednesday, East Van Brewing is celebrating their 2nd anniversary with a party in the tasting room, featuring a special beer release, cake, food, and good times.

Next Thursday, Smiths in Victoria is hosting a Prairies tap takeover, featuring a selection of rare beers from Nokomis Craft Ales, Brazen Hall Brewing Company, Malty National Brewing
Torque Brewing, Black Bridge Brewery, and 9 Mile Legacy Brewing.

If you missed the BC Beer Awards and want to know what the fuss is about, Joe Wiebe is holding a tasting seminar on the awards winners at Vessel Liquor in Victoria next Thursday.

Next Friday, The White Whale in Courtney is hosting a Spinnakers tap takeover, where they will have 13 draught beers on offer, as well as a special cask.

If variety is what you are craving, next weekend, the 24th annual Hopscotch Festival comes to the PNE in Vancouver. Along with craft beer, this tasting event features 350 different varieties of Scotch and other whisky, tequila, rum, gin, vodka, cider, wine, and food.

THE FULL TOP PICKS CALENDAR

FROM THE MAGAZINE

What Style Is This Beer Again? The perils of cross-contamination

FROM THE NEWSROOM: BEER IN THE MEDIA

Newsroom Editor: Navin Autar

 Quesnel brewery goes all-in on green beer rings Barkerville Brewing Co. has ordered a year’s supply of compostable beer rings to package four-packs of their cans in liquor stores.  The 50 Best American Breweries of the 2010s What does it mean, in the beer world, to be called one of the best breweries “of the decade”?  Craft brewers’ sales boom as big beer’s sales slow Market share in British Columbia for craft breweries grew to nearly one-third in 2019.  How much alcohol is in kombucha? B.C. health officials are testing to find out https://beermebc.com/news/how-much-alcohol-is-in-kombucha-b-c-health-officials-are-testing-to-find-out/Alcohol level of popular fermented drink can rise even as it sits on store shelves.

COMMUNITY ANNOUNCEMENTS

Send to: newsroom@whatsbrewing.ca

 Two evenings of tattoo, brewing, and distilling with Art x Craft: “Wabori” On November 21st and 22nd, Art x Craft “Wabori” explores craft brewing, distilling, and Irezumi, the Japanese art of tattooing.  Brewery Registration Now Open for all Three Beer Festivals https://beermebc.com/news/brewery-registration-now-open-for-all-three-beer-festivals/Participating breweries will vie for awards that include draught line and bottle contracts at various pubs and restaurants. They will also have the opportunity to take part in competitions and showcase their brews at tap takeovers and other peripheral events.  Goodwill Lager returns in 2019 to turn more beers into more gifts for deserving families https://beermebc.com/news/goodwill-lager-returns-in-2019-to-turn-more-beers-into-more-gifts-for-deserving-families/Goodwill Lager returns to help raise funds for holiday toys with the simple message of #morebeermoregifts.

LATEST BC BREW REVIEWS

From Beer Me BC
 

Foamer’s Folly – Ten Feet Tall Dry-Hopped Pale Ale

WHAT'S BEEN BREWING: NEW RELEASES

By Bring Your Porter To The Slaughter

The latest BC Beer Releases include:

 Field House Brewing Collaborates with Ravens on “Imperial Gewürztraminer Gose”

 Temporal Artisan Ales Releases “Vastahan” Blended Barrel Aged Beer with Gin Botanicals

 Île Sauvage Brewing Releases “Mosaïque”, “Cerise” and “FC+ Stout” in Cans

 Parallel 49 Releases 2019 “Pic-A-Hop” Mixed IPA Pack

 Central City Releases 2019 “The Great Canadian Outdoor Adventure Pack” Beer Advent Calendar

 Boombox Brewing Releases “Rip and Tear” West Coast IPA

 Field House Brewing Collaborates with House of Funk on “Pinot Gris Sour Saison”

 Twin Sails Brewing to Release “Theories” & “Gooseberry Theories” Wild Ales for 4th Anniversary

 Twin Sails Brewing to Release 2019 Barrel-Aged “Con Leche” Imperial Horchata Stout for 4th Anniversary

 Temporal Artisan Ales Releases 2019 Cellar Society Beer #1: “The Space Between” Blended Wine Barrel-Aged Beer with Blueberries, Vanilla, and Tonka Bean

BEER CAREERS: FEATURED JOB POSTINGS

From Beer Me BC
 

Head Brewer – Studio Brewing – Burnaby, BC

West Coast Technical Brewing Representative

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