Home of the BrewNosers

I'll be on Vancouver island for a few days (in and around Vicrotia) and I was wondering what would be the top beers to check out. I've already had a nice double IPA from Philips brewing.

Hey,

Make your first stop Moon under water. They are doing some super interesting things right now and usually have some pretty solid food and often really great guest taps. Swans always has a cask or two on and are worth a stop. Driftwood just put out their seasonal hopfenweisse, which was nice last year. Plus they make one of the better BC ipas (fat tug)with the exception of their farmhand saison they make above average beer. Spinnakers is mostly fine to good, but worth a stop as it is the oldest brewpub/craft brewery still operating in Canada, they usually have a cask and decent pub food. Catagory 12 is doing some neat things, not sure if they have a store front or if you would be better off just buying a bottle from a bottleshop, their saison was very good last summer. Lighthouse had my favourite BC ipa a few years back, but they renamed it and changed the recipe and BC as a whole got way better at brewing since that beer... not sure if they are worth a stop anymore. Vancouver Island Brewing is miss-able with the exception of their Hermanator Ice Bock, if you see a bottle buy it. Hoyne is ok. Canoe is also just ok.

Philips is basically the Garrison of the west. Mostly boring, many misses with the occasional hit. I usually skip them all together when in town. They are available everywhere, if you are at the strath or metro liquor ask them if they have anything solid out right now.

Cider wise anything from seacider is fantastic but expensive (buy a rumrunner if you like sweeter barrelly things, or a pippins if you like dryer cider) Most of the regular options from merridale are solid (avoid anything that is not just apples). Todd Creek is quite good.

Bar wise Garrick's head and the Guild house are the best stops.

Metro Liquor and the strath are the best bottle shops in the area.

If you have time for brunch go to Jam.

lighthouse I must say is still one of my favorites out here.

Living in Nanaimo this past year and a half. the above long post is solid info. not much to add other than in Nanaimo longwood is meh, wolf is solid but nothing risky. If you can grab some 4 winds at the bottle shop, they have been my favorite since moving west. the stock 4 packs are all good, i like the Pils with pizza, but any of the large bottles which are usually more one offs are intriguing and tasty. Strath will def have some.

Thanks alot!

I don't know that much about it but I concur with Aaron, 4 winds is great, they have a Berliner that they sell in 4packs, it is (or was) quite delicious

Taylor Vanbrewer wrote:Hey,

Make your first stop Moon under water. They are doing some super interesting things right now and usually have some pretty solid food and often really great guest taps. Swans always has a cask or two on and are worth a stop. Driftwood just put out their seasonal hopfenweisse, which was nice last year. Plus they make one of the better BC ipas (fat tug)with the exception of their farmhand saison they make above average beer. Spinnakers is mostly fine to good, but worth a stop as it is the oldest brewpub/craft brewery still operating in Canada, they usually have a cask and decent pub food. Catagory 12 is doing some neat things, not sure if they have a store front or if you would be better off just buying a bottle from a bottleshop, their saison was very good last summer. Lighthouse had my favourite BC ipa a few years back, but they renamed it and changed the recipe and BC as a whole got way better at brewing since that beer... not sure if they are worth a stop anymore. Vancouver Island Brewing is miss-able with the exception of their Hermanator Ice Bock, if you see a bottle buy it. Hoyne is ok. Canoe is also just ok.

Philips is basically the Garrison of the west. Mostly boring, many misses with the occasional hit. I usually skip them all together when in town. They are available everywhere, if you are at the strath or metro liquor ask them if they have anything solid out right now.

Cider wise anything from seacider is fantastic but expensive (buy a rumrunner if you like sweeter barrelly things, or a pippins if you like dryer cider) Most of the regular options from merridale are solid (avoid anything that is not just apples). Todd Creek is quite good.

Bar wise Garrick's head and the Guild house are the best stops.

Metro Liquor and the strath are the best bottle shops in the area.

If you have time for brunch go to Jam.

Finally paid off having a Vanbrewer on the forums. Haha jk. This is a wealth of local info. Awesome! However I just had their Chocolate Porter and it was delicious.

By their, I mean Phillip's. Sorry not quite awake yet.

Just came back from Victoria. Moon under is great, and they are doing limited run barrel aged beers now. I tried, and brought home, a barrel aged sour with Kiwi.

Swans had on a kettle soured citra beer, which was fantastic.

I did the brewery tour at phillips, not the best tour ever, but for $6 you try 6-7 beers and can keep the sampler glass, great bang for the buck. They also make a hop liqueur, citra and cascade. Haven't tried it yet but it was interesting so I brought some home