Vancouver taps into beer tourism
As more craft breweries open across the province and existing ones get bigger with greater reach, B.C. beer is becoming a draw for tourists from near and far.
The natural focal point for that draw is Vancouver, which already has a global reputation as a bucket-list city to visit.
That’s partly wrapped up in Vancouver’s reputation as a great culinary city, which also includes B.C. wine and a growing wave of distilleries, says Amber Sessions of Tourism Vancouver. But it’s B.C.’s beer that’s making headlines across the world for the scene’s rapid growth and vibrancy, she says.
“I’ve noticed that a lot more media coverage we’re getting of Vancouver is about beer and the new breweries and beer tours,” Sessions says.
“People who are in the know come here and really seem to be particularly excited about the vibrancy of the beer scene here. In a city like Portland (Oregon) it’s not so new and up-and-coming as it is in Vancouver, which makes it particularly exciting.
“Another good litmus test of what travellers are looking for is what tour companies are providing, and we now have a couple of companies that are incorporating beer into their offerings,” she adds.
The city’s biggest beer-tour company is close to celebrating its second anniversary of ferrying thirsty customers around Vancouver’s breweries. Tourists, mostly from the rest of Canada and the U.S., make up an average of 30 per cent of customers at Vancouver Brewery Tours, says founder Ryan Mackey.
“I have a lot of people that tend to seek out beer tours,” he says. “For some people, that is the way to experience a city. It’s not uncommon for someone to, say, get off a flight on Friday evening and then first thing they do on Saturday is a tour.”
Many tourists are surprised to learn about the rapid rise of Vancouver’s beer scene, Mackey says.
“People are surprised by ... the quickness with which we’re going from a lager town to barrel-aging to sours,” Mackey says.
Another popular draw for visitors to B.C. is its many beer festivals, of which Vancouver Craft Beer Week has become the big daddy. Now about to begin its sixth annual run, VCBW has grown into a 10-day celebration of brewing that has drawn people from as far away as Europe and Asia, says the festival’s marketing director, Chris Bjerrisgaard.
It’s VCBW’s duration and diversity that make it a draw for out-oftowners, he believes.
“It’s not just one beer festival that runs for a day or two. It’s an opportunity to spend a vacation-length time focused on craft beer and really get the buzz of the city and not just experience one kind of event but choose your own adventure in a lot of ways,” Bjerrisgaard says.
The 12,000 tickets up for sale this year are for events that include old favourites such as the Cicerone vs. Sommelier dinner, which pits a beer expert against a wine expert in a battle of food pairings, and newer events on trends such as the increasing interest in sour ales.
“People consider the Vancouver-Victoria duality the king of craft beer in Canada. I think it’s a fairly widely accepted thing,” Bjerrisgaard says. “Many people from the States will tell you that we’re leading the way, palate-wise.”
Find out more about Vancouver Brewery Tours at vancouverbrewerytours.com. For more information on Vancouver Craft Beer Week, which runs May 29-June 7, check out vancouvercraftbeerweek.com.