NO 2 BREWED ALIKE
POURING IN THE HEART OF VANCOUVER
Two decades ago, if you were looking to throw back a cold one in the vicinity of Vancouver’s City Hall, options were scant and selection was equally limited. In fact, little more than a pint or two at the infamous Jolly Alderman Pub; that dimly-lit, sub-ground hole-in-the-wall below the Plaza 500 Hotel was pretty much all you could expect. But forward to 2015 and oh how the times have changed. Today, as we experience an unprecedented seismic boom in the advancement of Craft Beer - reflective up and down the West Coast as well - countless varieties, styles and flavours of micro and craft brews have found their rightful place on tap in the numerous bars, restaurants and specialty stores that dot the Cambie Village – the Heart of Vancouver. Biercraft Bistro at the corner of Cambie and W.17th was among the pioneers and early believers of this blossoming craft beer movement. Witnessing a monumental shift toward craft beer in like-sized markets throughout Washington and Oregon, Biercraft, open since 2009, reckoned BC was not only ripe to enjoy its share of craft beer options both in bottle and on tap, but moreover, Vancouver was the next logical location within the Northwest corridor to experience a similar boom. “It was just a matter of time until it happened here,” says David Daw, General Manager of Biercraft. “We saw this explosion start ten years ago 300 km to the south of us.” While local craft selections such as Red Truck, Steamworks and Powell Street Brewing are available on tap, Biercraft set its primary sights on the beers of Belgium. “The defining concept and primary focus was Belgian Beer and bringing it to the people,” he says. “The Belgians are the best beer makers in the world. They’re the most passionate about it and with the most variety. We want people to come here and get those beers that they’re not getting at every other place.” “One of the things we find here is that it’s a fairly even split gender-wise with all sorts of ethnic and cultural backgrounds as well,” he says. Seemingly, there is no longer a typical beer drinker. That’s a sentiment echoed by Shawna Jacques, Marketing Team Lead, Whole Foods Market Cambie. Launched just this month and the first of its kind in British Columbia, Whole Foods Market Cambie unveiled the Allegro Café; a warm and welcoming space designed to accommodate customers, whether they’re seeking their morning fix of coffee or looking to chill with a glass of wine or a local craft beer selection in the afternoon. “The new Café’ really gives people a place to stay and sip and allows us to showcase the great offerings from our prepared foods and bakery departments,” says Jacques. “We’re thrilled to be partnering with local craft breweries like Parallel 49 and Four Winds in Delta and are working closely with them to provide a rotating selection of beers for our customers. The Allegro Café’ also has a suggestion jar where guests can vote on which beer they would like to see next.” It kind of brings new meaning to the term ‘one stop shop’ as a day of grocery shopping can now culminate in kicking back at the bar with a local craft beer in hand. “We’ve found that our customers are really still our shoppers who already visit us daily or weekly for their grocery needs,” she says. “We see the same morning crowd coming for lunch and enjoying the space from the afternoon into the evening, especially the post-work crowd who can now stop by for Happy Hour from 3-6 where all wine and beer is $4 a glass.” Craft beer flows in abundance all along the Cambie Village – in the heart of Vancouver. From the longstanding Kino Café; where patrons can enjoy the passion, grace and splendor of flamenco whilst sampling a local brew, all the way down to popular dining spots such as Original Joe’s and Milestone’s, where the ‘big screen’ sports experience serves as the perfect complement to the ever-growing variety of local craft beer available for today’s savvy consumer. It’s come a long way. And you’ll find your brew in the Heart of Vancouver, Cambie Village.