There’s no shortage of beer events coming up for Victoria Beer Week, March 1-9, but it’s not all about the beer. There’s tons of great gourmet food events, too… that all showcase craft beer, obviously. Here’s a look at some of the yummy things you can put in your belly at Victoria Beer Week, in addition to the beer.
Jones Beer-B-Que • March 3 • 12–3pm
This event is new for Victoria Beer Week this year and promises to be a lot of food-focused family fun. The parking lot of Jones Bar-B-Que on Cook Street is being transformed into an outdoor smoked-meat-and-craft-beer hootenanny. Tickets range in price from $25 (no beer, fair amount of food included) to $40 (lots of food and beer included). Kids are welcome at this event, which is awesome, so save what you would have spent on a sitter and get the little one a “dinosaur beef bone” to gnaw on.
Drink Your Hops and Eat Them, Too • March 8 • 7:30–10:30pm
Sip and taste your way through a diverse range of hoppy beers and hop-infused bites prepared by the Victoria Public Market’s vendors. Tickets are $50 and include two food tickets, six (!!) drink tickets, and a nifty VBW-branded tasting glass. If you want to delve deeper into the culinary possibilities of the humble hop plant, come early for Chef Andrew Paumier’s (Indecent Risotto) Cooking With Hops class from 6–7pm.
Taco Tuesday • March 5 • 7:30–10:30pm
Moving this fiesta indoors last year was a big success. Expect even more tasty taco-and-beer pairings this time. Tickets are $35 and include four food tickets, four beer tickets and souvenir tasting glass.
The Growler presents the Long Table Brewery Tour • March 2 • 5–8pm
This “travelling supper” visits three Victoria breweries where you get to enjoy gourmet bites prepared by Toque Catering expertly paired with 12 beers at a traditional long table in the brewery, all hosted by yours truly! Unfortunately, it’s already sold out—but we’ll be doing another dinner tour this summer, so keep your eyes peeled for the next one.
Beer School: Food & Beer Pairing • March 5 • 5:30–7:30pm
Learn all about how to pair beer and food from two Advanced Cicerones®, Victoria’s own Stephane Turcotte, brewmaster of Île Sauvage Brewing, and Seattle’s Bobby Wood. Tickets are $25 and include beer and food pairings.