Welcome to the inaugural edition of News and Notes—a monthly quick-hitter of the happenings, rumblings, and general goings on of the B.C. craft beer and cider community!
In this column, I’ll take you through recent openings/pending closures, mergers/acquisitions, upcoming festivals/hootenannies/barn burners, and a mix pack of notable/interesting releases. Also, anything else I deem newsworthy!
Let’s get to it:
NEWS
Protect B.C. Craft Beer
The biggest news comes to us from the B.C. Craft Brewers Guild, who have launched the “Protect B.C. Craft Beer Campaign” in full force. The campaign calls for urgent tax reform in order to better support small business in already challenging times, remove barriers to growth, and help the industry thrive overall.
Read more on the campaign website, including how you can help: https://www.bccraftbeer.ca/press-release-protect-bc-craft-beer/
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Last call at ABC!
If you’ve been meaning to pop by New Westminster’s Another Beer Co (highly recommend), now’s your last chance! Nestled in an unassuming industrial park next to an arcade near Sapperton Skytrain Station, ABC closes its doors September 13th and 14th. The brewery opened in 2019, and cites personal rather than business reasons for the closure.
The details of the “ABCD” farewell bash have yet to be fully announced. Save the date!
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Serious Brewing is now seriously open!
Serious Brewing is now open in Chemainus Village Square—the former home of Riot Brewing, which closed its doors in January 2024. Yes, the brewery is indeed tied to Vancouver Island’s Serious Coffee, which means great coffee in addition to the eight original brews on tap! The tasting room also features a small food menu, local cider, and a selection of wine and spirits.
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B.C. Beer Awards
Breweries—the deadline to submit your beers for consideration in the 2025 B.C. Beer Awards is August 22nd!
For everyone else, tickets for the main event October 17th at Anvil Centre are now on sale!
EVENTS
Barnside Harvest Festival – Sept 12-14, 2025
With a stacked line-up of artists ranging from Bedouin Soundclash and Said the Whale, to The Arkells, Streetheart and the Dead South, Barnside Harvest Festival is back with three days of live music, vendors, food trucks, a B.C. craft beer corner, and a family zone! Kids 10 and under are free.
https://www.barnsideharvestfest.com/
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White Rock Craft Beer Festival – Sept 20, 2025
Now in its fifth year, the White Rock Craft Beer Festival brings together twelve breweries from across Metro Van for an afternoon of fun on the waterfront!
https://whiterockbia.com/white-rock-craft-beer-festival/
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Cider Harvest Festival – Sept 21, 2025
Cider fans—don’t sleep on this one!
Showcasing the best of B.C. craft cider, Merridale Cidery and Distillery presents Cider Harvest Festival! Sip cider from over a dozen of B.C.’s best farm-based cideries orchard side, while enjoying live music, food, and more.
Tickets include admission, roundtrip transportation from Victoria, Colwood, Nanaimo, or Duncan, a souvenir tasting glass, and a cider guide to help you sip your way through the day.
https://merridale.ca/cider-harvest-festival-2025-2/
MIX PACK
Slow Hand Brewing X John Wright: Wrong Lager
For me, this convergence of worlds is far too perfect not to include! Named for seminal Victoria hardcore band NoMeansNo’s 1989 album, this collab was brewed with band’s legendary drummer, beer aficionado, and Wildwood Public House proprietor himself, John Wright!
Inspired by decades of touring through small brewpubs and farmhouses in northern Bavaria, this lager is brewed in the spirit of Kellerbier: it’s crisp, slightly cloudy, with light malt sweetness and a grassy finish.
On tap and in cans at Threefold in Vancouver and at the Wildwood in Powell River.
Also be sure to do yourself a favour and check out John’s current band Dead Bob.
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Locality Brewing X Sriracha Revolver: Chili Garlic Honey Lager Hot Sauce
Locality Brewing and Sriracha Revolver, two female-owned Indigenous businesses, have teamed up to release Chili Garlic Honey Lager Hot Sauce. The sauce uses Locality’s Thank You Honey Lager, which is completely farm to glass. Who doesn’t love a locally sourced, spicy collab?! This is small batch—get it before it’s gone!
Have something you think we should include in next month’s round up? Email editor@thegrowler.ca for consideration. Cheers!
