So you sidle up to the bar with a thirst only a delicious craft beer can satisfy. If you’re lucky, you’ll be faced with dozens of brightly coloured works of art, each vying for your attention. Invariably, one will pique your interest, and in so […]
10 Best Breweries in BC, Ranked
The Growler turns two this coming Monday, birthed the day I published my first weekly column for Westender. A lot has changed in the beer world since then. The local industry has grown rapidly. The quality has improved drastically. The […]
You've Been Served: More bizarre liquor laws!
For the first 50 years of post-Prohibition beer swilling in B.C., the Government Liquor Act ensured no one enjoyed themselves too much; the laws were as strict as they were bizarre. That changed in the 1970s following the Morrow Report: an inquiry […]
The Oktoberfest Survival Guide
I’ve been writing about beer for almost two years now, in an effort to grasp and define what makes BC beer culture so special. What I’ve learned boils down to this: People in this province love a good piss-up. And in […]
Breaking the seal is a myth
“Don’t break the seal!” someone shouts. By now, we’re all familiar with the concept: urine begets more urine, and once you’ve unleashed the fury, you’ll be returning to the bathroom every 10 minutes. The theories as to why it happens are endless – your […]
New subscription service delivers craft beer to your door
With the hundreds of new beers brewed in BC, there’s no way for even the most ardent connoisseur to try everything. Now think for a minute about the newbie, who’s interested in craft beer but is inundated with a stupefying […]
Why is beer so male and white?
The men at Vancouver Craft Beer Week have a word for Leah Heneghan, the festival’s co-founder and events director. “The guys I work with, they call me boss,” she said. Beyond growing a festival that sold just 100 tickets for a single afternoon event […]
IBUs are totally overrated
Picture the scene: the Bomber Brewing booth at last year’s Whistler International Beer Festival. Bomber’s Choqlette Porter, a gently sweet, malty and smooth ale, is proving popular on what’s an unseasonably wet and chilly day. The punters are full of questions. Where are you guys based? […]
Growler Approved: 5 beers to try this fall
Whelp, The Growler’s Fall 2016 issue is out this week, at a brewery (and London Drugs, and Chapters, and a BC Ferry, and assorted other retail outlets) near you. And as usual, we’ve included five Growler Approved beers that staff […]
Beer (and beer-like bevvies) from around the world
If there is one thing universal amongst all human kind, it is our proclivity for drinking fermented grains. Around the world, in every culture, people love to get plastered. Despite what religious fanatics and mother-in-laws might have you believe, it’s […]