Here are the winners of The Growler’s 2024 Craft Beer & Cider Readers’ Choice Awards

 

The Growler Craft Beer & Cider Awards, affectionately known as the Growlies, represent an opportunity for the wider community of beer and cider lovers in British Columbia to share their passion for their favourite breweries, cideries and craft beverages.

Earlier this summer, our diverse panel of beer and cider experts chose their nominations from all the thousands of beers and ciders produced in B.C. and narrowed them down to categories with no more than 10 in each. (Thanks to Matthew Poirier for coordinating this part of the process.) And then we asked you, the general public, to let us know which ones are your favourites.

Some favourites that usually win showed up where expected, but, as always, there were some great surprises amid the results. Take a look and see what catches your eye. And then maybe try a beer or cider you’ve never tried before.

Thank you for doing your part and voting for your favourites. And congratulations to all the winners!

Cheers,

—Joe Wiebe

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And the Growlie goes to…

Best beer in B.C.

1. Abandoned Rail Brewing Co // Märzen Bavarian Lager

2. Superflux // Colour & Shape IPA

T-3. Container Brewing // Lynn’s Lite Lager

T-3. Driftwood Brewing // Fat Tug IPA

 

Best Brewery in B.C.

1. Container Brewing

2. Cannery Brewing Co.

3. Small Gods Brewing Co.

 

Best New Brewery

(opened between June 1, 2023 and June 1, 2024)

1. BEVA Brewing & Blending

2. Connector Brewing

3. Way Back Brew Co. 

 

Best Light Lager

1. Small Gods Brewing // Neverending German Pilsner

2. Four Winds Brewing // Hüftgold

T-3. Cannery Brewing // Lakeboat Lager

T-3. Hoyne Brewing // Pilsner

 

Best Light Ale

1. Dageraad Brewing // Burnabarian

2. Four Winds Brewing // Vélo Pale Ale

3. Lillooet Brewing // Honey Ale

 

Best Dark Lager

1. Field House Brewing // Toasted Coconut Black Lager

2. Camp Beer Co. // Dark Lager

3. Moon Under Water Brew Pub // Creepy Uncle Dunkel

 

Best Dark Ale

1. Hoyne Brewing // Dark Matter

2. Crannóg Ales // Backhand of God Stout

3. Cannery Brewing // Naramata Nut Brown Ale

 

Best Fruit Beer

1. Twin Sails Brewing // Would Crush

2. La Cerveceria Astilleros // El Valle Salada Salted Lime Lager

3. Tin Whistle Brewing // Peach Cream Ale

 

Best Wheat Ale

1. 33 Acres Brewing Co. // 33 Acres of Sunshine

2. Dageraad Brewing // White

3. Lillooet Brewing / Mountain Bluebird Belgian Wit

 

Best Belgian-style ale

1.  Dageraad Brewing // Blonde

2. Dog Mountain Brewing // Bees! Belgian Blonde Ale

3. Brassneck Brewery // Stockholm Syndrome

 

Best Sour Ale

1. Phillips Brewing // Dino Sour Stone Fruit

2. Île Sauvage Brewing // Raspberry Sour

3. Cannery Brewing // Sunblink Berry Sour

 

Best West Coast IPA

1. Driftwood Brewing // Fat Tug IPA

2. Superflux // Happiness

3. Four Winds Brewing // Greg IPA

 

Best East Coast/Hazy IPA

1. Superflux // Colour & Shape

2. Small Gods Brewing // Promised Land Hazy

3. Category 12 Brewing // Juicy Data IPA

 

Best Specialty IPA

1. Four Winds Brewing // Juxtapose IPA

2. Superflux // Coconuts

3. Twin City Brewing Co. // Chromograph Cold IPA

 

Best Imperial Ale

1. Container Brewing // Twice Forgotten

2. Tofino Brewing Co. // Cosmic Wave IPA

3. Backcountry Brewing // Are You Suggesting Coconuts Migrate Imperial Stout

 

Best Weird Beer

1. R&B Brewing // Pickle Gose

2. Small Gods Brewing // Sea of Tranquility Smoked Dulse Stout

T-3. Strathcona Brewing & Dank Mart // White Freezie

T-3. Whistle Buoy Brewing // Undersea Gose

 

Best B.C. Collab

1. Container Brewing & Tyler Johnston // Lynn’s Lite Lager

2. Small Gods Brewing & Boomtown Burritos // Bruja Tajin & Lime Cerveza

3. Penticton Beer Blocks // Do Good

 

Best Low Alcohol Beer

1. Camp Beer // Lite Lager

2. Four Winds Brewing // Ultralite IPA

3. Whistler Brewing // Hello Limoncello Radler

 

Cidery of the Year

1. The Bricker Cider Co.

2. Homestead Cider Co.

3. Lillooet Cider Co.

 

Best New Cidery

(opened between June 1, 2023 and June 1, 2024)

1. Homestead Cider

2. Lillooet Cider

3. Cherry Creek Cider

 

Best New World Cider

1. Lillooet Cider // Apricot Cider

2. Brickers Cider // Original

3. Fraser Valley Cider // Blueberry Limoncello

 

Best Old World Cider

1. Brickers Cider // Bittersweet Symphony

2. Sea Cider // Kings and Spies

3. Nomad // Original Semi-Dry

 

Best Specialty Cider

1. Brickers Cider // Earl Grey

2. Salt Spring Wild Cider // Maple Bourbon Apricot

3. Sea Cider // Wassail

 

Unsung Hero of Craft Beer

(brewery outside of Metro Vancouver/Victoria)

1. Twin City Brewing, Port Alberni

2. Abandoned Rail Brewing Co., Penticton

T-3. Rusted Rake Brewing, Nanoose Bay

T-3. Small Gods Brewing, Sidney

 

Best Brewery/Cidery Tasting Room

1. Camp Beer Co.

2. Brickers Cider

3. Container Brewing

 

Best Food Program

1. Rusted Rake Brewing Co.

2. Twin City Brewing

3. Abandoned Rail Brewing Co.

 

Best Branding/Packaging

1. Backcountry Brewing

2. Camp Beer Co.

3. Small Gods Brewing Co.

 

Best Local Homebrewing Store

1. Barley’s Homebrewing Supplies

2. That Homebrew Shop

3. Bosagrape Winery & Brew Supplies

 

Best Craft Beer/Cider Bar

1. The Barley Merchant

2. The Magnet

3. The Drake Eatery

 

Best Craft Beer/Cider Retail Store

1. Legacy Liquor Store

2. Brewery Creek Liquor Store

3. Vessel Liquor Store

 

Best Craft Beer/Cider Event

1. Great Canadian Beer Festival

2. Brewhalla

3. Farmhouse Fest