Here are the winners of The Growler’s 2025 Craft Beer & Cider Readers’ Choice Awards

 

The Growler Craft Beer & Cider Awards, also known as the Growlies, provide British Columbia’s community of beer and cider lovers with an opportunity to share their passion for their favourite breweries, cideries and craft beverages.

Here’s how it worked: first, a diverse panel of beer and cider experts nominated their favourite beverages from the hundreds and hundreds of beers and ciders produced in B.C. over the preceding 12 months. Then, our resident expert, Matthew Poirier (Matter of Beer), narrowed that list down to categories with no more than 10 in each. And then we asked you, the general public, to vote for your favourites—which you did in droves!

Some popular beers showed up on their expected pedestals, but, as usual, there were some fun surprises, too. Check out the winners and then maybe consider seeking out 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.

T-1. Driftwood // Fat Tug

T-1. Rusted Rake // Wandering Scotsman’s Spruce Tip IPA

2. Field House Brewing //  Salted Lime Mexican Lager

3. Camp Beer Co // Vienna Lager

 

Best Brewery in B.C.

1. Barnside Brewing Co.

2. Field House Brewing

3. Locality Brewing

 

Best New Brewery

(Opened between June 1, 2024 and June 1, 2025)

1. The Patch Brewery

T-2. Threefold Beer

T-2. Checkerhead Brewing

3. House of Lager Brewing Company

 

Best Light Lager

1. Four Winds Brewing // Huft Gold

2. Cannery Brewing // Lakeboat Lager

3. Small Gods Brewing // Neverending German Pilsner

 

Best Light Ale

1. Barnside Brewing // Five for Fighting Hazy Pale

2. Dageraad Brewing // Burnabarian

|3| Four Winds Brewing // Velo

 

Best Dark Lager

1. Field House Brewing // Toasted Coconut Black Lager

T-2. Yellow Dog Brewing // Roll Over Cerveza Negra

T-2. 33 Acres Brewing // 33 Acres of Darkness

3. Abandoned Rail Brewing // Marzen

 

Best Dark Ale

1. Hoyne Brewing // Dark Matter

2. Crannòg Ales // Back Hand of God

3. Yellow Dog Brewing // Shake a Paw Smoked Porter

 

Best Fruit Beer

1. Brassneck Brewery // Raspberry Changeling

2. Whistler Brewing // Hello Limoncello

3. Sooke Oceanside Brewery // Patio Lanterns

 

Best Wheat Ale

1. 33 Acres Brewing // 33 Acres of Sunshine

2. Field House Brewing // Peach & Pear Wheat Ale

3. Strange Fellows Brewing // Jongleur Wit

 

Best Belgian-style ale

1. Dageraad Brewing // Blonde

2. Trading Post Brewing // Belgian Quad

|3| 33 Acres Brewing // 33 Acres of Euphoria

 

Best Sour Ale

1. Four Winds Brewing // Nectarous Dry Hopped Sour

2. Phillips Brewing // Dino Sour Stone Fruit

3. Barn Owl Brewing // Blueberry Beret Berliner Weisse

 

Best West Coast IPA

1. Superflux // Happyness

T-2. Driftwood Brewing // Fat Tug

T-2. Four Winds Brewing // Greg

3. Category 12 Brewing // Chromatic

 

Best East Coast/Hazy IPA

1. Superflux // Colour and Shape

2. Changing Colours Brewing // Astro Zombies

3. Cannery Brewing // Hop Chowdah Hazy IPA

 

Best Specialty IPA

1. Barnside Brewing // Tamarack Cold IPA

2. Rusted Rake Brewing // Spruce Tip IPA

3. Four Winds Brewing // Juxtapose

 

Best Imperial Ale (>8%)

1. Field House Brewing // Super Tall Hazy IIPA

2. Vancouver Island Brewing // Hermannator Ice Bock

3. Cannery Brewing // Kindling

 

Best Weird Beer

1. Field House Brewing // Mango Habanero Sour

2. R&B Brewing // Pickle Gose

3. Four Winds Brewing // Habanero Nectarous

 

Best B.C. Collab

1. Small Gods Brewing + Superflux // Colour Scheme

2. Penticton Beer Week // Do Good Collab Fundraiser Beer

3. Four Winds Brewing + Driftwood Brewing // Coastal Celebration

 

Best Low Alcohol (ABV < 4%)

1. Four Winds Brewing // Ultralite

2. Phillips Brewing // Iota Hazy IPA

3. Parallel 49 Brewing // Tricycle

 

Cidery of the Year

1. The Bricker Cider Co.

T-2. Fraser Valley Cider Company

T-2. Soma Craft Cidery

3. Sea Cider Farm & Cider House

 

Best New Cidery

(Opened between June 1 2024 and June 1 2025)

1. Folktale Fine Cider

2. Rest and Recreation Cider

3. Swayne Creek Ciderhouse

HM. Lass Chance Beverage Co.

 

Best New World Cider

1. Merridale Cider // Cowichan Dry

2. Soma Craft Cidery // Apple

3. Taves Estate Cidery // Ram’s Black Currant Cider

 

Best Old World Cider

1. Salt Spring Wild Cider // Traditional Dry

T-2. Creek & Gully Cider // Reserve Traditional Method – Apple

T-2. Sea Cider Farm & Cider House // Kings & Spies

3. Sea Cider Farm & Cider House // The Wolf in the Woods

 

Best Specialty Cider

1. The Bricker Cider Co. // Cascadia

2. Salt Spring Wild Cider // Blackberry Yuzu

3. Summerland Heritage Cider Co. // Margarite Gose

 

Unsung Hero

(Brewery outside of Metro Vancouver/Victoria)

1. Rusted Rake Brewing

2. Barn Owl Brewing

3. Locality Brewing

 

Best Brewery/Cidery Tasting Room

1. Barnside Brewing Co.

T-2. Field House Brewing Co.

T-2. Locality Brewing

3. The Bricker Cider Co.

 

Best Food Program

1. Rusted Rake Brewing

2. Field House Brewing Co.

3. Barnside Brewing Co.

 

Best Branding/Packaging

1. Field House Brewing Co.

2. Camp Beer Co.

3. Backcountry Brewing

 

Best Local Homebrewing Store

1. Barley’s Homebrewing Supplies

2. Bosagrape Winery and Brew Supplies

3. Brewer’s Corner

 

Best Craft Beer/Cider Bar

1. The Barley Merchant

2. The Magnet

3. The Drake Eatery

 

Best Craft Beer/Cider Retail Store

1. JAK’s Beer Wine Spirits

2. Cascadia Liquor

3. Brewery Creek

 

Best Craft Beer/Cider Event

1. Okanagan Fest of Ale

T-2. Farmhouse Fest

T-2. Brewhalla

3 Barnside Harvest Festival