East Vancouver Brewery Taps - part 3 (Strathcona Beer Co)

After visiting Storm Brewing Ltd (blog part 1) and Callister Brewing Co (blog part 2), the third East Vancouver brewery tap visited on Saturday 1 October, 2016 was Strathcona Beer Co, at 895 East Hastings Street, about half a mile west of Callister.

On leaving Callister Brewing Co, the view west along Franklin Street towards downtown Vancouver includes examples of iron gating and there are colourful East Village flags hanging from lampposts.

Just before eaching the junction where Strathcona Beer Co is located, a mural can be seen on Campbell Avenue, on the other side of East Hastings Street.

Opposite the side of Strathcona Beer Co, also on Campbell Avenue, a large colourful planter and a new bench with an integral planter have been installed to add further colour.

The Strathcona Beer Co building stands out in white with red neon signage and is easy to spot from a distance! The front low part of the building is the lounge / tap room while the higher back part of the building houses the brewery equipment.

The daylight was fading and inside the lounge / tap room was only dimly lit. Surfaces are hard with a polished concrete floor, low internal walls and table supports also formed from concrete. 

The neon theme continues inside. The brewery is situated about half a mile north of Strathcona Park and Strathcona is recognised as British Columbia's oldest residential neighbourhood, dating back to the arrival of the transcontinental railway.

Vertical neon / flourescent lights front the concrete uprights, bridged by tall windows, that separate the back of the bar from the brewery behind. When the lights are on in the brewery, the tall stainless steel brewing vessels can be seen.

Beer menus are placed on all the tables. On my visit, a lounge licence had not yet been granted and with a tasting licence pints were not available making the alternative of a beer flight the obvious choice. For Can$8.93 my choice of four glasses was Saison (5.8% ABV, 29 IBU), India Session Ale (4%, 60), North West Pale Ale (5.1%, 55) using New World hops including Phoenix, Cascade and New Zealand Wakatu and Strathcona British IPA (6%, 60) 'inspired by British Old World ales and Brewmaster traditions'.

These were presented by Jadynn on a stylish wooden paddle inspired by 1970s skateboard decks.

Jadynn kindly posed for a photo with the West Berkshire CAMRA magazine Ullage. I had brought a few copies along on my trip to give away to anyone interested in beer and brewing. Perhaps this copy might even reach Michael 'Fezz' Nazarec, Brewmaster and co-founder of Strathcona Beer Co..

The brewery opened in July 2015. On Twitter, a tweet from @stratchconabeer on 18 November, 2016, mentions 'Lounge License Done' with the A-board outside now chalked to read 'Proudly pouring pints since Nov 17 !!!!'. It seems licensing laws in British Columbia can take a while to sort out.
Pizzas are served here but it was late afternoon and I was not yet tempted to eat. A good selection of music was playing at a good volume and tracks included Jonathan Richman's 'Roadrunner' and David Bowie's 'Heroes'.
After drinking my four beers, of which North West Pale Ale was my favourite, it was time to leave. Conveniently, there is a bus stop and shelter just outside and from here I caught the 16 bus as far as downtown Vancouver.

Strathcona Beer Co
895 East Hastings Street,
Vancouver,
B.C., Canada


www.strathconabeer.com

'We value social development, individual creativity and encourage positive and meaningful contributions to our community.'

East Vancouver Brewery Taps - Part 2 (Callister Brewing Co)

James Walton kindly pointed me west down Franklin Street towards Callister Brewing Co after my visit to Storm Brewing Ltd on Saturday 1 October, 2016. See Part 1 of this blog post for more about Storm Brewing. 

McLean Drive - looking north from Franklin Street

Looking north along side streets, like McLean Drive, which lead to the railway and Vancouver harbour, reveal that this area is mainly about commerce, industry and shipping.

Bicycle parking is provided at Callister Brewing Co.

The A board outside reinforces any positive thoughts about being close to a brewery!

The building is an art exhibition space / drinking area at the front with a bar in the middle and the brewery at the back.

bar in the middle

brewery at the back

Established in 2015 by Chris Lay and Diana McKenzie, Callister Brewing Co, 'is the first of its kind in Canada and operates as a co-working brewery incubator'. It helps brewers to grow their business through access to equipment and commercial facilities. Current co-brewers are Boombox Brewing, Lightheart Brewing (Nathaniel Senff) and Real Cask Brewing (Adam Chatburn).

Food at the bar is limited to snacks like sausages, cheese and giant pretzels.

Flights are available but beers can also be ordered in 4oz, 12oz and pint (20oz) glasses.
For Can$2, my first beer was a 4oz glass of Callister's Mrs K's Crabapple Saison, pleasantly fruity and not too sour. 

I was lucky to be served by Nathaniel Senff (Lightheart Brewing), on a break from brewing. who kindly agreed to pose with a copy of West Berkshire CAMRA's magazine, Ullage, next to the 3 handpumps mainly used for ales brewed by Real Cask and sourced from Blackburn. I took Nathaniel's advice for a good pale ale and ordered a 12oz (Can$4.50) glass of Boombox's Subsonic which proved agreeably hoppy.

With a glass in my hand, I didn't miss the opportunity to look at some of the art in the Goldmoss Satellite exhibit. 

Beer Flight - Lee Roberts

The towering Beer Flight sculptures by Lee Roberts used 'fir branches that fell on our property in Roberts Creek and Beer that I drank with that in mind.'

Boombox and Callister t-shirts are available and Vancouver CAMRA certificates for Callister and Real Cask are also displayed.
This was an enjoyable visit. I liked the big space for drinkers with high ceilings and natural light. It was interesting to be able to see all the brewing vessels in various shapes and sizes with barrels for ageing also visible on a walk around inside the building. Callister Brewing Co is the obvious place to call when also visiting other breweries in the area like Storm Brewing Ltd, Strathcona Beer Company and Powell Street Craft Brewery. 

While chatting, back at the bar, Nathaniel suggested Strange Fellows Brewing, south along Clark Drive, as a brewery to visit with a good reputation for barrel aged and sour beers. However, continuing west, Strathcona Beer Company is more easily reached on foot and this would be my next stop. 

Callister Brewing Co,
1338 Franklin Street
Vancouver
BC
Canada
'in the heart of Yeast Van' 

East Vancouver Brewery Taps - part 1 (Storm Brewing)

On Saturday 1 October, 2016, I caught a 135 bus from Burrard Station towards SFU (Simon Fraser University). The eastward route passes through Downtown Eastside and then along East Hastings Street.

After stopping opposite the Ovaltine Cafe, soon after the Main Street junction, the 135 bus runs non-stop to a stop near the Commercial Drive junction, which is where I got off.

The choice of which brewery to visit first was easy as signs for Storm Brewing were visible, a short distance north on Commercial Drive.

Inside the brewery, a metal sign explains the history and serving approach at Storm Brewing - 'Welcome to Vancouver's oldest independent craft brewery - est 1994

No pints & flights

6 samples per person

cash contribution in tip jar

one sample at a time

hold onto your cup

no repeats'

After placing an appropriate note in the tip jar I was given a plastic branded cup and chose my first beer to sample 'Chai Ale' (5% ABV), from the 'Brainstorm' (weekly rotating beer creations) taps on the right side of the bar, which are set up for dispensing into cups or take out growlers.

Apple Ginger Pilsner sample

The other beer I sampled which I rated as highly was Apple Ginger Pilsner (5% ABV) another 'Brainstom' beer with interesting flavours, something that Storm Brewing is renowned for.

My other favourite beer was from the 'Mainstays' range - Hurricane IPA (7% ABV).
This is a 'no frills' taproom where customers do not have the luxury of seating but some may find a barrel top surface to rest their Storm beer cup on. The laid-back and friendly staff add to the unique atmosphere of a place that is hard to forget even after the briefest of visits.

Customers are also close to brewing vessels and associated pipework and equipment which is functional rather than aesthetic in appearance.

James Walton - Storm Brewery

Before leaving the brewery, I offered a copy of Ullage, the West Berkshire CAMRA magazine, to the bar staff and was rewarded with a chance to meet James Walton, described on the Storm Brewing website 'the team' page as 'Brewer / Owner / Delivery Truck Driver / Mad Scientist' who was just about to leave the premises. James helpfully suggested visiting Callister Brewing Co next as it was a short walk away, heading east along Franklin Street, back towards Downtown Vancouver.

For anyone visiting Vancouver breweries for the first time my recommendation would be to visit Storm Brewing first, something which I managed to do without deliberate planning but thanks to the placing of bus stops!

Storm Brewing, 310 Commercial Drive, Vancouver, BC
Check the brewery's 'Contact Us' website page for current daily opening hours which are generally daytime, with closing time extended to 8pm at weekends.