Brewery Creek, Vancouver - part 1 (Red Truck Beer Co)

Red Truck Beer Co is the first brewery tap I visited in the Brewery Creek area of Vancouver on the evening of Monday 3 October.

Mobi bikes and Trans Am Totem - Biennale sculpture

Earlier, I had spent the day cycling around Vancouver on multiple short trips with Mobi, the bike sharing scheme.

After parking my latest shared bike, I would find my way on foot to Red Truck Beer Co, which is only about half a mile from Pacific Central Terminal and the Main Street / Science World Skytrain station.

Walking uphill along East 1st Avenue, it was interesting to find art galleries who may have chosen to locate in this part of the city as an alternative to the traditional art gallery locations where rents have risen in recent years.

Red Truck Beer Co occupies a large sloping site and the main brewery building is set well back from the street. Unusual details include the kegs forming part of the entrance posts, the cartoon covered silos and the collection of red trucks, of various vintages, on-site.

Approaching closer, you will notice the water tower, something of a local landmark, standing proudly above the customer entrance.

Even closer, the white wording under the black Truck Stop sign can be read: 'Beer Burgers Dogs Salads Fries Beer'.

Entering the Truck Stop, you notice two big downward pointing arrows above the bar counter, left for beer orders and right for food orders chosen from the large menu on the side wall. The stainless steel brewing vessels are visible through the windows behind the bar. Three TVs evenly suspended above the bar show different sports events. Padded bar stools are provided for seating at the bar or at the high tables with wood surfaces.

Approaching the bar, the beer list is displayed overhead and I ordered a Craftmaster 4 Taster for Can$8. The chunky paddle has a metal top plate in keeping with the industrial style of the building.

My choices were White ISA (4.2% ABV), Red Truck ISA (4.2%), Golden Ale (4.0%) and Red Truck IPA (6.3%). My favourites were the White ISA, a refreshing beer to start with and the amber coloured American style IPA. Four other Red Truck beers were available including a lager, a red Pilsner and a blackberry Bourbon ale..

Looking outside, a group of runners had gathered in the car park area and from the cycle parking it seems the Truck Stop is also popular with cyclists.

Also visible is the area with chairs and tables, covered by parasols, that is not fully enclosed, for customers who prefer to be outside.

A visit to the well signed washrooms revealed another aspect of industrial design.

These basins and taps are a memorable feature influenced by the Truck Stop theme!

Also in keeping with the theme, a collection of classic truck stop photos is displayed near the passage leading to the washroom.

Just outside the main bar / diner area is a merchandise and growler store. While I was looking at these items, Anthony offered his assistance. Asking about the bike D locks he explained that these were provided on loan for visiting cyclists arriving without a suitable lock.

Cheers Anthony!

Once again, I took the opportunity to pass on a copy of the West Berkshire CAMRA quarterly magazine Ullage and take a photo as a record.

In retrospect, it would have been a good idea to go on one of the brewery tours offered by Red Truck Beer Co.. The brewery website shows that groups of 10-12 can enjoy a 45 minute tour, ending in the tasting room with four beer samples and a bonus Red Truck glass, for Can$12 per head. Public tours are scheduled on Fridays (5pm), Saturdays and Sundays (2pm & 4pm) and can be booked online.
Alternatively, there are live music events at the Truck Stop on Friday and Saturday evenings from 7pm.

Red Truck Beer Co
295 E 1st Ave, 
Vancouver,
B.C., Canada

www.redtruckbeer.com

Opening hours with the All Day Menu available (November 2016):
Sun - Wed: 11am - 10pm
Thur:          11am - 11pm
Fri:             11am - Midnight
 
 

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' 

Brewery Creek, Vancouver - part 3 (R & B Brewing Co)

A number of new breweries with tap rooms have opened in the historic Brewery Creek neighbourhood of Lower Mount Pleasant, Vancouver, over the last few years.

Brewery map from The Growler Craft Beer Handbook (Fall 2016)

The best way to find brewery details is to purchase a copy of The Growler British Columbia's Quarterly Craft Beer Handbook ($2) available at various outlets including London Drugs and breweries including Storm Brewing, East Vancouver.

On a Monday night (3 October 2016) and on my first visit to breweries in the area I ended up in the newly opened R & B Brewing Co Ale & Pizza House at 54 E 4th Avenue, Vancouver, arriving after a short walk from nearby Brassneck Brewery.

 

When you enter, the Growler Station is straight ahead or you turn right for the tap room.

A distinctive suspended timber shelf arrangement, displaying growlers etc, is on the left just inside the entrance.

As I had already sampled a variety of beers earlier with flights at Red Truck Beer Co and Brassneck Brewery, I chose a pint of Zesty IPA ($6.50 / 20oz) from one of the two cask ale handpumps.

From the menu on a clipboard, I chose the Pizza with crispy prosciutto, aragula (rocket) and shaved parmesan ($10).

Now I could return to a seat at a long shared table with my beer and a luminous blob to identify my food order. The Zesty IPA was dry hopped with Citra and Enigma and had all the smoothness of a cask ale.

My pizza arrived shortly afterwards and was the ideal accompaniment.

The lights were low (affecting the photos in this post) and some good music was playing on the tap room's unique sound system involving multiple speaker units. Unlike some new establishments which have only hard surfaces, the R & B tap room also has some cushions and absorbent surfaces which are a good thing for the audibility of music and conversation.

Vancouver Mill Machinery Ltd, 215 W 1st Avenue, at Cook Street

On the way back to my Olympic Village accommodation, I stopped to photograph the Wilkinson Steel building at 215 West 1st Avenue which dates from around 1950 and is currently used by the City of Vancouver for storage.

Two days later, on my last night in Vancouver, I was happy to return to the R & B Brewing Ale House with friends Yolanda and Ron for an opportunity to sample more beers from the full range.

A good way to reach R & B Brewing is with the Mobi bike share scheme. It took us less than half an hour to cycle from one of the bike stands outside Vancouver Public Library, guided by Yolanda and Ron who I had arranged to meet there. Shared bike (and helmet) hire costs $7.50 allowing multiple trips of up to 30 minutes each, within a 24 hour period.

We arrived soon after 7pm and the tap room was full. However, after a while people left when a game ended on TV. To our relief, the TV was shut away and we could sit at the long shared table.

We all ordered flights of four beers (4 x 4 oz / $5). Favouring pale ales, my choice was from taps 2,3,4 & 5. The board behind the bar gives details of ABV, IBU and price / glass size together with tasting / ingredients notes.for each beer.

The beers from my flight were: Enigma Kettle Sour with notes of pineapple, tropical fruit and Pinot Gris; Dude Chilling Pale Ale dry hopped with Citra, Galaxy and Centennial; Vancouver Special IPA hopped with Simcoe, Citra, Columbus and Chinook; So Fresh So Green, Green a fresh hop IPA with Centennial from Chilliwack Hop Farms, BC.
Dude Chilling Pale Ale was my favourite of these beers and Ron would later tell me the prank origins of the name and that there is a Dude Chilling Park sign nearby in Guelph Park.

We all found Vancouver Special IPA to be on the sweet side for an IPA. Ron explained the beer's name was derived from a detached house style, popular with builders in the Vancouver suburbs from 1965-1985, known as Vancouver Special. This was confirmed by the adhesive labels for the beer which are offered free from rolls placed near the entrance / exit.

In addition to Ron's knowledge of the local area we had Tyler's knowledge of the brewery and its beers which he shared with us as we moved on to drinking pints. Tyler kindly posed for a photo with a copy of Ullage the West Berkshire CAMRA magazine which I had brought along to leave at a brewery that believes in maintaining the tradition of cask ale. Tyler mentioned that wild hops are growing on the outside of the building and presented us with some to examine. I would take a photo of the hop bines after we left.

Wild hops growing outside R&B Brewing Co

Tyler gave us a sample of Driftwood Brewery (Victoria, BC) Entangled Hopfenweisse (7% ABV) hopped with Mosaic and Amarillo, from a guest brewery tap (#11). This was very nice and so a 16 oz glass of Entangled would be my next beer. I was able to persuade Ron and Yolanda to order pints of Zesty IPA, the cask ale, and would also have a pint myself later as my final draught beer in Canada.

When in Vancouver, if you are visiting CRAFT Beer Market, in the historic Salt building, or nearby breweries like Brassneck, remember to also visit R&B Brewing Co Ale & Pizza, especially if you like a tap room with a cosy atmosphere, unobtrusive service, good music as well as quality beer and food at very reasonable prices. 

R&B Brewing Co, 54 E 4th Avenue,

Vancouver, BC  V5T 1E8
Tel 604-336-0275
www.randbbrewing.com