So the last stop on my trip on some of the lower mainland’s finest brewery areas, is in North Van along the North Shore Ale Trail. Trapped between the Ironworkers Memorial and the Lions Gate Bridge live some spectacular brews.
Bridge Brewing
Just over the Ironworkers Memorial Bridge, you will find Bridge Brewing. Bridge opened in 2012, as Vancouver’s first nano brewer and they have been working hard and creating top shelf beers. As time went on, Bridge opened a new brewery and added to their brewhouse to keep up with the popular demand. They are big on sustainability and making as little impact on the Earth as possible. From ingredient selection to the ned of the brewery process, they are constantly analyzing their footprint, making decisions to a more sustainable future. PrimeTime is their new low calorie, low carb beer that tastes just as good and is 5%. They have a kitchen were they serve tacos and pulled pork.
Bridge also opened a new restaurant, Lonsdale BridgeDeck, which is down on Lonsdale pouring Bridge brews and serving brunch through dinner. From a fried egg sandwich to burgers and many tacos, BridgeDeck will satisfy your food needs.
Wild Eye Brewing
Not far from Bridge, Wild Eye Brewing has a large tasting room and out door patio with a bistro serving up west coast inspired food. They even have happy hour from Monday to Thursday, 2-5pm.. Wild Eye offers many styles of beer, from your classic lager guy to your Hazy IPA lover, everyone will be happy. You can also find one of the best food trucks around town, Tacofino, outside three times a week. Wild Eye has “Live Music Fridays” from 7-10pm with music from many local musicians which is provided by @musosent.
Deep Cove Brewery and Distillery
Not only can you find beer at Deep Cove, there is also a distillery that serves craft cocktails. Deep Cove is “craft certified” by using sustainable BC ingredients. Each beer and cocktail has their own unique story behind them which are designed for the first timer or the craft beer enthusiast. Deep Cove’s motto: “celebrate everyday.” Their small batch distillery is the the perfect way to experiment with flavours, botanicals and processes that result in exchanging profiles outside of beer. They have the Deep Cove Rosemary and Olive Gin and a Vodka that has won Double Gold at the Great American Distillers Festival. Deep Cove also has a kitchen where they serve up appies from nachos and charcuterie to their entire options Lobster Mac and Cheese, pulled pork and flatbread.
House of Funk
House of Funk is constantly challenging the status quo and experimentation with a devotion to quality. They use a small batch system with allows boundaries to be pushed and to constantly serve up unique and fresh flavours. House of Funk is located in the traditional and unneeded territories of the Squamish and Tsleil-Waututh Nations and they are doing their best to create a safe inclusive space for everyone.
House of Funk has their own House of Lager which began from them wanting to provide the market with quality lagers that are brewed traditionally and given proper time and condition. They want to change people’s perceptions of lager and showcase the effort and ingenuity that goes into crafting the perfect lager.
House of Funk also has a roastery where they are developing funk flavour profiles where they tailor their degree of roast to highlight the nuances of every organ. They only produce traceable green from farms that align with their values of sustainability and community. There series include Timeless, for the classic coffee crowd, Funky with complex and slightly weird coffee lovers and lastly the Psychadelic series for floral, fruity and slightly absurd flavours.
Come stop by for a pint or maybe your next absurd favourite coffee flavour.
North Point Brewing Co.
After having a dream of opening a brewery, North Van locals, Liam, Matt and Sean found their home for North Point Brewing Co. North Point has a cozy, rustic cabin vibe with plays both a role in their logo and interior. Grab a seat beside the fire place and enjoy a flight mixed with lagers, sours and a double dry hopped hazy IPA. North Point has also teamed up with Nook offering a delicious pizza menu to go along with your pints.
Streetcar Brewing
Back in the day, North van streetcars were a thing. There were three street car lines in 1906 to 1947 that went through the North Shore. The streetcars may be gone but their legacy lives on at Streetcar Brewing tucked away from where the BC Electric Railway’s Number Three streetcar used to run along Lonsdale Avenue. Streetcar serves up beers from their Barrel Aged Golden Sour to a Blackberry Saison and the Shipyards Stout. In the back, there is also a small kitchen and a bath store above.
When you’re on the hunt for some new flavours, the North van Ale Trail will welcome you with open arms and a pint.