Welcome to the second of three Official Lower Mainland Brewery Reviews, focusing on some of the lesser talked about establishments to grab a drink. Today we’re talking about Fuggles and Warlock in Richmond.
Nuts and Bolts
Like many breweries, Fuggles and Warlock started off as a ‘gypsy brewery’ meaning that they didn’t have a brewery for themselves; they operated out of other breweries. After establishing some success, they opened up their own brewery in 2015. The motto of this brewery is to ‘keep beer weird’. A visit into the taproom will show that they definitely live up to this moniker.
The Beers
Fuggles makes a name for themselves with their experimental beers. At any given time, they could be rocking some obscure beers that you won’t find anywhere else. When I went in recently, I tried a gnarly coffee stout with notes of vanilla cream, as well as a strawberry wit beer. Sometimes you’ll see breweries that have been around for a while become stagnant after experiencing a bit of success. It’s nice to see that this is not the case for Fuggles and Warlock. You’ll see all kinds of different beers pop up in liquor stores and in their taproom that continue to push the needle.
On top of their weirder beers, they seem to absolutely nail their more ‘typical’ beers. Their IPA, ‘Destiny IPA’ was extremely drinkable and delightful. Their Kolsch was also good for those who wanted something a bit more of an easy-drinking beer.
Taproom
As mentioned earlier, this brewery has a well-defined theme that they have stuck to well. ‘Keeping beer weird’ is an idea that is shown throughout this taproom. You’ll see arcade games, comic book merchandise, and other sciencey, outer space-like things that really set a mood. They even sometimes have video game tournaments. This kind of ambience is something you don’t really see in breweries, as most tend to roll with a typical set up. The themed brewery doesn’t always work, but in this case, it’s cool to see.
https://www.instagram.com/p/Cw3IvkDP7dM/
The taproom itself is pretty small, and definitely represents more of a neighborhood brewery. On a busy night, you may find it hard to find a seat. Unlike a lot of the Vancouver breweries, you won’t see as many people coming in specifically to try flights. There were a lot of people that were sitting up at the bar, giving the impression that they were likely regulars.
Final Word
This brewery has been well regarded in the craft beer industry for years, and continues to pump out quality brews. They get points from me for their unique taproom and theme, as well as their experimental beers.
The final verdict?
I’m giving Fuggles and Warlock 8.5 fermented sodas out of 10.