Welcome to the third Official Lower Mainland Brewery Review, focusing on some of the lesser talked about establishments to grab a drink. Today we’re talking about Steamworks Brewery in Burnaby.

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Nuts and Bolts

Steamworks’ main brewery is in a quiet neighborhood in North Burnaby, away from the hustle and bustle of Hastings Street. This establishment is not to be confused with the brewpub located near Waterfront Station in downtown Vancouver. The two locations definitely differ in a lot of ways. The brewpub is definitely much bigger and represents more of a restaurant than a brewery. However, the Burnaby digs has a true brewery feel to it.

The Beers

Steamworks has a few beers that have been on the menu for years, while also leaving a little bit of room for experimentation. One of the breweries flagship beers is their, well, Flagship IPA. This beer is a true hazy IPA, succeeding in coming off as a dank, musty option. Other beers that you will always see on tap here are the Lions Gate Lager, as well as a pilsner and pale ale. I wouldn’t say that any of these beers really move the needle a whole lot, but are lighter options for people that don’t really drink craft beer.

Every now and again, you’ll see some new beers come out, but I think it’s fair to say that this brewery may be resting on its laurels a little bit. One of the only new ones I’ve seen in the last few months has been the John Oliver Lager, which yielded a collective ‘meh’ from my friends and I when we tried it.

Taproom

Steamworks gets major points for their awesome taproom. With a big space and interesting seating, this brewery is great both for parties as well as small get togethers. They also have a few picnic tables outside for the summer months, although they could probably establish a bit more a patio. The taproom is also in an unassuming location, meaning that you probably would never find this brewery unless you lived in the area. You don’t often see a brewery in a residential area, so this ends up being a pretty cool thing.

Final Word

Look, Steamworks’ beers are pretty good, and you know what you’re going to get with them. That being said, you could probably visit once a year and not really miss any new releases. However, this brewery’s spacious taproom in a unique location make it worth checking out for any beer lover.

I’m giving Steamworks Brewing 7.5 fermented sodas out of 10.