Victoria Beer Week kicked off on Friday, March 3 with the Friday Night Casks event; a diverse group of craft beer fans braved chilly temperatures outside the Victoria Public Market on Douglas Street to sample brews. The non-profit Victoria Beer Week Society organizes this event each year, for the betterment of the Victoria craft beer community. Attendees were excited to taste many of the 25 casks put forward by 25 BC breweries.
Vancouver Island Brewery, having recently changed ownership, has rebranded themselves and updated their brews to be more sessionable; the bitter they had on tap was very much in line with classic British flavours. Dean McLeod of Twa Dogs, Victoria’s newest brewery and Scotch whisky distiller, was on hand showcasing their new Seas Between Us IPA, which required multiple samplings to enjoy due to its malt complexity and smooth quality. Other local breweries, such as Swans, were also on hand offering up their drinks.
Powell River’s Townsite Brewing’s Cedric Dauchot is cooking up some great flavours based on his Belgian upbringing. Bad Tattoo brewing in Penticton brewed a spectacular imperial stout with amazing chocolate flavour and the tiniest hint of liquorice that was really delicious. Nanaimo’s White Sails made a Thai soup ale-style brew just for Cask Night that featured chilies, lemongrass, ginger and lime; it was, while surprisingly light in body, a bit spicy in the finish, but not unpleasantly so.
It’s clear from this event that BC craft brews are creating everything from traditional beers to new flavours that push the boundaries in an ever-expanding field. Beer Week runs through March 11, with more tasting events and seminars all about craft beer.