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<\/a>BC has been adding about a dozen new craft breweries a year during the past five years, so there\u2019s quite the pick of the crop when it comes to local breweries. Most of these breweries are on the mainland, however, Vancouver Island has become home to quite a few new breweries and microbreweries.<\/p>\n
Meanwhile, breweries such as Vancouver Island Brewery, the Island\u2019s first craft brewery, and Phillips Brewing are gaining nationwide recognition for making some of the best craft beer in British Columbia.<\/p>\n
Some experts are calling the surge of breweries and brewpubs in the area a craft-beer renaissance, and even going so far as to say that we\u2019re in the golden age of the craft-beer industry.<\/p>\n
\u201cBecause of enthusiastic craft-beer lovers, who aren\u2019t necessarily always brand loyal and are always willing to try something new and support the newest kid on the block as best they possibly can, it\u2019s a real community and it\u2019s a blast to be a part of it,\u201d says Matt Schmitz, creator of the Victoria Beer Museum, a website documenting local beers.<\/p>\n
Tommie Grant, brewmaster of Spinnakers Brewpub, recommends anyone interested in craft beer to \u201cget out there and experience as much as possible; visit breweries, try and new and different beer styles, give home brewing a try and just make an effort to scratch beneath the surface of the craft beer scene.\u201d<\/p>\n
Schmitz says that a person who crafts a great beer is \u201csomebody who cares enough to pay attention to all the details and is striving for his or her version of perfection.\u201d<\/p>\n
Organizations such as CAMRA (Campaign for Real Ale) are popping up in more and more cities, advocating for craft beer and local ingredients. People are now more conscious about the beverages they drink, says Grant.<\/p>\n
\u201cA few years ago, craft beer folk were mostly thought of as older, bearded dudes with beer bellies,\u201d says Grant.\u0118\u201cNowadays, the typical craft-beer consumer is thought of as being a younger, urban hipster type.\u201d<\/p>\n
Held at Royal Athletic Park since 2005, the Great Canadian Beer Fest gives brewers an opportunity to share their craft with people, and gives loyal consumers a chance to meet and greet with the brewers.<\/p>\n
Over 8,000 people attend the event annually to sample the participating Canadian beer vendors.<\/p>\n
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Five fave local brews<\/strong><\/p>\n Moon Under Water\u2019s session lager. It\u2019s pretty much the perfect summer drink!<\/p>\n Matt Schmitz, Victoria Beer Museum<\/b><\/p>\n Weather, mood and circumstances are big factors.\u0118If it\u2019s hot, and I mean Death Valley hot, my go-to is the Potts Pils from Moon Under Water. It\u2019s light, has a gentle but crisp hop to it, and is lovingly refreshing.\u0118If I\u2019m in the mood for a hoppy monster of an IPA, I\u2019ll usually go for the Lighthouse Switchback, or the classic Fat Tug from Driftwood. But if I\u2019m indecisive or just have a momentary lack of brainpower, I\u2019ll go for a Dark Matter from Hoyne Brewing. It\u2019s like a warm hug when you need it.<\/p>\n Greg Pratt, Nexus<\/i> managing editor<\/b><\/p>\n Not a word of a lie, one rainy afternoon last year I drove around to various beer stores in town, my two offspring in tow, to try to find the last remaining bottles of Hoyne\u2019s Voltage Espresso Stout in town. I found one store that had a box of 12 remaining. I bought the whole box, without second thought.<\/p>\n Jason Schreurs, Nexus<\/i> assistant editor<\/b><\/p>\n Hoyne\u2019s Hoyner Pilsner is my go-to brew. So crisp and clean, it goes down smooth and is, by far, the most refreshing beer I\u2019ve ever tasted. All of Hoyne\u2019s beers are great, but their pilsner is the best. An amazing summer drink, but pretty adaptable for every season, and it pairs well with all kinds of food dishes.<\/p>\n Zoe Harvey, Nexus<\/i> contributing writer<\/b><\/p>\n Much like having the rose as a favourite flower, my favourite local beer has been, and always will be, Phillips Blue Buck. It\u2019s the crispiest, smoothest, and sexiest beer I have tried and it will always have a special place in my liver.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n