A Beer Lover's Guide to Vancouver, BC

Canadian breweries don't get enough credit -- at least the beer scene in the Vancouver, BC area does not. Vancouver is the perfect place to enjoy local breweries. Its public transportation system has great coverage, is safe, and efficient, so there is no need to worry about driving. There are a few brewery clusters throughout the greater Vancouver area where you can easily walk from one place to the next. And if you're traveling from the United States, that conversion rate is very favorable to what are already reasonably priced beers.

Check out my Vancouver, British Columbia brewery recommendations below grouped by neighborhood. Of course this list does not include every single great brewery.

Mount Pleasant

Located just south of False Creek near the heart of Downtown Vancouver, Mount Pleasant has several welcoming breweries within walking distance, and in my opinion, the best donuts in the city too. Strolling this area is made extra pleasurable by the amount of murals visible along the streets and in alleyways. More information on these murals can be found here.

33 Acres/33 Brewing Exp

33 Acres Brewing Co. and 33 Brewing Exp, its experimental offshoot brewery located right next door, are absolute must visits every time I travel to Vancouver. Both venues offer a similar selection of beers, so it doesn't matter in which you physically sit. The beers under the 33 Acres umbrella are their core, typically more "drinkable" styles and the 33 Brewing Exp beers are, as the name suggests, more experimental and where the brewers highlight their creativity. Typically, I start a visit with the 33 Brewing Exp beers and then go back to some of my favorite 33 Acres styles.

33 Acres also offers a delicious weekend brunch. I recommend pairing your meal with a 24oz of 33 Acres of Sunshine.

Brassneck Brewing

Without much external signage, Brassneck Brewing can be hard to miss if you aren't looking for it. Brassneck Brewing brews a combination of their "dangerously drinkable" core beers along with small batch experimental options that are constantly rotating in and out of their no-frills chalkboard tap list.

Further keeping things simple, Brassneck Brewing has limited distribution outside of the brewery itself with growlers and cans only available at the brewery.

If you need another reason to visit, Cartem's Donuts is located next door -- my favorite donuts in Vancouver.

Main Street Brewing

Main Street Brewing is located in an over one hundred year old former auto shop, and it's taproom maintains some of the original architectural features. Bright mural walls and string lights further add to the ambience, which is trendy, but welcoming.

Main Street Brewing produces approachable, high-quality beers in a variety of styles. They have core, always available beers, seasonal releases, and special brewery only beers.

What stands out the most here though besides the beer, is the hospitality of the staff. Everyone here is super friendly.

East Van

Also known as "Yeast Van" for its large quantity of breweries, it's worth taking a bus out here for the craft beer scene. Aside from the beer, this is not an area I would be spending too much time in, but because of the breweries, it's a can't miss on any trip to Vancouver.

Superflux Beer Company

Superflux Beer Company is one of my favorite breweries in Vancouver -- an absolute must-visit in town. It reminds me more of an American brewery than anywhere else I have visited in Canada due to its predominantly IPA beer line-up. However, their other styles are top notch too, like the lager pictured to the right. I actually once went here twice in one day.

Superflux has an excellent variety of cans to go with bright and geometric eye-catching can designs. They also serve a limited food menu, including hot dogs and even edamame, which is what I enjoyed snacking on during my last visit.

Container Brewing

Container Brewing is has an industrial-chic vibe, welcoming atmosphere, and inviting spaces both indoors and outdoors to relax and enjoy some beers. Most of their beers come in three different sizes of your choosing, and they will even give you a flight of everything on draft.

There is even a resident, solar- powered food truck on the grounds.

Strathcona Beer Company

The biggest draw for me at Strathcona Beer Company is actually the food. Pizza and beer is a classic combo, and this place does the pizza better than most. The garlic bites are also not to be skipped, and both these and the pizza pair excellently with a beer flight. I think the beers here tend to be of good variety, but on the lighter side, which assists in not overpowering the food.

Strathcona Beer Company has a bright, photogenic taproom with friendly staff. They have a large selection of both cans and merch to go, which are visually appealing and always tempting.

North Vancouver

Just a scenic SeaBus ride away from Downtown Vancouver, North Vancouver is walkable, charming, and totally worth a visit. Several breweries are in close proximity in the Lower Lonsdale neighborhood, which presents the perfect opportunity for an afternoon/evening brewery crawl.

Streetcar Brewing

Unassuming from the street, but head inside and downstairs through the fairly basic taproom, and continue outside into the spacious patio, and Streetcar Brewing is a hidden gem brewing good beer best enjoyed on a sunny day. I particularly enjoyed their sour beers and that I could buy just a single can to take home.

Streetcar Brewing keeps it simple by only serving beer, but you are allowed to bring in your own food, and several reviews online praise a neighboring restaurant for great snacks to enjoy here.

North Point Brewing Co.

North Point Brewing is a place I enjoy due to the beers and its overall aesthetic. This brewery strives to combine the owners' love of nature and west coast living with an upscale cozy cabin feel and it comes together exquisitely. That their are beers are good is such a bonus.

I tried every beer on draft when I visited and then ordered an additional pint of my favorite. North Point Brewing is just such a great spot to spend time in. It's clear how much thought was put into this place.

House of Funk Brewing Co.

House of Funk is both a micro batch brewery and a speciality coffee roastery. You can get both a craft beer flight or a coffee flight here.

I can only speak towards their beer, and I enjoyed trying a variety of their styles including a lager from their House of Lagers project, to a pale ale, to a dry-hopped sour ale, and even a couple of smoothie sours.

Worth visiting just for the beer and proximity to other breweries, it's a bonus that the taproom is both elegant and incredibly photogenic. This photo on the left is one of my favorite beer photos that I have ever taken.

Port Moody

A 45 minute train ride from Downtown Vancouver drops you off at Brewers Row in Port Moody where there are 6 breweries (almost) in a row just a few minutes walk from the train station. Each brewery features an outdoor patio and a spacious taproom with room for you and your friends to enjoy an afternoon of beers.

Yellow Dog Brewing

If starting from the train station, Yellow Dog Brewing is stop number two on Brewers Row. Yellow Dog embraces the dog theme, even selling merch for dogs, such as collars. Each month, they brew a Puppy Batch with 100% of the proceeds directly benefitting the BC SPCA. However, Yellow Dog shockingly doesn't allow dogs in the taproom!

I learned the hard way that on a busy day, Yellow Dog may run out of tasting glasses for flights, but I don't regret my full pours after learning how good they were. As a hazy beer lover, Yellow Dog brews some of the better haze that I have tried in the greater Vancouver area.

Rewind Beer Co.

Rewind Beer Co. takes the beer drinker back in time to retro movie theaters, pixelated video games, and tacky neon colors. I love a brewery that fully immerses itself into a theme, and Rewind Beer Co. has done just that from it's flight trays, beer names, and decor. This is one photogenic brewery!

Rewind Beer Co. does two more things that I absolutely love: they serve pizza from Hightop Pizza and they sell single cans of beer to go.

In full honesty, Rewind Beer Co. doesn't have the best beer on Brewer's Row, but they do everything else so right that it's worth a visit in Port Moody.

The Parkside Brewery

The Parkside Brewery is brewery number four on Brewers Row if starting closest to the train station, and it's one of my favorites.

This taproom is the perfect spacious indoor/outdoor location to hang out with a group of friends. It gets busy, but that staff runs the operation efficiently. There's a wide selection of beers, shuffleboard, and the cutest park bench beer flight holders. I would have bought one to take home if they were for sale.

The Parkside Brewery excels across beer styles and has a variety of cans and merch to take home too.

With all of the areas mentioned, these are by far not the only breweries. I only write about some of the places I have been and enjoyed. For even more information on British Columbia breweries, check out the BC Ale Trail.

Have you been to any of these breweries? Or, have I made you add any of these breweries to your next Vancouver, British Columbia vacation? Share in the comments.