A high density of world-class microbreweries offers a diverse, innovative, and walkable experience in neighbourhoods like East Vancouver and Mount Pleasant.

Few cities combine a stunning natural backdrop of ocean and mountains, vibrant walkable neighbourhoods, rich cultural heritage and a food scene that is second to none.

Enter Vancouver and you get all of the above and more.

This year, there is an additional attraction coming to the city. Vancouver will host seven FIFA World Cup matches. If you are one of the lucky ticket holders or ‘only’ a regular visitor, you should add the city’s eclectic craft beer brewery scene to your list of must-do attractions.

Featuring diverse brewery districts and highly innovative local breweries offering everything from sour ales infused with local fruits to West Coast IPAs, Vancouver has developed a reputation as a world-class craft beer destination.

Vancouver has actually a long history of beer brewing. Lucky Lager, the city’s first brewery opened in 1858, and the number quickly extended in the following years. The brewery business continued to thrive until the early 20th century but was severely hit by prohibition and the first world war with the number of breweries dwindling down to just few. Then, in the early 1980s come Horseshoe Bay Brewery making a beer they called Bay Ale. The rest, as the saying goes, is history.

Over the following decades, Vancouver has turned into a craft beer heaven. On last count, there are over 70 craft breweries within or near the city. Expect everything from classic ales to innovative brews.

Like the local food scene, breweries focus on quality and using home-grown crops and grains from British Columbia. In addition, pour mountain water is plenty in the region.

Curious to uncover Vancouver’s exciting craft beer scene?

There are various ways to plan a brewery tour.

The easiest clearly is to join a guided tour. There are various operators offering a range of different options.

One of the most established is Vancouver Brewery Tours, offering various routes with focus on local breweries.

If you are looking for a bit more bang, Canadian Craft Tours combine beer tastings with food and a couple of special themes. As the name suggests, Canadian Craft Tours operates across Canada, and their offer includes tours stretching larger areas like the Vancouver to Whistler brewery tour.

If you are more adventurous, or don’t want to set a half or full day aside for multiple visits on one go, you can easily organize your own individual tour. Information about breweries in Vancouver are plenty.

An easy way to create your own brewery tour is to check the British Columbia Ale Trail website, boasting 22 dedicated trails across the whole region, and featuring the breweries included along each trail.

So, simply check the individual breweries, their location, beer menus and additional offerings to pick the right places for you.

While distributed over the full Vancouver metropolitan area, the highest density of craft beer breweries is found in the East Vancouver area comprising the neighbourhoods of Mount Pleasant and False Creek.

With the Olympic Village located in the same area, most breweries are only a 15-minute walk away So, when in town for the FIFA World Cup, there is no excuse not exploring the local craft breweries for any beer lover or those open to be converted.

Nicknamed ‘brewery creek’ Mount Pleasant neighbourhood, the birthplace of Vancouver’s craft beer movement, part of the wider East Vancouver area is a must for anybody just getting started on the local craft beer scene.

33 Acres Brewing Company located at the top of the hill is a great place to start your Mount Pleasant brewery tour. The locally owned and operated brewery usually has a half dozen beers on tap featuring European classics and West Coast styles. There is a nice food offer too, comprising breakfast, lunch and dinner options that include organic and local choices.

Brassneck Brewery welcoming visitors with a constantly changing beer-menu is the perfect place for those looking for innovative brews with experimental flavours. The small neighbourhood brewery focuses on experimental and diverse beer styles, made in small batches. Usually on offer is the Brassneck’s flagship brew, named Passive Aggressive, a dry hopped pale ale that comes close to an IPA. On most days, there is a food truck parking outside.

Main Street Brewing features a mix of classic and modern styles. Starting their venture in 2014 with a pleasant pilsner the brewery now offers an extensive list including five core styles: Pilsner, pale ale, IPA, saison and brown ale. If you are game for unusual flavours, go for the Hula Hula Tropical Milkshake Sour if on offer. Beers aside, the brewery’s impressive 1913 industrial heritage building makes Main Street Brewing one of the most beautiful spots. Often, there is a local food truck onsite as well.

R&B Ale & Pizza House features 12 rotating taps along with a delicious offer of handcrafted pizzas and sandwiches. One of Vancouver’s original microbreweries, the popular place features cool can art and witty beer names such as Stolen Bike Lager and Dude Chilling Pale Ale among others. On the food side, there is a weekend brunch featuring sourdough made using spent grains from the brewing process. Meanwhile, on the weekday menu expect sourdough pizza, burgers, pretzels, and more.

Moving on to the wider area, East Vancouver boasts several innovative breweries earning the neighbourhood the denominator ‘Yeast Van’.

Parallel 49 Brewing Company is undoubtedly one of Vancouver’s best-known breweries, making a wide range of beers. The brewery is particularly known for experimenting with hybrid styles and their cans spotting colourful cartoons must be among the most stylish. The tasting room might seem low-key, but the separate street kitchen area (a more recent addition) featuring a graffiti-scarred food truck that has been reassembled inside makes it all up. Expect a menu containing comfort food like fried chicken, poutine, burgers and sandwiches.

Strathcona Beer Co takes its name from Strathcona neighbourhood, Vancouver’s oldest residential area. Opened in 2016 with a focus on traditional European-style beers, the brewery quickly started to embrace sours, fruit-forward beers, and IPAs. Today, it’s particularly well-known for two of their very popular brews: the Beach series of fruity Radlers and the Love Buzz series of fruity Berliner Weiss-style sours.  There is also a range of gourmet pizzas on offer.

Container Brewing features classic craft beer styles with modern twists including hop-forward IPAs to rich stouts. The brewery is partnering with local food trucks on certain days and timetables (check on their website), meaning you get a good food offer here as well. In addition, there are regular events like the trivia night or sport event watch parties. All this taking place in a two-story tasting room with gorgeous views over the North Shore mountains through large windows.

Howe Sound East Van Taphouse & Kitchen is one not to be missed if you are looking for a few sips of ales, stouts, and more accompanied by a slice of pizza, a burger, daily changing soup and sandwich offerings or other sharable comfort food dishes. Come here for their daily happy hour, the burger and beer lunch option from 12.30 to 2pm on weekdays, or a fun evening with life music, game watching, and more.

Over to False Creek you can expect beautiful waterfront views along with a couple of interesting breweries.

Faculty Brewing Co. is unique in many ways. The venture is open-source and green-practice driven, created to be an inclusive, educational, and open environment for those interested in beer, whether accomplished or beginners. There is a wide range of craft beer styles from classic to innovative and constantly changing new seasonal flavours. If you are also keen to learn about the brewing process, you have found the right spot. Just join a brewery tour.

Granville Island Brewing, theiconic craft brewery located in the heart of the bustling Granville Island public market area is well-known for its English Bay Ale and West Coast IPAs. When on offer, go for their signature Cypress Honey Lager and False Creek Raspberry Ale. There is a nice food menu on offer including such staples like focaccia, meatballs and (after all you are in Canada) English Bay Poutine.

Strange Fellows Brewing combines tradition and creativity in one place. The brewery’s sour ales, saisons and barrel-aged are a must-try. In addition to beer, you will encounter one of the most beautiful tasting rooms in the city where you will also find the Charles Clark Gallery, boasting modern art. Starting from 2pm, you can order some lovely snacks (think cheesy garlic toast, veggie panini, and braised beef panini) to go with your beer.

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