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Your Guide To Craft Beer On Vancouver Island
With a dynamic community featuring more than 40 craft breweries, Vancouver Island is truly a destination for beer lovers. From Victoria at the southern tip, where the whole microbrewing movement got its start when Spinnakers Brewpub opened in 1984, all the way up to Port McNeill near the northern tip of the Island, and across to spectacular Tofino on the west coast, craft breweries are sprinkled all over the Island. Some are ultra-local, focused on their own communities or neighbourhoods — which means you have to visit them in person if you want to taste their beers — while others have expanded to distribute throughout BC and even beyond its borders so you’ll see their beer on tap at bars and restaurants wherever you go. No matter what your taste preferences are, you will definitely find some new favourites here. The Vancouver Island Beer Guide has been curated to invite locals and visitors to experience the amazing beer scene here while exploring the various regions of the Island and all they have to offer — whether it’s the agricultural splendour of the warm Cowichan Valley, the rugged and beautiful wild west coast, the sheltered beaches that stretch for miles along the east coast, the urban pleasures of Victoria, Nanaimo and Courtenay-Comox, or the many varied outdoor activities readily accessible here, including biking, hiking, skiing, surfing, paddling, caving and climbing. Vancouver Island is a fantastic place to visit so be warned, once you come here you might never want to leave.
Enjoy Inside Or Take It To-Go
But back to the beer, which is the real reason for this guide. Many of the breweries listed here have tasting rooms where you can sample their brews and most offer snacks or meals. Some are brewpubs with full restaurants offering extensive menu options. Many are family-friendly places where you can bring the kids along and lots of them have dog-friendly patios. At each brewery, you will also be able to purchase bottles or cans to take away with you or fill a growler to take back to your campsite, RV, motel or cabin.
New Experiences are Brewing Nearby. Let the BC Ale Trail be your guide.
For more information, visit the BC Ale Trail website, which offers in-depth itineraries and detailed information about every brewery on the Island. Or download the BC Ale Trail app, which you can use to collect points each time you visit a brewery, and then redeem them for a special prize at participating locations. It will also help you find local liquor stores and local taphouses that offer good craft beer selections.
South Island
Southern Gulf Islands
This chain of smaller islands is nestled next to Vancouver Island in the Salish Sea. Perfect for those looking to enjoy quieter getaways, the islands are peppered with cabins and act as home bases for artisan potters and other artists, as well as small-scale farmers. Two of the islands also boast their own craft breweries, adding to the appeal for a self-guided Island Hopping tour.
Saanich Peninsula
The semi-rural Saanich Peninsula is well suited to beer explorations, whether by car, motorcycle or bike. Back road adventurers will be rewarded with frequent stops at farmers’ markets, wineries and distilleries, as well as ultra-local cafes and restaurants. Cyclists can ride for dozens of kilometres along the Lochside Trail, which follows the route of a former railway line and stretches from the Swartz Bay ferry terminal into Victoria, with easy access to all of the breweries featured here.
Greater Victoria
The “cradle of the revolution” features 16 breweries and brewpubs in total, including 11 that are within easy walking or cycling distance of each other around the downtown Inner Harbour. The city is home to Canada’s original brewpub, Spinnakers, which opened in 1984, as well as BC’s most successful craft brewery, Phillips Brewing & Distilling, and some of the province’s newest and freshest operations, such as Île Sauvage Brewing and Whistle Buoy Brewing.
Sooke
The small town of Sooke, about 45 minutes west of Victoria, is home to three breweries of its own, along with a meadery and distillery, making it the ideal spot for a day trip or overnight excursion. It is also a great destination for adventurous cyclists thanks to the Galloping Goose Regional Trail, a decommissioned railway line that was converted into a bike and walking trail that runs all the way from Victoria (approx. 45 km).
Cowichan
Heading north up the Island Highway from Victoria, the spectacular vistas of the Malahat Summit give way to the rural agricultural splendour of the Cowichan Valley, which boasts a maritime Mediterranean climate that achieves the warmest year-round temperature anywhere in Canada. Farm markets, wineries and cideries abound — and so do breweries. The Cowichan region also offers excellent mountain biking, hiking and paddling opportunities.
Central Island
Nanaimo
The port city of Nanaimo is the second largest urban centre on the Island, acting as a hub for the mid-Island region with ferries to the Mainland, the Vancouver Island University campus, and a lively arts and culture scene. Five local breweries provide a diverse and delicious opportunity for a tasting tour.
Parksville Qualicum Beach
The sheltered stretch of coastline north of Nanaimo is home to some of the province’s most spectacular beaches, including Parksville’s Rathtrevor Beach where the tide goes out almost a kilometre (half a mile), revealing clean sand and fascinating tidal pools that teem with marine life.
Pacific Rim
Port Alberni
Head west across the Island past the quaint town of Coombs, where goats famously munch on grass on the roof of the Old Country Market, and through Cathedral Grove, a spectacular stand of old-growth trees that will awe and inspire you. Port Alberni is home to three excellent breweries that have established this town as a beer lover’s destination.
Tofino & Ucluelet
The wild and spectacular west coast of Vancouver Island inspires every visitor with its seemingly endless beaches and spectacular ocean vistas. Visit in the warmer months to learn how to surf or experience storm-watching season from the cozy confines of a warm cabin or lodge. No matter when you visit you will be able to enjoy delicious craft beer and world-class food in both of these welcoming communities.
Comox Valley
This central Vancouver Island region has it all: farms and farmer’s markets; wilderness hiking, camping and climbing; fantastic skiing and mountain biking; urban shopping and dining; history aplenty; and of course, delicious craft beer!
Vancouver Island North
Heading north from the Comox Valley you can ski or snowboard at Mount Washington or Mount Cain, fish to your heart’s content in Campbell River, or experience the truly rugged wilderness of the Vancouver Island North.