The Spotlight is a series of interviews with the craft beer heroes behind local organizations who are helping grow the beer scene in our fine city. This week’s spotlight is on Steel Toad Brewpub and Dining Hall
Imagine, if you will, an old steel warehouse. Now, imagine it with incredible lighting, ceiling to floor drapery, classy furniture and 10 tanks brewing new and exciting beer on a constant basis. Welcome to Steel Toad Brewpub and Dining Hall. Brewmaster Chris Charron and the ownership group wanted class, they wanted clear vision and they wanted a place that they would want to visit regularly. It looks like they’re well on their way to seeing that come to fruition.
When asked about his brewing philosophy, Chris was able to put it very succinctly, “I find the ‘we have six beers on tap and one rotating seasonal’ is so boring. I realize that consistency is good if you have six good beers, but there’s enough of that in this city and we really want to do something different.” So what kind of beers are we expecting? Authentic English Style Bitters are Chris’s strength. In fact, he plans to use two of their ten tanks as giant casks to really cater to the “Real Ale” crowd. Which will sit well with many CAMRA members (which, for our newer members, stands for the Campaign for Real Ale.) These “casks” would pour directly from beer engines at the bar. Quite a different take on the upswing of cask beer we are seeing on the Vancouver scene these days. The cask ale isn’t the only thing that is going to get CAMRA members – and beer enthusiasts – excited. Steel Toad also has it’s own marked glassware. Anyone that has followed CAMRA BC of late knows that we have been strongly pushing the F.U.S.S. campaign in recent months. Steel Toad understands the need for establishments to pour their beers honestly, and have taken the initiative of getting this specialized glassware made to ensure that they are owning up to that responsibility. We tip our hat to that effort!
Speaking of beer, what else can we expect drink-wise? Well, other than the English Bitters, we can expect Belgian Saison, Rye IPA, Oatmeal Stout and a Brett Pale Ale to name a few. Chris is also excited to brew several batches of single-hopped Pale Ale with different hops simultaneously. This gives newer beer drinkers a chance to compare and contrast the difference between a cascade-hopped pale versus a citra-hopped pale. For the scoffing seasoned beer drinkers, how about a pale ale hopped with Mandarina Bavaria Hops – yeah, I’ve never had them either!
In addition to in-house brews, they are excited to have a four-keg fridge for rotating guest taps and a small bottle list showcasing some of the more outstanding beers found out of our direct neighbourhoods. Jessica Sharpe, the in-house Ciccerone, will be managing the guest kegs and bottle list. Jessica came to Steel Toad from the renowned Bar Volo in Toronto.
Steel Toad’s Head Chef Robbie Robertson met Sous-Chef Dave Mueller while working at the Wedgewood Hotel. Though they are trained in traditional French cuisine, these gentlemen are going to be pumping out some nice pizzas, burgers and salads. In fact, you can watch your pizza be cooked right in front of you while you sit at the bar facing the oven. Dave explains, “This is an amazing oven. We think we will be putting out the best pizza’s in town!” Pretty lofty expectations for the food, but I can tell you now that a pizza will be the first thing I order when I visit on opening night. “We want to drive technique, flavor profiles and seasoning to make good Canadian pub fare.” Dave says, “But we also wanted to offer something a little bit more refined upstairs. So, people that want to come in for fine dining can make a reservation and come out on a nice date.” That higher end food is going to be a French style. Don’t worry though; both menus will be available in the whole restaurant. So you can eat high-end French cuisine while still sitting amongst the masses. Adding to the cool-food-factor, they will be doing takeout pizza as well – which is a great solution to those late night hunger pangs.
I know you’re wondering – how is the beer? While I was visiting, I had the opportunity to try the ESB, the Saison, the Rye IPA and the Oatmeal Stout. – all of which were quite enjoyable. Being a fan of rye myself, the IPA was an immediate standout. The best beer, however is the ESB. It really goes to show the passion that Chris has for the English Style. You can feel the care, soul and emotion that goes into making that beer. Not to take away from any of the other beers I tried, which were fantastic. I especially liked the Oatmeal Stout, which interestingly enough isn’t done in an English style like it’s ESB counterpart. Speaking of the ESB, here is the fun benefit for CAMRA members. Your CAMRA card gets $1 off all purchases of Real Ale!
Fortunately, you don’t have to wait much longer for this exciting new establishment to open. Chris says that they should be up and running by the end of the September. Like most places before it, there are usually some unforeseen hurdles, but they are confident that the biggest ones have been jumped and they are in the final stretch. For updates, be sure to keep an eye on their Facebook, Twitter and Instagram, and of course CAMRA’s social media channels! Steel Toad Brewpub and Dining Hall is located at 97 East 2nd Ave. in Vancouver. I hope to see you there on opening night – look for me by the pizza oven anxiously awaiting the best pie in town!
David Perry – @davidjp87
CAMRA BC – Vancouver Branch Community Liason
Leave a Reply