It is now officially summer in Vancouver! At the end of a long day biking the sea wall, working in the garden or hiking one of Vancouver’s amazing trails there’s nothing that quenches your thirst quite like a beer. Our local breweries have created some delicious summer beers, find out about our executive team’s favourites for 2016 below!
David, President
Pixel Pils by Fuggles & Warlock Craftworks | 5.0% ABV | 30 IBUs
As an avid player in the Vancouver Ultimate League, I am constantly looking for the perfectly “crushable” beer after an evening of chasing flying pieces of plastic in the sun.
I found it in Fuggles & Warlock’s Pixel Pils. This Czech-style Pilsner is a crisp and clean offering with a bit more of a bite at the end than you might expect. Easy to drink, sessionable, and full of character — can’t ask for more in the heat of summer!
Shawna, Membership Coordinator
Park Life Passion Fruit Ale by Bomber Brewing | 4.5% ABV | 15 IBUs
Why is Park Life the perfect beer for the summer? This easy to drink beer doesn’t skimp on what’s happening flavour-wise!
A passion fruit explosion is what’s going On in these little cans. I’m a big fan of the fact that it’s not a citrusy beer, which can be a summer staple for some. It’s more tart than a citrus sourness which really makes for an amazing mouth feel. It wraps up any astringency with a smooth fruity finish.
At 4.5% ABV and 15 IBUs, you can’t find a more perfect beer for these hot summer days.
Ash, Communications Director
Sour Raspberry Ale by Old Abbey Ales | 7.0% ABV | 7 IBUs
Bursting with raspberry flavour and not overly sour, this is the perfect summer beer! A balanced blend of sweet and sour, grab one of these when you’re hanging out on the patio after a long day in the sun.
A delicious thirst-quencher for a hot summer afternoon, this beer definitely earned it’s gold win for best fruit beer in this year’s Canadian Brewing Awards.
Kai, Education Liason
Honeymoon Baby Tropical Saison by Four Winds Brewing Co. & Brassneck 
Brewery | 5.3% ABV | 20 IBUs
If you haven’t gotten your hands on this limited collaboration between Brassneck and Four Winds, I’d find some before it’s gone. Brewed to celebrate Four Winds’ Brewery of the Year award, Honeymoon Baby is a saison brewed with rice and coconut.
The aroma offers bright tropical fruits and black pepper, while the flavour is bone-dry and spicy with a hint of coconut flesh. The balance is spot-on and the rice and coconut are only hinted at.
Despite the untraditional additions, this may be the most convincing classic Saison brewed in BC. Find it at select private liquor retail stores.
Pairings: Piña Coladas and getting caught in the rain.
Renata, Treasurer
Wyld Weisse Raspberry by Hearthstone Brewery | 3.2% ABV
So apparently when I think summer I think fruity and sour. Enter Berliner Weisse season. Plain ones, with traditional syrups or fruit flavoured, I love them…right now I’m enjoying the hell out of Hearthstone’s Wyld Raspberry.
3.2% ABV means it’s good on a work night (like right now) or sitting all afternoon in the sun pretending I’m not burning myself to a crisp. The new six pack cans also makes it perfect for each.
Grab a pack and a friend and enjoy summer!
Kerry, Vice President
Sovereign Super Saison by Four Winds Brewing Co. | 8.5% ABV | 20 IBUs
The Sovereign, the Super Saison is an 8.5% mixed ferment saison that manages to be approachable enough to warrant a second bottle…or a third.
This saison balances the esters and spice to create something that demands something to share amongst friends.
Ksenia (Senni), Events Coordinator
Blonde Ale by Postmark Brewing | 4.2% ABV | 18 IBUs
I hate to be predictable style-wise, but my go-to summer beer is Postmark’s Blonde Ale. It is light and crisp, low in alcohol at 4.2% ABV, but still has a good hint of bitterness to it.
The best part? It comes in 6-pack cans making it the perfect beer to bring camping, hiking, or to the beach and can be shared among friends. I’m rarely without a can or two when I take my dog for a walk or frisbee session. Cheers!
Adam, Secretary
Forager Gluten-Free Lager by Whistler Brewing Co. | 5.0% ABV | 35 IBUs
As the one person on the CAMRA Exec who can’t digest malted barley, gluten, dairy, and a list of other things: I found the best gluten-free option. The Whistler Forager is a gluten-free lager that embodies the typical North American-style lager, with some real flavour. Celiacs rejoice!
It doesn’t taste like a poorly brewed econo lager at all. Out of all the exotic, expensive imported gluten-free brews out there, I stick with a beer that I can relate to. It’s a versatile beer, as it can be crushed with friends on a patio, or enjoyed on its own.
All that said — if you need to go gluten-free this summer, make it a Forager. It’s a BC brew that’ll keep your taste buds and your wallet happy, too.
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