What could make over forty people line up outside of Adanac Street’s Wise Hall, in the cold and dark and rain on one of the windiest nights of the year? Well a chance to sample some of Vancouver’s best craft brews of course.
This was the fourth annual East Side Beer Fest (ESBF), sponsored by Liberty Merchant Company, to showcase BC’s burgeoning craft brew industry. Participating breweries included:
Bomber Brewing
Bridge Brewing Co.
Copper & Theory Craft Beer Imports
Dzageraad Brewing
Driftwood Brewing, 
Four Winds Brewing Co.
Moody Ales
Off the Rail Brewing Co.
Parallel 49 Brewing Co.
Postmark Brewing
Powell Street Craft Brewery
Steel & Oak Brewing Co.
Strange Fellows Brewing, Trucraft Beverages, Untapped Craft Imports and Westbier Imports.
For those who attended, it was clear that the only limitation in brewing craft beer is imagination. In the days when one’s choice was limited to Labatt’s Blue, Molson Canadian and other such mainstream beers, who would have ever envisioned beers brewed with orange peels, coriander or even Lapsang Souchong tea?
After quickly making the rounds to take photos before the crowds got too thick, I got my glass and started sampling IPA’s. I thought it best to stick with one style instead of bouncing around from light pilsners to pale ales, Porters and smoked stouts.
Some of the beers I sampled include:
Copper & Theory (distributor) – Disappointed they didn’t have their Breakside IPA
pFrien IPA – citrusy with burnt caramel flavour IBU 65 and 7.2% ABV
Ninkasi Dawn of the Dead India Red Ale – malty, toasty with tropical fruit flavours IBU 75 and 7% ABV
Gigantic IPA – malty and strong flavoured. IBU 85 and 7.3% ABV
Driftwoods Fat Tug – this is a hoppy one with an IBU of 90 and 7% ABV
Four Winds – Juxtapose Wild IPA – mild and pleasant with tropical flavours IBU 55 and 6.5% ABV
Four Winds – Impossibly Pale American – well made, smooth, citrusy, fruity and complex IBU 70 and ABV 7%
Moody Ales – Affable IPA – a stronger flavoured IPA IBU ABV %
Off the Rail Brewing Company – Crazy Train IPA – mild with a lingering bitterness on the finish. Typical west coast style IBU 88 and ABV 6.7%
Parallel 49 Brewing Company – Undercover Hop Imperial IPA – to me it tasted maltier than most with good body. IBU 187 and ABV 10%
Trucraft Beverages (distributor)
Oskar Blues Dale’s Pale Ale – definitely a pale ale, but with the bitterness to mock an IPA. IBU 65 and 6.5% ABV
Throwback IPA – finishes very smooth and rather mild for an IPA. This is an IPA for people who think they don’t like IPAs. IBU 35 and 4.9 ABV.
I included the IBUs (International Bitterness Units) and ABV (alcohol by volume) for the beer geeks, to whom such things are important.
Uprising Breads and Santa Barbara Market were in attendance serving meat, cheese and bread to cleanse the palate.
Liberty Merchants have a reputation for giving back to the community. Their various events always include fund raising for a charity and to date, they have contributed close to a half million dollars to many worthwhile causes. The East Side Beer Fest was in support of the Greater Vancouver Food Bank Society. They collected food items, held a raffle draw and had a silent auction.
Check out their web site for further events including the Rosé Revival May 9th at Bridges Restaurant and Champagne & Caviar July 7th at the Vancouver Rowing Club.
http://www.libertywinemerchants.com/
