Vancouver Craft Beer Week is back with over 10 ways to celebrate

Vancouver Craft Beer Week is back for 2017 with a schedule full to the brim of exciting ways to celebrate all things brew-y.

From epic tasting sessions to special parties and the big festival, VCBW 2017 has something for every kind of big time beer lover.

Nearly 100 breweries will be pouring at one time or another as part of the 10 days of craft beer programming.

A post shared by Vancouver Craft Beer Week (@vcbw) on Apr 20, 2017 at 11:47am PDT

One exciting beer is the one that’s been made just for the fest. For the 2017 collaboration brew, the spotlight is on what’s known as “Brewers Row” in Port Moody, where Yellow Dog Brewing, Parkside Brewery, Moody Ales, and Twin Sails Brewing are located, in a row. Brewed at Yellow Dog, the VCBW special release is called Hazy Pale.

See also

• A taste of the new Railway Stage & Beer Cafe (PHOTOS)
• Assembli: Pick from over 50 toppings for one price at new pizza and salad spot
• Everything you need to eat and drink at the Illumination Summer Night Market (PHOTOS)
• This Vancouver tea salon serves up a killer burger with matcha fries

It’s an ale with notes of passionfruit and guava, and partial proceeds of this special beer will be donated to the BC SPCA.

A post shared by Vancouver Craft Beer Week (@vcbw) on May 15, 2017 at 6:34pm PDT

There are 10 special events as part of VCBW, including and leading up to the big weekend festival that takes place at the PNE fairgrounds.

1. VCBW Opening Night: Kick off the week with a big party with music, food, beer, and art. 20 of the province’s best breweries and cideries will be pouring over 40 different beers and ciders while singer Mark Woodyard performs.
2. Collaboration Tap Takeover at Big Rock Urban Brewery & Eatery: Taste collab brews from spots like Ravens, Bridge, Four Winds, Steel & Oak, Bomber, Persephone, Red Racer, Powell Street, Twin Sails, Field House, Callister, Dogwood, and many more. Your ticket includes beer samples, live entertainment, beer-inspired canapés, a brewery tour, and an opportunity to vote for the best collaboration.
3. Feats of Strength at The Cobalt: Watch brewing professionals, novices, and enthusiasts compete in push-up competitions, The Growler-tearing, keg-stacking, and maybe even some shirtless totem-poling. Sample Copper & Theory Artisan Beer Supply Co.’s hand-picked, outrageously decadent, and somewhat nerdy beer list while revelling in the glory of the Feats of Strength spectacle.
4. Biercraft Belgian Showcase: It’s all about the Belgians at this signature event. Taste a wide selection of Belgian beers, and learn the history behind them, and enjoy some food as well.
5. Brewers Row Block Party at The Parkside Brewery: Hit up the first ever Tri Cities Vancouver Craft Beer Week event. Live music, food trucks, 16 beers on tap, and good times galore in Port Moody.
6. Forbidden Fruit at Devil’s Elbow Ale House: An homage to the extremely popular Portland Fruit Beer Festival, this event features fruit beers, fruit wheat beers, Belgians, and sours from 20 BC craft breweries.
7. Rose City Rampage at Portland Craft: Sample 16 unique beers from Portland, Oregon.
8. IP-Hazy Whole Hog Cookout and Crawfish Boil at Lamplighter: The Lamplighter’s first ever Whole Hog Cookout and Crawfish Boil is the biggest food and beer signature event of VCBW 2017. While a massive pot of spicy crawfish and vegetables boil, an entire pig will be roasting on the patio. Taste through a selection of the haziest India Pale Ales from Northwest Pale Ale to Milkshake brews.
9. VMF Meets VCBW: Celebrate Vancouver’s dynamic art and beer scenes with a behind-the-curtain glimpse into the shared Vancouver Mural Festival and VCBW headquarters.
10. VCBW Beer Festival: The eighth annual Vancouver Craft Beer Week Festival is back at the historic PNE Fairgrounds on June 3 and 4, featuring 100 craft breweries and cideries pouring more than 300 beers and ciders. In addition to Canada’s largest selection of craft beer and cider offered in one place, the VCBW Festival features art installations, live music, DJs, food trucks, market stalls, brewing demonstrations, a games area with pinball and foosball, a pop-up barber shop, and more.

Don’t procrastinate; tickets to some of these prime VCBW events will sell out!

Vancouver Craft Beer Week 2017

When: May 26 to June 4, 2017
Where: Various locations in Vancouver
Tickets: Purchase tickets to each event online