The Vancouver Brewers Fest is back with 10-day of events taking place at breweries across the city.
The fest of ales, lagers, and everything in between launches April 19 with events ranging from all-day happy hours and sales on beer to concerts and comedy nights to special food events.
Last year was the first year for the festival; the inception came from a group of local brewers hanging out. They wanted an event that was aimed at those making the beer and their supporters says organizer (and co-owner of Strange Fellows) Aaron Jonckheere.
"It's all us breweries doing this; we're not some independent company," he tells V.I.A. "It's for us and as a thank you for our customers and supporters and to celebrate that community."
He notes that while the first fest started in part to celebrate the city's brewery scene after a tough year, the same is perhaps more true this year.
"It's been a challenging year for all of us so it's a celebration of the breweries that are still around," he explains, noting the closure of Andina and Callister.
This year's events include a "Smoke Show" at Luppolo Brewing on April 20 featuring smoked beers (and other smoked treats), free brewery tours at Strange Fellows, and a night of nitro beers and music at Storm Brewing.
"We have something going every day, this year brewers have embraced it more," Jonckheere says noting there are also collaborations and parties in the mix. "There's something unique at virtually every brewery."
The 10-hour-long "Brewers Choice Patio Party" is a sort of wrap party (though there's one more day after) and will feature beers selected by the brewers from other breweries.
"It'll be a celebration of beer in our own little way for sure," says Jonckheere.
Currently, there are more than a dozen events listed, but more are being added to the Vancouver Brewers Fest website; 15 to 20 different events around the city are expected.
"Check the website to find out the most up-to-date," says Jonckheere.
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