OUR LOCAL CRAFT brings you the essential deets of craft beer brewed in BC. The art of craft brewing is one that relies on creativity, quality ingredients, and industrious people who have a passion for great beer. So raise a glass to the beer ‘round here and get to know BC’s brewing community.
Dave Varga and Josh Michnik of 33 Acres Brewing
The Beer: 33 Acres of Life – Belongs to the California Commons beer style, which grew out of the 1848 gold rush. This was a time when, despite the rudimentary equipment available, a taste for good beer prevailed and the California Commons style was created. This brew is light and slightly hoppy, with 4.8% alcohol and 40 IUBs (International Bitterness Units).
The California Commons is a hybrid between an ale and a lager; while lagers are normally fermented at cold temperatures, this style is warm fermented which is typical of ales. 33 Acres of Life is made with three styles of hops: Mount Hood, Magnum, and Northern Brewer, and has a clean crisp flavour.
The Brewery: 33 Acres Brewing Company
Dave Varga of 33 Acres Brewing
33 Acres is located at 15 west 8th Ave between Ontario and Manitoba. Amidst a whole lot of generic office space and industrial buildings, 33 Acres opened in late July 2013 and promptly animated the hood. The vision for the business is to be an integrated part of the community, a place where people would stop in on their way to work, and again on their way home for a growler fill. The values of the company’s management are reflected in the business model, and they’re perfectionists in the best way possible. Despite having 7000 square feet of space in their brewery, 33 Acres brews only two beers, they are dedicated to having these recipes down to a perfect science before they think about launching another. 33 Acres is about the understated beauty of simplicity and quality.
The People: Owner Josh Michnik and Brewer Dave Varga are two key figures of a larger management team.
Dave Varga and Josh Michnik of 33 Acres Brewing
The Location: It’s worth swinging 15 West 8Th Avenue just to check out the elegant yet casual tasting room. To sample 33 Acres off site, stop in at one of these fine establishments.
Fun Fact: When asked for the story of the brewery’s name, Josh commented that, in numerology, 33 represents a truer definition of success, one that goes beyond materialism and wealth. Josh hails from Saskatchewan, where work is spoken of in terms of acres of farmland, and the more acres a person has, the harder they work. Taken together, ‘33 Acres’ is rubric for success through hard work.
Dave Varga of 33 Acres Brewing
Learn more at 33acresbrewing.com
