Vancouver –
Yeast Vancouver
One of the most cosmopolitan cities on the continent, bordered by sea, forest and mountain peaks: Vancouver really has it all. That includes a beer scene that’s finding fame across the world, with veteran and start-up breweries alike making superb examples of classic styles while pushing the boundaries of what beer can be. Welcome to the Yeast Vancouver Ale Trail.
“Yeast Van” is the tongue-in-cheek nickname for East Vancouver’s thriving craft beer scene. Because of its industrial history and connection to Canada’s busiest port, East Van has long been seen as a “rough-around-the-edges” part of the city, not necessarily the place you’d choose for a fancy boutique, perhaps, but perfect for a gritty microbrewery. Indeed, that’s what attracted Storm Brewing, East Van’s original craft brewery, to set up there back in the 1990s.
A more recent pioneer, Powell Brewery, which opened in 2012, set the stage for a decade of expansion with several more breweries opening along with the hubs of Clark Drive, Powell Street, and Venables Street.
Parallel 49 Brewing, Yeast Van’s largest brewery, has won over legions of fans thanks to delicious beer and fun branding inspired by urban street art.
This is a multicultural area — Commercial Drive’s Italian roots are reflected by Luppolo Brewing. East Van’s industrial foundations are showcased front and centre at Container Brewing and East Van Brewing, while it’s all about style and contemporary design at Superflux, Strange Fellows, and Strathcona Brewing.
It is easy to get around Yeast Van on foot and even better by bicycle. Indeed, Bomber Brewing and Off the Rail Brewing are perfectly situated across from each other on the Adanac bike route. And not far away is Callister Brewing, Vancouver’s collaborative brewery, which has acted as an incubator space for several other fledgling breweries.
New Brighton Park
The iconic East Van Cross by artist Ken Lum
New Brighton Park
Bomber Brewing
Superflux Beer Company
Container Brewing
Venables Street near Commercial Drive
New Brighton Park
Parallel 49 Brewing Company
Strange Fellows Brewing
Strathcona
Playing Ping Pong on the Adanac Bike Corridor
Luppolo
Off the Rail Brewing
Bike Ride in East Vancouver
Il Giardino Italian Gardens in Hastings Park at the PNE
East Van Brewing Company
Callister Brewing Co.
Powell Brewery
Settlement Brewery
Superflux Beer Company
Day 1
Travel Info
Your first stop on the trail is in the Downtown Eastside, a 20 minute walk or an even quicker bus ride from both Waterfront (Canada Line) or Stadium-Chinatown (Expo Line) stops.
Located in the sumptuously renovated Settlement Building, this is a great spot to start off your day with lunch or a weekend brunch at the Belgard Kitchen, also on-site.
A world-class brewery and pizza kitchen in the heart of Vancouver’s oldest neighbourhood.
This waterfront park offers a heated outdoor pool in summer, dock access, picnicing areas and tennis courts alongside mountain and beach views! From May to September visit the New Brighton concession stand for their popular fish and chips.
Brewery and lounge situated in East Vancouver. Bringing classic craft beer styles to the forefront. Accompanied with a hot food menu prepared in-house.
Superflux’s bold beer lineup, which is made up of nearly 100% IPAs, is all about experimentation and innovation. The kitchen features deluxe hot dogs and hyper-seasonal salads.
The Vancouver region has more than 25,000 guest rooms, with about 13,000 alone downtown, so from economical to boutique, Vancouver accommodations are sure to suit any traveller's budget and tastes.
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Explore Strathcona, one of Vancouver’s earliest neighbourhoods. The community has a unique charm with a diverse mix of people, history and architecture — plus now features murals as part of the Vancouver Mural Festival. The Strathcona neighbourhood is filled with the city’s second highest concentration of murals!
Day 2
Travel Info
More to explore in the same neighbourhood, moving east towards Hastings-Sunrise.
The first co-working, collaborative brewery in Canada, supporting talented brewers to start their business by creating accessibility to equipment and commercial facilities. Callister has 12 unique, always rotating taps, including 3 cask engines, and craft sodas made in-house, too.
Located in Hastings Park near the PNE, since 1889. Take in live thoroughbred racing and simulcast racing with spectacular mountain and waterfront views. Every weekend from April to end of October, Friday nights from June to September and year-round for simulcast racing. Casino and restaurants also on site.
Bowkett and his brewing team focus on classic styles and more experimental creations featuring new hop varietals and souring and the tasting room has expanded to a pandemic friendly patio.
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If you’re interested in craft spirits, visit Odd Society Spirits on Powell Street and Resurrection Spirits on Franklin Street. Explore the shops and restaurants in Hastings Sunrise along Hastings Street.
Day 3
Travel Info
The Commercial Drive area is locally known as “The Drive.” A street packed with restaurants, cafes, pubs, and shops, infused with a multicultural influence that reflects the history of the immigrants who built the area. It’s why it’s also the best neighbourhood in town to catch the World Cup! The closest train stop is Commercial-Broadway station on The Expo and Millennium Lines.
Luppolo’s approach to brewing embraces a mix of old world and contemporary craft styles, often with a bit of an Italian twist. The kitchen offers a variety of Italian aperitivo (appetizers), including a selection of Italian cured meats and cheeses, antipasti, salads and focaccia. Mordimi, an authentic Italian pizzeria. now operates at the brewery, so you can get fantastic pizza there, too.
The brewery is situated on the popular Union-Adanac bikeway, meaning its tasting room is a popular spot for another active demographic: The bike racks outside are often full and many cyclists make use of the free beer air pump before stepping inside for a glass or a growler fill.
Explore British and West Coast style beers at this multi-award-winning brewery on one of Vancouver’s busiest bike routes.
The Drive - home to Vancouver’s own Little Italy - offers 22 full blocks to explore with over 300 distinct merchants, including quaint boutiques, multicultural restaurants, a vibrant live music and bar scene, dinner and dancing, theatres, coffee houses and specialty food stores including bakeries, fresh pasta, cheese emporiums, and delicatessens hung with house-smoked sausages.
From inception, Strange Fellows has been about a blending of ideas and histories with a common vision: that two strangers can have a beer together, look each other in the eye and toast each other's good health. Co-founded by veteran Vancouver brewer Iain Hill, Strange Fellows is inspired by both old world tradition and west coast creativity, and is known for sour and barrel-aged beers, as well as a rotating broad range of styles and their Vintage Bottle List.
Right on Commercial Drive, this Belgian-inspired, beer-focused restaurant is known for their mussels and frites.
The Vancouver region has more than 25,000 guest rooms, with about 13,000 alone downtown, so from economical to boutique, Vancouver accommodations are sure to suit any traveller's budget and tastes.
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At the south end of Commercial Drive is John Hendry Park, which features Trout Lake Beach. Saturdays from May through to October, check out the Trout Lake Farmers Market.
Other food options: Maybe Nashville spiced fried chicken is more your thing? Be sure to hit up Downlow Chicken Shack for some of the best eats in Vancouver.
Day 4
Travel Info
Back to The Drive, and now exploring further east, but Commercial-Broadway is still your closest train stop.
East Van Brewing Co. has 12 taps featuring a solid core line-up along with rotating seasonals so you know you will always find something fresh and interesting. Its taproom kitchen features paninis, calzones and other snacks from Bianca Maria, a local Italian delicatessen that has been operating for 60 years. It doesn’t get any more East Van than that!
This iconic East Van brewery has a food truck-style kitchen located inside its tasting room.
The Pacific National Exhibition has many venues that present concerts and festivals throughout the year. It is also the home of Playland, Canada's oldest amusement park! Open May to September with special COVID-friendly events for Halloween, Christmas and many other holidays.
Visit the Mad Scientist at work at Storm Brewing, one of the city’s oldest and most unusual breweries. They don't package a lot of their beers so tasting it at the source is your best option!
Guests can expect a hybrid of authentic Latin flavours combined with Pacific Northwest style and a commitment to fresh, local ingredients. Craft beers and an innovative cocktail program create a menu unique to the location.
The patio is an iconic Vancouver hangout, draped with all-day sunshine, yet protected from the seasonal elements - the ideal spot to mingle with your community and create memories.
The Vancouver region has more than 25,000 guest rooms, with about 13,000 alone downtown, so from economical to boutique, Vancouver accommodations are sure to suit any traveller's budget and tastes.
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The Steamworks William Street Brewery & Taphouse is just over the boundary of East Vancouver in Burnaby and worth the visit!
Hastings Park Winter Farmers Market (at the PNE) runs on Sundays from November 1 to April 25.
Alternatively, the beautiful green space at Hastings Park offers:
- The Sanctuary and Creekway Park invite you for excellent bird-watching opportunities
- Delight your senses and find quiet reflection at Il Giardino Italiano and Momiji Gardens
- Be inspired by the Landy Bannister sculpture commemorating the Miracle Mile
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Catch a sunset from the top of one of Vancouver’s many wooded parks, and you will see how this city of shining glass towers and vibrant neighbourhoods, hugged by long arms of the Pacific Ocean is like nowhere else in the world.
Proud of our diversity and our open minds, the passion to be who you are and love what you do is integral to the thriving beer culture of Vancouver – on any given day you can walk into a cozy tasting room and try something experimental, such as collaborations with other breweries, businesses, or with a local farmer who has shared something in-season.