People in Vancouver love their beer, as evident in the number of pubs, bars, craft breweries, beer festivals and other beer-related events in the region.

In this article you’ll find the following information about the following topics:

Drinking Alcohol in Public | Craft Beer Pubs | Beer Events | Other Information |

Beer in Vancouver

If you’re serious about beer and are either living in or visiting Vancouver, below are some places, events and organizations you should know about. Cheers and bottoms up!

Drinking Alcohol in Public

Did you know that you can drink beer and other adult beverages in public at select parks in the Lower Mainland? North Vancouver was the first city to allow this. Since then though, several other municipalities have relaxed their liquor bylaws too.

You still aren’t allowed to drink alcohol in most public places in British Columbia. Increasingly though, there are parks and other outdoor venues where you can.

For a list of places where you can drink openly on the North Shore see our article about North Van Parks Where You Can Drink Alcohol.

Craft Brew Pubs

British Columbia has over 100 craft beer breweries and the majority of them are based in Vancouver and around the Lower Mainland. Microbreweries, pubs and restaurants that brew and serve their own suds include the following:

• Deep Cove Brewers – this place brews some of the best craft beer in the Lower Mainland. Their pale ale is especially famous. The brewery has a small pub area and a good-sized outdoor patio at its North Vancouver location at 2270 Dollarton Highway. They also give tours of their brewery. (To learn more about this local company see our article about Deep Cove Brewery and Distillery.)
• Steamworks – a popular brew pub at 375 Water Street just a block from Waterfront Station at the entrance to Gastown.
• Granville Island Brewing – a famous place with some of Vancouver’s best local craft beer at 1441 Cartwright Street on Granville Island.
• Sailor Hagar’s Brew Pub – a North Vancouver bar tucked away close to Lonsdale Quay at 86 Semisch Avenue with a selection of its own beers.
• Yaletown Brewing Company – at 1132 Hamilton Street in Yaletown.
• Big Rock Urban Brewery – a popular place at 310-4th Street.
• Parallel 49 Brewing – a brewery with a tasting room at 1950 Triumph Street in Vancouver.
• Red Truck Beer – a local company that offer tours of their brewery at 295 East 1st Avenue in Vancouver.

Micro and Nano-Breweries

There are many other local micro and nano-breweries in Metro Vancouver. For a tour of some of the best check out Vancouver Brewery Tours.

Some good bars that serve a wide selection of craft beers include the following:

• Craft Beer Market – a large pub in the Olympic Village’s historic Salt Building at 85 West 1st Avenue boasting the city’s largest selection of craft beers.
• Tap & Barrel – a popular bar with locations at Olympic Village, the Vancouver Convention Centre downtown and Lower Lonsdale in North Vancouver.
• The Raven Pub – a pub-style restaurant at 1052 Deep Cove Road in North Vancouver that’s famous for its pizza and boasts the largest selection of craft beer on the North Shore. It’s a bit out of the way, but close to the beautiful village of Deep Cove.
• Stanley Park Brewing – a brewery, restaurant and brewpub at 8901 Stanley Park Drive in Stanley Park.

The drinking age in BC is 19. When you drink, please do so responsibly.

Beer Events

The Lower Mainland hosts a number of great beer festivals and events each year, including the following:

• Brewski Fest – a one-day event in March that takes place for day ticket and season pass holders up at Cypress Mountain. The event features free beer samples.
• Fort Langley Beer Festival – a craft beer festival that attracts a few thousand people in late spring.
• Vancouver Craft Beer Festival – an outdoor craft beer festival at the PNE fairgrounds featuring over 100 North American craft breweries in early summer at False Creek.
• Squamish Beer Festival – at the O’Siyam Pavilion in Squamish in the summer.
• Clover Valley Beer Festival – a beer-sampling event at the Cloverdale Rodeo Fairgrounds in the summer.
• Whistler Village Beer Festival – celebrating everything to do with beer up at Whistler in September.
• Oktoberfest Events – a number of German-themed beer festivals take place in the Lower Mainland including the following:
  • Cloverfest – a beer festival hosted by the Cloverdale Rotary Club and Chamber of Commerce in October.
  • Harrison Beer Fest – an Oktoberfest beer festival at Harrison Hot Springs in October.
  • Harvest Haus – a massive Oktoberfest event with German and other beers in October.
  • Oktoberfest Vancouver – at the Alpen Club on weekends in October.
  • Port Moody Oktoberfest – a large beer-themed community event in October.
• Hopscotch Festival – the Grand Tasting Hall is a 2-day event during Vancouver’s annual Hopscotch Festival that features dozens of local craft beer breweries as well as beers, whiskeys and other spirits from around the world in November.
• Vancouver’s North Shore Craft Beer Week – a week-long event showcasing craft beers and breweries in North Vancouver in October.

Other Information

If you like events that serve adult beverages, other events you might be interested in include the following:

• Vancouver International Wine Festival – in late February.
• Harrison Uncorked – a 2-day wine festival at Harrison Hot Springs in mid-April.

If you’re more of a wine person, or like wine in addition to beer, then be sure to also check out the Lower Mainland’s Wineries.

For other types of events throughout the year, check out Vancouver’s Festivals and Events Calendar.