The craft beer business is booming in B.C. The industry that was once thought of as a passing fad is now enjoying massive growth with more and more Vancouverites thirsty for local brews.
The B.C. Liquor Distribution branch has reported an average 20 per cent growth in craft beer sales each year since 2006, while larger breweries’ sales have fallen flat or taken a dip.
“The big corporate breweries, they have tried to homogenize beer. They're tried to make one or two beers that's going to appeal to every single person, and with that, you lose any sort of soul to the beer," said Rachaal Steele, operations manager at Bomber Brewing.
Bomber Brewing opens this fall and will join the ranks of more than 50 other breweries in the province.
"There are hundreds of different ways to make beer, but you know you're drinking craft beer when you have it. It tastes better,” said Steele.
It appears others agree. B.C.’s micro-breweries were hugely successful at the 2013 Canadian Brewing Awards. Powell Street Brewery's Old Jalopy Pale Ale was named best beer of the year -- an honour that Driftwood Brewery's Fat Tug I.P.A. took in 2011.
Central City Brewing, Howe Sound Brewing, Parallel 49 and Yaletown Brewing Company also took top honours.
“The brewers have taken their hair down and are trying all different sorts of things. They put fruits in it and try all sorts of flavours,” said Rick Green, president of Vancouver Craft Beer Week.
Green attributes the sector's success to the city's diversity and openness to try new things.
Even Consumer Reports is jumping on the craft beer bandwagon. It recently conducted blind taste tests on 23 American ales and lagers. Out of the beers that are available in Canada, Samuel Adams’ Boston Lager was the top-rated lager among testers.
