On the heels of Vancouver’s international wine festival, another alcohol-fueled celebration is about to descend upon the city:  Craft Beer Week.  From May 10-16 fans of local microbrews will find plenty of chances to imbibe at special events planned throughout Vancouver.   From five-course dinners paired with exclusive craft brews to mini pub crawls downtown, organizers have packed the week full of beer-themed festivities.

The reason behind the inaugural celebration is B.C.’s burgeoning microbrew scene.  The roots of craft brewing in Vancouver go back to 1984.  That was the year Granville Island Brewing opened the first microbrewery in Western Canada along the shores of False Creek.  Since then, dozens of other breweries and brewpubs have followed suit, specializing in distinctive, hand-crafted beers produced in small quantities and without the use of fillers like corn or rice.   Today, craft beers are an increasingly common sight on liquor store shelves and everywhere from neighborhood pubs to trendy downtown restaurants.

True to the microbrew ethos, Craft Beer Week emphasizes quality over quantity.  Among the dozens of events listed on the website, you won’t find any huge beer tents or Oktoberfest-style benders.  Instead, the focus is on pairing fine beer with fine food and appreciating what’s in your glass.

The event kicks off on Monday, May 10, with Hoppapalooza, a beer tasting at the Alibi Room in Gastown where Mayor Gregor Robertson will tap the first keg.  Other highlights during the week include a cooking with beer class at Dirty Apron Cooking School and the Upright Crawl, a three-venue beer dinner that will take guests through the Shebeen Whisk(e)y House, the Irish Heather and Salt.  There are also plenty of beer and food pairings at pubs and restaurants throughout the city, from a five-course tasting meal matched with Red Truck Beer at Au Petit Chavignol to Japanese appetizers and Driftwood beers at Hapa Izakaya.

With so many dedicated craft beer drinkers in the city, events are selling out fast.  Tickets can be purchased online at the Vancouver Craft Beer Week website.

Remy Scalza