I’ll be honest. I didn’t do a lot of homework before heading up to Vancouver, B.C. last weekend. I got a list of venues awhile back from someone on the Oregon Brewcrew Listserv (thanks, Abe), but I could only remember a few things once I got there. I’d planned on accessing my research on site, you see. Using the Internet. On my iPhone. Problem is, my constant companion doesn’t work too well in Canada. It would do some voice roaming on the Rogers network, but I was afraid to enable the “data roaming” for fear of incurring massive charges. So I pretty much winged it outside of the rare occasions I could find a public wifi network.
One such “stumbleupon” was Steamworks Brewing, in downtown Vancouver’s Gastown district.
We arrived there at about 5 PM on Friday afternoon, just in time to witness the after-work crowd roll in. I ordered up an Empress IPA and settled in for some Canadian-watching. Sarah, newly pregnant, ordered a Ginger Ale.
Being that Vancouver is on the West Coast, I made an assumption that their IPA would roughly follow the Northwest model I’m most fond of, with plenty of hops and fairly high alcohol content. My expectations were met in the alcohol department, but sadly disappointed in the hops. Seems the brewers may have been following the British model a little more closely, with some not so assertive hops (allegedly it’s dry-hopped with Mt. Hood and Kent Goldings). But, there wasn’t much hop to this IPA at all … I even tasted a bit of a Pabst note, indicating a brewing tradition closer to Milwaukee than Manchester!
Switching gears, I decided to try the opposite end of the spectrum, sampling their Heroica Oatmeal Stout next, which was quite a bit better, if not quite up to Portland standards. It had a nice bitterness, partially from the hops, but mostly from a strong burnt coffee flavor which verged dangerously close to acrid. Thankfully, the oatmeal’s oil smoothed the whole thing out into a pint that was fairly drinkable.
Overall, not impressed. Granted, I do live in Beervana, but for a city known for its local food scene, I expected a bit more from my first micro in Vancouver. Still, if you’re in the neighborhood, it’s worth popping in for a snack (the beer-battered yam fries with pesto mayo were excellent), and the downstairs bar looked exceptionally cozy.
Keenan Says:
October 15th, 2008 at 9:32 amVisit Keenan
I’ve been to Vancouver twice this summer (one of my friends recently moved there), and both times I have been shocked with the lack of quality and the horrific prices of their beer. I actually did do some research of where to go, and one of the top places on my list was Steamworks Brewing. WHAT A MISTAKE THAT WAS! Sure the atmosphere was cool, and it might fool a non-Oregonian into thinking they have good beer, but…they don’t. Be glad you didn’t get their sampler tray…of the ten they put forth, only two were drinkable…the other 8 were DISGUSTING. Especially their Sour Cherry beer and their Hefeweizen…oh man I nearly threw up right then and there. Seriously.
Incidentally, in B.C. they tend to brew Hefs a lot differently, it tastes like they are adding cloves? or other spices not typically found in Hefeweizen…try it once, and then remember to never order a Hef in B.C. ever again. Ever.
Also remember to be thankful we live in Beervana. I give thanks every day for that wonderful fact.