BC craft beer
Drink
BC craft beer suits anyone who wants a pint brewed a few blocks from where it's poured, and in North Vancouver the Shipyards Brewery District puts several taprooms within about 800 metres of the SeaBus at Lonsdale Quay. North Point and Streetcar keep their kitchens to pizza and snacks, so book dinner elsewhere if you want a full meal.
Photo by Carlos Blanco on Unsplash and others, credited in the gallery
Where to eat BC craft beer · 9 places
Canada's first modern microbrewery started in Horseshoe Bay. Spinnakers' history says John Mitchell co-owned the Troller Pub there, and in June 1982 he opened a small brewery on the property of Sewell's Marina down the street to supply it with real ale. Frank Appleton built it with him mainly from cobbled-together dairy equipment, and the BC Ale Trail dates the first pints to 6 July 1982. The only beer it made was Bay Ale, at 30 kegs a week, and the pub sold out all five kegs on opening night.
The brewery didn't last long, and Mitchell went on to open Spinnakers in Victoria in 1984. The Troller still pours in Horseshoe Bay at a new address. When the BC Ale Trail wrote its history, Howe Sound Brewing made Troller Bay Ale as a re-creation of Mitchell's recipe. The Ale Trail's route for Vancouver's North Shore now takes in ten breweries and sends you to the Troller for a pint.
In Lower Lonsdale, Strathcona North pours in the Lonsdale Quay building about 135 metres from the SeaBus. Walk east and Streetcar Brewing serves espresso from 9 am before the taps take over. La Cerveceria Astilleros brews Mexican-style lagers under a name that is Spanish for the shipyards. Beere Brewing opened in 2017 and calls itself the district's first brewery, and North Point's cabin-style taproom welcomes guests of all ages.
Further afield, Brassneck Brewery on Main Street in Vancouver keeps about a dozen taps and had fresh-hopped beers on the board in October 2026. Howe Sound Brewing in downtown Squamish brews in the building, and Backcountry Brewing's Widowmaker Hazy IPA took silver at the 2025 Canadian Brewing Awards. Britannia Brewing pours its Deckhand Lager in Steveston.
Worth knowing
- Start at Strathcona North by the SeaBus and walk east along Esplanade to La Cerveceria Astilleros and Beere Brewing.
- Bring a growler if you want beer for your hotel room, because several taprooms fill them.
- Order a flight of four small pours at Brassneck or Howe Sound Brewing to taste across the list.
Quick answers about BC craft beer
What was Canada's first craft brewery?
The BC Ale Trail names Horseshoe Bay Brewing in West Vancouver as Canada's first microbrewery. John Mitchell and Frank Appleton started it in 1982 to supply Bay Ale to the Troller Pub.
Where are the breweries in North Vancouver?
A cluster of North Vancouver taprooms sits in the Shipyards Brewery District of Lower Lonsdale. Strathcona North, Streetcar, La Cerveceria Astilleros, North Point and Beere all stand within about 800 metres of the SeaBus terminal at Lonsdale Quay.
When is fresh-hop beer season in BC?
Fresh-hop beers come out in the fall. Brassneck Brewery's October 2026 board carried fresh-hopped beers brewed with hops from Topp's Hops Hop Farm.
How do you order BC craft beer?
Order a flight of small pours to taste the list, then a full glass of the one you like. Taps rotate, so ask what's new that week.
Where can you eat BC craft beer in North Vancouver?
Places we list for BC craft beer include Backcountry Brewing, Beere Brewing, Brassneck Brewery, Britannia Brewing Steveston, Howe Sound Brewing.