25 Best Vancouver Breweries: Your Ultimate Guide

Disclosure: Advertising and affiliate services, including Amazon Associates, help the cost of running my blog. Clicking ads or making purchases through affiliate links may, at no additional cost to you, earn me a small commission. I appreciate your support.

In 2010 British Columbia had about 40 breweries. But 10 years later we’re closing in on 200. Vancouver’s craft beer scene has exploded since then too. There were 8 breweries in 2010. EIGHT! But as of 2020 there are over 40 craft breweries in Vancouver city alone.

That doesn’t even factor the surrounding cities that make up Greater Vancouver which is what I’m bringing you today. The best of the best. The top Vancouver breweries, both in the city and the surrounding area. This west coast city is only really rivalled by Seattle and Portland for breweries.

Keep reading and see how to get discounts and freebies with the BC Ale Trail.

Who loves craft beer?

Vancouver’s craft breweries don’t just sell your run of the mill beers. They like to experiment with flavors and styles. Even former non-beer-drinkers are now rushing to try the best craft beer in Vancouver. You don’t like it hoppy? We have some fruity sours for you. You don’t like dark beer? We have some light and refreshing lagers.

Craft breweries are the place to hang out, the place to try new and weird beer concoctions. Everybody here has their go to breweries and frequently comes armed to a social event with a growler of their favorite frothy, malty beverage. Are you even a beer drinker if you don’t have at least one growler in the house?

The best Greater Vancouver breweries

Whether you’re visiting Vancouver or living here and just want some recommendations for new places to try, I’ve got you covered. With 25 of the best Vancouver breweries, this list will have you reaching for your designated driver’s number quicker than it takes to say Best Brewed Beer 10 times fast (alternatively book a Vancouver Brewery Tour which includes at least 3 Vancouver breweries)

I’ll group the breweries by neighborhood (or city for the out of town ones). Let’s start with Vancouver center and work out.

Downtown Vancouver Breweries

Downtown Vancouver unfortunately doesn’t have too many breweries. So you’re going to have to make your way out of the city if you want to try more of the best Vancouver breweries. But we’ll start with what Downtown has to offer.

1 – Stanley Park Brewing

That’s right, Stanley Park has its own brewery. The famous city park isn’t just trails and amazing seawall views. It has its own brewery and a ton of inspiration for some delicious beers. My favorites are the Sunsetter Peach Wheat Ale, the 1897 Amber Ale and the classic Daytrip West Coast Lager.

2 – Steamworks Brewing Company

Steamworks Brewpub is at the edge of Gastown, Vancouver’s historic neighborhood. And just like Gastown’s famous steam clock, the same steam pipes also powered the brewing of Gastown’s own beer at Steamworks. As well as their crafted lager for those with a lighter palate, I recommend the Nitro Stout and the Salted Chocolate Porter.

3 – Yaletown Brewing Company

Yaletown Brewing Co. has been in business for almost 30 years. Vancouver’s former warehouse district is now a place of expensive living and high end restaurants. So it’s nice to find a more relaxed environment in this large, yet cozy brewpub. The Roundhouse Wheat is my favorite but try the Loading Bay IPA for a hoppier brew.

False Creek Breweries

Just along from Yaletown is False Creek, the inlet separating downtown from south Vancouver. With more opportunities and space, a few breweries have established on the opposite side of the creek. Access by road over the Cambie or Granville bridges, or by a cute little water taxi. The Olympic Village Skytrain stop will also get you easy access to most False Creek and Mount Pleasant breweries with the exception of Granville Island.

4 – Granville Island Brewing

The original Vancouver craft brewery, since 1984, is also the most well known. Visit the taproom for tasters, take a tour of the brewery (with samples) and buy beer and merchandise in the gift shop.

Most restaurants in Vancouver will have at least one beer by G.I.B. but my top picks are the English Bay Pale Ale and the seasonal Watermelon Lager. Plan extra time on Granville Island and explore the public market for incredible food options.

5 – Big Rock Brewery

With a decent sized taproom and lots of board games the Big Rock Brewery is a fun place to continue your False Creek beer tour. The English Style Brown Ale and the Czech Style Pilsner are my top choices when I go there. Soak it up with some Canadian poutine, a menu must try.

6 – Brewhall

Along from Big Rock is the even larger Brewhall. Grab a long table with friends, sit at the bar, or try your hand at some vintage arcade games while you drink. I’m all about the fruity beers here so I recommend either the Mighty Morphin Sour Rangers sour beer or the Azedo Tropical Fruit Sour. For something a little less tart the Pineapple Screwdriver Tropical Blonde Ale is good.

7 – Faculty Brewing Co.

Constant beer experiments mean the menu is forever changing here, but there’s always something good. When I was there it was the 699 Earl Grey Ale and sticking with the tea theme you could try the 681 Dirty Chai Porter. Faculty is also known for its kombucha.

Mount Pleasant Breweries

Merging with the False Creek neighborhood is the ultra hip Mount Pleasant stretching up Main Street. Find some of the heaviest concentration of breweries in the city here. Make sure to meander street to street discovering them all (including my favorites here) while admiring the local street art and boutique stores.

8 – Brassneck Brewery

This is probably my favorite Vancouver brewery. The only food they sell is cured meats or fresh focaccia bread (both of which are worth a try), and there’s often a food truck outside. But the beer doesn’t need any accompaniments here. Their decorative growlers and bottles will encourage you to buy more to take home too. My top beers at Brassneck are the Umlaut Hefeweizen and the Cherubesque Belgian Strong Ale. The Passive Aggressive Dry Hopped Pale Ale is also a Brassneck staple choice.

9 – Electric Bicycle Brewery

The zany artwork decorating the façade of this brewery is probably an indication of how unique it is. As you continue inside to what can only be described as an eclectic mix of 50s malt shop meets curiosity shop, you’ll open your mind to new beer flavors. Try the Taste Vacation Cherry Cola Stout or the Snakes & Ladders Blackberry Apple Blonde and you’ll start to get the picture. You can’t miss the grilled cheese menu either. They also sell non beer drinks for those who don’t like it.

10 – R&B Brewing Co.

Along from Electric Bicycle is the equally fun R&B Brewing. With antique shop vibes from the vintage stereo systems and cult classic books lining the shelves, this place is anything but boring. They also have ridiculously good pizzas so refuel here on your beer journey. The Dude Chilling Pale Ale and the Raven Cream Ale are my recommendations here, but grab some cans to go as the artwork on them is really unique.

East Vancouver Breweries

East Vancouver is the number one place to go if you want to find some of the best Vancouver breweries. Unlike the ones we’ve covered so far the train won’t get you to the warehouse-filled industrial East Vancouver. Have a designated driver, go on a bus adventure, plan for a group of breweries and taxi there, or book a local brewery tour.

11 – Andina Brewing Company

Andina mixes Latin flair with BC brewing and has both amazing South American food and creative beers on tap. Get some platachos (plantain nachos) or empanadas to satisfy your hunger while you drink. They also have a ceviche menu. As for beer, the Guava Saison is really refreshing and the Hazy IPA is an Andina favorite as well as plenty of limited edition beers.

12 – Strathcona Beer Company

A large tasting room and good food Strathcona’s often psychedelic looking can art is just as imaginative as the beers they serve. The Love Buzz fruit sour series are some of the most popular beers. With flavors like blueberry/pomegranate and raspberry/hibiscus you’ll soon see why. Also their Beach Radler series in light, refreshing, summer centric flavors like guava lime and mandarin.

13 – Strange Fellows Brewing

Strange Fellows is a really creative place – check out the ever-changing pop up artwork in the tasting room. At Christmas they had decorated the room with unique Krampus paintings. The beer is also first class. The Talisman West Coast Pale Ale and the Jongleur Wit beer are two of my go to tasters.

14 – Storm Brewing LTD

Perhaps the most haphazardly put together brewery in Vancouver. It resembles someone’s garage more than a brewery. Aesthetics mean nothing here as you’ll see by the salvaged scrap metal equipment. It’s worth visiting just for the experience. They serve a traditional Belgian Kriek Lambic beer you have to try and a Highland Scottish Ale. One of the first “experimental” beers I tried there was a caramel apple ale I still struggle to describe.

North Vancouver Breweries

Just over the Burrard Inlet is the city of North Vancouver. You can easily take the seabus from downtown Vancouver over to the Lonsdale Quay and find a few breweries a block or two walk away. Others are a short taxi ride further East but the good concentration of North Vancouver breweries means you have plenty of choice.

15 – Beere Brewing Co.

With colorful packaging and a nice taproom including patio seating, this rather new brewery is off to a good start. The Pinky Tuscadero Pink Lemonade Sour is one of the more interesting, but delicious, beers on tap. The Husky Baby Corn Lager is a really light and tasty beer, but if you’re feeling extra hoppy try the Jumbo Easy Double Dry Hopped IPA, at 8.5% is likely to put a few hairs on your chest.

16 – House of Funk

This pretty much describes many of the beers – there are some interesting flavors. Charcuterie-like snacks are served here to accompany your beer, but which ones do you want to try? Well I was intrigued by the Fatalis Ginger and Turmeric Sour which was an unusual flavor combo. It had a bite to it. The Incalescent Salted Black Coffee Porter is also worth a try. But if you want something a little plainer they have a really good Bavarian style lager.

17 – Wildeye Brewing

If you’re heading towards Deep Cove (beautiful place and another brewery on the way that you should check out), make a stop at Wildeye. The taproom is bigger than some of the other North Vancouver breweries and their beer is really creative. I recommend the Czech Dark Lager and more recently the Belgian Blond Rosé. Plan your trip around Vancouver’s famous Tacofino food truck, outside a few days a week.

18 – Green Leaf Brewing Company

Green Leaf is the most conveniently located at the transit friendly Lonsdale Quay market. Just a few steps from the seabus terminal I love this microbrewery. The brewery serves wine and kombucha too. The Weisenhower Wheat is my favorite beer, but if you’re feeling hoppy try their Hazy Shore NE IPA.

Port Moody Breweries

Port Moody was a quiet little place, but now it’s the bustling center of one of Greater Vancouver’s best brewery scenes. A bunch of phenomenal breweries line Murray Street and beyond. Take the skytrain to Moody Centre station and you’re only a couple minutes from the action.

19 – Yellow Dog Brewing Co.

Summer afternoon or crisp winter evening the Yellow Dog beer garden is a great place to hang out. Their beers are some of my favorite and all of them have a fun dog-themed name. Try the Squirrel Chaser Hazy Pale Ale or the Play Dead IPA as well as delicious seasonal options like the Chew Toy Coconut Porter.

20 – Twin Sails Brewing

Located next door to Yellow Dog you can assess the queues as to which one you visit first. There’s also always a food truck or two out front while you wait. Twin Sails has a nice little patio too, perfect for a nice day. Their Would Crush Raspberry Wheat Ale is my go-to, but another popular option here (and around Vancouver) is the Dat Juice Citra Pale Ale.

21 – The Bakery Brewing

Like the name suggests, they’re always cooking up something new here. Bakery has some of the most unique flavored beer experiments in Port Moody. The Peach Cobbler Sour is absolutely delicious, and the Pink Salted Pink Guava is really good. As is the Bière de Miel Belgian strong if you want something less fruity.

Richmond Breweries

Richmond is the city just south of Vancouver. It’s where the airport is located, but if you carry on through Richmond towards the southern end is the small fishing village of Steveston. It’s a quaint little tourist village completely in contrast to the rest of Richmond. An absolute gem worth the trip alone. They also have whale watching tours leaving from here so spend time walking around Steveston before or after a tour.

22 – Britannia Brewing Steveston

In the heart of Steveston, near the water, is Britannia Brewing with as much seating outdoors as in. The perfect people-watching patio let’s you enjoy the sun with some of their great food and fine beer. The Sirens Chai Saison and the Wave Crusader Extra Pale Ale are both worth working into your flight of tasters. As is the summery seasonal Sea Maiden Watermelon Sour which is not as sour or sweet as you might imagine.

Delta Breweries

Delta is now where I live. It’s farming country and is located just past Richmond. It’s nice and quiet with great places to walk and some amazing local farm fresh produce stalls and fruit picking in season. But a Sunday afternoon drive isn’t complete without a stop at a local craft brewery.

23 – Four Winds Brewing Co.

Four Winds have a great brewery selling incredible tacos and tapas to serve alongside award winning craft beer. Perfecting classic beers there’s usually some less classic seasonal counterparts. Try the Four Winds Oat Porter or the Four Winds Saison or my summer favorite the Vélo Hazy APA with lemon juice and pink Himalayan salt.

24 – Barnside Brewing Co.

This is my new local and I love it here. Barnside uses their own farm-grown ingredients to make the ultimate sustainable and locally crafted beer. The tasting room is literally a barn with a beautiful grassy area set up with picnic benches. Their Honeycomb Pale Ale and Crescent Island Brown are two of my top choices, but check out their summer Westham Island Strawberry Sour made with real strawberries from nearby Emma Lea Farm.

New Westminster Breweries

British Columbia’s original provincial capital, New Westminster, is a nice older area of greater Vancouver complete with historic waterfront. Easily accessed by the skytrain system from downtown Vancouver, this makes it really easy to get to.

25 – Another Beer Company (ABC)

Fun name, more fun beers. The flavors are amazing but the can art is also really decorative. They also have some really inventive names. Sometimes. Like the The Hardest Part Of Making A Beer Is Naming It, Pale Ale and the Intolerant Milkshake IPA. They have snacks like locally made cookies, popcorn and jerky, but no actual food so grab a bit in New Westminster before you arrive.

Abbotsford Breweries

This is the bonus brewery. Abbotsford is as far as I’m taking you on this beer trail, as I’m really stretching what I can class as the Greater Vancouver area now and this falls just outside. Abbotsford is a city in the Fraser Valley surrounded by lots of pretty scenery and farmland, along Highway 1 towards British Columbia’s Interior. If you’re off on a BC or Canadian Rockies road trip, make sure to stop at Abbotsford for some refreshments first.

BONUS BREWERY – Field House Brewing Co.

I discovered this brewery on my way to a weekend of brewery exploring in Kamloops, BC and it was the perfect stop. Like the name suggests, Field House has a field like patio area complete with lawn chairs. The Nordic Blond Ale is really good, and the Salted Black Porter has some interesting flavor combinations. In the summer months check out their ever-changing Radler made with the Sour Wheat Gose and fresh juices from The Habit Project.

If you’ve enjoyed this post leave a comment or share using the social media buttons below. Which Vancouver breweries have you visited? And which ones are next on your list?