This past weekend, it came to light that one of the more beloved couples in BC’s craft beer scene was in trouble. Brewer Tony Dewald, who has graced the cover of our magazine, is well known amongst the Lower Mainland beer community for over two decades of outstanding brewing, including during the seminal times at the legendary DIX BBQ & Brewery which gave birth to Vancouver’s current craft beer scene. Tony’s wife Andy Brown, an artist whose Haida name Gaajuu Gwaang means Beauty In Grace, is equally famous amongst local craft beer folks both for innovating a series of hop necklaces and othe ..read more

Award-Winning Brewery Releases Love-Themed Fundraiser Beer in Advance of Valentine’s Day When Dr. Brad Harris was taken from us in March of 2022, the Comox Valley and wider BC brewing community lost a great ally. He had founded the legendary “Craft Beer and Wilderness” event and the Royston Nano brewery, an unofficial brewspace with a One Barrel system built in his garage. With this brewery and in collaboration with others, he managed to raise hundreds of thousands of dollars for local charities like YANA (the You Are Not Alone society, offering help to Comox Valley families who need to trave ..read more

Today, Early Bird tickets for the 2023 Okanagan Fest of Ale (OFOA) officially go on sale. This is significant to the BC beer enthusiast for a couple of reasons. Firstly, OFOA—held in Penticton since 1996—has long been recognized around British Columbia and beyond as one of the best annual beer events in the Pacific Northwest. Secondly, the fact that an Early Bird offer even exists (and in time for the holidays, no less) marks a reassuring return to norm. COVID’s effect has lasted longer than we often appreciate. For instance, even though Fest of Ale was held this past year, and it was a great ..read more

Kwantlen Polytechnic University (KPU) and Russell Brewing Co. have announced great news for the future of BC brewing education and #BCCraftBeer. $7000 has been donated by Russell Brewing to the John Mitchell Legacy Endowed Scholarship at KPU, open to students in their Brewing & Brewery Operations Diploma program. The funds were raised from the sales of John Mitchell Signature Cascadian Dark Ale, originally launched on July 6th in commemoration of the 40th anniversary of Canadian craft beer. The contribution should boost overall Scholarship donations past the $20,000 mark and help secu ..read more

Province that pioneered craft beer in Canada to have movement’s priceless 40-year history protected From the moment we first got the word, there was a sense of excitement in each of us. For this author, that moment came almost a year ago, November 9th, 2021 in the form of a note from Kim Lawton. What’s Brewing likes to refer to her as the ‘Mob Boss of Penticton Craft Beer’ (for the leadership efforts making her the glue which helps bond their exceedingly cohesive beer community). Kim herself had gotten word the month prior via Cayla Stiles-Clark, President of the Campaign for Real Ale Society ..read more

Pictured above: industry folks and public alike celebrate at a #BCBeerCon after-party. Photo: Brian K. Smith/WB As #BCCraftBeer Month rolls on, there are two major annual events that loom on the horizon. This year, for the first time, both of them will be held in early November. The first is BC Beer Awards, which is our province’s yearly gathering celebrating the best in BC brewing. #BCBA is slated to take place on Saturday, November 5th 2022 at Vancouver’s Croatian Cultural Centre. More info here ≫ The second will take place a few days later, when the annual BC Craft Brewers Conference (aka B ..read more

For at least the last 15 years I have been putting together International Women’s Day events, for which I search the province to find women who work in the beer industry. That is how I first met Tessa Gabiniewicz. It was back in 2010 when I was thrilled to find out that Nelson Brewing Company had a female Assistant Brewer! I immediately sought her out and asked if she wanted to be part of the event, and would she create a unique cask for the occasion. Our paths crossed again in 2018 when I found out that she was working as an Assistant Brewer at 33 Acres Brewing, and I asked her to create a un ..read more

Announcing John Mitchell Signature Cascadian Dark Ale HONOURING CANADA’S ORIGINAL CRAFT BREWER SURREY BC, June 17th 2022 – A special new commemorative beer is brewing! Forty years after craft beer was first officially served in Canada, BC’s Russell Brewing Co. is set to release John Mitchell Signature Cascadian Dark Ale. The beer has been brewed in collaboration with staff, students and alumni from Kwantlen Polytechnic University (KPU)‘s Brewing & Brewery Operations Diploma program, in order to raise funds for a cause that directly benefits the BC craft beer movement: a brewing school scho ..read more

BC’s Most Popular Beer Event Returns to PNE Fairgrounds July 9th & 10th It was back in 2010 that Vancouver Craft Beer Week first took the Lower Mainland beer community by storm. As the years passed, the crown jewel of the Week solidified as VCBW Festival, which grew to become one of the larger beer events in Canada. After a two year hiatus, the Fest if back! This year’s event will be held on Saturday, July 9th & Sunday July 10th, 2022.  What’s new? For one thing, after ten years of producing Vancouver Craft Beer Week, the original festival organizers have stepped back and a new ev ..read more

8th Annual Rare Brews Festival Returns to Darby’s Pub on Saturday, May 28th Established in 1981, Darby’s Pub has served Vancouver for over 40 years, during which time they’ve been known as an early supporter of the craft beer scene. In recent years, that support ramped up to the point that they installed a massive wall of over 40 beer and cider taps. But once a year it gets even better than that. One of What’s Brewing’s favourite opportunities to enjoy this ground-breaking establishment is during their annual Rare Brews event, during which some of BC’s best breweries are invited to really show ..read more