STEAMWORKS BREWING AND TAPROOM
Contact:
3845 William Street, Burnaby, BC
V5C 3J1
604.620.7250
beer@steamworks.com
www.steamworks.com

* Opening Hours:
* Sun-Wed 12-10 pm
* Thurs-Sat 12-11pm


I stopped into the Steamworks Brewing and Taproom today. I have always liked the beer they create so I thought if I had the opportunity I could get into one of the employees head to see what their opinion on their work environment was like.

I discussed all things Steamworks Brewing with Craig who was serving clients in the Taproom as well as maintaining the room too.

Craig was well versed in the brewery's taproom. He does various jobs and seemed a very happy employee of the company. I could tell he has a passion for the golden elixir. He was going to school for criminology but came to the realization that it wasn't for him. He decided BEER was where he wanted to be so he got a job with Powell Street Craft Brewing (www.powellbeer.com) and moved on to Steamworks six months later.  That was a year and a half ago. Craig is currently attending Simon Fraser University and taking the Craft Beer and Brewing Essentials Certificate Course.

The Burnaby plant brews beer for Taproom consumption, distribution and some for the Vancouver Brew Pub on Water Street (open since 1995).  The Brew Pub itself is mostly self sufficient in brewing its own beer. Craig said they might deliver to them when they run short in the summer but in winter they are totally self sufficient.

The plant has been open since 2013 and the Taproom opened in 2014. Their first year of production created 5000 hectolitres of beer. In year 2 they produced 20,000. You can tell by this number, craft beer is so popular now.
They have created more opportunity to brew beer on site by a couple of moves. They have moved their fermenters outside to make room for more beer production inside and moved some of their finished product storage off site. He told me they have 10 more years in the building so the more they grow the more space they will need to brew.

Here is a list of the beers they brew: Pale Ale, Pilsner, Heroica Red Ale, Kolsch, Jasmine IPA, White Angel IPA, Kettle Sour, Killer Cucumber, Tropical Tart Ale, YVR ISA and Farmhouse Wheat Ale.

They are also brewing Raddlers which are blended in the traditional Beligian way, by adding fruit juice directly to the base beer. These are only available as in house beverages and growlers to go.
During my visit there was a table behind me which sat employees of the brewery. They all were "tasting" their work.  They seemed to be happy to hang out and Craig gave me the impression they worked in a great environment. (They also get samples to go but was told it is too much per week to personally consume).
The atmosphere of the Tasting Room was good, and all we're passionate about beer and of course tasty product.

I will give this Brewery Five beers out of a six pack. Well worth the visit.

Off The Rail Brewing Co.

OFF THE RAIL BREWING CO.
Contact:
Phone: 604-563-5767
Email: info@offtherailbrewing.com
Address: 1351 Adanac Street, Vancouver BC.  V5L 2C4
www.offtherailbrewing.com

Hours:
Sunday: 12-8pm
Monday: 12-8pm
Tuesday: 12-8pm
Wednesday: 12-8pm
Thursday: 12-8pm
Friday: 12-10pm
Saturday: 12-10pm


I had a great visit to Off the Rails Brewing a week ago. I met with Trigger who is a huge fan of Craft Brew and is in my opinion a customer service specialist. She was easy to talk to and spoke with everyone in the tasting room addressing each person with their first name. This makes me feel like it is a place where Off The Rail Brewing cares to get to know each individual who comes in. This industry is getting personal. A fresh change from the corporate gobleygook we have all experienced.

We spoke a bit about how the brewery started, where the owners came from and their background. I was unfortunately driving that day so I did not get to do extensive tasting but I did purchase a growler of their Kama Citra Ale and she gave me a bottle of the Raj Mahal India Ale. The Kama Citra Ale was a great tasting beer. Nice hop flavour with a citrus taste. This is a great summer beer. 4.4 ABV (Alcohol by Volume) and a 33 IBU (International Bitterness Units). A great accompaniment for a summer picnic,  barbecue or and outdoors get together.
I have not tried the Raj Mahal India Ale yet but if the Kama Citra is any indication, I think I will thoroughly enjoy it  since it has won a prestigious award already.
They have recently won some Canadian Craft Beer awards for 2016 their Classic Pale Ale and the Raj Mahal India Ale both won Gold Medals and their Belt Up ESB won a Bronze Medal.

Here is a list of the beers they produce:
Czechmate Pilsner, Classic Pale Ale, Raybuck Red Ale, Hopinionated IPA, Gateway, Bohemian Lager, Kama Citra Ale, Crazy Train IPA, Belt Up ESB, Lancaster Cream Ale, Irish Pub Draught, Beez Kneez Honey Ginger Ale and Saison of the Witch.

I highly recommend a visit to this Brewery as they live beer. For only having been open since February of 2015, they are doing an amazing job of attending to both the new craft beer drinker and the experience pallet of a craft beer lover.
Rating for this brewery:  5 beers from a 6 pack

Next time on Kurtz Kraft Beer Blog: Parallel 49 Brewing Co.

Beer From Start To Finish

After my last post, I have been thinking about what this discussion is all about. What will I talk about and who should I talk to?
I think I will cover the industry of beer locally, Provincially, Nationally and the International side as Craft beer is one huge industry and growing at a phenomenal rate.
I will of course be talking about specific beers available to drink, but also the breweries themselves, the people behind the scenes, their suppliers, and the pubs and restaurants the Brewers supply.
I will also want to speak on the history of beer from the very beginnings, to the growth of beer in all corners of the world and how it has all morphed into today's market.
It sounds huge and I think it really is but we'll start slowly and build from there.
My next post will be on the burgeoning beer industry in my local area, Port Moody. They now have four breweries which need to be talked about.
Until then, sit back, enjoy your beer and let's discover what this amazing drink has, does and will offer everyone.

Sláinte

Beer

Vancouver Craft Beer Week

Having been to the final weekend of the Vancouver Craft Beer Week for the past three years and this being the second year the event has been held at the Western end of the Pacific National Exibition grounds, VCBW is becoming a must attend event for the beer lovers on the Left Coast.

The security and safety for the event was well controlled, the layout of the participating breweries, the music being offered and the food vendors was perfectly spaced for the attendees to move freely throughout the grounds. 

My wife, Cathy and I attended on the last Sunday of the weeks celebrations. From all the conversations I had with the Brewers, the day before was "a gong show" compared to the day we attended. There was probably 2000 to 3000 people who were there when we were, but with that amount of people, it did not seem busy or cramped to move around the grounds.

Between myself and Cathy, we tasted 22 different beverages from stouts, ales, saisons, ciders, pilsners, ESBs, IPAs, Biere de Guards, dunkles and lagers.  

The Vancouver Craft Beer Week had 100 different Brew 

Houses attending with almost 400 different beers and ciders to choose from. Too many for this beer lover to sample in one day but with some planning, we tasted all the libations we wanted to.

As this even grows every year, the business development by Paul Kamon, Event Director Leah 

Heneghan and Technical Director Tylor Olsen, this event will become better and better for years to come. 

Here is the list of beers that I tasted:

Alameda Brewing Black Beer Stout XX

Lagunitas Brewing A Little Sumpin Sumpin Ale

Steel and Oak Tu Meke Saison

33 Acres Brewing 33 Acres of Sunshine

Hoyne Brewing Appleton ESB

Parkside Brewing Dusk Pale Ale

Lighthouse Brewing Race Rocks Ale

4 Mile Brewing Tangerine Dream Ale

Trading Post Brewing Captain Coopers Cranberry Ale

Be Right Back Brewing Kentucky Comon

Real Cask Brewery Melon IPA

Brewhouse Whistler Biere de Guarde

Main St. Brewing Begian Bonson Single Hop Ale

Brookside Brewery Flagship IPA

Erdinger Dunkel

Affligen Blond Ale

KPU Brewing Golden Lager