Change is inevitable, and Vancouver’s only co-operative brewery Callister Brewing is well accustomed to change. Each July Callister says goodbye to their current in house breweries and welcomes a new round of aspiring brewers into the craft beer community.  The co-op model is a welcomed opportunity for those looking to test the waters of the business of brewing and has produced some of Vancouver’s most popular beers – perhaps most notably Boom Box Brewing Co. and Superflux Beer Co.

This July, Good Buddy Brewing Co. will be the newest brewery to set up shop in Callister. Founded by Tim Rennie, we had the opportunity to sit down with Tim and learn more about his plans for Vancouver’s newest brewery.

Tell us about Good Buddy Brewing?

Good Buddy Brewing is my take at the brewing industry.  We’re sort of the little brother or the goofy friend in the craft beer world.  We want to focus on making beers that are a little weird and playful.  For me drinking beer has always been about hanging out with your friends and family and just having a great time and that’s what I want everyone to feel when they drink GB.  I’m hoping to do a lot of collab beers in the future and feature guest brewers and recipes.  We also plan on posting all of our recipes on our website and if you ever have any questions or just want to talk beer I love that kind of stuff.  This year we are one of the associate brewers at Callister so you can find me slinging beers there once a week.

What inspired you to start Good Buddy Brewing?

I started brewing with my dad at the home brew shop back in Ontario when I was a kid.  Over the years I kept building home brew set ups at the different towns I’ve lived in all over Canada.  I came to Vancouver about 6 years ago and that’s sorta when it clicked that I could do this as a living.  I quit a well paying job I had and took the first beer job I could get which was at Parallel 49 working the bottling line and kegging machine.  The goal for me was always to start something on my own that was a little less industrial than a lot of the other things I saw at the time.  Since then a lot of places have popped up and I’ve worked with a ton of them and made loads of friends.  It’s been about 4 years since I jumped into this game and I keep finding more reasons to love this business.

Why did you choose to partner with Callister Brewing to start your brewery?

I knew Chris and Diana from Vanbrewers and they also gave a presentation at SFU while I was there for the beer program, so I was pretty familiar with their business model.  I’ve seen a few pretty cool breweries come through there so it seemed like a bit of a no brainier.  I’ve been looking at other ways to start a brewery, and there are a lot of them now, and this seemed like the best way to really test out a bunch of recipes and get some feedback on a relatively small budget.  I sent Chris and Diana a ton of emails over Christmas (their probably pretty sick of seeing my name pop up in their inbox) and I was kind of surprised when they gave me the green light because they’re kind of heroes to me.

You have years of experience working for a number of BC’s craft breweries. How will this experience help you now that you’re brewing for yourself?

Once I get something in my head that I want to do I pretty much charge like a bull into figuring that out.  That’s been really helpful for me in this industry.  I went from pretty much pushing a broom at Parallel 49 to doing deliveries at Coal Harbour which eventually led to brewing and some managing and then to my head brewer role at Salt Spring Island Ales, all in a fairly short period of time.  At this point I’ve seen quite a bit of most of the sides of the beer world, but there is always more to learn.  The brewery on Salt Spring is over 20 years old so I had no shortage of things to repair on nearly a daily basis.  I can’t really think of a better way to learn what I’ve learned in a faster time than my time on Salt Spring.  Besides brewing their core beers (which are mostly English ale recipes) I also had the opportunity to make a few of my own recipes which I’m really proud of (most notably the Hazy IPA).  The next challenge is the business side.

How did the name Good Buddy Brewing come to be?

A few years ago I was living in Dawson City, Yukon and working in the casino as a black jack dealer.  I put a note in the break room that said if you ever needed the night off just ask your good buddy Tim.  Pretty soon everyone knew me as good buddy Tim.  The cartoon character was also on that note and it kinda became synonymous with the good buddy moniker.  Over the years its kind of evolved into the guy you’ll see on cans today.  I think it also shows a lightheartedness and that I don’t take myself too seriously.

What types of beers will you be focusing on?

I have a pretty huge variety of beers that I enjoy so I don’t want to pigeon hole myself too much.  A lot of guys out there stick with a style and I really respect that.  Dagaraad for example does amazing Belgian beers.  I’ve got more of an ADD type personality.  I love things that are wacky so I’d like to focus on that.  I don’t really see much point in making another pale ale or lager since there are so many breweries already doing a great job of that.  I’ve asked my friends in the past to come up with wacky ideas for beers and that’s what I like to do.  I’ve done a wasabi bitter, blonde stout and honey lavender beer in the past (with mixed success) and I’d like to continue to challenge myself with making stuff that’s crazy like that, but also drinkable.  I also love a good hazy IPA, so I’m going to continue to make that.  Basically I know what I like and more importantly what I don’t like so I’m going to keep making that stuff better and better as well as put some challenging beer out there that may or may not be amazing.

What else would you like our readers to know about Good Buddy Brewing?

I’m really at the very beginning of what I hope is a great adventure.  I’m really hoping that I can make beer fun and exciting for everyone, like it is for me.  If you’ve ever had any questions about making or drinking beer I want to be out there to help everyone out with that.  There’s a lot of really smart people in the beer world right now and it can be a bit intimidating.  I’m hoping to be the guy that’s easy to talk to and hang out with.  There’s no stupid questions, only stupid t-shirts.

Connect with Good Buddy Brewing

www.goodbuddybeer.com

www.instagram.com/goodbuddybeer

www.facebook.com/pg/goodbuddybeer

It is hard to believe that this June marks our 5^th anniversary in business, and to celebrate turning 5 we’re having a party! Come celebrate and share a beer with us at Strange Fellows Brewing on Sunday June 24^th from 3pm-7pm.

Open to the public, we’re hosting an open house style event in the art room/brewery with music, food and of course lots of great beer from our friends at Strange Fellows Brewing.  Come say hi to our staff, members of the beer community and more and help us reflect on 5 years of brewery tours and some fantastic memories.

Looking forward to seeing you there!

When: Sunday June 24th

Time: 3pm-7pm

Where: Strange Fellows Brewing – 1345 Clark Drive, Vancouver. Party will be held in the Art Room and in the back of the brewery

What: Open house with food, music and Strange Fellows Beers

TAP & BARREL TO OPEN VANCOUVER’S FIRST BREWERY BEER HALL CONCEPT

Exciting news today from the people who brought you locally owned and operated Tap and Barrel Restaurants. Anticipation has been high for the opening of a new brewery in the former Steel Toad Brewing space on East 2nd in Olympic Village, and today it was announced that BREWHALL will be the new tenant opening in late June of 2018.

For more information, see below for the official announcement from Tap and Barrel. We’re looking forward to introducing our guests to the new brewery!

VANCOUVER, BC, MAY 23, 2018 – Tap & Barrel Restaurants has announced that its new concept, opening in the former Steel Toad Brewery space, will be called BREWHALL – the first and only place of its kind in Vancouver incorporating a brewery and a large-scale beer hall. The name and concept of the new location has been highly-anticipated since the company announced possession of the heritage Opsal Steel Building located at 97 East 2^nd Avenue earlier this year.

BREWHALL is “a collaborative craft brewery and food hall that brings the community together in one space and encourages our inner child to play and explore,” states Tap & Barrel Founder, Daniel Frankel. He adds, “it has been a dream to take our brewing collaborations to a whole new level, and to create a community hall where people can inspire and be inspired.” Whether it be for a meeting, celebration, or catch-up with friends, the space has something for everyone from its quiet section with outlets and USB plug-ins to its games area, the Beercade, with arcade favourites.

BREWHALL is a 10-tank brewery, where Head Brewer, Kerry Dyson, will focus on collaboration beers that push the boundaries on small-batch product innovation in BC’s burgeoning beer scene. Currently, the tanks hold a signature Pale Ale, IPA, and Saison along with a Rye Lager brewed in collaboration with Doan’s Craft Brewing Company. On May 23, 2018, BREWHALL is hosting a private pioneering event, where behind closed doors, eight Brewmasters from Vancouver’s Brewery Creek neighbourhood will create a unique collaboration for craft beer lovers, a White IPA. The following local breweries will be represented at this very special inaugural collaboration event: Faculty, Main St., Brassneck, 33 Acres, Red Truck, Electric Bicycle, R&B and of course, BREWHALL.

BREWHALL’s fast-casual menu will shine a spotlight on local ingredients and healthful options, sectioned into shareables, bowls, handhelds, pizzas, and desserts. The food menu, available for both eat-in and take-out, complements the beverage program that puts an emphasis on west coast craft beer. BREWHALL also offers a carefully curated selection of premium local wines on tap along with innovative cocktails, both on tap and handcrafted.

BREWHALL is set to open late June; however, the company is excited to launch its proprietary BREWHALL beer at its existing Tap & Barrel locations by early June.

About Tap & Barrel Restaurants

Daniel Frankel opened the first Tap & Barrel in mid-July 2012 in Vancouver’s Olympic Village. Feeling that too many restaurants provide the same experience, Frankel wanted to curate a platform offering the best of local purveyors, where guests can always try something new. Tap & Barrel is heavily focused on a sustainable beverage program, exclusively serving local independent craft beer and premium BC wines exclusively on tap, along with a strong emphasis on artisanal food producers from around the province. Driven by passion, this Vancouver company has grown to six locations, which includes two TAPshack concepts, and its newest BREWHALL brewery and beer hall opening early summer. More information on BREWHALL can be found at www.brewhall.com  

Recently we launched our newest tour and for the first time some of our destinations are not breweries! With the addition of our Gastown Pub Walks, we now get the exciting opportunity to support an entirely different segment of Vancouver’s craft beer community – our local pubs.

But what exactly is a Gastown Pub Walk? How are they different from say a Vancouver Pub Crawl? Most people have already heard of a pub crawl and probably have an understanding of how they work, which goes something like this – visit as many gastown pubs as possible in one night and get hammered. Done! A Vancouver pub crawls usually happen later in the evening, are a great way to meet new people, and can be a lot of fun.

By comparison, a Gastown Pub Walk is a much different experience than a pub crawl. While the tours also offer a generous amount of craft beer samples, the focus is more on an appreciation for craft beer with plenty of opportunities to learn more about it. Our knowledgeable brewery tour guides know beer and take guests through the brewing process to how to taste beer to pairing beer with food and more. In short, guests will leave having learned a few new things!

Another benefit of our newest tour is the neighborhood we’ll be visiting. Gastown is rich in history and new Vancouver pubs. Between pubs, we’ll introduce our guests to the history of the area and some of its most iconic landmarks.

So there you have it, Gastown Pub Walks are more than just a Vancouver pub crawl or a pub to pub walk, and combine a love of craft beer with an opportunity to learn about our city’s oldest neighborhood. For more information, visit our website here: www.vancouverbrewerytours.com/tours/public-tours/gastown-pub-walks/

Experience Vancouver’s Original Ale Trail on a Gastown Pub Walk

We’ve been connecting our guests with Vancouver’s craft breweries for over 5 years and each one of these breweries has a story to tell. Every brewery is unique – from the beers they produce, the culture they create right down to the funky beer labels they design. But what happens to the beer after it leaves the brewery and where does it go? What about the top craft beer pubs in the city that support our brewery friends– where are they and surely they must have stories of their own? We looked around the city and found one neighborhood in particular with an abundance of great craft beer pubs and a century’s worth of compelling stories – Gastown.

Vancouver Brewery Tours is proud to present our newest beer tour – Gastown Pub Walks. These fun and informative craft beer walking tours journey through the historic streets of Gastown and feature a selection of the city’s best craft beer focused pubs including The Alibi Room – voted year after year as Vancouver’s best craft beer restaurant and 2nd home to all the city’s craft beer geeks.

Our passionate brewery tour guides know beer and will introduce our guests to the city’s vibrant craft beer community. At each pub, guests will enjoy VIP access and seating and also some brewing 101, beer tasting tips and share laughs with new friends all while sampling a generous variety of BC’s best craft beers. Not a fan of beer? We won’t judge! Wine is available as an alternative at each stop.

Gastown is steeped in history and in between pubs the adventure continues in Vancouver’s oldest neighborhood. Stroll through cobbled streets, learn about the nefarious characters who founded Gastown and leave with a new appreciation for Vancouver’s history. Come experience Vancouver’s original ale trail on our new Gastown Pub Walks.

For more information OR to book a Gastown Pub Walk visit our website here.

Gastown Pub Walks

• Tour Schedule: 3 craft beer pubs in 2.5 to 3 hours
• Tour Days: Tuesday and Thursday
• Tour Times: 3pm-6pm
• Tour Sizes: 3-12 guests
• Meeting Location: 2:45pm inside Waterfront Station at 601 West Cordova St.
• Tour Price: $69.99 + 5% GST

Tour Includes:

• All the beer –pint or beer flight at each pub
• Choice of craft beer or wine
• Appetizer at one of our stops
• FREE Vancouver Brewery Tours Beer Glass
• Vancouver Brewery Tours
• Beer Tasting Journal
• VIP access and seating
• Behind the scenes brewery tour with an introduction to the brewing process
• Passionate and knowledgeable beer tour guides