Although the majority of Granville Island’s beer is now brewed at the massive Molson Brewery, the original site of is, in fact, still a working brewery. They brew specialty beers there and give tours. $10 maybe a bit steep take a look at the inner workers of a brewery, but they give you a round of beer afterwards, so it’s somewhat offset.
Ever Wondered?
What goes into beer in what order? What the difference between and ale and a lager is? What all that fancy brewing equipment actually does? All will be explained.
At least, in basic detail. Don’t expect to be super in-depth – it isn’t the brewmaster giving the tour. And although the tour guides seem to be pretty well versed, there are limits to their knowledge.
You Might just Learn a Secret
Ever had Granville Island Winter Ale? You know that distinct aroma that comes off of it? You’ll never guess what it comes from: white chocolate (any Germans reading this can stop cringing now). From time to time on these tours, the guides will let some little gem of information, like that, slip and you can impress friends and enemies with your newfound knowledge about brewing.
Worth Visiting?
If you haven’t been on a small brewery tour before, I’d suggest going. If you have seen the insides of a microbrewery, you probably won’t get much out of it – unless you really loved your other visit. As I said before, $10 is a bit step, but they give you 3 small glasses of beer to sample a couple of different brews.
That being said, they could learn something from Amsterdam’s Heineken Brewery, where they give you 3 full pints of beer (then send you through the gift shop – genius marketing strategy).
Overall, it isn’t a necessary visit in Vancouver. But if you can handle the price, seeing the inner workings of an actual brewery is pretty interesting and worth your time.
