Start with amazing coastal views and old growth forests. Add multiple award-winning breweries and, voila, you have the Sunshine Coast Ale Trail. This 178-kilometre, ferry-access-only (or via air, of course) scenic route along BC’s west coast is the perfect weekend getaway to find your new favourite brew.
Day 1 – Catch the Horseshoe Bay Ferry from West Van to Langdale and continue along the Sunshine Coast Highway towards Gibsons. First stop, Persephone Brewing Company, a brewery with two orchards (makes sense that they have also recently begun making cider) and a working farm where they grow their own barley. The old barn at Persephone has been converted into a tasting room with a roll-up door: the perfect place to try a flight or a pint of their popular, Persephone Pale Ale, a tasty citrus-forward pale ale.
In the summer, Persephone also has a full-scale market garden with a 60-person veggie-box program. “This is much more of a meeting place than just another brewery,” says Roo Miller, tasting room manager. “On any given day, we have beer lovers playing lawn games, bikers coming off the mountain-biking trails of nearby Sprockids Park, moms having a play date with their kids, or groups of elders enjoying the sunshine.”
Further down the highway is 101 Brewhouse & Distillery. Located in an old automotive shop, 101 honours its blue-collar roots with beer like Bob’s Auto Lager. Aside from making great beer (and gin and vodka), 101 Brewhouse is focused on providing an excellent, locally-inspired dining experience and entertainment. From a window in the upstairs room, you can see below to the shiny tanks below and watch the busy staff making your beer. 101 has a range of flavour profiles and styles, but they tend to focus on German-style lagers and pilsners.
“101 Brewhouse is the most fun place to be when there’s an event going on (like karaoke or dance parties),” says co-founder, Chris Greenfield. “It can take on an energy of its own and people can forget about their troubles for a while. Kind of like Cheers without Woody, Cliff and Norm. I think the trend of brew pubs is moving towards supporting local and working together as a community.”
Right in Gibsons Landing is Tapworks Brewing Company, a brewery with a small, intimate taproom (think: a friend’s living room) and a rooftop patio where you can ogle over the mountain and ocean views. (Hint: try a pint of the margarita sour — it’s been such a huge hit that Tapworks is bringing it back every year).
“In the recent past, beer has been getting more adventurous with multiple different additions and more complex flavours,” says Geoff Gornall, co-founder. “Right now is an interesting time, because there seems to be a bit of a split and, at times, almost a diatribe! Some drinkers seem to be getting palate fatigue and are reaching for more “back to basics” brews, like a well-executed Pilsner, for example. Others are keen to see that next level adventurousness with more creative additions, more aggressive dry-hops, and so on.”
Less than half an hour up the coast in Sechelt is the Sunshine Coast’s newest brewery (opened in 2020), Batch 44 Brewery & Kitchen, owned by brothers, Emmanuel and George Kobas. “Each beer we make is shaped by things like our brewery system, the local water, the ingredients, and the brewing techniques of our brewer. We plan to retain some core beers and have a series of revolving taps according to the season,” say the Kobas.
Batch 44’s industrial-style setting provides a relaxed, fun atmosphere for the whole family. Try a pint of one of their most popular brews, the Wharf Ave. Wiessbier, paired with some top-notch pub grub, created in-house. Prefer to pick up beer-to-go? Batch 44 sells growlers, 473 ml glass bottles, and will soon add crowlers (similar to a growler, except in aluminum can form) to their product list.
Up the highway in West Sechelt is the Bricker Cider Company where they make dry, crisp ciders using locally-sourced ingredients, including fruit grown on their own five-acre farm.
“People love being out in nature at our cidery,” says Morgan Farrer, founder. “The orchard is right there, we have a nice big grassy area for kids to play and it is a little bit out of the way, which I think makes it feel like you’ve found a hidden gem. We are a family business (named after Farrer’s grandmother), and we want to personify that welcoming family-feel when people visit.”
Bricker doesn’t shy away from innovative flavours, like elderberry and lavender or apricot and ginger, just to name a couple. But their fan favourite is Frambo (raspberry) cider.
“It’s tart and dry with the right amount of raspberry whilst still staying true to the apple,” says Farrer. “We think that you’re going to find more single varietal ciders and more traditional cider styles coming out. Now that craft cider has started to boom over the past few years, people’s awareness of craft cider has grown, their palates are developing, and they want to try something more.”
The north and south sections of the Sunshine Coast are connected by another ferry. The only brewery on the north land mass is Townsite Brewing, located in a gorgeous 1939 brick building in Powell River’s historic district. Their tasting room has lots of bricks, noise and smiling faces. Townsite is also in the midst of opening a beer garden on a large lot directly behind the brewery.
“We use a lot of local references in naming our beers, so everyone has a different favourite, depending on what their favourite Powell River activity is,” says Chloe Smith, general manager. “This year, we are releasing a hazy pale ale and named it ‘Up the Lake,’ which is the local term for the floating house boats on Powell Lake. Hazy IPAs and fruit additions to beer top the popularity lists these days, which is great, as both of those trends present endless experimentation opportunities for us.”
By the way, in 2016, Powell River was named as the “least polluted city in the world” by Guinness World Records as having the cleanest air quality. Just one more reason to get planning your Sunshine Coast Ale Trail road trip.
Travel info:
For more info go to: https://bcaletrail.ca/ale-trails/sunshine-coast/
and www.hellobc.com/places-to-go/sunshine-coast/
Accommodation options: Gibsons – Arcturus Retreat Bed & Breakfast or Bed & Beachcomber; Powell River – Old Courthouse Inn or Beyond Bliss Suites & Spa.
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