If you’re a beer fanatic visiting Vancouver, you have to visit East Vancouver. This is the microbrew hub of Vancouver Canada… it’s even been nicknamed the Yeast Van Brewery District.
There are over 15 Vancouver breweries in this area, all within a few blocks of each other. Because there’s so many, this is my recommended Vancouver Brewery tour in East Van.
Psst! This blog post contains affiliate links in it which sends me a bit of extra money if you use them… at no extra cost to you!
Why Visit Yeast Vancouver Breweries?
Although East Vancouver a bit out of the way from the city centre, a Vancouvery brewery tour is well worth your time.
East Vancouver breweries are a huge part of Vancouver life and their laid back west coast vibes. This is the spot to go every day after work for locals!
It was by far my favourite thing to do in Vancouver, probably because it’s not a typical tourist attraction. You’re just out trying good craft beer with locals! (p.s. see my top things to do in Vancouver in my post here).
Vancouver Organized Beer Tours
Don’t worry about a designated driver, go on a Vancouver brewery tour with Viator here.
For more food and drink tours in Vancouver, click here.
Where Is East Vancouver?
Yeast Van is an industrial part of Vancouver to the east of the city! It’s sandwiched between the harbour and train station. So just a heads up – it’s not the nicest.
But you aren’t coming here for the views, you’re coming here for the brews!
How To Get To Yeast Vancouver Breweries?
If you have a car in Vancouver, leave it at the hotel! You’re coming to Yeast Van to try all the different brews and you don’t want any drunk driving.
Thankfully, Yeast Van is relatively easy to get to. You could easily taxi or Uber. But, you can also take public transit.
If you’re coming from downtown Vancouver, you’ll most likely take a bus to East Vancouver (most likely the 022). Plan your trip with TransLink here.
If you still decide to drive, please at least have a designated driver that doesn’t drink! Otherwise, book a guided tour, like this one on Viator, so your whole party can taste the brews!
Come Prepared To Your Vancouver Brewery Tour
There are a few things to note before making your way to microbreweries Vancouver!
The Food Situation In Yeast Van…
As I said, this is the industrial part of Vancouver, so there’s not much else in the area aside from breweries.
Because of that, make sure you eat before, and bring some snacks with you. Most of the breweries will serve some food, but it can be quite pricey for a small portion.
2024 food update: Now it seems that most breweries have partnered with local restaurants to provide more food options to their customers!
Plan the ultimate vacation
My digital travel planner template has everything you need to plan your vacation: research templates, travel planner itinerary, travel budget templates…etc. . You can print it out or use it digitally on your phone, tablet, or computer.
Be Prepared To Walk!
If you listened to me and left your car at home, that means the only way to get around Yeast Van is by walking.
This isn’t an issue because the breweries are all within walking distance to each other! The entire walk from the first brewery to the last is about 30 minutes, and don’t forget you’ll be stopping along the way.
Print Out A Flight Card For Microbreweries Vancouver Taste Test!
At each Vancouver brewery, the trick is to order a flight and share with people you’re with. This way you can try up to 5 or 6 beers at each brewery and find your favourite one.
But don’t go on your Vancouver brewery tour unprepared… Be able to rate and record each beer your try my digital and printable flight scorecard.
There’s enough room on each page for 6 beers from one brewery. You can input all the important information, like alcohol percent, IBU, the aromas and flavours, and ultimately if you like the beer or not.
Check it out on Etsy here. And if you really want to be prepared, buy it as a bundle with my beer tasting guide with examples of aromas and flavours. See the bundle on Etsy.
Become A Beer Guru: The Ultimate Beer Lovers Bundle!
Refine your beer tasting with my beer tasting guide then take notes on individual beers, or compare an entire flight. Print it out, or use it digitally!
Best Vancouver Brewery Tour In “Yeast Van”
Along my Vancouver brewery tour route, you’ll stop at more than just breweries along the way!
1. Strange Fellows Brewing
Strange Fellows Brewery is the first stop on the Vancouver brewery tour.
It’s probably the most well-known brewery out of the bunch (you’ll actually be able to find their beer in stores throughout Vancouver).
The building itself is quite small, but there never seems to be people waiting. You can see the giant vats in the back while you enjoy your beer.
There is an onsite restaurants serving small bites and pizzas. Plus they feature a local artist every month in their Charles Clark Gallery in the back, so be sure to check that out!
Where To Stop En Route To The Next Brewery?
On route to your next brewery, there are a few places to stop along the way.
If you head towards the train tracks from Strange Fellows Brewing, you’ll reach Parker Street Studios. You can of course visit the studio, but the real point of interest is the art (graffiti) outside the studio.
This is the perfect photo stop!
A bit further down the street you’ll find La Casa Gelato, if you’re already feeling a bit peckish before your next tasting!
2. Luppolo Brewing Co.
Luppolo is an Italian inspired brewery, all the way from their draft styles to the decor, and now offering local artisanal Italian pizza.
I found they had some really unique brews at Luppolo that were either a real hit or a complete miss! But it’s still worth checking out.
It’s also a very homey atmosphere inside. When we were there someone was even throwing a family birthday party.
Build & Track Your Beer Journey
Refine your beer tasting palette with my digital and printable Beer Tasting Sheets to record and take notes on every new tea you try.
3. Off The Rail Brewery
Off the Rail Brewing is a lot smaller than the last two microbreweries on the tour (which says a lot because I considered Strange Fellows to be small!).
Unfortunately, you don’t see any part of the brewing process at Off the Rail Brewery. Their tasting room is actually above the entire brewery! But there’s nonetheless a great atmosphere.
They have fun names for each beer and I loved the designs on every the can (cue my inner graphic designer screams!).
Off the Rail Brewing also offers a great non-alcoholic option, called Bine Hop Water, if you’re in need of a bit of a break from beer. I assume you do have to like the taste of hops to enjoy it though… which I do not…
On top of their 10-12 beers on tap, they also have 3 nitro taps, featuring beers that are rarely available outside the tap room (making a visit here even more worthwhile!).
While they don’t have a full restaurant, they do offer a few snack and light meal options to tide you over.
Vancouver Organized Tours With Viator
Vancouver City Sightseeing Tour including Granville Island & Stanley Park →
Vancouver City Tour Including Capilano Suspension Bridge →
Vancouver Evening Dinner Cruise →
For more tours around Vancouver, click here.
4. Storm Brewing LTD… Best Brewery Vancouver!
Storm Brewing will be the longest walk on my Vancouver brewery tour, coming in at a total of 13 minutes from Off The Rail Brewing! But it’s worth it.
I gauruntee you have never been to a brewery like this before.
Although Storm Brewing was surprisingly my favourite stop on the tour, you should mentally prepare yourself for this East Vancouver brewery!
It’s how should I say… Different.
It’s in a graffiti painted garage that you’d probably just walk by if you didn’t know it was there. It’s very casual, there aren’t any seats. And that’s all I’m going to say for now, the rest you’ll have to see for yourself!
Just keep in mind that I’m so picky about food and cleanliness and I drank their beer. That’s also why it’s the second to last place on the list. You’re hopefully a bit tipsy by the time you get here so you won’t care what it looks like.
But just remember, I loved it! You also won’t find their beer anywhere on the market. And they have some of the most unique flavours I’ve ever tasted. They had so many that I wanted to try, it was hard to choose.
And it gets even better… tasters are FREE!! Yup! They want you to try their beer. All they ask for is a tip at the end.
Or, instead of tipping you can buy a growler and they’ll fill it up for you with your favourite beer.
Be aware that Storm actually closes fairly early. The latest they stay open is 8 P.M. on Friday and Saturday. And the rest of the week they close at 6 P.M. So make sure to plan accordingly.
They also don’t serve any food here, it’s all about the beer!
5. Odd Society Spirits (Distillery!)
Now that you’ve survived the garage, it’s time to step it up a notch and go back up to some classiness. We’re headed to Odd Society Distillery.
Here, you’re done with beer, they make their own spirits. They’re mainly known for their vodka and gin, but in recent years have also released several different whiskeys.
You can either order their spirits straight or order one of their many unique cocktails.
I don’t usually like gin, especially straight, but I really didn’t mind theirs, that’s how good it is!
And this isn’t just a bar, it’s a tasting lounge with a distillery in the back!
Take you beer tasting to the next level….
Explore beer flavours and aromas with my digital and printable beer tasting guide. See it on Etsy here.
Vancouver Brewery FAQ: What Is A Growler?
Even though I’m Canadian I had no idea what a growler was before I went to Vancouver. And now I’m seeing them everywhere!
It’s just a big beer bottle that you can reseal and carry around.
Because you can’t find most of these beers in a store, it’s common to go to your favourite brewery and fill up your growler to enjoy at home. Usually at a very reasonable price too!
Vancouver Organized Beer Tours
Don’t worry about a designated driver, go on a Vancouver brewery tour with Viator here.
For more food and drink tours in Vancouver, click here.
Visiting Vancouver: Hotel Recommendations
Need a place to stay in Vancouver? I wouldn’t exactly recommended staying in East Van… as you might be able to tell, it isn’t the nicest neighbourhood!
We stayed at an Airbnb close to Gastown in Vancouver, so it wasn’t directly in the city centre, but nothing in Vancouver is real that far (especially with public transit!).
If you’re interested in an apartment in Gastown, stay at Full Throttle on Plum Guide. It’s a fully furnished rustic apartment with a private parking spot and shared outdoor spaces! See availability and room rates here.
What’s Plum Guide? Get The Benefits Without The Risks
Plum Guide is all about quality over quantity. They vet every single home so you don’t have to and only accept only the top 3% of house rentals.
See accommodation options on Plum Guide.
Looking for a boutique luxury hotel? Stay at Vancouver Opus Hotel in Yaletown, a trendy neighbourhood just outside the city centre and close to Granville Island. They offer bikes to guests, and free valet parking to green cars! See availability and room rates here.
Opt for a truly unique stay at the Hotel Granville Island literally on Granville Island – you can’t get a better location than being on the Island itself! See availability and room rates here.
For more accommodation options on Plum Guide, click here. For more accommodation options on Booking, click here.
Did I miss your favourite Vancouver brewery? Don’t hesitate to tell me in the comments below. Hopefully, I’ll be back in Vancouver and be able to try it out.
Here’s a map view of my Vancouver brewery tour.
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Top 9 Vancouver Attractions you Need to See -
Saturday 14th of March 2020
[…] This is an absolute must do local Vancouver activity. They have a huge craft beer scene there. So one of the best ways to discover the local beer is to go to a brewery. They’re mostly located in East Vancouver. It was actually dubbed the brewery district because there are so many there. It’s not the nicest part of town, but it is convenient to get around once you’re there. They’re all within walking distance so you can easily try a few. Check out my East Van Brewery guide here. […]