Tourism, community and engagement, good beer.
That's the motto behind a new brewery circuit by BC Ale Trail, a provincial group that seeks to unite Tri-City beer enthusiasts while boosting the economy through locally-crafted pints.
Today (Oct. 28), the organization has launched the 'North of the Fraser' trail, which, of the four communities and 11 breweries involved, includes one from Coquitlam and five out of Port Coquitlam.
According to spokesperson Lesley Chang, the two cities are new additions — as they never had their own dedicated crawl before — and the decision to make them part of the project was easy, geographically speaking.
"The BC Ale Trail team did a bit of a reshuffling of trails and signed on the community destination marketing organizations as well as the 11 breweries to be part of a more comprehensive Ale Trail, and that’s how North of the Ale Trail was born," she explains to the Tri-City News.
"Each of the communities have their own distinct breweries, and as you know with craft beer, they have their own distinct flavours. That’s what makes it so exciting to explore."
Mariner Brewing is the only craft brewery in Coquitlam, Chang adds, noting it's named after NASA’s Mariner space program as well as the nearby street of the same name.
Meanwhile, the Port Coquitlam establishments are as follows:
- Boardwalk Brewing
- Northpaw Brewing Co.
- Patina Brewing
- Taylight Brewing
- Tinhouse Brewing
Chang says PoCo has a "very young" craft brewery scene, but has made strides in the community since the first one opened in 2018 as most are close to walking trails or in growing neighbourhoods.
"Being added to the BC Ale Trail is a great boost for out growing craft alcohol industry," adds Port Coquitlam Mayor Brad West.
"Port Coquitlam residents have embraced out local craft brewers and distillery, and we're sure this new broader audience will enjoy them as much as we do."
The other featured businesses for this particular crawl are as follows:
- Another Beer Company (New Westminster)
- Steel and Oak (New Westminster)
- Dageraad Brewing (Burnaby)
- Steamworks William Street Brewery and Taproom (Burnaby)
- Studio Brewing (Burnaby)
For more information about Ale Trail, you're encouraged to visit its website.
