Vancouver’s Craft Beer Week has expanded from a one-night event with 100 people nine years ago to be more than a week-long festival, attracting about 30,000 visitors.
There are more than 100 breweries and cideries in attendance all tapping into a market that is only getting bigger.
At last check, there are 151 craft breweries in B.C. with more planning to open this year. The craft beer market in British Columbia makes up about 25 per cent of the overall beer market.
Organizers of the craft beer festival say for every person with a big brand beer, there’s room for more small brand beers or craft beers.
Earlier this month, eight of the 14 Canadian winners from the World Beer Cup were from B.C. They came home with nine medals.
The bi-annual World Beer Cup was held in Nashville on May 3, with more than 200 judges and beers from more than 50 countries.
Three B.C. beers won gold in their respective categories: the Riot Brewing Co. for their Working Class Hero Dark Mild, Powell Street Craft Brewery for their Old Jalopy Pale Ale, and Ravens Brewing Co., for their Corvus Lingonberry Lime Gose.
Vancouver Craft Beer Week is a local event and supports local charities.
This year’s collaborative brew, which is the official beer of the event, will donate all proceeds to the East Vancouver boxing club to organize a self-defence class for people who identify as women specifically from the LGBTQ community.
Vancouver Craft Beer Week runs from May 25 to June 3. Tickets can be purchased on the website.