VIHC.net VAN ISLE HARDCORE BOARD

Hey, we've got a beer nerd in Damages now. Can anyone recommend good places to go for interesting/local beers in Vic?

I drink Lucky Lager exclusively

I maintain that the best local brewery is Phillips. you guys get a lot of the Phillips stuff already but the brewery itself is right downtown and they offer free tastings and will fill a 1.9L "Growler" refillable jug like the one you saw me bring out to the quarry that one time. I don't know their hours but they seem to usually be open in the daytimes. they also sell some discontinued and exclusive stuff at the brewery. I am super down with the recent ginger beer, though some people don't seem to like it. their chocolate porter is pretty universally liked.

Swan's also brews some good stuff. it's a restaurant and you can order their drinks on tap or you can just buy them at the Swan's liquor store. again, it's right downtown. my favourite is Riley's Scotch Ale.

Liquor Plus on Douglas st. has the best selection and prices, you'll pass it on the way in from Duncan and they have plenty of cool microbrews from around the coast (as well as lots of phillips, which is pretty much unanimously praised as the ultimate local beer here)

i'm going to post a dissenting (tho honest) opinion here.. I think that Driftwood has the best tasting local beers.

http://driftwoodbeer.com/

i've tried them all and like them all.. depends on what your flavor is.

I do like Phillips as well. I just think that their beers a generally too hoppy. Phillips growlers are the way to go, i find the beer is alot more fresh and just tastes better when you get it direct from their taps at the brewery. Also love the chocolate porter.

Swans.. not a big fan of.

If I'm at a bar and want a pint or two, Lighthouse's Race Rocks is my go to beer. It's not really anything mind blowing, but it's a nice social beer that actually tastes like beer instead of slightly hops flavored water. Philips makes some good beers, but I don't ever feel the need to drink another blue buck again. I don't get why everybody seems to like it so much, I mean, it's okay, but not worth the boner Victoria seems to have for it. Their stouts and porters are fantastic though. Driftwood is okay, definitely worth a taste and I can see it's appeal. I definitely wouldn't complain if somebody handed me one. Swans is good if you like over priced fruit flavoured novelty beers.

SewnFlesh wrote:i'm going to post a dissenting (tho honest) opinion here.. I think that Driftwood has the best tasting local beers.

http://driftwoodbeer.com/

i've tried them all and like them all.. depends on what your flavor is.

I do like Phillips as well. I just think that their beers a generally too hoppy. Phillips growlers are the way to go, i find the beer is alot more fresh and just tastes better when you get it direct from their taps at the brewery. Also love the chocolate porter.

Swans.. not a big fan of.

this is true. Driftwood is the premier brewery here.

man, you guys are weird. I've had a lot of driftwood beers and they're okay but never something that blows my mind.

I'm pretty much with Zach on this one, although I love Blue Buck.

Blue Buck tastes like malt liquor that accidentally had too much hops added to it. It's drinkable, but if I'm going to pay that much for a beer there are so many better options.

I love Phillips but I don't even like Blue Buck. my favs have always been the weirder beers they do. if I'm going to drink your average lager or whatever, I'm going to buy something super cheap and plentiful at the liquor store. pretty sure they make Blue Buck and Phoenix because they know the market and that people aren't that adventurous. I prefer Phoenix out of the two though.

Phoenix and buck are good for what they are, and at 11 bucks that's not a wallet buster. personally I'm over both, I think they taste the same anyways.

starting to get into Race Rocks.
and Van Isle's Pipers + Hermans Dark

Race Rocks, Blue Buck, Slipstream Cream Ale, Raspberry Wheat Ale. That is all.

driftwood fat tug has been getting rocked quite a bit by me lately, their brews tend to be pretty quality. in some thread in the michael dorn section i was hating on phillips ginger beer but i just gave it another try just now and actually enjoyed it quite a bit, funny how that works.

two beers i stand by

saltspring golden ale
and the howe sound garibaldi pale ale

Herman's Dark is delicious.

trappedinside wrote:driftwood fat tug has been getting rocked quite a bit by me lately, their brews tend to be pretty quality. in some thread in the michael dorn section i was hating on phillips ginger beer but i just gave it another try just now and actually enjoyed it quite a bit, funny how that works.

I bought fat tug based solely on the totally heterosexual name. decent.