Issue link: http://digital.canadawide.com/i/678192
tourismvancouver.com 27 VANCOUVER BREWERY TOURS, SCOT LITTLE, JUNIPER V ancouver's many dens give you great reasons to drink up, whether you're into locally brewed beer or artfully craed cocktails. By Steven Schelling On the town Drink like a local during a night out in Vancouver HOP ON BOARD: Vancouver Brewery Tours offers a rotating schedule of three-hour brewery tours across Metro Vancouver. Keep the party going from morning to night RISE AND SHINE Lineups at Medina Café aren't just for the Belgian waffles, but for brunch- time wake-up cups like the Samanyolu, a hybrid of gin, fresh strawberries and house breakfast tea syrup. LIQUID LUNCH Feeling peckish? Chambar's The Blue Fig pairs a martini of house-made-fig- infused gin with a side of blue cheese. AFTERNOON DELIGHT The Fairmont Pacific Rim's Lobby Lounge is where ladies who lunch meet high flyers of finance. If budget allows, a $425 The Imperial celebrates the marriage of Louis XIII Cognac and Johnny Walker Odyssey. HIGH FIVE (O'CLOCK) Sabrine Dhaliwal holds court at Uva Wine & Cocktail Bar, stirring up whistle-wetters like Wolverine, a savage mix of Buffalo Trace Bourbon, Ardbeg whisky, local crème de cassis and Moondog bitters. NIGHTCAP True to its name, Juniper boasts a gin-forward bar with a rotating list of local distilleries and aromatics like the Rad-ish, made with Ampersand gin, pink peppercorns and slices of heirloom radish. COCKTAIL HOURS ROOM WITH A BREW Vancouver's craft breweries tend to cluster in two areas: Main Street and East Van. Whatever your tastes, there's a room and a keg or two worth tapping. MAIN STREET The 19th-century Brewery Creek 'hood that disappeared in the 1920s has a new generation of craft beer tasting rooms. The industrial space at Brassneck has a dozen-or-so taps, pulling pints like Klutz! and Wingman. The white-on-white 33 Acres is the epitome of West Coast design, as are draughts like Euphoria and Nirvana. Meanwhile, the hipster-approved Main Street Brewing Co. pours a proper British Westminster Brown. EAST VAN Red Truck Beer Company (named after the owner's vintage 1954 Dodge flatbed) boasts an old-school diner and draws crowds to its summer concert series. Steel Toad Brewpub & Dining Hall, in the heritage Salt Building, pulls pints of Raspberry Sour and traditional Bohemian Pilsner. Postmark Brewing shares its heritage warehouse with The Belgard Kitchen, which has a menu perfect for beer pairings. SUMMER IN THE GAYBOURHOOD: Vancouver Queer Film Festival screens hundreds of international films and the Vancouver Pride Parade and Festival—Western Canada's largest—takes to the streets. RAINBOW CONNECTION With its rainbow crosswalk and bright-pink bus shelters, the West End's Davie Street Village is the playground of the LGBTQTS (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Questioning and Two Spirit) community. Here's where the party is on any given night. Monday: Queer Prov/THUD: The Big Girl Show—Sketch Comedy and Big Drag numbers at XYYVR Tuesday: Shame Spiral—Gender- bending fabulousness with Peach Cobblah at 1181 Wednesday: Bingo For Life—Balls and boys raising money for people with HIV/AIDS at Celebrities Thursday: Weekly dance party with occasional international-calibre DJs at Celebrities Vancouver Brewery Tours: A stop at Storm Brewing Friday: Wet & Wild—Go-go boys hit the shower at Pumpjack Pub Saturday: Absolut-ly Dragulous show hosted by Carlotta Gurl at The Junction Sunday: Bear and Beer afternoon meet-up at Pumpjack Pub