Local breweries take top awards at Canada Beer Cup event

Woodward said the category they won in had over 200 entries from across Canada.

The small brew-pub operation on NW Bay Rd., just off Hwy. 19, has grown substantially over the last three years with a goal of using local ingredients where possible.

Brewers have to bring in some ingredients like hops from the United States and across Canada, but they influence a lot of the flavours with things much closer to home.

“We’re also using a large amount of our farm barley that we’re growing on-site in our beers because we’re a farm brewery, so we’re using half of our malt in each of our beers produced on site here. You can’t get much more local than that.”

He added the small farm-to-glass model has played well with a dedicated shift to local products over the last few years.

“People generally want to drink and appreciate more local products, as much as possible, so that’s been a very good thing for brewing beer. We’re brewing on-site and selling directly at the door here, we’re not a production brewery so we’re not shipping our beer all over the Island or to the Mainland.”

Winners for the Canada Beer Cup were announced Friday, Oct. 18 in New Westminster. (submitted photo)

Nanaimo’s Longwood Brewery won bronze in the Imperial Stout category for their entry, ‘Stoutnik’.

Brewer and partner Harley Smith said organizers of the Canada Beer Cup invite breweries to the award ceremony, suggesting they’ve won an award, but not divulging what for.

He’s proud a pillar of their brewery got recognized.

“It’s been a core brand since we opened 13 years ago and it’s always nice to be recognized for something that we do as a core. The other two beers we entered, they were both seasonal beers which we’re always proud of but we do them as one-offs so maybe they’re not going to be around for a couple more years.”

The beer, which Smith said is the “granddaddy of the stouts” carries big flavours and is a perfect cold-weather beer, as well as one to cook with.

He added over the 13 years Longwood has been around, growth in the industry has gone at a relentless pace, from around 35 breweries in B.C. to over 220 today.

The growth presents many benefits, but also some challenges.

“It’s really exploded and you recognize when you go look on the shelf, there’s a multitude of options to choose from. It’s good for breweries, but of course your beer gets a little more lost now so receiving an award for it and being able to publish that on the shelf hopefully will attract customers to that beer that they maybe haven’t tried.”

Other local winners at the Canada Beer Cup including a gold for Ladysmith’s Bayview Brewing Company for their Cowichan Valley Common.

Port Alberni’s Twin City and Dog Mountain Brewing companies also took home medals, as did Ucluelet Brewing Co. for their Sugar Shack.

Gladstone Brewing Co. in Courtenay won two silvers and a bronze, while Hornby Island Brewing Company won gold in the same category as Rusted Rake.

A day later, the BC Beer Awards were announced where both Rusted Rake, Longwood Brewery and Bayview Brewing Company were among the winners.

Twin City Brewing Company were named Brewery of the Year.

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by Alex Rawnsley

Local breweries take top awards at Canada Beer Cup event

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