(This article is sponsored by community partners.)

If there is one thing that is synonymous with Vancouver in summer, it surely has to be beer. And this Friday (May 25) marks one of the most important dates in every beer lover’s calendar.

Vancouver Craft Beer Week (VCBW) is back with an exciting 10-day lineup, starting with the VCBW Kickoff: East Van Crusher on Friday (May 25) at Maritime Labour Centre (1880 Triumph Street).

Now entering its ninth successful year, the citywide celebration has become one of the most anticipated events in Western Canada showcasing music, food, art, and, of course, craft beer.

To celebrate, we’re raising a pint to a couple of the 100 breweries that you can pick up at the VCBW Festival taking place at PNE Fairgrounds on June 2 and 3.

Cheers!

Four Winds Brewing

At this year’s World Beer Cup in Nashville, Delta’s own Four Winds Brewing took home the silver award in the American-Belgo-style Ale category for the Wild IPA, Juxtapose. This is Four Winds’ second Silver World Beer Cup Award. The first was also awarded to Juxtapose in 2014, the year after the brewery opened. To try this world-class IPA, bottles can be found at most private and government liquor stores across the province and are also available at the brewery itself. Whether you’re a beer fan or not, the taco and tapas served at the brewery make the trip out to Delta worthwhile.

Red Truck Beer Company

Red Truck Beer Company launched in North Vancouver in 2005 as a keg-only facility, with a mere two employees. Over time, more tanks and staff members were added as the brewery expanded.

The last brew in North Vancouver was brewed in July of 2014 and Red Truck moved into its new location at 295 East 1st Ave., the following month.

Despite this growth and the move to the new building, Red Truck still prides itself on being very much a craft brewery. While the term ‘craft’ is notoriously hard to define, the brewery adheres to four all-natural ingredients, no preservatives, and no pasteurization. The brewery has fewer but bigger tanks, giving consistently high-quality beer.

Hoyne Brewing

Hoyne Brewing Company is a craft brewery based out of Victoria, BC. Now in its sixth year, it produces a wide variety of lagers and ales, always focusing on quality and integrity. Committed to supporting local suppliers, many of Hoyne’s beers have local ingredients such as honey for the Summer Haze Honey Hefeweizen, cherries for the Entre Nous Cherry Witbier, and fresh hops for the Wolf Vine Wet Hopped Pale Ale, and coffee for the Voltage Espresso Stout. Brewmaster Sean Hoyne prides himself in brewing beer with the best ingredients available, creating quaffable, interesting, and thoroughly enjoyable brews.

2018 VCBW Collaboration Beer: Sea-to-Sky edition

To commemorate the festival, VCBW has partnered with Backcountry Brewing (Squamish), Beere Brewing (North Vancouver), and Coast Mountain Brewing (Whistler) to create the official 2018 VCBW Collaboration Beer: Sea-to-Sky edition. These three breweries, each located along the scenic Sea-to-Sky Highway, have come together to brew an exceptional pilsner to showcase the quality of beer being produced in the area. With a robust seven percent ABV and a copious amount of Citra, Mosaic, Vic Secret and Enigma hops, the 2018 VCBW Sea-To-Sky Collaboration Double Dry Hopped Pilsner is sure to live up to the reputation of the breweries that created it.

For a complete list of up-to-date events, more information, and to purchase tickets, be sure to visit the VCBW website or follow the event’s Facebook, Instagram, or Twitter feeds.