Get out your beer goggles: The Vancouver Craft Beer Week is coming

Any beer drinker worth his or her salt knows that all brews are not created equal. BC has long been associated with a healthy—any maybe even a little snobby, in a good way!—wine industry, but it’s only in recent years that beer has started to get the same amount of attention in this province. Vancouver’s really been upping the ante on that front, especially where craft beers are concerned.

For the uninitiated, craft beer is a more specialized, small batch version of the big guys. For every massive brewer (think Molson), there’s usually a whole schwack of craft brewers out there making better, tastier beer (no offense, Molson, but…c’mon). But if you’ve never gone the craft beer route before, it can be tough—not to mention pricey—to figure out what you like.

That’s why a party like Vancouver Craft Beer Week, coming up in May, is so vital. Now in its third year, this ever-expanding event draws 60+ craft brewers from the city and beyond together for your tasting pleasure. This year, the VCBW takes place in venues like Yaletown’s Roundhouse Community Centre (which means its easily accessible by the Canada Line—no excuses, drivers!), Gastown’s Alibi Room (mmm, tasty), and the Irish Heather (a little pricier at $100, but includes a four-course tasting menu).

If those events, ranging in price from about $25 to $100, are above your budget, not to fret: the VCBW is also hosting neighbourhood specific events all week, from various hot spots across the city. The last few years sold out in advance, so consider this your early warning to book tickets now! More info about pre-ticketed events and neighbourhood shindigs alike can be found on the VCBW website.

image via mfajardo