R&B Brewing Company
This might just be the greatest time to be a beer-drinker in Vancouver. New breweries boasting small batch, locally-made craft beers are appearing in every nook and cranny of the city. All the buzz (and an-end-of-semester thirst) inspired me to go back to Vancouver’s craft beer roots, the “East Van Original” old-faithful, R&B Brewing Co.. Recently acquired by Howe Sound Brewing, R&B Brewing Co. is revamped and thriving. Located just off of Quebec St. on East 4th Ave, the bustling brewery is complete with the new R&B Ale & Pizza House, a growler station and a constantly evolving selection of innovative craft beers. You can even rent a keg for the next time you want to give you and your friends a hangover they can be proud of.
What A Time To Be Alive
Tom, my date for the afternoon and I sat down with one of R&B’s assistant brewers, Allan, to drink flights and gorge on hand-crafted pizza. For vegetarian Vancouverites like Tom, the Tomato, Mozzarella and Fresh Basil pizza fulfills all the needs of a hungry herbivore. For shameless carnivores like me, the Crispy Prosciutto with Arugula and Shaved Parm was all carbs and protein, the perfect companion to my drink. Highlights from a beer-filled afternoon include the Shake Your Fruity Milkshake IPA, a Northeastern-style IPA brewed with lactose and apple puree to give it a distinctively milky-sweet and fruity hoppiness and the Gose with a Nose Collaboration Brew with Doan’s Brewery, a unique ale that balances a slight saltiness with tart flavours and dry hops.
Alongside the occasional collaboration, R&B supports the local craft-brewing community by keeping two rotating guest taps going– of those, we tried out a tart, dry craft cider from Tod Creek Craft Cider located in Victoria. There is something for everyone: R&B is all about giving classic beers the East Van twist. Try the Dude Chilling Pale Ale–named after the iconic East Van park, it’s a medium bodied, hoppy American Pale Ale. If you’re more for lagers, try the Stolen Bike Lager– exactly the crisp beer you’d want to drink whilst licking your wounds on one of R&B’s cozy sofas after having your bike stolen in East Van. If you’re unaffected by the allure of Vancouver’s craft beer scene or you just really hate beer, catch a cider on the guest tap and eat something scrumptious. I swooned as endless plates of gooey, cheesy nachos passed our table: irresistible and on special every Wednesday for $10.
Beer That Everyone Can Relate To
If you are a die-hard craft beer fan, or just curious about the beer-making process, you can book a brewery tour at R&B. During our visit, Allan gave us a guided tour of their craft brewing process. From the “corner du funk”, where R&B’s brewers experiment with making sours, to their retired bottling machine, dubbed Frankenstein, R&B’s laid-back personality rules. Allan explained to us that R&B’s mission is to make quality craft brews while staying true to their East Van roots: they want to make “beer that everyone can relate to”. At R&B, there is no hierarchy. What to introduce as a new tap, what to tweak, and what to scrap altogether– all the decisions at R&B are collaborative. Here, everyone is on the same craft beer learning curve. Try R&B’s seasonal tap, the Lavender Saison: Allan wisely told us it takes trial and error to walk the fine line between “grandma’s bathwater” and a refreshing lavender beer.
Having a beer at R&B is like hanging out in the chilled-out, funky apartment you are not quite cool enough to have. The atmosphere is effortlessly East Van, recycling local, used materials to achieve a rustic, industrial vibe. It’s the kind of place you could take both your friend group’s self-proclaimed craft beer guru and a friend whose only beer-drinking experiences are with Bud Light and have a great time either way. On a Wednesday afternoon, the place was packed and buzzing with conversation– Allan told us that every week, R&B has been breaking new records. Whether you are one of Vancouver’s craft beer connoisseurs, someone looking for a pint after a long day at the office, or someone who would at best qualify as a beer novice, R&B has something for you. At R&B, there is no pretentious hipster veneer, just genuine East Van vibes and great craft brews.
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