With countless beer trails across the province, British Columbia is brimming with exciting breweries to visit. We Explore Canada contributor Hans Tammemagi zeroes in on the experience of taking the Northwest BC Ale Trail, and shares the highlights of this exhilarating trip through mainland BC.
An unusual request arrives. “Can you visit eight breweries in Northwest BC and report on their ales?” Whoa, will I be the kid locked overnight in a candy store? I can’t say “yes” fast enough.
We will travel from Prince George, in the centre of the province, westward on Highway 16 through glorious scenery to Prince Rupert on the coast. The drive alone will be an epic adventure, but our little group of beer aficionados and writers will also down mugs of craft ale all along the way.
Our leader, Joe Wiebe, tall, smiling and the author of the popular Craft Beer Revolution: The Insider’s Guide to BC Breweries can barely contain his enthusiasm.
Starting the Northwest BC Ale Trail in Prince George
Arriving in “PG” (as the locals call Prince George), we take brief tours of Cottonwood Island with its tree carvings and the sprawling Railway and Forestry Museum with numerous large, old rail carriages including, of course, snowplows.
Crossroads Brewing & Distillery
Then, the Ale Trail experience begins at Crossroads Brewing & Distillery. A tour through stainless steel and copper-topped tanks is followed by flights of numerous ales. My favourite is Pidherny Ale, with 5.5% alcohol and a bitterness rank of IBU36.
Tyson Brooks, the head brewer at Crossroads, grins and says, “This is our most popular beer and possibly started the craft beer revolution.” It is very smooth and balanced by classic citrus hops. We munch on pizza, which emerges steaming from a wood-fired brick oven. Of course, the slices are washed down with ample quantities of ale.
Deadfall Brewing & Distilling
On day two, we briefly visit the beautifully landscaped Connaught Hill Park. We enjoy grand views over the city and learn about the city’s many other green spaces, including the Botanical Garden and the mountain bike trails at the Pidherny Recreation Site.
Then we are at Deadfall Brewing & Distilling where the tanks and kegs shine and glisten invitingly. Erin and Brandon Baerwald, the owners and brewers, have PhDs in Ecology and Animal Physiology, respectively. After a few tastes, my colleagues agree that this is the most intellectual beer we have ever tasted.
Deadfall only opened in 2022, but it has already made a name for itself by winning the second annual Canada Beer Cup for its Basal Brown Ale. I also enjoy their Persister Pale Ale. Erin says, “We produce hand-crafted beer sustainably in small batches, with an emphasis on quality over quantity.” We all concur.
Trench Brewing
Next (there are no breaks!) we stop at Trench Brewing and receive a special treat. Brewmaster Matt Kuc draws glasses of Czech Pilsener directly from a large tank. The menu is a smorgasbord of smoked meat and taco lovers’ dreams–after all, they have their own smoker.
Northern Lights Winery
As though three craft breweries aren’t enough, PG also boasts Canada’s most northerly winery. Northern Lights is an elegant riverside establishment specializing in fruit wines, which we sample with gusto. That night I sleep very well.
Continuing to the Breweries of Vanderhoof to Hazelton
Ursa Minor Brewing
The next day, the whirlwind continues. We drive west, passing the odd bear and moose, to Vanderhoof, the geographical centre of BC. Then a pleasant surprise: five of us cram into a floatplane and fly to Ursa Minor Brewing, tucked away about 100 km south of Burns Lake.
Contentedly sipping a Lover’s Rock Porter, an Ootsapogo Double IPA, and a Red Squirrel Spruce Tip Ale, we enter the brewing area. Leaning against a shining stainless-steel tank, his feet surrounded by hoses, Nathan Nicholas, the brewmaster, explains. “We make about 2,000 litres of beer per month, and since we launched in June 2020, we have released 14 types of beer. One of the pleasures of a small brewery is that we can experiment and produce beer that we like and our friends like and that captures the essence of this land.”
Outside, we meet Willy, a 400-pound pig, and two small piglets. Nearby, we greet two adorable donkeys, Rosa and Bella. Nathan explains, “They are great guardians and keep coyotes and lynx away from the farm.”
Bulkley Valley Brewery
As we pull into Smithers under a deep blue sky, the Alpine-themed town is hopping with crowds, a parade, and booths of many varieties, all celebrating Pride Day. Smithers is cosmopolitan, known for its world-class skiing and fishing, as well as the excellent restaurant Roadhouse Smithers.
At the rustic Bulkley Valley Brewery, which owner Dave Harris converted from a ski shop so he could hang out with his friends, we squeeze in amongst skiers, boarders, fishermen, guides, and mountain bikers.
While quaffing beer made with fresh local ingredients—my favourite is the Sasquatch Pale Ale—several patrons try to persuade me to move to Smithers so I can revel in the wild and free life of Northern BC. I’m tempted.
Smithers Brewing
Smithers Brewing has a modern architectural look, with timber framework leaning over the sidewalk. Cam McKeiden, the owner and brewmaster, must be a mind-reader, for he sums up perfectly why my colleagues and I love craft breweries. “Our brewery is continuously experimenting and trying various seasonal ales that are, well, unique.”
Sampling the Scatterbrain, a New England-style IPA, I find it hazy and full-bodied. I dare only lightly sip the Tropical Ale Thunder, which has hints of milkshake and mango, but an enormous alcohol content of 9.3%. I love the Skeena Valley seasonal series of four beers, whose sleek labels are designed by Canadian Indigenous artist, Roy Henry Vickers.
Sherwood Mountain Brewhouse
We drive on along Highway 16, enraptured, for the stretch from Smithers to Prince Rupert is one of the finest drives in the country. Soon we reach the turnoff to Hazelton, a pretty small town at the junction of the Bulkley and Skeena Rivers. Often used in movies, Hazelton has an old paddlewheel steamboat moored permanently on the riverbank.
At the ‘Ksan Historical Village, seven large cedar houses are boldly decorated with Indigenous art and totem poles. The replicated ancient village is located where the village of Gitanmaax existed for centuries, and it honours the 8000 years of generations past and present of the Gitxsan Nation.
During our visit, we’re delighted by the Gitxsan dancers in the Wolf House. We feel the reverberations of their drums, and watch the dancers in red and black; the colours of the Gitxsan Nation.
On the road again, the snow-capped peaks of the Seven Sisters smile down on us. At Terrace, we view numerous colourful large murals and wander among the rustic pioneer cabins of the Heritage Village. Work calls, however, and we are soon on the crowded deck of Sherwood Mountain Brewhouse.
Of the tasty brews, my favourite is the Munich Lager. With balanced notes of caramel and roast malt it is, well, Germanic. Little wonder, for both the owner, Darryl Tucker, and the brewmaster, Jake Lambert, have trained in Berlin and focus on German-style lagers. Good job!
Reaching the End of the Northwest BC Ale Trail in Prince Rupert
The drive to Prince Rupert winds along a swollen, fast-flowing Skeena River. On arriving, we wander through the North Pacific Cannery National Historic Site, an attractive collection of old wooden buildings, mostly on stilts.
Then we visit Wheelhouse Brewing in the colourful Cow Bay area and—this should come as no surprise—we spend an hour sampling their ales.
That evening at the small but incomparable Fukasaku Restaurant, we are presented a fabulous paired beer-and-seafood dinner. The six courses are offered by Chef Fukasaku, and are rich with delicate Japanese flavours.
Each course is accompanied by a local beer from the Wheelhouse Brewery presented by Brewmaster Craig Outhet. The Northwest Treasure Bowl, for example, overflows with Dungeness crab, ginger tuna flakes, sidestripe prawns, mizuna and garlic chips. The accompanying Scurvy Dog Spruce Ale has zesty notes of citrus and blueberries.
Leaving fuller than I thought possible, I marvel at what a wonderful place northwestern BC is. Its craft breweries are pretty good, too.
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Hans’ writing is eclectic including travel, environment, Indigenous culture and things quirky. He has penned 10 books including one national best seller. Hans writes for Canadian Geographic, Westworld, Ensemble, Zoomer, British Columbia magazine, Explore, Northwest Travel, Canada’s History, the Globe and Mail and the Vancouver Sun. A member of the Society of Environmental Journalists and former adjunct professor, he has a strong affinity for the environment around us. He lives in the Gulf Islands where he enjoys kayaking and photography.