Granville Island Brewing Small Batch Series

Granville Island Brewing is a popular brewery in the heart of the city to enjoy a beer and some bites. We were invited to sample a few of their current Small Batch creations – Japanese Biere de Garde, So-Cal Style IPA, BC Bitter and Gose with Peach. I love our local craft beer scene and admire the dedication to push the boundaries of beer creativity.

Gose with Peach

This sour brew has an equal balance of fruit and tart. They take the traditional German Gose and infuse ripe fruit notes from peaches that round out a subtle tartness. So light and crisp, which is perfect for the Summer.

BC Bitter

To put a twist to a traditional English Bitter, they incorporated local BC ingredients to add a BC flair. Nugget and Chinook hops from Lillooet balance with Pilsner malt from Armstrong for a slightly hoppy, bready summer beer.

This was paired with their salmon pot pie made with delicious Canadian cheddar and cured ham. It was so good and I wish this was on their regular menu. A good pairing and I really liked the BC Bitter beer.

So-Cal Style IPA

I’m usually not a fan of IPAs, but the big bold hops is balanced with citrus and grapefruit notes. An interesting brew that combines the dose of West Coast hops with a California brightness.

A deep-fried chicken donut bite with cilantro aioli, pickled cabbage, and topped with a maple syrup drizzle. Holy, the donut bite was freaking amazing and I could have eaten a whole box of them.

Japanese Biere de Garde

At 9.5%, this did pack a punch compared to the other two. It is a farmhouse ale where East meets West. Rice, Japanese Sorachi Ace, hops and Belgian saison yeasts create a heady mix of pickle, pepper and clove notes atop a strong, light ale body.

This was paired with the avocado beef tartare with a poached quail egg on top. Poached eggs are always my weakness but I’ve never seen a poached quail egg.