Editor’s note: This blog was written specifically about beers coming out in fall of 2020, although many of them are still available across Whistler!
With three breweries and dozens of pubs serving delicious craft liquid, Whistler is a must-stop for any craft beer enthusiast exploring BC’s Ale Trail.
As we transition to the fall season, so does the beer. Light, crisp and fruity beers make way for darker porters and hoppy ales. The kind of beers made for drinking in jeans, not shorts.
High Mountain Brewing Co. (Brewhouse)
Brewmaster Derrick Franche is honest about what beer he likes to brew, and more often than not that means he’s not following industry trends. The Brewhouse only sells its beer on-site, which allows Franche to brew smaller batches and experiment with his seasonal offerings. This fall that comes in the form of his Tart Farmhouse Ale, a blend of his saison and barrel-aged sour.
“It was quite sour to start with, but after blending it with the saison it’s more subtle,” says Franche. “It goes down more like regular drinking beer, kind of a dry finish with a hint of tartness. It’s also a blonde colour, which makes it approachable visually.”
“I’m also going to make something like a Cascadian dark ale as well,” says Franche. “Normally I’m short on hops in the fall, while we wait for the hop harvest to come in, so I’d brew malt-forward beers. But, with this hops surplus I want to make something I don’t usually make. Cascadian dark ale combines malt-forward beers with a hoppy character.”
Read more about Derek in Whistler’s Masters of Craft Beer: Derek Franche of The Brewhouse.
Coast Mountain Brewing
The youngest of Whistler’s breweries, Coast Mountain Brewing stormed out of the gate in 2016 much to the celebration of local craft beer fans. The crowd favourite, Hope You’re Happy IPA, can be found in bars and liquor stores throughout the Sea to Sky Corridor alongside other hits such as the Crystal Chair Pilsner and Magic Carpet IPA.
Never one to rest on his laurels, owner and head brewer Kevin Winter decided to invest in 60 wooden barrels for aging his beers, and a few of those are coming out this fall.
“Most of those barrel beers are lengthy projects that will come of age in another year or so,” says Winter. “But we have a few that are ready to go now, or will be very soon. Our team is really passionate about these beers and we’re firing on all cylinders as we transition to the fall.”
One of those barrel projects is the Wild Sour Cherry, which was aged on sour cherries for about a year and was packaged in May 2020. It’s been conditioning in bottles since then and should be on sale by early September.
Another fruity concoction in the works is a white wine barrelled sour blonde aged on apricots. The brew crew at Coast Mountain pitted and mashed over 200 pounds of fresh Naramata, BC apricots and expects this to be one of their proudest fruit beers to date.
Closer to when the snow flies, there will also be a limited release of an Imperial stout aged in bourbon barrels, so keep an eye out!
Read more about Kevin and the team in Whistler’s Masters of Craft Beer: Kevin Winters of Coast Mountain Brewing.
Whistler Brewing Company
Whistler’s original craft beer company continues its long legacy this fall with two new additions. The Whistler Brewing x BC Bike Race Singletrack Citra Lager celebrates this brewery’s partnership with the BC Bike Race, a collaborative brew perfect to be enjoyed post-ride. A crisp and refreshing lager with plenty of Citra dry hop character.
The new Black Cherry Marzen is a malt-forward, Bavarian-style lager with amber tone and reddish highlights. Spicy characters and juicy black cherries pair with a touch of hops for a perfect complement to cool, crisp autumn days.
Also, don’t miss the fall favourite Chestnut Ale, now available in 355 millimetre cans!
Apart from at the breweries themselves, you’re able to find a craft brew in most of the pubs in Whistler. Some of our top locales for a craft brew are Hunter Gather Eatery & Taphouse, HandleBar Cafe and Apres and Brickworks Public House.
While summer might be behind us, breweries are getting ready for fall and winter. That’s one of the great things about beer, it pairs with every season. Want to learn more about craft beer in Whistler? Check out our Insider’s Guide: Craft Beer Breweries in Whistler.
For more ideas about what to do in the mountains in fall take a look at When Seasons Collide: 12 Quintessential Whistler Experiences and check out this video below.
