The Beer Brief is a round-up of all the local beer-related news and events we think you should know about. Got news brewing? Send it to thalia [at] scoutmagazine.ca and we’ll do our best to include it!

LICK IT | I don’t know about you, but this time of year I constantly have ice cream on the brain, competing for space with beer. That’s why it’s especially exciting when the two come peaceably and deliciously together, as is the case with Rain or Shine’s new June flavour, “Bomber Brewing Passionfruit Ale with Curd”. It’s currently being scooped at all locations for a limited time only Time to get your (sugar) buzz on!

GET WILD | This is the first official weekend of Summer…and there’s definitely no shortage of beer-related ways to do it justice both in and out of Vancouver’zs city limits. If you want to get really wild then be sure to factor a trip to Port Moody into your Saturday itinerary. From noon until 11pm, Twin Sails Brewing is hosting a Wild Things Parking Lot Party at the brewery with an impressive beer line-up that sounds like it will keep your tastebuds amused for the entire duration (11 hours). Details are expected to be announced via Instagram over the coming days, but so far we know they’ll be pouring some Farmhouse Fest brew previews, reserve bottles and kegs, and guest wild beer taps (plus a few tame styles to keep your palate in check). Since a beer list that big calls for some sizeable snacks, they’ve enlisted Big Day BBQ to supply the chow. Find out more.

LUPPOLO LUAU | To celebrate the summer months, Strathcona’s Luppolo Brewing is hosting a series of monthly parties in their parking lot. These kick off on Saturday, June 22nd. Each loosely-themed shindig will feature a different line-up of musical entertainment and pop-up chefs, beginning with the Hanai Family Table. The menu to fuel this luau includes: Teriburgers cooked in sweet shoyu sauce and topped with the usual fixings plus a special teri sauce (veggie burgers and a double-patty option will be available to sate vegetarian and extra-large appetites alike); a savoury BBQ-ed Mochi with sweet shoyu sauce and “Hanai-made” furikake; HFT’s signature Hurricane Popcorn; plus a non-alcoholic passionfruit-orange-guava juice. Once you’ve achieved the right combo of snacks and beer, you can wiggle the night away (until 9pm) along to DJ Simoniz and Crazy Henry’s Midnight Choir.

(On July 27th ,Luppolo will switch it up with hotdogs from L.A. Street Meat, along with tunes from DJ Selecta Brown and Bonfire Ballerina for their all-day Summer Fest. The summer party series will be wrapping up on August 31st with food from Big Day BBQ and music still TBA.)

ABBOTSFORD | If you happen to be in the area or want a reason to get out of the city this weekend, how about heading over to Trading Post Brewing’s new Abbotsford location? It’s been six months since they joined the community and they think that’s a good reason to party. We’ll cheers to that! To celebrate, they’ve gathered a bunch of delicious producers and suppliers from around BC to share their goods including local wine, baked goods, ice cream, coffee, charcuterie and a pig roast – during an all-day public event at the Eatery. There’ll also be live music and a whack-load of family-friendly activities to keep everyone amused. Then there’s the beer, including a cask of their very own Raspberry Wheat Ale with Vanilla Vodka, pouring especially for the big day. Trading Post will need to go to serious lengths to top themselves when their anniversary rolls around in another six months time! More details here.

KAMLOOPS | On the other hand, if you’re in Kamloops, pay a visit to Red Collar Brewing for their monthly Backyard BBQ. For this edition they’ll be serving up veggie and chicken souvlaki to munch on with a special cask brew. Both are available in limited quantities, and it’s first-come, first-served. More details here. Too last minute? Don’t kick yourself if you miss out – this is an especially stacked weekend, and summer is only beginning! You can always plan ahead for Red Collar’s Canada Day BBQ. For the first time in their almost 5 years of existence, the brewery is extending their hours and opening their doors on a Monday in honour of the holiday. Details on that can be found at this link.

FARMHOUSE FEST | It’s no surprise that tickets for Farmhouse Fest have sold out, but that doesn’t mean that you can’t have a taste…or 16. The fest’s official kickoff party is happening at Bells & Whistles the night before the main event at UBC, and will feature 16 taps of small-batch, farmhouse-style beers from across Canada and the US. The beer will be flowing non-stop all day long but the patio will fill up quickly, so show up early if you can!

FIELD DAY FEST | While we’re on the topic of “Fests”, Field House Brewing Co. recently announced their annual Field Day Fest: Sour Beer, Art + Musical Festival. If you haven’t yet had a chance to visit the Abbotsford tasting room, then consider this some extra motivation and the ideal introduction. Details are still coming together but what you can expect is a bunch of special Field House sour beers, a selection of visiting breweries with their own face-puckering offerings, fresh food straight from the farm and kitchen, local tunes performed on the lawn, and an awesome community of friendly, beer-loving people. It’s a truly and uniquely Abby experience that you can’t get in the city. Check out their Instagram announcement about the event here, and remember to check back regularly for updates.

BEER CRAWL | The 4th annual Art! Bike! Beer! Crawl Tour & Fundraiser is happening on July 14th. The crawl tour begins with beer (a pint or a flight) at three East Van breweries and wraps up at Strange Fellows with more beer plus snacks and entry into a raffle for some beer- and art-related prizes. However, if you want to amp up your crawl and make it a beer marathon, there are nine participating breweries in total for you to responsibly walk to in-between (at your own expense and risk, of course). Parallel 49 has already announced that they will be hosting a gig poster art exhibit in conjunction with the event (details on that here) and no doubt Callister will also have something great on their walls. For the full list of breweries and tickets, click here.

TO THE MARKET | The Farmers Markets are in full swing. This time of year the market is the obvious place to hit for the freshest produce, baking, cheese, meats, eggs and some other less obvious handmade things…like beer. Some of the breweries that you may encounter while taking a leisurely stroll among the stalls in the next couple of months include: Luppolo, Steel & Oak, R&B and Persephone. Not all of the markets are booze-friendly though, so before you hit up your neighbourhood market for a pre-picnic one stop shop, check out the vendor list by clicking through here or take a short cut by checking out our search results for “beer” here.