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

THE MAGNET | Third in the trifecta of local establishments from the clever crew behind Alibi Room and Brassneck Brewery, The Magnet is celebrating their third anniversary on April 28th, and we wanted to give them a big ol’ pat on the back in honour of the occasion…so we did. However, paying them a visit to raise a glass of something good tonight/this weekend is also a nice move. Here’s hoping that the restaurant’s magnetism continues pulling crowds through its doors for many years to come!

BRASSNECK | Brassneck Brewery just tapped a brand new Golden Ale with coriander that’s only available in the tasting room, with full proceeds going to the World Central Kitchen to aid Ukrainians affected by the war. In true Brassneck fashion, this beer is both seriously good and silly: it’s called Putin ХУЙЛО́, which basically translates to “Putin [is a] dickhead!” There’s only a small batch of the stuff, though, so get into the brewery to show your support STAT. Find out more.

GIB | How’s this for a major milestone: Granville Island Brewing is celebrating their 38th anniversary! And this year, they’re going all out. The all-day shindig goes down on May 14th, and includes free food samples and a can of their newly released Peach Sour beer (additional beers will be available for purchase), plus live music and painting, games and even a friggin’ drumline. Show up the day-of to get in on the action, or plan ahead by booking a table in advance here.

ANOTHER BEER CO. | Another anniversary coming down the pipeline belongs to Another Beer Company. New West’s second craft brewery is turning three years old on May 28th. Although the wheels still seem to be turning about what exactly is in store for the day, a big blow-out celebration seems likely. Stay tuned to their IG feed for more information about the upcoming event, and to stay on top of new releases, like their Golden Orange Grisette made with a little help from their friends Rigour & Whimsy winery, and a cute new Kiwi Sour that released last week.

A TALL GLASS | Luppolo Brewing is providing the setting (and the beer) for a drag show in May that immediately caught my attention, not least of all due to its witty name… “A Tall Glass of Drag”, hosted by The Established, Shanda Leer, takes place early on Sunday, May 15th and features three performers (Belladonna VonShade, Jerrilynn Spears and Mx. Bukuru). Tickets and more info available here.

RATS! | In case you missed it, Storm Brewing kicked off a new monthly creators market this month. Appropriately, they’re calling it “Radical Artists to Support” (aka “RATS”). Keep an eye on Storm’s IG feed for more details about their May monthly market, but definitely don’t wait until then to swing by the East Van OG brewery to snag a taste of something ridiculous and/or ridiculously good (maybe some lingering cans of Turkey Dinner IPA?) Hot tip: go equipped with your own cup in order to save a Quarter on your beer!

FOUR WINDS | Four Winds Brewing is putting on an outdoors beer, food and music festival in June that you should probably mark on your summer calendar. Cheers for Children goes down on Friday, June 17th in the Delta Market Square, within sightline of the brewery’s upcoming new location. Some things you can expect: beer from Four Winds and some of their brewery friends (plus cider and cocktails), food trucks serving up tasty eats to soak it all up, a raffle, and a live music line-up, including longtime local fave, Dead Ghosts. It’s shaping up to be quite the party! Bonus that it’s also all for a good cause, since proceeds are being donated to the Reach Child & Youth Development Society. Tickets and details here. As we close in on the date, keep up-to-date on festival developments by checking in on the Four Winds IG feed regularly.

FOODSTOCK | Also happening in June is Foodstock, another full day of beer, food, live music and activities for a good cause – this time, benefiting the Greater Vancouver Food Bank. So far, seven local breweries are locked in (Strange Fellows, Luppolo, Dageraad, Bomber, Bridge, Studio, and Wildeye), plus at least as many local bands and a handful of familiar food trucks. This summer is shaping up to be a good one for beer lovers! More details and Foodstock tickets here.

VCBW | It’s really happening: Vancouver Craft Beer Week is returning this summer! As with many post-Covid things, though, don’t expect the same ol’ same: the VCBW has new owners and has been completely overhauled, into a full-on weekend-long festival. What exactly does that mean? Although there will still be beer aplenty (phew!) from local and international breweries alike, there will also be a big focus on art and live music, and a dialled up food experience (think more food trucks and a series of local chef pop ups) to match it. Still stoked? The whole thing goes down during the second weekend of July, and advance ticket sales begin on May 3rd. General admission prices start $30 for a single day. Find out more.

SHAKETOWN | Have you paid a visit to Shaketown Brewing yet? The North Van brewery and tasting room, which we featured in our Opening Soon column back in February, finally opened its doors to the public on March 10th. Shaketown is now open seven-days-a-week, and is the perfect spot to hit up for killer views and to replenish yourself post bicycle ride (weather permitting) with a few rounds of their super refreshing and low ABV Leichtbier.

ELECTRIC BICYCLE | Speaking of beer and bicycles: Electric Bicycle Brewing has a snazzy new patio set up out front of their East 4th location (you really can’t miss it). I’m mentioning it because NOW is definitely the time to take stock of all the city’s beer-friendly patios, especially the ones that are slightly off the beaten track, so you’re ready with a game plan (and back-ups) as soon as the sun appears. Perhaps this weekend? (Bonus that the tables are equipped with umbrellas, in case of freak rain storms!)