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!

MOVIE NIGHT | Ready to get into the Halloween spirit? Then how about taking a mid-week jaunt out to Abbotsford for Field House Brewing’s spooky movie night – it’s happening tonight! Expect a double-bill of two essential 80s camp faves: Ghostbusters (6-8pm), and Beetlejuice (8-10pm). Seriously, you know you can’t go the month of October without at least one screening of each of this flicks – so why not bundle up and enjoy them outdoors on the Field House lawn while munching on freshly popped popcorn and sipping on some good beers? Find out more.

BEER BATTLE | Forecast Coffee on Main Street continues to pit two local breweries against each other this week for round three of their new Tap Battles series. This time around, Burnaby’s Dageraad Brewing is going head-to-head with their new-ish neighbours, Studio Brewing. So what’s the deal, exactly? Expect casual vibes and fellow beer-loving peeps, plus a live DJ and folks from both breweries in attendance to chat with (and up?), while you sip on the guest taps (two from each spot) and rate them. Tickets are just $16 (plus taxes and fees) for four 12oz glasses – not too shabby! Sign up and find out more info here.

5 YRS OF BEERE | Congrats to Beere Brewing Company on turning five years old! The North Van brewery is honouring the half-decade milestone by throwing themselves a little party this Saturday (October 22nd). Make your way to the North Shore and ignore the rain by raising a glass, drinking something good, chowing down on some tacos and enjoying live music. Find out more.

NEW WEST | Feel like expanding your beer-drinking radius? Then take note that the good folks at Steel & Oak have a bunch of things coming up on their calendar to inspire a jaunt out that-a-way before the end of the month.. Here’s what’s currently jumping out at me: let good beer be your creative inspiration during one of two scheduled Day of the Dead Art Workshops, October 24th and 25th (6:30-9pm); and for all you fellow vinyl- and music-lovers, there’s the return of S&O’s B-Sides record night the following Thursday, October 27th (7-10pm). Stay tuned for more details!

BREWERY DINNER | The good news for beer- and food-lovers just keeps on coming! Particularly if you’ve got a thing for West Coast style Mexican-inspired food, a la Tacofino… Beginning on October 27th, Tacofino Ocho (Mt. Pleasant) will be reinstating their Brewery Dinner series, featuring a five-course meal (menu TBA) and beer pairings from The Parkside Brewery. The dinners will continue to roll out the final Thursday of each month, excluding December. Future brewery participants to look forward to include Strange Fellows (Nov. 24), Ravens (Jan. 26), Strathcona (Feb. 23), Yellow Dog (Mar. 30), and Tofino (Apr. 27). Details and tickets ($60 per person, including food, booze and live entertainment) can be found here.

BREWHALLA | The final edition of the inaugural Brewhalla Music & Beer Festival is happening in Cloverdale on October 29th. If you’re just catching wind of the fest, here’s what to expect: a full day of imbibing on food, fresh autumn air and (of course) BC beer from over a dozen breweries located on the outskirts of Vancouver -including 3 Dogs from White Rock, Langley’s Brookswood, Mariner in Coquitlam, Delta-based farm/brewery Barnside, Old Yale from Chilliwack, and KPU Brewing & Brewery Operations, to name just a portion – while enjoying a line-up of no less than seven live music acts. Hook yourself up with some tickets in advance here (FYI if you’re still on the fence/figuring out the logistics, then take note that any remaining tickets will still be available to purchase the day of, albeit at a slightly increased price).

BINGO! | Still looking for a worthy way to spend the upcoming Halloween evening, that doesn’t skimp on good beer? Strathcona Beer Co. has a contender: tickets are now available for a spooky edition of Hey Hoe drag bingo with Amy Grindhouse, featuring a costume contest, “tricks & treats” surprises every hour, cash prizes and more, in addition to Strathcona’s signature pizza menu and taps aplenty (the newly released Imperial Love Buzz Peach Pineapple Passion Fruit Sour sounds like an especially lucky choice, in my opinion). Spots for these events typically sell out, though, so if you’re already on board then secure yours in advance here. | Make it a Halloween drag-bingo spree by hitting Main St. Brewing this Sunday (October 23rd) for their Howl-a-Queen Drag Bingo night, hosted by Candi and Connis Smudge, featuring prizes and a drag show. Tickets ($15 per person, including a bingo card and dabber) are available at the door only, though, so don’t forget to mark your calendar! Find out more.

THE MAGNET | Mondays just got a helluva a lot better (and beer-ier) thanks to The Magnet. The Gastown restaurant/bar has recently extended their hours to include the first day of the week, from 4pm until 11pm. Another day to enjoy a regularly updated “laundry list” of delicious brews of all styles in a quirky and colourful space amongst good and passionate beer-loving folks? Yes please! Not that you should wait that long to swing by for a round or two…especially if you consider yourself a “fresh-hop-head” in which case you can take extra pleasure from a menu currently stacked with beers featuring the stuff, from the likes of Brassneck, Yellow Dog, Neighbourhood, Backcountry and Dageraad. See you there!

NOW OPEN | Good news for Chilliwack-ers: Sidekick Brewing is now open! The Vedder Mountain Road brewery and tasting room has been welcoming the public into their new space since Thursday, October 13th. To start, they’ve got a total of five beer taps including their own inaugural three brews: a West Coast IPA, Hazy IPA, and Berliner Weiss served straight up or with any of six fruit-flavoured syrups of your picking. Meanwhile, the kitchen is putting out Detroit style pizzas to soak it all up (one Steelhead with Smoked Carrot Sauce, Confit Steelhead Trout, Scallions & Szechuan Chili Oil, please!) as well as some smaller and sweeter bites, including a couple of options making playful use out of beer as an ingredient (think, lager mustard to accompany your roasted potatoes and a Panzanella Salad made with roasted beer bread and doused in a beer sugar vinaigrette). Sidekick is currently open from 11:30am, seven days a week. Before you swing by, plot out your own plan of attack here.