The Beer Brief is a round-up of all the local beer 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!

BEER DINNER | Belgard Kitchen is hosting a four-course (plus amuse bouche) Brewmaster’s Dinner this Tuesday, February 23rd, and some tickets are still available. A few of the phenomenal sounding pairings include: ‘Good News’ hazy pale ale with house made cheese on crackers, Bagna Cauda with beer pickles and hopped bread with ‘NEXT’ hazy IPA, and an oatmeal stout and Malt Chocolate Beer “Affogato” finish. Find out more.

NOW OPEN | There’s a cool new brewery in South Burnaby that’s worth checking out. It’s called Studio Brewing. Helming the brewing side of things is Ryan Voigt (formerly of Coalesce, Twin Sails and Superflux) who recently completed stints at both Brasserie Thiriez in France and Brasserie Cantillon in Belgium — so you know their beer game is strong. From a purely aesthetic perspective, Studio Brewing’s graphic, retro-inspired can art by local creative studio, Skeleton Crew, is some of the most eye-catching branding to hit BC’s beer scene of late. Come spring and summer, it’s probably a safe bet that Studio’s proximity to the Royal Oak skytrain station and Deer Lake Park will prove a draw for the Greater Vancouver park drinking ilk, as well as neighbourhood peeps. In the meantime, Vancouverites can get cans of their beer from Chinatown/Strathcona’s new pop-up pizza spot, Thank You Pizza, and on tap at Superflux.

TREAT YOURSELF | It’s not much of a surprise that Callister Brewing’s third Cookie & Beer pairing night (February 25th) with Half-Baked Cookie Co. is already sold out. But if you still have a hankering for something sweet and boozy, you’re not too late! Callister’s ‘Half-Baked’ Coconut Shortbread Pastry IPA with Lactose is loaded with actual coconut shortbread cookies from the East Van bakery, plus huge amounts of toasted coconut and just the right amount of Sabro hops and vanilla. Find out more.

BEER-CATION | Tapping into the general wanderlust that most of us are experiencing after a year of this restrictive pandemic, Main Street Brewing has just launched a new series of vacation-inspired beers. The line-up takes off this month with ‘Departure Lounge’ hibiscus grisette, which is to be followed by the March release of ‘Ocean View’ session lager. Future beer-cations are TBA. Find out more.

COLLAB | How’s this for a cool local business relationship: Powell Brewery has teamed up with grocery delivery company Legends Haul to create a limited edition American farmhouse ale brewed with purple shiso leaf grown in Surrey by Zaklan Heritage Farm. The brew, called ‘Yukari’, was bottle conditioned with yuzu citrus added, and is available to-go or on tap from the Powell Brewery tasting room, for delivery via Legends Haul and Beervan, and on select liquor store shelves. Find out more.

EAT | It’s so heartening to see local beer establishments coming together to support one another in these messed up times. Another case in point: Strange Fellow’s latest addition to their tasting room food menu comes courtesy of The Magnet. There are two Magnet Board options available, featuring either their housemade duck rillette (so delicious) or their pork terrine, along with locally made bread courtesy of Livia and pickles via Biota Fermentation.

ART | Speaking of Strange Fellows, there’s new art up on the walls of the brewery’s adjacent Charles Clark Gallery. The show is called ‘Thirteen Ways of Looking at Black Birds’ and it sees a series of sinister black-and-white linoprints by John Steil – a self-professed ‘bird person’ – paying homage to the similarly titled poem by Wallace Stevens. Check it out until March 12th. Find out more.

VOTE | Like beer and New York-style pizza? Got an opinion? Then get ready to cast your vote in AJ’s Brooklyn Pizza Joint’s battle of the Breweries monthly poll. Each month the Mount Pleasant pizzeria will be pitting local breweries against each other to decide who will be pouring from their two guest taps. First up, back in January, was Phillips vs Strathcona, and Slowhand vs Trading Post. Keep tuned to the AJ’s Instagram for future battle announcements.

BEER ATLAS | Looking to safely expand your beer-drinking radius? For an adventurous, singular beer experience, check out Bakery Brewing, located along the famous stretch of Port Moody known as Brewers Row, and the latest addition to Scout’s Craft Beer Atlas. Find out more.

BEER-STORY | In exciting world beer news, archaeologists have discovered what is likely the oldest large-scale beer operation in Abydos, Egypt. Over 300 clay brewing vessels were unearthed at the site of the 5,000-year-old brewery – presumably once used to make beer for ancient sacrificial rituals. Read the CBC’s coverage here.