by Shaun Layton | I recently paid my first visit to Strange Fellows Brewing in Strathcona. Opened this past winter by brewing veteran Iain Hill (most recently Yaletown Brewing Co.), and partner Aaron Jonckheere (a third generation brewing Belgian), the new and increasingly popular brewery is really more awesome than strange.

“At Strange Fellows”, their website declares, “we celebrate the Strange – people, traditions and ways of life from around the world. Each one of us is unique and a little strange in our own way, with different ideas, tastes, and dreams.” It’s a philosophy that not only comes across in the beer, but also in the space itself.

The beers – seven rotating taps in all – cleave mostly to delicious renditions of European standards, everything from a Belgian-style Wit and a grapefruit Radler to a Bavarian-style Helles lager and hefeweizen (they also do an excellent Dark IPA), while the tasting room – as good looking as any other in Vancouver – sports its own art gallery (The Charles Clark Gallery). That the towering sign out front is slanted carries the “strange” theme to the extreme, but it definitely makes it hard to miss.

Growler fills are super popular. The West Coast pale ale that I took home, dubbed The Talisman, was my favourite among those I sipped from my “Box O Strange” sampler ($7). The dry hopped pale ale is everything I want for an afternoon beer: a little bit of hop complimented by a tropical nose with citrus on the palate. Its beautiful, golden, sunny day hue makes it the perfect beer to bring to a BBQ. It also weighs in at 4.2%, which is great for us who like to “session”.

For food, they offer locally sourced bar snacks, and food trucks are on site Thursday, Friday, and Saturday evenings.

Strange Fellows Brewing | 1345 Clark Drive | 604-215-0092 | www.strangefellowsbrewing.com

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