Rob Mangelsdorf •

Old Abbey Ales reopens

It’s been a rocky road for Abbotsford’s Old Abbey Ales over the past year, with the sudden passing of owner Don Piccolo, and the subsequent sale and closure of the brewery. Thankfully, the brewery has found new ownership and will be celebrating its official reopening this Friday (July 27) from noon to 6pm.

Many of the brewery’s staff members will be returning, including brewmaster Steve Black. The newly renovated tasting room features 12 taps of craft beer, as well as new food offerings, a pool table and a sweet jukebox. Check out Old Abbey’s website at OldAbbeyAles.com for more updates.

Craft beer industry parties for a cause

The craft beer industry is supporting one of its own with a craft beer social and silent auction this Friday (July 27).

Justin Vickaryous is the Director of Brewery Operations at Red Truck Beer and his wife, Angie, has been diagnosed with astrocytoma, a type of brain cancer. To help pay for her treatment, friends of the couple are organizing Angie vs the Astrocytoma, a fundraiser at the Ellis Building (1024 Main St., Vancouver).

Admission for the event is by donation, with the B.C. Hospitality Foundation (BCHF) matching funds raised to a maximum of $5,000.

In addition to a cash bar offering a great selection of local craft beers, there will be live music from Year of the Wolf and the Eleven Twelves.

If you can’t make it out to the event, you can still make a donation to Angie’s GoFundMe campaign here. If you’d like to donate items for the silent auction, contact Caryn Westmacott at caryn@redtruckbeer.com. For more details, check out the event’s Facebook page here.

Drake celebrates four years with Thirsty Chef fundraiser

Victoria’s Drake Eatery is celebrating its fourth anniversary with its Thirsty Chef fundraiser to support Island Chefs Collaborative this Saturday (July 28) at the Market Square Courtyard.

Some of the city’s best chefs will be serving up tapas designed to pair with beer, which is a good thing, because more than 20 breweries will be on hand pouring their wares—including some barrel-aged beauties from Oregon’s pFriem Family Brewers.

The Island Chefs Collaborative is a non-profit dedicated to building a local and sustainable food system on Vancouver Island by offering microloans to local farmers to allow them to grow more food and connect with local merchants. Tickets to the event are only $30 and are still available here.