Rob Mangelsdorf •

The Growlies have landed!

Welcome to the inaugural Growler Craft Beer Awards, AKA, the Growlies!

This year, The Growler is launching its first ever craft beer contest, celebrating all of the awesomeness that is B.C. craft beer. Unlike traditional beer awards, the Growlies have been decided by YOU, the beer-drinking public.

B.C.’s 169 craft breweries produced an estimated 5,000+ different beers this year. So with the help of our panel of craft beer experts, we narrowed the field to between five and 10 nominees in each category. Then the public had their say, with more than 40,000 votes being cast online during B.C. Craft Beer Month in October.

So now, without further ado, we present the very best of B.C. craft beer, according to those who love it most.

Beer of the Year

1) Four Winds Brewing Co. – Juxtapose Wild IPA

2) Driftwood Brewing – Fat Tug IPA

3) Backcountry Brewing – Widowmaker IPA

Brewery of the Year

1) Field House Brewing Co.

2) Four Winds Brewing Co.

3) Yellow Dog Brewing Co.

Best Sour Ale

1) Four Winds Brewing Co. – Quadrennial IV

2) Fuggles and Warlock Craftworks – Shiori Peach Sour

3) Field House Brewing Co. – Viognier Farmhouse

Best UK-Style Ale

1) Driftwood Brewing – Naughty Hildegard ESB

2) Persephone Brewing Co. – Goddess Golden Ale

3) Riot Brewing Co. – Working Class Hero Dark Mild

Best North American-style ale

1) Twin Sails Brewing Co. – Dat Juice

2) Brassneck Brewery – Passive Aggressive

3) Four Winds Brewing Co. – Velo

Best India Pale Ale

1) Driftwood Brewing – Fat Tug IPA

2) Yellow Dog Brewing – Play Dead IPA

3) Backcountry Brewing – Widowmaker IPA

Best dark ale

1) Hoyne Brewing – Dark Matter

2) Crannóg Ales – Back Hand of God

3) Field House Brewing Co. – Salted Black Porter

Best strong beer

1) Vancouver Island Brewing – Hermannator

2) Driftwood Brewing – Singularity

3) Steel & Oak Brewing Co. – Chazwazza DIPA

Best Belgian-style ale

1) Four Winds Brewing Co. – Triplicity

2) Dageraad Brewing – Antwerpen

3) 33 Acres Brewing Co. – 33 Acres of Euphoria

Best light/golden lager

1) Four Winds Brewing Co. – Elementary Lager

2) Steel & Oak Brewing Co. – Simple Things

3) Fuggles & Warlock Craftworks – Pixel Pils

Best dark lager

1) Moon Under Water Brewery – Creepy Uncle Dunkel

2) Tofino Brewing – Dark Lager

3) Steel & Oak Brewing Co. – Dark Lager

Best fruit beer

1) Four Winds Brewing Co. – Raspberry Jam

2) Fuggles & Warlock Craftworks – Kiwami Plum Sour

3) Bomber Brewing – Park Life

Best wheat beer

1) Parallel 49 Brewing – Jerkface 9000

2) Dageraad Brewing – White

3) The Parkside Brewery – Dimwit

Best barrel-aged beer

1) Four Winds Brewing Co. – Pequeno Cabo

2) Strange Fellows Brewing – Reynard

3) Spinnakers Brewpub – Malus

Best collab

1) Yellow Dog Brewing // Powell Brewery – Stop, Collaborate and Listen

2) Field House Brewing Co. // Ravens Brewing Company – Pink Guava Gose

3) Fuggles & Warlock Craftworks // Moody Ales – Pears in White Satin

Most innovative/creative beer

1) Field House Brewing Co. – Viognier Farmhouse

2) Four Winds Brewing Co. – Vinland Saison

3) Category 12 Brewing – Raw Ale

Best new brewery

1) Electric Bicycle Brewing Co. (Vancouver)

2) BREWHALL (Vancouver)

3) Vice and Virtue Brewing Co. (Kelowna)

Unsung Hero

1) Townsite Brewing (Powell River)

2) Cannery Brewing Company (Penticton)

3) Gladstone Brewing Co. (Courtenay)

Best brewery tasting room

1) Field House Brewing Co.

2) Phillips Brewing and Malting Co.

3) Parallel 49 Brewing

Most knowledgeable tasting room staff

1) Brassneck Brewery

2) Phillips Brewing and Malting Co.

3) Strange Fellows Brewing

Best branding/packaging

1) Driftwood Brewing

2) Four Winds Brewing Co.

3) Phillips Brewing and Malting Co.

Best social media

1) Four Winds Brewing Co.

2) Phillips Brewing and Malting Co.

3) Backcountry Brewing

Best local homebrewing store

1) CBDB’S—formerly Dan’s Homebrewing (Vancouver)

2) Beyond the Grape (Port Moody)

3) Barley’s Homebrewing (New Westminster)

Best craft beer selection (liquor store)

1) Legacy Liquor Store (Vancouver)

2) Brewery Creek Liquor Store (Vancouver)

3) B.C. Liquor Store, 39th and Cambie (Vancouver)

Best craft beer selection (restaurant/bar)

1) The Alibi Room (Vancouver)

2) CRAFT Beer Market (Vancouver)

3) The Drake Eatery (Victoria)

Best beer event/festival

1) Vancouver Craft Beer Week

2) Great Canadian Beer Festival (Victoria)

3) Whistler Village Beer Festival