Tag Archives: chilliwack

Old Yale Brewing is back

Happy New Year to BC beer geeks, Old Yale Brewing is coming back! Old Yale was a pretty cool brewery, brewing out of a strip mall in Chilliwack of all places. Their IPA and Pale Ale were both delightful and I was sad to hear of their demise a couple years ago. Luckily, some passionate beer people purchased the brewery and are reopening it with the same brewmaster and recipes. They are also going to be selling their beer in cans, signalling greater ambition this time around. Here’s the blurb I received:

I wanted to let you know that Old yale Brewing co. is back open and brewing again! It has been purchased by a small group of beer lovers and we have the same brewmaster, Larry Caza. The recipes are the same and the first few batches have come out excellent. Our new group is excited about getting our superb beer to more people.

We have just began shipping beer in large bottles to a few liquor stores in the Chilliwack and abbotsford area. We have a few establishments with our beer on tap again. We are in the very early stages and a lot will be happening over the next month or two.

We will be offering our Sergeant’s IPA and the Old Yale Pale Ale in cans soon.

I’m wishing them a very successful 2012!

Cheers,

Chris

Bad BC Beer News

A couple of my favorite BC breweries are going through some turmoil. Old Yale Brewing from Chilliwack is a very small brewery that brews really good beer. Their beer is available direct from the brewery, in some BC Liquor stores, and in the better beer stores. Canadian Beer News is reporting that the brewery is up for sale. I’m hoping that whoever buys Old Yale preserves their recipes and quality standards. I imagine that anyone purchasing the brand would move the brewery from their tiny strip mall location and I can only hope that such changes wouldn’t tarnish the beer. I can imagine why the two man team at Old Yale would want to sell; they are likely over worked and underpaid. I really hope Old Yale stays alive.

Central City Brewing, my favorite local brewery from Surrey BC, is being sued by California’s Bear Republic Brewing for trademark infringement. Bear Republic brews beers with the names Racer 5 and Red Rocket, which they claim are being confused with Central City’s Red Racer brand. The dispute arose when Central City began distributing its highly acclaimed beer (for good reason, it is wonderful) in the USA. Bear Republic likely views Central City as a threat now that they’ve moved into some of their markets, but Bear Republic can be purchased here and you don’t see Central City complaining (FYI Bear Republic, I won’t be buying your beer anymore). Both breweries brew wonderful beers and it is a shame to see small time craft brewers like these fighting each other. I hope the dispute is quickly and cheaply resolved, but I have a feeling that Central City will either have to re-brand or pull out of US markets. To support Central City, start buying their delicious beer from BC Liquor Stores. Not only are the Red Racer beers delicious, but they are one of BC’s cheapest beer options. Both Canadian Beer News and BeerNews.org have more coverage of the lawsuit.

Cheers,

Chris

Where’s the great beer in the Fraser Valley?

We received an email today from a gentleman who just moved to Langley seeking our advice on where to find good beer in the Fraser Valley. His email inspired me to write a brief guide to good beer in the Fraser Valley. Sadly, the choices are few and far between, but there are options nonetheless.

Best Liquor Stores:

BC Signature Liquor Store in Langley
Central City Liquor Store in Surrey

Best (only) Brewpubs:

Big Ridge in Surrey
Central City in Surrey
Mission Springs in Mission

Note: These brewpubs will let you fill up a 2L growler at the bar for a very reasonable price. Big Ridge fills a growler for $7 on Tuesdays, has cask beer available at noon the last Friday of every month, and hosts the occasional brewmaster’s dinner.

Other options:

Old Yale Brewing in Chilliwack

Old Yale, and possibly other valley breweries, will let you buy direct from them. This is likely the best way to acquire fresh beer affordably.

Have I missed anything?

Cheers,

Chris

Nice little weekend

Dave, Tristen, and I enjoying too many free cocktails at The Vancouver Club

This past weekend was a good one for my friends. On Friday, my friend Dave had a party to celebrate earning his Masters degree. Master Simington lives in Chilliwack near Old Yale Brewing and treated his guests to a 19L keg of Old Yale Pale Ale. Old Yale is not a very well known brewery in these parts, but is definitely one of my favorites. It was cool to catch up with old friends and celebrate with a keg of tasty, affordable, local craft beer.

On Saturday, I attended Adam and Lesley’s wedding at the Vancouver Club. I’d previously posted about the Vancouver Club, wondering what their beer selection might be like. I guess Adam and Lesley read the post because they both asked me if I approved of the beer. I didn’t really, but the wedding was awesome! The venue, the food, and the company were all wonderful. The Vancouver Club is a great place for a wedding, shoddy beer menu aside. All the best to Adam and Lesley, thank you for inviting us to enjoy your special day! We had planned to stop off at The Railway Club before the reception, but didn’t quite make it. There was a cocktail hour before the reception featuring drinks and tasty food, and who am I to pass up graciously provided sustenance? And if you were wondering, the beers available were Molson Canadian, Stella Artois, Heineken, and Becks, four generic lagers.

Also at the wedding on Saturday, I received the most surprising text message of my life to date. As we were sitting down for dinner, Peter, of guest post fame, announced the birth of his first child, wooooo! Baby Aaliyah Chandler arrived 18 days early, but healthy and with minimal fuss. We visited the newly formed Chandler family this morning and can attest to the cuteness of said family, thanks in large part to the most recent addition. To tie this event into beer, I’ve heard that stout is supposed to help in breast milk production. This may or may not be true, but I’ve also heard that drinking stout is good times, so who really cares? The Chandlers can expect some stout from me in the near future.

Congrats to my friends on their major life achievements! If you are up for further celebration, I’m up for a few beers.

Cheers,

Chris

A trip to Old Yale Brewing

I attended a wedding in Chilliwack yesterday. We had a substantial break between the ceremony and the reception, so the wife and I decided to check out Old Yale Brewing. We arrived to find that the brewery itself is tiny. There was little differentiation between the brewery, the beer store, and their office, which were all in one big room. We were greeted by the brewer Brian (very friendly) and his young assistant, who were busily cleaning out the mash tun. I chatted with Brian for a bit, he let me know that besides him and his assistant, Old Yale has only one other employee (the owner). Brian also let me know that most of their beer is sold to Vancouver “because Chilliwack is full of hicks who love their bud.” Haha!

After inquiring about beer sales, I had my purchase rung through right beside the grain mill. It was really cool to see such a small brewery in action, run by friendly folk producing highly regarded beer. Old Yale brews four beers and I left with one each of their Cultus Lake Pilsner, Old Yale Pale Ale, Seargent’s IPA, and Sasquatch Stout. I haven’t tried any of them yet, but I’m sure I’ll get find an opportunity soon enough. Old Yale also sells party pigs (8.5L) and 20L or 60L kegs of their beer at very reasonable prices. If you are ever out near the ‘wack and you need a wack of beer, consider stopping by.

Some pictures of the brewery: