Victoria city and Vancouver Island, Canada are well-known for beautiful scenery, Native American art and heritage, architecture, fishing, boating, and Butchart Gardens.

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However, you should also think craft beer. Here are four craft breweries you should visit during any trip to this area.

Driftwood Brewing Company

IMG_4993Started in 2008, Driftwood Brewery caught my attention initially with their Fat Tug IPA. Fat Tug is a delicious and magnificently balanced northwest style India Pale Ale with an intense hop profile that includes notes of grapefruit, mango melon and passion fruit.

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Braedon was an outstanding tasting room host. Thanks Braedon!

Driftwood’s Cask Conditioned Satori Harvest Fresh Hop IPA is a seasonal beer that has become a British Columbia cult classic and rightfully so.  Look for it in September and early October. Providing outstanding earthy, plant, grapefruit, floral, and pith aromas and flavors, one taste had me joining the cult too.

Be certain to also try their Naughty Hildegard Extra Special Bitter as well as their Crooked Coast Altbier.

Hoyne Brewing Company

IMG_4987Hoyne Brewing Company is literally next door to Driftwood Brewing. Founder and Brewmaster Sean Hoyne has spent over 25 years dedicated to making delicious beer at other breweries until starting Hoyne Brewery almost 3 years ago.

IMG_5027My two favorite beers sampled were 1) Dark Matter Ale with its smokey malt flavor and coffee and dark chocolate finish and 2) Devil’s Dream IPA with its big grapefruit and citrus nose leading to excellent grapefruit citrus and pith flavors supported by a delicious malt biscuit base.

Looking for a statement making alternative to Pilsner Urquell? Try the Hoyner Pilsner.

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 Moon Under Water Brewpub

IMG_5046Looking for good food and beer? Moon Under Water Brewpub is a great stop for both.

Brewmaster Clay Potter (and wife Chelsea) and stepfather Steve Ash (and wife Anne) bought the Moon Under Water Brewpub . According to their website, “All four are hands-on owners and each has brought an important element to the mix. Clay with his Brewing, Chelsea with her experience in the hospitality industry, Anne a Bookkeeper and Steve as an owner/operator of a Metal Fabrication shop.”

After renovating the brewery, new Moon brews started filling glasses in November 2012.

IMG_5070IMG_5062If you prefer beers with a malt focus, try the Creepy Uncle Dunkel for a sweet caramel aroma that is the prelude to caramel, vanilla and nut flavors and a toffee finish.

My favorite brew was the Year 2 Wheat Wine (Moon’s 2nd Anniversary beer). This 11.2% ABV floral and spicy brew is perfect for sipping during a fall evening.

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Phillips Brewing Company

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Easily the largest brewery on Vancouver Island, Phillips Brewing Company offers a large selection of beers. During my visit, the tasting room was packed. Their #1 seller is Blue Buck – an English Pale Ale. My favorite was the Bottle Rocket ISA. This clear gold beer poured with thick white foam and offered excellent pine aroma and flavor with a nice bitter finish.

IMG_5093I’m looking forward to a more extensive visit to Victoria, Canada some day.  I hope that some of these excellent brews make their way to southern California in the future. Any British Columbia buddies out there seeking a beer exchange?