Liquor stores and the Steamworks Brewpub in Gastown used to be the only places to get the beer maker’s Pilsner or Oatmeal Stout, but now Burnaby residents can cut out the middle man and go straight to the source, short of putting their mouths on the fermentation tanks.
Steamworks has opened a taproom within its 30,000-square-foot brewery on Williams Street in North Burnaby, offering many of its beers year-round. Even leftover batches of seasonal and specialty brews are sometimes available off-season.
“We have some stuff that you can only get here, you can’t get in bottles or cans at stores,” said Marnie Burnett, director of business development for Steamworks. “It’s either sold out or we just brewed it here or we just brewed it for a special client.
“Right now, we have eight beers on tap and three of them you can only get here.”
While the taproom is a different change of pace from the Vancouver tavern where the Steamworks namesake comes from, the company has given the Burnaby facility its own identity from the former stoneworkers building that they bought about 18 months ago.
“When I first saw the pictures of it, I was like, ‘I don’t know, it looks kind of old,’ but when I came in, I was wowed,” said president Walter Cosman of the production facility. “It’s a 1955 building and it’s got great character.
After the first batch was brewed last September, Steamworks was able to more seriously pursue the idea of an onsite alehouse. Unlike most bars, the taproom is bright, with large windows allowing sunlight to naturally illuminate the tasting area.
That, paired with the relaxed atmosphere, has drawn in neighbours to kick back with a few drinks on site.
“Some people will come in on their laptops and do some work,” said Burnett. “It’s like going to a café but you’re having a beer instead.”
On tap, the brewery’s selection includes their classic Wheat Ale, seasonal favourites like the autumn Pumpkin Ale and winter Belgian Tripel Blitzen, and the ruby red, “summer in a bottle” Frambozën raspberry ale. They’re also showcasing their light, aromatic Jasmine IPA, made with parts of the tropical flower.
The full-flavoured IPA was designed by brewmaster Caolan Vaughan, who has a knack for balancing the elements of a traditional Indian Pale Ale with the scent of the flower.
“Beer is all about balance – that is definitely my ethos about brewing,” he said, noting it still boils down to hops, barley, yeast and water. “With those four main ingredients, it’s amazing the depths of flavours you can come up with.”
While the quantities of those ingredients can make or break a beer, Vaughan notes that the components of the ingredients are equally as important.
“You’re balancing alcohol, malt sweetness, malt flavour, hop flavour, hop aroma, hop bitterness, yeast. It’s balancing all those different flavours and just using different quantities.”
With a state-of-the-art bottle filler that runs 140 bottles per minute, there’s no shortage of beer for anyone who wants to drop by for a quick pint or pick up a growler to go. The taproom is open until 8 p.m. everyday, with the doors opening at 2 p.m. Sunday to Thursday and 11 a.m. on Fridays and Saturdays.
“The main purpose of the taproom is for anybody to pop in,” said Burnett, noting the warm reception from area residents. “It’s a really neat neighbourhood to be in.”
