We’re lucky to live in the adventure capital of Canada; there’s climbing, ski touring, glacier missions, kiteboarding, biking and more all at our doorstep. Apart from being awesome, these adventures all have one thing in common; the need to review, chat, laugh and plan the next one over a glass of cold beer.
In Squamish, we’ve got a number of great breweries, all unique and identifiable in their own way. Backcountry Brewing is one of the newest on the scene and they’ve designed a great atmosphere, brewed refreshing beer, hired friendly staff and produced gourmet food at an affordable price. This recipe for success, has made Backcountry brewing a local favourite spot, we came up with 5 reasons to visit Backcountry brewing.
1. Unique and Delicious Craft Beer
When it comes to beer, these guys are the experts. They make all their delicious brews in house, for the sole purpose of pleasing their loyal customers and personal pallets. With a “science lab” in house, they can create the perfect recipe for their brews time and time again.
Meet The Beers:
Info from the Backcountry Website
RIDGERUNNER PILSNER
German pilsner is characteristically dry and hoppy with a nice background bitterness. Backcountry Brewing creates a pilsner that is a classic example of the style brewed with Pilsner malt and hopped with Saphir and Spalt Select. The result is a crisp dry pilsner with a floral and spicy nose that offers a nice balance between hops and malt.
TRAILBREAKER PALE ALE
This pale ale will likely come across more like a session IPA than most pale ales in the market. They kept the malt profile light so that the hops could shine. Copious amounts of Citra, Simcoe and Chinook were used to create a refreshingly fruity hop presence. This beer is unfiltered and un-fined to leave as much flavor and mouthfeel behind in the finished beer as possible.
WIDOWMAKER IPA
This is their signature IPA and is my personal Favourite. This style of IPA is characterized by a light malt profile with a big pulpy body that is there to complement the intense juicy character coming from the hops. Despite the absolute truck load of hops used in this style of beer the bitterness is restrained and comes across more like that of a pale ale. In this beer, they kept the malt profile light but full and threw in a ridiculous amount of Citra and Mosaic both in the kettle and in the dry hop to create this intense juice bomb. This beer is unfiltered and un-fined to leave as much flavor and mouthfeel behind in the finished beer as possible.
REST IN PEACH SOUR
The second in a series of tart ales was sourced in our kettle and then conditioned on over 500 lbs of peaches, creating a lovely peach and apricot character. Like their first kettle sour, the tartness is restrained to make the beer more approachable. They also added a small amount of lactose in this beer to add the creaminess, mouthfeel and balance. There’s so much fruit character in this one that sometimes you forget you’re drinking beer.
SAFETY THIRD IPA
This IPA is a variation on the popular Yankee Dankee West Coast IPA . It utilizes the same light grain bill to let the hops shine, but this time they substituted in Ella hops from Australia. Ella, as well as some Citra, and El Dorado, were used in the kettle and dry hop process providing a unique floral and fruity character.
2. Big, Open and Airy Spaces
When you enter Backcountry Brewing the interior size of the building will surprise you! The open space and family style dinning creates a cozy environment, while you dine and drink among their massive brewing and bottling equipment. The professionally designed spaces make you feel like you are in a back-country cabin, making this the perfect adventure apres location.
3. Pizza
We had the pleasure of sampling the legendary forager pizza (mushrooms, kale, parmigiana reggiano, truffled cream) the beet salad (Fior Di Latte, beets, arugula, candied pecan) and their anti-pasti platter. Before I’d even tasted it, the pizza had won me over. The smell of the truffle oil had me salivating and the size of it made my mouth drop. I don’t know how Backcountry’s done it, but if I closed my eyes, I could have sworn I was back in Italy. The menu at Backcountry brewing allows you to enjoy a great meal without blowing your budget.
4. Experience Squamish
I’m not really sure how to explain this, but walking into the Backcountry Brewing just felt like Squamish. There was an amazing mix of people, from a family having their lunch, to a group of small business owners networking, and a bunch of ladies sharing a few bachelorette drinks. Where else do you find that but this beautiful place we call home.
5. Staff are Attentive and Friendly
The wait and bar staff at a venue can definitely make or break your experience, and for these guys, it’s been made. They’re friendly, knowledgeable and attentive, they’ll keep an eye on you all night and keep your drinks topped up as long as you’re wanting. The best bit, I can nearly guarantee they’ll recognize you the next time you walk through those doors. Bonus: We found a finger board hanging in the staff area. It’s important your staff can keep their strength up, right?
If you’re looking for a relaxed and welcoming venue to enjoy your next beer, the Backcountry Brewery is it. Did we miss any of your top reasons to Visit Backcountry brewing?
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