If you’re not going to Vancouver for the Olympics this winter, go for the beer. Specifically, go to The Alibi Room, the unofficial one-stop craft-beer shop of British Columbia. Located in Vancouver’s Gastown neighborhood, Alibi is a beer lover’s paradise with 25 rotating taps, three regional cask-conditioned ales, and a just-opened cellar featuring a modest but intriguing selection of barleywines and strong ales.
Co-owner Nigel Springthorpe chooses each beer himself, focusing on diverse, quality microbrews from the province with a few one-off American craft beers thrown in. “I take my truck over to Vancouver Island once a month, and drive to all the little brewpubs that don’t distribute in Vancouver. They only sell to us because I’m showing up on their doorstep,” he explains, citing Nanaimo’s Longwood Brewpub as an example. Springthorpe believes his beer program’s strength lies in promoting local brews, and knows that, “we’re only as good as what the local guys are brewing.” Luckily, the local guys rock.
Take the seasonal Satori Harvest IPA from Victoria’s Driftwood Brewery, crafted with fresh local hops, and the “vicious, unbelievable”—and accidentally aged—12-year-old lambic from Vancouver’s Storm Brewing. Alibi serves a dinner menu, too, showcasing local ingredients. Our recommendation? Order a tasting flight and take a B.C. road trip without ever leaving your bar stool.