BC Craft Beer Survey Results: 7th Annual People’s Choice Awards

Once again in 2019, Beer Me BC has asked fans of British Columbia craft beer for their thoughts and opinions about what we’re pretty sure is the best craft beer in the world. During November 2019, more than 1000 entries were received in response to our survey of BC’s favourite beers, breweries, events and more in the 7th Annual BC Craft Beer Survey.

As always, we leave the voting completely up to consumers. All participants were free to vote for absolutely any beer, brewery or event they wished. That makes more work for us when tabulating the data! But with dozens of different potential winners in every category, the results speak for themselves.

Thank you to everyone that cast their votes in this year’s survey and a massive congratulations to all the winners. By winning these awards, it is confirmed that British Columbians love what you do and your products are among the best in the province, and likely the best in the world.

Favourite BC Craft Brewery

1. Field House Brewing

2. Parallel 49 Brewing

3. Phillips Brewing & Malting

4. Dageraad Brewing

5. Central City Brewers & Distillers

6. Yellow Dog

T7. Brassneck

T7. Four Winds

9. Backcountry Brewing

10. Fuggles & Warlock

Field House has been climbing the ranks for the past few years and in 2019 takes top spot. The top three are rounded out with classic favourites Parallel 49 and Phillips Brewing. Dageraad and Central City come in just behind finishing up the top 5.

Favourite New BC Craft Brewery

1. House of Funk Brewing

2. Ile Sauvage Brewing

3. The Bakery Brewing

4. Five Roads Brewing

5. Slackwater Brewing

T6. Whistle Buoy

T6. Another Beer Co

8. Wildeye Brewing

T9. Tinhouse Brewing

T9. Rustic Reel Brewing

North Vancouver takes top spot again in the top New Brewery Category. This year, House of Funk Brewing is the favourite brewery that has opened in the past 12 months. Ile Sauvage and Bakery Brewing take second and third spot. This year, the new breweries category shows great diversity coming from many areas of the province.

Favourite BC Craft Beer

1. Driftwood Fat Tug IPA

2. Hoyne Dark Matter

3. Four Winds Nectarous

4. Superflux Colour & Shape IPA

T5. Yellow Dog Play Dead IPA

T5. Backcountry Widowmaker

T7. Yellow Dog High 5 Hazy IPA

T7. Crannog Backhand of God

T9. Twin Sails Dat Juice

T9. Four Winds Juxtapose

T9 .Phillips Blue Buck

No suprises here. The top three beers are no strangers to BC craft beer drinkers. Fat Tug, Dark Matter and Nectarous are the three most preferred craft beers in this year’s survey.

Most Often-Consumed BC Craft Beer

1. Driftwood Fat Tug IPA

2. Hoyne Dark Matter

T3. Steamworks Flagship IPA

T3. Phillips Blue Buck

5. Red Racer IPA

6. Parallel 49 Craft Lager

T7. Red Racer Session IPA

T7. Twin Sails Dat Juice

9. Yellow Dog Play Dead

T10. Parallel 49 Trash Panda

T10. Yellow Dog High Five Hazy IPA

While the best beer is one thing, you may not drink the best beer most often. Sessionability and availability often supercede, so the most often consumed beer shows what is driving business for breweries in BC.

Here, Driftwood and Dark Matter still take top spots but Steamworks Flagship IPA and Phillips Blue Buck tie for third spot. Close behind is Red Racer’s IPA in 5th spot.

Best Spring/Summer Seasonal BC Craft Beer

1. Stanley Park Sunsetter

2. Parallel 49 Tricycle Radler

3. Red Racer Session IPA

4. Strathcona Beach Lemon Mandarin Radler

T5. Fuggles & Warlock Gin & Lime Pilsner

T5. Phillips Raspberry Wheat

7. Twin Sails Would Crush

The best spring/summer beer shows the lighter side of beers where warm weather drives the occasion. Here Stanley Park’s Sunsetter takes top spot followed by Parallel 49’s Radler and the Red Racer Session IPA. All of the top 5 beers here have an ABV of 5% or less and 3 of the top 5 have fruit in their recipes.

Honourable Mention to: Twin Sails Dat Juice, Four Winds Nectarous, Whistler Grapefruit Ale, Howe Sound King Heffy and Four Winds Velo.

Best Fall/Winter Seasonal BC Craft Beer

1. Granville Island Lions Winter Ale
2. Vancouver Island Brewing Hermannator Ice Bock
3. Whistler Brewing Chestnut Ale
4. Whistler Brewing Chocolate Orange Dunkel
5. Driftwood Sartori Harvest Fresh Hop IPA
6. Hoyne Dark Matter
7. Field House Brewing Toasted Coconut Black Lager
8. Driftwood Singularity
9. Nelson Brewing Co. Faceplant Winter Ale

While the summer beers are light and easy drinking, the top fall/winter beers bring bold and rich flavour to the table. Here, the omnipresent seasonal Lions Winter Ale takes top spot, and the iconic Hermannator is in second spot. Whistler wraps up 3rd and 4th spot with their Chestnut Ale and Dunkel. Driftwood’s Sartori Harvest isn’t in the top spot like it was a few years back but still rounds out the top 5.

Best Packaging Design

1. 1. Driftwood
   2. Parallel 49
   3. Phillips
   4. Fuggles & Warlock
   5. Superflux
   6. Boombox
   7. Field House
   8. Four Winds
   9. Strange Fellows
   10. Yellow Dog

Driftwood’s art from Hired Guns Creative continues to impress, while the cartoon-esque artwork of Parallel 49 and Phillips wins over consumers with 2nd and third place.

Favourite BC Cidery 

1. Sea Cider

2. Merridale

3. BC Tree Fruits

4. Left Field

T5. Salt Spring Wild Cider

T5. Lonetree Cider

7. Bricker Cider Co.

8. Fraser Valley Cider

9. Dominion Cider

T10. Windfall Cider

T10. Nomad Cider

New for 2019, we asked consumers their preferences on BC Craft Cider. Here, Vancouver Island’s Sea Cider received the most votes followed by Merridale and BC Tree Fruits with their Broken Ladder brand. It is great to see such a diverse array of cideries receiving votes in this year’s survey.

Best BC Craft Beer Event

1. Vancouver Craft Beer Week
2. Great Canadian Beer Festival
3. Farmhouse Fest
4. Okanagan Fest of Ale
5. Fort Langley Beer & Food Festival
6. BC Beer Awards
7. Great Okanagan Beer Festival
8. Whistler Village Beer Festival
9. Clover Valley Beer Festival
10. Coquitlam Beer Festival

The growth of Vancouver Craft Beer Week has risen the event into top spot ahead of the Great Canadian Beer Festival and Farmhouse Fest. The Okanagan Fest of Ale and Fort Langley finish in 4th and 5th spot.

What’s Next?

There is more coming! The Beer Me BC Craft Beer Survey isn’t just about awards. There is more information coming your way on the preferences of craft beer drinkers and the trends around how things are changing year over year. Stay tuned in the coming weeks for more information and insights into the best craft beer in the world.

Huge Thanks to our Survey Supporters

A big thank you to these sponsors. We could not have had our BC Craft Beer Survey without you, and what you contributed:

Andina Brewing Company: Tour and Tasting for 4!
Bad Tattoo Brewing: Tour and Tasting for 6!
Beer League: Hat & T-Shirt!
Clover Valley Beer Festival presented by The Property Twins: 2020 Tickets for Two!
Dageraad Brewing: Gift Card!
Dead Frog Brewery: Swag Pack!
Field House Brewing Co.: Gift Certificate!
Great Okanagan Beer Festival: 2020 Tickets for Two!
Mariner Beer: Gift Card!
Merridale Cidery & Distillery: Tour and Tasting for 10!
Parkside Brewery: Gift Card!
Red Racer Brew: Hat & T-Shirt!
Red Racer Taphouse Beatty: Gift Card!
Townsite Brewing: Gift Card!
Vancouver Brewery Tours: Prize Pack!
Vancouver Craft Beer Week: 2020 Weekend Passes!
Whistler Village Beer Festival: 2020 Weekend Passes!
Plus Old Yale Brewing: Swag Pack! Not in the graphic but definitely in our hearts ❤️ 🍻

Congratulations to all the prize winners this season, and thanks to all who participated in our 7th Annual Survey. Stay tuned for industry insights!