Granville Island Brewing
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| Granville Island Brewing Company | |
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| Location | Granville Island Vancouver, British Columbia Canada |
| Owner(s) | Andrew Peller Ltd. |
| Year opened | 1984 |
| Annual production | 6,000,000 L |
| Active beers | |
| English Bay Pale Ale | Ale |
| Cypress Honey Lager | Lager |
| Gastown Amber Ale | Ale |
| Granville Island Lager | Lager |
| Kitsilano Maple Cream Ale | Ale |
| Seasonal beers | |
| Robson Street Hefeweizen | Summer |
| Merry Monks Doppelbock | Winter |
| Lions Winter Ale | Winter |
| Scottish Ale | Winter |
The Granville Island Brewing Company (GIB) is a microbrewery originally based on Granville Island in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. Founded in 1984 (as Canada’s first microbrewery), their signature and original product is their Granville Island Lager which is a traditional Pilsner style beer brewed according to the Bavarian Purity Law of 1516. Since then, Granville Island has continued to release new innovative beers for all occasions.
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[edit] History
Granville Island Brewing dates back to 1984 when Mitch Taylor started Canada’s first microbrewery.
- 1984 Granville Island Brewing, Canada's first microbrewery, opens for business.
- 1987 Lord Granville Pale Ale is born (later renamed English Bay Pale Ale).
- In 1994 to celebrate their diamond anniversary Granville Island releases a special 10th Anniversary Amber Ale (later renamed Gastown Amber Ale). Also in 1994, GIB introduced Canada's first microbrewed beer in a can.
- In 1997 after extensive renovations on the brewery are completed “The Taproom” opens its doors. Granville Island Brewing also launches Cypress Honey Lager as a Limited Release. This brand would eventually become one of the most popular Granville Island brands of all time.
- 2001 Brewmaster Vern Lambourne joins the GIB team.
- In 2003 GIB releases Kitsilano Maple Cream Ale a west coast style ale; fusing together the taste of pure Canadian maple syrup and hand-crafted beer.
- 2004 brought the release of new products from Granville Island Brewing: Granville Island Brewing had a busy 2004, with the release of three new products: The Robson Street Hefeweizen, the Summer Mingler, and the Winter Mingler.
- In August of 2005 Andres Wines completes their purchase of Granville Island Brewing.
- 2006 Granville Island beers win six medals at the World Beer Championships.
- 2006 Granville Island Brewing spends over one million dollars renovating their Kelowna brewing facility in order to keep up with growing demand.
[edit] Products
Granville Island Brewery names its beers after local places and neighbourhoods in British Columbia.
- English Bay Pale Ale
- Cypress Honey Lager
- Gastown Amber Ale
- Granville Island Lager
- Kitsilano Maple Cream Ale
Limited release beers are also produced seasonally, including:
- Robson Street Hefeweizen (summer)
- Oktoberfest (fall)
- Merry Monks Doppelbock (winter)
- Lions Winter Ale (winter)
- Scottish Ale (winter)
- Killarney Stout (St. Patrick's Day)
- Ginger Beer (spring)
[edit] Product descriptions
This is a list of the current granville Island product portfolio and their corresponding taste profiles.
- English Bay Pale Ale - A copper-hued pale ale crafted in the tradition of classic English ales. English Bay Pale Ale has a smooth, mild flavour and a caramel malt aroma. 5% alc./vol.
- Cypress Honey Lager - Pure Fraser Valley, British Columbia honey gives this lager a hint of sweetness in the finish. This beer is lightly hopped with a slightly lower alcohol content.
- Gastown Amber Ale - A full-bodied beer a shade darker then a traditional Pale Ale, originally launched in 1994. 5.5% alc./vol.
- Granville Island Lager - A Bavarian-style lager, full-bodied and golden-hued. Granville Island Lager is cellared for six weeks and fermented at low temperatures which gives it a distinct hop flavour. 5.0% alc./vol.
- Kitsilano Maple Cream Ale - A bronze-coloured ale that is brewed using 100% natural ingredients. A hint of pure Canadian maple syrup is added for a creamy taste. Traditional Tettnang hops are used to balance this full flavoured ale giving it a dry, crisp finish. 5% alc./vol.
- Robson Street Hefeweizen - An unfiltered wheat ale with German descent. A lemon wedge is recommended as a garnish to amplify the natural fruit flavours of this beer.
- Merry Monks Dopplebock - A rich and dark malt with a spicy fruit flavour that finishes dry. 8.7% alc./vol.
- Lions Winter Ale - Crystal, Vienna & Munich malts come together to give Lions Winter Ale the body and richness of a robust ale, with a sweet caramel flavour. Specialty hops such as Wilamette, Czech and German Spalt, infuse the aroma. Bavarian Purity Law standards are observed until the filtration stage, at which point real caramel, vanilla and chocolate are added to give this beer a smooth vanilla like finish.
- Scottish Ale - A robust, warming beer with a complex, malty flavour. It is recommended that this ale be slowly sipped.
[edit] Location and Operations
Though the larger part of its base of operations moved inland to Kelowna, in the Okanagan Valley, the original brewery continues to manufacture some of the company's products, and offers beer-tasting tours popular among locals and tourists alike. The original brewhouse is located directly under the Granville Bridge that crosses False Creek into downtown Vancouver. Tours of the small brewery are held daily and beer tastings are also available. Four of the company's beers are always kept fresh on tap, one of which is usually a limited release only available at the brewery.
[edit] The Taproom
In 1997 Granville Island Brewing opened the Taproom, a place for consumers to enjoy their choice of Granville Island Brewing beer, with an appetizer and company. The Taproom is also available to be booked for events including parties and brewery tours.
