I’m a pretty big self proclaimed foodie. The Husband is not. He eats like a child, one that likes beer. So when I (strongly) suggested we try the Vancouver Craft Beers ‘n Bites tour, he agreed, thanks to the beer pairings. Thank God for beer.
We received a confirmation email from Vancouver Food Tour the day before that said where to meet and who our guide was. It was really nice to see a photo of the guide, as well as her bio, before going on the tour. It was extra nice for us, since we of course got lost, went to the wrong restaurant, and were a little late for the tour.
Our guide was Heather and she was fantastic. I knew as soon as I read her bio that I would like her; she studied at the Culinary Institute of America, right outside of my favorite place..New York City!
So we met Heather inside the Waterfront Station. Our first stop was right there, at Rogue.
Our first stop on our gastronomic tour of Vancouver.
We had a table already set and waiting for us. There were three flights of beer, just begging to be drank.
The one on the left was apricot beer and it was absolutely fabulous!
Then the food came out. Oh My God. Lobster mac and cheese and spicy chili! There were both so good and went well with their paired beer. Even the picky Husband tried the food, and he’s never had either one before! And he liked it!
Mouthwatering fantastic. It was so hard not to eat all of it, but it was the first stop.
So we enjoyed the food, beer, and beautiful restaurant before heading to Gastown.
Our second stop was Pourhouse in Gastown. Gastown in an area of Vancouver full of great little bars, restaurants, and shops. Just don’t go too far through it or you will find yourself surrounded by pot-smoking homeless people.
They seemed harmless enough. And I may have gotten a free contact buzz….
So on to Pourhouse.
It’s a super cute, speakeasy-style restaurant with passionate bartenders and great drinks. We tried three beers, all that I don’t normally like but ended up really liking here. I don’t like hoppy beer or dark beer, but I’m always willing to try something new. And I’m glad I did. The pairings were so good and made the beer taste really fantastic.
Pourhouse beer flight.
Sausage covered egg (scotch egg) and bacon wrapped dates (devils on horseback).
So you dip the devils on horseback in the porter beer and holy crap! Amazing!
When we finished these amazing little snacks we continued on our way to our final stop. While we were walking we learned about the history of Gastown from Heather. Gastown was named after “Gassy” Jack Deighton, who opened the first saloon in the area.
Gassy Jack statue.
Our last stop was Bitter. It was a cute little place with yummy little snacks.
Final stop!
We had some pretty strong beers and some cheese.
This place balanced us out well. I don’t eat sausage and the Husband doesn’t eat cheese!
We had such a fabulous time on the tour, It wasn’t a ton of walking, so I wish I would have made grandma go. The tour group wasn’t very big, only eight of us, plus our guide Heather,
The Husband and I at the end of the tour.
We liked Heather’s choices so much that we asked her where to go next. She directed us back in to Gastown and told us to go down an alley that smelled like urine. Yes, she really said that. So we walked past the homeless and in to this alleyway that smelled like Atlantic City. Half way down we came across the place she sent us. Salt, a wine, cheese, and charcuterie restaurant.
The stinky alleyway.
The rotating menu. They have all different cheeses and meats.
The menu/instruction manual.
It was such a fun experience tour the different types of food and beer in Vancouver. We liked it so much that the next day we all went on the Vancouver Food Tour Molson Brewery Tour!
The entrance to the brewery.
The Husband, myself, my mother, stepfather, and grandma headed in to the brewery for an awesome tour.
Beer silos!
That is sooooo much beer!!
Unfortunately, you can’t take photos inside. But you get to see all the different steps of the brewing process. It’s a working brewery and there were people there actually working. And the best part of the brewery…. the staff break room!
Yes, they have a BAR in their break room! The staff can come in after work and enjoy free beer!!!!
So our tour guide (and I can’t remember his name and I deleted my notes off my phone) taught us how to pour a draft beer correctly.
Cheers!
And most importantly, grandma loved it!!
