Granville Island Brewing is constantly experimenting and coming up with new beers! It’s latest creation is a new series called Under the Bridge. This new series celebrates the bitter start and bright finish of Granville Island. From a dark and dangerous industrial centre, to a bustling artsy hub, this series explores the history of where GIB began.

Did you know that Granville Island was once the dangerous heart of industrial Vancouver? Step onto Granville Island and you would have been greeted with tangled ropes, rusty chains, dirt, noise and perhaps an unsavoury character or two. Flash forward to 2015 and it’s a tourist hot spot with bustling markets as well as a plethora of restaurants and of course, seagulls. The Under the Bridge series takes inspiration from this transformation!

In the Under the Bridge series, you’ll find; Swing Span Amber Ale; Hey Day Hefeweizen; Maple Shack Cream Ale; and the Infamous IPA. I was invited to their Infamous IPA launch event and got the chance to taste it.

From the brewmaster:

Infamous IPA: Granville Island wasn’t always pretty parks and public markets. This place has a tough, gritty past; firetrap factories, shadowy characters, dark dockside tales. A bitter start, and a bright finish. Sound familiar? Our-well hopped IPA pays homage to this patchy history, with plenty of Pacific Northwest flavours. Find out what made this beer infamous here: Infamous IPA.

My thoughts:

If you’re starting to traverse into IPA land, you will like this beer. Normally, I gravitate towards the Island Lager or even Granville Island’s False Creek Raspberry Ale, so I was surprised to find myself liking the Infamous IPA. If you have been a long time GIB fan, you’ll know they have always done small batch IPAs but this one will be sticking around for a while and more widely distributed. The last IPA I had from GIB was the Brockton. This tastes similar but perhaps with more IBUs in comparison? This is definitely more bitter overall than Brockton but still pretty easy drinking. If you’re a hardcore IPA fan and enjoy a super hoppy and bitter beer, you may find this a bit mild. But personall, I quite enjoyed it and found the citrus notes to come through strongly and the drier finish made it go down pretty easy. This is an IPA I can have a few pints of!

Others in the Under the Bridge Series: 

Swing Span Amber Ale: Way back when, this bridge swung aside to let tall ships through. We’re blowing a horn to that heritage with this medium-bodied, deep amber ale – rich with aromas of premium Mosaic and Cascade hops. Swing over here for more beer info: Swing Span Amber Ale.

Hey Day Hefeweizen: Look back, look forward, and look to Granville Island, where this brilliant Hefe was born. Inspired by the West Coast, this classic wheat ale is cloudy, crisp and dry, with aromas of banana and clove – great with brunch, patios, and bright dispositions. Try it with breakfast and let your day shine! Explore more about this cloudy treat here: Hey Day Hefeweizen.

Maple Shack Cream Ale: This malty, smooth maple cream ale has a hint of maple syrup, with mild hop bitterness. It’s a tribute to both Quebec’s legendary sugar shacks, and the tin roofs that littered Granville Island back in the day. Big saps welcome. Take a sip and enjoy the caramel malts, light hop bitterness, and hints of maple. This beer pairs perfectly with roast beef or BBQ ribs. Discover how it shacks up here: Maple Shack Cream Ale.

The Under The Bridge series is available at various restaurants and in six-packs at BC Liquor stores in Metro Vancouver.

Want to check out these and other Granville Island Brewing beers for yourself? GIB does daily tours and tastings Mon – Sun (3 Tours Daily) at noon, 2pm and 4pm!

Tours are $9.75 (includes 3 x 4oz tasters) and are limited to 10 people and are booked on a first-come, first-serve basis in the retail store.

You can tweet Granville Island on Twitter @itsgoodtobehere or find them online at gib.ca.