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    Urban Bliss Life » Restaurant Reviews » Canada Restaurants » Vancouver BC Breweries: Big Rock

    Published: June 21, 2016 / Updated: May 29, 2022 by Marlynn Jayme Schotland · This post may contain affiliate links.

    Vancouver BC Breweries: Big Rock

    1 shares

    Vancouver BC Canada is home to a growing number of microbreweries. Big Rock Brewery has three breweries in one, plus a family-friendly restaurant with delicious food and, of course, great beer. This turned out to be one of our favorite Vancouver BC breweries.

    Vancouver BC Breweries: Big Rock Brewery & Restaurant review on UrbanBlissLife.com

    The craft beer scene in Vancouver BC Canada is, forgive the pun, hopping these days. There are more than 100 Vancouver BC breweries, and many offer tours and tastings, as well as full restaurants. During our road trip to BC, the first spot we visited when we settled into Vancouver was Big Rock Urban Brewery.

    Jump to:
    • Big Rock brewery tour
    • Bog Rock Beer
    • Big Rock Eatery
    • Big Rock Shop
    • Visit
    • More British Columbia travel ideas

    Big Rock brewery tour

    We started with a tour of the brewery before dinner.

    Vancouver BC Breweries: Big Rock Brewery tour

    Big Rock Brewery has been crafting beer and cider in Alberta, Canada since 1985, and the company opened up Big Rock Urban Brewery in Vancouver since 1996.

    It is Canada's largest independent craft brewer, and the Vancouver location we visited now actually has three breweries in one: the main brewery, the small Kaspar Schulz brewery, where they craft innovative beers, and the Nano Brewery (pictured below), which was custom built for their barrel program and where customers can also brew their own.

    Where to Eat & Drink in Vancouver BC Canada: Big Rock Brewery. Restaurant & Brewery Tour review on UrbanBlissLife.com
    Where to Eat & Drink in Vancouver BC Canada: Big Rock Brewery. Restaurant & Brewery Tour review on UrbanBlissLife.com

    Because of what I do for a living and where we live (Portland: microbrew capital of the world, y'all!), our kids have been on plenty of brewery tours all over the US. We love how they get to learn about different local ingredients and how different communities work so closely together to create local food & beverage products. At this tour, my daughter even got to help close the door to their cold storage keg room using the cool pulley system in place. She was pretty excited about that!

    Where to Eat & Drink in Vancouver BC Canada: Big Rock Brewery. Restaurant & Brewery Tour review on UrbanBlissLife.com

    Tours run every Friday, Saturday, and Sunday at 12 noon, 2pm, and 4pm. They are approximately 45 minutes long and include sampling. Be sure to book your tour online in advance, or you can schedule your tour in person.

    Tours with 3 4-ounce samples are $10 per person. Tours without samples are $8 per person.

    Where to Eat & Drink in Vancouver BC Canada: Big Rock Brewery. Restaurant & Brewery Tour review on UrbanBlissLife.com

    Bog Rock Beer

    Big Rock's mission is to "deliver delicious craft beer that is authentic, masterful and audacious." They are committed to using ingredients that are mostly from the lower mainland BC, and in addition to their traditional favorites in their Signature Series, they brew seasonal beers, a barrel aged porter, ciders, a fun nostalgic pull-tab series, and the Big Rock Urban brewery location also offers a Brewer's Edition series of beers that are small-batch brews.

    Vancouver BC Breweries: Big Rock Brewery beer sampler

    During our visit, we tasted a few different beers, and my favorite was the Citradelic Single Hop IPA. True to the name, it's full of citrus flavor and and is a great beer to pair with pizza on a hot day.

    I also enjoyed the Midnight Rhapsody, which has roasted malts and hints of raspberry jam. This one paired well with the steak frites I had for dinner.

    Big Rock Eatery

    Vancouver BC Breweries: Big Rock Restaurant
    Big Rock Brewery steak frites

    After our brewery tour we enjoyed dinner in the adjacent restaurant. The setting is classic brewpub: brick walls, worn wood tables, dark wooden bar chairs, and low lighting. I did like the open feel to the space, as opposed to brewpubs that have high back booths which make them feel even more closed in. It's a casual, laid back atmosphere that's perfect for meeting up with friends after work or on the weekend.   

    I ordered the Steak Frites ($17), which features Newport strip steak, hop salt, and shoestring fries, with a choice of anchovy compound butter or gorgonzola creme. The steak was wonderfully seasoned and flavorful, and we all loved the shoestring fries here. They had just the right amount of crispness to them.

    Where to Eat & Drink in Vancouver BC Canada: Big Rock Brewery. Restaurant & Brewery Tour review on UrbanBlissLife.com

    My husband and son split a Pizza Margherita ($11) with fresh basil, Pecorino Romano, Fior di Latte, and extra virgin olive oil. The crust was a little uneven, but the cheese to sauce ratio was spot on and the fresh basil was a delightful tasty addition.

    Where to Eat & Drink in Vancouver BC Canada: Big Rock Brewery. Restaurant & Brewery Tour review on UrbanBlissLife.com

    My daughter enjoyed a plain grilled cheese and fries, which was served in a fun fry basket. We loved the presentation!

    On our next visit, I would love to try the Lamb Carnita Tacos ($12) or the Ancho Pork Tacos ($13), and I wish we had the appetite that night to try a large portion of their Lamb & Goat Cheese Poutine ($9). If you go there and try other dishes, please let me know what you think!

    Where to Eat & Drink in Vancouver BC Canada: Big Rock Brewery. Restaurant & Brewery Tour review on UrbanBlissLife.com

    As you can see from the photo above, we were a little loopy at this point in our travels, but we had a great time during our first night in Vancouver BC at Big Rock Urban Brewery. The service was fantastic, and we thought it was a great place to grab a delicious craft beer and some classic brewpub food.

    Big Rock Shop

    Where to Eat & Drink in Vancouver BC Canada: Big Rock Brewery. Restaurant & Brewery Tour review on UrbanBlissLife.com

    Big Rock Brewery growlers

    If you visit Big Rock Urban Brewery, don't forget to stop by their shop, where you can pick up all kinds of logo gear and apparel, as well as fill your growlers - or pick up a new growler with the Big Rock Brewery logo on it!

    Visit

    310 West 4th Avenue
    Vancouver BC V5Y 1G9
    604.708.8311
    http://bigrockurban.com/

    Have you had any craft beer from Vancouver BC? If so, what was your favorite? If not, have you been on any brewery tours before and what did you think?


    More British Columbia travel ideas

    • Travel to Vancouver BC: What to Do in Granville Island Market, on UrbanBlissLife.com Things to Do in Granville Island (Vancouver BC)
    • Coast Coal Harbour Hotel, Vancouver BC Canada - hotel review on UrbanBlissLife.com Where to Stay in Vancouver BC: Coast Coal Harbor Hotel
    • Family-friendly Things to Do in Victoria BC Canada: Butchart Gardens on UrbanBlissLife.com Things to Do in Victoria BC: 5 Family-Friendly Activities
    • Whale & Wildlife Watching Tours in Victoria BC on UrbanBlissLife.com Whale Watching in Victoria BC
    • Where to Eat & Drink in Victoria BC on UrbanBlissLife.com 4 Places to Eat in Victoria
    • Paragliding over the Fraser Valley, British Columbia, Canada on UrbanBlissLife.com Paragliding in Fraser Valley BC Canada

    Thanks to Big Rock Urban Brewery for the complimentary tour, tasting, and dinner. We really enjoyed our time here, and think you will, too! As always, all opinions and photos are my own. 

    « Where to Stay in Vancouver BC: Coast Coal Harbor Hotel
    Weekday Brunch at Verdigris Portland »
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      1. Simon says

        November 12, 2017 at 3:14 am

        Oh, that pizza... wow :)

        Reply
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      Marlynn Jayme Schotland 2021 profile pic

      Hi! Thanks for stopping by! I'm Marlynn - a cookbook author, writer, photographer, and mom of two teenagers + a lovable lab retriever. Here you'll find my fast, easy, and delicious recipes, wine pairings, and travel guides. I hold a WSET 2 with Distinction in wine, and am a member of Society of American Travel Writers (SATW) and the International Food, Wine, and Travel Writers Association (IFWTWA).

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