VANCOUVER .- The explosion of craft breweries in Vancouver over the past decade is not the first wave of breweries to operate in the city. From the 1880s until the 1910s, a number of small breweries produced beer for Vancouver’s thirsty population— which is explored in Home Brew, the Museum of Vancouver 's online catalogue on the history of Vancouver's beer culture.

This catalogue is not an exhaustive history of these breweries, but a brief consideration of the many factors—human, ecological, geographic, etc.—that continually influence our evolving relationship with this complicated brew. Though beer is something enjoyed leisurely, it is not a passive thing. Beer influences tastes, revitalizes urban spaces, and inspires social and sustainable innovation. It is a driving force.

This catalogue features many pieces from the Museum of Vancouver collection, all accessible virtually through our online database called OpenMOV. Some of the featured items from the MOV collection include a Cascade Ale clothes brush, a Vancouver Breweries Cascade Ale beer glass, a Labat’s Expo 86 beer coaster, and a WWII Old Style beer carton.

There is also a timeline of Vancouver’s Early Breweries and a timeline of Vancouver’s Contemporary Breweries including popular names such as Steamworks Brewing Company, Parallel 49 Brewing, 33 Acres Brewing, and Red Truck Beer Company.

We invite you to explore this interactive online catalogue and discover more about how Vancouver and beer made each other.

On December 15th, the Museum will be hosting a launch event for the catalogue with community partner Parallel 49 Brewing. The fun event will feature a special “home brew” made specially for the occasion, as well as a presentation of the catalogue by the MOV's CEO, Mauro Vescera, as well as guest speakers Graham With, Parallel 49's Head Brewer, and Ken Beattie, the Executive Director of the BC Craft Brewers Guild. Tickets will be $5 (plus fees) and all proceeds will be donated to the Museum of Vancouver. Tickets are now on sale! Members of the media are also invited.

Museum of Vancouver
Home Brew: How Vancouver and Beer Made Each Other
The catalogue will be released on December 15, 2023