In this very British city, that shouldn't come as any surprise. After all, for centuries in Britain the monasteries were big beer producers - that is, until Henry VIII, eager for their riches, did away with them. But, not to worry - almost every household in Britain was into the "U-Brew" business. Beer flowed like water. Even Queen Elizabeth I drank a quart of the stuff for breakfast. Every village hosted its local pub, where not just fresh beer, but fresh gossip, was on the boil.

While Victoria's brewpubs will probably never become the institution that the British pub is, they've certainly mastered Britain's tradition of brewing fresh beer. And Victoria is fast developing its own beer culture as customers search out distinctive tastes and quality brews.

First Island Tours, Ltd. has just made the search easier by providing full day or overnight brew tours for beer lovers. Currently running monthly (but tours can be arranged for groups at other times), the guided tours include trips to two breweries, Lighthouse Brewing Co. and Vancouver Island Brewery, where visitors get a behind-the-scenes look at the brewer's art. Then it's on to the brew pubs themselves - Spinnakers Brewpub & Guesthouse, Hugo's, Swans Suite Hotel and the Harbour Canoe Club - where tastings are offered up with a bit of food and great conversation.

Paul Hadfield

Of all the current brewers on the Victoria scene, Spinnaker's Brewpub is the leading light in Victoria's claim to beer fame. In 1982, a sampling of basement homebrews amongst a group of beer lovers provided the impetus. One of those enthusiasts, publican Paul Hadfield, took the bull - make that "brew" - by the horns and two years later Victoria's real ale culture was born.

"The challenge", recalls Hadfield, "was to provide quality and consistency of brew and bring the right styles to local consumers." Today, Spinnaker's leads the way in serving traditional ales and lagers along with outstanding pub food, and Hadfield is justifiably proud of the results. The brewpub and restaurant's comfortable, cozy atmosphere is not one that traditional British pubbers would recognize - even though the bar's porcelain and brass handles came straight from England - but it suits Victorians' taste to a "T".

Spinnaker's current brewmaster, biochemist Matt Phillips, produces hand pumped traditional brews as well as colder brews. An E.S.B. (extra special bitter) to try is Mitchell's, with its malty body and flowery hop aroma. It's a favourite with regulars. Or there's the Tsarist Imperial Stout, a strong, full-bodied beer that uses four different malts. Customers hail it as the best Stout they've ever tasted.

Spinnakers down bar

Down the road, Swan's Brewpub is making a name for itself. What's the best part of brewmaster Chris Johnson job? He grinned and said, "getting to name the beers". He adds that he believes filtering takes the life and aroma out of beer, and pasteurization - necessary for long shelf life - gives the beer a cooked flavour. He said, "My ales are brewed without compromise in the true British tradition", he states, "no sugar, no chemicals, additives or preservatives."

Swan's offers what it calls "taster nests" - 4 to 6 small samples of its beers. You can try, among others, Buckerfield Bitter - a coppery-coloured "best bitter" with a long hoppy finish. Or how about the Pandora Pale Ale, an aromatic beer with a fruity flavour? Johnson likes to experiment with different flavours. A case in point is cherry ale - the cherry juice is added during the fermentation process.

Gerry Hieter, brewmaster at Lighthouse Brewing Company, Victoria's newest microbrewery, believes being a small brewery gives microbreweries an edge when it comes to quality. His ingredients include grain from Simpson's, a small British company that still makes malt the old-fashioned way - on the floor. Another of his well-known secrets is the use of a popular British hops, East Kent Goldings, famous for its distinctive flavour and aroma. Lighthouse's Race Rocks Ale, naturally carbonated and unfiltered, is malty enough to lure Scottish whiskey drinkers from their favorite tipple. You can find it at many of the local pubs.

The bottling room

Over at Vancouver Island Brewery, a craft brewery that also bottles their beers for local consumption, hospitality Manager Ken Wilmshurst quotes the Bavarian Purity Law of 1516 as the company's first rule of thumb: all ingredients must be 100% natural - no flavoring or spices are added. He shares samples of two ales that won silver medals in their categories in the World Beer Championships in Chicago: the Blonde Ale perfectly balances its malt flavour with the spicy aroma of imported hops; Hermann's Dark Lager, a Bavarian Lager, has a richly roasted malt aroma and just a hint of smokiness. But it's the seasonal beer, Hermannator Ice Bock, so called because it's frozen for 45 days, that arouses the most interest among consumers. Its sweet taste is like drinking a plum-filled fruitcake. Definitely a taste that needs developing, but well worth the effort.

Two other venues - The Harbour Canoe Club and Hugo's - are hard-edged, high-ceilinged, spacious, brick and wood brewpubs, a far cry from the British style pub. Still, if loud music and the new century style watering holes suit you, their beers are just as carefully brewed in the traditional style using the same high quality ingredients as the other microbreweries.

Benjamin Schottle

Hugo's brewmaster, Benjamin Schottle, is typical of the new breed of brewers. Only 28, he's using his university degree in biochemical engineering to create unique beers. What's the difference between fresh beer and mass-produced bottled beer? He explained that fresh beer is like eating your veggies straight from the farm field as opposed to buying them canned in the grocery. One taste of his seasonal specialty, Super-G, a Ginseng Cream Ale with a smooth body and a satisfying gingery finish, will have you nodding in agreement.

Harbour Canoe Club's brewmaster, Sean Hoyne, touts his newest brew, the Great Canadian Maple Wheat Beer, which uses Quebec's organic maple syrup and Canadian wheat malt. Mildly hopped, it has a smooth velvety mouth feel. Hoyne, like Victoria's other pub brewers, is willing to experiment with different tastes. But one thing is consistent - the brewers all are passionate about beer - fresh beer, brewed with only the finest natural ingredients. They all state that consistent quality, variety, and tradition are the keys to great beer.

Fresh beer can't travel far or last long. So you'll have to make it to Victoria to sample these tasty and varied brews. With more than 50 different ales and lagers to try, Victoria's Brew Trail provides the perfect excuse for the beer aficionado to try them all.

Brewing Fresh Beer: How It's Done
Over at Vancouver Island Brewery, hospitality manager Ken Wilmshurst explains: