Matter of Beer with Mathieu Poirier
2022 has snuck up on us rather quickly, and while we’re all slowly tip-toeing our way in, not sure what we’ll see next, some people are working hard and fast to bring us some exciting new and returning features.
Small Gods Brewing, one of the more exciting upcoming breweries, is hoping for an April opening. It will join another recent addition to the list, Beacon Brewing: this 165-seat establishment, located at 9835 Third Street in Sidney, is working through the process after a few hiccups with municipal legwork and should be open “soon” as far as brewery time frames go.
In addition—and I must be sounding like a broken record because it’s now been a few years of saying the Hudson Brewhouse should open in the coming year—but this time it’s looking more truthful than ever as work has progressed quite a bit in the last few months. Expect to see them open at some point in 2022, with a distillery component included, right across from the Save-on-Foods Memorial Arena. They have started to share some of their beer offerings on social media, and you can try some at their sister site, the Yates Street Taphouse.
Finally, Jordan River Brewing is still in the early days of planning, but there should be more information in the new year as to where they stand and what kind of time frame they can expect for opening.
Events are also making a comeback, with Victoria Beer Week returning from March 4 to 12, with 14 events planned over the nine days so far. Tickets went on sale recently, so take a look at the Victoria Beer Society website at victoriabeersociety.com, and there will surely be more information here in the coming months as events, beers, breweries and more get confirmed.
Lighthouse Brewing, after a long wait, has finally obtained its lounge endorsement, allowing for full pours and pints of beer at their tasting room. They have also been working on the return of one of my favourite beers of 2021, Kapitan Czech Pilsner, so we should see that early in 2022.
Finally, January is typically one of the slowest months of the year for the hospitality industry. Considering what the last 22 months have held, with limited seating, staff and supplies, it’s more important than ever to make sure you support your favourite local businesses through this lean time. Enjoy these spaces or try something new, but show them the appreciation they need.