What are the best Victoria Breweries to visit this year? Well, we’ve done the work to figure that out for you! We have sampled all their brews, spent time in their taprooms and read all the online reviews to come up with our take on the top Victoria Breweries to explore this year!
Victoria Breweries
Victoria has had a long love affair with craft beer and boats a wonderful mix of craft breweries and brewpubs ready for beer-lovers to enjoy. Located in the capital city of British Columbia, these Victoria breweries will not disappoint!
Victoria is also home to a few amazing craft beer festivals including Victoria Beer Week and the Great Canadian Beer Festival, both back this year after two years of cancellations.
What are the top breweries in Victoria?
Did you know that Victoria is home to Canada’s very first brewpub? With a long history dedicated to enjoying craft beer, this British Columbia gem is a prime destination for beer lovers. With a mix of brewery tasting rooms and even more brewpubs located across the island, you’re choices of where to enjoy a great local craft beer are not limited. As with all of our posts, we focus on the source of the craft beer itself, local craft breweries in Victoria serving up some of the best and most inventive craft brews.
One of the great things about Victoria’s love of craft beer is that there are lots of options for brewery tours throughout the city. These are perfect if you want to hit up several breweries in one day and learn a bit more about each brewery you visit. We’ve done our fair share of brewery tours and the ones offered in Victoria are amongst our favourite. So whether you’re hopping on a professional beer tour or designing your own, here’s our list of breweries you cannot miss out on when visiting Victoria.
How do we pick the top Victoria Breweries?
With every ‘top breweries’ post that we write, we make sure to do diligent online research to determine who makes it on our list. From reading online reviews and reviewing beer selections, to checking other authority websites and of course, sampling their beers. We do our best to take all the information we collect and give you our opinion of the best breweries in Victoria.
However, we know we aren’t perfect and if we’ve missed a Victoria brewery that you think should be on this list, contact us and let us know who the brewery is and we’ll do our best to include them!
Did we miss something?
If you think a brewery deserves a spot on our list, Vote for them! If you’re a brewery looking to update your information or get in touch, contact us!
The Best Breweries in Victoria
We enjoy many of the breweries located in Victoria but here are our favourites this year. Ready to see who made the list?
Phillips Brewing & Malting Co.
The biggest craft brewery in Victoria, offers 16 different beers on tap, from their original releases when they opened in 2001 to creative new batch brews. With everything brewed on-site (they even make their own craft sodas), you can’t get much more local than enjoying a fresh craft beer from the beer nerds at Phillips Brewing.
Phillips also has their very own Backyard Festivals from May through August, offering music and craft beer enthusiasts a perfect live music and action-packed season. In a prime location, just outside of downtown Victoria, you won’t want to miss out on these events this summer!
Customer Review: For a brewery that pumps out so much beer in BC they have done a great job keeping their local appeal and service. The dinosaur beers are also superb!
- Phone: (250) 380-1912
- Address: 2010 Government St, Victoria, BC V8T 4P1
- Beer to Try: Longboat Chocolate Porter and Solaris White Peach Ale
- Website: phillipsbeer.com
Spinnakers Brewpub
Spinnakers is Canada’s oldest brewpub, kicking off the craft beer revolution and still brewing some original recipes that are more than 30 years old! With an impressive beer list, they’ve got something for everyone’s palate; from traditional ales, barrel aged sour beers, cider, and wild blends brewed with fresh ingredients.
Have a pint on their heated waterfront patio overlooking the inner harbour, grab a bite to eat from their local food menu made with fresh, local ingredients, and even stay the night in their spacious guest houses. A definite must-visit if you’re in the area!
Customer Review: Incredible local food, stunning views, excellent service. Oh and exceptional beers and they also have house made sparkling waters. This place is stellar.
- Phone: (877) 838-2739
- Address: 308 Catherine St, Victoria, British Columbia, V9A 3S8, Canada
- Beer to Try: Jolly Hopper Imperial Pale Ale and Nut Brown Ale
- Website: spinnakers.com
Lighthouse Brewing
Lighthouse Brewing is a family-owned and operated craft brewery that has been in Victoria since 1998. When they opened, the craft beer industry was still in its infancy and Lighthouse was keen to help spread the love and compete against mainstream beers. Now, more than 20 years later, they are a fan favourite amongst local craft beer lovers and a must-visit brewery for out of town craft beer enthusiasts.
Customer Review: This is a terrific small brewery. I enjoyed the outside sitting area and the beer selection was great. The prices were terrific too. We hadn’t heard of Lighthouse Brewery before our trip to Victoria but now we are a big fan.
- Phone: (250) 383-6500
- Address: 836 Devonshire Rd, Victoria, BC V9A 4T4
- Beer to Try: Race Rocks Scottish Ale and Night Watch Coffee Lager
- Website: www.lighthousebrewing.com
Hoyne Brewing Company
Hoyne Brewing opened in 2011 with a focus on the traditional brewing of quality craft beers. They operate under the belief that “fine beer is one f life’s simple pleasures” and we couldn’t agree more. Though their tasting room is small, the flavours of their classic European beers are big and not to be missed when visiting Victoria.
Customer Review: Hadn’t been there in almost 7 years and it’s still as awesome as I remember. Cannot beat fresh Hoyne beer right from the source. Will be back.
- Phone: (250) 590-5758
- Address: 101-2740 Bridge St, Victoria, BC V8T 5C5
- Beer to Try: High Voltage Espresso Stout and Dark Matter
- Website: hoynebrewing.ca
Vancouver Island Brewing
This Vancouver Island Brewery kept things simple when choosing their name. One of the three breweries that kicked off the craft beer revolution, Vancouver Island Brewing is a pioneer in the craft beer scene.
The epitome of quality beer, Vancouver Island Brewing sources local ingredients and uses filtered water from Vancouver Island glaciers to make some amazing Canadian beer. Take a tour of their brewing facility, have a pint (or two) on their sunny patio and get to planning on your Victoria brewery tours! Walking distance from Phillips, Hoyne, Herald St. Brew Works, and Swans Brewery, we think a little brewery hopping is in order!
Customer Review: Highly recommend! There is a vast variety of drinks available to cater to all tastes (not just beer, folks!). Very welcoming and knowledgeable staff; their recommendations for our tasting flights ensure we enjoyed all of our choices.
- Phone: (250) 361-0007
- Address: 2330 Government St., Victoria, British Columbia, V8T 5G5, Canada
- Beer to Try: Broken Islands Hazy IPA
- Website: vibrewing.com
Driftwood Brewery
Driftwood Brewing Company has a new location for their tasting room and brewery, now on Viewfield Road in Victoria, BC. Founded by two passionate brewers; Jason Meyer and Kevin Hearsum, who focus on brewing “new” old-world beers. Driftwood offers fresh beer with a Belgian style flair to them. Inside their cozy taproom, you’ll find their 6-taps rotating between their signature line up and seasonal experimental brews.
Customer Review: I have been a fan of Fat Tug IPA before even getting to Driftwood Brewery. The brewery does not miss the mark and is a must see when in Victoria. The atmosphere is amazing and one of the best in Victoria. The staff were very friendly and the beer selection was top notch. If you enjoy a true brewery with a 2022 feel, this is a good place to check out.
- Phone: (250) 381-2739
- Address: 836 Viewfield Rd, Victoria, BC V9A 4V1
- Beer to try: Fat Tug IPA and White Bark Witbier
- Website: driftwoodbeer.com
Moon Under Water Brewery
Moon Under Water is a German brewhaus brewing up some popular beer with unmatched balance and depth. They’re in many liquor stores across BC, but we recommend going straight to the source for this one. They’re known for their refreshing Potts Pilsner that has won many awards in its time including 2 gold medals!
Keeping up with the trends, they’ve introduced a new barrel aged sour program offering fruity, tart, and vinous characteristics that take anywhere from 8 months to 3 years to mature. Be sure to pop in for brunch and a brew at this local gem!
Customer Review: Great service and fantastic beer selection. Had an awesome mid day visit to the brewpub and enjoyed every minute. Highly recommend enjoying their sours
- Phone: (250) 380-0706
- Address: 350 Bay St, Victoria, British Columbia, V8T 1P7, Canada
- Beer to Try: Potts Pilsner
- Website: moonunderwater.ca
Whistle Buoy Brewing
A newcomer to the Victoria craft beer scene, Whistle Buoy Brewing opened in 2019. Bringing one of the best patios in the heart of downtown Victoria to enjoy craft beer, this craft brewery focuses on small-batch experimental beers.
The owners of this Market Square brewery focus on creativity and flexibility when it comes to their craft beer and to date they have released over 45 distinct beer recipes in their short time. You never know what you might get on tap at Whistle Buoy, but one thing’s for sure, it’s worth the visit!
Customer Review: Such a great spot in Victoria – also dog friendly. So if you want to have a flight of some delicious craft beers with your furry friend I highly recommend.
- Phone: N/A
- Address: Market Square, Lower Courtyard, #63, 560 Johnson St, Victoria, BC V8W 3C6
- Beer to Try: Copper Owl Amber Ale and Ocean Spray Cranberry Kelp Gose
- Website: www.whistlebuoybrewing.com
Ile Sauvage Brewing Co.
This brewery’s name translates to “wild island” and wild it is. If you’re a lover of sour beers, then you must visit Ile Sauvage Brewing in Victoria.
Their main goal is to release beers that excite people and their palates. With many of their brews using fermentation-derived flavours, dry-hopping, and local fruit re-fermentations, your taste buds will have a party as you taste through their delicious craft beers.
Customer Review: Sour and wild beers of many styles and flavours. Not a single one disappointed and a few were some of the best we’ve had in a long time. We’ll be back to enjoy the beer and great brewery space anytime we’re in town. Thanks for the hidden gem in Victoria!
- Phone: N/A
- Address: 2960 Bridge St, Victoria, BC V8T 4T3
- Beer to try: Raspberry Golen Sour and Tropique Sour
- Website: ilesauvage.com
Herald Street Brew Works
Another fairly new addition to the craft beer scene, Herald Street Craft Brewery, located on Herald Street, is quickly gaining popularity in the downtown Victoria craft beer industry. A sort of “brew child” of successful brewmasters, each with their own craft brewery: Steel & Oak Brewing and the Drake Eatery, got together and created the newest West Coast hotspot on Herald Street.
Always experimenting with new recipes and pouring straight from tank to tap, you can expect some of the freshest and most tasty beers on the island. Their small tasting room offers magnificent views of their bright tanks and is the perfect place to grab a beer flight and sample with tastings.
Customer Review: Flight had a great selection of good beer. Nice welcoming place to relax.
- Phone: (250) 590-9592
- Address: 506 Herald St, Victoria, British Columbia, V8W 3N8, Canada
- Beer to Try: Off the Clock Cascade India Session Ale and Unsound Logic West Coast IPA
- Website: heraldstreet.com
Enjoy the best craft beer in Victoria!
Well, there you have it! Our top favourite picks for Victoria Breweries this year.
If you make it to Vancouver Island, make sure to go and check out the BC Ale Trail and visit the best breweries in Victoria, grab a few tasty brews and support your local brewers!
If we’ve missed a brewery on our list that you think should be added, contact us and let us know who the brewery is and why you think it should be added to our list of the best Victoria Breweries!
More British Columbia Breweries
But wait! There are more great breweries to discover in BC! If you happen to find yourself on a road trip around British Columbia, make sure to check out some of the following cities for great local craft beer!
