Noëlle Phillips’ Brewmasters & Brewery Creek: A History of Craft Beer in Vancouver, Then and Now brings Vancouver’s beer story to life with meticulous scholarship and infectious passion. The two-part narrative dives deep into the city’s brewing journey—from the earliest taverns beside a now‑buried creek to today’s thriving craft scene.
In the first half, Phillips (a medievalist turned beer historian) charts the rise of independent breweries from the 1880s to the 1920s, turning dusty archives into compelling storytelling. She introduces characters like Charles Doering, a German immigrant whose Vancouver Brewing Company became one of the Pacific Coast’s largest breweries—and a source of comfort and identity for fellow Germans in a new land. She also details early female figures like Mary Mueller, a “fiery and unafraid” brewery manager from the 1900s. Phillips skillfully maps how regulation, prohibition (1917–21), and corporate consolidation erased these pioneers until the craft‑beer revival decades later.
The second part brings us to the present: the craft beer renaissance from the 1980s onward. Phillips documents the key players and pivotal events—such as the 1978 brewery worker lockout and regulatory reforms in 2000 and 2013—that helped launch a new era of local, independent brewing in BC. Her reporting on modern brewers, hop profiles, and the economics behind running small breweries is sharp and nuanced.
We’ve been told over the years not to mix our liquor but the Pink Beer in our Recipe section will have you doubting that idiom. While you’re sipping on the tart and sweet libation, order a copy of Brewmasters & Brewery Creek at https://touchwoodeditions.com/products/brewmasters-and-brewery-creek or go to our Giveaway section and win this historical tome. Book, drink and a hot summer day – perfection!
Phillips writes with clarity, honesty and tone that bridges scholarship and storytelling. Her extensive footnotes and bibliography lend weight to her claims, correcting myths prevalent in other beer writing. Reviewers across publications (BC Studies, What’s Brewing, WineMixture, The Tyee) praise its depth, readability, and essential contribution to BC beer history.
Whether you’re a dedicated beer nerd, a history lover or just curious about Vancouver’s past, Brewmasters & Brewery Creek makes you taste the city’s transformation, one pint at a time.
Contents and images used with permission by Touchwood Editions. https://touchwoodeditions.com/products/brewmasters-and-brewery-creek
