The Patio Series feat. Port Moody’s Brewers Row
The Patio Series feat. Port Moody’s Brewers Row
TransLink takes you the people and places that matter most in Metro Vancouver. Our Patio Series highlights the many options for outdoor dining.
In this post, we take a look at the Brewers Row on Murray Street in Port Moody, which is home to some of BC’s most-regarded craft breweries. Located near Moody Centre Station along the SkyTrain’s Millennium Line, Brewers Row is tremendously accessible through transit. It’s also close to Rocky Point Park, so it’s an afternoon trip waiting to happen. Plan your trip at translink.ca/tripplanner.
I’ll go over a bit of background for each brewery, what to expect from their patio experience, and leave you with a beer recommendation that’ll go down nice and easy in the summer sunshine.
Parkside Brewing
First up is Parkside Brewing. Its patio space is one of the best, not only in Port Moody, but probably for any brewery in Metro Vancouver. Parkside is the first brewery you see after exiting the pedestrian bridge from Moody Centre Station. To get there, just hang a right under the bridge, stroll past the obstacle course for mountain bikes and you’re at the front door.
Their first of two patios is out front, on your right as you line up for a table. This astro-turf dining space is covered, has lots of potted plants, and appropriately distanced tables with plexiglass screens set up between sections. This patio has plenty of space and is super comfortable, the potted plants and fake grass provide a bit of escape, transporting you to a tropical vacation. The second patio, which is dog friendly, is to the left of the building and is fenced in with a wooden lattice roof element.
The two-patio setup means there’s a good chance wait times at Parkside will be shorter than others in the area.
Recommendation:
- Motel Hazy Pale Ale, a particularly well-done version of a craft-beer lover’s favourite. Hazy Pale Ales carry across the full bodied and enjoyable aspects of their Pale Ale cousins, while delivering an immense level of drinkability through their juiciness and thirst quenching, throat feel. This Hazy Pale is no exception to that thinking, brewed with five different types of hops, Parkside calls this beer “crisp and balanced with strong hints of lemon and a lingering citrusy-dry finish.”
Moody Ales
After you’re finished enjoying Parkside Brewery and their incredible setting, why not head West to Moody Ales? Located at the very start of Murray Street, this is the brewery to check out if you’d prefer a spot away from the hustle and bustle of the busiest areas. With a patio that runs the length of their storefront, Moody Ales offers a sunny spot with plenty of space for your party. Founded by a pair of friends in 2014, Moody Ales says their mission is to “make craft beers for everyday drinking” and “beers you’ll want to have more than one of.” Historically they do just that. Its Vienna Amber Lager won second place at the 2016 BC Awards in the International Lager Category, while their seasonal Sublime Pineapple Hefeweizen is my personal favourite, which won a national award for best wheat ale in 2018.
Recommendation
- The Flamingose is a citrusy, amber-coloured Gose that’ll leave you ordering another before you’ve finished your first. It’s brewed with grapefruit peel, coriander, and pink Himalayan salt. Fermented with a Kolsch yeast, this beer is light and slightly malty. The grapefruit leaves the drinker with just a hint of bitterness, while the lighter body make this beer very drinkable and thirst quenching. Oh, and it’ll look awesome when you post it on Instagram.
Bakery Brewery
Venture back east, down Murray Street, and you’ll stumble upon Bakery Brewing Company. This new addition to Brewers Row got its name from the building’s historic roots as an Italian bakery. Opened by the owners of Moody Ales, Bakery specializes in small batch, experimental beers that emphasize barrel aging to develop and compound flavours. Bakery’s beers are truly artisan and, much like the bakery they’re named after, can only be purchased at the business itself and aren’t available through conventional liquor stores. Their dog-friendly patio is sleek and modern featuring muted, grey decking that pairs well with its raw-wood tables and fencing. The setting is supported by retro-styled string lights that hang overhead to illuminate the patio in the evenings, providing an ambience that pairs perfectly with their eclectic beer selection.
Recommendation:
- Due to the rotating nature of Bakery’s selection thanks to their small batch mindset, I can’t readily recommend just one beer. Instead, I recommend ordering a flight, so you can try four of Vancouver’s finest craft beers. Perhaps the Cucumber Watermelon Sour will catch your eye. It will surely pair nicely with the Wine Barrel Brett Lager or any of Bakery’s other limited-run masterpieces.
Yellow Dog
Well known to craft beer aficionados across British Columbia, Yellow Dog is a favourite of locals and tourists alike. Founded in summer 2014, Yellow Dog gets bragging rights for being Port Moody’s oldest brewery. Though they’re the oldest brewery in the area, their patio’s actually the youngest, opening for the first time on May 8. The new patio is around the back of the brewery, away from the busy street and passing pedestrians. Similar to Parkside, they decided to line their patio with artificial grass with plenty of trees providing shade. It’s less of a patio and more of a backyard… a backyard with unlimited beer of course. Pair that with exceptionally friendly staff, an awesome selection of beer, a rotating cast of food trucks parked outside, and you get a must stop on every trip to Port Moody. Yellow Dog is always working on incredible limited-release beers. Right now, they’re offering the Bewilder, an apricot and passion fruit, barrel-aged white sour that comes in something closer to a wine bottle.
Recommendation:
- The Yellow Dog Retriever Golden Ale is a personal favourite that may never get old, especially not with the hot summer months upon us. A bright and easy drinking golden ale, Yellow Dog calls this “a light bodied beer accented with subtle tropical hop aroma and clean thirst-quenching finish.” A golden ale is the perfect bridge for someone that’s used to drinking lagers, but wants to branch out into other types of craft beer.
Fraser Mills Fermentation Company
The Fraser Mills Fermentation Company is closest brewery to Moody Centre Station at just 270 metres away. Founded in March 2020, Fraser Mills has managed to take roots in the community due to a few key factors. Firstly, their title as a frmentation company isn’t just for show, they actually possess a winery license as well. This allows them to create and sell their own wines, ciders, and mead. Second, their location off of Brewer’s Row allows them to position their patio on the south side of the building to ensure maximum sunshine throughout the day. Finally, they’re the only brewers on this list that have partnered with a barbecue (Truckin’ BBQ) to offer their food full time. Name a better combo than beer and barbecue, I’ll wait.
Recommendation:
- Fraser Mills offers the Paradise Cerveza Mexican Lager in takeaway cans or on tap. It’s definitely the most drinkable beer on this list and an instant transportation to the beach. This light and refreshing cerveza pours a golden yellow, brewed with a hint of corn, which means it offers a slightly sweet after taste that leaves you wanting more. That being said, with all Fraser Mills has to offer, you might as well pull up a chair and try them all.
Twin Sails
Finally, after your stops at some of the best craft breweries that Metro Vancouver has to offer you find yourself at the finish line, but that’s no checkered flag, it’s Twin Sails. The brewery was founded by a pair of twin brothers. They named it partially after their relationship, but also partially after the snow white sails that can be seen from the front door of the brewery. Today, White Sails has established itself as a leader in B.C. craft beer. Their patio is quaint, with less seating than the other breweries, but offering a more intimate experience. The Mama Said Pizza co. food truck can be found outside most days, filling the air with scents of Italian goodness and providing an easy dining option. Twin Sails focuses on “progressive American IPAs, stouts, sours and wild barrel beers.” Their seasonal beers are some of the most exciting and interesting around, consider their Two Straws Milkshape IPA with Papaya, or the Midnight Manatee Blue Stout.
Recommendation:
- Dat Juice 100% Citra Pale Ale, the perfect patio beer. This Pale Ale is hopped solely with Citra hops, a newly developed with high acid content and a strong, floral finish. The final result of the beer is a juicy (no shit), citrusy, pale ale with the aroma of pineapple and mango. It’s lightly hopped and moderately bodied making it the perfect beer to sip on in the sun.
