Ok, I know this is supposed to be all about pubs in Vancouver, but I went to Victoria last week for a little getaway, and ended up going to a place called Spinnakers. It's just too awesome not to write about, so I hope I can be forgiven for straying from the city. Vancouverites visit the island all the time, so hopefully this will still be useful to local travellers.
The Victoria area pubs are known for their British flair. They exude England, Ireland, and Scotland, and many of them come across as much more regal than Vancouver watering holes. Spinnakers is definitely loaded with old world charm, but doesn't seem quite as grandiose. Elegant, but inviting, I think is the best way to put it. It's a lot like drinking in an English gentleman's hunting lodge (at least that's what I imagine having never been to an English gentleman's hunting lodge). Overlooking the harbour just outside downtown Victoria, Spinnakers is almost idyllic. It's definitely a must see.
The beer! Spinnakers brews its own. This is definitely a plus. I've made it clear in the past that I am a microbrew kind of guy, and there's something about brewpubs that just seems to improve the beer even further. Beer doesn't seem to do well in large batches. It needs to be made small scale; each batch having a few of it's own idiosyncrasies. I'm getting a little off topic. The point is, Spinnakers makes its own beer, it's really good beer, and that just makes me like this place all the more. (It's also available in a few specialty private liquor stores). Spinnakers doesn't only sell it's own brew, though, it also sells cask conditioned ale. Long story short, cask ale is live beer. It's a bit warmer than the beer we're used to, not quite as fizzy, smoother, and definitely an acquired taste. Some purists claim that only cask ale is real beer. I wouldn't go quite that far, but I agree that it's tasty stuff!
Food. Spinnakers is obviously quite proud of its commitment to local food (they brag about it quite a bit). The upside is the food is incredibly fresh. The downside is the menu changes frequently. Ok, that's not really a downside; I'm just the kind of guy who tends to get attached to menu favourites. One cool thing this place does is take any beer leftover from the brewing process, and brew it into malt vinegar. It's a nice touch. The vinegar doesn't have as much bite as you usually get from mass marketed vinegars, the flavour is a bit more subtle.
Bottom line, very unique, beautiful, delicious pub. Check it out if you're island-side.
Spinnakers Gastro Brewpub
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