What is Vancouver Craft Beer Week?
Vancouver Craft Beer Week is a celebration of craft beer culture from May 10 — 16. Local craft breweries and establishments will team up to showcase the ever-growing craft beer phenomenon in our great city. Each day of the week will have a signature event, as well as multiple craft beer functions attended by international and local craft beer authorities. Signature events include the BC Beer Awards, Women and Beer, Homebrew Competition & Seminar, opening and closing celebrations.
Why have Vancouver Craft Beer Week?
Although Vancouver has always had a strong craft beer culture, the recent explosion of consumer demand has resulted in a need for the celebration of that culture. Spurred on by the go local movement, more and more consumers have turned to craft beer as an alternative to mass produced products from major corporations. With this in mind the Vancouver Craft Beer Week organizing committee has set out to further the exposure of not only craft breweries, but the consumers, restaurants, and other businesses that support them.
Meet the Founders
Chris Bjerrisgaard is a veteran marketing professional and passionate beer lover. Prior to starting truecask.com. Chris co-owned a successful action sports film company, interned for the Battle Axe Records marketing department, spent time at Nokia as a Title Marketing Manager, and brought to market both Calgoo Software and BunchVideo.com.
Chester Carey is a graduate of the Pacific Institute of Culinary Arts program and instructor of Serious Beer. Chester holds an ISG Certificate and is the first Canadian to hold a Certified Cicerone™ Certificate.
Andy Coppock is a full blown beer geek and avid home-brewer. Born and raised in the San Diego area, home to an abundance of world class micro/craft breweries, Andy is a tireless supporter of the burgeoning BC craft beer movement.
Lundy Dale is the acting president of CAMRA Vancouver (Campaign for Real Ale), the beer manager of Firefly Fine Wines and Ales in Vancouver, and a strong supporter and organizer within the craft beer movement.
Gerry Erith is the general manager of Brewery Creek Liquor Store, one of the top selling craft beer retail outlets in Vancouver and strong supporter of the Vancouver craft beer movement.
Rick Green is the former president of CAMRA Vancouver (Campaign for Real Ale), a writer of a lively BC Beer Blog, as well as a regular columnist to Urban Diner and Northwest Brewing News, and generally fighting to raise the bar for real, quality based ale makers and connoisseurs on a daily basis. A true beer champion.
Leah Heneghan was the Events and Exhibitions Coordinator for Christie’s Auction House in London, and has coordinated events in Palm Springs, New York, Asia and Europe, just to name a few. She has recently returned to Vancouver and is now turning her coordination skills to her new found passion – Craft Beer!
Paul Kamon is the founder and owner of UrbanDiner.ca, a popular online guide to eating and drinking in British Columbia. He is a graduate of certified Cicerone Chester Carey’s inaugural 8 week beer program at Pacific Institute of Culinary Arts in Vancouver and is a dedicated craft beer drinking enthusiast and promoter.
Daniel Knibbs is extremely passionate about craft beer and the art of brewing craft beer. He has informally brewed at almost all the brewpubs in Vancouver, North Shore and Mission. Formally the assistant brewer at Dead Frog and now recently the head brewer at Dockside Brewing Company, Daniel has won the Golden Bung award at the Dix BBQ & Brewery Summer Caskival for his cask of Sahti Pale Ale.
Helper Monkeys
Vancouver Craft Beer Week would like to thank its volunteers:
Dave Shea is a local web and user interface designer at Bright Creative. Dave helped with the web site setup and administration. You may have seen Dave’s Vancouver Beer Guide a few months ago. If not, you should.
Soren Johnstone is a local filmmaker who recently wrote, directed and produced his second feature film Play With Fire. In addition to working on his own projects Soren does freelance editing for many major companies in the Vancouver area.