Top 10 New (to me) Breweries Visited in 2024

The 2024 recap in photos is in the books (or on the blog?) so now we’re on to the important stuff…. beer & breweries.

2024 was a big year, I did a lot of travelling locally (Prince George, Port Alberni, Qualicum Beach, Parksville) and abroad (Denmark, Sweden, Japan, the US) and with that comes brewery visits to add to my map. Yes, I’ve gamified my expensive hobby.

As I visit breweries throughout the year there are always a few that stand out. That may be because of the beer quality or the atmosphere of the tasting room or, to be honest, it could be about how great of a day I was having and how that brewery added to my overall experience. So, is this list subjective? Of course it is. What list isn’t? But what I can say definitively is that most of these 59 new (to me) breweries I visited last year were pretty damn good. There may only be a couple that I wouldn’t recommend (DM me for details).

So with that, here are my top 10 new to me brewery visits from 2024…in chronological order. I’m not playing favorites here!

The Establishment Brewing – Calgary, Alberta, Canada

The brewery so nice I visited twice. It’s not often that I travel to a city I don’t visit frequently that I’ll hit up the same brewery twice. The Establishment was an exception. I was in Calgary for work in February and visited them for my first time. When I came back for an overnight trip in April and only had time to visit one brewery I decided to come back.

The tasting room is small but well lit with lots of wood throughout. There’s a beautiful corner bar with a raw edge wooden countertop across the length of it and wooden bench seats in the back surrounded by barrels of their delicious barrel aged beer program.

The beer is amazing. I tried a bit of everything and I’d say their barrel aged stouts and their hazy IPAs were the standouts for me but I also had a doppelbock that was one of the best I’d ever had in that style.

Åben – Aarhus, Denmark

The beer at Aben is decent. This may be an unpopular opinion but, on a whole, Europe still has a lot of catching up to do versus North America when it comes to most beer styles outside of lagers.

What I loved about Aben was the atmosphere and the architecture of the surrounding area. It’s located in an old building on a brick road in a busy food and shopping area of downtown Aarhus. Definitely more of a touristy area but that lends itself to the people watching. Inside it looks more like a hip new restaurant than a brewery. Low lighting, Scandi style wooden furniture and great interior design. If you want cool Scandinavian vibes while drinking on a stereotypical European brick walkway, this is your spot.

Fern + Cedar Brewing – Qualicum Beach, BC, Canada

I visited Fern + Cedar twice this year. My first time was in July and most recently was in December while on assignment with the BC Ale Trail. The sister company to Mount Arrowsmith Brewing, Fern + Cedar has more of a restaurant vibe than a typical brewery. It’s a massive space with a huge outdoor seating area and plenty of plant life hanging from the high ceilings. The beer quality is very impressive (try the Green Mountain State Hazy IPA or the Moonlit Dark Ale) but the food menu might be even better. I didn’t eat there the first time I visited and now I’m regretting it after the delicious teriyaki salmon I ate there last month. Wow!

Driftwood Brewing – Victoria, BC, Canada

Home of the famous ‘Fat Tag’ IPA, ‘Satori Harvest’ fresh hop IPA, ‘Singularity’ barrel-aged stout and many other well-known BC craft beer, Driftwood is a staple in the BC beer community and my first visit was a long time coming.

Outside the brewery there are hop bines growing wild around the patio seating area while inside there’s art and sculptures adorning the walls. Above the bar, at the centre of the tasting room, is a giant beer menu reminiscent of a movie theatre “now playing” list. That tap handles? Well, they look like driftwood, of course.

Driftwood Brewing is a must-visit if you’re in Victoria, even just to say you had Fat Tag fresh from the line.

Sidekick Brewing – Chilliwack, BC, Canada

Located along the edge of the Chilliwack River with the Cheam Mountains overlooking behind, Sidekick Brewing has to be one of the most picturesque breweries I’ve ever visited. The patio views can’t be beat in the summer. Aside from the views, they also brew great beer and a bake mouth-watering pizzas. They’re also in the same business complex as Banter Ice Cream, so that’s a big plus.

My tip for visiting Sidekick, bring your swim shorts and walk down to the river before or after to go for a dip. Beer, pizza, ice cream and river swims…. you can get the perfect summer day with a Sidekick visit.

Cerebral Brewing (Aurora Arts District) – Denver, Colorado, USA

Anyone that follows my travels knows that I visit Denver at least once or twice a year and when I do, I always make a point to stop by Cerebral Brewing. I was fortunate to get a little tour of the Aurora Arts location a couple years ago before they opened but it was still pretty unfinished at that point. Luckily last year in October I was finally able to see the finished product and wow does it look amazing. It’s more of an open space concept than the original Cerebral location, with high ceilings and tables & chairs spread out around the tasting room. A different vibe (in a good way) and still great beer. My only issue now is deciding which location to visit next time I’m in Denver!

Wiley Roots Brewing – Greeley, Colorado, USA

This Wiley Roots visit was a long time coming. I tried to visit 5 years ago when I went to Weldwerks for the first time but, due to poor research on my part, I showed up on the only day of the week they’re closed, Monday. This time was a Saturday and I was good to go.

They’re located only a couple blocks away as the crow flies from downtown Greeley but they’re across the train tracks tucked in at the end of an industrial parkway, so they’re easy to miss. Speaking of the train tracks, they have a rotating beer special when a train is running by the brewery. They also have a brewery cat, Midnight, who has his own Instagram account. Aside from train beer and feline friends, they also have amazing beer. I had a flight with a sour, an IPA and a barrel aged stout and all were amazing!

WCB Dark Lab – Osaka, Japan

The first brewery visit on my recent trip to Japan did not disappoint. Dark Lab by Westcoast Brewing is a small, dimly lit brewery in a trendy part of Osaka. The staff were super nice and chatted with me the entire time I was there, asking about Vancouver, snowboarding and my trip itinerary. Oh, and the beer was the best I had on my entire trip to Japan.

This would be my first recommendation to any beer nerds visiting Osaka.

Omnipollos Tokyo – Tokyo Japan

I’m not sure what the connection between Scandinavia and Japan is but there seems to be an abundance of Scandi breweries in Tokyo. ØL by Oslo Brewing, Mikkeller has a couple locations and Omnipollo has one in Tokyo as well. After visiting all of the aforementioned breweries I can confidently say that Omnipollo was that one that stuck out for me.

A tiny spot that’s easy to miss not for their patented smiley face logo emblazoned on a Japanese style lantern outside, Omnipollos had a very intimate vibe to it. Low lighting, mellow music playing in the background, close proximity seating and a friendly, talkative bartender made for a great overall experience. I already knew Omnipollo beer was fantastic so the fact that the tasting room was so cool made this an automatic win for me.

Rusted Rake Brewing – Nanoose Bay, BC, Canada

Literally the last new brewery I visited in 2024 was Rusted Rake and what a way to end the year.

They’re located in the farmland a short drive off the Island Highway on Vancouver Island. From the outside Rusted Rake looks like a rustic farm home, which lends itself to the vibe of the brewery. Inside is reminiscent of a cozy cabin with a fireplace and old-style country decor. I sat on the heated patio to get a view of the trees and farmland surrounding the restaurant.

Not only was the beer amazing, I had their ‘Wandering Scotsmans’ brut IPA (a style that I find is rarely done well), but the french toast may have been that best I’d ever eaten! I grabbed a 4pk of beer to go but I’ll definitely be back to Rusted Rake for some more food and beer on tap.

So there you have it, my top 10 new (to me) brewery visits of 2024. Hopefully this list provides you some tasty beer if you’re ever in the area of any of these breweries.

Now to plan out my list for 2025!

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In case you’re interested, here’s a list of all the breweries I visited for the first time in 2024. For a full list of all the breweries I’ve visited, check out my Beer Map that I update every time I add a new brewery to my list.