Victoria is known for its many craft breweries — and fine dining spots — and four of the best have created unique new brews for a top table.
By CINDA CHAVICH
Just in time for Octoberfest celebrations, The Courtney Room teams up with local craft brewers for their own signature suds.
Come in to try four new collaborations, with happy hour bites from Chef Brian Tesolin.
Tesolin and Courtney Room’s bar team of Anton Wilson and Eric Josephs put their heads together with some talented brew masters to create four unique craft beers to mark the fall season. Tesolin, a true beer lover at heart, shared his ideas with the brewers at Herald Street Brew Works, Île Sauvage Brewing Co., Small Gods Brewing Co. and Whistle Buoy Brewing Co., for beers showcasing island ingredients, including many foraged by wildcraft expert, Lance Staples.
“My passion for local Vancouver Island produce has always extended beyond the kitchen, and I am thrilled to see this innovative collaboration with some of our island’s most respected craft breweries come to light,” says Chef Tesolin. “My respect for these talented brewers is immense and the beers that we’ve produced together are an excellent representation of the very best of Victoria’s incredible craft brewing scene.”
Happy Hour in TCR's elegant bar and bistro space runs daily from 2-5 p.m. and features some tasty temptations, whether freshly shucked oysters with elderflower mignonette, spicy buttermilk fried mushrooms and crispy chicken tenders, or curated cheese plates, all perfect to pair with a cold one.
You might even get lucky and stop in on a day when Tesolin is serving one of his playful bar snacks — whether the iconic house-made duck sausage mini corn dog on a stick, or an artisan musubi bite with his own SPAM wrapped in nori with rice.
You can also have your beer alongside one of their lunch dishes — from local rock cod fish and chips, to their dry-aged Angus and Wagyu beef cheeseburger or a plate of hand crafted Potato and Ricotta Ravioli with Dungeness crab and saffron butter emulsion.
The Ultimate “Brew-mance”
It’s fun to taste the result of this “brew-mance” between some of our favourite food and drink minds.
Small Gods Brewing paired local grains grown in Saanich with magnolia blossoms, the namesake of The Magnolia Hotel (where TCR is set) and a flowering tree that makes a big statement in the city every spring season.
As head barman Anton Wilson explained, the magnolia offers a sweet vanilla and spice note, the latter showing its subtle cinnamon and baking spices in this farmhouse ale.
Flowers figure in the Goldilocks brew from Herald Street Brew Works, too, this time the city's ubiquitous cherry blossoms paired with white pepper and plenty of fruity hops. And Whistle Buoy Brewing uses the tart and savoury wild rose hip and a touch of Vancouver Island Sea Salt for it’s blush coloured Rose Hip Saison, a fruity beer that’s fresh and bright with a touch of salinity, like a sunny Vancouver Island afternoon on the patio. I loved this pretty pink quaffer, reminiscent of a bubbly second run piquette, and very refreshing.
The first brews were released this summer and now you can even take them home in cans from the restaurant. Plans are already underway for a second round of collaborative Courtney Room beers next year.
But like earlier collabs, they’re limited editions, so get them while they last!
Here’s a taste:
Goldilocks: Herald Street Brew Works x The Courtney Room, ABV 4.8% This hazy lager, with white pepper and cherry blossoms, has a soft and textured palate and dark straw in appearance. Dry treble notes from foraged cherry blossoms and white peppercorns contrast the hoppy base notes, leaving a tropical fruit finish.
Brewed by Mike Spence and Ryan Bangma from Herald Street Brew Works.
Consensus: Île Sauvage Brewing Co. x The Courtney Room, ABV 3.9% A lovely, light aromatized Berliner Weisse. Golden in colour, this low-alcohol, refreshing sipper features a lightly sour wheat ale aromatized with dried orange peels, all spice and tonka bean.
Brewed by Ian Ibboston and Stephane Turcotte from Île Sauvage Brewing Co.
Air & Angels Magnolia Farmhouse Ale: Small Gods Brewing Co. x The Courtney Room, ABV 3.9%A crushable blend of local malt and rye grain from Field 5 Farm on the Saanich Peninsula and locally foraged Magnolia blooms, the namesake flower of the hotel in which The Courtney Room is located. Plate straw in colour, this beer is light and drinkable with a significant weight and texture. Brewed by Christopher Bjerrigaard and Jonny Kostiuk from Small Gods Brewing Co.
Blush: Whistle Buoy Brewing Company x The Courtney Room, ABV 4.5%A charming blend of local pilsner with wheat malt, this Rosehip Saison is conditioned on locally foraged rosehips and lemon peel, with Vancouver Island sea salt added for a touch of salinity. Light and fruity, slightly tart with a tangy zip and a dry finish.
Brewed by Isaiah Archer and Matt West-Patrick from Whistle Buoy Brewing Co.
Wine and Dine
Named to the platinum-tier of the Wine Program Excellence Awards at the Vancouver Wine Festival (2024), The Courtney Room was the very first restaurant on Vancouver Island to achieve this distinction. Their little secret? They love beer as much as they do wine. To learn more about The Courtney Room or to make a reservation, visit www.thecourtneyroom.com.
©CindaChavich2024
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