The East Van brewery crawl works through Vancouver’s largest concentration of breweries — the industrial blocks bounded roughly by Hastings, Clark and Powell, where Parallel 49, Powell Brewery, Strange Fellows, Storm and a dozen smaller operations sit within walking distance of one another. It is a genuinely industrial district: working warehouses, loading bays and no scenery, which is precisely the appeal. A sensible crawl is three or four stops over an afternoon, reachable from downtown in about 15 minutes by bus.
This guide gives a workable route, what to order at each stop, how to pace it, where to eat, and how to get home without driving.
Table of Contents
East Van Brewery Crawl Quick Overview
- Where: the industrial blocks between Hastings, Clark and Powell in East Vancouver
- Breweries: a dozen or more within the district
- Realistic crawl: three or four stops over four to five hours
- Walking between stops: 5–20 minutes
- Pours: roughly C$7–9; flights C$12–18
- Getting there: the 14 or 16 along Hastings, or the 20 down Commercial — about 15 minutes from downtown
- Start time: early afternoon; most taprooms close 9–11 PM
- Best day: Saturday afternoon for atmosphere, a weekday for space and conversation
The honest pitch: this is not a pretty part of Vancouver. There are no mountain views and no cobblestones. What there is, is the highest density of good beer in the city and taprooms where the person pouring usually helped make what is in the glass.
The District: What You’re Walking Into
East Vancouver’s brewery cluster grew where it did for unglamorous reasons: industrial zoning, high ceilings, floor drains and cheap rent. Breweries need warehouse space, and this is where the warehouses were.
- Character: active light industry — auto shops, distributors, food producers, and breweries between them
- Streets: wide, truck-scaled, with limited pedestrian polish
- Walking: perfectly fine, but bring the right shoes and expect some dull stretches
- Nearby: Commercial Drive to the east for food, Hastings for transit
- Safety: ordinary urban caution; the district is quiet at night once taprooms close
Getting There from Downtown
- Bus 14 or 16 east along Hastings — the most direct approach, about 15 minutes
- Bus 20 down Commercial Drive, if you want to start with food on the Drive
- SkyTrain to Commercial–Broadway, then a bus or a 20-minute walk north
- Cycling: good, with bike lanes on several routes and racks at most breweries
- Driving: do not. BC’s 0.05 roadside prohibition is strict, and the whole point is drinking
The Crawl Route
A four-stop route over roughly five hours, ordered to finish near transit:
- 2:00 PM — Parallel 49. Start with food. Full kitchen, biggest range, easiest room to settle into. 75 min.
- 3:30 PM — Powell Brewery. A short walk. Smaller, hop-focused, quick stop. 45 min.
- 4:30 PM — Strange Fellows. The Belgian and barrel programme, and the gallery space. 60 min.
- 6:00 PM — Storm Brewing. The oldest and oddest, if hours allow. 45 min.
- 7:00 PM — Commercial Drive for dinner and a bus home.
Three-stop version: drop Storm, whose hours are limited, and spend longer at Parallel 49 and Strange Fellows.
Check hours first. Small breweries keep irregular schedules, several close Mondays and Tuesdays, and a crawl built on assumptions falls apart at the second locked door.
Stop 1: Parallel 49
Parallel 49 on Triumph Street is the right place to start because it is the only stop where you can reliably eat a proper meal, and because its range is broad enough to calibrate your palate for the afternoon.
- Room: large, loud, busy, with a patio
- Food: full kitchen — pizza, shared plates, substantial enough to build an afternoon on
- Range: the widest in the city, from clean lagers to aggressive experimental and barrel-aged releases
- The move: a flight, plus food, before you go anywhere else
- Family note: the most workable stop if you have anyone under 19 with you, early in the day
Stop 2: Powell Brewery
Powell is small, focused and unfussy — a working brewery with a bar attached rather than a designed hospitality space.
- Style: hop-forward beers made carefully, plus rotating seasonals
- Room: compact and industrial; limited seating
- Food: food trucks, varying by day
- The move: whatever the freshest hoppy release is — that is the house strength
- Time: a short stop; there is not much room to linger
Stop 3: Strange Fellows
Strange Fellows on Clark Drive is the most ambitious brewery on the route and the one most worth lingering at — a cavernous dark room with an attached gallery and a beer programme built on Belgian styles, wild fermentation and barrel ageing.
- Style: saisons, Belgian-influenced beers, wild ales and barrel-aged releases, plus a reliable core range
- Room: large, dark, atmospheric, with rotating art on the walls
- The move: whatever is available from the barrel or wild programme — these do not travel and often do not leave the taproom
- Best for: anyone tired of West Coast IPA
Stop 4: Storm Brewing
Storm on Commercial Drive has been operating since the mid-1990s, which in Vancouver craft beer terms makes it ancient. It is a genuinely ramshackle industrial space with a tasting counter, and it has a long history of experimental and sour brewing from well before either was fashionable.
- Style: unpredictable, experimental, with a deep sour and barrel history
- Room: raw industrial, not designed for comfort, and much loved for it
- Hours: limited and subject to change — confirm before building a route around it
- Character: Vancouver’s closest thing to a cult brewery
Other Stops Worth Adding
The district has more breweries than any route can cover, and the roster changes. Worth checking what is currently open near your route:
- Smaller taprooms continue to open across the industrial blocks
- Cideries and meaderies operate in the same area for anyone not drinking beer
- Distilleries nearby, with tasting rooms of their own
- Commercial Drive just east, with bars and restaurants for finishing the evening
See our best craft breweries in Vancouver guide for the wider picture, including Mount Pleasant.
What to Order
- First stop: a flight, to calibrate
- After that: full pours of what you liked, or the brewery’s specific strength
- Parallel 49: range — try something from the sour or barrel programme
- Powell: the freshest hoppy release
- Strange Fellows: saison or barrel-aged
- Storm: whatever is strangest on the board
- Pace note: BC craft beer commonly runs 6–8% — four full pours is a substantial afternoon
- Ask for a half where offered; most taprooms will pour smaller sizes
Where to Eat
Eating is the part crawls get wrong. Only some stops have kitchens.
- Parallel 49 — the only reliable full meal on the route; eat here at the start
- Food trucks at several breweries, varying by day and weather
- Commercial Drive — ten minutes east, and the best eating anywhere near the route: Italian, Ethiopian, Vietnamese and cafes
- Hastings Street — casual options along the bus route
- Bring snacks if you are doing four stops; several taprooms allow outside food
See our guides to cheap eats in Vancouver and late-night food.
Pacing & Practicalities
- Start at 2 PM, not 6 — taprooms close earlier than bars
- Three or four stops maximum; more is ambition, not a plan
- Drink water between stops; several taprooms have self-serve water
- Eat at the first stop
- Comfortable shoes — the walking is on industrial streets
- Layers — some taprooms are warehouses and genuinely cold in winter
- Cash is rarely needed, but tipping is expected
- Buy cans to take away at the last stop, not the first — you have to carry them
Getting Home
- Bus 14, 16 or 20 back downtown — frequent until late
- SkyTrain from Commercial–Broadway, running until around 1–1:30 AM
- Ride-share and taxi readily available in the district
- Walking downtown is 35–45 minutes — feasible, and pleasant along the waterfront
- Do not drive. Worth repeating
East Van vs Mount Pleasant
- East Van: more breweries, more ambitious beer, more walking, less polish
- Mount Pleasant: tighter cluster, closer to downtown, better surrounding restaurants, easier first crawl
- If it is your first Vancouver brewery day: Mount Pleasant
- If you care most about the beer: East Van
- Doing both: they are 15 minutes apart, but not in the same afternoon
Pro Tips
- Check opening hours for every stop before you set out
- Start at Parallel 49 and eat there
- Flights first, pours later
- Talk to the staff — weekday afternoons are when they have time, and the recommendations are better than any list
- Strange Fellows is the one to linger at
- Buy cans at the end
- Finish on Commercial Drive for dinner
- Take the bus both ways
- Three stops is usually better than four
Related Vancouver guides
Keep planning with these guides:
- Best Craft Breweries in Vancouver (2026)
- Best Cocktail Bars in Vancouver (2026)
- Vancouver Nightlife: The Best Bars, Breweries & Clubs (2026)
East Van Brewery Crawl FAQs
Where is the East Van brewery district?
In the industrial blocks of East Vancouver bounded roughly by Hastings, Clark and Powell. Take the 14 or 16 bus east along Hastings from downtown, about 15 minutes, or the 20 down Commercial Drive.
How many breweries can I do in one crawl?
Three or four over four to five hours is realistic. BC craft beer commonly runs 6–8%, so four full pours is a substantial afternoon. Order flights at the first stops and full pours later.
What’s the best East Van brewery crawl route?
Parallel 49 at 2 PM for food and range, Powell Brewery at 3:30 for hoppy beers, Strange Fellows at 4:30 for Belgian and barrel-aged styles, and Storm at 6 PM if its hours allow — finishing on Commercial Drive for dinner.
Do East Van breweries serve food?
Parallel 49 has a full kitchen and is the only reliable meal on the route. Several others rely on food trucks that vary by day, and some allow outside food. Eat at the first stop, and keep Commercial Drive in reserve for dinner.
What time do East Van breweries close?
Most between 9 and 11 PM, earlier on Sundays and Mondays, and some close entirely on Mondays and Tuesdays. Start in the early afternoon and check hours for every stop before setting out.
Is East Vancouver safe for a brewery crawl?
Yes, with ordinary urban caution. It is an active industrial district rather than a nightlife strip, so it is quiet once taprooms close. Walk between stops during daylight where you can, and take a bus or ride-share home.
Should I do East Van or Mount Pleasant?
Mount Pleasant for a first Vancouver brewery day — a tighter cluster, closer to downtown, with better restaurants around it. East Van if the beer itself is the priority, since it has more breweries and more ambitious brewing.
Can I drive to the East Van breweries?
You can park there, but you should not drive afterwards. BC enforces an immediate roadside prohibition at a 0.05 reading, among the strictest thresholds in Canada. Take the bus — it is 15 minutes from downtown.
What should I order at an East Van brewery?
A flight at the first stop to calibrate, then full pours of the house strength: range and barrel-aged at Parallel 49, fresh hoppy releases at Powell, saison and wild ales at Strange Fellows, and whatever is strangest at Storm.
Related reading: Pair this with our Vancouver nightlife pillar and our craft breweries guide.