The Port Moody Ale Trail: no, it’s not an actual hike (although we’ve heard there are local brewers that compete in physical challenges with kegs strapped on their backs), but it is a great reason to get out of Vancouver.
Also known as Brewers Row, this stretch of Port Moody is home to not one, but four unique craft breweries: Twin Sails Brewing, Moody Ales, Yellow Dog Brewing Co. and Parkside Brewery. Once an industrial area of Murray Street that saw little foot traffic, these breweries were exactly what the patrons of nearby Rocky Point Park needed.
A perfect day in Port Moody according to Vern Lambourne, brewmaster and co-owner at Parkside Brewing, is, “a walk around the inlet with my family and ice cream at Rocky Point Ice Cream, followed by beer and a food truck at Parkside.”
Newly accessible by transit thanks to the SkyTrain Evergreen Line expansion, Port Moody and its Ale Trail are hidden gems, drawing in record numbers of those in the know. Stop by on any Sunday afternoon and the queues of people outside Rocky Point Ice Cream and each tasting room at the aforementioned breweries will show you just how popular the area is becoming.
The symbiosis of craft breweries and popular food trucks is another welcome change to this beautiful corner of the ‘burbs. Feel free to bring your food truck treats into the tasting rooms with you, it’s encouraged. Don’t shy away from bringing along family members of all ages (and four-legged friends!) as well, although the latter are only allowed on the patio.
A patio flight from Yellow Dog Brewing Co.
“Not only is Port Moody a great city to be a part of, but the rest of the breweries on the row are amazing to work alongside,” said Clay Allmin, co-owner of Twin Sails Brewing (so named because he and his twin brother, Cody, both love sailing). “If there’s ever an issue, or you're short on inventory or something breaks, you can be guaranteed that someone at one of the other three breweries is going to be there ready and willing to help out as needed.”
Clearly a sense of community is one of the biggest reasons that Port Moody is a desirable city to call home – and the food scene isn’t far from the top of the list, either.
If you’re looking for a great meal, you don’t need to travel into Vancouver proper. There are tons of delicious options right in Port Moody, and the Ale Trail’s brewers weighed in on the best of the best.
“It would be a toss up between Taps and Tacos or Spacca Napoli,” said Robyn Guille, Head Brewer at Moody Ales. Lambourne seconds those votes, adding that Rehanah's Roti should also make the list.
If you ask Allmin where he loves to eat, it’s a four-way tie between a few of Port Moody’s best local haunts.
“There's so many great ones to choose from. Taps and Tacos if I'm looking for a healthy lunch... Donair Town if I'm looking for something less than healthy. If I want to sit down for a few drinks with a meal, you'll find me at either Romers or St. James' Well.”
In addition to the parks, breweries, patios and places to eat, Port Moody also offers great accessibility to Vancouver via transit and affordable living options. George by Marcon, a highly anticipated new development, offers home owners the chance the live within five minutes of craft breweries, transit, parks and great food. With options for both first-time home buyers and those looking to downsize from their current home, George is a great fit for every lifestyle.
Whether you’re sitting in the high-ceilinged tasting room at Yellow Dog Brewing watching the trains roll by the back door, taking your boat out on the ocean in the morning or walking your dog around the Inlet Trails, there are so many reasons to make the move to Port Moody and into a modern, well-situated development such as George. Even if the area is already home, freeing yourself from the upkeep of a single-family home and moving into a townhouse within walking distance of so many amenities is hard to pass up.
“The city really does have a lot to offer its residents and visitors alike that it would be tough to fit it all into a month let alone a day,” said Allmin. All the more reason to call Port Moody home.
