Competition was stiff, but Parallel 49 Brewing – the increasingly popular Vancouver brewery – took home the Best in Fest beer award at the Whistler Village Beer Festival. The award was announced to a crowded house at the Longhorn Saloon Saturday night.
Using smartphones, festival-goers could vote for their favourite beer during the main event Sept 13. Picking a single winner might have seemed daunting, with over 50 breweries from across North America represented.
Yet, P49 had one of the most consistently crowded tents at the festival, showing just how popular the two-year-old brewery has become.
“It’s pretty awesome,” says Graham With, Parallel 49's head brewer. “It’s nice to get the public on your side, I suppose.”
As part of the win, the brewery was awarded one-year draft contracts with the Longhorn and Dubh Linn Gate, as well as a bottle contract with the Garibaldi Lift Co. – all of which are located in Whistler Village at the base of Whistler Mountain.
It is estimated that the brewery will move at least a dozen kegs per week in Whistler with these contracts, not to mention receiving invaluable exposure to international travelers during ski season.
“It’s like the sales team got a trophy instead of me,” he says with a laugh.
Old Yale Brewing Company landed third place, while local brewery Whistler Brewing Company took second place.
Around 3,500 people attended the four-day festival's second year, just shy of the expected 4,000.
