Regular local beer drinkers may have noticed Settlement Brewing has disappeared from liquor store shelves, but the brewery hasn't shut down.
The business didn't start as Settlement; Postmark Brewing launched in 2014 at 55 Dunlevy Ave in Vancouver's Railtown neighbourhood. The brewery site hasn't moved since then, though the names and ownership have shifted.
In 2018, Postmark was bought by contract brewing company Craft Collective Beerworks (which itself had been Factory Brewing until earlier in 2018). Craft Collective was renamed TBA Beverages a short time later. TBA Beverages went out of business and some assets were bought by MOD Beverages in October 2020, but Postmark was not included in this.
In June 2020, Postmark was renamed Settlement Brewing and was named as part of a new collective at the Settlement Building.
"We’re the Settlement Building, a collective of makers and manufacturers with a passion for craftsmanship, creativity, and collaboration," reads a post from Settlement Brewing on June 18, 2020.
Belgard Kitchen and Vancouver Urban Winery were two of those "makers" and businesses in the Settlement Building. The building has been referred to in the past by these businesses by various names.
The Settlement Brewing name lasted a few years, but in 2023, another change was announced.
"Join us as we refresh and rebrand as Van Urban Beer Co. alongside our sibling manufacturing businesses Vancouver Urban Winery & Van Urban Cider!" reads a post from March 31, 2023.
However, after that, social media posts about the brewery formerly known as Settlement (and Postmark) stopped. But the beer didn't stop getting made.
It's now operating under Vancouver Urban Collective, but in a limited capacity. Specifically, they aren't brewing for external retail.
"We have downsized our facility to focus on a few core beers servicing only our restaurants. We are no longer actively participating in the market," Vancouver Urban spokesperson Rebecca Elliott tells V.I.A.
Only a few core beers are being made: a lime lager, pilsner, IPA and Pale Ale.
With files from Rob Mangelsdorf and Lindsay William-Ross
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