Land & Sea Brewing Co. has just won the BC Ale Trail’s second annual Best Brewery Experience Award.
The brewery, located in Comox, on the Vancouver Island Part II Ale Trail, opened just under a year ago, in December 2018.
“We are honoured to have the BC Ale Trail community acknowledge Land & Sea with this award,” said Jason and Hanna Walker, co-owners of Land & Sea Brewing Co. “We are still in our first year of operation and this acknowledgement is a testament to the hard work our entire team puts in every day.”
Named after the Comox Valley’s surrounding landscape, the brewery’s interior incorporates elements of the outdoors. With live plants, a bright and open tasting room, and a forest-green accent wall, the brewery brings the outside in. The brewery also serves as an art gallery, where local art is displayed throughout.
Head Brewer, Tessa Gabiniewicz, works to incorporate flavours from the region into her beer. A passionate forager, Gabiniewicz uses ingredients like sumac, fenugreek, kelp, grape skins, and elderflower in her brews. She even incorporated 50kg of Carmine Jewel cherries, that were dropped off by a local resident, into a kettle sour.
With unique samplings like the Blacktail Kölsch, a German-style rustic country lager and a hazy pale ale made with Norwegian kveik yeast, there is a lot to choose from at Land & Sea Brewing. The brewery also offers small snacks such as wings and corn street nachos, as well as sandwiches and bowls. The locally sourced menu includes gluten friendly, vegetarian and dairy-free options.
Land & Sea’s beer is currently available on tap in a few restaurants in Comox and Courtenay, but their long-term plan is to stay small and community-focused, meaning their beer can only be enjoyed by visiting the brewery.
“This award is one of many exciting developments that are putting the Comox Valley on the BC craft beer map,” says Town of Comox Mayor and Member of the Comox Valley Economic Development & Tourism Board, Russ Arnott. “The Town alone has seen two craft breweries come on stream in just the last year, coupled with a new Taphouse, providing a growing depth of experiences to attract craft beer enthusiasts to visit and celebrate the range of beverage producers in the area.”
With a patio area planned for summer 2020, which will add 60 more seats to the already 72-seat space, Land & Sea Brewing is definitely a brewery to be experienced yourself. If you’re in the area in December, keep an eye out for their one-year anniversary party!
For more information, visit the BC Ale Trail’s latest blog post at www.bcaletrail.ca/blog