BREWERY TOUR: Phillips Brewing & Malting Company – Victoria, British Columbia
Sondra Baker, A.K.A. The Beer Maven, recently attended a brewery tour of Phillips Brewing & Malting. Follow Sondra to Victoria, British Columbia and learn all about the brewery that brings us some of our favourite west coast beers.
By The Beer Maven Sondra Baker on Mar. 30, 2016
Being an avid fan of Phillips Brewing & Malting Company since I first tried their killer Amnesiac Double IPA, I was psyched at getting the chance to see where many of my favorite beers like the Longboat Chocolate Porter, 3rd Blind Mouse and Electric Unicorn were born.
Phillips Brewing & Malting Brewery Tour:
As soon as I entered Phillips Brewery, I was immediately greeted by the vibrant Bill Stuart, who put a cold glass of Raspberry Wheat Ale into my hands. I will say when someone greets me with a hardy “hello there!” and places a beer in my hand in the same breath I know it’s the start of a good time.
History of Phillips Brewery:
The Raspberry Ale was one of the few from Phillips I haven’t tried and I finished it pretty quickly. I am a sucker for a fresh fruit brew and this seasonal sweetie didn’t disappoint. Bill proceeded to tell me the story of how the owner / operator, Matt Phillips, started off. With his degree in microbiology, passion for craft beer and perseverance Phillips Brewing & Malting Company was born. From their original Phoenix Lager, they now brew over 18 beers year round with a slew of seasonal and inventive casks adding to an unbelievable amount of beer genius coming from a small brewery.
Phillips environmental philosophy of great beer with minimal waste earned them the 2015 International Green Company of the Year award. A small example of this that I found interesting is called the spent grain program. This is where local farmers pick up the grain after its been used in a brew and use it to feed their cows!
Behind the Scenes at Phillips:
After sampling a barrage of beauties like Phillips Blue Buck, Phoenix Lager, Green Reaper and Hop Circle, off we went into the brewery room. I was greeted by rows of shiny massive tanks with beer in various stages of production, wooden casks with one of a kind brews, a bottling line complete with a label machine (Phillips has some of the best artwork on their labels I have ever seen, their Electric Unicorn is my favorite in the industry) and a pretty funky looking canning machine.
AC/DC blasting from the backroom made the atmosphere feel like home. The people we’re like family and the beer, well lets say Phillips Brewery makes unbelievably unique brews and are of a quality that all craft breweries strive to be. I urge you to find some Phillips (go for one of their insane IPA’s if your a hop head or the Longboat Porter if you’re into the darkside) and enjoy. Guaranteed you will love it as much as I do.
Cheers to you, Phillips Brewery, and thank you for your hospitality! – Sondra Baker
To learn more about Phillips Brewery and the beers they make, click here.
Thanks for reading this brewery tour of Phillips Brewing! Here are some other great articles we think you will like:
JustBeer vs. The Just Beer Project — What’s The Difference?
The Killer Cobra Beer Challenge
Chatting With Erin Baker of Trolley 5 in Calgary, AB
Beer Can Appreciation Day