Fancy a ride on the SeaBus? So do we. But where will we drink?

For many years, Lonsdale was a beer desert. You would get off at the SeaBus terminal thirsty with no place to go.  Now, your Sea Bus journey can terminate with a tasty tipple at the shiny new Green Leaf Brewing Co.

Green Leaf occupies a large, attractive, dark wood-paneled space inside the Lonsdale Market. Their brewing equipment is visible through the windows out front and from the bar too, getting your thirst flowing well before you have a seat. There are several high tables with bar stools, and a few stools at the long bar itself. Although this is a daytime establishment only, one could easily come here with friends or family to have a quick round. No food is served at the brewery taproom itself, but you are in the midst of a public market that has a few nibbles on offer.

Green Leaf is a nanobrewery. You can fill a growler, have a glass, or order a palette. They do not bottle, and they do not brew a lot of different beers. When we were there, Green Leaf had on tap four different beers: the Bitter Leaf IPA, the Lonsdale Pale, the Liquid Sunshine Hefeweizen, and the Stout. Of these, the stout was the most enjoyable.

The best thing is that Green Leaf can be a waypoint to or from a North Vancouver brewery tour. As of early 2014, there are 4 breweries in North Vancouver, two of which would be classified as pico breweries (Bridge Brewing and Black Kettle). Deep Cove Brewery and Distillery has, like Green Leaf, a slightly larger production facility. And Green Leaf has the most convenient location too.

Gone are the happy days when Sailor Hagar’s used to brew. They used to make some of Vancouver’s most delightful beers–including a most memorable smoked porter, a deadly barleywine, and a brightly bitter IPA. We still mourn them, Josh and I.

Then Sailor Hagar’s moved their production to Howe Sound, leaving only Taylor’s Crossing brewing in North Vancouver. Taylor’s Crossing was alright, certainly not worth going out of the way for, and was corporate to boot. Then they died, too.

Now, a new wave of nano and pico breweries is becoming established. This means that during the summer, you can take public transport all the way to Lynn Valley, Grouse Mountain, or Cleveland Dam and have many microbrews to hydrate you upon your return. Cheers!

Green Leaf Brewing Co.

123 Carrie Cates Ct (enter inside Lonsdale Market)
North Vancouver, British Columbia Canada

Green Leaf on Ratebeer

Related Posts:  Vancouver’s New Micro, Nano, and Pico Breweries Part I: Brassneck