PORT ALBERNI – Twin City Brewing has just won the BC Ale Trail’s third annual Best Brewery Experience Award.
Michelle & Aaron Colyn of Twin City Brewing photo credit: BCaletrail.ca
Located in Port Alberni on the Vancouver Island Part II Ale Trail, Twin City Brewing opened in 2017 and quickly developed a strong reputation for its creative beer line-up, which includes some popular year-round beers and a range of seasonal creations. It recently won Best in Show at the 2018 BC Beer Awards for Late Bloomer, a tart fruit beer brewed with hibiscus petals and strawberries.
In addition to its beer, Twin City also has an impressive kitchen, with a menu highlighted by delicious hand-stretched pizzas and smoked meat sandwiches featuring different meats smoked on site.
After finding out about the award, the brewery’s owner and brewmaster, Aaron Colyn, said, “Twin City Brewing exists as a collection of minds tailoring a unique Craft Brewery experience that is welcoming, thoughtful, and above all else, genuine. On behalf of our team, we are honoured and thrilled to be recognized for the experience we cultivate for our guests and for our community.”
Twin City Brewing was selected to win the Best Brewery Experience award following an online nomination process in early November. The brewery received the most nominations which included heaps of high praise from their loyal customers.
One nominator wrote, “This brewery took a chance on a struggling community and helped it to reimagine itself.” Several others identified the brewery’s exceptional response to COVID-19. Another nominator summed it up perfectly: “Besides having fantastic beer and an amazing food menu, the staff have done a wonderful job adapting during this time to make visitors feel safe while providing a consistently incredible experience.”
Those comments helped confirm the decision to award Twin City Brewing with the honour.
“I am very pleased that Twin City Brewing has been recognized with this award,” said Ken Beattie, Executive Director of the BC Craft Brewers Guild which administers the BC Ale Trail. “It doesn’t surprise me as when I visited pre-COVID I was impressed by the welcoming feeling in the room, the beer, the food, and the staff. I know how well-managed the brewery has been since the day it opened. Twin City really put Port Alberni on the craft beer map here in BC. Cheers to Aaron Colyn and his entire team!”
Another factor was how the brewery became a destination in a town many tourists tend to drive through on their way across Vancouver Island. Its popularity encouraged a second brewery, Dog Mountain Brewing, to open in Port Alberni earlier this year, with a third, Alberni Brewing, expected to open in 2021.
“We are so thrilled to learn that Port Alberni’s Twin City Brewing is being honoured with BC Ale Trail’s 2020 Best Brewery Experience Award,” said the Mayor of Port Alberni, Sharie Minions. “Twin City combines locally crafted beer with outstanding food and exceptional customer service, creating a high-quality and really unique brewery experience. Their passion, innovation and pursuit of excellence has helped spark the growth of Port Alberni’s economy and has provided inspiration to other local business owners. Congratulations, Twin City Brewing!”
Twin City Brewing will receive a feature blog on the BC Ale Trail site along with a custom digital media campaign featuring this video, plus the adulation of BC’s legions of craft beer fans, many of whom will undoubtedly plan a trip to visit the brewery as soon as possible. While the pandemic is limiting our ability to travel right now, once travel restrictions are lifted, Twin City Brewing should go to the top of any beer lover’s bucket list of breweries to visit. In the meantime, you can now order Twin City’s beer for delivery via Canada Post.
The 2018 Best Brewery Experience Award was won by Townsite Brewing in Powell River, and in 2019 the award went to Land and Sea Brewing in Comox.
