Here at Lifty Life, we are novice surfers but expert beer drinkers. Luckily the Tofino and Ucluelet area has both world-class surfing and fantastic local breweries.

Ucluelet Brewing might be the cutest tasting room I have ever stepped foot in. The brewery has an amazingly convenient downtown Ucluelet location (only 1.3km from the Black Pearl). The brewery and tasting room are housed in the town’s old church. It has lovingly renovated and restored with a bar and a small kitchen while keeping the high ceilings and exposed joists. The large windows and second-floor patio offer ocean views to match your beer.

Ucluelet offers the hardworking pub classics that you would expect on any good beer menu, such as a west coast IPA, a pale ale, porter, kolsh, pilsner, and even a summery wit. Plus a few seasonals and trendy craft beer nerds (like me) such as an east coast hazy IPA, and a kettle sour.

The food menu is light but delicious. They have done a great job putting together the menu that leaves most grill-less tasting-rooms in the dust. There are full entrée lunch and dinner options that won’t leave you hungry or regretting your unhealthy food choices when your vacation is over. Personally, I recommend the wraps.

Tofino Brewing is a must-visit after a day of surfing at Cox Beach. The brewery is on the way back to town from Cox Beach and is a great place to stop for a pint with friends and locals or to grab a few cans and bottles to take back to your vacation rental.

Tofino Brewing’s beers are pretty widely available across British Columbia, but it always more fun to drink the beer directly in the brewery, and there are number one-offs and seasonals available in the tasting room.

Their Kelp Stout is probably their most famous brew. I personally don’t care for salty beers, but I recommend that you give it a try. Take a bottle home to pair with some local fresh sea-food.

Like many tasting rooms, the food menu is very limited. Mostly just pepperoni sticks and other snacks.

I don’t know why Lucky Lager is so popular on Vancouver Island, but there seems to be a 6-pack in the back of every fridge and pick-up truck on Vancouver Island. Neither the company nor the ingredients are local, and it has not been brewed on the Island since the 1980’s, but that has not stopped Lucky Lager from becoming part of the local culture.

Even the high-end 1909 Kitchen sells Lucky Lager