Take a Self-Guided Squamish Brewery and Cidery Bike Tour

The patio at Howe Sound Brewing in Squamish has a great view of the Stawamus Chief. Photo: Howe Sound Brewing

While Squamish may be a small town, it’s not short on craft brews. You can visit three breweries and a cidery on this 4.3-kilometre-long self-guided tour that is perfect for biking or walking.

Biking Note: This route uses quiet streets and bike lanes where possible, but it does involve a little bit of riding on busy streets. Walk your bike on the sidewalk if you aren’t comfortable. Use this link for turn-by-turn directions on Google maps.

First Stop: Howe Sound Brewing

Your Squamish brewery tour starts at Howe Sound Brewing in downtown Squamish. It opened in 1996, making it the oldest brewery in Squamish and one of the pioneers in BC’s craft brewery scene. Their onsite brewpub has a full menu that includes pub fare, pizza, brunch, and kids’ options. They have four core beers and a dozen other taps with seasonal and limited releases.

Their huge tasting room has high ceilings and Squamish-centric decor. On nice days, soak up the sun on their patio which has great views of the Stawamus Chief.

Location: 37801 Cleveland Avenue, Squamish

Photo: Howe Sound Brewing

Second Stop: Cliffside Cider

To get to the next stop, head south on Cleveland, then make a right on Vancouver Street. Make your next left into the alley that runs between 2nd Avenue and Cleveland, following the signs for Cliffside Cider. Look for the cidery on your right one minute later.

Cliffside Cider opened in downtown Squamish in 2018. They specialize in small-batch craft apple cider with unique blends. Their flavours range from a traditional house dry apple cider to more exotic concoctions like peach passionfruit, cherry, and ginger. Order your cider by the pint or as part of one of their innovative cider cocktails which include margaritas, and the Squamish Mule.

Sit inside their cozy tasting room, or relax on their popular patio. If you’re hungry, the Flipside Burgers food truck is on-site, serving up beef, chicken, and veggie burgers with side salads, onion rings, fries, and mac n’ cheese balls.

Location: 37760 2nd Avenue, Squamish

Photo: Cliffside Cider

3rd Stop: A-Frame Brewing

Your next stop is a few minutes away in the North Yards neighbourhood. To get there, head back down the alley to Vancouver Street and go left. Make your next right onto 3rd Avenue. Follow 3rd across downtown. Cross Bailey Street and follow the multi-use path across the railway tracks. Go left on Buckley Avenue, using the bike lane. Stay on Buckley as it becomes Queens Way. Watch for A-Frame Brewing on your left.

A-Frame Brewing has a strong cabin-vibes aesthetic that extends from their taproom to their beer. Each of their brews is named after a BC lake or outdoor destination. They make easy-drinking beers like their Okanagan Lake Cream Ale and Sproat Lake Sour. More adventurous drinkers should try their Lava Lake Rose Sour.

Their cozy taproom is full of wood accents and their huge patio gets great sunshine. Grab a burrito from the Luz Tacos truck on-site if you need a bite to eat.

Location: 38927 Queens Way, Squamish

Photo: A-Frame Brewing

4th Stop: Backcountry Brewing

Your fourth stop is just a few blocks away. Head north on Queens Way to find Backcountry Brewing on the right side shortly after the intersection with Commercial Way.

When Backcountry Brewing opened in 2017, they were named Rookie of the Year at the BC Beer Awards. Since then, they’ve continued to make a parade of creative limited release beers along with three year-round brews. Each of their limited release beers is named after a memorable quote from movies and TV.

Their tasting room is styled to look like a retro ski lodge and serves up a full food menu of sandwiches, salads, and popular wood-fired pizzas. They are also building a new patio which will be ready just in time for summer.

Location: 405-1201 Commercial Way, Squamish