If not the newest craft brew pub in the city, St. Augustine’s is certainly the most recent addition on The Drive, and their wide assortment of draught and bottled beers has made it a popular spot amongst thirsty East Vancouverites.

“When you drink Pu-erh it’s like you are drinking something that is alive.”

Brewing is about more than just tossing ingredients together, cooking them up and hoping for the best - it’s about balance.

Beer is not a complicated drink. It is made up of four simple ingredients: water, malted barley, hops and yeast.

While the selection of Vancouver pubs showcasing craft brews has grown significantly in recent years, there is one in particular that gets beer geeks salivating: the Alibi Room.

For me, a beer (or three) is a necessary component of enjoying our brief but glorious summer.

Finding the right combination of patio and beer can be a challenge in a city that is only beginning to understand the possibilities of beer.

My name is Matt Thomson, and I have a confession: I’m a beer geek.

A coffee-fueled chat with Andrew Morrison, local food critic, intellectual, father, and blogger.

Offer someone a beer. Go ahead, do it. Then, just before you begin pouring, say “it’s homebrew,” and watch your words have their effect. Everyone forms the same mental picture of home-brewed beer – a cloudy, brown liquid, served from a two-litre pop bottle, smelling of yeast and tasting slightly of vinegar.