If you've been a tastemaker at the helm of Vancouver's go-to club for great bands and great brews for 28 years, what do you do when it's time to move on? For Steve Forsyth, whose family ran the Railway Club for nearly three decades, it meant switching gears and opening Off The Rail Brewing Co., a craft brewery and tasting room on Adanac Street that specializes in putting a personal touch on classic beer recipes.
"We're a mom and pop beer shop," Steve explains. "We get a lot of people coming in who say they don't like craft beer and end up liking our beer." The small-batch beers at this East Van spot are developed using traditional, classic recipes; bestsellers include a European-inspired Czechmate Pilsner and Belt Up ESB, an English-style bitter.
You’ll fall in love with Off The Rail’s smooth-tasting Lancaster Cream Ale that’s rich without being, well, too creamy. Enjoy an afternoon in their tasting lounge or fill a growler to go. Snacking options include spicy pepperoni sticks or sundried-tomato and feta twisty bread. All sound a little too healthy? Double up on a Smoked Porter that drinks almost like a meal!
After months of negotiations with the City for permits and on-going construction to their Adanac and Clark Street location, Steve Forsyth, former owner of Vancouver’s beloved Railway Club, opened Off the Rail Brewing. Using hops he’s grown himself and relying on his long history of beer appreciation and love of micro-brews, he’s seen pretty instant success. With the small tasting room constantly abuzz and the beer flying off the shelves, we’re eagerly awaiting liquor store sales as well. In the meantime, this is another great stop on the meandering brewery crawl in this beer-crazy ‘hood.