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Driftwood Brewery

4.5 (33 reviews)
InexpensiveBreweries
Closed • 12:00 pm - 9:30 PM

Driftwood Brewery Photos

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Recommended Reviews - Driftwood Brewery

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Driftwood closet table
Paul R.

Me and the boss having a pint at a favorite brewery. Comfy place with a nautical vibe, and many awesome beers, cocktails and local cider. Servers were very friendly and informative.

a large artichoke hanging from the ceiling
Steve A.

Amazing service, atmosphere and beers! Hope to be back in the future. Wings were great and the beer is awesome.

Exterior
Jonny M.

We checked out another brewery, Driftwood Brewery, which happened to be kitty corner to Hoyne Brewery. Didn't even realize this the first time we were in this area. Their entrance is a little non-discrete but just look for the door to the right. They're open Monday to Saturday (11:00am to 6:00pm). The taproom is cool with lots of different merchandise spread throughout. There's glassware, posters, t-shirts ($25.00), tanks, hoodies ($50.00), hats ($24.00), toques ($20.00), fishing lures, bottle/keychain openers, cards, hydroflask growlers ($65.00) and pint glasses ($26.00). They had 6 flavours on tap so we tried all of them ($5.00 for a flight). They also had 8 types of bottles in their beer fridge. We ended up buying two (Naughty hildegard ESB and Cry me a river gose). Bottles were very reasonable ($6.70 each). We sampled: - Arcus pilsner - one of their seasonal beers. - White bark witbier - nice light summery beer. - New growth pale ale - Naughty hildegard ESB - nice guava and citrus undertones. - Fat tug IPA - this is their most popular beer. Similar to Hoyne's dark matter but much lighter in flavour. Quite hoppy. - Pead belgian - this one was part of their brewery series and they only had it on tap. We would have got this but didn't have our growler with us. Defintely worth checking out! This area is a great spot to grab some beers and ice cream.

Nisha M.

Lovely environment, flights and cocktails. Do yourself a favor and try the craft beer float - ice cream and craft beer DO mix well.

Porter and gin sour. Pork belly dumplings
Jen G.

Fat Tug is the best IPA ever. No competition. Tried the Porter tonight and loved it. What a great atmosphere, amazing staff.

Beers on tap for growlers and samples
Michael L.

Stopped by Driftwood Brewery on a mini craft brewery tour of Victoria. Great location right around the corner from Hoyne's Brewery with plenty of free street parking. This is a great brewery with some amazing beers. Unfortunately they do not have an official tasting room but they do have a retail area for growler fills and to purchase bottles of their beer. The two staff members working were very knowledgeable about their beers and the history of the brewery. And they provided samples of all the beers they had for growler fills...and there were quite a few. For me it is hard to beat their Fat Tug (7% and about an 80 IBU)..it has just the right amount of hops and is full flavoured. It is no wonder this beer is served in establishments all around Vancouver Island and the Lower Mainland. It was a very positive experience and I can happily (or hoppily) highly recommend Driftwood beers and especially their Fat Tug. PS. I really want to try their seasonal beer, Singularity, and hoping to secure a bottle when it comes out next in early 2017.

Merch!
joseph b.

I've been wanting to go to this Brewery for years since having the Fat Tug IPA. Small tasting room, but the best beer flight! Great service. Tomo was awesome!Definitely easy going and made the flight tasting memorable! Definitely coming back!

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Killer, stellar and other words that end with the letter "R." When in Victoria, swing by for beers, yes plural, its a must.

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Review Highlights - Driftwood Brewery

“And of course, Fat Tug IPA, which to me is the best IPA in Western Canada (maybe even all of Canada).”

Mentioned in 6 reviews

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Whistle Buoy Brewing

Whistle Buoy Brewing

4.4(46 reviews)
2.2 km
•$$

While in Victoria, BC during a port stop on a cruise we went on an Ale Trail excursion and the…read morefirst of three stops was Whistle Buoy. Talk about hitting out of the park with the first stop! Whistle Buoy is located in a Market Square that's a beautiful open air area surrounded by shops, boutiques, restaurants, assorted businesses, and vast tracts of land with chairs and tables. Since it's surrounded by buildings on all four sides the wind would be challenged to ruffle your hair once inside. For this stop of the Ale Trail excursion we were each allowed one glass (not a taster...a full 12oz glass) of one brew. They have roughly a dozen taps that run the typical gamut of beer styles. I immediately gravitated toward the Shaft Coffee Stout. Not my usual go-to, (I'm usually more of an IPA / Pale Ale kinda guy) but something about "Dark. Coffee. Chocolate" grabbed my attention (Here's the part where Jim has an advantage. Jim's wife doesn't drink beer, so Jim gets her selection, too, so she (ok, I) chose the Froth Hazy Pale for hers (ok, for me).) I didn't expect the highlight of the excursion to be the very first beer I had, but the Shaft Coffee Stout was quite possibly the best beer I've ever had. It was smooth and rich and had such an amazing flavor. Honestly, it was more like dessert. I'm not saying my wife's beer (ok, my 2nd) wasn't awesome, it's just that the Shaft set the bar REALLY high. ( I'm just talkin' 'bout Shaft! ) Our group sat in the outdoor, covered beer garden, the weather was slightly overcast, and we were surrounded by like-minded beer lovers (except my wife, who donates to my cause.) As we sat the Market Square was busy with life as people walked their dogs, visited businesses, and a group of elementary school kids was escorted through the square. Sometimes it's nice to sit back and watch the world go by. The restrooms (gender neutral, thank you) are small...ok, tiny. There's barely enough room to change your mind. I do have to call attention to two things, though. First, it has the tiniest sink I've ever seen. Surely this thing had to be custom made. Second, they have a Code of Conduct posted on the wall, which I genuinely appreciated. Nothing outrageous, just a focus on respect and common decency. If I were able to get Shaft Coffee Stout at home I'd never leave home (actually I would just to get more Shaft Coffee Stout). It was only a brief visit to Whistle Buoy Brewing, but if I ever found myself living in Victoria, BC, there is no doubt this is where I'd hang out.

The people working did a great job explaining the different beers and ciders. They always have a…read moreWagon Wheelie and today was chocolate marshmallow-we got a taste the consistency was smooth like chocolate. The area was nice, there was an outdoor option as well which had a nice square with benches, flowers, etc

Photos
Whistle Buoy Brewing - Amazing sausage snacks $4ea

Amazing sausage snacks $4ea

Whistle Buoy Brewing
Whistle Buoy Brewing

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Ile Sauvage Brewing - Cans available

Ile Sauvage Brewing

4.8(13 reviews)
1.8 km

A Tale of Two Breweries My bandmates and I had the…read moreopportunity to hop the ferry from Vancouver and play a gig in Victoria this past weekend. We looked forward to touring some of the great breweries on Vancouver Island the day after the show. We managed to make it to two breweries: Île Sauvage, located at 2960 Bridge Street, Victoria, BC, and Driftwood Brewery which was about a five-minute drive from it. The experience couldn't have been more different between the two businesses. Île Sauvage, was a friendly minimalistic brewery with a food truck kitchen, beautiful white tile wall of taps, and incredibly friendly staff all of whom made you feel welcome and appreciated. It had the feeling of a small independent brewery where they really wanted you to sample their various offerings and enjoy your visit. They gladly let our band put up a sticker on their post of band stickers, and it was a really nice start to what was expected to be a fun day of brewery hopping. My wife and I along with two other couples enjoyed the food, some flights of beer and then left for our next stop. We decided to visit Driftwood Brewery. It was a mistake. While Île Sauvage felt like you were being invited into a brewmaster's tasting room, Driftwood Brewery was the opposite experience. It is clearly more of a corporate entity with a lot of money spent on branding, merchandising, and interior design. It had a spectacular themed interior reminiscent of the old Rainforest Cafés including its own "Hop Monster" hanging from the ceiling. I used to enjoy taking my daughter to Disneyland, and I have no hesitation in admitting the décor brought out the kid in me. Unfortunately, I can honestly say that I have never been subjected to more insulting behaviour by a server than I had to endure at Driftwood Brewery. Granted, I may not be the target audience for this establishment; I am a baby-boomer with long hair past my shoulders, and probably had a little bit of eyeliner and glitter makeup left over from our gig the night before: nobody is going to mistake me for a hipster. Driftwood Brewery does a really good business. The place was busy, but not so full that our table of six couldn't get seated immediately without waiting. After a few minutes the server came up to take our order. As my wife and I were sitting at the end of the table, he asked for my order first. Having enjoyed a nice selection of sours at Île Sauvage, I wanted to try something different. I selected the first two beers right away and then took a beat (no more than ten seconds in my estimation) to select my third. The server was instantly irritated with having to wait for this 10-ish seconds and said to our whole table, in a tone that was clearly annoyed, "Look, are you ready to order or not?" I ordered something as fast as I could and then, with pressure mounting to order my fourth, one of our group who was sitting right beside me, intervened by asking the server to describe the "smoky" beer. I chimed in with something like, "ya, what's that one" to which the server, shockingly said he would explain it to my friend, AFTER he takes my order. He refused to describe it to me. I was floored at the outright hostility and rudeness. Trying to end this uncomfortable exchange, I just ordered the first beer I could see on the menu and hoped we could leave as soon as possible. My wife, who was watching this unfold chose not to order anything and just had a glass of water. Then, when the waiter came back to advise one of the four beers I had ordered was not available, and not daring to risk asking for a recommendation, I just said I'll have a glass of one of the beers I had previously selected instead. He told me that was not possible as they had already poured the other three beers of the flight and it was too late to change my order. I again just ordered the first thing I saw on the beer list to end the interaction as soon as possible. He never looked or spoke to me again for the entirety of our visit, although he made a point to be particularly jovial to the rest of our group. The exclusionary intent seemed obvious. It was a shocking experience to support an establishment only to be subjected to intentional humiliation. Not wanting to make the rest of our party uncomfortable, we just endured the experience rather than leave right away. In the end, my friend who had recommended the brewery offered to pay for my flight and we departed. I won't say the experience ruined the entire weekend, but it certainly ruined what should have been a fun day out with friends enjoying the wonderful breweries in the Victoria area. As it were, we were no longer in the mood for any more breweries and returned to our hotel. I know there is greater permission these days to be mean to each other, and I often say we now live in the age of the "A-hole", but such behaviour by a server should still be considered unacceptable. As my wife mentioned, the waiter's behaviour went beyond s

Excellent beers - especially for folks who might not love the traditional beer experience. Unique…read moresours, fun stouts, and interesting flavors make this a must-visit for beer folks in area. The have what appears to be a captured food truck, if you're look for a bite to eat. We sat at the bar and enjoyed the Ecailleur Gose (Oyster shells, citrus, chilies), Depense Saison (spent grape saison), and Jamaique Gose (hibiscus & cinnamon), and all three were delicious. My only regret is coming here after a big meal and not having enough stomach capicity to try more things. The location is in interesting neighborhood - if coming after dark, I might be a little cautious about walking around this part of town alone. Ile Sauvage is a magical little gem in an unsuspecting place, and their beer is some of the best.

Photos
Ile Sauvage Brewing - Lunar Lager: Light Lager with aromas of Pink Guava & Passion Fruit

Lunar Lager: Light Lager with aromas of Pink Guava & Passion Fruit

Ile Sauvage Brewing - Wild & Sour Beer on Vancouver Island

Wild & Sour Beer on Vancouver Island

Ile Sauvage Brewing - Wild & Sour Beer on Vancouver Island

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Wild & Sour Beer on Vancouver Island

Hoyne Brewing - Hoyne Pilsner

Hoyne Brewing

4.3(23 reviews)
1.7 km
•$

Hoyne Brewing was a brewery where I wanted to try their beer quite badly. I read good things about…read moreit and it's overall Yelp average is a good score so this was a brewery that was high on my priority list to try out on our trip to Victoria. The beer that I got didn't disappoint in the slightest. I had the Hoyne Pilsner which was so good! Very refreshing for the muggy summer day we were experiencing. Characteristics in this flavor profile are hoppy with some sweetness and a clean finish. The beer is smooth and also very light bodied which makes this a perfect summer beer to enjoy and if you can have more than one of.

I first tasted some of Hoyne Brewing's finely-crafted beers during a family stay in Victoria a few…read moreyears ago. After reading about their products before the trip, daughter and I were anxious to try them. And though we never got to the actual brewery location, we had no problem finding their brews for sale in liquor stores, and to enjoy in pubs throughout the city. Our very first tastes were via pub 'flights' of draught products, and they sure scored high on our taste tests. 'Dark Matter', a wonderfully, dark and delicious ale, became one of our trip favourite brews. I found out recently that the government liquor stores here (Vancouver & vicinity) were carrying some of their products. So when out to catch some Christmas cheer, daughter and I looked for it, and were very happy to find, and be able to catch six-packs of both 'Dark Matter', and 'Shine On' (an India Pale Ale). I was fortunate, and able to purchase the last on the shelves -- and when home, split them, so we could have tastes of each for Christmas. Dark Matter sure lived up to our memories, and Shine On was such a delightful, new taste treat. So glad these wonderful brews can now be found here -- it will definitely ensure not having such long times between tastes of Hoyne's brews from now on!!

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Hoyne Brewing
Hoyne Brewing - Down Easy Pale Ale

Down Easy Pale Ale

Hoyne Brewing

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Spinnakers Brewpub

Spinnakers Brewpub

3.3(250 reviews)
1.0 km
•$$

I love this classic joint! It's much more than a pub, it has really delicious food and brew, great…read morestaff, and an awesome view! They also have their own little chocolate shop too. We went here on Canada Day for dinner and everything we had was so damn good. We got the chowder and the Mac n cheese and shares both. So much flavour in the chowder and tons of fish and clams. Beautifully seasoned! The Mac and cheese was superior to most resto Mac's. It had a really yummy applewood cheddar flavour. Great seasoning as well on this one. And so dang creamy! Highly highly reco. Portion size are also excellent! We also got the brownie to share and omg what a decadent homemade style brownie, had all the right flavours and with the homemade ice cream ontop, even better. What I love here is you know you're going to have a great time! I'm so happy it's still as good as it was even after so many years. I used to come here during college so it still stacks up.

This establishment has really gone downhill since we have been going there since 2007…read more The service was terrible, sat there for 15 min and not offered a drink , totally ignored . We ended up leaving as customer service does not seem to be a priority. We have tried going again and again to see if it gets any better... it doesn't . Plus there menu is quite lack luster. Not impressed. Too bad such a beautiful spot which we have enjoyed before in past.

Photos
Spinnakers Brewpub - Brownie

Brownie

Spinnakers Brewpub
Spinnakers Brewpub

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Driftwood Brewery - breweries - Updated October 2026

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