This place is a rare Gem!!! Amazing food, phenomenal…read morebeverages and outrageously awesome staff! Griffin spent time recommending food, drinks and local "must dos".

I'll start off with the positive... good beer! Had the flight and enjoyed them all. The person I…read morewas with had one of their slushy drinks from the machine and it was undrinkable. Tasted like they forgot to add any flavoring or something... just off. The posted hours on their website didn't match their actual hours, according to the server, so we had to rush out just after we were served. Not a place I'd return to.

I think I have to bump up the stars since my last beer experience here…read more On our latest trip to our northern neighbor we had another beer from Driftwood that we immensely enjoyed. That beer was the Spiff Corn Lager. It was such a refreshing beverage to have as we were ready to get out of the hot mugginess of summer. Flavor features with this delightful beer are a natural sweetness along with crispness and a clean finish. The beer is very light bodied and extremely persuasive in having you get another one.

We researched before traveling and knew we needed to stop by for a Fat Tug IPA for my partner. We…read morehad a round then a group of people who had already drank away enough of their inhibitions for the day sat down next to us: we opted to leave. As I paid the tab they were asked to leave. We opened a second tab and were so glad we did. We truly had a lovely time. The staff were thoughtful and offered great and friendly service. By dealing with an uncomfortable situation they made us feel comfortable staying for a second round. If we lived here, we'd be back! I loved the raspberry sour! So light and refreshing!

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.

Nice place for which snack and cold beer. Games people can play too…read more I had the coffee beer and a salted pretzel. It was an overall fun experience on our bar hoping tour.

COVID #42 One of…read morethese days I'll remember to bring my ID. I do hate it when they think I'm 18. Friendly staff, automated gate if the tasting room is not open. They'll still sell to you regardless. Located at the top of a hill. Something like Mission Hills Estate Winery in Kelowna, if you've ever been there,but not as eleborate and large. Two spirits purchased. see my pics. Worth a visit. Definitely.

Although this place is a little hard to find, it is worth the trip. We came here after the Butchart…read moreGardens and it was a great find. For $5 you get a flight of 3 wines. Each wine has its own distinct flavors and the owner is great and will tell you an interesting story behind all of them. I'm not a huge wine drinker but all of the wines I tried here made me want to be. The only downside we experienced was that we came at a time where they did not have any food. Cheese and fruit would have been a great accompaniment to the wine! I would definitely recommend coming but make sure you are coming when they have food as well!

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!!

Our last stop before boarding the ferry at Swartz Bay to Vancouver:…read more We had an enjoyable time at Vancouver Island Brewery while waiting for the ferry. Lucky for us, we were able to savor the last few days of warm sunshine on their patio. We went during happy hour and flights were only $5. There were a lot of choices including Lemon Drop Star Anise Sour and Merri Berri Cider. The food menu is limited. We ordered a bag of chips and a jar of salsa and both were very fresh and tasty. One jar was not enough. We ordered another one to finish off the rest of the chips. They also allowed us to bring outside food to pair with their full flavoured beers. On the table: Happy hour flights: Tuesday-Thursday 3-6pm 5 Adrianas Corn Chips & Justos Mango Jalapeno Salsa (| GF | Made in Victoria) 10

The staff here was very nice and helpful. The beer was pretty good too. The location is a bit…read moreinconvenient but there is plenty of parking.

Had a fun night here when I was in town. They have beers different than what I am used to back in…read moreFlorida. They had games for people to play at their table. I sampled a few. My favorite was the blackwall. To bad I did not have more time in Victoria to explore this place more.

I'd give them 5 stars if they got rid of those super uncomfortable metal chairs that every brewery…read moreseems to have now. Come on, we want to hang out and drink beer, spend a bit of money on good seating. This was my first time at this brewery and as a self professed beer snob, it was great. The beertender was super friendly, they have nice charcuterie snacks, and their beer is solid. I fully enjoyed the Hail Santa - spruce tip red rye ale, the Quiet Man Stroopwafel Herfsbock, and the Tropicano sour. A great vibe and good beer, would definitely go back.

I quit drinking years ago, but these guys make me want to start up again. Free and proud, only way…read moreto be. Always question things when they don't add up.

Owners are scum. You can shut down your website and socials. But we won't forget. Didn't we just…read morehave people lose their job over wearing stupid stuff? I guess being the owner doesn't give you a pass either