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.

Located in Market Square, there seems to be outdoor patio, but we came on a rainy day so we sat…read moreinside. The brewery is very casual for hang out, and offers some board games. For our flight, we chose Marketplatz German Pils, fuzzy peach sour, lemon lime fizz and the Shaft coffee stout. My favorite two were the Pils and peach sour, the stout was also solid, not a fan of the lemon lime fizz tho.

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.

What to say about this fabulous place...The bartender was so wonderful. Both of them. This was my…read morefirst and last stop of the night. Holy brazier! My friend from Chicago told me this was the place to stop. He's my dive bar guru. What a win! I didn't eat there and I don't know that they have food but they have braziers! And amazing bartenders, and live music, and it's frikkin awesome! GO!

A very cool bar to check out while in Victoria. They have cider, beer, and full bar for cocktails…read more The aesthetics inside were nice and ladies if you feel compelled you can leave your bar behind! Overall a cool dive bar spot

Friendly service. Popped in for a quick refill. Had me an…read moreIrish Slammer. And was back on the trail

Great poutine. Very poor service. Decent beer. Went out of my way to go to this pub for a proper…read morepint. That was a mistake. Won't return. Sad about that.

Great happy hour. Had the lager on tap- turned out to be Phillips Tilt and it was great. It was…read morequiet inside and nice and cool and it made a great rest stop during our very busy day sightseeing. Service was great and we loved the music.

Our group decided they wanted to try a local pub while we were in Victoria for our last night of…read morethe cruise. After a quick search on Yelp we settled on The Churchill so they could try several different local beers. I opted for the featured cocktail of the month Into The Wild with blackberry gin, blueberry liqueur, honey, lemon & orange bitters. I thought it was really good, smooth but potent. When visiting Canada, I thought it was mandatory to get the Poutine - Beer battered fries, squeaky cheese curds, homemade beef gravy. Very filling and did not disappoint. The rest of the family liked their choices (Nashville Hot Grilled Chicken Burgers, Pulled Jackfruit Bun) as well. We sat in a large booth instead of at the bar like most of the regulars and locals. Service was a little slow but would not keep me from coming back.

The local was a great place to watch the FIFA matches. Not a bad seat in the house to see the…read morescreens. Food and services were great! Loved the nachos.

I am usually not the kind of person to write reviews, but I am very disappointed in the service…read morethat was given to my party. It took us at the minimum ~30 minutes to get us water, and the food came around 15 minutes later. Not sure if this was supposed to be a big concern, but my party was pushed aside for another group who came after us, who were not minorities, and were also walk-ins, with the same number of people in my party. The restaurant was not understaffed either, and it was not as busy as they played it out to be. It should not have taken the staff a minimum of thirty minutes to serve water and utensils. As American tourists, we felt uncomfortable with the treatment we had received, since it seemed every person who was not a minority had been favored. Food was good (from the fact I come from America where everything is overpriced), but it's not worth the hassle of feeling oppressed.

Bartholomew's was a great little find at the DoubleTree!…read more Hubs and I enjoyed the quaint outdoor patio, complete with some very vocal local seagulls providing the soundtrack. We split the house salad and the Ultimate Burger with fries--plenty of tasty food for two. Hubs also enjoyed a perfectly poured nitro Guinness, which earned bonus points. Our server, Katelyn, was friendly and attentive, and the relaxed patio ambiance made for an easy, enjoyable meal. Would I come back? Yup!

I think I've fallen in love. I am staying around the corner & saw their gluten free fish & chip…read moreoption online & had to give it a try. Being a gluten free girly, I always have high hopes for gluten free fish & chips but am typically let down by the result. Today, my friends, was the turning of the tables. A new day. The chips weren't anything to write home about but they played the traditional "chip" role, perfectly. The fish? I cannot even begin to explain how delicious, crisp, fresh, flavorful & delectable these two pieces of fish were. If these bad boys were triple the amount to purchase, I'd do it again & again. I can't wait to come back to Barholomews & recommend to anyone that visits Victoria. Bless the hands who created this dish, amen.