It’s a Tuesday afternoon and the beer is flowing in Comox.
“The opportunity arose to be able to do it here in Comox so we went for it and so far we’ve been pretty happy,” said Pat Savard, co-owner of Comox’s newest microbrewery.
He and his family moved to Comox from Vancouver to open New Tradition. With its patio overlooking Comox Avenue, it has been a popular stop for beer lovers.
“We thought it would be nice to have another place to go for a drink so we figured other people would be thinking the same,” added Savard.
Another microbrewery opened two days ago in Courtenay and there are now six in Cumberland, Courtenay, and Comox.
The recent openings speak to a new vibe in the valley driven in part by the new craft breweries and also by places like the new Church Street Tap House that opened in Comox this summer.
“Comox needed to liven up a little bit,” said co-owner Chris Morrison. “We were tired of having to cross the bridge to Courtenay and Cumberland so it was kind of one of those things we thought if we built it they would come and so far they are.”
He says the void was never filled when the Lorne and Edgewater pubs burned down in Comox years ago.
“We wanted to bring back a fun place for people where you could walk and bike and meet your neighbours and meet new people,” he added.
The Comox Valley’s only distillery has also been attracting visitors for five years. Wayward Distillery makes an assortment of spirits, all with honey.
“So at no point along in the process do we need to filter out undesirable flavours so we’re able to keep a really nice robust mouthfeel and flavour to our spirits,” said Wayward’s Dave Brimacombe.
Dean Stoltz
