Traditionally, brewery taprooms consist of a few tables in cold, cavernous rooms set in front of gigantic brewing equipment. While that model of drinking in full view of the production facility is fun, sometimes beer lovers yearn for the comfort of a cozy full-scale restaurant to complement their craft brews.
That is what inspired the team behind Vaycay Brew Co. when they set out to build their new restaurant and taproom in Marda Loop. Vaycay is already a familiar name in Calgary: as a beer brand, its brews have turned heads with their bright packaging and well-crafted flavour. Keen readers may also remember Vaycay as a partner, along with Burwood Distillery, in Veranda, a restaurant in Currie. After a couple of years, the Vaycay ownership team — Andrew Gass, Brad Fehr and Brad Van De Walle — decided they needed a space of their own, and they parted ways with their friends at Burwood to relocate on the other side of Crowfoot Trail.
A Place to Be Themselves
“Our mindset was about having a place where we can be ourselves,” says Gass, a chef by trade who co-founded Vaycay to pursue his love of brewing. “We wanted to be truthful to who we are and make sure that our food, which has always been top of mind for us, helps people to experience our brand fully.”
That brand is essentially fun vibes in a vacation-like setting (hence the brewery’s name), giving patrons a place to relax with (or without) a beer while enjoying casual but carefully considered food. Downstairs, in the main taproom, suitably tropical wallpaper, greenery, and wood accents jazz up the 45-seat restaurant. Above the brewery is another small indoor space as well as an outdoor plaza that Vaycay is in the process of transforming into a large, sheltered patio that should be open just in time for summer.
Imaginative Brew Pub Fare
The food mostly falls into the “imaginative brew pub” category, with appetizers like big plates of fresh and light poke nachos, featuring wonton crisps and big chunks of yellowfin tuna ($25) and crunchy short rib-filled birria taquitos ($18). There are sandwiches (no fries though, which gives you a good excuse as any to order a salad) including a crispy mortadella number dubbed the “Kitchen Confidential” ($19) and fun pizzas, ranging from a simple margherita ($19) to the “One Night in Bankok” ($22) stacked with stir-fried ground pork, Thai basil, and a fried egg in homage to the Thai dish pad kra pao.
It is a relatively tight menu — perfect for those of us prone to menu indecision — meant to evoke the feeling of your favourite vacation, be it to Mexico, Thailand, or Hawaii.
Beyond Beer: Teas and Electrolytes
Obviously, beer is the showcase drink, but the Vaycay crew have quietly expanded their empire beyond beers. In addition to popular selections like the Tangerine Speedo New England IPA and the Hidden Dragon salted black lager beers, Vaycay makes the Tiki Tea brand of ice teas spiked with their own tequila. Even more interestingly, they have launched their own non-alcoholic coconut water electrolyte drinks, sort of like a much tastier craft Gatorade.
Vaycay Brew Co. is located at 2248 33rd Ave. S.W. and can be reached at 403-313-1463 or through vaycaybrew.co. The restaurant is open daily from 11 a.m. until well into the evening.
Other Restaurant News
In other restaurant news, Calgary is seeing a constant influx of chain restaurants imported from other cities and countries, with two of particular note just opening. First up, Hello Nori is a popular sushi hand roll restaurant with six locations in Vancouver and Toronto. Their first Calgary outpost opened in Bridgeland (837 1st Ave. N.E.) in late April and is already proving to be a hit.
