E-Malt.com News article: Canada, BC: Green Leaf Brewing Company opening in North Vancouver

The Lower Mainland’s latest brewery has been flying under the radar for a good while, with only passing foot traffic at Lonsdale Quay aware that beer would soon be brewing near the North Vancouver SeaBus terminal, The Province reported on December 24.

Green Leaf Brewing Co. is a venture owned by Martin Ebadi, an Iranian who came to Canada in 1997 and soon got hooked on the West Coast’s slowly evolving craft beer scene. When craft started to take off in 2008, Ebadi began looking for a prime spot.

He found one located immediately at the south entrance of the Lonsdale mini-mall. Green Leaf is just metres away from Burrard Inlet and enjoys a great view over the water to downtown Vancouver. It adjoins a small plaza with an even more open view, and the plan is to have some patio seating when the tasting lounge is complete and the licence comes through. It should be reasonably amazing come summer 2014.

It’s also a prime spot in terms of niche – the nearest breweries being either Steamworks a SeaBus journey away, or Deep Cove and Bridge Brewing a few kilometres east – and the fact that it’s right in the heart of a bustling neighbourhood.

For now, Green Leaf is in a soft-opening phase after a two-year gestation, with customers getting use of a long solid wood bar. As with most of Lonsdale Quay, there’s a pleasant airiness to the space, with lots of natural light.

For now, Green Leaf has two beers on offer: a cloudy orange dry-hopped pale ale, and a very nice stout.

It’s draft only at Green Leaf, and it will continue that way. Ebadi says he wants his small microbrewery to be community-focused, serving passing traffic and regulars with the freshest beer possible, and collaborating with the businesses around him. An official launch is planned for next month, with the aim of involving as many Lonsdale businesses as possible.

Ebadi, who has been brewing the beer alongside former McAuslan and Benelux (Montreal) brewer Tim Kramer, says he’s planning on a lineup of four regular beers, with a rotating list of six seasonals. An IPA will likely be next, right after more pale ale and stout is brewed to top up stock after what Ebadi admits with a smile was a surprisingly busy opening day on December 21.


27 December, 2013