The owners of Brassneck Brewery are basically Vancouver craft beer royalty. Nigel Springthorpe is responsible for the city’s premiere beer-focussed restaurant, the much-beloved Alibi Room. Conrad Gmoser cut his teeth as the long-time brewmaster at Vancouver craft beer pioneer Steamworks brewpub.
Together, the two have combined to establish one of Vancouver’s most popular places to drink ales and lagers. Located right on Main Street — fittingly in an area originally known as Brewery Creek — Brassneck only sells its beer on site. That’s right. It can’t be found in liquor stores or restaurants, and you can’t even purchase a keg. It can only be enjoyed in glasses in the tasting room, or in take away resealable jugs called growlers.
The name Brassneck references an English idiom to describe the behaviour of someone with gall and brashness. “And a bit of foolishness, too,” adds Conrad, “which certainly describes us, and our decision to open a brewery.” Because while they were always confident in their plan, they never imagined how long it would take. Setbacks and impossible-to-pin-down timelines left the two sporting chest-length beards — “Our version of a playoff beard,” laughs Conrad— out of a commitment to not shave until opening day.
