Nanaimo’s craft beer scene, boasting three craft breweries, is finally big enough to have a “tap take-over” event on Thursday, December 8th at White Sails Brewing.

Tap take-overs represent the camaraderie of the craft beer movement, where one brewery taproom makes room on its tap line-up for other locally brewed beer, in this case Longwood and Wolf Brewing.  

White Sails Brewing and Taproom has been open for just over a year. Owners Brad McCarthy and Monty McKay, realized a vision to open up a small brewery and taproom that would bring folks together and make great beer.

Located close to the Nanaimo waterfront, White Sails is housed in an historic Nanaimo building. The Newcastle Hotel was built in the late 1800s by the owner of what was then the Pacific Northwest’s largest brewery, Union Brewing.

The line up of suds from White Sails is top notch. We carry them all at Lucky’s Liquor Store in Nanaimo’s Country Club Centre.

The December 8 tap take-over cask party is hosted by the Matt Drinks Beer team of dedicated local beer drinkers. They are excited especially because this is the first time the three Nanaimo craft breweries are collaborating in an event.

I am not sure if Matt Carter and Sean Ens (the Matt Drinks Beer team) could have picked a longer name for this event, but here it is: Not Quite Christmas Cask-O-Rama. As craft beer enthusiasts and bloggers, their hobby must inspire them with a unique sense of humour to create an event titled with such a mouthful. Try saying that three times quickly!

The three casks being tapped at the Cask-O-Rama have a story as well.

In June, the Nanaimo Chamber of Commerce hosted Feastival, an event celebrating the Island’s culinary and beverage offerings. A home-brew competition was part of the program. Eight local hobby brewers competed and were judged.

The prize for the three winners – Cody Andersen, Brent Burgoyne and Reuben Matthews – was an opportunity to create a single cask beer with the head brewer from one of the three local breweries – White Sails, Longwood and Wolf.

Each of the three casks being tapped are unique one-offs.

Traditionally, the cask contents are fully consumed at a tap take-over event by beer enthusiasts. After all, it’s the first and only time these beers will be available.

All of the conditioning (aging and resting) of the brew occurs in the cask it was made in. And, of course, these brews will never be bottled or sold again.

The Matt Drinks Beer team has an idea what styles of beers will be on-tap, but are keeping that knowledge confidential.

We’ll just have to wait, and find out at White Sails on December 8 at 4 p.m.

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