When it comes to the Pacific Northwest and craft beer culture, Seattle and Portland, Oregon, get all the pub. Even burgeoning craft beer hotspots like Hood River, Oregon, and Spokane get plenty of good words thrown their way.

It’s so easy to forget about our craft beer brothers to the north — and I don’t mean Bellingham. As I found out on a recent trip to Vancouver B.C., that’s a big mistake.

It’s an easy mistake for us self-absorbed American craft beer drinkers. Because of the burdensome taxes and duties, much of the craft beer made in and around Vancouver, B.C. never makes it to U.S. shelves. Sure, it’s fairly easy to find Howe Sound’s liter bottles in stores and even Granville Island’s beer can be spotted every so often, but overall it’s a no-go for B.C. beer in American bottleshops.

I’d heard from some friends that the Vancouver, B.C., beer scene was growing, but I had no idea. From Gastown to Yaletown, up to Mount Pleasant and along Commercial Drive — also known as The Drive — there are breweries all over the fair city (many easily accessible via the city’s SkyTrain). And according to a recent CBC article, that’s just the beginning: Another 15 to 20 breweries are set to open in British Columbia in 2016.

My wife and I started out at BierCraft Tap and Tapas on The Drive. A taproom with more than 120 Belgian and craft beers, BierCraft didn’t disappoint. I got a flight of four beers. I mixed some local flavor — tasters from Vancouver, B.C., breweries Bomber Brewing and Dageraad Brewing — with a couple of fun Belgian beers. All the beers did a great job of washing down some delicious poutine. It was a grand start.

On the way back to the SkyTrain station, we stopped at Liberty Wine Merchants to pick up a couple of local beers. The gentleman stocking the shelves guided us to a fresh hop ale from Vancouver’s Postmark Brewing and Juxtapose, a West Coast IPA brewed with brettanomyces, a wild type of yeast, from Delta’s Four Winds Brewing.

The next day, after some time spent shopping and sightseeing, we found ourselves near Steamworks Brewing brewpub, just down the street from the Olympic Cauldron.

Canada’s only steam-generated brewery, Steamworks is right on the waterfront so beer drinkers can enjoy the view of seaplanes flying high over Coal Harbour with Stanley Park and North Vancouver in the distance. It’s a magical place for a pint.

As for the beer, it was good if not great. I enjoyed the kolsch and marzen, but none of the beers in my flight were all that memorable.

Apparently, though, we were saving the best for last. We’d gotten a tip from one of the many craft-beer aficionados we chatted with during our trip that a brewery called Brassneck was not to be missed. So on our final day in Vancouver, we walked over to the Mount Pleasant neighborhood and walked into hipster-craft-beer-nerd heaven.

Reclaimed wood covers nearly every inch of the walls, which are adorned with fun drawings and illustrations for each of its beers, present and past. Brassneck, with growlers of all sizes lining the walls, is split into a growler shop and a taproom. We headed to the taproom and ordered up a taster tray.

Brassneck doesn’t have any old standbys, and seems to love experimentation. I asked for some help. Our server recommended Sticks &Stones, a rye saison; Free Radical, a white IPA with Belma hops; Passive Aggressive, a dry hopped pale ale; and Ten Times Ten, a Centennial hopped American pale ale.

The Passive Aggressive was my favorite, but all four beers were well-balanced, clean and beautifully hop-forward.

On the way out, I got a pint growler full of White Noise, a golden strong ale, and a T-shirt. Hey, I figured, somebody has to advertise for these guys and all the other great Vancouver beer in the U.S.

My Vancouver 6 Pack

Here’s a look at my favorite beers from my travels in Vancouver, B.C.

Juxtapose

Four Winds Brewing Company

Part of Four Winds’ Zephyrus Series, this beer has the perfect balance of tropical fruit and subtle tartness courtesy the Brettanomyces yeast.

Jongleur

Strange Fellows Brewing

I had this with Indian food and it couldn’t have been a better choice. Pouring a light straw color, this Belgian-style wit was refreshing with a hint of orange and coriander.

33 Acres of Ocean

33 Acres Brewing Co.

Pours a light amber color with a slight floral hoppiness. A very unpretentious IPA, but it doesn’t back down from a mean porchetta sandwich from Meat &Bread

Play Dead IPA

Yellow Dog Brewing

I grabbed a pint can of this on our last day in Canada on the recommendation of a wine shop steward, and I usually hate to judge a brewery on one can, but this beer was excellent. A nice bitter finish, with just a hint of tropical fruits.

Passive Aggressive

Brassneck Brewing

The brewery describes this as “somewhere between a pale and an IPA,” and I think that’s perfect. It’s hoppy enough to be an IPA, but has that sweet maltiness of a pale ale.

Blackberry Wheat Sour

Townsite Brewing Inc.

This beer pours a distinct raspberry red and is as delicious as it is beautiful. Full of depth and punchy tartness, this sour was part of a limited Sour Series. If it’s gone, I’m sorry.

B.C. Beer

The Vancouver Craft Beer Festival is June 3-5 at the PNE Fairgrounds. Also learn more about Vancouver beer by taking the Vancouver Brewery Tour. More at vancouverbrewerytours.com. For more information on B.C. beer, visit bcbeer.ca.