Victoria’s own Spinnakers Brewpub, Canada’s oldest brewpub, is brewing a collaboration beer with Fullers Griffin Brewery of Chiswick, England, as a nod to BC’s craft beer history.
The beer was created to honour Alexander John Mitchell, co-founder and first brewer at Spinnakers when it opened in 1984.
Before opening Spinnakers in Victoria, Mitchell was building the Horseshoe Bay Brewery in 1982, just north of Vancouver.
At the larger-scale brewery, Mitchell was supported with a donation of Fullers’ yeast, which he used to make Bay Ale, a classic British ale modelled after Fuller’s London Pride.
So, to honour this legacy, Spinnakers and Fullers have worked together to create the ‘Trans Atlantic Collaboration IPA,’ which is the official John Mitchell Signature Collaboration beer of 2025.
Spinnakers describes the collaboration beer is an old-world style IPA, brewed with Fullers’ yeast, Field 5 malts from the Saanich Peninsula as well as a mix of old world and Pacific Northwest hops. The beer came in at 5.2% Alcohol by volume (ABV) and with 40 international bitterness units (IBUs).
It is described as having a light malt character which helps create a highly sessionable IPA.
This collab brew will be launched at Spinnakers Brewpub from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. on Tuesday, October 14th.
In attendance will be Guy Stewart, the head brewer/brewery manager of Fullers in the UK. This event is free to attend, open to the public and will feature the Trans Atlantic Collaboration IPA on tap, cask and nitro.
Cans of the beer will also be made available for sale.
Spinnakers x Fullers collaboration beer release
- Where: Spinnakers Brewpub, 308 Catherine Street
- When: Tuesday, October 14th, from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m.
- Admission: Free to attend, but attendees must be at least 19-years-old
