Langley will welcome its first craft brewery this Saturday (February 13) when Trading Post Brewing (#107-20120 64th Avenue, Langley) officially opens its doors to the public.

The brewery is operated by long-time craft beer enthusiast Lance Verhoeff, who wanted to bring the popularity of craft brewing to his hometown of Langley.

“My wife and I were living in Vancouver a few years ago and just fell in love with the tasting room and craft brewery idea,” explains Verhoeff in a phone interview with the Straight. “And when we moved back to Langley, it was something we looked into very closely and we just decided to go for it.”

The 3,800-square-foot space features an open concept tasting room situated on a mezzanine, where guests can enjoy a front-row look at the brewing process. Tony Dewald, who has held positions at Dead Frog Brewery and Old Abbey Ales, serves as brewmaster.

Six beers will be on tap for the opening, including the 1827 Helles Lager, a traditional, German-style beer brewed with ingredients imported from Europe; the Owyhee Tropical Wheat Ale, a fruity hybrid of an IPA and an American wheat ale; and the Three Bears Breakfast Stout, a smooth and super-rich brew made with locally sourced coffee beans.

Trading Post will also have a sour cranberry ale on draught, which nods to Langley's many cranberry farms. There are plans to add an English-style bitter and a SMASH saison to the rotating lineup in the coming weeks.

“We’re definitely not trying to play it safe,” says Verhoeff. “We actually don’t even have a pale ale.”

Trading Post’s grand opening takes place this Saturday (February 13) from noon to 9 p.m. As a cheeky play on its name, the first 50 guests through the door who arrive with a bottle of mass-produced beer can trade in the brew for a free Trading Post growler.

“It’s kind of a friendly jab at big beer and something that resonates with our name,” says Verhoeff.

On Sunday (February 14), the brewery will also be offering tasting plates of sweets from local chocolatier ChocolaTas, which have been specially selected by Dewald to pair with the beers.

Though Trading Post has only been brewing for a short while, Verhoeff is already working on a separate eatery in Fort Langley, which will act as an extension of the brewery with a full menu of complementary food. The eatery is slated to open in May.